Focus

Focus, or Focus 580, was WILL Radio's flagship talk program from 1981 until 2014. David Inge was the host from 1981 until his retirement in 2012. Always engaging, the program acted as a resource for citizens to directly question politicians and candidates as well as keep up on the arts, science, health, and even the latest from well-known novelists.

The Focus archive below offers thousands of great interviews and serves as a time capsule and a great resource for researchers and those just curious about how influential people spoke of important topics as they were happening.

The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science that Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry

Guest: Bryan Sykes.

What if we could trace our genetic makeup all the way back to fewer than ten primeval individuals? In fact, says geneticist Bryan Sykes, we can. He joins us today on Focus to explain how the study of a 5,000-year-old man's frozen remains in Italy led to the discovery of a particular strand of DNA that can be traced back to seven prehistoric women: The Seven Daughters of Eve.

Powering the Future

Guest: Scott Barnett.

Many researchers believe that fuel cells will be the power sources of the future. They are more efficient than the internal combustion engine, have no moving parts, and produce almost no pollution. One day they may power our vehicles, our offices, and even our homes. This morning on Focus we're joined by Scott Barnett from Northwestern University to explore the basics of the fuel cell: how it works and some of its potential applications.