So far this year, the city of Boston has recorded a grand total of 8 homicides, while the similarly populated city of Washington, D.C. has had 110. Professor Thomas Abt, founding director of the Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction (VRC) explains what Boston is doing right. Plus, noted nutrition expert, Michael Jacobson reveals his latest project, The National Food Museum, to promote critical thinking about food’s impact on health, the environment, farm animal welfare, social equity, global and domestic hunger, and how the food industry and politics affect what we eat.
Thomas Abt is an associate research professor in criminology and criminal justice and the author of Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence — and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets. His work is cited in academic journals and featured in major media outlets, both print and video. His TED talk on community violence has been viewed more than 200,000 times.
Michael Jacobson holds a PhD in microbiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He co-founded and then led the Center for Science in the Public Interest for four decades. Dr. Jacobson is the author of Salt Wars: The Battle Over the Biggest Killer in the American Diet.