2023 marked the hottest year recorded in human history, with predictions indicating a worsening global trend. In early June 2024, southern California experienced an extreme heat dome, with temperatures rising into the triple digits. Currently, heat alerts affect over 16 million people across California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. This escalating situation is not confined to the United States nor limited to the present; it is a manifestation of the intensifying impacts of climate change. Regions previously unacquainted with extreme heat are struggling to adapt, while areas accustomed to high temperatures are becoming increasingly uninhabitable.

Heat is not merely a climate issue; it disproportionately affects individuals based on geographic location, race, and socioeconomic status, among other factors. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Bharat Venkat, Associate Professor at the Institute for Society & Genetics, the Department of History, and the Department of Anthropology at UCLA, to delve into the concept of thermal inequality. We explore how Dr. Venkat developed an interest in this subject and examine the origins of thermal inequality. Our discussion addresses the populations most impacted by heat inequality, focusing on the Los Angeles area. We also touch upon critical topics such as urban design, socioeconomic disparities, and their intersection with heat. Finally, we contemplate the future of thermal inequality and potential solutions to mitigate its effects.

Dr. Bharat Jayram Venkat is an Associate Professor at UCLA with joint appointments in the Institute for Society & Genetics, the Department of History, and the Department of Anthropology. His research spans science, medicine, climate, race, and design. His notable works include his award-winning book At the Limits of Cure and his current project on thermal inequality, Swelter: A History of Our Bodies in a Warming World.

Recent campus protests have focused new attention on university investment policies.  The call for greater transparency and divestment from Israel has led to questions about the growth and composition of large university endowments, including that of the University of California (UC). 

How did the UC system achieve its robust financial position? One answer lies in its deep-rooted connection to land. The Federal Morrill Act of 1862 provided land grants to public universities to establish campuses, a foundational act that has led some to label these state institutions, including the UC, as a "land grab" institution.

In this week’s episode of then & now, we delve into this complex history with insights from UCLA researchers and Ph.D. students Samuel Feldblum, John Schmidt, and Abbie Cohen. They discuss their newly released report, "Selling Sunset and Land at the University of California," published by the Luskin Center for History and Policy. The episode explores the UC's significant investment in Blackstone, a real estate trust that generates profits by raising rents and housing prices—outcomes that have a direct impact on many UC students and faculty.

The conversation prompts an examination of the UC system's funding history, its investment strategies, and the ethical implications of its financial decisions. Can the UC system align its investments more closely with the public interest, potentially providing affordable housing for its students? This episode encourages listeners to reflect on the balance between financial strategy and social responsibility within the realm of higher education.

In this episode of then & now, we present the recording of an event held at UCLA on May 13, 2024. This event, sponsored by the UCLA History Department, featured a conversation between UCLA Professors David Myers and James Gelvin about the history and context of the Israel-Hamas war and the situation in Gaza.

The brutal attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas on October 7th, 2023, shocked the world. In the 7 months since that event, the Israeli military has bombarded Gaza, killing upwards of 35,000 Palestinians and injuring some 80,000 more in what is said to be an attempt to eradicate Hamas and retrieve the hostages remaining in Hamas’s hands. In recent weeks, the war has received renewed attention in the United States due to clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups on college campuses, confrontations that have sometimes been exacerbated by extreme police responses. 

Professor Myers and Gelvin explore questions about why Hamas perpetrated their horrific attack on Israeli citizens on October 7th, why Benjamin Netanyahu has responded with months of bombardments, and where the United States features in this equation. What led to this months-long war, and what does the future hold for Palestinians and Israelis?

Professor David Myers is a Distinguished Professor and Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at UCLA. He has published multiple books on Jewish intellectual and cultural history, and has written several op-eds calling for an end to the war in Gaza and return of the Israeli hostages.  Professor James Gelvin is a Professor of Modern Middle East History here at UCLA. He has published extensively on the social and cultural history of the modern Middle East, and his book titled “Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War” has been revised and updated several times, most recently in 2021. 

As the war in Gaza rages on, discussions surrounding free speech and the right to protest have surged across the United States, particularly on college campuses. When a pro-Palestine encampment at Columbia University was raided by police, leading to dozens of arrests in late April 2024, university students around the country set up their own protests and encampments, urging for an end to the war and divestment of university funding from Israel.

Join us on this week's episode of then & now podcast as we delve into the history and evolution of academic free speech with UCLA History Professor Michael Meranze. Professor Meranze explores the changing landscape of free speech on campus, the evolving role of faculty in fostering open discourse, and the profound impact of social media on freedom of expression, and considers how the events of October 7th, 2023, have reshaped higher education in the United States. 

Professor Michael Meranze is a professor of History at UCLA, where he specializes in United States intellectual and legal history with an emphasis on early America. He published Laboratories of Virtue, an examination of the birth of the penitentiary in the context of the contradictions of the American Revolution and early Liberalism, and is currently working on two long-term projects: one, an analysis of sensibility and violence in the Revolutionary Atlantic and the other an attempt to rethink the history and meaning of the American death penalty from the eighteenth-century to the present.

Gun violence has become deeply ingrained in the historical fabric of the United States, intertwined with the principles outlined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which grants individuals the right to keep and bear arms. This amendment is frequently invoked in debates surrounding the implementation of stricter gun control measures.

In this week's episode, then & now presents a compelling discussion hosted by the Department of History at UCLA under the Why History Matters series, focusing on the historical trajectory of America's relationship with firearms. Panelists Brian DeLay, Adam Winkler, and Jennifer Wagman provide nuanced insights into various facets of gun culture in America.

The conversation delves into the evolution of gun legislation, tracing its origins back to the founding era and drawing parallels with contemporary times. The discussion also addresses the challenges of interpreting laws formulated in a different historical context and their application in the present day, alongside the often overlooked public health implications of gun violence.

Moreover, the episode examines the repercussions of lenient gun laws in the United States on neighboring nations, as well as the country's role as a major arms exporter. Each speaker brings their unique expertise, providing a comprehensive overview of this complex and multifaceted issue.

In the wake of the events of October 7th in Israel and the swift reaction by the Israeli government against Hamas, student protests have erupted on campuses around the United States, igniting fervent discussions about free speech, the First Amendment, and safe spaces. This week on then & now, we are joined by David Cole, the National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union and the George Mitchell Professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Dr. Cole offers profound insights into the history of government intervention in matters concerning freedom of speech, shedding light on its implications for academia.

Dr. Cole also discusses the crucial role of freedom of speech in academic settings, where ideas should be freely exchanged and challenged. He casts a critical eye on cancel culture, a phenomenon in which dissenting views are swiftly silenced; by contrast, he emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of tolerance and open dialogue. Finally, we discuss Title IX practices,  providing clarity on what constitutes a Title IX violation and navigating the complexities of distinguishing between protected speech and harassment, particularly in the context of university campuses.


Dr. David Cole is the National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union and the George Mitchell Professor at Georgetown University Law Center. In his role as National Legal Director, he manages more than 200 ACLU staff attorneys and support staff in the National office, oversees the ACLU’s U.S. Supreme Court docket, and provides leadership to 400 more legal staff who work in ACLU affiliate offices in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. Dr. Cole has received two honorary degrees and many awards for his civil liberties and human rights work, including the inaugural Norman Dorsen Presidential Prize from the ACLU, awarded to an academic for lifetime commitment to civil liberties.

As the U.S. primary elections unfold, the issue of border security, particularly along the US-Mexico border, has taken center stage. Concerns about the number of people crossing the U.S. southern border illegally have prompted extreme and sometimes fatal measures by U.S. officials to curb the flow of migrants. How effective are these measures at slowing illegal immigration, and what is the cost for those trying to enter the U.S.? In this week’s podcast, we sit down with Dr. Jason de León, professor of Anthropology and Chicano Studies at UCLA and the director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, to discuss the effects of various immigration policies.

Dr. de  León sheds light on the methods that have been employed since at least the 1990s to deter border crossing, such as the Prevention through Deterrence policy, highlighting the conditions faced by those who cross the border and the potentially fatal outcomes. Challenging the perception of migration as a localized issue, Dr. de  León argues that migration is a multifaceted phenomenon with global implications. He advocates for humane policies that address the root causes of migration, such as poverty and political turmoil, rather than relying on border enforcement policies that actively and often purposely cause harm and even death.

Dr. de  León is the Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP),  professor of Anthropology and Chicano Studies at UCLA, and the Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. Dr de León earned his bachelor’s at UCLA and his PhD at Penn State University. He was named a MacArthur Foundation fellow in 2017. His first book “The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail,” was published in 2015 by the University of California Press, and his second book, “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling,” was published by Viking Press in March 2024.  

As advances in technology continue to shape our world, understanding the implications of artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, and digital privacy has never been more important. In this episode of then & now, we delve into the crucial intersection of technology, law, and policy with John Villasenor, a distinguished professor at UCLA and co-director of the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy. 

Villasenor's expertise provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of technology and how it has rapidly evolved over the years. From the pioneering work of Alan Turing to the current landscape of AI, Villasenor offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by these advancements. Join us as we explore the impact of technology on society and the changing landscape of technology law and consider: can we regulate AI? Should we?

John Villasenor is Professor of Engineering, Law, and Public Policy and Management at  UCLA, where he co-directs the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy. He is a leading voice in the discussion surrounding the ethical implications of technology and the importance of thoughtful regulation in the tech industry.

While the conflicts between Israel and Palestine and Russia and Ukraine are center-stage, the threat of nuclear weapons hovers ominously over our world. The recent release of the popular movie "Oppenheimer" reminds us of the extraordinary potency of nuclear weapons. Russia's aggression in Ukraine has raised concerns about its nuclear intentions, while China, under President Xi Jinping, seeks to bolster its nuclear capabilities to match those of the US. Iran's nuclear ambitions persist, and there are predictions that North Korea may be adopting a more aggressive stance which includes nuclear weapons. As these nations either expand or maintain their nuclear capabilities, global nuclear tensions rise.
 
 In this episode of Then & Now, we engage in a conversation with Chancellor Albert Carnesale, a distinguished academic and expert in nuclear engineering and arms control, who served as chancellor of UCLA and provost of Harvard University. Chancellor Carnesale provides valuable insights into past efforts to mitigate nuclear threats. He also discusses current strategies to ensure global security from nuclear dangers, drawing from his involvement in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks/Treaty (SALT) and his knowledge of China, North Korea, and Iran's nuclear histories. 

Albert Carnesale, distinguished scholar and nuclear arms expert, is a prominent figure in academia and international security. With an extensive academic career spanning decades, Carnesale has contributed significantly to our understanding of nuclear proliferation, arms control negotiations, and nonproliferation strategies. As a professor at UCLA's Engineering and Public Affairs School, his research and teachings delve deep into the complexities of global security, shaping the discourse on nuclear policy and international relations.His expertise and insights have not only informed policymakers but also inspired generations of students to engage critically with the pressing challenges of our time.

One of the most vexing social problems in U.S. society is our country’s healthcare system, which is wracked by rising costs, inequitable access, and manifold inefficiencies.  Unlike Canada or a number of European countries, the United States has never adopted a single-payer system in which the government provides health insurance to all.  Instead, it has favored a range of private options alongside supplemental government programs.  As a result of its size and significance, the state of California has been a laboratory for government healthcare policy, with public officials and advocates testing the virtues of various private and public healthcare programs.  

In a forthcoming report for the Luskin Center, Dr. Ben Zdencanovic, along with Sara Ohannessian, Lauren Heiberg, Emiko Levings, and Emilila Fergadiotti, examine the history of healthcare policy in California, with a particular focus on Medi-Cal, the state-sponsored insurance plan introduced in 1965.  In this episode of “Then & Now,” we sit down to talk to Dr. Ben Zdencanovic about the findings of this team.  

Dr. Ben Zdencanovic is a Postdoctoral Associate at the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy. He is an historian of the United States in the world, domestic and international politics, and economic and social policy. He has a particular interest in the relationship between U.S. global power and the politics of redistribution and welfare state. His forthcoming book from Princeton University Press is titled Island of Enterprise: The End of the New Deal and the Rise of U.S. Global Power in a World of Welfare, 1940 – 1955.