The Armen Show

Welcome guest Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor-in-chief of Reason Magazine, to episode 259 of the show. I found Katherine from her article contribution about coronavirus impacts, where she discussed the changes barriers to moving our lives online.

Reason is a libertarian magazine running for nearly half a century, with over 50000 monthly readers, with the theme of “free minds and free markets”. Katherine is editor-in-chief of the magazine, has a degree in philosophy and political science from Yale, and currently resides in Washington, DC. We discussed her career, topics presented in her article about coronavirus impacts, and more.

Show notes:

• how Katherine got to her current position at Reason Magazine
• what it means to be a libertarian, and how the magazine suits her
• the way that the coronavirus is impacting readership of Reason Magazine and other online publications
• the effort required to do successful investigative journalism
• a bit about a round-table that Katherine does with other co-hosts
• information about the subscribers of Reason, and how they are spread out around the country
• how the barriers to schooling and other industries moving online will fall or change due to this moment
• what parents see as important with regards to school
• how liberty is currently being impacted, and how it will look after this pandemic
• the element of polarization, as it relates to Reason and its feedback
• where people find the ideas that are important to them
• how science fiction brings up the concept of “what if” for life scenarios
• a message for all the people

You can check out Katherine on Twitter at @kmanguward, look at her author bio on Reason, or check out her latest articles.

From founding Just Ads to Pencil News, technology startup founder Shan Rizvi has made his way through the entrepreneurial landscape. Like myself, he is inclined toward a variety of topics and fields, like philosophy, neuroscience, art, music, and technology. He joins on episode 258 of the show to discuss the current moment, and joins me on points related to mindset, society as a whole, his travels along his path, and more.

I originally met Shan and his wife Maryam, along with other great individuals, at a hosted gathering by Dr. Azra Raza in the great state of New York. That is where they reside, and discussion of the regional impacts due to the virus were include in this episode. There continues to be much value connected to group functions with curious and warm individuals from different backgrounds, habits, lifestyles, and perspectives.

Show notes:

• Shan as a technology startup founder, and what he has worked on, including Pencil News and Just Ads
• how using and performing remote work for years can lead to a smoother transition to the current moment
• how we met, and how he met his wife Maryam, who is a doctor currently responding to the epidemic directly, working with patients
• a way to think about how parts of the brain are experts of their own domain, mentioning the key items from their part
• if meditation is connected to showcasing those elements
• the value that deep breathing can bring to you
• why group meetings can be very valuable for creative and curious individuals, and what Shan connects with in such meetings
• countries that Shan has been to, what pulled him to them, and his progression through those various countries
• the value to studying abroad, and the total transformation that took place in his self-perspective due to it
• how Shan could see himself from his original region of Pakistan in the perspective of people in the new places he went to (Finland, Sweden, etc.)
• noticing different customs that challenge your prior ones
• Shan’s thoughts on the concept of “mental health”, and how it takes into account philosophy, self-awareness, and more, as compared with commonly related to some type of illness
• the way we will get to a clearer view of what our minds do
• getting to a point of seeing 10X clearer scans of our minds
• a message about the current moment in time, and how we as people can think about the impacts to countries that are in a developing stage
• broader-scale thinking of people

Thanks goes to Shan for coming through on the show. You can check him out on his website at ShanRizvi.com or on Twitter at @ShanRizvi.

Social psychologist and Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University Dr. Peter T. Coleman joins on episode 257 of the show, bringing forth his expertise on conflicts and their peaceful and productive resolution. He has been the director of Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution for over 20 years, and is author of the 2004 book Making Conflict Work: Harnessing the Power of Disagreement, as well as upcoming 2021 book The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.

Similar to Dr. Raza of episode 249, Professor Coleman works at Columbia University in New York, and we spoke about the impacts of the pandemic in the region, as well as potential outcomes that manage future conflict related to it. He had written a message about the situation in this Politico article, and we explored that and more. Through his experience with many levels of conflict management and understanding, whether of the base form, or of a governmental size, Dr. Coleman is able to get to the meaning behind what people could be opposing each other for.

Show notes:

• Dr. Coleman and his experience with conflict management and resolution
• how he got into his current position, and what he does as director of the Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution
• how conflicts are different at different levels of society and age
• what it takes to resolve issues for people of a younger age group, such as in their 20s, and how that differs from managing the interests of older folks
• an example of tensions or conflict from a time period at Columbia University
• how it is relevant to allow all parties to voice their concerns in a conflict, so as to resolve it in some form for all
• many examples of where Dr. Coleman has been brought in to assist
• how value differences can be the source of much conflict
• a relation between conflict management, and neurological frameworks of decision-making and energy conservation
• how the long-term conflicts we have seen in the world are much more detailed and nuanced than Team 1 versus Team 2
• a small example of conflict I bring up from the basketball courts
• instrumental violence versus expressive violence
• how the pandemic has led to some types of conflict in terms of how it is perceived, due to polarization
• the way that times of global struggle can bring groups together which would not have prior, due to the previous battle not making sense in the time of heightened danger/risk
• the quote “never let a good crisis go to waste”, which I heavily identify with
• Dr. Coleman’s progression through his writing and books
• the way that certain conflicts have elements which keep them in place, and what it takes to look at removing the holds on their clearance
• a message about how to view conflicts

I was glad to have Professor Coleman on the show. He represents well for Columbia Unviersity, and has messages and experience to help people manage their differences better. You can check out his faculty page, Wikipedia, and his listing of books on Amazon.

Welcome to April of 2020 and episode 256 of the show, with the guest duo of Daniel James Smith and Krystall Schott, who make up the band “Untitled Social Experiment”, also known as “USE”. With songs like “Sugar Rush” and “Psycho“, this pairing has brought solid production quality into the content they put out, with messages to understand underneath.

Daniel has been making music for some years under the moniker of T.O.L.D, and brings his experience and skills to Untitled Social Experiment. Krystall has done painting, sang in choir early on, and after modeling in recent years, she made her return to music when teaming up with Daniel to form creative art. Synths and melodies and singing tones abound in the music made by USE.

Show notes:

• how the group and duo originated, and who they are inspired by
• the production of art in a light nature, but keeping a focus on content creation
• how introductions and key moments in life can seem blurry
• what it takes to get along with someone, based on similarities
• some bands the group would work with or like to emulate in some form
• the pandemic and quarantine, and where it leaves each person to self-process, and looking toward how it leaves society
• what age the members started doing music at, and what types of instruments or singing they have done
• how support at the right time in life can lead to quicker results
• switching from one goal to another once it seems too readily available, versus sticking to one thing at a time
• the way that the members complement one another for production
• a book called “The Dao of Capital” being read at the current time, and what it represents for temporal understanding
• the qualities that each band members looks for in others
• the song Adam & Eve Meet Snake, Say No to apple, Stay in Paradise Forever mentioned in the episode
• other types of content being put out, whether on Tik Tok or elsewhere
• periods of flow and lack of flow, and how to think about them
• a couple of questions back to me about me and my show
• messages from each member about life

Glad to have Daniel and Krystall on the show~. You can check out their content on Spotify and other audio platforms online, along with some of their content featured on T.O.L.D. You can also check them out on Instagram at @untitledsocialexperiment.

When it comes to applied mathematics, guest Michael Wilt is both a teacher and interested in its usage. He professes math to the youth, and joins us on episode 255 of the show, discussing his career, people-based elements of society, and more.

Michael got his Masters in Applied Math at California State University of Los Angeles, and has taught various levels of math to high school students, high-risk students, middle school students, and community college students. He also has his own product line of merchandise called “Unicorns and Stuff”.

Show notes:

• how Michael progressed through the development of his career
• the kind of teaching that Michael does, and what he hopes to impart on his students
• development of a curriculum, and how that is the key element of education, with a blueprint for the students
• the feel around the pandemic before it was a situated item here in Los Angeles, and discussion about the numbers behind it
• why it is good to understand exponential growth and other graph-based concepts
• the difference between small and big picture view
• how Los Angeles and San Francisco differ in status-related mindset
• energy transfer between people to others who they interact with
• how people view people in terms of pretty or smart
• a great singing rendition from Michael, along with an attempt on my end, as well as rapping on both of our parts
• where Michael is working now, and how it is going with students who are labeled as Twice Exceptional
• working with students who have ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder
• comments on rolled-up sleeves and sense of fashion
• a bit of reverse interview from Michael to me
• a mug-plug by Michael about his mug and merchandise brand

This episode was recorded earlier in the month, prior to mass spreading of COVID-19. You can check out Michael’s merchandise at Unicorns and Stuff. Glad to have him on~.

Welcome Dr. John Marzluff, Professor of Wildlife Sciences at the College of the Environment at the University of Washington in Seattle, to episode 254 of The Armen Show. Dr. Marzluff “studies how humans affect birds through habitat fragmentation and increased urbanization, as well as the challenges of conserving birds on islands.

Most of his focus is on ravens, crows, and jays, which are in the bird grouping known as “corvids”, and he looks at how birds affect people, such as with our art or language. Many of his books have focused on birds, including his latest book In Search of Meadowlarks: Birds, Farms, and Food in Harmony with the Land.

“In recognition of his work, he has been awarded the H.R. Painton Awards from the Cooper Ornithological Society, as well as the Washington State Book Award for general non-fiction.” In this episode, we discuss his latest non-fiction piece.

Show notes:

• the current moment, with the world slowing down due to the pandemic
• the career trajectory that Dr. Marzluff took to getting into decades of ornithological work
• how we can take a look around our world with a relaxed pace, so as to maintain our Earth in good condition
• the kind of research that Dr. Marzluff does, and places he has performed bird analysis at
• what birds can represent about the impact that humans have had
• the impact of corn and soybean subsidies, and what the farmland in the US would look like without those subsidies
• why meadowlarks were chosen for the title of the book
• farming as related to water consumption and planning
• a closing message

Thanks to Dr. Marzluff for joining on this episode. You can check out In Search of Meadowlarks on Amazon, or take a look at his faculty page.

With the world in a state of rapid adaptation due to health concerns, I discuss some of the elements connected to the scenario in episode 253.

There are the straightforward health concerns, along with financial impacts, social impacts, relationship-based impacts, and impacts between countries. Though it has been a bit disturbing to see the current moment arising from a couple of months ago, based on much I had read from scientists I follow, it is worth knowing how it will go.

Show notes:

• the current viral scenario, and what it means for the globe
• how rapidly it is changing, and what adaptation to the moment really means
• some of the global impacts of a virus that has no current cure, and transfers readily, silently, and with a lagging period of symptoms
• the social impacts of such a virus, and how it can affect creation of new relationships
• the direction of our global society over the next couple months
• the power of resilience and character in these key months, separating people by power-of-will
• how the good and bad of preparation before such an event are both amplified once the event arises
• and more

Glad to have you check out this episode. The virus has thrown off a lot of the routine of the world, but we as people are resilient and respond to whatever comes our way. To more.

As Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Allan Ropper is able to relayed his decades of neurology experience to students, and as deputy editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, he is able to help edit, guide, and shape the selection of articles that meet the criteria for one of the top science journals of our time. He is also lead editor for one of the top neurology textbooks of current time, Principles of Neurology, now in its 11th edition.

Dr. Ropper joins on episode 252 to discuss his recent book How the Brain Lost Its Mind: Sex, Hysteria, and the Riddle of Mental Illness. It covers a history of hysteria, syphilis, and conditions that represent the deviation between the brain and the mind. Our discussion includes topics in the book, Dr. Ropper’s career, neurology as a whole, and how past responses to mental illness have functioned.

Show notes:

• how Dr. Ropper got to be in the field of neurology
• how the mind and brain are connected, and why the book relates the two
• the way that Dr. Ropper influenced the field of neurological intensive care
• what it is like being an editor for the New England Journal of Medicine, including some details about the editing process
• the field of research that is in its current moment, with an increase in research and published papers
• how individuals would like to get control of their aging or life conditions, but how we have only come so far
• the difference between neurology and neurosurgery, including some of the disorders of each
• what separates a brain disorder from a mind disorder
• the potential over-medicalization of every-day life
• the issues of syphilis and hysteria as detailed in the book
• how people come into the doctor with a broad description, and a neurologist has to reverse engineer the nervous system issue
• what Moya Moya is, and the details of this specific condition
• why many conditions of neurology do not have a known source
• how so much is described as though A or B is wrong with a person
• a message regarding the theme of the book and Dr. Ropper’s link of that to brain conditions

It was great to have Dr. Ropper on the show. He is an educating individual who is receptive and perceptive. You can check out How the Brain Lost Its Mind on Amazon.

From his start as a pediatrician, to serving as Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand for nearly a decade, Sir Peter Gluckman has represented category of science and society. He joins on this episode to discuss his career, along with his recently released book Ingenious: The Unintended Consequences of Human Innovation.

As President-elect of the International Science Council, Sir Gluckman will continue to provide value in the fields of science, health, global impacts, and more. His book Ingenious focuses on how our innovation has led to impacts we did not plan for, and how we can work with these consequences, and help to prevent unwanted future consequences.

Show notes:

• how Sir Gluckman’s career has panned out over time, and how he started out as a pediatrician
• his experience as Chief Science Advisor for the Prime Minister of New Zealand
• what it means to be a “knowledge broker”, and how connecting people to the right people is an important skill
• the ways that Sir Gluckman has written about or focused on reduction of obesity, as well as being co-chair of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity
• partnering writing books with his co-author Mark Hanson, and what each brought to the table across the decades
• how the early experience between parent and child affects so much of a person’s life
• the important of psychological resilience, and how it separates segments of individuals
• how evolutionary thinking is a unifying element of biology
• the global impacts we are facing now, which we did not have in place 200 years ago
• the belief or non-belief by citizens that their governments can help to take care of basic societal needs
• dealing with misinformation that is released, and how governments or public companies can adapt
• the level of research put out by smaller countries, versus the percentage put out by some of the larger countries, along with some specific examples
• whether a centrally-situated response wins out against solutions around the world, to global issues
• a message about how to cope with rapid environmental, social, and technological changes which are taking place

You can check out Sir Peter Gluckman’s Wikipedia page, University of Auckland page, or Ingenious on Amazon. Glad to have him on~.

Welcome to episode 250 of the show~. This returns to the style of me speaking by myself, doing some impressions, telling some story, and updating on recent content.

There is great material to cover in March, and we look towards continued growth and improvement.

Show notes:

• the interconnection between guests and episodes
• using Zoom for recordings, and how it has been
• the Kobe memorial, and what he represents as related to what I do
• the fun of getting books in the mail
• made up stories
• impressions of various podcast types