Future: Smart phones are getting smarter, airports have X-ray vision, so how far off are the unbelievable sci-fi storylines of invisibility, telepathy and time travel? As science and technology continue to progress, people need to prepare themselves for a new world, full of advancements.

Is America ready for the future?

Michio Kaku, host of Sci Fi Science, joins msnbc’s David Shuster to debate.

Msnbc discusses 'Is America ready for...' issues every day this week with David Shuster, 3 p.m. ET on MSNBC.

Monday: Is America ready to legalize marijuana?
Tuesday: Is America ready to legalize prostitution?
Wednesday: Is America ready to legalize gambling?
Thursday: Is America ready for a legitimate third political party?

A new ad campaign in the United Kingdom is creating an uproar by using nursery rhymes and bedtime stories to warn viewers about the dangers of global warming. The “Act on CO2” campaign consists of a television ad and four print ads which feature, “Jack and Jill,” “Rub a Dub, Dub,” “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and “Hey Diddle Diddle.

The U.K.’s watchdog agency recently ruled that two of the print ads make exaggerated claims about climate change, and as a result, should not run again. The group deemed the television ad fit for broadcast, but claimed the spots, regardless of medium, could potentially scare children.

Ed Milibrand, who runs the Department of Energy and Climate Change – the group that produced the ads – has promised that future campaigns will more accurately reflect scientific uncertainty about global warming.

Did an anti-global warming ad campaign cross the line by using nursery rhymes to convey its message?

From Ross Perot to Ralph Nader, the United States has seen many third-party candidates run for office. But with Democrats and Republicans holding so much influence in Washington, is another dominant political party realistic?

Libertarian Penn Jillette joins msnbc’s David Shuster to debate. Msnbc discusses 'Is America ready for...' issues every day this week with David Shuster, 3 p.m. ET on MSNBC.

Monday: Is America ready to legalize marijuana?
Tuesday: Is America ready to legalize prostitution?
Wednesday: Is America ready to legalize gambling?
Friday: Is America ready for the future?

According to reports, Principal Dave Schoepke of Marshfield Middle School in Wisconsin has punished those students not working hard in class by barring them from dances and other special functions when they fail. He then started to post a list of students’ names near his office who were failing for everyone to see in an effort to embarrass them into doing better.

His tactics upset some parents who claimed this was an invasion on the students’ privacy. School Superintendent Bruce Kind told The Wausau Daily Herald that Schoepke was not trying to embarrass the students, but “he made a mistake and he knows he’s made a mistake.” In his own defense, Schoepke claims that 80 percent of the failing students had raised their grades in the 24 hour period after posting the controversial list.

Did a principal cross the line by posting the names of failing students for all to see?

Gambling: It’s a growing industry that’s legal in parts of the country. A number of Americans make a great deal of money by building casinos, which in turn employ thousands and contribute billions of dollars in tax revenue.

In addition, there’s an entire industry built around betting on professional sports. In just one month, the NCAA basketball tournament can legally gross about $90 million, while illegal bets could top $7 billion. Should the country legalize gambling, regulate and tax it in an effort to help the states’ budgets?

Msnbc discusses 'Is America ready for...' issues every day this week with David Shuster, 3 p.m. ET on MSNBC. Monday: Is America ready to legalize marijuana?
Tuesday: Is America ready to legalize prostitution?
Thursday: Is America ready for a legitimate third political party?

Officials at the Bexar County Detention Center in San Antonio are allowing prisoners’ friends and family to order items from outside vendors, such as pizza and wings, through the "iCare" system.

As the Texas prison tries to add some variety to the menu, did they cross the line?

Prostitution: It’s legal in a lot of countries including much of Europe, Australia, and even Canada. But in the United States, it is legal only in Nevada. The federal government can’t regulate or tax the industry – despite the fact that Americans spend billions on it every year.

Tracy Quan, author of “Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl" and Janice Crouse, a senior fellow of the Lahaye Institute of Concerned Women for America, join msnbc’s David Shuster to debate the subject. Should the rest of the country follow Nevada?

Msnbc discusses 'Is America ready for...' issues every day this week with David Shuster, 3 p.m. ET on MSNBC.

Monday: Is America ready to legalize marijuana?
Wednesday: Is America ready to legalize gambling?

Eric Larsen, an adventurer drawing attention to climate change by attempting to become the first person to reach the poles and Mount Everest in one year, hopes the question of climate policy will promite discussion, and understanding. Share your thoughts below.

According to the Los Angeles Times, over 50 U.S. colleges and universities are allowing mixed-gender dorm rooms. College officials state this decision was targeted mostly to accommodate gay, bisexual and transgender students who might have felt more comfortable living with the member of the opposite sex. Universities with gender-neutral housing also discourage couples from participating.

The L.A. Times quotes experts saying that most students prefer same sex roommates, because there are those who see gender-neutral housing as immoral and opening the door to bad behavior.

Are colleges crossing the line with gender-neutral housing?

In California, marijuana stores legally exist to sell different varieties of pot to customers that need the drug for medical purposes. One shop, for example, pays the state some $300,000 in taxes and the federal government $500,000 in taxes. One problem: DEA could shut them down and arrest the people working and selling in the store. State and Federal laws are contradictory.

Is America ready to legalize pot, regulate it, tax it, control it the same way that alcohol is controlled by the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms or by the FDA? Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron and David Evans of the Drug Free America Foundation debated the benefits of America of legalizing marijuana for recreational as well as medical use on msnbc Monday.

Msnbc's David Shuster looks at whether or not America is ready... in a series of reports this week at 3 p.m. ET on msnbc.

Eighteen-year-old Constance McMillen of Fulton, Mississippi, was seeking permission to wear a tuxedo and bring a female date to her school’s annual prom. The school’s principal denied both requests. Lawyers for each side took up the matter, drawing uncomfortable attention from the school board. The school board denied McMillen’s request to bring her girlfriend and ruled the prom should be canceled because the controversy had become a “distraction to the education process.”

The ACLU has filed an emergency motion against the school on behalf of McMillen, saying the decision violates the student’s First Amendment rights, and causes irreparable harm to others.

Did a Mississippi school board cross the line by canceling a prom because a female student wanted to bring her girlfriend?

Most health people should have about a teaspoon of salt a day. On average, people are consuming twice that amount.

A New York legislator has an idea to curb what some call "an addiction to salt." He wants to ban the use of salt at restaurants. A salty dish would leave the bitter taste of a $1,000 fine.

State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, the Democrat behind the idea, joins MSNBC Live today.

Does this idea cross the line?

Washington, D.C. Councilman Jack Evans recently succeeded in getting a one-year waiver from the city that would allow Societies of the Friends of St. Patrick, a group he is associated with, to avoid the smoking ban so the tradition of lighting up a cigar would stay alive on St. Patrick’s Day. He also pushed to let people smoke at a fundraiser, Fight for Children, which raises money to provide health care to low-income kids.

The council passed a one-year waiver but Evans wants permanent exception for those two nights. He also said that if workers are concerned about health risks they can opt out of working the event. A spokesperson for the group Smokefree DC said this sends a bad message: “It’s okay to break the law if you’re on the council or a buddy of a council member.” Smokefree DC and others want the mayor to veto the bill

Is a D.C. councilman crossing the line by using his governmental status to tweak city laws?

A school district in Haddonfield, N.J. suspended two girls from extracurricular activities and sports after they were accused of underage drinking on the weekend, off-campus. The girls are required to perform community service and undergo alcohol and drug counseling.

Are school districts crossing the line when they punish students for actions not taking place on campus?

Adventurer Eric Larsen is en route to the North Pole in his bid to get people talking about climate change. He's also encouraging folks to vote on and discuss issues like this one.