The Measure of Everyday Life

“The Measure of Everyday Life” is a weekly public radio program featuring researchers, practitioners, and professionals discussing their work to improve the human condition. Independent Weekly has called the show ‘unexpected’ and ‘diverse’ and notes that the show ‘brings big questions to radio.'

Episodes air Sunday nights at 6:30 PM EST in the Raleigh-Durham, NC, media market (and also are streamed internationally through WNCU) and are available online the Wednesday following the original airing. WNCU produces the show with major underwriting from the nonprofit RTI International.

Have thoughts on what we are doing? Let your voice be heard by rating us and joining the conversation on Twitter by following @MeasureRadio or find us on Facebook and Instagram. For more information, see measureradio.net.

[Photo: J. Bowman]

Being Awake at Night

Mar 4, 2026

Some of us stay up late, but how much time do we spend awake without artificial light? What can we learn from being awake in the dark? On this episode, we talk with author Leigh Ann Henion about her book, Night Magic: Adventures among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of...

Measuring Mental Effort with Facial Images

Feb 25, 2026

If you are a parent or a coach, you sometimes might wonder whether a child is really trying their best. What if we could tell by looking at their face? On this episode, we talk with Michael Willoughby and Timothy Slade of RTI International about their work to consider thermal imaging to measure...

Nature as Remedy for Healthcare Costs

Feb 11, 2026

Rising healthcare costs are a concern in many parts of the world. Engagement with nature, as in taking a walk in the woods, spending time with a pet, or even mindfully thinking about past experiences outdoors, might offer a surprising tool to cope with some of those concerns. On this episode, we talk with...

Declining Life Expectancy in the United States

Dec 10, 2025

How should we think about death and how it happens? Americans now die more often than our peers in other wealthy countries. What does that shortened mortality say about our lives? On this episode, we talk with Elizabeth Wrigley-Field of the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Population Center.

How to Think about Fear

Dec 3, 2025

Emotion, including fear, is an important part of us. What we fear and how we react can be shaped and influenced, though. On this episode, we talk with Ruth DeFoster of the University of Minnesota, co-author, with Natashia Swalve, of The Fear Knot: How Science, History, and Culture Shape Our Fears and How to Get...