Aspen Ideas to Go

It used to be that having a “bird brain” was an insult. Now, it’s practically a compliment! Turns out the brain of a bird, which is small enough to fit into a nut, is full of neurons. These animals are capable of complex cognition — they can solve problems, count, understand cause and effect, and even communicate in ways that resemble language. Jennifer Ackerman chronicles birds’ intelligence in her book, “The Genius of Birds.” She sits down with Alexander Taylor, an animal psychologist who’s been studying the Caledonian crow — a bird that creates tools and passes on those lessons to younger generations. Flora Lichtman, host of the Gimlet Media podcast “Every Little Thing,” moderates the conversation.

Watch the BBC video "Are crows the ultimate problem solvers?" featuring Alexander Taylor. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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Read Jeffrey Rosen's article, America Is Living James Madison's Nightmare in The Atlantic. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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How are the tools we use to solve personal crises related to national problems? Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond says the ways we deal with problems like divorce, the death of a loved one, a serious health problem, or financial troubles, can be used to effectively deal with crises in countries. In his newly-released book, "Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis," Diamond examines problems in seven countries, including the United States. How can America succeed at solving problems like political polarization and socio-economic inequality using tools from a crisis therapist? Diamond is also the author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel," along with other books. He’s a professor of geography at UCLA.

Show Notes: Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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The way friends talk to one another can either bring them closer or create distance. When it comes to women’s friendships, author Deborah Tannen says women talk more often (than men), at greater length, and about more personal topics. Men’s friendships tend to be more focused around activity. Either way, friendships between women, men, and women and men can be gratifying…and complicated. Tannen talks about the patterns of communication and miscommunication that affect friendships at different stages of our lives. She’s the author of "You’re the Only One I Can Tell: Inside the Language of Women’s Friendships", "You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation", and many other books. Tannen is also a linguistics professor at Georgetown University.

Show Notes: Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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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 explore what motivates millennials at work and how the digital world is impacting their productivity. This episode originally dropped on August 1, 2017.

Show Notes: Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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Mary Robinson’s book, Climate Justice, records the stories of people experiencing effects from climate change first-hand. They’re not staying silent. From Malawi to Mongolia, people are waging a battle for climate justice, many of them women from poor communities. Robinson, the former president of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, believes climate change is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time. She speaks with Peggy Clark, executive director of the Aspen Global Innovators Group. Thilmeeza Hussain, former deputy ambassador to the UN from the Maldives joins part of the conversation to address how her nation is dealing with rising seas.

Show Notes Listen to Our Common Future: Mary Robinson and Rachel Kyte from The Bridge from the Aspen Institute. Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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What if we could turn back time and reverse extinction? Famed writer, biologist, and environmentalist Stewart Brand is attempting this with an organization he co-founded. Revive and Restore is building a tool kit for genetic restoration that would allow the rebirth of species, like the woolly mammoth. Brand says the absence of these animals has left a gap and reviving them will re-enrich the entire conservation world. There are other reasons to bring back certain species, like enhancing genetic diversity. But what about the ethical questions surrounding such a pursuit? Brand speaks with Flora Lichtman, science writer and host of Gimlet Media’s “Every Little Thing” podcast.

Show Notes Listen to Saving the High Seas, a podcast episode from Aspen Insight featuring marine biologist Sylvia Earle. Passes to the Festival are still available. Register today! Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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Economists who have researched happiness over a lifetime find it starts to decline after adolescence and noticeably dips when people enter middle age. How can we avoid the middle age blues and feel purposeful later in life? Arthur Brooks, behavioral economist and American Enterprise Institute president, uses eastern and western philosophies, classical music, and the latest research to give usable advice on how to be joyful throughout life’s different stages. It’s inescapable that we’ll grow older, so how can we develop new strengths as our life journey progresses?

Show Notes At the Aspen Ideas Festival in June, Arthur Brooks will talk about his new book, Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from Our Culture of Contempt. Passes to the Festival are still available. Register today! Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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A recent blockbuster article by journalist Jane Mayer examines close ties between the White House and Fox News. The piece, published in The New Yorker, spurred the Democratic National Committee to choose not to allow Fox to hold any of its presidential debates. In this broad conversation, Mayer touches on the Fox News article, another piece on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and her book Dark Money. She speaks with Carolyne Heldman, former president of Aspen Public Radio.

Show Notes Register for the Aspen Ideas Festival, and learn more about it. Listen to our episode, The Underground Railroad, featuring author Colson Whitehead. Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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Christian Picciolini went to his first white supremacist skinhead meeting at age 14. A lonely and bullied child, he was quickly swept into the movement and eventually became a leader. In this candid conversation, he speaks with journalist Matt Thompson about why he decided to leave the skinhead movement and turn his life around. Picciolini now helps people disengage from hate groups through an organization he leads, Free Radicals Project. Picciolini is the author of White American Youth: My Descent into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement. His interviewer, Matt Thompson, is executive editor of The Atlantic.

Show Notes Listen to the episode Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: When Women Lead from The Bridge. Follow Aspen Ideas to Go on Twitter and Facebook. Email your comments to [email protected]. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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