Trust in civic, religious, and academic institutions is at an all-time low in America. But this phenomenon did not, as some Americans might believe, begin when President Trump was elected. It has been on the decline for decades, and while it has been falling, individualism and tribalism have been on the rise. And these tribes — tied to each other with ever fewer common threads — are moving farther and farther apart in almost every measurable way, from geography to politics to economic and educat...
Jan 23, 2018•55 min•Ep. 179
New York Times best-selling author Susan Orlean says ignorance about a subject is a powerful ignitor of curiosity. As someone who has written about bullfighters, orchid fanatics, and an African king who drives a taxi in New York City, she knows a thing or two about delving into far-flung topics. How can we learn to take in the world as an enthusiast and as a curious person? It’s especially important for writers, she says, but it’s more a state of mind than a professional tool. And in this height...
Jan 16, 2018•42 min•Ep. 178
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 15. If Dr. King was still alive today, what would he think of the progress of the black community? How far have we come toward racial equality since the civil rights era? Henry Louis Gates, Jr. , Harvard professor and filmmaker, says there have been both steps forward, and steps backward. While America elected its first African American president, the number of black men behind bars is five times the number of white men. African American superstars like Opra...
Jan 09, 2018•38 min•Ep. 177
What if you examined your life in the context of all of its stages? The annunciation and initiation phases in your youth and young adulthood are full of discovery and learning. Then, the odyssey years in your twenties bring wandering and loneliness and lead to a commitment-making phase in your thirties. David Brooks , author and New York Times op-ed columnist, says life’s mountains and valleys shape who we are and eventually lead us to a “second mountain.” This phase, later in life, often result...
Jan 02, 2018•59 min•Ep. 176
How is creativity cultivated in childhood? And, does a creative culture at home result in a creative career later on? Authors Jess Walter , Dani Shapiro , and Jericho Brown explain how their early years contributed to a life of writing. Such a life isn’t easy, with rejection, confusion, and disappointment making the pursuit an uphill battle. The writers describe how they find time to put pen to paper, and they read from their works. Don’t miss this funny, reflective, and inspiring discussion mod...
Dec 26, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 175
Though his grandparents were his primary caretakers, Eric Motley was raised by a community. The author, former White House staffer, and Aspen Institute vice president says the townspeople of Madison Park, Alabama, taught him everything he needed to know about love and faith. Madison Park was founded by freed slaves in 1880, and Motley learned early about his heritage and legacy. While he cleaned graves and left flowers at the local cemetery, his neighbors taught him about his past. Racial injust...
Dec 19, 2017•50 min•Ep. 174
Theo Padnos is an American journalist held captive by al-Qaeda for nearly two years. He was physically and psychologically tortured, but emerged with grace, forgiveness, and generosity. David Bradley , owner of Atlantic Media, was instrumental in freeing Padnos. He says Padnos is an example of someone who handles life’s greatest lows well. Though we likely won’t end up imprisoned by extremists, many of us will face lows such as the death of a loved one, a career stumble, or bankruptcy. Bradley s...
Dec 12, 2017•57 min•Ep. 173
For 60 years, the US government has been laying secret doomsday plans to save itself in the event of nuclear war — even while the rest of us die. Today, a third generation of doomsday planners are settling into life inside a network of bunkers that are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ready to house top government officials in the event of catastrophe. How did these Cold War-era plans come together, how have they evolved over time, and how prepared are we for a worst-case scenario? Featu...
Dec 05, 2017•1 hr•Ep. 172
America has always meant business. We’re a nation of self-starters, strivers, and entrepreneurs — with the courage to take big risks and the confidence to determine our own destiny. But, are courage and confidence alone enough for success? Kevin O’Leary , star of ABC’s Shark Tank and chairman of O’Shares Investments, explains what makes a good entrepreneur. How important are start-up’s to the American economy? And are government, regulations, and taxes impeding the start and growth of companies?...
Nov 28, 2017•53 min•Ep. 171
Is the internet loosening our collective grasp on the truth? Pioneers of digital news once argued that new online sources would bring us new perspectives about the world. They did not anticipate the internet would destroy traditional media gatekeepers and give everyone a chance to indulge in news that confirms their preexisting ideas. How does the mass media fit into this landscape? Does the role of newspaper publisher or local TV station owner now belong to Facebook and Google? How do we sort f...
Nov 21, 2017•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 170
A crisis is emerging that could pose as grave a threat to public health as obesity or substance abuse: social isolation. Neuroscientists have identified regions of the brain that respond to loneliness, and a powerful body of research shows that lonely people are more likely to become ill, experience cognitive decline, and die early. Across the industrialized world, millions of people live with sparse human contact, putting their well-being at risk. Does social media drive loneliness, or help to ...
Nov 14, 2017•42 min•Ep. 169
Muslim Americans — especially those who work in government or in other ways to counter radicalism and terrorism — feel caught in the middle. Much of American society questions their patriotism, while their own communities question their loyalty. The Department of Homeland Security’s Haris Tarin joins Rabia Chaudry, author, attorney, and activist, for a discussion about being Muslim and American in 2017. Find our companion episode "The Future Dialogue on Race," by clicking here . Follow the show ...
Nov 07, 2017•52 min•Ep. 168
Madison's legacy matters today more than ever. As founding genius he made the Constitution to avoid faction. Then he discovered the real world required parties — so he founded one and became a partisan. Ultimately he turned to foreign policy, seeking to establish America's place in the world without force. He almost succeeded. Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman discusses his new biography The Three Lives of James Madison . Find our companion episode, "The Curse of Bigness," by clicking here . Fo...
Oct 31, 2017•59 min•Ep. 167
In our politically charged climate, it’s not uncommon to hear about impeachment. Earlier this month, a billionaire environmentalist launched a campaign to impeach President Trump. How does the process of impeachment really work? What’s an impeachable offense? And how many presidents have been impeached? Harvard Law professor Cass Sunstein offers a nonpartisan, historical guide — with some reverence — and even awe, for our constitutional order, and for the power it gives We the People. Sunstein’s...
Oct 24, 2017•54 min•Ep. 166
Walter Isaacson is fascinated by innovators — the kinds of geniuses whose ideas have transformed industry, science, and society. Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Benjamin Franklin each grabbed his attention in ways that allow us, as readers, to discover the depth and breadth of their brilliant thinking and creative sensibilities. Now comes Leonardo da Vinci, whose boundless curiosity renders him perhaps the greatest creative genius of all time. Isaacson explains the lessons that da Vinci left be...
Oct 17, 2017•56 min•Ep. 165
Why do happily married couples cheat? Why does the modern egalitarian approach to marriage quash desire? Are the heightened expectations we bring to modern love combined with our pursuit of happiness directly related to infidelity? In this special rebroadcast, author and couples therapist Esther Perel tackles the topic of infidelity. Her book The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity was released October 10, 2017. Perel is interviewed by Hanna Rosin , co-host of NPR’s Invisibilia . This week's...
Oct 10, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 164
World-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs is distressed about the political and social atmosphere in the United States. With advances in technology, he says we can choose to do the ultimate good or create unimaginable disaster. Why aren’t we ending poverty, transitioning to a low-carbon economy, and protecting the earth’s biodiversity? He believes it’s because smart policy decisions in Washington are being held up by special interests. In this episode, he talks to Steve Clemons, Washington editor-a...
Oct 03, 2017•53 min•Ep. 163
The “next economy,” or digital revolution, is restructuring every business, job, and sector of society. By 2055, it’s estimated that half of today’s work activities will be automated. Tim O’Reilly , founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, says we should be harnessing technology, rather than fearing it, to grow jobs and increase economic activity. He speaks with Charles Duhigg , senior editor and columnist for The New York Times , about O’Reilly’s new book WTF?: What’s the Future and Why It’s Up to Us...
Sep 26, 2017•52 min•Ep. 162
The tiny town of Norwich, Vermont, has likely produced more Olympians per capita than anywhere else in the United States. Over the past thirty years, the town of 3,000 has sent an athlete to almost every Winter Olympics. New York Times sports writer Karen Crouse traveled to Norwich to discover the town’s secret. Also in this episode, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred discusses taking the professionalism out of youth sports, and creating a simpler, more informal atmosphere of play. F...
Sep 19, 2017•43 min•Ep. 161
As Latino Americans emerge as the majority minority and the new mainstream, representing 18 percent of the US population, questions are emerging about how Latinos fit into the national narrative. Latinos are revitalizing rural communities, starting businesses, and entering the workforce and educational system at record rates, yet they're often lost among the traditional storylines of race and identity. How is this population handling political pressures like the Wall, deportation, and President ...
Sep 12, 2017•1 hr•Ep. 160
What are the consequences of the United States backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement? In June, the Trump administration announced the move. In this episode, former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says exiting the Agreement is bad for science-based decision making, national and energy security, and innovation. However, he says, there’s one note of optimism: cities, states, and the business community are primed to keep the country on course to the low carbon future that we need. Moniz speaks wi...
Sep 06, 2017•48 min•Ep. 159
Has the great American experiment in liberty gone off the rails? Kurt Andersen’s latest book, Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire, a 500 Year History, is a provocative chronicle of magical thinking and make-believe. It provides a new paradigm for understanding the post-factual present, where reality and illusion are dangerously blurred. He and journalist Jeffrey Goldberg discuss the history that religion plays in America’s roots and world view. According to Andersen, history shows Americans ha...
Aug 29, 2017•52 min•Ep. 158
The Trump Administration has said it’s “committed to a foreign policy focused on American interests and American national security.” Critics have said Trump is isolating the US by withdrawing from the Paris agreement, waffling on a commitment to NATO, and abandoning the TPP. But, this month the president deepened American involvement abroad by announcing the US would deploy more troops to Afghanistan. It’s a conflict he once called “futile,” reports the New York Times . What is the Trump doctrin...
Aug 25, 2017•1 hr•Ep. 157
CRISPR is the cheapest, simplest, and most effective way of manipulating DNA. It has the power to give us the cure to HIV, genetic diseases, and some cancers. It could even help address the world’s hunger crisis. But, it may result in unforeseen consequences. The technology could lead to intentionally mutating embryos to create “better” humans. Jennifer Doudna , whose research helped create CRISPR, speaks with Aspen Institute President Walter Isaacson about the latest technological developments ...
Aug 22, 2017•59 min•Ep. 156
What role does faith play in bringing people together? Reverend Adam Hamilton pastors the largest United Methodist church in America. Within his Kansas congregation, he observes deep divisions that reflect the larger disunity in our nation. These divisions, he thinks, are tearing at our social fabric. His plan: to get people to think differently by focusing on influencing, not irritating, and seeing the humanity in others — even those we strongly disagree with. He speaks with David Brooks, New Y...
Aug 18, 2017•59 min•Ep. 155
Hate groups are growing and the number of hate-fueled incidents is spiking in America. The latest incident was in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white nationalists violently clashed with anti-fascist groups and other protesters. In the first month after Donald Trump won the presidency, the Southern Poverty Law Center catalogued 1,051 acts of intimidation and hate. Is hate on the rise? How do the events of today compare to other periods of extremism in America? Featured speakers are Heidi Beiri...
Aug 15, 2017•55 min•Ep. 154
It’s been called the most perilous drug crisis ever and it was generated in the healthcare system. The epicenter of the opioid crisis is the United States, where overdose deaths have quadrupled since 1999. President Trump has pledged to step up law enforcement and prevention. In this episode, a panel of experts discuss what’s being done, what needs to be done, and what we know works and doesn’t. Featuring Nora Volkow , director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes o...
Aug 11, 2017•56 min•Ep. 153
In this episode, you’ll hear from the nation’s new White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly. Kelly spoke in July at the Aspen Security Forum. At the time, his job was Homeland Security Secretary. In his conversation with Pete Williams, justice correspondent for NBC News, Kelly talks about Putin’s Russia, cybersecurity, and immigration. You’ll also get a glimpse of his leadership style. How will it apply to his new role as Chief of Staff? aspenideas.org...
Aug 08, 2017•59 min•Ep. 152
The confluence of globalization and the information revolution has primed the United States, and the world, for a resurgence of populism. Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” explains how the populist ideology helped President Trump win the White House. Trump’s message of cultural anxiety connected with voters. It’s not an unfamiliar ideology. In this episode, Zakaria opens the history book and explains how past trends are re-emerging today. He also reflects on the rise and root c...
Aug 04, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 151
Millennials shoulder a lot of stereotypes. They’re called entitled and in need of instant gratification. They’re not committed to their work and expect a work-life balance at their very first job. Do these labels actually define them? Are they really any different than the generations before them? In this lighthearted and informative conversation, organizational psychologist Adam Grant and inspirational teacher Simon Sinek sit down with Katie Couric. Couric is an award-winning journalist. They e...
Aug 01, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 150
