Baby blocks hardly seem like a technological frontier, but that is in the process of changing. The Takeaway's tech contributor Baratunde Thurston and MIT researcher David Merrill explain the nexus between toy blocks and a series of really cool burgeoning technologies changing how we play.

Check out Baratunde Thurston as the host of the new television show Popular Science’s Future Of on the Science Channel.

Shortly after taking office, President Obama made the war in Afghanistan a high military priority when he authorized 21,000 additional troops to be sent to the region. This move returned to center stage what had long been termed "the forgotten war." Today, as the presidential election in Afghanistan nears, the Taliban makes headlines, and the American troop presence grows, the world is paying close attention. To assess the situation in the region and to take stock of U.S.-Afghan relations, The Takeaway is joined by Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad, Afghan ambassador to the United States.

Representative Eric Massa (D-NY) has held 40 town hall-style meetings in New York's 29th congressional district about health care reform, speaking to constituents all across southwestern New York. The congressman tells The Takeaway what it’s been like on the speaker's side of the podium, and what the protesters represent for American democracy. (click through for the full interview transcript)

Here's Rep. Massa at one of his health care town halls:

A new Wall Street Journal survey says that a majority of economists think that the recession is over — and that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is doing a great job of managing the recovery.

The Takeaway decided to put together our OWN panel of people to test that theory, and to tell us if they think the recession is over. On our panel of recession experts this morning are both old friends and new: Jim Svetz, an owner of a wine bar in upstate New York; Greg Goodnight, the Mayor of Kokomo, Indiana; Cliff Hagedon, a trucker in Florida; and Kelly Evans, from the Wall Street Journal.

In town hall meetings across the country, from Portsmouth to St. Louis to Denver to Tampa, the debate over health care reform is heating up to a boiling point. The high emotions at the town halls have started to get more attention than the debate itself. And what do many Americans do when their tempers or emotions boil over?

Yell.
Shout.
Scream.

Outside of this particular debate, how did yelling become so commonplace —and so acceptable — in American politics, culture and public discourse? To help us get to the bottom of this loud mystery, The Takeaway talks to Philip Dalton. He’s a professor of speech, communications, rhetoric and performance studies at Hofstra University and he thinks about yelling…a lot.

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was convicted of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sentenced to life in prison in a Scottish jail. Now suffering from terminal cancer, he is expected to be released on compassionate grounds next week. How are the families of the victims reacting to the news? The Takeaway speaks with Susan Cohen, mother of 20-year old victim Theodora Cohen and co-author of Pan Am 103: The Bombing, the Betrayals, and a Bereaved Family's Search for Justice.

The U.S. men's soccer team lost to Mexico 2-1 yesterday. Mexico came back from a short-lived 1-0 lead by the U.S. team with Miguel Sabah kicking in the game-winning goal. The American men still have a chance to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, however. The Takeaway’s sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin talks about the match, his hopes, and his continued frustration.

For more from Ibrahim, read his blog post, U.S. Soccer: Older but not yet Wiser.

Here are some of the match highlights:

The World Trade Organization has upheld a complaint by the U.S. that could help open the massive Chinese market to American movies, music, and books. Right now that market is subject to restrictions by China's government on what foreign media can be imported and distributed there. The BBC's correspondent in Shanghai, Chris Hogg, joins us with more of the story.

The Beatles are to many one of the greatest bands ever, and indisputably one of the most influential of the 20th century. They had dozens of top-ten hits, graced hundreds of "best of" lists, sold hundreds of millions of albums, and starred in feature films — a wild success by anyone's estimation. One thing they never had, however, was a video game. Until now.

Rock Band developer Harmonix has scheduled The Beatles: Rock Band for release on September 9th. Fans are cracking their knuckles, stretching their legs, and growing their mustaches in preparation to rock along with John, Paul, George and Ringo on such classics as "Yellow Submarine," "Back in the U.S.S.R.", and "Twist and Shout." Huge sales are expected for the video game and, as a result, The Beatles' entire musical catalogue. With album sales having stayed on a downward spiral for years, could video games be the saving grace for the music industry? Joining The Takeaway is writer Daniel Radosh, who writes about this story in Sunday's New York Times Magazine, and two Rock Band enthusiasts: Brad Malow and Rob Bricken.

After months of deliberation, presentations, and viewing parties, the International Olympics Committee has made a decision. While it passed over baseball, softball, squash, karate, and "roller sports", the I.O.C. has opted to add golf and rugby to the roster of Olympic sports. Ruggers and golfers will be able to vie for Olympic gold beginning at the summer games in 2016. Martin Gough, BBC sports reporter, has more of the story.