Football (or soccer) is more than just a game; it's a global phenomenon. Today, as football club ownership, team talent and the fandom all evolve, have the meaning and merits of the sport also changed? What can we learn about ourselves and our world by examining the current state of the “beautiful game”?

In many places around the world, birth rates have dropped to historic lows. Some argue this is a good thing in a world grappling with environmental crises and waning resources. Others fear the loss of legacy and even the extinction of humanity.  

In this episode, we explore the meaning and the impact of falling birth rates. Is it a sign of liberation from outdated norms? Is it proof that individualism has gone too far? Or is it the inevitable result of modern-day challenges?  

💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  

Featuring:  

Alaka Basu: Professor of developmental sociology, Cornell University 

Laurie DeRose: Assistant professor of sociology, The Catholic University of America 

Antonina Lewandowska: Sociologist, researcher and activist 

Stephen J. Shaw: Data scientist and demographer 

Moderated by international journalist and media executive Soraya Salam 

History is full of resistance movements that were condemned in their time but later celebrated, including the French Resistance, women’s suffrage and the fight against apartheid led by Nelson Mandela. This begs the question: Which modern resistance movements will the world honor in the future, and what determines whether or not they are recognized? 

In this episode, we explore the question of what makes resistance legitimate. Is it the cause, the tactics, the outcome—or something else? And who gets to decide whether or not legitimacy is granted? 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  

Featuring:  

Diana Buttu: Practitioner-in-residence, Georgetown University in Qatar  

Victor Gao: Vice president, Center for China and Globalization 

Saeed Khan: Associate professor of Near East & Asian studies, Wayne State University  

Amina Rasul: President, Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy 

Moderated by presenter, filmmaker and producer Nadir Nahdi. 

Some critics argue that contemporary art has lost touch with the principles and traditions that define artistic greatness. Others see its break with tradition as liberating; a move toward more inclusion, experimentation and personal and political expression. 

This episode explores what makes great art in the 21st century. Is it adherence to tradition, or disruption and reinvention? Is artistic beauty understood across time and culture, or does each generation need to redefine it? And with the AI era upon us, what even constitutes art in the first place? 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  

Featuring:  

Wafaa Bilal: Artist; professor, Tisch School at New York University 

Molly Crabapple: Artist, writer and journalist 

Fen de Villiers: Fine art sculptor 

Samar Younes: Quantum culture artist 

Moderated by presenter, filmmaker and producer Nadir Nahdi 

This episode was recorded on December 6th, 2025. 

In recent decades, traditional religious frameworks have steadily lost influence in Western societies. At the same time, we’ve seen the emergence of social justice movements focused on uncovering and dismantling systemic forms of oppression. Some argue that these secular movements are a replacement for faith. Others say they don’t offer the same moral depth, cohesion and forgiveness provided by traditional religion. 

In this episode, our guests debate whether today's social justice movements effectively replace religion in the West—and whether they share similar ethical principles with the traditions they often want to move beyond. 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  

Featuring:  

Joshua Mitchell: Professor of political theory, Georgetown University 

Khaled A. Beydoun: Professor of law, Arizona State University 

Michael Eric Dyson: Professor of African American and diaspora studies, Vanderbilt University 

Moderated by international presenter and host Mohamed Hassan  

Conspiracy theories used to be dismissed as paranoid fringe thinking, found only in the far corners of the internet or every day hearsay. But today, they've migrated to the mainstream. Claims about election meddling, the real origins of COVID-19, and the deep state circulate widely and are even repeated by government officials.  

This episode asks whether conspiracy theories have any actual value in a world where uncertainty is high and institutional accountability is low. Do they only make the spread of misinformation and disinformation worse? Or are they a way for people to express real suspicion toward systems that often feel hidden or unaccountable? 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  

Featuring:  

Heather Berlin: Associate professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Alex Berenson: Novelist; journalist; author, Unreported Truths Substack  

Nuurrianti Jalli: Assistant professor of professional practice, Oklahoma State University  

Andrea Kitta: Professor of folklore, department of English at East Carolina University 

Moderated by international presenter and host Dareen Abughaida

Will AI unite or divide us? 

Artificial intelligence systems often reflect the priorities, biases and beliefs of the people who designed and created them. It’s critical to determine the sources of its worldview as it continues to influence how we think, learn and even love. 

This episode explores whether AI will bring us together or widen social divides. Can we create AI models that truly reflect cultural and ideological diversity? Or are we heading into an era of “AI tribes” that leads us in different directions?  

💬 Join the conversation in the comments. 

Featuring:  

James Brusseau: Professor of philosophy and computer science, Pace University 

Evgeny Morozov: Theorist and publisher, The Syllabus 

Elina Noor: Senior fellow, Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 

Robert Wright: Publisher, Nonzero Newsletter; host, Nonzero Podcast 

Moderated by award-winning journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan 

The idea of taxing the rich is hardly new, but the question of whether it creates a fairer world remains highly contested. 

This debate asks what would happen if we increased taxation on the billionaire class. Would it actually create greater economic stability and social equity? Or would it make things worse? Are taxes even aneffective way to redistribute wealth, or should we be looking at other models? 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments. 

Featuring: 

Sanjit Dhami: Professor of economics, University of Leicester 

Gustavo Flores-Macías: Dean of the School of Public Policy, University of Maryland 

Martín Krause: Visiting professor, Francisco Marroquín University (Guatemala) 

Pedro Solimano: Journalist, DL News 

Are we truly able to shape our own lives, or are we following a script we can’t rewrite?  

From Islamic perspectives to groundbreaking neuroscientific research, this episode examines how differing theories about free will shape the way we look at morality, responsibility and justice. 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments. 

Featuring: 

Heather Berlin: Associate professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

Gregg Caruso: Professor of ethics and director of the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics, Fairfield University 

Shadi Hamid: Columnist, the Washington Post

Peter Tse: Cognitive neuroscientist, professor and chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College 

Archaeology textbooks tell a familiar story about human history: Stone tools, cave art, nomadic life, then civilization.  

But a growing number of voices think we're missing a chapter—signs of an earlier advanced culture, lost to time.  

This episode explores the question underneath it all: Is there really a forgotten era of human ingenuity, or are we inventing a more epic past because it makes the human story feel bigger? 

💬 Join the conversation in the comments. 

Featuring: 

Eduardo Góes Neves: Professor of archeology, University of Sao Paulo  

Edwin Barnhart: Director, Maya Exploration Center 

Flint Dibble: Teacher in archaeology, Cardiff University 

Sarah Parcak: Professor of anthropology, University of Alabama at Birmingham