Tag Archives: Social Sciences

Scholars’ Circle – Analysis of Ideology, Propaganda and Race -/- Rapid Rate of Extinction, why and what can be done – December 10, 2017

December 9, 2017 host

First, an analysis of ideology, propaganda and race. [ dur: 17 mins. ]

David Livingstone Smith is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England. He is the author of Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others, The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War, How Biology Shapes Philosophy and Why We Lie: Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind.

Then, what are the causes of the rapid rate of species extinction and what can be done. [ dur: 41 mins. ]

Anthony Barnosky is Executive Director of Stanford University’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, and an Emeritus Professor of Integrative Biology at University of California Berkeley. He is the author of Dodging Extinction—Power, Food, Money and the Future of Life on Earth and co-author of Tipping Point for Planet Earth—How Close Are We To The Edge (with Elizabeth Hadly).
Stuart Pimm is Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University. He is the author of A Scientist Audits the Earth, The Balance of Nature? Ecological Issues in the Conservation of Species and Communities, and Patterns in Nature: The Analysis of Species Co-Occurences.
David Wilkie is Director of Conservation Measures for the Wildlife Conservation Society. He is the author of Hunting for consensus: reconciling bushmeat harvest, conservation, and development policy in West and Central Africa, Valuation of consumption and sale of forest goods from a Central American rain forest, and Impacts of protected areas on local livelihoods in Cambodia.

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 – Discoveries about x and y chromosomes -/- Celebrity Industrial Complex – May 28, 2017

May 28, 2017 host

First, scientific discoveries about x and y chromosomes are challenging what we know about what makes us male or female. [ dur: 16 mins. ]

Jeremy Nathans is Professor of molecular biology and genetics, neuroscience and ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His discoveries have changed our understanding of how humans see the world. link to Professor Jeremy Nathan’s lab
Melissa Wilson Sayres is Professor in the School of Life Sciences and The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Her research interests are in sex chromosome evolution, sex-biased processes, population genetics, and comparative genomics. Melissa Wilson Sayres research papers

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle panel, what is the celebrity industrial complex? How does it impact our democracies, our culture and society? [ dur: 43 mins. ]

Joshua Gamson is a Professor of Sociology at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The Music, The Seventies in San Francisco, Freaks Talk Back: Tabloid Talk Shows and Sexual Nonconformity and Claims to Fame: Celebrity in Contemporary America.
David Gilles is a Professor in Media Psychology at the University of Winchester. He is the author of Psychology of the media, Media psychology and Illusions of immortality: A psychology of fame and celebrity.
P. David Marshall is a Professor and Chair in New Media, Communication and Cultural Studies at Deakin University, Australia. He is the author of Celebrity and Power: Fame in Contemporary Culture, New Media Cultures and The Celebrity Culture Reader.

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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 – Melting glaciers and ice sheets -/- Insight into Addiction and it’s treatment – February 26, 2017

February 24, 2017 host

First, climate change, receding glaciers and melting ice sheets are causing the oceans to rise dramatically. What does that mean for the world’s coastal cities? [ dur: 15mins. ]

Andrea Dutton is a Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Florida. She is the co-author of Tropical Tales of Polar Ice:Evidence of Last Interglacial Polar Ice Sheet Retreat Recorded by Fossil Reefs of the Granitic Seychelles Island published in Quaternary Science Reviews.
Brian Fagan is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is the author of The Attacking Ocean: The Past, Present, and Future of Rising Sea Levels, Elixir: A History of Water and Humankind and The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations

Then, on The Scholars’ Circle panel, science contradicts long held societal myths about addiction. What are the most effective means of addressing addiction? [ dur: 43mins. ]

Dr. Lance Dodes is a former Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors, Breaking Addiction: A 7-Step Handbook for Ending Any Addiction and The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry.
Dr. Jeffrey Foote is the Co-founder and Clinical Director of the Center For Motivation and Change. Previously, he was the Deputy Director of the Division of Alcohol Treatment and Research at Mt. Sinai Medical Center and a Senior Research Associate at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. He is the co-author of Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change.
Dr. Adi Jaffe is a lecturer at UCLA and the Co-Founder and Executive Director at Alternatives Addiction Treatment.

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This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, 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“.

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- How humanity will respond to Climate Change -/- Life long effects from act of Bullying – May 8th, 2016

May 7, 2016 host

First, the scenarios we face with climate change and the options for humanity. Gwynne Dyer is author of Climate Wars: The Fight for Survival as the World Overheats. [ dur: 28 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Gwynne Dyer, author, military historian, journalist. He is the author of Climate Wars: The Fight for Survival as the World Overheats

Finally, on the scholars’ panel we take a close look at bullying. Bullies and victims of bullies are much more likely to develop psychological disorders such as agoraphobia, panic disorder, suicidal thoughts and aggressive behavior, as adults. In both adult and adolescent settings bullying cultures can emerge when bystanders and others disengage and allow the behavior to continue, ultimately creating abusive organizations. What is the long term effect on individuals and by extension on societies at large, resulting from bulling behaviors? [ dur: 30 mins. ]

Joyce T. Heames is Chair and Professor of Management and Industrial Relations in the College of Business & Economics at West Virginia University. She is the author of publications: “A bully as an archetypal destructive leader” and “Bullying: From the Playground to the Boardroom”.
Catherine Bradshaw is a Professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and has a joint appointment in the Johns Hopkins School of Education. She is the Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence and the Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Prevention and Early Intervention. Catherine Bradshaw is the co-author of publication “Bullies, gangs, drugs, and school, Understanding the overlap and the role of ethnicity and urbanity”.
Jaana Juvonen is Professor of Developmental Psychology in the Department of Psychology at UCLA. She co-authored “Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and victimized” and “Bullying in school: The power of bullies and the plight of the victims”.

Find book 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- Christmas Truce of 1914 -/- How to Redefine Democracy -/- Unforeseen Cost of Civilization – December 27th, 2015

December 27, 2015 host

First, why did soldiers on the front line of one of the deadliest wars lay down their arms and play soccer with the very men they were supposed to shoot? We’ll revisit the Christmas truce of 1914. [ dur: 23 mins. ]

Stanley Weintraub is a Professor Emeritus of Arts and Humanities at Penn State University. He is the author of more than 50 books including “Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce.“

Next, author Raj Petal discusses his book, “The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market, Society and Redefine Democracy.” [ dur: 12 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Rajeev Patel is a Research Professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.

Finally, what are the hidden costs of civilization? Could it be behind disease and other problems? Spencer Wells is the author of “Pandora’s Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization.” [ dur: 23 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Spencer Wells is a Professor at Cornell University and Director of Genographic Project at the National Geographic.

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By Maria Armoudian