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Seg. 1: Flu Season Of 1918 And Today. Seg. 2: The TVs Of Tomorrow.

Segment 1: 100 years since the 1918 epidemic, but we still battle influenza.

Historians are still debating how many people died from the flu pandemic in 1918, at least 2,000 Kansas Citians included. We talk about the politics and protocols of treating the flu in the past and learn how to best prevent the spread of the flu this season.

Segment 2, beginning at 26:38: The many uses of liquid crystals.

Did you know that all your flat-screen devices, smartphone, TV, and laptop, are made possible by liquid crystals? We talk with an historian about the story behind The TVs of Tomorrow and how we came to rely on that technology.

People don't make cameos in news stories; the human story is the story, with characters affected by news events, not defined by them. As a columnist and podcaster, I want to acknowledge what it feels like to live through this time in Kansas City, one vantage point at a time. Together, these weekly vignettes form a collage of daily life in Kansas City as it changes in some ways, and stubbornly resists change in others. You can follow me on Twitter @GinaKCUR or email me at gina@kcur.org.