Forensic Tales

When we buy something, it's not necessarily about the *thing*. Oftentimes we are buying into a story about ourselves; namely, what we simply must fix as we seek to get one step closer to our aspirational, in-a-perfect-world self. Important truth time: You are not a perpetual self-improvement project, and no product can fix what was never broken in the first place. On today's show: A conver...

#234 - On June 28, 2014, in the small town of Cottonport, Louisiana., 29-year-old Megan Parra was discovered in her home by her parents with a gunshot wound to her head. Megan’s husband, Dustin Parra, showed up minutes later and tried to save her, but it was too late. She was taken off life support the next day. Her death was ruled a suicide, but her parents are convinced there was foul play.   Su...

#233 - In October 1981, three young boys in Newburgh Heights, Ohio, made a frightening discovery in a ravine: a dead body. Other than some scratches and bruises, the body showed no obvious sign of injury. One tennis shoe was found in a nearby pile of rocks. The other shoe was missing. It was the body of 12-year-old Kurt Sova. An autopsy revealed that Kurt had died about a day before he was found,...

Americans spend about 21 hours per day inside. On the whole, we are also more depressed and anxious than ever before. Many of us have been trained to seek out commodified services to unwind (I'm looking at you, #selfcare!). But what if a potential solution cost zero dollars and offered zero risk? On today's show: An invitation to welcome nature back into your life, with 5.5 novel suggestio...

Hyper-capitalism — also called late-stage capitalism — is what happens when material resources, lifestyle activities, and everything in between becomes both commodified and consumable. In hyper-capitalistic economies, products get invented that no one needs or wants. Celebrities are revered like gods. Inequity is everywhere, and citizens internalize the idea that their worth is measured by some my...

#232 - Blair Adams from Canada was just 31 years old when his body was found in the parking lot of a Knoxville, Tennessee hotel in July 1996. Scattered around his body was $4,000 worth of mixed Canadian, American, and German currency. His death was later discovered to be caused by a blow to the stomach - but what exactly happened to Blair remains a mystery.   Support My Work If you love the show,...

There's plenty of distressing research into what smartphones are doing to adults' attention spans, focus, and memory. And on child/teen development? Emerging research is even more alarming.  We are change makers, and change making means making difficult decisions, having difficult conversations, and going against the grain. On today's show: Why we need to (yet again!) rethink our appro...

Want to feel calmer and happier? You don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars for the newest wellness product or service. In fact, the solution doesn't cost a cent: simply get in touch with your breathing. Breath is an amazing and responsive teacher. That's because if we breathe as we live — take in and let go — we can't go wrong. On today's show: An invitation to meet yours...

#231 - On a summer night in 2015, New Jersey Transit train 4693 struck and killed an 18-year-old named Tiffany Valiante. Her death was ruled a suicide. But her family insists that the recent high school graduate and star athlete was actually murdered.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell you...

From phone calls to blind dates to punctuation to civil discourse, the internet has changed every aspect of human life. While some losses are insignificant, the rise of the internet has also resulted in larger repercussions, like shorter attention spans, a collective inability to sit in solitude, and the the utter demolition of personal privacy. On today's show: A conversation with author and...

I received an email last month from two Dutchmen who have been sailing around the world for 8 years in search of climate solutions. They asked to visit my home and chat. I obliged, and I'm so happy I did. On today's show: an in-person interview with Floris van Hees and Ivar Smits — also affectionately known as  Sailors For Sustainability  — about the wisdom they've gained from their ad...

#230 - A woman is arrested for poisoning six members of her family with cyanide between 2002 and 2016. She is accused of murdering them to inherit the family property and to marry her lover, who was her husband’s cousin.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Fore...

Before aluminum coated in Teflon, there was cast iron. Our great-grandparents revered cast iron in the kitchen because it lasts *forever*. And with proper care? It's naturally non-stick, no PFAS necessary. These days cast iron is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and for many good reasons. On today's show cast iron historian  Kyle Seip  answers our burning questions about how to cook on...

Is the glass half empty, or is it half full? According to Tony Robbins, trading your expectations for appreciation instantly changes everything. Psychological research agrees: Gratitude has the power to improve every single aspect of your life. On today's show: how to truly feel gratitude for your stuff and people.  Here's a preview: [3:00] Want to be 18% happier? It's as easy as putti...

#229 - St. John’s University student Joshua Guimond left a party on Nov. 9, 2002, and was never seen again. Although more than two decades have passed, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation into his disappearance remains active. What happened to Joshua all those years ago? And is too late for forensic science to help answer some of the many unanswered questions about his myste...

Packaged foods (obviously) have ingredients lists. Our favorite beauty products have ingredients lists. And those cleaning products under the kitchen sink? Yup, they've got ingredients lists, too. Ever wonder why our clothes don't have ingredients lists? While we'd *like* to think our favorite garments are made of woven fibers and nothing more, the sad truth is there are countless unre...

Modern life panders to our innate desire to be sedentary, and never has it been more difficult to resist the alluring convenience of screens. Yet walking matters. On today's show author  Annabel Abbs-Streets  suggests tangible ways to attain the full range of benefits that walking has to offer — physical, emotional, and spiritual — that's backed by latest research.   Here's a preview:...

#228 - In 2014, a prominent couple from New Jersey was found brutally killed inside their home. They each suffered multiple stab wounds, and the house had been almost burned down to the ground. But after the police wrapped up the investigation, they believed the couple died in a murder-suicide plot. However, those close to the Sheridans disagree they would have done something like this. What does...

The environmental news headlines you need to know for Friday, May 10 2024: [00:30] Fish are shrinking around the world and no one knows why [4:00] Have a gas stove? Here's another thing to worry about  [7:00] Exactly how green initiatives push some voters to the far right  [11:30]  A Sriracha shortage has climate change to blame [15:00] Climate change raises the risks of another pandemic, and...

While fresh fruits and vegetables are irreplaceable parts of a healthy diet, pesticides aren't benign. Sadly, many of our favorite produce items carry unhealthy levels of pesticides, and each one comes with its own unique risk profile. On today's show: A comprehensive review of the most recent research into pesticides in produce. Here's a preview: [5:00] Not all pesticides are the same...

We know climate change is expensive, but how expensive is it really? A new analysis finds that beyond its effects on the broader economy, rising temperatures seriously hurt our personal finances. On today's show: A conversation with  Alexandra Grose  about what happens when climate change reduces lifetime income and simultaneously raises prices on ... well, everything.   Resource mentioned: Cl...

#227 - 21-year-old college student Chris Jenkins mysteriously vanished on Halloween Night 2002 after spending the night out with friends. Four months later, his body was found in the Mississippi River, but things aren't always as they initially appear. What happened to Chris Jenkins after spending a fun night out at the bar with friends, and can forensic science help give us some answers?   Suppor...

The environmental news headlines you need to know for Friday, May 3 2024: [1:30] Newly released documents and Big Oil's secret climate strategy [7:00] Here's what Patagonia's doing with all its profits [13:00] Therapists are trading the couch for the great outdoors, and here's why [16:00] Sea levels are rising in the US coastal South faster than anywhere else on Earth   Resource me...

Something semi-sad happens as we age: We lose our nimbleness. So many of us white-knuckle grip long-held habits and beliefs and thus fail to question whether such routines and ideas are working in our best interests. Worse, such rigidity goes directly against our "factory settings" as human beings: As a species, we fully live when we prioritize resilience, light-footedness, and fearlessnes...

Many corporations are hopping on the sustainability bandwagon these days, but it's not for altruistic reasons. It's likely due to the green premium: because eco-friendly products cost more, business owners see an opportunity for increased revenue.  The result? Greenwashed products abound (And guess what? You're likely paying *extra* for a product that isn't at all eco-conscious!). ...