Conversation

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence reports that in the US over 23 million people over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol or other drugs. Not only that, a recent Columbia University study found that only 1 in 10 of these people actually seeks treatment for drug addiction. And most of the time, the treatment doesn’t work.

Ross Reynolds sits down with Dr. Jim Walsh, the medical director of Addiction Recovery Services at Swedish Medical Center’s Ballard campus to talk about what does work.

Texting has become an incredibly common way of communicating in the 21st century. Back in 2011, the Pew Research Center reported that young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 sent around 110 text messages per day. The texting craze has also given rise to an entirely new vocabulary — texters of all ages abbreviate, punctuate and accentuate in ways that are totally unique to the cell phone age.

So one question arises: Is texting killing our language? Ross Reynolds LOLs with professor John McWhorter and discusses the possible impact of txting and the feared f8 of language.

The Seattle City Council is considering a moratorium on apodments, the tiny rental units with shared kitchens that have been cropping up around town. Critics complain that apodment developers are able to avoid environmental and design review.

At issue is a loophole in the city land-use code. In Seattle a single-dwelling unit is defined in large part by whether or not it has a kitchen, and a building with nine kitchens triggers a design review. That means buildings with dozens of apartments, but only seven or eight kitchens, are able to avoid review.

Apodment supporters say the bottom line is, more cheap apartments are needed. Ross Reynolds talks design and development of apodments with listeners.

Forty-nine states now have laws on bullying. Schools have policies and punishments. But Slate senior editor Emily Bazelon says there’s a risk that searching for solutions to bullying can do more harm than good.

Ross Reynolds sits down with Bazelon to talk about Washington policies and her new book, "Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering The Power of Character and Empathy."

Public radio celebrity edition of The Conversation news quiz! Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! host Peter Sagal takes the challenge on behalf of a listener today.

Find local showings of the Wait Wait live cinecast, May 2.

What makes this legislative session so special? Ross Reynolds talks with Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins about what is and isn't happening in our state's capitol.

When you think of plastic surgery maybe you think of best implants, botox or even facelifts, but there are surgeries that are happening more and more these days that you might have never even imagined. Ross Reynolds talks gynecomastia and labiaplasty with Northwest plastic surgeon, Dr. Phil Haeck.

According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 70 percent of Americans believe the Republican Party is out of touch with the concerns of most people in the United States. Even more revealing is that 49 percent of Republicans feel the GOP is out of touch.

What about you? If you identify as a Republican or a conservative: Is the party out of step with mainstream voters? Ross Reynolds discusses the GOP with listeners.

Monica Guzman is a columnist for The Seattle Times and Northwest tech news site GeekWire. I caught up with her in the KUOW green room before her interview with Ross Reynolds to talk about the latest tech goodies on her radar and in her smartphone, her new vlog, and what she does to get away from it all.

Nearly 40 percent of Americans engaged in political activity on social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter in the 2012 campaign.  That’s a dramatic increase from 2008 when only 26 percent of the population even used a social networking site, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.  KUOW’s Ross Reynolds takes a closer look at the new study with Pew researcher Aaron Smith.