Host Gwen Macsai breaks down some of the technology that the University of Illinois System is using to implement its COVID-19 mitigation plan. She takes a tour of the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab to follow saliva samples through the full process, then talks with Nigel Goldenfeld about the computer modeling the school and state are using to develop its testing protocols. She also talks with Rashid Bashir, the Dean of the Grainger College of Engineering about a test that can detect COVID-19 with your cell phone, then takes a ride with the Bryan Rives, Director of the University of Illinois Springfield Sangemon Performing Arts Center on his 26th trip driving samples from UIS to UIUC.

On The 21st: Who gets to talk about history, especially when that history is brutal and hard to talk about in the first place? That’s the subject of a new play from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater. Plus, after years of criticism, Illinois has scraped the controversial PARCC standardized test in schools. But will the new one be different enough to quell concerns from teachers and parents? And, we explore the messy backstory of the US trade war with China, including its roots in the Cold War and intellectual property theft. Also, what better way to celebrate Pi Day today than with some lemon meringue?

World-renowned educator Sir Ken Robinson says education should be about helping children and young people understand the talents that lie within them, and about helping them become fulfilled individuals and compassionate productive citizens. He says this can be achieved if education becomes more personalized rather than standardized.

Congress is discussing ending annual testing requirements. What would schools do without them?