This is my conversation with Dr. Ari Novy, author, biologist and CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden.

It was a fun conversation that covers a lot of ground, introduces a few new ways of looking at our time, the fascinating nature of plants, what is science and what is it good for, and how given the challenge we’re up against in the Anthropocene, the only inadmissible action, is inaction.

This was recorded on site at the beautiful San Diego Botanic Gardens

Twitter - @AriNovy

http://www.sdbgarden.org/

(0:00) - What really is science?

(4:05) - The Earth as a garden

(12:51) - The limits of science and the importance of other disciplines

(16:00) - Science as a language.

(23:05) - Navigating the information explosion.

(30:58) - The intersection of technology and thought.

(37:12) - Humans as plastic beings

(41:44) - Plants as chemical factories

(46:34) - Geographic pressures on humans and organisms

(52:37) - Humans are different, right?

(57:58) - We're sort of idea plastic.

(1:02:06) - The Importance of Intensive Farming

(1:08:12) - The Controversy surrounding Norman Borlaug's Work

(1:17:11) - The Ideological Crisis in Agriculture

(1:28:14) - The Tendency to Dismiss Technology for Comfort

(1:37:35) - Science and Morality

(1:45:48) - The sin of inaction

This is the start to an ongoing arch dedicated to the anthropocene.

Here I lend some thoughts as to what it is, what the purpose of this arch will be and hopefully a little entertainment along the way.

This episode I interview Felipe Fernández-Armesto, one of the most authored in volume, width and breadth, historian of our time.

We talk about the paradox of truth, comfort being the enemy of well-being, the wonder of imagination, if Europe is really a continent or just a plateau out of Asia, and a question you can use to escape out of chit chat.

Felipe is an exceptional author, and I encourage you to check out his work, especially Amerigo: the man who gave his name to America, and Truth: A history and guide for the perplexed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812972988/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_BKnOFbMGFV8M1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312242530/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_XLnOFbN5TWPXW

(0:00) - Episode Introduction

(5:12) - What Makes Felipe Fernandez-Armesto Happy?

(9:39) - Understanding History through a Cultural Lens

(15:05) - When reading history, one has to be aware of the dangers of narrative.

(19:03) - Gibbon's View on Christianity and the Fall of the Roman Empire

(26:13) - Did the Roman Empire fall, or just transform?

(34:52) - The Notion of Progress in History & The Absence of Intellectual and Moral Progress

(41:08) - Ancient Ideas that Continue to Resonate Today

(58:16) - Comfort, Truth, and the Resistance to Change

(1:19:15) - How the Renaissance Breaks the Rule and Intercultural Influences

(1:29:34) - The Effect of Geography on the History of Europe

I interview Nathanael Johnson, author and senior writer at grist.org.

We talk about the current state of forest management in California, how it got to be this way, and what is being done to improve the state of it. With a whole lot of faith in the future along the way.

http://www.nathanaeljohnson.org/

https://twitter.com/SavorTooth

(0:00) - Introduction

(5:25) - Nathaniel's Early Environmental Experiences

(12:08) - The importance of managing forests and bringing back predators

(15:20) - Finding Harmony with Nature & Living within the Anthropocene

(24:15) - Seeking Pragmatic Solutions & The interconnectedness of climate change and forest management

(25:07) - The Role of Climate Change and Forest Mismanagement in Wildfires

(36:37) - The history of logging in California

(45:23) - The Current State of Logging in California & The Importance of Prescribed Burns

(53:39) - The shift towards sustainable timber production & Biomass plant controversy

(57:11) - The urgency to address forest management & Lessons from Peak Civilizations

A thought on how we can use lessons from fluid dynamics, as a framework to understand the world of ideas around us.

I interviewed musician, author, poet, activist, lawyer, and Congressional Candidate Shahid Buttar.

We talked healthcare, corporate consolidation, the PATRIOT act, his love of music, and how I figured out why Speaker Nancy Pelosi won’t agree to a debate.

https://shahidforchange.us/

(0:00) - Introduction

(1:05) - Issues with Current Status Quo

(5:04) - Hobbies and Personal Life

(8:08) - Healthcare and Pandemic

(14:10) - Military Industrial Complex

(23:11) - Agricultural Subsidies

(32:18) - Election and Finance Reform

(34:11) - Speaker Pelosi and Press Accountability

(39:51) - The Democratic Party's Shift to the Right

(47:20) - First Amendment Problems with the Patriot Act

This episode I interview my friend Rowan about his experience living and working, just a few blocks away from the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001.

[ note: this is the interview only of the podcast, for the full discussion check the feed ]

Guest: Rowan Price from The Art of Ideation www.rowanprice.com/the-art-of-ideation/

On this episode, I speak with Tribal Chairmen of the North Fork Mono Tribe Ron Goode, about his culture, traditions that extend beyond Sapiens, the terrible state of meadows in California ( where only 5% are healthy), and how to make sense of our relationship to "nature" in an increasingly polarized world.

(0:00) - Introduction

(5:17) - Ron Goode on Native Peoples' Relationship with the Land

(16:04) - Shift in Forest Canopy Density

(19:15) - Meadows as Gardens

(23:29) - Misconceptions of Pre-Industrial Life

(32:48) - Impact of Monoculture Farming & Meadow Restoration

(38:41) - Restoring Meadows & Controlling Invasives

(44:17) - The Importance of Meadow Location

(49:25) - Impediments to Meadow Restoration

(58:42) - The Long Timeline of Meadow Restoration

(1:02:43) - Funding Challenges for Restoration

(1:13:46) - Taking Responsibility for Your Backyard

This episode I talk with Rob Anderson, Congressional Candidate for Louisiana's 3rd district, about his uniquely American story, why he entered politics and the effects from hurricane Laura.

This episode of the podcast I talk with my friend Rowan about his experience living and working just a few blocks away from the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001.

We start by talking about how fast everything can change, and how most of what we take for granted are very recent inventions, before he shares his story.

Guest: Rowan Price from The Art of Ideation www.rowanprice.com/the-art-of-ideation/

(0:00) - Episode Introduction

(3:25) - Defining Being contrarian and challenging the norm

(7:32) - The opportunity for change & The concept of success

(12:49) - Connection between Renaissance and Enlightenment

(24:05) - Geography, Dominance, Ecological Imperialism & the Amazon

(39:07) - The Paradigm Shifts Caused by 9/11 & The Abuse of the Executive Branch

(49:00) - Daily Life in New York City, June 2001

(59:21) - Community and Neighborhood in New York City

(1:09:38) - Waking up to a loud crash, September 11th, 2001

(1:15:43) - Observing the South Tower Collapsing

(1:29:31) - Leaving the Office, Neighborhood people and spontaneous volunteership

(1:32:06) - There's no internet: chaos and confusion

(1:39:56) - Escaping to another world, Feeling normal again

(1:59:29) - The contrast between pre-9/11 and post-9/11

(2:06:06) - The impact of the 9/11 attacks