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When veterans return from combat they bring with them memories of their service that can impact their mental health. Successfully screening returning veterans for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression is a challenge. The University of Southern California has designed a computer program, known as Ellie, that could help solve this problem. Ellie analyzes the tone and facial expressions of soldiers as they answer questions. It’s able to detect more than you might think. Listen to learn more about this promising new technology and how it can help veterans heal.
Story Length: 4:37
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May 24, 2015
3:54
Memorial Day is traditionally the weekend that heralds the start of summer barbeques, sandals and vacations. But the day has somber roots in the Civil War as Decoration Day, a day to remember Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. Today all soldiers who died in combat are remembered on Memorial Day, including one young soldier who was killed in Afghanistan in October 2010. Listen to learn more about the history of Memorial Day and how this loss changed the meaning of Memorial Day for one family.
Read MoreFebruary 19, 2015
3:54
Complex computer algorithms designed to weigh options and make choices are consistently outperforming humans. The algorithms aren’t perfect, though, and many people have a hard time trusting them. Why do we feel this way? Would you trust a computer to make an important decision in your life? Listen to learn more about how algorithms work and why humans often mistrust them.
Read MoreSeptember 2, 2014
8:26
More than a quarter of a million people in the United States have spinal cord injuries, and two million are in wheelchairs. A new technology from ReWalk Robotics brings some paraplegics the possibility of walking, with the help of a motorized exoskeleton. This radio story gives an inside look at the technology and the impact it can have on the lives of its users. Listen to learn more about the successes of the product as well as current obstacles and future goals.
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