Hungry Minds

How should one live? What is the meaning and purpose of my life? If you've ever asked these questions then you'll enjoy this thought provoking conversation with Claudia Bicen, a visual artist and designer whose work explores the nature of mind and the construction of meaning.

Claudia is the Creative Director of Project Wayfinder and an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University. She holds a BA in Philosophy & Psychology from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Social Anthropology from University College London.

https://www.claudiabicen.com/

https://www.projectwayfinder.com/

The future of learning will be highly personalized. This is one of the aims of the Khan Lab School. In this episode Aran talks with Rachel Skiffer, the Head of School of the Khan Lab School, about personalized learning, the power of projects, and why curiosity and passion are so vital in the quest to learn.

Today’s episode is truly unique. I interviewed my two senior philosophy classes about what they found most meaningful about our course this semester: The Wisdom of Chaos - which uses chaos science as a metaphor for self-cultivation.

When most of us think of chaos, words like randomness, disorder, disruptions, and uncertainty come to mind - which we try to avoid like a zombie apocalypse. So it’s hard to imagine that anything good or wise can come from it. Yet Chaos theory has demonstrated that nature uses randomness, disorder and disruptions to create stellar nurseries, weather patterns, coral reefs, and new adaptive traits in organism. Chaos theory reveals that instead of resisting life’s uncertainties and randomness, we should embrace the creative potential they offer.

This podcast is structured around themes. To jump to a particular theme, e.g. Creativity, Flow, Time, etc., click on the corresponding theme in the comments section and you'll be taken to that part of the podcast.

Have you or someone you know ever thought about publishing a book but don't know how to bring it to fruition? In this podcast I talk with Guy Vincent, Founder and CEO of the crowdfunding literary agency Publishizer. Publishizer uses the crowdfunding model to connect authors with publishers. In this episode we talk about what it takes to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign, 1000 true fans, the long tail of the market economy, and the emerging genre of Amish crime thrillers!

Aran Levasseur talks with Conrad Levasseur about getting charged by a Silverback Gorilla, staring a deadly Mamba in the face, climbing an active volcano, and other travel stories. Conrad has conducted travel groups through over a hundred and twenty countries and worked as a wild river rafting guide in the western states. He created a 49 mile scenic walk for the San Francisco Ecology Center and directed Lodestar International Student Center for the University of California's "International House." He was a World Travel Destinations Consultant for decades. Conrad is also a poet and has published seven books of poetry. Currently he is the Director of Community Relations and Development at Ironstone Vineyards.

Aran Levasseur talks with Lynne Twist about true prosperity, the soul of money, empowering indigenous people of Amazon, and Lynne shares the prophecy of the eagle and the condor.

Aran talk with Rehema Allen about the beauty, hidden gems, and hard realities of Oakland, California. If this conversation stimulates your interest about The Town, get the local experience by taking one of Rehema's bikes tours: https://www.thisisoaklandbiketours.com/

Aran and Mike Berry talk about the virtues of a hungry mind on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Perennial questions emerged: Do we truly have free will? What kind of evidence should we require for assertions? KRS-One was invoked, "The truth can always be questioned."

Aran talks with filmmaker, Kevin Ford, about his latest documentaries: The Bomb and American Chaos. While these films address challenging issues, i.e. nuclear weapons and political polarization, Kevin's perspective is ultimately hopefully. His films capture the spirit of James Baldwin, "Not everything faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

Aran explores improv fundaments with actor and transformational coach, Josh Lenn. Josh brings what he's learned as an actor and improviser into organizational settings to improve team communication, collaboration, and culture. Some of the topics discussed include: Yes, and..., failing gloriously, the power of open listening, and make your partner look good.