At a Distance

Writer and journalist Hari Kunzru, author of the new novel “Red Pill” and host of the Into the Zone podcast, talks with us about the unsettling concept of “hyperstition,” how isolation exacerbates feelings of unreality, and the fine line between the logical and the illogical.

Switzerland-based designer Ini Archibong, whose pavilion for the African diaspora will debut at the London Design Biennale in 2021, discusses his personal definition of Black privilege, why hurting others only hurts yourself, and the social responsibility that stems from recognizing that everything is interconnected.

Bina Venkataraman, editorial page editor of The Boston Globe and author of the book “The Optimist’s Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age,” speaks with us about replacing short-term metrics with milestones, the power of imaginative empathy, and the need for newspaper opinion sections to prioritize evidence-based thinkers over ideological diversity.

Attorney, political activist, and antitrust and corruption expert Zephyr Teachout, author of the new book “Break ’Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom From Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money,” talks with us about the parallels between America’s tech giants and organized crime, why boycotting doesn’t equal political action, and voting as a tool to achieve meaningful ends.

Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, author of the new book “Rethinking Readiness: A Brief Guide to Twenty-First-Century Megadisasters” and director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, discusses what today’s tragedies reveal about the future, why uncertainty should not impede action, and how local community solutions provide a valuable framework for coping with catastrophes.

Sound therapist and meditation teacher Sara Auster speaks with us about how trauma helped her become a more empathetic educator, the real definition of a “healer,” and why sound baths can facilitate a deeper sense of self.

Journalist Erin Geiger Smith, author of the book “Thank You for Voting: The Maddening, Enlightening, Inspiring Truth About Voting in America,” talks with us about the fallacy of voter fraud, how the complications of voting by mail differ from state to state, and the missed opportunities of political conventions.

Fashion journalist Dana Thomas, author of the book “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes,” discusses how the pandemic promotes a more conscious approach to dressing, why overproduction remains the clothing industry’s biggest problem, and the environmental damage caused by the binge-and-purge cycle of “fashion bulimia.”

Dr. Christine Montross, author of the new book “Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration” and an associate professor at Brown University, speaks with us about developing a more empathic understanding of isolation, the resilience that comes with collectively undergoing a harrowing experience, and the misconceptions that form when prison inmates are seen as “other” by society.

Angela Glover Blackwell, founder in residence of the research and advocacy institute PolicyLink and host of the Radical Imagination podcast, talks with us about how the pandemic has put a magnifying lens on the correlation between racism and poverty, the power of asking for what you want, and why solving problems for those most left behind in society benefits everyone.