Tag Archives: Science and Technology

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

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

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. ]

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.

Scholars’ Circle- Free Will affected by Parasites -/- Police Shooting on African Americans in US cities – May 15th, 2016

First, is our behavior free will or is it partly due to parasites? New science shows how parasites change behaviors throughout the animal kingdom. What does that mean for human behavior? [ dur: 14 mins. ]

Then, behind fatal shootings of African Americans–Race relations, police culture and society. [ dur: 44 mins. ]

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.

Scholars’ Circle- Study on effects of consumerism -/- humanity affected by history of science and religion – May 1st, 2016

First, how most of what we buy and consume helps create wars, prop up dictatorships and systems of oppression, and some ways to start changing this. [ dur: 27 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

  • Leif Wenar is Chair of Philosophy and Law at King’s College London. He is the author of “Blood Oil: Tyrants, Violence and the Rules That Run the World“. Leif Wenar website

Then, how might Big History change our thinking about the role of humanity in the history of the earth and the convergence of science and religion. [ dur: 30 mins. ]

  • Jonathan Markley is Associate Professor of History at California State University, Fullerton. He is part of the Big History movement and has been featured in many television episodes related to it. Big History Project website

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

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

Scholars’ Circle- Past Climate Change and human responses -/- Leadership for Democracies -/- Children healing from abduction trauma – April 10th, 2016

First, how have our ancestors dealt with earlier changes in the climate and environment? What does it tell us about our current situation? [ dur: 25 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Then, our guest argues that strong leaders are not necessarily the best leaders, particularly for democracies. What does history tell us about the best kind of leader for society? We are joined by Professor Archie Brown author of The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age. This is part two of a two part interview. Part one can be found here. [ dur: 20 mins. ]

  • Archie Brown is Professor Emeritus of Politics at Oxford University. His books include “The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age“, “The Gorbachev Factor” and “The Rise and Fall of Communism“.

Finally, what becomes of the children who are abducted and forced into sex slavery and child soldiering? Our guest Jane Ekayu, a child trauma therapist, is helping children heal and rebuild their lives. [ dur: 13 mins. ]

  • Jane Ekayu, Founder and Executive Director Children of Peace, Uganda.

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

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

Scholars’ Circle- Uber, Lyft & AirBnB Business Model Effects -/- Species Extinction by Wildlife Traffickers – March 20th, 2016

First, the battles and changes arising from so-called “disrupters” such as Uber, Lyft and AirBnB. [ dur: 25 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

Then, on The Scholars’ Circle panel, wildlife trafficking is putting some species to the brink of extinction. We explore the multi-billion dollar a year industry. What is the scope of the problem? What should be done to rescue our most endangered species? [ dur: 30mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

  • David S. Wilkie PhD is a wildlife ecologist specializing in human behavioral ecology and anthropology. He is the Director of Conservation Support at the Wildlife Conservation Society and Adjunct Associate Professor at Boston College, and formerly co-chair of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force. He has numerous scholarly publications and is a contributor to Huffington Post and LiveScience. He is a contributor to “Great Apes and Humans: The Ethics of Coexistence
  • Tanya Wyatt PhD is lecturer of wildlife criminology at the University of Northumbria in the UK. She is the author of “Green criminology & wildlife trafficking: the illegal fur and falcon trades in Russia Far East“, and the book “Wildlife Trafficking: A Deconstruction of the Crime, the Victims, and the Offenders (Critical Criminological Perspectives)“.
  • Marc Bekoff ( blog ), is professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and co-founder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. His books include “The Emotional Lives of Animals, Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed: The Fascinating Science of Animal Intelligence, Emotions, Friendship, and Conservation“, and has co-authored, “Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals

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

Scholars’ Circle- Cooperative economic history and practices -/- How human society is affected by unconscious mind – January 24th, 2016

First, can worker owned cooperatives transform workers lives and livelihoods? We speak with Jessica Gordon Nembhard author of, Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice. [ dur: 31 mins. ]

  • Jessica Gordon Nembhard is Associate Professor of Community Justice and Social Economic Development in the Department of Africana Studies at John Jay College, City University of New York. Her latest book is Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice.

Then, a look at how the unconscious mind and biological predispositions effect political outcomes, waging war and prejudice biases. We are joined by Guillermo Jimenez author of, Red Genes, Blue Genes, and Shankar Vedantam author of, The Hidden Brain. [ dur: 27 mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

  • Shankar Vedantam is a science correspondent with NPR. Before joining National Public Radio in 2011, Vedantam was a national science writer at The Washington Post. Between 2007 and 2009, Vedantam authored the weekly Department of Human Behavior column in The Washington Post. He is the winner of several journalism awards. Vedantam is a 2009-2010 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Shankar Vedantam is a science correspondent with NPR. His latest book is “The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives“.
  • Guillermo Jimenez is Professor of International Trade at State University of New York. He is the author of “Red Genes, Blue Genes: Exposing Political Irrationality“.

Find book/publication authored by our guest scholars on this Book Shelf .

Scholars’ Circle- Christmas Truce of 1914 -/- How to Redefine Democracy -/- Unforeseen Cost of Civilization – December 27th, 2015

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

Find book/publication authored by our guest scholars Book Shelf .

Scholars’ Circle- How Hollywood Artists affect Politics -/- Ethics in Cloning Extinct Species – December 13th, 2015

First, we’ll begin with the surprising ways that Hollywood actors have shaped American politics and who have some of the most groundbreaking and influential on the body politic. [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Professor Steven Ross, University of Southern California (USC). He is the author of “Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics“.

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle panel, with dozens of species going extinct every day, we look at the science and ethical issues of de-extinction – bringing back some species through cloning. [ dur: 30 mins. ]

  • Dr. Michael Archer is professor of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales. He has published over 300 scientific journal articles and books focused on the ecology and evolution of past and present. He has been working to bring back some extinct animals. His latest work includes contributions to two encyclopedias: Fossil mammals of Australia and New Guinea and Evolution and Zoogeography of Australasian Vertebrates. He is the co-author of the book Australia’s Lost World: Prehistoric Animals of Riversleigh
  • Dr. John Wiens is professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. He is also a former curator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and has served as editor of a number of scientific journals. He is the author of many books including, The Ecology of Birds Communities.
  • Carl Zimmer is an award winning lecturer at Yale University and author of thirteen books including, Evolution: Making Sense of Life and More Brain Cuttings: Further Explorations of the Mind. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Time Magazine, National Geographic, and Scientific American. Here is a list of other books by Carl Zimmer

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Scholars’ Circle- Dark Side of Sharing Economy -/- Politics of Anonymous- December 6th, 2015

First, the dark side of Uber, AirBnB and the rest of the so called “sharing economy”. We speak with Steven Hill, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. [ dur: 30 mins. ]

  • Steven Hill is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and co-founder of Fair Vote: Center for Voting and Democracy. He’s the author of “Raw Deal: How the Uber Economy and Naked Capitalism are Screwing American Workers“.

Then, in the wake of the attacks on Paris, Anonymous has turned its cyber-weapons onto the Islamic State, we explore the driving political ethos of Anonymous? [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Luke Goode (profile page) is Senior Lecturer in Media, Film and Television at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His research interests focus primarily on the connections between media, technology and democracy. He is the author of “Jurgen Habermas: Democracy and the Public Sphere (Modern European Thinkers)” and has published on a range of topics including public service broadcasting, social media, citizen journalism and hacktivism.

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Scholars’ Circle-New Media affects Politics-/-Science and Politics-October 25th, 2015

First, can new media change power relations? We speak with Rory O’Connor. [ dur: 27 mins. ]

  • Rory O’Connor is an author, filmmaker and journalist. He is the author of “Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands, and Killing Traditional Media ” . He is the co-author of “Shock Jocks: Hate Speech and Talk Radio: America?s Ten Worst Hate Talkers and the Progressive Alternatives” and “Nukespeak: The Selling of Nuclear Power in America“.

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle, in the face of looming public health and sustainability, we look at the intersection of science and politics. [ dur: 31mins. ]

  • Naomi Oreskes is Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. She is the co-author of “ Science and Technology in the Global Cold War“, “The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future“, and “Merchant of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming
  • David H. Guston is Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University. He is Principal Investigator and Director of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University and author of “Between Politics and Science: Assuring the Integrity and Productivity of Research“, co-author of “Informed Legislatures: Coping with Science in a Democracy“, and he has co-edited “Shaping the Next Generation of Science and Technology Policy“.
  • Mark B. Brown is Professor in the Department of Government at California State University, Sacramento. He is the author of “Science in Democracy: Expertise, Institutions, and Representation“.

Find book/publication authored by our guest scholars Book Shelf .