Hungry Minds

This episode is with filmmaker Kevin Ford about his documentary The Pushback. It chronicles a diverse group of progressive voices across Texas as they fight decades of institutional racism and policies of discrimination along the border. The battle over immigrant rights, land seizures to build the border wall, and the troubled racial history of the state form the backdrop to a film that explores how a place once known for its reactionary politics is becoming more liberal, more diverse — and more at risk for violent conflict. To find out more about the documentary go to: https://thepushbackfilm.com/

In this episode I talk with Amos Klausner about his letterpress art work, the value of deconstructing language, the nature of truth, and when word become image.

Why is China such a fascinating and important country to learn about? Crystal Chang Cohen, lecturer in the Global Studies Program at UC Berkeley, provides a nuanced and captivating response to this question and more in this episode.

What is artificial intelligence? How is it currently being applied? How will it shape our social and economic futures? I talk about these question and more with Van Cline. Van is a senior at San Domenico School. This podcast is a project for his Project Wayfinder class. Project Wayfinder is a purpose learning curriculum. Purpose can be defined as goals that are meaningful to the self and consequential to the world. Van does a great job of explaining AI and how it will reconfigure what it means to learn, works, and be human.

Aran talks with Torsor Kotee, Lecturer at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and Founder and CEO of Market Games, about the power of simulations and games for engaging and accelerating learning. You can learn more about Market Games at www.marketgames.io

Aran talks with Sasha Nagler, one of his former millennial students, about the phenomena of irony poisoning pervading her generation. Irony poisoning develops when heavy social media users become too ensconced in the ironic detachment that defines much of online discourse. This can come to influence one's offline worldview as well. In extreme cases, ironic jokes can morph into sincerely held beliefs. Aran and Sasha talk about examples of irony poisoning, what factors lead to this kind of unhealthy ironic detachment, and what can be done to stem this tide of meaninglessness.

What does it mean to be wise at work? In this conversation Aran talk with Iris Krause, Chief Finance and Operations Officer at Wisdom Labs, an organization that delivers science-based wellbeing solutions that drive productivity, thoughtful leadership, and meaningful success in the workplace.

Aran talks with filmmaker, Kevin Ford, about his latest documentary, Kind of Blue. Kind of Blue explores the political tide changes in Texas and how they might effect the 2020 elections.

For decades Texas has been a reliable Conservative stronghold, the ultimate red state. But with massive changes in the state’s demographics and 38 electoral votes at stake — the second largest number in the U.S. — even the slightest shift in the political climate could turn Texas into a blue state and could change the future of the United States.

KIND OF BLUE looks at a diverse group of Texans — ranchers, politicians, law enforcement officers, activists, healthcare workers, lawyers, journalists, business leaders, teachers, artists, and many more — juxtaposing their personal stories with cinematic vignettes of their communities. These are people who defy the stereotypes of what it means to be Texan, who oppose policies of the Trump Administration. These are people defending human rights, defying land seizures for a wall, protecting the environment, and campaigning for social justice.

https://www.kindofbluedoc.com/

How does one philosophize with a hammer? This conversation with philosophy and world religions professor, Philip Novak, explores the critical philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche.

Does religion matter in the modern world? Philip Novak, professor of philosophy and world religion, says that religion has always mattered throughout human history and will continue to play an integral role in the human story. Some of the topics we explore in this illuminating conversation include: the difference between mythos and logos, stories and facts, ought and is, science and religion.