#335 I Changed My Mind About Nuclear Power: Zion Lights

January 14, 2022 Richard Davies

Earth's global average temperature in 2021 was the sixth warmest on record, according to two new reports issued this week by U.S. Government agencies. Scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies report that collectively the past eight years were the warmest since modern record-keeping began in 1880. The research adds to overwhelming evidence of climate change.

This episode looks at the role played by carbon-free nuclear power in providing one solution to the growing climate crisis. Our guest, British environmental activist and science communicator, Zion Lights, tells us why she changed her mind about nuclear safety and reliability. After playing a leading role with Extinction Rebellion UK, Zion left the group and founded Emergency Reactor, which calls on fellow activists to "stop spreading misinformation and fear. Follow the science about nuclear energy."

#334 National Day of Dialogue. Christy Vines

January 3, 2022 Richard Davies

Our first episode of 2022 is all about a constructive response to the calamitous events of one year ago: The January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol.

On January 5th, a coalition of organizations, led by Ideos Institute, will host the first annual National Day of Dialogue. We discuss this invitation to all Americans to push back against deep divides. We also explore the need for hard talk and getting into our discomfort zones.

“As a nation, we have largely lost our ability to have hard conversations without judgment, animus, or fear,” says our guest, Ideos President & CEO, Christy Vines. "Deep down we all want to have these kinds of moments with somebody we would disagree with and who we often see as the enemy... Not enough people are getting those opportunities to see the human behind the positions they hold."

#333 Big News. The Stories You Missed in 2021: Jim & Richard

December 23, 2021 Richard Davies

The Forever Pandemic, Omicron, Build Back Better, Biden, Putin, China, What's Trump got up his sleeve? The media gave these stories ad nauseum coverage in 2021, often marching in lockstep and suffering from a painful lack of imagination about what should be the big news of the day.

But what about underreported stories: The important news that most of us missed?

Richard and Jim share their gripes, observations, hopes and insights about the media, science, the environment and global affairs. Our co-hosts are not only solutions journalists with decades of reporting experience, they're also voracious readers and observers of current events

#332 Changing the Way We Vote: Rob Richie

December 17, 2021 Richard Davies

Gerrymandering, low turnout elections, negative campaign ads, and increased polarization are all part of the flawed, fractured U.S. political system. Here we examine the case for constructive changes to how candidates for public office are elected.

Our guest, Rob Richie, has been the leader of the non-profit advocacy group, FairVote, since co-founding the organization in 1992. He has been involved in helping to develop and implement: Ranked Choice Voting in several states and more than 20 cities, fair representation voting systems in numerous states, Voting Rights Act cases, the National Popular Vote plan in 16 states, and voter access proposals like voter preregistration and automatic voter registration.

"We're in a winner-take-all environment and it's incredibly tense," Rob tells us. The current voting system allows for only one choice, which can add to bitterness and deep division. "Ranked Choice Voting gives the voter a chance not only to just put an X next to one candidate but to make a series of choices."

#331 Better Policing — Not Posturing: Nekima Levy Armstrong

December 10, 2021 Richard Davies

The huge difference between slogans and solutions is a key theme of this episode. While demands to “de-fund the police” or replace entire police departments with something new might sound good in theory, these ambitious experiments in public safety may backfire.

Our guest is Minneapolis civil rights lawyer and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. Her recent New York Times op-ed— “Black Voters Want Better Policing, Not Posturing by Progressives”— was written after the defeat of a November ballot initiative that would abolish the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a department of public safety. She expressed frustration over the lack of a detailed, well-researched plan.

While white progressives mostly voiced support for the proposal, majority-black neighborhoods rejected it. We find out why.

#330 Stopping the Next Pandemic. Alina Chan (Part Two)

December 3, 2021 Richard Davies

A crucial step in preventing the next global pandemic will be knowing where this one came from. Did SARS-CoV-2— the virus that causes Covid-19— jump from animals to humans, or was the outbreak the result of a lab leak? The world still doesn’t know the answer.

This episode is part two of our wide-ranging interview with Alina Chan, a postdoctoral scientist who co-wrote an explosive online paper in May 2020. She argued that scientists and governments should investigate whether a virus from a laboratory in Wuhan, China caused the pandemic.

In this episode, we discuss the need for much greater transparency when viral outbreaks occur. The world needs to adopt new policies and strategies to prevent or mitigate future outbreaks. Proposed solutions include more regulation of scientific experiments— including “gain of function” research, better lab safety standards, greater international oversight of groups that study how viruses cross species barriers, and a global treaty governing viral research.

#329 Did COVID-19 Come From a Lab? Alina Chan (Part One)

November 24, 2021 Richard Davies

Two years after the known human case of COVID-19, the mystery of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains unresolved. Did the virus emerge from an animal in nature, or could it have accidentally leaked from a research lab in Wuhan, China? Shockingly, the world appears to be no closer to knowing the crucial answer.

In this first of two episodes, we get a brief explanation of the growing controversy from our co-host, Jim Meigs, who has written about allegations of a scientific cover-up. Molecular biologist Alina Chan, a postdoctoral fellow in a gene therapy lab at the Broad Institute, is our interview guest.

Dr. Chan first became widely known last year for suggesting that COVID-19 could have escaped from a laboratory. Her early research was called a "conspiracy theory" by leading scientists and mainstream media journalists. But in recent months, expert views of this mystery have decisively changed.

#328 Understanding Autism: "We're Not Broken." Eric Garcia

November 19, 2021 Richard Davies

"This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers, and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum," writes our guest, author Eric Garcia in We're Not Broken. "It’s also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language.”

Garcia, who is autistic, is senior Washington correspondent for The Independent. He has worked as a writer and reporter covering politics at The Washington Post, The Hill, and the National Journal.

"My main point is autistic people are fine as they are," Eric tells us in this episode. “The idea that they are fundamentally flawed and failed human beings is simply not true... Instead of trying to cure autistic people, society should help them live fulfilling lives.”

#326 Climate: Changing the Conversation. Katharine Hayhoe

November 5, 2021 Richard Davies

As world leaders discuss the planet's future at COP26 in Glasgow, climate change remains a massive challenge and a source of fierce debate. While two-thirds of Americans think that the government should be doing more, it's tempting to throw our hands up in despair and think: "There's nothing I can do."

Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe begs to differ. She says the most important thing is to talk about it—and she wants to teach us how. In this episode, we discuss her hopeful, passionate case for enacting positive change from the ground up, and the finding of her new book, "Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World."

Katharine shares the science of climate change, how to talk about it across the political divide, and personal stories about engaging highly skeptical audiences, such as when she spoke to a crowd of conservative business leaders in West Texas at a meeting of Rotarians. The outcome was remarkable!

#325 Together Again. Cultivating Collaboration: Deb Mashek

October 29, 2021 Richard Davies

Many millions of Americans are heading back to work — in person — for the first time since the pandemic hit. During this time of remote meetings and working from home, many of us learned new skills, and perhaps, forgot our old ways to work and successfully collaborate with colleagues.

This episode is a timely and very personal reminder of how to make meetings better and develop stronger, more productive relationships with those we work and live with. We learn about the crucial differences between exchange and communal forms of collaboration. Our guest, former psychology professor and national non-profit head, Deb Mashek, spent two decades studying how people form relationships with each other, as well as the challenges & rewards of doing so.

Deb founded MyCo Consulting, where she puts her research into practice, helping academic leaders cultivate collaboration among diverse stakeholders to accomplish ambitious goals.

#324 The Furor Over Critical Race Theory: "Banished" Podcast

October 15, 2021 Richard Davies

From local school board elections to state legislatures, an impassioned nationwide debate has erupted over allegations that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is being taught in public schools.

Anti-CRT bills have been passed in more than two dozen Republican-led states. What do we mean by Critical Race Theory? What are these laws aiming to accomplish? How will they affect schools in the US? We share a lively discussion from "Banished", a new podcast series, hosted by Amna Khalid, a history professor at Carleton College.

In this episode we listen to interviews with Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy, Acadia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs, and former ACLU President, Nadine Strossen of New York Law School. All three support free speech and disagree with banning the teaching or discussion of controversial, even dangerous ideas and theories.

#323 The Way Out. Overcoming Polarization. Peter Coleman

October 8, 2021 Richard Davies

Never before in living memory has America been as politically polarized as it is today. We are divided by our politics, Facebook and other social media sites, and by news media. Nearly half of us have stopped talking with someone about political topics as a result of what they said in person or online. Our culture of contempt is dividing us all and making America ungovernable.

How do we use science and proven methods to reduce toxic polarization and push back against conflict entrepreneurs? This episode presents a way forward.

Peter Coleman is a leading expert on intractable conflict and sustainable peace. He's a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University and director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution. Peter's new book is "The Way Out. How to Overcome Toxic Polarization."

#322 Scary Smart. The Future of Artificial Intelligence. Mo Gawdat

October 1, 2021 Richard Davies

Imagine a future where smart machines are more intelligent than humans. That future may be coming much faster than we think. The stark implications are considered in this podcast.

The former Chief Business Officer at Google X, Egyptian entrepreneur Mo Gawdat has long been at the heart of the artificial intelligence revolution, deeply involved in engineering, robotics and AI. Mo is also a podcaster with a focus on how we can promote happiness. In his latest book, "Scary Smart", he argues that AI reflects our values, and that unless humans change their online behavior, the consequences could be terrifying.

"The true pandemic of our times is not COVID-19, Mo tells us. "AI is the real pandemic. It's at its infancy and will grow in intelligence until a point where it is undisputed that they will be the leaders."

#321 Taming Big Tech. How We Can Reboot. Jeremy Weinstein and Mehran Sahami

September 24, 2021 Richard Davies

This episode addresses a great problem of our age: How do we curb the enormous power of giant technology companies and limit the disruption caused by them and their products

20 years ago, we lived in an era of digital utopianism when most people thought that the internet would give us a new freedom to find information. But we didn't anticipate many of the most disturbing technological changes. Today, a handful of firms control most internet communication. Social media platforms amplify division more than they spread knowledge.

Our guests are two Stanford University professors, Mehran Sahami and Jeremy Weinstein. Along with philosophy professor Bob Reich, they wrote the new book, "System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot."

#320 Wildlife! When Nature Hits Back: Mary Roach

September 16, 2021 Richard Davies

The line between our “civilized” lives and wild, unpredictable nature seems to have gotten a little thinner lately. Nature is great, but it can also be dangerous if we don’t show proper respect.

This show is about awkward encounters with bears, mountain lines, gulls and other wild creatures. We also discuss "killer trees" with best-selling science writer, Mary Roach, author of the new book, "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law".

Mary is widely known for her funny, smart and sometimes gross writing and reporting in a series of books with one-word titles. Previously, we spoke with her about "Grunt", which looks at the surprising science of war. She also wrote "Stiff" about — you guessed it — dead people, "Gulp" on the digestive tract, and "Bonk" where we learn all about sex.

#319: 9/11 Attacks: Myths, Memories, Conspiracy Theories

September 10, 2021 Richard Davies

"I now believe the 9/11 Truthers I encountered were canaries in the coal mines of American society," writes our co-host, Jim Meigs, in the current issue of City Journal. In this episode, we hear about conspiracy theories, those who believe in them, and the corrosive impact of paranoia on American political life.

Richard interviews Jim about his work at Popular Mechanics in the years after the 9/11 attacks. A team of reporters, editors and fact-checkers at the magazine interviewed more than 300 experts and sources in civil engineering, air traffic control, aviation, fire fighting and metallurgy. Their findings were published in the 2006 book, "Debunking 9/11 Myths. Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts."

Jim also asks Richard about his reporting from the streets of Manhattan in the hours and days after the attacks that brought down the North and South Towers of The World Trade Center twenty years ago.

#318 Hey, Journalists. Does the Public Trust You? Joy Mayer

September 3, 2021 Richard Davies

Only four in 10 Americans say they have a lot of trust in the news media. That's a big problem for our democracy. While journalists are supposed to tell the truth and get the story right, just 35 percent of right-of-center voters have some trust in what they see in the news.
Democrats and independents are much more likely to trust journalists, but Americans of almost all shades of opinion are skeptical toward the news media, questioning not only the quality of journalists’ work but their intentions behind it.
Our guest is Joy Mayer, Director of the non-profit Trusting News, which is working with local newsrooms around the country to help journalists earn consumers' trust.

#317 American Isolationism and the Fall of Afghanistan. Charles Kupchan

August 27, 2021 Richard Davies

For much of its history, the United States kept the rest of the world at arm’s length. What happened in the decades after the 1941 military strike on Pearl Harbor, and several years after the 9/11 attacks, could be seen as an aberration.

The sudden, chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban takeover, and resulting humanitarian disaster may lead to another American foreign policy shift, plus a far greater reluctance to deploy U.S. forces overseas. While isolationism is derided by policy experts and global elites, this movement has a surprisingly enduring legacy. We examine it here.

Charles Kupchan is a professor of international relations at Georgetown University and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World" is his most recent book. We share extracts from an interview with Charles by Justin Kempf, host of the Democracy Group podcast, "Democracy Paradox".

#316 Identity Politics: Dignity and Resentment. Francis Fukuyama

August 13, 2021 Richard Davies

Successful politicians on the right and left often use anger and resentment to build support for their campaigns. "A lot of our politics is dignity politics," argues Stanford political scientist, Francis Fukuyama, our guest in this episode. "It's one group saying, 'look, you are not taking us seriously. You disregard our rights and we demand a different kind of world.'"

We discuss whether identity politics are damaging our democracy at a time of deep polarization when many national and global institutions struggle to respond to growing challenges.

"We have shifted from arguing about economic policies to arguing about identities," Fukuyama tells us. In his book, "Identity: The Demand for Dignity and The Politics of Resentment," he warns that unless we forge a clear understanding of human dignity, we will doom ourselves to continuing conflict.

Francis Fukuyama is probably best-known for "The End of History and the Last Man", published after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. His other major works include "The Origins of Political Order" and "America at the Crossroads".