WAMU 88.5 : Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared: Benefits And Drawbacks Of Going To College

October 27, 2011
comments

The herd mentality that assumes college is the only path to reaching one’s full potential is under fire. Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt, unemployment for those with bachelor’s degrees is at an all-time high, and entrepreneurs such as the founders of Facebook and Microsoft prove that extraordinary success is possible without it. But recent studies show that college is economically beneficial even to those whose jobs don’t require it. Is it still the best way to ensure social mobility, or is America’s love affair with higher education unjustified?

Arts & Culture

NPR

Spy Reporter Works Her 'Sources' To Write A Thriller

Mary Louise Kelly used to cover national security for NPR, but lately she's turned her attention to fiction. Her new novel, Anonymous Sources, draws on Kelly's own reporting experiences, including things she couldn't say when she was a journalist.

Food

NPR

Hot Dogs, Bacon And Red Meat Tied To Increased Diabetes Risk

A fresh study looks at what happens after people change their meat-eating habits. Those who upped their intake — about 3.5 servings more per week — saw their risk of developing type 2 diabetes during four years of follow-up increase by almost 50 percent.

Politics

NPR

Why The FISA Court Is Not What It Used To Be

President Obama says federal judges have been "overseeing" the recently exposed government surveillance programs. But few, if any, experts in the Bush or Obama administrations believe that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has the enforcement teeth it once had.

Technology

NPR

Teens Find The Right Tools For Their Social-Media Jobs

There was a time — a time long, long ago — when MySpace dominated the teen social-media world. Not anymore. NPR's Sami Yenigun looks at how teenagers use various social platforms in today's increasingly segmented online universe.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.