Humanities (Audio)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 1.3 billion people or 16% of the global population have a significant disability. A disability is a condition that can be mental or physical, and can affect a person's vision, movement, thinking, learning, communication, hearing, mental health or social relationships. However, not all disabilities are the same. Some disabilities are genetic, passed down from generation to generation, while others may have been caused by an incident out of the person's control. In this episode of Exploring Ethics, Professor Joseph Stramondo will discuss the narrative, identity and ethics of choosing disability. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40241]

Darlene Lopez shares her inspiring journey in the business world, offering valuable insights into career growth, mentorship, and navigating the corporate landscape. Drawing from her experiences at Apple and TikTok, she discusses how these roles shaped her leadership style, approach to self-promotion, and the importance of setting boundaries. A central theme in the conversation is Lopez’s deep connection to Latin culture and music, which has profoundly influenced both her personal and professional life. She passionately speaks about the power of Latin artists and the growing influence of the Latinx community, particularly in music, and her mission to empower this community through her work in the arts. Series: "Career Channel" [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 40306]

In late September 1941, tens of thousands of people were massacred over two days in a ravine known as Babyn Yar on the outskirts of Nazi-occupied Kyiv. Most of the victims were Jews, though Roma, Crimean Tatars, and Ukrainian and Russian Communists were also among those murdered. In her 2017 book of poems, “The Voices of Babyn Yar,” award-winning poet Marianna Kiyanovska engages with this tragedy as a Ukrainian who learned of the mass killings only as an adult. Kiyanovska is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, prose, and literary translations and her works have been translated into 18 languages. In this bilingual poetry reading, Kiyanovska shares poems in the original Ukrainian, including selections from “The Voices of Babyn Yar.” UC San Diego Professor of Literature Amelia Glaser will read the English translations. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40068]

At a global level, Homo sapiens have reshaped the planet Earth to such an extent that we now talk of a new geological age, the Anthropocene. But each of us shapes our own worlds, physically, symbolically, and in the worlds of imagination. This symposium focuses especially on one form of construction, the construction of buildings, while stressing that such construction is ever shaped by diverse factors from landscape to culture and the construction of history embodied in it - and more. After a brief look at birds building their nests as an example of variation on a species-specific Bauplan, we sample a broad sweep of cultural evolution and niche construction from the earliest stone tools of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens through the Neolithic and the rise of cities to the formal and informal architecture of the present day. Finally, we explore the ways artificial intelligence may further change how humans construct their mental and physical worlds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40170]

The symbolic tools we use to design and construct our environments have been transformed by the so-called Cybernetic revolution and the innovations in materials technology that have accompanied them. The integration of computers, the Internet of Things, embedded robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) supports the development of intelligent/smart buildings where specific levels of automation can be tailored to every type of building use and occupancy. This talk will emphasize smart architecture as being based on insights into how buildings may affect human well-being whether or not novel technology is employed. This involves a critical assessment of when and where AI and related technologies should be incorporated into the built environment. A complementary concern is with how AI will affect the way humans see their place in their social and "natural" worlds when we can no longer see humans as the only possessors of "intelligence." Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40168]

This talk explores the needs of the poor and homeless around the world, charting the interplay between formal and informal settlements. The key example for this talk will be the favelas of Saõ Paulo in the context of a broader concern with Latin American urbanism and the role of individual initiative, social forces and politics as agencies of urban transformation. Built environments are to be seen not only as technological artifacts but also as providing a spatial politics for transforming where and how vulnerable communities immigrate to cities. Key questions arise concerning the relation of informal housing to the formal infrastructural systems of cities, including access to utilities. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40167]

This program explores the decolonizing potential of Indian aesthetic-social philosophy by challenging two entrenched colonial prejudices: the supposed radical dissimilarity and inferiority of pre-modern Indian traditions compared to modern social theory. Through an analysis of the Upanishads and Vaisnava theology and poetry, Sudipta Kaviraj, professor of Indian Politics and Intellectual History at Columbia University, examines conceptions of paradise as a life without suffering, arguing that divergent ideas of paradise have shaped Indian aesthetic thought. Central to this philosophy is the interdependence of cognitive curiosity and aesthetic enjoyment, seen as essential for fully accessing and understanding the universe. Kaviraj suggests that these traditions offer valuable insights for modern secular thinkers reflecting on the human condition. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40222]

The site of Göbekli Tepe is well known as a settlement of the transitional phase in SW-Asia, in which the greater mobility of the Palaeolithic increasingly gave way to the more permanent settlement of the Neolithic. This talk uses the example of Göbekli Tepe to explore the linkage of buildings with ecology, climate, economy, cultural, political, symbolic systems, and creation of networks between dwellings. The central question is to what extent it is possible to understand how people in the Neolithic constructed their world. Based on this, the talk will challenge the regnant hypothesis that Göbekli Tepe served as a central ritual site and meeting place that acted as a driving force for the spread of Neolithization. This provides an important addition to developing a perspective on the precursor forms of habitation for buildings whose architectural remains we can examine today. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40164]

The ENLACE Summer Research Experience at UC San Diego connects high school and college students from the U.S. and Mexico in hands-on lab work with real research impact. Led by Dr. Olivia Graeve, the program offers a chance to explore new fields, gain lab skills, and prepare for grad school, while building cross-border friendships and collaboration in STEM. Series: "Education Channel" [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 38306]

What defines a person’s character, and how does it shape who they are? In this lecture, Susan Wolf, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, challenges traditional ideas about character. She argues that character is more than just a set of traits or values an individual endorses—it can include aspects of ourselves we may not even recognize or approve of. Wolf explores how a deeper understanding of character, rooted in active intelligence and thoughtful reflection, can reshape how we view agency, moving beyond just actions and intentions. This thought-provoking talk offers fresh insights into what makes us who we are and how we navigate the complexities of identity and selfhood. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40221]