Cincinnati Edition

WVXU's Jay Hanselman takes a look back at some of the week's top stories.

The renaissance of Cincinnati’s Over the Rhine neighborhood has been extraordinary, from the Gateway District to Washington Park and all points in between. Joining Mark Perzel with an update of OTR’s growth and future plans, along with a look at some of the many holiday happenings taking place, are Emilie Johnson, president of the OTR Chamber, and Bobby Maly, a member of the OTR Chamber board.

She may seem like a walking dichotomy, but Leilani Munter does not see it that way. An avowed environmental activist and vegetarian with a degree in biology, she is also a race car driver. She is using her track time and interaction with race fans as a way to spread her messages of reducing our carbon footprint and the benefits of going green. She’s on the phone to talk about her unique life with Thane Maynard in this week’s Field Notes.

Daniel Meek is the program director for the non-profit Cincinnati Computer Cooperative, which works to recycle old computers into working, viable products for use by schools and other non-profits. As their mission statement points out, the organization would like to improve the student-to-computer ratio in order to better prepare students for higher education and careers. Daniel Meek came by our studios to talk with Mark Perzel about Cincinnati Computer Cooperative and how businesses and individuals can be part of their effort.

A new book, Singularity Rising, suggests computers are on the path to becoming as smart as people. In this week’s Focus on Technology, Ann Thompson, in an interview with author James Miller, reports on how soon it could happen, which country will have the technology first, and what could derail it.