Jeff St. Clair

First impressions can have lasting consequences.

New research is delving into how we evaluate a stranger’s face, and pass judgments based on fleeting impressions.

A new, worldwide collaborative started at Ashland University is helping explain that process, and tackle other questions.

In this week’s Exploradio, WKSU’s Jeff St.Clair looks at how the Psychological Science Accelerator is putting a new face on how science is done.

This story was originally published on July 22, 2019.

Fifty years ago a burning river mobilized a generation of environmental activism. Citizens pushed for new laws to regulate pollution, and our water and air has gotten cleaner.

But significant environmental challenges remain including climate change, habitat loss, and plastics pollution.

Our series Watershed looks at today’s environmental warriors and the road ahead.

This story was originally published on June 3, 2019.

WKSU asked listeners for ideas for what to explore in the next episode of our Exploradio science series.

We had some great suggestions. When the ideas were put to a vote, the top choice was –

“Is enough being done to find a cure for type-1 diabetes?”

In this week’s Exploradio, we try to find the answer.

There is an ecosystem living inside of us that scientists are only beginning to comprehend.

Our microbiome aids in digestion and metabolism, but when out of whack, can cause discomfort, disease… even depression.

In this week’s Exploradio, we meet researchers in Cleveland who are working toward a better understanding of how to have a happy gut.

Ohio car-buyers could soon have the option of receiving digital titles according to Lt. Gov. Jon Husted.

Husted made the announcement earlier this week at the Blockland Solutions Conference in Cleveland, an event promoting blockchain technology.

Husted is head of a new working group called InnovateOhio, which identified the Bureau of Motor Vehicles as an agency ripe for innovation.

Conference organizer Bernie Moreno has formed a company that uses secure blockchain technology to provide digital titles.

One of the organizers of a tech conference in Cleveland says the redevelopment of Tower City's retail space is moving forward.

Bernie Moreno is founder of the Blockland Solutions Conference taking place this week.

He says property owner Bedrock Detroit is committed to converting the failed Avenue at Tower City shopping complex into a business incubator.

Northeast Ohio Medical University’s new president is no stranger to innovation.

Dr. John Langell is not only a surgeon, he’s an inventor with more than a dozen patents.

Langell’s last job, before taking the reins last month at NEOMED, was head of the University of Utah’s Center for Medical Innovation.

We joined Langell in a tour of NEOMED’s newest expansion.

Cleveland’s greatest export may not be world-class healthcare, auto parts, or even LeBron James, it might be a management philosophy.

Appreciative Inquiry was invented at Case Western Reserve University three decades ago and has become a transformative tool for companies and organizations around the world.

The process was used recently to help create a new vision for Cleveland.

In this week’s Exploradio, we look into the science of positive planning.

An effort to shape the economic future of Cleveland continues following a large-scale brainstorming session.

Six hundred people gathered last week at the Cleveland Rising Summit.

Don Graves, an executive with Key Bank, was one of the organizers.

He says ideas coalesced around improving transportation, access to the Lakefront, inclusion and racial equity, and boosting business growth.

Graves says libraries will host sessions over the next few weeks for those who want to share additional input.

An initiative kicked off Tuesday in Cleveland to develop a new vision for the city’s future.

The Cleveland Rising Summit is a three day event that draws together a large group of citizens to brainstorm.

The process is led, in part, by Case Western Reserve University professor David Cooperrider, developer of a technique to facilitate innovation in businesses and community groups.

The discoverer of the famous Lucy fossil has returned to Cleveland for a sold-out talk.

Donald Johanson was a curator of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History when, in 1974, he led the team that made the discovery of the ancient human ancestor.

He’s currently head of the Institute for Human Origins at the University of Arizona.

Like death and taxes, being hit by a computer virus seems inevitable.

Cybercrime took a $100 billion bite out of the U.S. economy last year alone.

It’s not just individuals who are hacked. Cities, schools and small businesses are increasingly targeted.

In this week’s Exploradio, a look at local efforts to fight the onslaught by training the next generation of cyber warriors.

Kelly Kendrick is IT director at Coventry Local Schools, a small district south of Akron.

The Ohio House last week approved the creation of a civilian force of ‘cyber-warriors.’

The bill is now headed back to the Senate for a final vote to establish the Ohio Cyber Reserve.

The Amish are an anachronism in modern America.

They don’t own cars, they’re not on the grid, but researchers at the College of Wooster find that the Amish relationship with technology is more nuanced than it appears at first glance, and doesn’t always fit our stereotypes.

In this week’s Exploradio, we look at the complexities of Amish life in the 21st century.

September 30th is Dr. Jay Gershen’s last day as president of the Northeast Ohio Medical University.

During his decade at the helm of NEOMED, Gershen has emphasized the school’s mission to produce doctors to serve Northeast Ohio’s diverse communities.

Additive Manufacturing, better known as 3-D printing, is one of the fastest growing technology sectors.

It’s a printing process where plastic or metal parts are built-up layer by layer.

In this week’s Exploradio, we look at where the industry is headed and how Northeast Ohio is building itself into the nation’s additive leader.

A team led by Cleveland researchers has discovered a fossil cranium that puts a face on an early human ancestor which had only been known by bone fragments.

The finding also shows that this human ancestor lived at the same time as the species made famous by the Lucy fossils.

Lake Erie has one of the highest concentrations of microplastic pollution in the world.

Sherri Mason, a researcher at Penn State Behrend in Erie, was the first to report that finding.

Her discovery led to congressional action banning microbeads in consumer products.

On this week’s Exploradio,  we spend some time with Mason finding out how microplastic pollution remains a health hazard.

A mysterious disease is killing one of the most majestic trees in American forests, the beech. 

Known for its smooth gray bark, the beech is an important anchor species. 

No one knows exactly what causes Beech Leaf Disease, but a team of tree scientists is narrowing down the list of culprits in this botanical whodunit.

The Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) has introduced its next president.

NEOMED announced Wednesday that Dr. John Langell will replace outgoing president Dr. Jay Gershen, who retires in September.

Langell is currently vice dean of the University of Utah School of Medicine and a former Air Force medical commander.

He also has an interest in medical innovation, with more than a dozen patents.

Couples in the Akron-area can have a June wedding or vow renewal for free in a local park. Summit County Probate Court will be hosting a group outdoor wedding on June 28th at Goodyear Heights Metro Park. Summit County Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer will be overseeing the event called Promises in the Park.

Ohio’s auto industry could suffer major disruption if President Donald Trump’s tariffs against Mexico take effect.

That's according to Case Western Reserve University economist Susan Helper, who studies the U.S. auto industry.

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on May 2, 2019.

One of the last remaining dams on the Cuyahoga River will soon be coming down.

The Brecksville dam was built in 1952 to divert water to operations of what is now Charter Steel in Cleveland.

Elaine Marsh, president of the Friends of the Crooked River, announced this week that Kokosing Industrial has been hired to remove the dam.

Our local zoos are changing.  The Akron Zoo is in the midst of a $17 million expansion, making new homes for lions and tigers.  The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo recently opened exhibits featuring Asian wildlife and rare Siberian tigers.

In this week’s Exploradio, we examine the research that goes into making captive animals a little more comfortable.