Category Archives: Scholars’ Circle Interviews

Information and recordings from Schloars’ Circle radio show is posted here.

Scholars’ Circle – Magnetic Field effects on Birds, Bees, Whales and Turtles -/- Natural bonds among animals and humans – October 16, 2016

October 15, 2016 host

First, birds, bees, whales and turtles all use the earth s magnetic field to guide their behavior. [ dur: 14 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Andres Vidal Gadea is Professor of Molecular Neuroethology at Illinois State University. He is the co-author of Magnetosensitive neurons mediate geomagnetic orientation in Caenorhabditis elegans and Factors that influence magnetic orientation in C. elegans. JCPA.

Human history has been drastically changed by our relationship with animals. So much so that our next guest says it would be a different world if not for our intimate bonds with animals. How have they changed us and the world we live in? Joining us is Professor Brian Fagan. [ dur: 41 mins. ]

Brian Fagan is Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has authored more than two dozen books, including “The Intimate Bond: How Animals Have Shaped Human History“ and Fishing: How the Sea Fed Civilization“.

Find books authored by our guest scholars on this Book Shelf .

This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Intergenerational economic equality -/- Crop cultivation collapses without bees – October 9, 2016

October 8, 2016 host

First, trend for economic equality in US has been changing with less opportunity for people to transcend inter-generational economic status than they have in other countries, like Norway, Finland, Denmark and Canada. Why the changes? [ dur: 13 mins. ]

Miles Corak is a professor of economics with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottowa. He is the author of, “Generational Income Mobility in North America and Europe” and “Income Mobility Across the Generations”

Then, climate change, pesticides and mites are killing off the planet’s bees. What will happen to the planet’s foods? And can the bee colony collapse be stopped? [ dur: 45 mins. ]

Jeremy Kerr is a Professor of Biology at the University of Ottowa, specializing in conservation biology and biodiversity – Macroecology , Conservation research site. His latest publication links the decline of bumble bees to climate change.
Peter Dearden is a Professor of Genetics and a researcher in the laboratory for evolution and development at Otago University where he specializes in evolution, development and epigenetics (link).
Paulo de Souza is a Professor and team leader at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Australia, and the Global Initiative for Honey Bee Health (link). He’s also a collaborating scientist on NASA’s Mars exploration Rover Mission.

Find books authored by our guest scholars on this Book Shelf .

This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Children of incarcerated parents -/- The US Presidency – October 2, 2016

October 1, 2016 host

First, what are the life chances of children of incarcerated parents? [ dur: 9 mins. ]

Christopher Wildeman is an Associate Professor of Sociology, a faculty fellow at the Center for Research on Inequalities and the Life Course (CIQLE), and a faculty fellow at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) at Yale University. He is the co-author of Children of the Prison Boom: Mass Incarceration and the Future of American Inequality.

Then, how much does the president truly matter for the direction of the United States and for the rest of the world. [ dur: 47 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

William F. Grover is Professor of Political Science at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. He is the author of The President as Prisoner: A Structural Critique of the Carter and Reagan Years, co-editor of Voices of Dissent: Critical Readings in American Politics, and The Unsustainable Presidency: Clinton, Bush, Obama and Beyond.
Joseph G. Peschek is Professor of Political Science at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of Policy-Planning Organizations: Elite Agendas and America’s Rightward Turn, co-editor of Voices of Dissent: Critical Readings in American Politics, and The Unsustainable Presidency: Clinton, Bush, Obama and Beyond.

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This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle -Overuse of Antibiotics -/- Addressing Climate Change – September 25, 2016

September 24, 2016 host

First, sanitation and antibiotics have saved the lives of many, but are they also the culprits behind some of modern diseases? We might have gone overboard in killing our microbes. And that may be causing some of today’s epidemics. Martin I. Blaser is Professor of Translational Medicine and Director of Human Microbiome Program at New York University. He is the author of Missing Microbes : How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues. [ dur: 21 mins. ]

Martin I. Blaser is Professor of Translational Medicine and Director of Human Microbiome Program at New York University. He is the author of Missing Microbes : How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues.

Then, scientists say we still have time to address climate change and we’ve made headway, but we still have a long way to go. We speak with renowned climate scientist Michael Mann. [ dur: 37mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Professor Michael Mann is a climatologist and a geophysicist. He’s the director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. He was one of the lead authors of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC. He is the author of The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy.

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This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars’ Circle – Conventional Arms Trade -/- Psychology of Doing Good – September 11, 2016

September 10, 2016 host 1 Comment

First, a look inside the arms trade and its effects on politics and society.[ dur: 33mins. ]

Suzette Grillot is a Professor of International Studies at University of Oklahoma. She is the co-author of the book The International Arms Trade.

Then, we speak with Erwin Staub about his latest book, The Roots of Goodness and Resistance to Evil: Inclusive Caring, Moral Courage, Altruism Born of Suffering, ActI’ve Bystandership and Heroism. [ dur: 25 mins. ]

Ervin Staub is a Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Founding Director of its Ph.D. concentration in the Psychology of Peace and Violence.

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This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Bird Songs -/- New Form of Corporate Lawlessness – September 4, 2016

September 4, 2016 host

First, scientists have made fascinating discoveries on how animals communicate. Birdsongs are more than music; they are warnings of danger understood by many species. [ dur: 30 mins. ]

Erick Greene, Professor of Biological Sciences at University of Montana. He has published numerous papers in ornithology, the latest in collaboration with the Cornell labs of Ornithology

Then, companies like Uber, Google and AirBnb claim to be civil rights leaders, but they are introducing a new form of corporate lawlessness? [ dur: 28 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies at University of Virginia. Author of “The Googlization of Everything: (And Why We Should Worry)“. His articles at Slate can be found here. He co-authored an opinion piece on Guardian UK newspaper with Frank Pasquale ( author of Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms that Control Money and Information (Harvard University Press, 2015) Uber and the lawlessness of ‘sharing economy’ corporates

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This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Empathy in human nature -/- New knowledge from Neurosciences – August 28, 2016

August 27, 2016 host

A new study suggests that the powerful feel less empathy. Does it have implications for society? [ dur: 18 mins. ]

Michael Inzlicht is Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto. He is co-author of Stereotype Threat: Theory, Process, and Application and co-author of the article Power Changes How the Brain Responds to Others

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle panel, while advances in neuroscience are making great leaps in understanding humanity, scholars and doctors disagree on what neuroscience does and does not tell us about what it means to be human. Are we our brains? Do we have free will? How far can neuroscience take us? [ dur: 40 mins. ]

Dr. Sally Satel is lecturer at Yale University, a resident scholar at AEI and the staff psychiatrist at a methadone clinic. She is co-author of One Nation Under Therapy: How the Helping Culture Is Eroding Self-Reliance and Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience.
Patricia S. Churchland is Professor Emerita of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego. In 1991, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. Her books include Brain-Wise: Studies in Neurophilosophy, Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality, and Touching a Nerve: The Self as Brain.

Find books authored by our guest scholars on this Book Shelf .

This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Humans Disrupting Evolution -/- Ethics in Health Care – August 21, 2016

August 20, 2016 host

First, is humanity the most damaging predator on earth? Our guests say yes, and that its predatory practices may be disrupting evolution.[ dur: 23 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Chris Darimont, is a Professor at the Department of Geography at University of Victoria, Victoria, BC. He has a PhD in Evolution and Ecology from the Biology Department at the University of Victoria.
Dr. Tom Reimchen, is a Professor at the Department of Geography at University of Victoria, Victoria, BC. Canada. Please visit the Evolutionary Studies Lab at University of Victoria, Victoria BC, Canada where you will find additional studies on this subject.
Heather Bryan, is a postdoctoral fellow in the Applied Conservation Science lab exploring the physiological mechanisms by which wildlife responds to environmental change at University of Victoria BC, Canada.

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle panel, many observers argue, that the economic forces are corrupting medical care and eroding the trust between patients and their doctors. The problems in health care delivery have wide implications related to how health care should function particularly when there are limited resources. We examine the ethics of medicine and healthcare, and the modern day issues that complicate them. [ dur: 37 mins. ]

Thomas Pogge is the Director of the Global Justice Program and Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs at Yale University and King’s College. His books include World Poverty and Human Rights, Freedom from Poverty: Who Owes What to the Very Poor? and World Poverty and Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Responsibilities and Reforms.
Martin Wilkinson is Professor of Political Studies and Deputy Head of Department of Politics & International Relns at the University of Auckland. His books include Freedom, Efficiency and Equality and Ethics and the Acquisition of Organs.
Richard Cookson is a Reader and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York. His books include The Humble Economist: Tony Culyer on Health, Health Care and Social Decision Making and Jonathan Bradshaw on Social Policy: Selected Writings 1972-2011.

Find books authored by our guest scholars on this Book Shelf .

This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Ritual Human Sacrifice Sets Social Hierarchy -/- Politics of Emotions – August 14, 2016

August 13, 2016 host

First, a new study suggests that ritual human sacrifice played a critical role in creating and maintaining social hierarchy.[ dur: 28 mins. ]

Quentin Atkinson is Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is the co-author of the study Ritual human sacrifice promoted and sustained the evolution of stratified societies, Nature (2016).

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle panel, we look at the politics of emotions. How do emotions drive outcomes like ethnic violence, wars and genocide? What roles to fear, anger, resentment and entitlement play in conflict?[ dur: 30 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Roger Petersen is a Professor of Political Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is the author of “Resistance and Rebellion: Lessons from Eastern Europe“, “Understanding Ethnic Violence: Fear, Hatred, Resentment in Twentieth Century Eastern Europe“, and “Western Intervention in the Balkans: The Strategic Use of Emotion in Conflict“.
David Altheide is Emeritus Regents’ Professor in the School of Justice and Social Inquiry at Arizona State University. He is the author of “Terrorism and the Politics of Fear“, “Creating Fear: News and the Construction of Crisis“, and “An Ecology of Communication: Cultural Formats of Control.”
Jeff Birkenstein is an Associate Professor in, and chair of, the Department of English at Saint Martin’s University. He is the author of “Reframing 9/11: Film, Popular Culture and the War on Terror“.

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This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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The Scholars' Circle Interviews

Category Archives: Scholars’ Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Magnetic Field effects on Birds, Bees, Whales and Turtles -/- Natural bonds among animals and humans – October 16, 2016

Scholars’ Circle – Intergenerational economic equality -/- Crop cultivation collapses without bees – October 9, 2016

Scholars’ Circle – Children of incarcerated parents -/- The US Presidency – October 2, 2016

Scholars’ Circle -Overuse of Antibiotics -/- Addressing Climate Change – September 25, 2016

Scholars’ Circle – Conventional Arms Trade -/- Psychology of Doing Good – September 11, 2016

Scholars’ Circle – Bird Songs -/- New Form of Corporate Lawlessness – September 4, 2016

Scholars’ Circle – Empathy in human nature -/- New knowledge from Neurosciences – August 28, 2016

Scholars’ Circle – Humans Disrupting Evolution -/- Ethics in Health Care – August 21, 2016

By Maria Armoudian