Forbidden Conversations

Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a leading scholar in the study of extremism, radicalization, and polarization, whose work bridges academic research and practical interventions. As the director of the Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University, her research informs policy, media, and community-based strategies to address pressing global challenges. Her publications and contributions offer critical insights into understanding and preventing the dynamics of hate and violence.More about her work at: https://www.cynthiamilleridriss.com/

Zion Lights is an award-winning science communicator and environmental advocate, widely recognised for challenging conventional environmental narratives. She champions a science-led vision of human progress, in which energy poverty is alleviated.Zion is notable particularly for her success with advocating for nuclear energy. With over 10 years of experience in communications, public engagement, public speaking, messaging strategy, and journalism in the climate space, Zion brought her expertise to nuclear energy and has played a key role in shifting the global narrative on nuclear energy. She founded Emergency Reactor, the UK’s first pro-nuclear environmental campaign group, and her advocacy directly led to government proposals to build new nuclear and public perception shifts. As part of her public engagement strategy, Zion was the first person to have a pro-nuclear article published in two of Britain’s most-read newspapers.As the former Editor of Extinction Rebellion's print newspaper, The Hourglass, Zion played a pivotal role in elevating climate discourse in the UK, achieving remarkable distribution figures and media reviews. As a spokesperson for the group, she highlighted the need for action on climate change on major outlets such as BBC Politics Live, Good Morning Britain, Byline TV, Sky News, The Andrew Neil Show, France 24, Debatten in Denmark, and Arirang News in South Korea. She has also appeared in several documentaries.Zion is the author of the evidence-based book The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting and recently contributed to humanitarian Rob Greenfield's Zero Waste Kids and the French book Lumières sur le Nucléaire.Zion has been referred to as “Britain’s greenest mother” by The Daily Telegraph and “an eco-pragmatist, happily heavy on science” by The Guardian. Recognised for her impactful contributions, Zion was selected by the British Science Association to deliver a Presidential Address at the British Science Festival in 2023, receiving accolades for her dedication to education. As a Patron of Humanists UK, Zion actively supports causes aligned with humanist values. Her work was further recognised when she was awarded the Holyoake Lecture Medal in 2023.Beyond her environmental advocacy, Zion's passion for astronomy shines through her TED talk on stargazing, where she underscores the profound connection between humanity, nature, and the cosmos.Zion writes at Everything is Light: https://zionlights.substack.comSocial media handles:X: @ziontreeInstagram: @zion.lightsTikTok: @zilovesscienceLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zionlightsWebsite: www.zionlights.co.uk

Can laughter solve everything? Clifford Myers is a 16-year stand-up comedy veteran, Founder of The Other Comedy Company (theothercomedy.co), and President of The Canadian Association of Stand-up, Sketch and Improv Comedians (CASC).Clifford uses his unique position at the intersection of comedy, education and advocacy to speak on humour and creativity as complex human traits, the importance of communal learning, emotional-drivers, adversity, authenticity and self-acceptance.His second comedy special JOKEBOX HERO is available now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M-f5YR2K3U

Adam Szetela is a Ph.D. student in the English department at Cornell University, and a former visiting fellow in the history department at Harvard University. His book, "That Book Is Dangerous! How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing," will be published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press and distributed by Penguin Random House on August 12th, 2025. He has written for, or been quoted in, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and other publications.His website: Adam-Szetela.comBook: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049856/that-book-is-dangerous/

About Paolo Gaudiano:With advanced degrees in aerospace engineering and neuroscience, Paolo jokes that he had already done rocket science and brain surgery before facing a really complex problem: convincing business leaders they can make more money by creating more inclusive organizations.Paolo is founder of DEI tech company Aleria and the research nonprofit ARC. A former tenured professor, he is an adjunct at NYU and chair of the annual D&I Research Conference.Paolo is a sought-after speaker with two TEDx talks, author of the award-winning book Measuring Inclusion, and frequent contributor to leading publications. He has received numerous awards for his work, including fellowships in social entrepreneurship, robotics and neuroscience."Measuring inclusion": https://www.amazon.ca/Measuring-Inclusion-profits-guesswork-backlash-ebook/dp/B0DBLRYHGH/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0https://www.aleria.tech/paolo-gaudiano----The FORBIDDEN CONVERSATIONS Podcast is a series that takes on topics that don't always get attention or are more challenging to tackle and seeks to address them through civil discourse and nuanced exploration.

Comedy has two roles: to entertain people and to expose societal absurdities. It can be a tool for critical thinking, encouraging audiences to reconsider and mock ideas that don't deserve their respect.Today's guest is Seth Dillon, the CEO of The Babylon Bee, the world's most trusted, factually accurate news source. Taking on the tone of a traditional news media publication, the Bee satirizes real-world events and public figures.Dillon's experience with censorship and deplatforming has placed him on the front lines of the battle for free speech in the public square. He now speaks on college campuses and at conferences across the country about the effectiveness of humor, the moral imperative of mockery, and the dangers of censorship.

Benjamin Ryan is a veteran independent journalist, specializing in science and health care coverage. He contributes to The New York Times, NBC News, the New York Post and The New York Sun and the Washington Post opinion section. He has also written for the The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Nation, New York and many other publications. He publishes the Substack Hazard Ratio, where he focuses on examining the science behind the controversial field of pediatric gender medicine from a circumspect lens. A cum laude graduate of Columbia University and native of Seattle, Benjamin got his start covering the HIV epidemic. More recently, he has reported on Covid-19 treatments and the mpox outbreak. He lives in Manhattan.More: http://www.benryan.net/bio.htmlX: https://x.com/benryanwriter

Join this conversation with Habib Khan Totakhil, founder of Afghan Peace Watch and former Kabul-based reporter with The Wall Street Journal. Previously, he worked for Afghanistan Times daily newspaper. He received Rumi Award for “Best International Journalist in Afghanistan” in 2014.Find him on X at: @HabibKhanT

In this episode, I chat with David Josef Volodzko about good faith discourse, how to deal with those who don’t want to engage honestly, and the nature of debate. How do we have good conversations? What's at the heart of bad faith?

Steven Hassan, PhD is a mental health professional and expert in undue influence tactics used by authoritarian leaders and destructive cults. His expertise includes harmful influence in cases of destructive religious and political cults, human trafficking, extremist and terrorist groups, one-on-one relationships, families, parental alienation, mini-cults, therapy and self-improvement groups, professional and institutional abuse, corporate and multi-level marketing programs, and harmful belief systems. He is the author of four books including Combating Cult Mind Control, Freedom of Mind, and The Cult of Trump. He is a translated author with books in 10 languages.