Skijoring, Penguins, Harbingers of Failure

Top of Mind with Julie Rose

Skijoring: Horse-drawn adrenaline (00:34) The international skijor season is underway, and you can see skiers race over jumps, collect rings and whip around gates all while being pulled by a horse–or, as the Norwegian tradition that has gained traction lately requires, a reindeer. Loren Zhimanskova is the founder of Skijor USA and Skijor International. (Originally aired Feb 26, 2020). Iconic Penguins in Antarctica Declining More Than Previously Thought (12:42) The cute penguins that look like they’re wearing tuxedos and bowties are a species called “chinstrap.” They were once considered the most numerous in Antarctica, but the most recent headcount suggests otherwise. Stony Brook University of New York ecology professor Heather Lynch organized the penguin-counting expedition. (Originally aired Feb 25, 2020). Musicians Miss Playing Together... Can They Make Music Virtually? (31:12) Trying to sing or play music together over Facetime or Zoom is really difficult. But Jazz pianist and composer Dan Tepfer and percussionist Clarence Penn have done just that when performing live during quarantine. Dan Tepfer shares how they were able to play in sync. (Originally aired Jul 22, 2020). The Divers Who Watch Over the Underwater Resources at National Parks (52:19) The National Park Service has a team dedicated to caring for resources that are underwater–kelp forests, coral reefs, sunken ships like the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. That team is led by underwater archeologist Dave Conlin. (Originally aired Jun 2, 2020). Fine Art is Still Very Much a Man’s World, Even As Museums Claim Otherwise (1:12:12) The art industry remains a man's world, even with US museums and galleries making a big show of trying to close the gap in recent decades. Why? Julia Halperin is Executive Editor at ArtNet News. (Originally aired Jan 7, 2020). Some People Consistently Buy Products That Fail (1:28:05) Have you ever found a treat that you love, but when you try to find it in the store again, you were told it was discontinued because of how unpopular it was? Marketing researchers at the MIT Sloan School of Management have a name for people who consistently pick losing products–“harbingers of failure”–and Duncan Simester is one of those researchers. (Originally aired Mar 4, 2020).