OSHA Finds ‘Serious Violations’ Related To Husky Refinery Fire, UW-Madison Research Finds Ants Were Evolving Farmers Millions Of Years Ago, Making Opera More Accessible

Air Date:
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opera, singing, aria, performance
The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini, Creative Commons.

Opera might not be the type of performance most of us are likely to attend, but an opera critic and author of a new book thinks everyone could get something out of the experience. We learn more about why opera is far from a dying art. We also hear from a UW-Madison researcher who has been studying how fungal-ants were evolving farmers over 50 million years ago. And we discuss fines totaling tens of thousands of dollars from the Occupational Safety and Health Agency as a result of the Husky Refinery fire in Superior.

Featured in this Show

  • OSHA Says Superior Refinery Fire Could Have Been Prevented, Fines Company

    The Occupational Safety and Health Agency has fined a Husky Energy company more than $83,000 for workplace violations related to the refinery fire in Superior in April. We talk to a WPR News reporter about what the investigation found, and how some members of the community are reacting.

  • Tiny But Mighty, Fungal-Farming Ants Evolved To Be Better Farmers

    Long before humans had figured out agriculture, fungus-farming ants were figuring out how to keep their crops alive by forming partnerships with a special group of bacteria. We hear from a UW-Madison researcher about the new findings about the evolution of these ants.

  • Opera For Everyone

    An opera critic shares why she thinks opera is far from a dying art, and why everyone should give it a try.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Rachael Vasquez Producer
  • Natalie Guyette Producer
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Danielle Kaeding Guest
  • Cameron Currie Guest
  • Vivien Schweitzer Guest