At World's End

EMERGENCY EPISODE: the United States has descended into a state of chaos, and everyone is passing blame around. Who started it? Who's ultimately behind it? What will happen tonight?

We are all more or less quarantined, the economy is blowing up, and people are starting to come around on the effectiveness of masks. What does this crisis ultimately mean? Which old traditions will be crushed? What new contradictions will emerge? At World's End returns with the Corona virus in the background, and the background in the foreground.

We are in a bad age, an age defined by decadence and isolation and false alliances. But will it be remembered for its vices? for tech giants or political siren songs? Maybe, but maybe not. The 19th century was in some ways defined by industrialization, and imperial conquest. But the 19th century also had Beethoven. Where is our Beethoven? We have the bad, should not some good come too? This episode is about Prof. Hubert Dreyfus, and why he's the good.

In this special commencement episode, we look at five speeches delivered during commencement week at Harvard. Students, Deans, and celebrities alike find themselves promoting familiar (some would even say cliché) ideas in their speeches. Featuring speeches by Al Gore, Sheryl Sandberg, and others, this episode raises the question: do these speeches have anything left to say? The answer: it depends.

The story of two Americas, one plastic, the other entropic.

Full Episode coming Thursday, 4/18/19. The story of two Americas, one plastic, the other entropic.