Across the United States, from rural areas to cities and suburbs, people have been hitting the streets to protest racism and police brutality. How is the national fervor around anti-racism different than in the past when people rallied following the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012, or when Civil Rights protestors called for an end to segregation in the 1960s? Alicia Garza, co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter, says she hopes it’s a moment of change when institutions, like police departments, examine ...
Jul 08, 2020•39 min•Ep. 320
Social unrest and physical distancing are not making it easy to connect with other people. Mia Birdsong says it’s particularly important that in this time we show up for one another to offer strength, support, and accountability. Birdsong’s new book, How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community , digs into why many people feel isolated in a society built on community. In this polarized time, she says the ever-present injustices built around race, class, gender, values, and belief...
Jun 30, 2020•56 min•Ep. 319
Nearly three decades ago, the play “Twilight Los Angeles” — about the Rodney King trial verdict — premiered. Just like in 1992, the world is seeing the problem of racial injustice come back into focus. How is art confronting a racist system in America? What has changed since the riots in LA? Oskar Eustis, artistic director at the Public Theater in New York, speaks with Anna Deavere Smith, the creator of “Twilight Los Angeles.” They discuss how, even though arts institutions are mostly closed bec...
Jun 24, 2020•44 min•Ep. 318
When Covid-19 first started appearing in the United States, it was perceived as an illness that affected travelers, like Tom Hanks. Soon, though, it became clear the disease was infecting people of color more than any other group. Black people are 3.5 times more likely to die of the virus than white people, and Latino people are nearly twice as likely to die, according to researchers at Yale and the University of Pittsburgh. Why is this? Part of the problem is that racism is embedded in the coun...
Jun 17, 2020•42 min•Ep. 317
As we’ve seen with the coronavirus pandemic and anti-racism protests — distance no longer means much. What started in a Chinese city spread to the corners of the earth and what happened on the streets of Minneapolis launched action around the globe. We live in a global era and what happens thousands of miles away can deeply affect our lives. Richard Haass, author of the new book The World: A Brief Introduction , says global literacy is a must this day in age because what happens outside a countr...
Jun 10, 2020•41 min•Ep. 316
Demonstrations over race and police brutality have erupted after the death of George Floyd. Floyd, and African-American, died in police custody in Minneapolis. A leading voice on antiracism, Ibram X. Kendi says countering racism is essential to the formation of a just and equitable society — so, how can we fight it? To recognize racism, we need to define it and then understand it’s opposite. Racism, Kendi says, is powerful and can change the way we see and value others and ourselves. In his conv...
Jun 02, 2020•57 min•Ep. 315
Are Zoom connections and physical distancing making us lonelier? Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General and author of Together , says prior to the pandemic people dealt with loneliness, which affects our health and well-being. Now, feelings of disconnection may be more difficult to bear. “If we allow physical distancing to translate into social distancing, we will experience a deepening of our loneliness,” he says. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, we can choose a path of social revival...
May 27, 2020•33 min•Ep. 314
The Covid-19 crisis isn’t easy to bear as adults but what about young kids and teenagers? How are they coping with virtual learning, changes to their routines, and quarantine? Even before the pandemic, an increasing number of kids were experiencing anxiety, depression, and suicide. How can parents best support kids who may be dealing with additional stressors now? A panel of child experts including Tovah Klein, director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, and Lisa Damour, adol...
May 19, 2020•54 min•Ep. 313
Have you considered adopting a dog lately? You’re not alone. Animal shelters and nonprofits are seeing a rise in the number of people adopting and fostering pets during the Covid-19 crisis. Before you bring home a new canine companion, dog cognition expert Alexandra Horowitz says there are a few things to consider. Horowitz, who runs the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, wants these newly formed dog-human relationships to last beyond the pandemic. She also speaks with Brian Hare, professor o...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 312
The growth of American institutions like public education and organized labor has been stunted by racial hostility. Eduardo Porter, author of American Poison , explains how racial animus has blocked social cohesion throughout history. With the coronavirus pandemic, this stunted growth is partly to blame for why the United States has dealt with the crisis so poorly. While millions become infected and tens of millions lose their jobs, the components of country’s social safety net — health insuranc...
May 05, 2020•51 min•Ep. 311
The Digital Divide is the gap between those who have easy access to computers and the internet, and those who don’t. The problem this gap creates is becoming more acute during the coronavirus pandemic. As schools move to distance learning, workers are displaced from their jobs, and public services move online, the need for an affordable, reliable broadband connection and productivity technology is great. Low-income Americans and communities of color are particularly disadvantaged. Aspen Digital’...
Apr 29, 2020•55 min•Ep. 310
Zeke Emanuel was an architect of the Affordable Care Act, which turned 10-years-old this spring. With 22 million people unemployed in America because of the coronavirus pandemic, is universal coverage needed now more than ever? Emanuel says in such an uncertain environment, people are craving security. He thinks the pandemic will lead the Federal Government to rethink the importance of safety net programs like universal coverage. Emanuel, a bioethicist and oncologist, shares his thoughts on what...
Apr 21, 2020•44 min•Ep. 309
Humility, loyalty, rhetorical mastery — these were the leadership traits of President Abraham Lincoln, says historian John Stauffer. When Lincoln entered office in 1861, the situation in America was dire. States were seceding and America was on the brink of war. How did he utilize his strengths in the face of great crisis? Should today’s leaders, who are challenged by the cataclysm of the coronavirus pandemic, look to Lincoln’s leadership? Stauffer, a professor at Harvard, speaks with Colleen Sh...
Apr 14, 2020•55 min•Ep. 308
Journalist and New York Times op-ed writer Thomas Friedman says countries around the world are undergoing a stress test thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. This test, he says, is revealing the quality of nations’ governance, their health care systems, and the strength of their communities. Perhaps surprisingly, some autocratic regimes have fared well, he says, while some democracies – like the United States – have not. Friedman speaks with Elliot Gerson, an executive vice president at the Aspen ...
Apr 08, 2020•47 min•Ep. 307
China was the first country in the world to experience effects from COVID-19. Now the epidemic there is slowing. How did the country of more than 1 billion people make it through? Technology played a big role. In this episode, Lydia Lee, Gary Liu, and Andrew McLaughlin join Vivian Schiller, executive director of the Aspen Digital program at the Aspen Institute, to talk over the kinds of technology that were launched or re-purposed to address aspects of the crisis. How did technology help keep th...
Apr 01, 2020•57 min•Ep. 306
During the coronavirus epidemic, many families are spending lots of time together. Families with teenagers may notice extreme highs and lows – and it’s not just because of the global crisis. Once they reach adolescence, kids land on an emotional rollercoaster and even question their own extreme reactions. As parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors, how can we help teens communicate and navigate the intensity of their emotions? Leading experts on girls, boys, and the neuroscience of the adolescen...
Mar 25, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 305
What are the best tools for dealing with fear, particularly in an uncertain period? “Human beings wrestle with fear. We are living in anxious times,” says Kansas pastor Adam Hamilton. Hamilton, who founded the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, created five sermons to help people feel less fearful. In this episode, he explains what he wrote in the sermons and later in a book , Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times. “People felt like these [sermons] were really helpf...
Mar 17, 2020•54 min•Ep. 304
Two major news stories are dominating headlines: the novel coronavirus and the 2020 presidential contest. Both are vulnerable to disinformation campaigns, so what are newsrooms and technology companies doing to combat false news? What did journalists learn in 2016 that they can apply to political coverage in 2020? Local news is the most trusted news source but many newspapers are folding. How can small town newspapers find their footing and continue to offer trusted information? The conversation...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 303
More than 100 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States, as of March 3, 2020. Nine people in the country have died from the disease. That’s far less than in countries like China, Iran, and Italy. What’s being done to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in America and beyond? How quickly can a vaccine be developed? What can individuals do to stay safe? A panel of health experts including Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, ...
Mar 03, 2020•51 min•Ep. 302
Unpredictable weather is threatening crop production and a swelling population is increasing the demand for food. How will we eat in a hotter, more crowded world? The race to reinvent the global food system is on, and innovative solutions are already being served up. Meat produced from animal cells is one solution, says CEO of Memphis Meats Uma Valeti. "Can we start thinking about evolving our food system in a transformative way to feed 10 billion people and beyond?" He joins Amanda Little, auth...
Feb 25, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 301
When Americans elected their first black president more than a decade ago, some questioned whether the country had transitioned into a post-racial era. But today race is a more prominent and intransigent problem than ever. As the US grapples with issues like identity politics, the Travel Ban, a wall on the southern border, and Black Lives Matter, writers Jelani Cobb and Wajahat Ali question the likelihood of a post-racial America. Cobb, a staff writer at The New Yorker and journalism professor a...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 300
Societal problems like income inequality have emerged from a financial system that has taken a wrong turn, says Harvard finance professor Mihir Desai. “When finance goes awry, which I think it has, we all suffer. When finance is done well, it’s absolutely remarkable,” he says. Humanity needs to be re-infused into finance so that it’s led by personal stories rather than only value extraction. Desai, who wrote the book , The Wisdom of Finance: Discovering Humanity in the World of Risk and Return ,...
Feb 12, 2020•52 min•Ep. 299
When psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb set out to write the stories of her patients she realized she should chronicle her own struggles too. The result was the bestselling book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone . In it, she explores the human condition through the lives of her patients and herself. "We're all asking ourselves, how do I love and be loved, and how do I live in a world of uncertainty. So the patients I chose [to write about] have experiences that look different on the surface but we can...
Feb 05, 2020•53 min•Ep. 298
It's already difficult to talk about politics in a polarized United States, but a few choice words are making it even harder. Columbia linguistics professor John McWhorter says the original meaning of words like "liberalism" and "socialism" have changed. Now such words muddy up political discourse. In this episode, McWhorter talks about the history of political "isms": progressivism, conservatism, fascism, and others. He says the rules that govern why words' meanings change and our social climat...
Jan 29, 2020•53 min•Ep. 297
Social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson is the subject in the new movie, “Just Mercy.” The film, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, is based on Stevenson’s memoir with the same name. Stevenson, an attorney, founded the Equal Justice Initiative and has advocated for the release of more than 100 prisoners on death row. He’s passionate about fighting against racial injustice and using history to help America confront its troubling past. In 2018, his organization opened The Legacy Museum: Fr...
Jan 21, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 296
In the United States, the number of people attending church is declining. So where are people going to find meaning and community? Casper ter Kuile, Harvard ministry innovation fellow, says fitness classes, advocacy groups, and maker’s spaces are taking the place of congregations – they’re providing people with a sense of identity. Casper ter Kuile speaks with other spirituality experts in a conversation that touches on how modern-day communities can quash widespread feelings of social isolation...
Jan 14, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 295
Former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal thinks American democracy is at risk if President Trump isn’t held accountable for abusing his office’s power for political gain. In December, the US House impeached Trump. Now Katyal believes the Senate should vote to remove him from office. Katyal, who has argued dozens of cases before the Supreme Court, says Trump’s actions — asking foreign powers to interfere in the 2020 presidential election — are exactly what the country’s Founders warned against...
Jan 08, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 294
Why is it that simple pleasures such as bubbles, rainbows, and hot air balloons bring joy to most people? Designer Ingrid Fetell Lee says, “there’s something really powerful in the idea that we all find joy in the same things,” especially items with little significance otherwise. Fetell Lee studied how our physical environment impacts our well-being, both physically and psychologically. She believes that our surroundings can be a powerful tool for cultivating happier, healthier lives … and joyfu...
Jan 01, 2020•51 min•Ep. 293
In the age of streaming entertainment, there’s Apple, Disney, Comcast, and many others. But it began with Netflix. In 2013 Netflix shifted from a distribution company (remember the mailed DVDs?) to a distribution and content creation business. Some of the company’s first shows were hits like “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, describes this transition and how the company has grown since. He tells Derek Thompson, staff writer for The A...
Dec 23, 2019•58 min•Ep. 292
In July of 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to ever free-solo climb the face of Yosemite’s El Capitan. He climbed nearly 3,000 vertical feet alone and without ropes. The historic feat was captured in the Academy Award-winning film, “Free Solo.” He says self-confidence helped him complete the climb. “If you get scared while free-soloing, [your self-confidence] starts to crumble a little bit. You start to not trust your feet…they’re more likely to slip. Everything can spiral negatively.”...
Dec 17, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 291
