California Stops Method Of Execution; Iraq's Legal System; Breast Cancer Rates Plunge; The Trouble With Physics
California Stops Method Of Execution
Larry Mantle talks with experts about a federal judge's ruling that the way California's lethal injection procedure is implemented is cruel and unusual punishment.
Iraq's Legal System
The United States established the Central Criminal Court of Iraq three years ago, envisioning it as a pillar of new democracy. There are charges that their system for detaining, charging, and trying suspects is faltering. Larry and his guests discus the Iraq legal system.
Breast Cancer Rates Plunge
A new analysis reveals that U.S. breast cancer rates plunged more than 7 percent in 2003, strongly suggesting the reason is less hormone use. About 14,000 fewer women were diagnosed with the disease than had been expected, researchers reported at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Cases dropped most among women 50 and older, the age group taking hormones. The decline was biggest for tumors whose growth is fueled by estrogen, the type most affected by hormone use. Larry discusses the findings with Rowan Chlebowski, Medical oncologist at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute.
The Trouble With Physics
In The Trouble with Physics, physicist Lee Smolin critiques modern consensus in his field. He is especially critical of string theory because, in his words, none of it has been proven and nobody knows how to prove it. He likens string theory, a guiding principle in modern physics, to faith-based science. Unfortunately, he argues, scientists have also dissuaded young physicists from pursing other theories. Larry talks to Smolin about his book and his views on modern science.