Infotrak

Going green with your home or business is a great way to save money and energy. Dong Zhao, PhD, from Michigan State University explains how you can take full advantage of the technology.

More women these days have degrees in engineering, which can pay well. But Susan S. Silbey, PhD, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says one-third of women graduates soon leave the profession to pursue other careers. She explains why this happens and how it can be changed.

Obesity is a growing problem among school-age kids. But a new program for high schoolers helps students lose weight, and keep it off! We'll talk to Laura Bogart, PhD, from the RAND Corporation the scientist behind the project.

Many locally-owned newspapers have shut down across the country, while others have been taken over by large corporations. How do these changes affect local communities, and can digital news really replace traditional papers? Penelope (Penny) Muse Abernathy, from the University of North Carolina has conducted in-depth studies on the issue, and explains why the loss of a local newspaper is often devastating to a small community.

What can do done to discourage tobacco use among young people? Louis Brown, PhD from the University of Texas UTHealth School of Public Health examined the surprising success of an new strategy aimed at middle and high school students.

What you know about healthcare may be wrong! Arthur “Tim” Garson, MD, is the Director of the Health Policy Institute at the Texas Medical Center, and co-author of “Exposing the 20 Medical Myths: Why Everything you Know about Health Care is Wrong and How to Make it Right.” He explained why he believes it is possible to actually reduce the cost of healthcare, rather than simply slowing down the rate of increase.

Kids who are organized tend to do better in school, according to Tracy McCubbin, author of “Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You'll Ever Need.” She offers some easy tips for parents.

54 percent of adults who use marijuana in the United States are parents. Prof. Bridget Freisthler from Ohio State University led a recent study of parents who use marijuana. She found that marijuana users are more likely to abuse or harshly discipline their children.

Attending a private four-year college is pricier than ever, averaging $50,000 a year. Prof. Caitlin Zaloom from New York University led a recent study that examined the surprising toll that college costs can take on middle-class families, in ways that go beyond the financial burden.

Kids pay more attention to politics that you think! Professor Rebecca Bigler from the University of Texas at Austin offers advice to parents to help their kids better understand the candidates and the election process.

Ever feel distracted when you try to focus? The problem may be clutter! Barbara Hemphill, is a de-cluttering expert and author of “Less Clutter, More Life.” She shares some helpful advice to help you boost your productivity.

No matter how young children may be, they gain much when parents read to them. Maria Russo, Children’s Books Editor of the New York Times Book Review, and co-author of “How to Raise A Reader,” says once a child can read on his or her own own, the benefits are far greater.

STEM education is all the rage today--the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math--to feed the growing demand for workers with those skills. Hank Green is a YouTube star and STEM proponent and he explains how parents can encourage their kids to be interested in STEM careers.

Do you ever feel stressed? Amy Serin is a neuropsychologist who reveals ways to turn off stress and find relief.

Today, identity theft and fraud are happening everywhere, partly due to modern technology. Frank Abagnale is an FBI advisor and top expert on scams, and he shares simple strategies to outsmart today's ripoff artists.

Parents know all too well that family, friends and so-called experts can dish out loads of advice on raising kids. But, much of that advice can be wrong, according to Prof. Emily Oster from Brown University. She examined some of this standard advice, compared it to scientific research and found that the conventional wisdom is often wrong. She offers advice to help new moms and dads to be better and more relaxed parents.

The devastating consequences of the opioid crisis are far-reaching in the United States, in terms of lost and broken lives. Prof. Segel from Penn State University examined the often-overlooked costs to taxpayers via the impact to state and local budgets.

How much do you know about Health Savings Accounts? Roy Ramthun is an expert known as Mr. HSA and he explains the benefits of HSAs, how to avoid overpaying for medical services and how to shop for you own HSA.

Prof. Palamar led a study at the NYU School of Medicine that found that teenagers are more likely to experiment with recreational drugs such as LSD, marijuana, cocaine or ecstasy for the first time during the summer months. He said that the amount of free time on their hands once the school year ends and activities like music festivals are major factors in this risky behavior. He said parents should educate and warn their kids about using recreational drugs, their risks and side effects.

Joanne Lara, is an autism expert, former special education teacher, and Executive Director of the organization “Autism Works Now.” She said up to 85 percent of autistic adults are either unemployed or underemployed. She explained how “Autism Works Now” teaches pre-employment and workplace readiness skills to young adults with autism. She outlined the challenges faced by autistic students, and she explained the role that parents, schools and employers play in helping them to secure meaningful employment.