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WooCast: Behind the Scenes of "Modern Plagues: Lessons Learned from the Ebola Crisis" Sep 29, 2015

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Resolving epidemics like the Ebola crisis requires a multidisciplinary approach –involving not only public health and medical knowledge but an understanding of its economic, environmental, political and historical roots and consequences. This is why Princeton University is gathering together some of the world's leading academic, public health experts and more at this year's Princeton-Fung Global Forum, "Modern Plagues: Lessons Learned from the Ebola Crisis." This year's conference will bring together multiple perspectives in the hopes of identifying methods for avoiding future global health crises. In this WooCast, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the forum, which will be held Nov. 2 and 3 in Dublin, Ireland. Joining us is Elisabeth Donahue, associate dean of public affairs and communications at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School, one of the lead organizers of the event.

Are Doctors Choosing the Best Treatment for Heart Attacks? Sep 17, 2015

Show notes

When someone has a heart attack, he or she is immediately rushed to the emergency room. At that point, the doctor has to make a choice: either treat the patient with clot-busting drugs or perform invasive surgery. But how do doctors decide which procedure is best? Do they rely on what's worked in the past, or do they choose based on the individual patient? How do these decisions influence patient outcomes? Janet Currie, Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and chair of the Department of Economics, wanted to answer these questions. She discusses her findings on this episode of WooCast. Currie, who is director of Princeton's Center for Wellbeing, is a panelist at the upcoming Princeton-Fung Global Forum, "Modern Plagues: Lesson Learned from the Ebola Crisis."

Behind the Bomb: What About Plutonium Separation? Sep 17, 2015

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The Iran nuclear deal proposes limiting Iran's production of enriched uranium and plutonium – the two fissile materials used to build nuclear weapons – in exchange for the end of international oil and financial sanctions. So far, negotiations have primarily focused on Iran's capacity to produce enriched uranium. But the world's stockpiles of separated plutonium has grown enormously over the decades. Today, there is enough separated plutonium – which is extracted from highly radioative spent fuel produced by nuclear reactors – to produce 30,000 nuclear bombs, according to metrics provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency.* In this WooCast, we discuss the process of plutonium separation – and its associated risks – with M.V. Ramana, a physicist and lecturer at Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security, based at the Woodrow Wilson School. Ramana is part of the International Panel on Fissile Materials, an independent group of arms-control experts from 18 countries. The group recently published a report on the status of plutonium separation in nuclear power programs around the world. They are also working on issues related to the Iran nuclear deal. * The IAEA defines a "significant quantity" of fissile material to be the amount required to make a first-generation implosion bomb, including production losses. That number is 25 kilograms of uranium 235 contained in highly enriched uranium and 8 kilograms of plutonium.

The History of Plagues May 05, 2015

Show notes

Can history shape decision-making regarding the Ebola crisis? In this WooCast, health historian Keith Wailoo discusses the past plagues, how they were handled and the lessons learned. Wailoo, vice dean of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, is a panelist at the upcoming Princeton-Fung Global Forum, "Modern Plagues: Lesson Learned form the Ebola Crisis." Register for the forum: http://bit.ly/1ces4dP

Pain: A Political History May 06, 2014

Show notes

America has long struggled over pain. Liberals "understand" your pain while conservatives say "grin-and-bear-it." Such political stances and today's debates over who is in pain, who feels another's pain and what relief is deserved continue to form new chapters in America's history of pain. In his new book, "Pain: A Political History," Keith Wailoo, vice dean of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, explores the political pain divide between liberals and conservatives, tracing the development of pain theories in politics, medicine and law as well as legislative and social quarrels over the morality and economics of relief. We sat down with Wailoo and asked him a few questions about his new book.

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