How can we use the humanities to think about environmental issues? This #BrainBoxOK episode features a discussion with the State Scholar for Oklahoma Humanities’ upcoming Smithsonian Water/Ways traveling exhibition, Dr. Mark Davies of Oklahoma City University. The episode looks at ethical, cultural, and philosophical approaches to what our guest describes as “the greatest challenge not only of our time but for all time,” to maintain a livable climate for all life on Earth.

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Additional information about this episode: okhumanities.org/page/brainbox-s2-ep6

How has Oklahoma become the world leader in mass incarceration?  What historical and cultural factors have led us here, and how does this affect almost every aspect of our society?  In this episode, we speak with Ryan Gentzler, Director of Open Justice Oklahoma and author of “Between You and Me,” a powerful article in the newest Oklahoma Humanities magazine analyzing Oklahoma’s criminal justice system and offering possible solutions.   

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Additional information about this episode: okhumanities.org/page/brainbox-s2-ep5

Research indicates the first person American children recognize outside their friends and family is the President of the United States.  The president is commonly known as "The Leader of the Free World," and "The Most Powerful Man in the World."  Did the Founders intend to create an American presidency this powerful?  How did presidents acquire more power over the last 230 years, and how might the presidency change in the future?  Our guests on this episode, Dr. Aaron Mason and Dr. Eric Schmaltz of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, discuss the history of the American presidency, the evolution of presidential power, and some key examples of successful and failed presidencies.

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Additional information about this episode: okhumanities.org/page/brainbox-s2-ep4

What’s in Oklahoma’s DNA, historically speaking, that can help explain the state’s unique culture, laws, politics, and identity? There’s no one better to discuss this than Dr. Bob Blackburn, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society. In this episode, we’ll look at the state’s occasionally chaotic history, its approach to criminal justice, its outsized artistic impact, divisions between urban and rural communities, and many more aspects of what makes up Oklahoma’s DNA. Facebook: @Ok.Humanities Twitter: @Okhumanities Instagram: @Okhumanities Our homepage: okhumanities.org/brainbox

Additional information about this episode: okhumanities.org/page/brainbox-s2-ep3

We are now half a century away from the end of the 1960s, an era that in many ways still defines American life and culture. In this episode we talk with Dr. Ben Alpers of the University of Oklahoma Honors College about why the Sixties still loom so large in our culture and the meanings we can take from a re-evaluation of that pivotal decade.

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Why is it a felony to fly the first Oklahoma state flag? Why did a group of rural Oklahoma farmers turn to armed rebellion? Why was there a book burning at an Oklahoma City high school stadium? We’re kicking off Season Two of BrainBox by talking with one of Oklahoma’s coolest humanities scholars, Dr. Rachel Jackson, about alternative views of Oklahoma’s history to help us better understand the state today.

 

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Additional information about this episode: okhumanities.org/page/brainbox-s2-ep1

An exhibition sponsored in part by Oklahoma Humanities at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art focuses on rebellious artists and designers who reacted against the status quo of the Victorian Era.  In this episode, we talk with Dr. Pam Bracken of Southern Nazarene University and Bryon Chambers of OKCMOA about how this art movement gives us deeper insights into the Victorian Era and its connections with our own times.

 

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Additional information about this episode: okhumanities.org/page/brainbox-s1-ep10

For a story that features dragons, killer zombies, direwolves, and magical priests, Game of Thrones has a lot to say about the human experience. In this BrainBox episode recorded in front of a live audience, we discussed the portrayals of gender, slavery, governance, religion, and more on the world’s most popular TV show by looking through the lens of the humanities. Two of Oklahoma’s coolest history professors, Dr. Becky Bruce and Dr. Sunu Kodumthara, joined host Chris Carroll for a great discussion and audience Q&A at Oklahoma Humanities’ recent Curiosity Fest for this special episode. The audio quality isn’t as good as our normal studio episodes, but we hope you will give it a listen #ForTheThrone.

 

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How does a war that ended 100 years ago still affect the world today? As we near the centennial of its conclusion on Nov. 11, First World War scholar and UCO professor Dr. Justin Olmstead discusses the war's long shadow with BrainBox host Chris Carroll. We'll also find out what it means to be a "World War I Person" versus a "World War II Person." 

 

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Jad Abumrad is the founder and host of NPR’s Radiolab, and he will be the featured speaker at the Oklahoma Humanities Curiosity Fest at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall on Oct. 20. In this episode, Jad talks with BrainBox host Chris Carroll about the weird paths where his curiosity has led him through the world of the humanities. This episode also features a discussion with Oklahoma Humanities Executive Director Ann Thompson about some of the other cool programs happening at Curiosity Fest.

Check out information about the Curiosity Fest, featuring Jad Abumrad: okhumanities.org/curiosityfest

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