KPLU

By Claudia Rowe, Humanosphere correspondent

In a lesson showing just how far one unlikely idea can travel, 18 upper affluent kids from suburban Seattle are this weekend en route to Cambodia, where they will teach science, art and English to some of the poorest children on Earth.

Foreign aid is a messy business, often stymied by inefficiency and corruption. But students from the Overlake School in Redmond wave off such concerns – not to mention parental worries about residual landmines and mandatory inoculations.

They believe their two-week trip to the village of Pailin will benefit them as much as their young pupils.

Read more on Humanosphere.

By Todd Bishop at Geekwire

Google patented system would use noise at games and other settings to determine location and target ads.

“Changemakers” is a new series on Humanosphere exploring how young people, connected and globally aware, are working to change the world.

By Lisa Stiffler, special correspondent

Katie Leach-Kemon arrived in Niger as a newly minted college grad, eager to help in her role as a community health agent with the Peace Corps. She teamed up with health workers who were identifying acutely malnourished children, and then assisting their mothers to better feed their kids. It was culturally sensitive stuff.

“I was straight out of college,” she said, “and I had a lot to learn.”

Read more on Humanosphere.

By Knute Berger of Crosscut

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World's Fair, it's time to remember some of the crimes and blunders that went along with it. Some even launched new industries.

By Lisa Stiffler, special correspondent

Global health and development is by definition bound to be overpowering. So Noah Derman has a strategy for not feeling crushed by the enormous scope of the field’s challenges – he mentally breaks them into smaller chunks.

“If you look at smaller battles that you win,” said Derman, “you won’t get so overwhelmed.”

For Derman, development director for Development in Gardening, or DIG, those battles are won one vegetable patch at a time.

Read more on Humanosphere.

By John Cook of Geekwire

A new online service that allows home owners near airports, sports stadiums and movie theaters to rent out parking spots in their driveways is coming to Seattle. ParkatmyHouse, a matchmaking service for drivers and property owners that’s popular in Europe and recently expanded to New York, Boston and D.C., plans to launch its service in Seattle later this month.

CHICAGO — The public radio program "This American Life" is retracting a story broadcast in January about Apple's operations in China, citing "numerous fabrications."

By John Stang for Crosscut

Without a high school grammar teacher as a support staffer, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee refereed contentious arguments and ruled Tuesday on the language for a proposed ballot on Washington's fledgling same-sex marriage law.

He tossed out the word favored by same-sex marriage foes: "Redefined."

It’s been a battle to get drug manufacturers to make medicines needed by people in developing countries, drugs to treat diseases expunged from wealthy nations. But what happens when the drugs finally reach these populations – do they work? Are they being used safely? Are there nasty side effects?

Becky Bartlein is trying to answer these questions as part of the newly formed Global Medicines Program at the University of Washington.

Read more on Humanosphere.

By Collin Tong at Crosscut

A coalition of local and global health groups have banded together to bring the lessons they’ve learned in developing countries to south King County, where the health index is as bad as Nairobi.

Read more on Humanosphere.

KPLU’s long-time translator serving West Seattle listeners at 88.1 FM is moving its frequency to 92.1 FM, effective March 14, 2012.

This is the first installment of a new series on KPLU's Humanosphere:  “Changemakers” explores how young people, connected and globally aware, are working to change the world.

For Matthew T. Schneider, the struggle to ease the suffering of people afflicted by HIV/AIDS or sickened by malaria is something of a numbers game. Schneider, who since October has worked at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., is sifting mountains of data to understand how to best help sick, impoverished people in developing nations.

Read more on Humanosphere.

By John Cook of Geekwire

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos traces his love of books back to some of the classics of science fiction. But now one of the leading author organizations in the genre is taking up arms against the Seattle online bookseller.

The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America — which hosts the prestigious Nebula Awards – announced on its Web site today that it is redirecting links to other booksellers including indiebound.org, Powell’s, and Barnes and Noble.

KPLU's Community Advisory/Advocacy Board meeting will be meeting Thursday, March 1st via teleconference @ 2PM Pacific Time.

If you are interested in observing or listening to the call, please contact the General Manager's office @ 253-535-8732 or by email sdye@kplu.org for more information.

By John Cook at Geekwire

Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh appeared today at the In NW social media conference in Seattle, offering an impassioned plea on the importance of protecting the Internet. Or, as the Internet entrepreneur dubs it: “The greatest thing that mankind has ever created.”