The Trump-Romney feud turns into an anti-endorsement, the role of memes in a presidential election, a completely enclosed glass slide on the outside of the US Bank tower.
Do political endorsements matter to voters?
Chris Christie might be having some regrets.
The New Jersey governor Chris Christie threw his support behind Donald Trump last week after dropping out of the presidential primary battle.
But there's a video of him standing behind Trump on stage earlier this week with a look in his eyes that's been described as "troubled," "miserable" and "wordlessly screaming."
Meanwhile, former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney came out with a sort of anti-endorsement of Trump, calling him a phony and fraud.
But do these endorsements truly that much in a campaign? Trump seems to be doing just fine without them.
Thad Kousser, professor of political science at UC-San Diego, joins Take Two.
The complex psychology behind political memes
Memes — you’ve probably seen a few in your Facebook feed today, and, given the tone of the presidential race, it’s safe to say you’ll probably see a lot more in the months ahead.
Political memes often use pictures familiar to us in popular culture, paired with short and snappy text. Combined, they’re an effective tool for communicating an (often partisan) point.
But what makes memes such an effective way to send a message? Can a meme ever change a voter’s mind?
Take Two put that question to Morteza Dehghani, assistant professor of psychology and computer science at USC.
Press the blue play button above to hear the interview.
The Wheel Thing: Self-driving cars give most Americans the willies
A full three-quarters of American drivers surveyed by AAA say the idea of riding in a self-driving car makes them uncomfortable.
But owners of cars that have semi-autonomous features, such as lane keeping assist or adaptive cruise control are much more likely to express interest in fully autonomous cars.
The survey found many people reject driver-assist features because they trust their own driving skills more than the technology. People also cited cost, and the fact that such gizmos can be annoying as reasons for not wanting them on their vehicles.
The study also looked at cars that offer self-parking systems and found they were, in fact, much better than human drivers as placing a car in a parallel spot, hitting the curb about 80% less often than people behind the wheel.
The next step in Emojis: Total customization
Emojis can bring life to an email or a text message - think smiley faces, a fist bump -- even dancing twins.
But in its latest #LikeAGirl campaign, Proctor and Gamble's Always brand says it's time for a makeover...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3BjUvjOUMc
Coincidentally, Apple and Google have submitted a proposal to broaden the range of emojis.
Which could mean more choices for young girls and better ways to customize those bright yellow happy faces.
For more on what a new emoji line could mean for how we communicate, Lauren Collister, a sociolinguist at the University of Pittsburgh, joined the show to discuss.
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
A glass slide 1,000 ft in the air coming to downtown LA
Sorry, Empire State Building and Willis Tower – L.A. will soon outdo you for "the most ambitious skyscraper attraction ever."
This June, an enclosed glass slide will debut at the U.S. Bank Building in downtown – the tallest west of the Mississippi – hugging the tower's exterior 1,000 feet above ground.
Yes, you read that right.
"We wanted to really just add a nice little thrill feature to our upcoming observation deck," says John Gamboa from OUE, which owns the building.
That "little thrill feature" called SkySlide will let visitors to chute about 45 feet from the inside of the 70th floor directly onto the outside observation deck on the 69th floor.
Because it's essentially a square-shaped and glass tube, you'll be able to see all around you including the sidewalk far, far below.
The idea came from OUE itself as it developed its deck, SkySpace.
"It started off with, 'How can we move people from the 70th floor down to the 69th floor?'" recalls Gamboa.
Stairs are usually the default answer, but Gamboa says they wanted to be more ambitious. A zip line and an exterior lift were also debated, he said, but ultimately the slide won out.
It is definitely a step-above the The Ledge at Chicago's Willis Tower. There, a glass box extends over four-feet into space more than 1,300 feet above street level.
For the faint-hearted worried about safety, Gamboa says the slide is engineered to withstand winds up to 110 mph and an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.
OUE plans to let everyone aged 5 and up to ride, and mats will be provided for sliding.
SkySpace and SkySlide is scheduled to open in June, with pre-sale tickets available by signing up here. Tickets to the public will go on-sale March 18th.
State of Affairs: MCO tax deal, the new Rendon era, and how Trump plays in CA
On this week's State of Affairs, Governor Brown signs a new tax on healthcare plans, Anthony Rendon takes over as speaker of the California Assembly, and what California Republicans make of Donald Trump.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- Scott Shafer, Senior Editor of KQED's California Government and Politics Desk
- John J. Pitney, Roy P. Crocker Professor of Politics at Claremont McKenna College
How monarch butterflies are getting their groove back
The number of monarch butterflies spending this winter in Mexico has gone up — way up.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the amount of butterflies that fluttered their way to Mexico from Canada and the United States jumped 255 percent from last year.
“There was unusually good weather during migration,” explained Brian Brown, curator of the entomology section at Los Angeles’ Natural History Museum.
Brown said that every winter, the butterflies migrate to Mexico and cluster in large numbers in the forest where it’s warm, just like monarchs do on California's coast.
Despite the good numbers, the insects aren’t in the clear yet. Recent years saw a 90 percent dip from their peak population in the mid-1990s. The culprit: loss of habitat and the milkweed they feed on.
“Agriculture has become more and more intensive and urbanization has taken out a lot of habitat,” said Brown. “The milkweeds that they feed on are kind of weeds that grow in scruffy areas regenerating pastures… places like that are becoming few and far between.”
Climate also plays a role. For more about the effect of cold spells on the monarchs' migration and efforts to revive the population, listen to the full conversation above.
LabNotes: Messages from the deep ocean, what it's like to live in space and more
On this segment of Lab Notes: The downside of finally getting rain, messages from the deep ocean, and what it's like to live in space. As always KPCC's one and only Sanden Totten joined A Martinez in studio for the latest science news.
Highlights:
After weeks of what basically felt like a second summer, forecasters are saying we are finally going to get some rain. But Sanden, you found a new study that might - shall we say - rain on our rain parade.
Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sank a sturdy recording device 7 miles deep into the Pacific Ocean. So what did they hear?
Lastly, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly landed back on Earth this week after spending nearly a year living on the International Space Station. Scientists will be studying how he changed up there in micro-gravity.
You can hear more. Just head to BrainsOn.org and help support the Kickstarter so they can make more science shows for kids.
To hear the full segment, click the blue play button above.
The Rodney King video and its effects, 25 years later
Twenty-five years ago, four white police officers brutally beat unarmed black man Rodney King. The video footage of it shocked the nation.
Now a quarter of a century later, more videos of police brutality flood our eye line.
We'll break the video down and talk about what we’ve learned since then with Greg Meyer, retired LAPD captain and consultant on police tactics, and
, she teaches journalism at USC, and she covered the story as a reporter for ABC News.