The Wake Up

Why do tornadoes happen, and should we expect any in New England this year? GBH’s meteorologist Dave Epstein explains the whirling phenomenon.

For seven years, the Energy Observer has been travelling the world using only renewable energy, including solar power charging lithium batteries and hydrogen tanks fueled by seawater. Now it's in Boston — and GBH News reporter Craig LeMoult got a look onboard.

It's been an eventful few weeks at MIT, with students protesting university ties to the war in Gaza setting up an encampment on Campus. Ellie Montemayor, publisher of weekly student newspaper The Tech, joins Paris to discuss what it's been like as a student and a reporter.

The childcare economy in Massachusetts is not working: Costs are unaffordable for many parents, and early childhood educators are low-paid and struggle to stay in their jobs. Can a $1.58 billion infusion help balance the books? GBH's State House Reporter Katie Lannan has the inside scoop on upcoming funding.

The weather is warming up, which means ticks are back in full force. GBH's meteorologist and horticulturalist Dave Epstein talks about avoiding the creeping crawlers in what could be a record year.

GBH's Edgar B. Hurwick III of the Curiosity Desk and Culture Show joins Paris and Jeremy for his latest round of trivia questions. The topic: the month of May. Who will take home the championship belt this time around? Plus Paris Alston gets us ready for Mother's Day in the latest installment of her mental health series Waking Up Well.

Spring is springing. What should gardeners know about when and how to get things into the ground? GBH's meteorologist and gardening expert Dave Epstein has the details. Plus: GBH's education reporter Meg Woolhouse has the story about a push in Concord to rename the town's middle school for a local educator and abolitionist, Ellen Garrison.

GBH Senior Reporter Phillip Martin joined Jeremy Siegel to discuss hate speech in the age of social media, how easy it can be for someone to make a threat, and how law enforcement is stepping up to address the issue.

On Saturday a soccer legend visits The Bay State. GBH News' Esteban Bustillo joins Jeremy Siegel to discuss the New England Revolution hosting Inter Miami at Gillette Stadium. That means, if all goes to plan, international soccer mega-star Lionel Messi will take the pitch against the Revs for the first time.

What's the difference between Civil Twilight and Nautical Twilight? Meteorologist Dave Epstein joins Paris and Jeremy to break down the various different stages of daylight (and twilight) as we progress through this Spring season, including what part of the day is his favorite (and why).  

Paris Alston speaks with Andrew Scott, an economics professor at the London Business School and founder of The Longevity Forum .  Scott will be speaking on a panel about re-examining aging on Wednesday afternoon at Harvard's T-H Chan School of Public Health.  He is also the author of the new book The Longevity Imperative .

Jeremy Siegel speaks with MIT Graduate Anna Kazlauskas. Anna is CEO of Vana, a company that aims to raise awareness of the data that we’re putting out there … and let us take control of it at the dawn of the Artificial Intelligence age.   Plus Meteorologist Dave Epstein answers your weather and gardening related questions.

From robocalls to deepfakes, artificial intelligence is already playing a role in the 2024 election. Jeremy Siegel speaks with Aravind Srinavas, CEO and co-founder of the A-I chatbot Perplexity about the complex issue. Plus Paris Alston speaks with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark on the heels of the House's approval of a long-awaited aid package for Ukraine.

Bill Fandrich, executive vice president of technology and operations for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, acknowledges that everyone who has interacted with the US healthcare system has faced frustrations, like hard-to-find information about what's covered, how much procedures will cost, and what options are available. And, he tells Jeremy, he hopes new advancements in generative AI can help.

How are doctors using AI to pair patients with the medical providers who would be best suited to help them? Dr. Joan LaRovere, a physician in cardiac intensive care and associate chief medical officer for transformation at Boston Children's Hospital, speaks to Jeremy about using AI in low- and middle-income countries and the potential transformative power of scale.

Have you ever wondered how our income tax system came to be, or why tomatoes are considered vegetables for tax purposes? GBH's Edgar B. Herwick III, the man behind our Curiosity Desk, has the answers. Plus: John Werner, who is planning a new conference about the future of AI called Imagination in Action, talks about thinking deeply about artificial intelligence.

Spring is here, and so are Dave Epstein's answers to your gardening questions. What should you plant in your garden now? What can you do about a moss infestation? And is spring here? Dave has all the answers.

For GBH News editor Jennifer Moore, covering last year's Boston Marathon unearthed a long-forgotten childhood memory: A coach and teacher, Larry Rodenbeck, telling her sister to stop worrying about the competition and run her own race. So what happened to Rodenbeck, who Moore remembered as a former star athlete and track star? She tracked him down to find out.

Overdose deaths are at a record high in Massachusetts, and many involve people taking drugs unaware of lacing agents, like fentanyl and xylazine. Harvard student Skye Lam and Columbia student Vivian Sparks  co-founded MabLab , a company that produces an at-home testing kit people can use to become more informed about what's in the drugs they're taking.

Our resident Meteorologist and Gardening expert Dave Epstein checks in with Jeremy Siegel for his weekly weather wisdom.  Today Dave discussed the changing landscape of the seasons, how that affects the amount of snow we have on the ground, and what that decline in snow cover could mean for our local climate and growing season.

Author Gregory Maguire, the man behind the book "Wicked," talks to Jeremy about the origins of Elphaba's name and what it was like to get a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming "Wicked" movies.

The Boston Marathon is bringing 30,000 runners to the city. With them come 1,400 toilets. How do organizers calculate the number of portable toilets they'll need? GBH's Hannah Loss has an inside look at porta-potty math.

What's the best place to experience the solar eclipse? The residents of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, a small town that punches above its weight culturally, want you to believe that it's their hometown. Why does it eclipse the rest? Edgar B. Herwick III travels there to find out.

Actor Alan Ruck ( Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Succession ) will be appearing at the Emerson Colonial theatre this weekend for "An Evening with Alan Ruck", which will include a screening of the cult classic film and Q&A about his role as the iconic Cameron Frye.  Ruck spoke with our Jeremy Siegel about that and other roles ahead of his appearance.

Earth Day is right around the corner, and the day can be especially pertinent given all the signs of our changing climate — something many Americans are feeling increasingly anxious about.  James McKowen,  a clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, spoke with Paris about how to handle climate-related anxieties and when to seek help for them.