UNC research professor Brian Southwell hosts the show, based out of Durham, every Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. on 90.7 FM. Southwell said a podcast version of the show is later uploaded to iTunes by the following Wednesday and can be downloaded for free.
Southwell said he believes the work social scientists do is heroic and interesting. The 30-minute segment based on conversation allows for researchers to discuss their findings and tell honest stories.
“We increasingly live in a world where there’s need for interest in the type of work social scientists do,” Southwell said.
Karla Jimenez, senior producer and UNC class of 2014 graduate, said she and the rest of the team spend a lot of time discussing potential guests and topics.
While some topics do overlap with headlines in the news, Southwell said he focuses mainly on the research aspect and tries not to be episodic. He wants the show to be timeless.
Jimenez said the issues raised have implications reaching farther than just the U.S., with one of the more memorable episodes discussing human trafficking. Guests have included a Google researcher, Congress member David Price and UNC professors.
“How do you humanize research and researchers?” Jimenez asked. “By telling stories.”
The show has been downloaded in 40 countries and has attracted a fervent fan base from social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, where he has more than 600 likes and followers.
