Perspective Podcast - March 18th, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

Japan:  Fear or Fallout?

Japan is struggling to recover from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that was followed by a massive 23 foot wall of water.  The tsunami alone erased entire towns in Northwestern Japan.  But for the last several days the world's focus has been almost exclusively on that crippled nuclear plant near the epicenter of the quake, where workers have been desperately fighting to stop a catastrophe.  ABC's Clarissa Ward reports from the streets of Osaka, Japan.  

Japan:  The Exodus.

Some Japanese are still tragically stranded in the nuclear evacuation zone, but many more this week were on the move, lining up at gas stations and crowding airports, in an effort to get as far away from the danger as possible.  Among them was an American family.  ABC's Bill Weir has their story.  

Are We at Risk?

There is a pretty good chance that you power your life thanks to one of the 104 nuclear power plants built in 31 states across America.    Some of them are even built on seismic fault lines you may never have heard of before.  So the obvious question these days is how strong are they?  Could they survive a 9.0 earthquake, like the one that has decimated Japan.  For a look at just that question here is ABC's David Wright from a nuclear power facility in Southern California.

Radiation Explained.

If you wonder if your fellow Americans are concerned about the nuclear fallout from Japan, just check out most retailers these days, where there is a run on iodine pills, Geiger counters, and emergency kits. Experts say that all of that is unnecessary at this point, but ABC's Dan Harris tried to determine how much radiation we actually encounter on a daily basis.  

Heart Attack Grill.

It is a simple rule of modern eating, fatty foods in huge portions are bad for you.  But you are about to enter a dietary twilight zone, a restaurant that makes the potentially harmful nature of its food a selling point.  It's name is "The Heart-Attack Grill" and it does bring a sort of whimsical comedy to serving up giant versions of meals that have been American favorites for generations.  But as ABC's Ryan Owens explains, beyond the comedy are some very real health concerns.  

Longevity.

In 1921 the psychologist Lewis Terman launched a study to follow about 1,500 children for their entire lives, tracking their behavior and personality traits.  Of course some of the subjects lived longer than others, but why?  Did certain traits, apart from obvious risk-taking, seem to add or subtract to their life spans?  ABC's John Donvan takes a look.  

Greyson Chance.

They are young stars who attract huge audiences of equally young fans and generate massive profits. Recently in Liverpool, England, police had to take anti-riot precautions when a crowd of screaming girls gathered outside a hotel where the singer Justin Bieber was staying.  At 17, Bieber has been a huge star for years now and the question is already been asked, who is next?  ABC's Neal Karlinsky found out. 

Host: Cheri Preston

Producer: Jason Wesalo

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