Nathaniel and Justin discuss topics ranging from ornithology to communication methods with UCLA Professor Jared Diamond, author of best-selling science books The Third Chimpanzee; Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse, The World Until Yesterday, and Upheaval.

Nathaniel and Noah interview two-time Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Michael Shear, who currently writes for the New York Times as a White House correspondent. Shear, a 1990 graduate of Claremont McKenna College, shares his career path, his thoughts on the current state of media, and some reflections on the reporting of the Virginia Tech shooting in this thought provoking episode.

In this episode, Nathaniel and Dorismar interview Amanda Little, Professor at Vanderbilt University. Hear an insightful discussion on the future of food, the importance of efficiency, and how students today can become involved in the future of agriculture.

In this installment, Daenerys and Nathan W. sit down with Tyehimba Jess, a Pulitzer Prize winning poet.

Vedanth and Nathan V. talk with anthropologist David Treuer about Native American narratives and how he approaches writing.

In this episode of Free Food for Thought, Daenerys and Joelle sit down with Professor Martha jones of Johns Hopkins University to discuss the history of Black women in American democracy.

In this episode, Adhi and Justin sit down with Professor John List about the proliferation of experiments in social science, deformalizing economics, and the strategies to recognize a great idea in his new book, the Voltage Effect.

Marshall and Daniel sat down with Dr. Jennifer Burns, an associate professor of history at Stanford University and author of Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand the American Right, to discuss her research on Ayn Rand and her upcoming book on Milton Friedman. We discussed her research, the influence of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman on today’s world, and the value of researching at the intersections.

Vedanth and Sophie sat down with Professor Chris Slobogin, Director of the Vanderbilt Criminal Justice Program and author of “Just Algorithms: Using Science to Reduce Incarceration and Inform a Jurisprudence of Risk” to talk about the role of algorithms and risk assessments in the legal system. We discuss the practical use of algorithms, their ethical ramifications, and the future of AI and machine learning in the legal system.

For this installment of Free Food for Thought, Simon and Daniel sit down with Daron Acemoglu, professor of economics at MIT. Their conversation covers Acemoglu’s work on growth and institutions, his approach to research, and the future of economics.