A Stark Look at America’s Dysfunction in Afghanistan (0:33)

Guest: Eric Jensen, JD, Professor of International Law, BYU J. Reuben Clark Law School

The war in Afghanistan is America’s longest. Eighteen years it’s been going on. The Trump administration is negotiating with the Taliban to end the war and bring home the 13,000 US troops still in Afghanistan. That would seem an acknowledgment that we lost. What went wrong? The Washington Post this week published a confidential trove of government documents that show senior US officials have not been straight with the American public –or each other –about just how poorly things were going in Afghanistan over the years.

 

Do We Actually Grow from Adversity? Is it ok not to? (20:40)

Guest: Frank Infurna, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University, Co-Project Leader, Pathways to Character

Friedrich Nietzsche first said "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."  It's now so cliche that even Kelly Clarkson had a hit about it.  About 15 years ago, scientists coined a term for it–“post-traumatic growth.” But Arizona State University associate psychology professor Frank Infurna says it’s far from clear that adversity really does make us stronger.  Infurna co-leads a research initiative called “Pathways to Character” that is trying to get to the bottom of this.

 

E-Scooters Are Just the Beginning. Here’s the Future of Micromobility. (34:00)

Guest: Horace Dediu, Industry Analyst, Co-Host of the Micromobility and Critical Path Podcasts

Are these electric scooters for rent on streets all over the world just a fad? Right now,it’s mostly men who use them. . . People with good balance –and in some cases, a death wish. Those things can be dangerous! Industry analyst Horace Dediu thinks e-scooters are just the start of a trend he calls “micromobility” that may one day include smart scooters that can find their own charging stations. Maybe with three wheels so they’re more stable. Maybe they’ll be self-driving. Maybe they’ll be enclosed somehow to protect the rider from the elements. At that point, wouldn’t it just drive your car or take the bus?

 

The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era (50:44)

Guest: Gareth Russell, Author “The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era”

Twenty-two years ago this holiday season, James Cameron’s Titanic was on its way to becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were suddenly huge stars. And Celine Dion was stuck in our heads. It’s all such high drama. No wonder the Titanic is the most famous ship –and shipwreck –in history–the subject of so, so many movies and books. Nevertheless, Irish historian Gareth Russell thought there was more to tell. His new book, “The Ship of Dreams” looks at how the Titanic and its passengers reflected shifts happening at that moment in Britain and the US. The sinking of the Titanic was the end of an era.

 

After the Titanic Sank, the International Ice Patrol Was Created (1:27:55)

Guest: Kristen Serumgard, Commander of the International Ice Patrol

After the sinking of the Titanic, the nations of the world created the International Ice Patrol. For a little more about how it works –and how the work has evolved since 1912, I spoke with Kristen Serumgard she’s commander of the International Ice Patrol, which is a part of the US Coast Guard. We had this conversation last year.