Mary Dooe

Producer

Innovation Hub

Mary Dooe is the producer of Innovation Hub.

I'm the producer and jack-of-all-trades at Innovation Hub, the weekly national public radio show about how we'll live next. 

Prior to landing at WGBH in Boston (my hometown, Go Sox!) I did stints at Studio 360, Marketplace and NPR's Weekend All Things Considered. I've also spent time at daily newspapers, startup websites, and fashion magazines (I love all things media).

Beyond my day job, I've converted my former years of competitive swimming into a recurring need to run half marathons. Also likes: Real books, plane tickets, and red wine. 

How Mr. Rogers shaped what it means to grow up — and live in Pittsburgh

Mr. Rogers dominated children's television for years, up until his death in 2003, but even beyond. But that's not his only impact.

How Mr. Rogers shaped what it means to grow up — and live in Pittsburgh
The College of DuPage hosts its second annual career fair.

How to succeed at looking for a job without really trying

How to succeed at looking for a job without really trying
A cave dweller, c. 2015

The Me Epoch: Latest geologic age is self-centered

The Me Epoch: Latest geologic age is self-centered
Congressman Paul Ryan takes part in a session called "The Business of Taxes" at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council meeting in Washington on December 2, 2014.

What if we could choose where part of our taxes went? Would we feel better about paying them?

What if we could choose where part of our taxes went? Would we feel better about paying them?
Are we all as confident as we think we are?

Why we're all overconfident

Why we're all overconfident
Lawrence Summers, former US treasury secretary and Harvard president, ignited a firestorm on gender issues a decade ago this month.

Larry Summers 'may have done a service to women' with his sexist remarks

A decade ago, then-Harvard president Larry Summers ignited a firestorm when he suggested women weren't predisposed to the sciences. Eileen Pollack, author of a book on the brouhaha, credits the widely castigated Summers for at least raising the question — and says society still isn't encouraging women in key fields.

Larry Summers 'may have done a service to women' with his sexist remarks
Toddlers using iPads

Scientists say toddlers may be better problem-solvers than adults could ever hope to be

If you've ever interacted with toddlers, you've probably been amazed = at how creative and borderline brilliant they can be while simultaneously scribbling on their cheek and eating glue. Humans have the longest periods of childhood of any species, and it may have to do with that toddler creativity.

Scientists say toddlers may be better problem-solvers than adults could ever hope to be
A TV plays a soccer match

Why TV audience measurement remains stuck in an analog age

Our habits are more well-known than ever before: What websites we visit, what products we buy from Amazon, what videos we watched on the Internet. But what we watch on TV remains somewhat of a mystery, with Nielsen ratings the only window into Americans' viewing habits.

Why TV audience measurement remains stuck in an analog age
People hold signs during one of many worldwide "March Against Monsanto" protests against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and agro-chemicals, in Los Angeles on October 12, 2013.

Why the term GMO is 'scientifically meaningless'

Genetically modified crops are a big part of both our food supply and our debates about health and safety. But some scientists and observers argue those debates are getting the science of GMOs wrong, and grouping together crops that don't belong in the same argument.

Why the term GMO is 'scientifically meaningless'
Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, wave to crowds from their limousine during Reagan's first inauguration parade in 1981.

How air conditioning got Ronald Reagan elected president

Ronald Reagan couldn't have become president without Southern votes, and many of those votes simply wouldn't have been there without the invention of air conditioning. Such innovations and their unforeseen consequences on history are the subject of a new book from Steven Johnson.

How air conditioning got Ronald Reagan elected president
A man operates a 3D printer at a 2010 Maker Faire, a gathering for maker movement enthusiasts, in New York City.

Get ready for a manufacturing revolution, as the 'maker movement' goes mainstream

The "maker movement" is getting so mainstream that the White House recently hosted its own fair for makers. And the movement is about much more than 3-D printing trinkets — advocates say the spread of small-scale manufacturing could usher in a new kind of industrial revolution.

Get ready for a manufacturing revolution, as the 'maker movement' goes mainstream
Robot with a face

Could technology replace you at work and put wealth in the hands of the few?

You've got a college education, maybe a higher degree and a professional job. Surely you aren't threatened at work by technology, right? Think again, say two scientists at the MIT Center for Digital Business. But they also predict a coming golden age of free time and creativity.

Could technology replace you at work and put wealth in the hands of the few?
Rich Ross, Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company, and her brother Brian Henson and the muppets

Jim Henson blazed a new trail for artists when he created the Muppets

The Muppets weren't just a commercial and artistic success — they were an innovation. Jim Henson, the renowned creator of the Muppets, was constantly pushing himself beyond his comfort zone, constantly pushing to do things others said couldn't be done.

Jim Henson blazed a new trail for artists when he created the Muppets
A visitor to the Shell Club, a sports and social venue, plays a slot machine near the Shell Oil refinery in Geelong, Australia.

Even when you're losing, slot machines boost your morale — and casino profits

This isn't your granddad's gambling industry: As casinos spread and habits change, slot machines have become a massive part of casino profits — as much as 85 percent. They're doing so partly by giving gamblers the illusion of winning, even when they're falling behind.

Even when you're losing, slot machines boost your morale — and casino profits
Drones increasingly have commercial, as well as military, applications.

Drones are making tentative steps into the US civilian space

Drones hold promises of huge benefits for consumers and for business, if only the regulation piece can be worked out. The government has taken tentative steps to allow more drone testing — but is taking criticism for its glacial pace.

Drones are making tentative steps into the US civilian space