Losing Our Religion Series on Morning Edition

David Greene, NPR host The number of people who check "none" when asked about their religious affiliation is on the rise. According to the Pew Research Center, one in five Americans say they have no religion, and a third of Americans under age 30 fit this category. Morning Edition examines some of the factors behind this demographic shift in a five-part series with host David Greene (left), along with Barbara Bradley Hagerty.
beginning week of January 14
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WUOT News Feature

Arthrobotrys oligospora Researchers with the University of Tennessee recently published a study that could one day mean an exciting new treatment for cancer. Biomedical Engineering researcher Yongzhong Wang and his colleagues study nanoparticles, already an important part of therapy for cancer and other disease. Nanoparticles are usually created through chemical engineering. Wang says what makes this study unique is that this is the first time researchers have captured the nanoparticles from a micro-organism for use in this therapy. His team of researchers found that a particular fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora (pictured), secretes these tiny particles when it traps its food. (The fungus feeds on nematodes, or tiny roundworms.) The team also found that the nanoparticles this fungus produces may actually kill cancerous tumors and stimulate the immune system. The preliminary study was published last month in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
WUOT's Chrissy Keuper spoke with Yongzhong Wang about the research...
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Dialogue in January

In our first Dialogue of the new year, WUOT’s Chrissy Keuper spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Strand about mindfulness… what it means and how we can use it to reduce stress and to improve our lives. Dr. Strand is the director of U.T. Veterinary Social Work and MBSR instructor.
Aired Wednesday, Jan 2, 1 p.m.
>> Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class information
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WUOT's Series on the Working Poor

WUOT’s Matt Shafer Powell and freelance producer Leslie Snow delve into the precarious world of East Tennesseans who struggle to make ends meet in the series, Without a Net: Voices of the Working Poor. The region’s working poor represent a segment of the population often overworked and overlooked, proudly and quietly committing to an ideal in which the ability and desire to work is a fundamental element of character. The series wrapped up with in an hour-long special examining the struggles and aspirations of East Tennessee's working poor.
>>more on the series
>>listen to the one-hour special

News from The Southern Education Desk

SED Needs Your Help - We're building a network of experts on education. Are you a teacher, student, parent or administrator? Maybe education is your field of research. We want to know what you think. Join the Southern Education Desk's Public Information Network today!
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Education Report Released - In early November, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission released a report on which state-run teacher training programs are doing well - and which aren’t. You can find a link to the full report here.