Join Host Michael Thomas, Jr. for What You Need To Know – an indepth view of amazing and interesting news stories every Monday Through Friday on Radio Free Phoenix.
Listen to our Archives of past shows below
April 27th, 2015
How climate change is affecting a cult food favorite in the United Kingdom. Over the past fifty years, the North Sea has warmed by over 1.5% and sits between Great Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. This will cause more ”flat fish” such as cod or haddock to move to cooler climates. The ”flatter” fish are use for this delicious delicacy known to those who visit and live in the UK.
April 28, 2015
A new way for people to get around on foot with a device called The Human Santhanam. This device will allow tourist in unfamiliar areas to navigation without the hassle of directions. This device (with an electrical pulse) will be strapped to the sartorius muscle on each leg. It will automatically adjust and move the legs in the destination you have selected – like a live gps device!
April 29th, 2015
How people across the globe are using technology to help those with health concerns. I discuss the “Mobile Midwife,” an open source application that is downloadable from any mobile device for free, providing an array of services and information in a young and expecting mother’s life. I explain how the technology is being used in one town in west Africa and how the technology will continue being utilized.
April 30th, 2015
In MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada, a young entrepreneur is trying to initiate new trend for women. Twenty-nine year old Hilary Noack opened an all female auto body shop after raising enough money through crowed funding.
In the same process of raising money to open up a shop, she brought along her like minded gal pals with the same passion and experience. Noack, hopes to create an atmosphere for women and young girl looking to start a career in automotive repair. While it’s a male dominate trade, Noack hopes to make girls feel inspired to try their hand with not just automotive repair but other trades often associated with a male stigma.
May 1st, 2015
In Tokyo The Mitsukoshi Nihombashi department store said a robot, dubbed Aiko Chihira, will serve as a receptionist on the seventh floor of their store. The robot will serve on a trial basis through the first week of May. The owners of the store who collaborated with Toshiba and the University of Osaka, hope to bring in customers with the female, human-like robot. The creators for the receptionist robot, hope the technology will serve well in the future when the Olympics come to Tokyo in 2020
May 4, 2015
A new study confirms that long-term exposure to air pollution — even at low levels – can lead to brain damage that precedes other neurological disorders associated with old age.
May 5, 2015
A former political tech guru is working on an app that will allow people to scan their social media and delete any post that may get them in hot water. Ethan Zahor was hired to be the Chief Technology Officer for the Jeb Bush administration but was fired before he could take over.
May 6, 2015
Researchers in Alberta Canada take a closer look into what exactly makes all that cracking in our bones when a live action MRI was taken of a hand cracking a knuckle joint. Through the research, headed by Dr. Cowchuck at the University of Alberta, Shows a step by step process in how the joint reacts in real-time when a joint shifts and moves from manipulation. The research also aims to find if damage may attribute from manipulating ones’ joints over a period of time, taking a closer look into the if arthritis comes from cracking joints.
May 7, 2015
Researchers have developed a special microscope camera, and for the first time captured a cell performing the tasting sensation process in real time. It ‘s done by giving a live glimpse taste cells as they capture and process molecules.
May 8, 2015
A recent analysis published in the Science journal claims that climate change may cause extinction in as many as 1 in 6 animal and plant species. Author Mark Urban, ecologist at the University of Connecticut, wrote that risks of extinction for the earth’s flora and fauna will accelerate as global temperatures climb. South America, Australia and New Zealand are said to be especially effected.
May 11, 2015
Researchers in Finland have developed a tiny sensor that can detect food spoilage. The sensor is small enough to be installed in the lining of food packaging and its signal can be read wirelessly by a mobile device such as a smartphone.
May 12, 2015
Radon, The Silent Killer – Jim Sudhalter has lived in his Pennsylvanian home for 45 years. The 74-year-old never thought the home he was building memories in could also be causing him harm.
May 13, 2015
Even though it is incredibly convincing, virtual reality completely bypasses the sense of touch: applying UltraHaptics’ technology to it would allow users to not just see the virtual world projected in front of their eyes, but to touch it as well.
May 14, 2015
A man in a Los Angeles neighborhood built a miniature home for a homeless woman who is well-known in the area. Folks in the neighborhood nicknamed Irene McGee “Smokey.” Smokey, is a homeless woman who gets by on recyclables.
May 15, 2015
Most scientists agree, asteroids played a major role in delivering the building blocks of life to a newly formed Earth, including water. But are the same processes taking place elsewhere in the galaxy or perhaps All over the universe?
May 18, 2015
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say the fatty acid omega-3 may have long-term neurodevelopmental effects that ultimately reduce antisocial and aggressive behavior problems in children.
May 19, 2015
The City of Paradise Valley has added some cactus the past few days, but It has a lot of residents talking. And If you look close enough at the cactus as you drive through Paradise Valley and you might see some “cact-eyes” looking back.
May 20, 2015
Microorganisms are everywhere. Bacteria are the abundant and diverse life form on the planet. And each environment — whether it’s the top of a smartphone or the underside of a human armpit — features a unique combination of microbes. In other words, humans and objects each have personalized bacterial communities a microbial fingerprint.
May 21, 2015
Google’s mission is to have driverless cars available to consumers in the next five years. This prototype is the first vehicle built from scratch for the purpose of self-driving,
May 22, 2015
A small study by researchers at Microsoft has found the human attention span is shortening. More than 100 volunteers in Canada responded to a questionnaire and played cognitive games designed to quantify attention spans.
May 25, 2015
Researchers conducted a three-day study with 31 teenagers to find the different effects of high protein snacks, high fat snacks, or no snacks all. They found that the high protein snack and no snack were the ideal options, as the extra protein reduced confusion and bewilderment and skipping a snack reduced tension and anxiety.
May 26, 2015
Andy Yung, a pre-kindergarten teacher at PS244 in Queens, said his Young Jedi Academy would promote fitness by teaching kids to exercise with their toy lightsabers.
May 27, 2015
Protesters delivered petitions with more than 500,000 signatures to Nestle in California demanding the company stop water bottling operations in the state wrought with drought.
May 28, 2015
Hundreds of McDonald’s employees staged a protest outside the company’s Oak Brook, Ill. headquarters Wednesday, calling for wages to be increased to at least $15 per hour.
May 29, 2015
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the world, Quinn said. Characterized by stiff, swollen joints, it’s a progressive disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own cells. Inflammation in the lining of the joints leads to loss of bone and cartilage.
June 1, 2015
The search in finding a cure for autism. Researchers were able to reverse autistic behaviors in mice missing the Shank3 gene, a major risk factor for autism in humans.
June 2 2015
The Recruiting power ISIS Over half the countries on earth are supplying jihadists to extremist Islamist groups in the Middle East, a United Nations report claims. The report, by the U.N. Security Council’s special permanent committee on violent Islamism, says over 25,000 people have joined al-Qaida, the Islamic State and other affiliated groups from other countries, creating an “unprecedented” threat to international security.
June 3 2015
Spill over from the spill off the coast of California, a unified command said. 18 birds and 10 mammals have died as a result of contact with the oil. That represents just less than half of the animals found affected by the oil since Wednesday May 27th.
June 4 2015
During a study in rural Kenya a smartphone app was used to perform vision tests as accurately as paper tests and illuminated vision boxes. Tests carried out in patients’ homes using this Portable Eye Examination Kit, Called Peek.
June 5 2015
A Maryland woman whose family donated her brother’s face after a fatal accident traveled to Virginia to meet the man who received the face in a transplant.
June 8 2015
Researchers from the Vanderbilt University have employed nano-spirals, designed by a doctoral student at the Naval Research Laboratory, to make the payment techniques foolproof and free of any possible replication.
June 9 2015
When you offer up a patch of your skin to a tattoo artist, there is a certain risk involved; spelling mistakes, hastily translated phrases into Mandarin characters, poorly rendered portraits of beloved relatives, all etched permanently into an arm, shoulder blade, or neck.
June 10 2015
Elevators in Tokyo may soon come equipped with portable toilets and water bottles. The Japanese government and representatives of Japan’s elevator industry have agreed on a new safety protocol in preparation for emergencies in the event of an earthquake.
June 11, 2015
Although there have been many new additive manufacturing technologies, material developments and 3D printing applications announced within the last six months, among those that have been gathering the most attention include applications and technologies for 3D bioprinting.
June 12, 2015
This summer travel season, Delta plans to preload carry-on bags above passengers’ seats on some flights. Airlines have tinkered with different boarding systems almost since commercial airline travel began.
June 13, 2015
Engineers in Japan have built an industrial robot capable of perfectly executing the moves of a samurai master. In a recent exhibition, the robot, named Motoman-MH24, out-dueled its teacher an actual samurai master.
June 16, 2015
A new DNA-based blood test developed from scientist can reveal every single virus that has ever invaded your body as stated in the journal Science.
June 17, 2015
Researchers have found high concentrations of aluminum in bee populations, suggesting contamination by the silver-gray metal could be partially responsible for the insect’s decline.
June 18, 2015
According to a new study, toothbrushes in communal bathrooms are more than likely covered in fecal matter — and potentially a haven for disease.
June 19, 2015
A new discovery about how breast cancer cells move to other parts of the body may help reduce deaths from the disease. Immune cells called macrofages help breast cancer cells move to the lungs to set up secondary tumors, researchers have found.
June 20, 2015
More than half of all children and teens in the U.S. do not drink enough water, with boys 76 percent more likely than girls to be under-hydrated, according to a new study.
June 23, 2015
Poison centers in the United States have been seemingly flooded with calls about synthetic marijuana in 2015, reporting 3,572 calls so far this year, up 229 percent from last year. According to a recent Center for Disease report, the volume of calls related to the fake pot rose 330 percent from 349 in January 2015 to over 1,50 in April this year. Even more worrisome, 15 synthetic-pot related deaths have been reported in 2015.
June 24, 2015
Think the only danger you have while on a computer involves your computer? Think again. Frequency researchers are calling for the Federal Communications Commission to start writing safety regulations for millimeter-wave (mmWave) wireless technology to be prepared when manufacturers start using the high-frequency radio waves for devices.
June 25, 2015
With the future of their professional team in question, many fans are sharing their concerns and one upset Arizona Coyotes fan upset with her mayor for terminating the team’s lease agreement took out her frustration by Tasing the official for charity.
06-26-15
Researchers in Finland confirmed a suspected link between the brain and lymphatic system using new imaging technology to answer the question of brain fluid draining into the lymph system without a direct link between the two.
The research team said the discovery could be significant for the way brain diseases and disorders are handled.
June 29, 2015
Some 60 percent of groundwater in India has a notable saltiness, not ideal for drinking. Though not unhealthy, the water can corrode pots and pans in addition to putting a pucker on the faces of unsuspecting drinkers.
June 30, 2015
Recent research has shown that glowing screens are a plague on healthsleep patterns, but a new study shows the problem is much broader, Simply put, electricity is the enemy of a good night’s rest.
July 1, 2015
Last year, Thomas Piketty’s 700-page tome Capital in the Twenty-First Century made it to the top of the Amazon best-seller list, becoming so popular that the site temporary ran out of books. Piketty was rewarded for each sale. But if he had waited an extra year to publish, he might be out of luck: Amazon is rolling out a new sort of author compensation model, where authors are compensated for each page read.
July 2, 2015
Animal and plant species are disappearing at alarming rates, scientists say — faster than at any time since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. According to Stanford researcher Paul Ehrlich, a new mass extinction event has arrived on planet Earth, and in the balance is humanity itself.
July 3, 2015
The brains of people with social phobias and social anxiety disorders are receiving too much serotonin, according to a new study, reversing the previous assumption that they were receiving too little of the neurotransmitter.