KQED's Forum

From the roar of wind against mountains and the slam of waves on the shore to early morning birdsong, the sounds that fill our natural world are not only beautiful, they’re at risk, writes biologist David George Haskell in his new book, “Sounds Wild and Broken.” Haskell describes a global sonic landscape that’s threatened by human-induced habitat destruction and noise pollution and warns that by smothering the earth’s many voices, we’re not only imperiling species but losing our connection to the natural world. But by paying attention to sounds both natural and human-created, we can understand what’s at stake — and mobilize to protect it. Haskell joins to share more about our world’s sonic diversity and guide us in listening to it.

Guests:

David George Haskell, author, “Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction”; William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies, The University of the South

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California native Ada Limón is the new poet laureate of the United States. She plans on, “elevating and promoting the expansiveness of poetry.” Limón, who has published six volumes of poetry, grew up in Sonoma and now lives in Kentucky. She says that poetry lived and breathed in her community growing up and has been key to her solitude as well as her sense of connection. She steps into her new role when America needs healing and unifying from art and artists. Limón joins us to talk about her work, her love of poetry, and how she’s reimagining America’s relationship to poetry.

Guests:

Ada Limón, poet, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States

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As a country, America is experiencing a powerful wave of anxiety. Almost 80 percent of psychologists say the number of anxiety disorders in their patients has increased since the onset of the pandemic, per a recent survey from the American Psychological Association. And according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 7 million Americans suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. The factors at play vary widely between individuals, and experts say there’s no one treatment that works for everyone. We’ll talk about the latest research on clinical anxiety and solutions for managing it, from cognitive behavioral therapy to pharmaceuticals.

Guests:

Stefan G. Hofmann, professor of Psychology, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University

Andrea Petersen, health reporter, The Wall Street Journal; author, "On Edge: A Journey through Anxiety"

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For today’s show we need you to dig into your memory and put yourself in your own shoes. Does your adult self recognize yourself as a child? Can you empathize? Are you still that person or have you changed? Do you feel integrated as a person or is your former self a stranger?  In his article “Are You the Same Person You Used to Be?" Ideas editor for The New Yorker, Joshua Rothman, explores how much of our personality is set from childhood, and the varied relationships we have with our younger selves.

Guests:

Joshua Rothman, ideas editor, The New Yorker

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Rabia Chaudry's struggles with weight and body image started when she was just a toddler: she was less than a year old when her family moved to the United States from Pakistan and adopted American penchants for snacking and junk food. As she gained weight throughout her childhood, family members teased her, questioned whether she’d ever marry and gave her the nickname “Fatty Fatty Boom Boom.” We’ll talk to Chaudry about her new memoir and how food and family have shaped her, both metaphorically and literally.

Guests:

Rabia Chaudry, author, "Fatty Fatty Boom Boom." Her first book was "Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial" - Chaudry is also an attorney, advocate and host of the podcast "Undisclosed."

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Practicing gratitude seems straight forward: think of the good things about your life and be thankful for them. Studies show this simple practice can have major mental, emotional and physical health benefits. But gratitude is complicated in a consumer-driven society that encourages people to want more and more. In this week of giving thanks, we dive into what gratitude is and how to nurture it in a healthy way.

Guests:

Carvell Wallace, writer, formerly Slate's parenting advice columnist and host of Slate's podcast, Mom and Dad are Fighting - he's working on a book on childhood trauma.

Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director of the Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley.

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Passports promise adventure. They verify who you are and where you've been. Sometimes they can protect you. Sometimes they cannot. The first passport dates back to Biblical times, and the modern passport as we know it is an invention of the early 20th century. At its core the passport is a request for safe passage, and as author Patrick Bixby notes, “these little books have the capacity to tell stories like few other documents.” In his new book, “License to Travel,” Bixby explores the cultural history of passports and how they have helped define the boundaries of the modern world. We’ll talk to Bixby and other travel writers about passports, what they represent, and the talismanic-like power they hold. What does your passport mean to you?

Guests:

Patrick Bixby, author, "License to Travel: A Cultural History of the Passport;" associate professor of English, the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University

Peachanan "Pete" Rojwongsuriya, founder and blogger, "Bucketlistly Blog," Rojwongsuriya has visited 85 countries; author, "Traveling the World on a Third World Passport- What It Is Like and How to Overcome It"

Lale Arikoglu, articles editor, Conde Nast Traveler; podcast host, Conde Nast Traveler podcast "Women Who Travel"

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What happens when an outspoken critic of the technology industry finds herself at the helm of one of the largest messaging apps in the world? Meredith Whittaker made her name as one of the tech industry’s strongest internal critics, helping lead the worker uprising at Google, founding an institute to rethink the ethics of AI, and promoting a platform for a real progressive politics in technology. Now, she’s the president of non-profit organization Signal, which builds a messaging app of the same name known for its serious dedication to privacy. This episode, we talk with Whittaker about the current moment in tech, if privacy still matters, and what she can do to help Signal prosper, despite its Big Tech competition.

Guests:

Meredith Whittaker, president, the Signal Foundation

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Nearly 48,000 University of California graduate students, post-docs and researchers stayed off their jobs for a third day on Wednesday, in what labor leaders are calling the largest higher ed strike in U.S. history. The majority of UC graduate students spend more than a third of their income on rent, according to a union survey, and their average income is around $24,000 a year. Graduate students are striking across all 10 UC campuses, picketing and pausing their roles as graders, advisers and classroom teachers. We’ll talk about where negotiations with the university stand and hear your reactions.

Guests:

Holly Rusch, lead news editor, The Daily Nexus, UCSB's independent, student-run newspaper

Blake Jones, California education reporter, Politico

John Logan, director of Labor Studies, San Francisco State University

Neal Sweeney, president, UAW5810; postdoctoral scholar in molecular biology, UC Santa Cruz

Letitia Silas, executive director of systemwide labor relations, University of California Office of the President

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Last year, poet and writer Clint Smith wrote the book, “How the World is Passed,” exploring how the US has failed to come to terms with the reality and legacy of slavery. Now, for an Atlantic cover story, “Monuments to the Unthinkable” he’s traveled to Germany to see how that country has grappled with memorializing its own ugly history. We talk with Smith about history, memory, and the stories a nation tells itself.

Guests:

Clint Smith, poet, "How the Word is Passed;" staff writer, The Atlantic

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