Simplified

Today we’ll be talking about dating in the digital age and the new terms you may hear younger Americans using these days— ghosting, couple goals, soft launch, and the momentous “FBO” (that’s Facebook official, btw). How have mobile dating apps changed how hopeful singles engage with each other? Does social media put extra pressure on couples to put on the appearance of happiness? This is the resea...

Whether you were born and raised in the yellowhammer state or just moved to Pell City from Siberia, you are more than aware of Alabama's fascination with college football. Sure some die hard alums may watch high school football on Fridays, and some of us may tune in on Sundays to watch an NFL team or two. But it's not even worth debating that the collegiate version of the sport reigns supreme amon...

Earlier this year, after broadcasting our episode with Dr. Jason Bara about microplastics, we got an email from a listener named Hank asking if we would consider doing an episode on forever chemicals. Turns out, these two things are often brought up together in conversation—they’re both pollutants, both a bit of a headache to get rid of, and both are indicative of the advancements of technology. A...

If you get uncomfortable just thinking about going to the dentist, there's a word for that: dental anxiety. Research published in the Journal of the American Dental Association indicates that about 73% of U.S. adults hold some level of fear about dental work or oral health visits. Some research suggests that up to 15% of U.S. adults avoid the dentist entirely due to being terrified of those needle...

The American Veterinary Medical Association says that roughly one third of all American homes have at least one house cat. That's a LOT of feline companions, especially when you consider that many of these homes have multiple kitties (you can never have just one). Simplified is a podcast committing to simplifying potentially confusing topics, and if you've ever had a pet cat, you can likely attest...

You've likely heard all about the new skin care trends taking over cosmetics stores. What used to be a process as simple as "wash your face before bed" is now a massive industry, with some facial washes, creams, scrubs and oils costing as much as a car payment! (google 'most expensive skin care' at your own risk) While a moisturizer infused with caviar is not a necessity, healthy skin practices ca...

Multiple sources say that there are roughly 400,000 kids in the foster care system in the United States currently. There are some things that humans won't fully understand unless they live through them, and the processes surrounding adoption and foster care are likely included in those things. But taking super nuanced concepts and making them less scary to approach is what we do best here at Simpl...

If you want to start an argument at the dinner table, I personally suggest bringing up Artificial Intelligence. There are some that believe AI to be the answer to all of the world's problems, and some that think it could bring about the world's demise. It's one of those topics where the spectrum of support and opinions is incredibly wide. Whether you consider this phenomenon an indicator of progre...

A distrust and even dislike for news folk isn't necessarily new, (and in more than a few cases, not unwarranted) but in the last decade it seems that politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the endless void of Facebook has made many more civilians villainize "The Media™". So to break down what journalists SHOULD do, whether they do it or not, and why they should do it, we brought in someone who has m...

There's the awards, the in-depth reporting, the great photos, and many other things that news outlets can brag about. One thing that most journalists are still working on however is earning solid trust from most of the public. A distrust and even dislike for news folk isn't necessarily new, (and in more than a few cases, not unwarranted) but in the last decade it seems that politics, the COVID-19...

May is mental health awareness month, and organizations across the United States use this time to educate Americans on how to both understand mental health issues and offer support to people who are struggling. We're joining those voices with our last Simplified episode of the month: an informative chat with Dr. Abby Horton, an Assistant Professor at The University of Alabama’s Capstone College of...

Hurricane season has technically already started on Pacific Ocean side of the country, but the Atlantic side (that's our side btw) will be heating up very soon. Scientists say 97% percent of hurricanes occur from June to November, as Alabamians and their southeastern neighbors know all too well. Our guest today has been interviewed by national news entities on this topic, and if he's good enough f...

Some of the biggest changes we've seen the current administration make is on legislation and regulations regarding environmental issues. A lot of protections have changed or gone away completely, and projects that could negatively impact the earth are getting approved easier. Alabama is no exception- the state legislature just this year passed a bill that says the state cannot impose stricter envi...

Primary elections for multiple state offices are less than three weeks away. Local elections such as these don't see the turnout that presidential elections do in our state, and that needs to change, because Dr. Regina Wagner says so! She's a political science professor at the University of Alabama and gave us tons of information on the processes and importance of state-level elections. Whether yo...

Part two of our conversation with sleep expert Dr. Adam Knowlden is here! Do you know anyone that says "yeah, I actually get perfect sleep every single night"? Me neither. That's why it felt appropriate to interview today's guest, Dr, Adam Knowlden, who has been studying sleep habits and sleep hygiene for years. He is an associate professor of health science and director of the SLUMBRx Lab at the...

Do you know anyone that says "yeah, I actually get perfect sleep every single night"? Me neither. That's why it felt appropriate to interview today's guest, Dr, Adam Knowlden, who has been studying sleep habits and sleep hygiene for years. He is an associate professor of health science and director of the SLUMBRx Lab at the University of Alabama, and is a certified award-winning sleep-knower. Ther...

Today Lacey sits down with a pro on social media culture, influence and history. Dr. Jessica Maddox is an Associate Professor of Entertainment and Media Studies at the University of Georgia, but spent 7 years of her academic career at the University of Alabama. In this episode, she chats with Lacey about how people can get dependent on social media, how these websites design themselves to make the...

In today's episode of Simplified, Lacey has a great time chatting with Grayson Glaze, a professor of real estate at the University of South Alabama. He also serves as the program director for the real estate degree program at USA. Grayson answers questions about real estate law, the buying/selling process, and everything in between.

In today's episode, Lacey sits down with Dr. Thomas Weida, associate dean for clinical affairs for the College of Community Health Sciences at Alabama, and chief medical officer for the University Medical Center. Dr. Weida gives listeners a 101-class on Insurance; how it works, why it can get complicated, and what patients can do when they need a little help.

Episode 3 of Simplified is all about microplastics! Host Lacey Alexander is joined by Dr. Jason Bara, a professor at Alabama and the co-director of the Polymers and Soft Materials Research Center. Dr. Bara’s research group is focused on development of advanced polymer materials, processes for clean energy production, and more.

In our second episode, Lacey sits down with Dr. Michael Innis-Jiménez, an American Studies professor at The University of Alabama. His research is predominantly on how Latino communities function within the United States, making him the perfect guest to discuss the island of Puerto Rico and it's (legal and emotional) relationship to the US!

"Simplified" is a new interview-style show from APR where Morning Edition host Lacey Alexander takes complex topics and breaks them down so that everyone can better understand them. Her first guest is Dr. Dena Mitchell, CPA from Troy University. She and Lacey talk all about income taxes-- the long forms, the IRS, the credits, and more.