CSU's The Audit

Most people have experienced déjà vu at one time or another, that eerie feeling that you've been in a situation before when you know that you haven't. But what is déjà vu? And why does it happen? Colorado State University Psychology Professor Anne Cleary, who researches human memory and specifically déjà vu, says the reasons are a lot more normal than paranormal. Cleary recently spoke with The Aud...

In 1983, Spirit Halloween stores began popping up with a very unique business model — rent out a large, vacant store front; fill it with Halloween costumes and temporary employees for about eight to 10 weeks; and then as of Nov. 1 — poof! They vanish like a ghost.  Colorado State University College of Business Associate Professor Zac Rogers researches the financial impact of supply chain sustainab...

Comedians have been joking about politics for probably as long as there have been politicians. But in the past few years, there's been a noticeable shift in political comedy.    No longer just a spotlight for the Democrats, more and more conservatives are getting in on the act, too, from the rise of comic and podcaster Joe Rogan to Fox's answer to “The Daily Show,” "Gutfeld," right-wing conservati...

Jessie Luna is an associate professor of sociology at Colorado State University. Her research investigates how cultural politics intersect with processes of capitalism to produce and naturalize social inequalities and environmental change. She recently spoke to CSU's The Audit about how cultural stereotypes impact our everyday lives, even during a simple trip to the zoo. 

Can you put a price on nature? Or maybe the better question is, should you put a price on nature? It may sound like a bizarre concept, but it’s one that renowned environmental economist Ed Barbier says could be key to saving the planet. Barbier is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics at Colorado State University, as well as a Senior Scholar in the School of Global En...

There are lots of different types of friends. Best friends, work friends. Facebook friends, even frenemies. Each has an important role in our lives that has been shown to impact our mental and physical health. Now the American Friendship Project, a new program co-led by Colorado State University communication studies researcher Natalie Pennington, provides one of the most complete looks at this hi...

Despite its landlocked location, Colorado State University is well known all along the Atlantic coast for its seasonal hurricane forecasts . Each spring, these forecasts predict the total amount and potential strength of storms for the upcoming hurricane season. The forecasts were first developed and shared by pioneering atmospheric science researcher William Gray , and are frequently used by medi...

In March, a New York state judge ruled that a lawsuit could go forward against several social media companies alleging that the platforms contributed to the radicalization of a gunman who killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York in 2022.   The lawsuit claims companies like Meta, Reddit and 4Chan “profit from the racist, antisemitic and violent material displayed on their platforms...

Methane is odorless, colorless, and invisible to the naked eye. But it's also one of the most damaging greenhouse gases impacting climate change.  Colorado State University biology professor Joe von Fischer researches how humans, plants, soil and soil microbes influence greenhouse gas emissions, including methane. Today, we're talking with Von Fischer about how methane compares to the more notorio...

Accounting may not be the sexiest topic but in the early 2000s everyone was talking about it after the energy company Enron was found to have committed widespread accounting fraud. Hiding billions of debt, Enron and its accounting firm Arthur Anderson misled Enron's board of directors and its shareholders, who eventually filed a $40 billion lawsuit against the company.  In addition to causing the...

On the second floor of Colorado State University’s Morgan Library, there are hundreds of boxes and stacks of books all dedicated to just one topic — water. There’s a copy of the Colorado River Compact , the landmark document that governs how the seven states that make up the Colorado River basin allocate its water. There are letters regarding Elwood Mead — Lake Mead’s namesake — who developed the...

Wearable health trackers monitor everything from how many steps we take in a day to how well we sleep at night. But does this technology actually encourage better health? Does hearing that little voice declare "exercise ring closed" actually motivate people to work out?  That's the question Natalie Pennington decided to answer. An assistant professor of communication studies at Colorado State Univ...

Much has changed over the years since Colorado State University first partnered with the National Western Stock Show when it began in 1906. Over the decades, it's become not only about selling livestock, but about selling potential livestock. Thanks to genetics and the seedstock industry.  For almost 50 years, the CSU Seedstock Merchandising Team has been part of that endeavor, working to breed bu...

Since the COVID 19 pandemic began in 2020, same day/next day delivery — something that was previously considered more of a premium service — has become a normal and even expected way to shop. But what does our get-it-now method of online commerce mean for the supply chain, especially one that has been so precarious in the post-pandemic era? Zac Rogers is an associate professor of operations and su...

It's an indelible moment that poses the question: Is democracy in danger? On Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. Inside, they roamed the historic halls, ransacking offices and searching for lawmakers. Outside, they were smashing news cameras. It was the height of a cycle of polarization and distrust in some...

After being found in violation of a 1940 water compact, Colorado has a deadline: retire 25,000 acres of irrigated land by 2029 or face the shutdown of thousands of wells, impacting hundreds of thousands of acres of land and their surrounding communities. Colorado Water Center Director John Tracy and Professor Jordan Suter spoke with The Audit about the complicated history of the Republican River B...

Jason Bernagozzi is an associate professor of electronic art at Colorado State University. Bernagozzi recently spoke with The Audit about the impact AI-generated art is currently having, what it could mean for the future of art, and how he’s preparing CSU students to navigate this new world.

The Audit spoke with CSU agricultural economist Dawn Thilmany about a recent Colorado Department of Agriculture survey looking at Colorado consumer preferences and how much the buy local movement really matters.

Audit host Stacy Nick talks with Colorado State University paleoanthropologist Michael Pante about this important discovery, what it means for future fossil research, and what was it that led our early ancestors to eat each other. WARNING: This episode contains explicit content regarding cannibalism practices that some listeners might find disturbing.

Audit host Stacy Nick talks with CSU Distinguished Professor, writer and poet Camille Dungy about using her garden to explore issues of history, race, sustainability and motherhood.

When people typically think of environmental injustice, they often only think of these kinds of big, headline-grabbing events. But according to Stephanie Malin, associate sociology professor and co-founder of Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Justice, the issues of access and inequality are far more ubiquitous. Malin talked with The Audit podcast about the center’s research into...

From voters saying no to hosting the Winter Olympics to the Earth Liberation Front's attack on Vail ski resort, Colorado State University Associate Professor and author Michael Childers says it hasn't been all powder for Colorado's snow business.

There are more than 600 prison agricultural programs currently in the United States, but very little data looking at the how, what, and maybe most importantly, why of these programs. Colorado State University's Prison Agriculture Lab is looking to change that. Co-directors Joshua Sbicca and Carrie Chennault talk about the lab's recently published landmark dataset analyzing the different types of c...

CSU Sociology Professor Michael Carolan about how food and food systems can play a role in building empathy and bridging our nation's deep divide. (Originally aired Nov. 15, 2022)

Colorado State University history professor Ann Little talks about our fascination with the early North American witch trials and what a modern-day witch hunt could look like. (Originally aired Oct. 25, 2022)