Scott Flansburg is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Fastest Human Calculator.” Flansburg correctly added a randomly selected two-digit number (38) to itself 36 times in 15 seconds without the use of a calculator. Flansburg shares his gift and love of math with children all around the world. He joins Chicago Tonight to put our own calculator to the test.

The Museum of Science and Industry premieres a new national touring exhibit that explores how robots, created by human ingenuity, will ultimately be our companions and colleagues, changing how we play, live, and work together.

The newly seated City Council takes another stab at reform as aldermen select someone to lead the new independent budget office. Paris Schutz has the details on that and more on the heated relocation of Riot Fest.

The University of Illinois’ new president is a geophysicist who studies the earth’s atmosphere. But his focus now will be on moving the state’s huge university system forward. We’ll talk with him about possible budget cuts, tuition costs, and his vision for the future.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Financial Times will examine how global cities are driving political, social, and economic policies and solving critical world challenges during a three-day forum. Ivo Daalder, president of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, joins us.

For the first time in 30 years, a brand-new factory has opened in the historic Pullman neighborhood. We take an inside look at how the Method soap is made and find out why it’s so important to the neighborhood.

We dive into sugar and spice and everything nice, or not so nice. In The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, editor Darra Goldstein shares the powerful ways sugar has played a role in our world, both good and bad.

Who makes the city's flowery fireworks happen every summer? Geoffrey Baer digs into Chicago's public gardens, plus visits West Englewood's Old Abe and a gate to nowhere in Streeterville.

The May 31 deadline for state lawmakers to approve a budget and solve a $6 billion shortfall is quickly approaching. We talk with Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky about what tax hikes and other revenue generators are on the table, what services could be on the chopping block, whether lawmakers will be able to pass a budget before the end of the month, and, if not, how that affects the numerous legislative items on their plate. 

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart joins Chicago Tonight to talk about the new county jail director and efforts to get mentally ill people treatment instead of incarcerating them.

Just why did the city's bond rating get downgraded to junk status by one ratings agency? A Moody's official speaks out. Paris Schutz has the details.