In this engaging conversation with tech expert Jason Snell, the dialogue covered diverse AI-related topics. From the challenges of regulation to biases in machine learning models, the conversation explored societal impacts, education, and the digital divide. Jason also shared insights on the transformative nature of the Internet and discussed Apple's corporate culture amid regulatory concerns. The discourse highlighted the need to reframe AI discussions positively. Aspiring journalists received ...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 62
In this enlightening episode of Gray Matter, Michael Krasny explores the life and work of accomplished entrepreneur and CEO of BioVie, Cuong Do. Starting from his humble beginnings as an immigrant from Vietnam, Cuong details his extensive contributions in the fields of business strategy and bio-medical research, from discovering a potential Alzheimer's treatment to his work in helping autistic individuals. He shares insights from his extensive career on overcoming challenges and how his humanita...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 61
We recently spoke with Dr. Laura Esserman, a leading internationally recognized surgeon and breast cancer oncologist at the University of California, San Francisco where she serves as director of the UCSF Breast Care Center. We discussed the need to redefine cancer and the need for personalized patient centered care in health care, as well as a range of other issues related to public policy and their impact on the delivery of clinical care. Join us!
Nov 28, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Best-selling author and Stanford Professor of Medicine Abraham Verghese joined us to talk about his widely acclaimed and best-selling memoirs and novels, and look at the ways medicine can be practiced as a more patient centered, empathic and caring two way relationship. We discussed, too, the value of bedside medicine and the physical exam. Join us.
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Our conversation with Tenshin Reb Anderson, one of the most prominent contemporary Zen Buddhist teachers and scholars, author, dharma leader and former abbot, included a deep dive into the belief and practice of Buddhism, with a focus on the wisdom in it for us all, along with your questions and comments.
Nov 14, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Our interview with Larry Smith and Melanie Abrams challenged our assumptions as we explored the many conceptions and misconceptions of cannabis use. Their new book, The Joy of Cannabis, is an attempt to clear up misunderstanding and describe the how and why of safely availing ourselves of the benefits. In the 1930s with the wane of Prohibition the commissioner of the Federal Bureau Narcotics, Harry Anslinger, attempted to retain personal relevance with racist and xenophobic fear mongering and cr...
Nov 08, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 57
We met with Lee Child on the eve of his retirement as the author of the Jack Reacher book series. The premier proxy for millions of readers who yearn for revenge in lives where revenge is impractical or out of reach, the character of Jack Reacher is a figure who metes out justice against bullies in a way that ironically is equitable and fair. We reflect on Child's illustrious career, the Reacher movie and TV franchises, the handoff to his younger brother, his "one-draft" writing and research pro...
Oct 23, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 56
In the wake of Hamas' unprecedented attack across Israel's southern border with Gaza, we met with Amichai Magen, Visiting Fellow in Israeli Studies at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies to take stock of the humanitarian and geopolitical dynamics in Israel, Gaza, the Middle East, and the globe writ large. As the chess pieces of this conflict continue to move, the central question is whether pragmatic Islamic states can establish stability by resisting the see...
Oct 17, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Why are some of us drawn to scary stories? "Because we want to believe that we are strong enough to survive being scared." In peeking into that dark side, we cultivate empathy. Few have had a bigger role in constructing imaginary worlds than renowned concept artist Iain McCaig. His work is truly the stuff of legend. We found his zest for illustration, telling stories, the creative process and living a creative life to be nothing short of infectious. Accountable only to his own validation, McCaig...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 54
We met with Norman Solomon, co-founder of RootsAction.org and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, to shed light on what we are NOT told about our military involvement around the globe. One cannot fathom the human toll of 4.5 million lives lost directly and indirectly from US military action since 9/11. Solomon implicates corporate media and Hollywood in obfuscating the real human cost, especially of innocent non-combatants. To illustrate this point, he explains that for ever...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 53
We talked to Geraldo Rivera about a range of topics, including much that is in the news and on Fox News, where he was for twenty-three years until recently. Leadership there is soon to change from Rupert Murdoch to his son Lachlan. What does Geraldo think about that shift and what are his thoughts on the so-called "fair and balanced" news network? We talked to him about his career and his politics and his long-time friendship with Donald Trump. All of that and more were up for discussion as were...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 52
In the same week that NASA announced Mark McInerney as its new Director of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Research - known to the rest of us as UFOs - we met with Harvard Professor of Science Avi Loeb, dubbed one of the 25 most influential people on the topic of Space. We discuss his recent expedition to the ocean near Papua New Guinea where their team collected and analyzed material from an interstellar "package" that could provide physical evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the ...
Sep 18, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 51
We met with Sean Walsh, premier political analysts and former advisor to Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Regan, to glean his perspectives on the GOP, its future, pressing political issues, and what is unfolding in the run up to the 2024 elections. A classical conservative and a leading thinker, Walsh shined piercing light on the challenges for both parties and the country as a whole. Geopolitically he views the U.S. as very vulnerable. He sounded a clarion call for taking a sober look in ...
Sep 14, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 50
We met with tech journalist and commentator Andy Ihnatko for a big picture assessment on technology's influence on society. Ihnatko is riveted by this moment — when the precedents of our society's origins and founding documents failed to envision the questions and ethical quandaries posed by Artificial Intelligence. We must balance the opposing forces. Privacy, accuracy and data usage are challenged in unforeseen ways. We cannot deny that more work will be done better as AI gets layered into the...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 49
In troubling times, the voice of articulate optimists can lift the spirit and light a way forward. To this end, we met with feminist, movie maker, artist, thinker and founder of the Webby Awards, Tiffany Shlain. As one who made her own documentary film, "The Tribe," on Barbie and Jewish Identity 18 years ago, we began with her reflections on the recently released Barbie movie. We transitioned into several of her creative projects, including Dendrofemonology, a Feminist History Tree Ring that rec...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 48
When we think of reconnecting to ourselves and to our society, the answers may lie in the simplest of things. To that end, we met with food revolutionary and founder of Chez Panisse - Alice Waters, to return to our roots. At the start of her journey, Waters embarked on an improbable quest to reconnect us to ourselves through delicious food and the organic and regenerative husbandry of the earth. Moving from her kitchen table, to the restaurant, to prison gardens, to gardens for the homeless and ...
Aug 22, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 47
The migration to eCommerce took a massive leap forward during the COVID pandemic. Few benefited as much as Amazon and Walmart. To get a handle on this phenomenon, we met with Jason Del Rey who chronicled the rise, challenges and impact of these two behemoths on global retail. Drawing from the reporting for his recent book, Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart and the Battle for our Wallets, Jason Del Rey is uniquely qualified to comment. Walmart is doing about as well online as Amazon is doing in b...
Aug 15, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 46
At the time of our recording, Trump had just received his third indictment for his role in the January 6th insurrection. To give us some greater perspective on the state of politics in our fragile democracy, we turned to Stanford political science professor Bruce Cain who is one of our nation's great political analysts. Cain reflected on Trump's many self-made challenges, the options before the Republican and Democratic parties, the relevance of polling, the vulnerabilities of our democratic sys...
Aug 07, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 45
We met with business magnate and patriotic philanthropist, David Rubenstein, to discuss his new PBS series - Iconic America. This entertaining and informative eight-part series is an exploration of our glorious and inglorious history as symbolized by eight key American icons. For students of history, our conversation illuminates some of the key stories revealed in the series, as well as some of their backstories and a little inside baseball. For fans of David Rubenstein himself, our conversation...
Aug 01, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 44
We met with social psychologist and business school professor Brian Lowery to explore the foundations of the self - nothing short of what makes us who we are. Lowery argues that our social communities construct us, but that there isn’t a single "genuine self." Rather, we are the composite of all the masks we wear. This paradox reveals a deep tension between the structure we seek because we like to think the world is stable and coherent, and the complete freedom of becoming our more expansive sel...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 43
We met with columnist, journalist, editor and author Pamela Paul for a conversation about her life of words. We spoke of her career at the New York Times, and surveyed the topics of her columns and eight books. At the outset, it seemed that our conversation would focus on writing. Paul has written extensively on numerous thought-provoking and controversial topics, and she is equally eloquent speaking extemporaneously, especially on consumer culture or on a topic from a recent column or a book sh...
Jul 20, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 42
We met with photographer and podcaster Frederick Van Johnson to learn about the latest developments in photography and philosophize with him about the outsized role it plays in our evolving world. Van Johnson contends that photos like Jeff Widener's 1989 shot of Tank Man in Tiananmen Square have always had the power to communicate immense meaning in the glance of an eye. A photo can tell a story and can change minds. Advancements in photography are expanding access to the stories that need to be...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 41
We met with psychiatrist, professor emeritus and best selling author, Peter Kramer, to explore depression, antidepressants and his fiction and non-fiction body of work. His most recent novel is Death of the Great Man, a political who-done-it satire about the improbable clinical relationship between a narcissistic despot and his psychotherapist. Our conversation covered equal parts general psychiatry and book discussion. His clinical work has served and shaped Kramer's work as a novelist. As Jenn...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 40
We met with one of the preeminent figures of American journalism, James Fallows, to discuss equal parts world affairs and the craft of journalism. Fallows brings the perspective of a lengthy and illustrious career covering a vast array of domestic and international issues, including politics, technology, Asia, aviation and hometown America, to name a few. We touch on all of these to get his perspectives on Trump's presidency and current legal challenges, AI, social media, US/China relations, wor...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 39
We met with expert psychiatrist, Ira Steinman, to explore the little-understood world of schizophrenia. While this may seem like a niche topic, Steinman's insights into the condition reveal valuable lessons for all of us. Recounting cases from his 2009 book, Treating the Untreatable, and from his clinical practice, Steinman describes how he helps his patients discover from where their symptoms arise, and how their symptoms serve them. He has then seen untreatable patients cured, and in many case...
Jun 15, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 38
We met with renowned Middle East correspondent and journalism lecturer, Janine Zacharia to do a round up on Middle East current events. The scorecard is sobering. We are at an inflection point. While popular attention turns to Russia and China, press freedoms across the region continue to decline. The circulation of deliberately false information is a central cause. This fuels rampant political polarization, which in turn helps autocrats win. Violence and oppression against journalists is on the...
Jun 08, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 37
It seems anxiety and depression surround us, and perhaps plague us personally. To help us understand the domain of the mind, we met with pre-eminent Stanford psychiatrist and hypnosis expert, David Spiegel to explore applications of psychotherapy and self-hypnosis. Our hour of conversation proved to be an invaluable primer for everyone, whether we are currently in care, know someone who is, or might find ourselves facing anxiety and depression in the future within ourselves or within a loved one...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 36
ChatGPT took the world, and our imaginations, by storm when it became the first consumer app to reach one million users in five days - the fastest in history. The opportunities and the threats are boundless, but we don't know what we don't know. We invited technology analyst Jeremiah Owyang to help us sift through the reality and the hype. Owyang minces no words when he asserts that AI will be the most consequential technology to debut in our lifetimes. The upheaval and displacement will be grea...
May 19, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 35
It seems that China is in the news every day. To dig in deeper on this issue, we met with Orville Schell - one of the world's foremost experts on China and US/Sino relations - to help us understand the Chinese perspective and to learn more about China's leader, Xi Jinping. We dove deep into China's radical successes, its challenges, its resilience, its leverage, its sense of grievance and victimization, its anti-Western diplomacy, and its troubling aspirations. It has become the strongest member...
May 09, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 34
When British novelist Robert Graves wrote "I Claudius" about the fourth Roman Emperor, he set the stage for our interview with Justine Ezarik, better known as iJustine, who is to me "The Empress of the Internet." She is a content creator for nearly two decades who has over a billion views on her YouTube channel, and even has young fans who were not yet born when their parents started watching her. We sought to understand the personal and professional trajectory that led to her becoming such an a...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 33
