Culture Crash: Netflix’s Russian Doll
Netflix’s new show, Russian Doll is an ethical, mysterious, funny drama modeled after the Groundhog Day “waking up in the same moment” plot. It’s an especially great binge-watch.
Philosophy and Ethics Sub-categories:
Facing Our Own Mortality: How to plan for a more peaceful death for yourself and loved ones
Facing the prospect of death isn’t pleasant, but it is the reality of being human. We talk to two experts about how people can get their affairs in order both personally and medically to ensure their wishes are respected and their loved ones can properly grieve if the unthinkable happens.
Considering the Precarious Future of AI
Between Alexa, Google and Siri, artificial intelligence is here. But looking forward, AI will only get more and more intelligent. Author and researcher James Rollins discusses why AI has long scared scientists and storytellers, and what the future of our technology could look like if we aren’t careful.
China’s Family Policies & Their Impact on America
In America, we may have an idea of how China’s one-child and two-child policies work, but the truth is more complicated than many of us imagine. We talk to journalist and author Vanessa Hua about how these policies have rippled all the way into America.
Cybercrime in Real LIfe
We’ve all seen how our fiction portrays cybercrime, but what does it really look like? Jonathan Lusthaus, the director of the Human Cybercriminal Project at the University of Oxford, joins the show to talk about the real crimes committed online and what, if anything, we can do to protect ourselves.
The Need for Investigative Journalism
Investigative journalism is a necessity in a democracy. Independent journalists putting in long hours to serve as watch-dogs for our government can have long-lasting ramifications, just look at the impact Woodward and Bernstein made with their Watergate investigations. We talk to one expert about the current state of investigative journalism in America and …
Intrinsic Hope
It can easy to get the blues, especially with all of the division and turmoil in the world. But author Kate Davies has a different way of look at the world: one that can make us more hopeful, positive, and willing to pitch in and help. She calls it intrinsic hope, and it may be just what we all need this holiday season.
Culture Crash: Dave Eggers and His Boundary-Pushing Writing (2018)
Throughout his career, Eggers has pushed the boundaries of writing, and no book better illustrates his desire to innovate than his 2014 novel, Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? It’s a book that consists only of dialogue. Each line is introduced with a single dash, and while it sounds complicated, the form actually makes it …
When a Young Person Gets Sent to Adult Prison
There are millions incarcerated in American prisons, even many juveniles who were sentenced to long terms alongside adults. We talk to guests about how and why this happens, whether it should continue, and what life is like for young people behind bars.
Hank Green on the Internet, Fame, and Our Reaction Culture
Hank Green has a massive internet presence as a podcaster, vlogger, tweeter, and more. Now, he’s become an author. His new book, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, deals with internet fame and our reactionary culture head-on. He joins the show to discuss these issues, and whether is the internet is good.
Culture Crash: The Funny and Philosophical TV comedy, The Good Place
Two years ago, NBC debuted a strange new comedy show called The Good Place. It was written by Michael Schur, a writer on The Office and the creator of Parks & Recreation, so people were willing to get it a change… but it’s logline was pretty out-there. It’s a half-hour comedy about people who died in the afterlife and, specifically, about Eleanor …
The Sex Offender Reintegration Crisis
Sexual offenders have to live by a very particular set of rules. They can’t live near playgrounds, they’re on a registry for life. These rules exist to make everyone safer. But they also can limit a reformed criminal’s ability to reintegrate into everyday life and be productive members of society.
Privacy Online (2018)
Thanks to online shopping, internet banks and social media, our information has never been more vulnerable to theft. We explore what exactly is in all of those privacy agreements we often agree to without reading, and how we can try to reclaim our privacy in a digital world.
Maximizing Your Charity Donation’s Impact (2018)
Everyone has different causes that are close to their hearts. We talk to a philanthropy specialist about how we can donate to those causes and ensure that our contribution makes the biggest impact possible.
Serious Play: Using tactical performance as protest (2018)
We all love a good theater performance. But are theater and performance good strategies to affect social change? Our guest thinks so. He’s a performer, writer and educator who uses serious play and theater to help change people’s minds and change society for the better.
Catholicism and the LGBT Community: One Priest’s Mission to ‘build a bridge’
For centuries, the Catholic Church and the LGBT community have been at odds. Now, the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest, is trying to usher in a new era and welcome LGBT individuals to the church.
American Detainment: Lessons to Learn From America’s Internment Camp Shame
It’s a topic that has been in the news lately: how our government detains groups of people. We look back at history to see what really happened in World War II Japanese internment camps, and how we can avoid similar shame now and in the future.
The Fight for Paternity Leave
Bringing a new baby home is exciting... and chaotic. The last thing parents want to worry about is their work life. But for many dads, the stigma and financial burdens of trying to stay home means they have little time to bond at home. We talk to Josh Levs, a journalist who took the fight for paternity leave head-on.
The Ethical Implications of Genetic Screenings on Children (2018)
Science enables us to know much more than ever before. We can be aware of what disorders we could pass on to our kids and we can conduct screenings on children to discover irregularities in their genes. Such screenings can help doctors catch issues early but they can also put a huge burden on families.
Our Right to Privacy in the Social Media Age
When it comes to social media, who owns what information, and how do we assert the rights we do have? We talk to a professor of law about the legal issues associated with online profiles.
Ernest Withers: An FBI Informant in the Civil Rights Movement
Author Marc Perrusquia joins the show to tell the story of Ernest Withers, a Civil Rights photographer and a spy for the FBI, and helps us parse through what it all means.
Empowering Students To Be Leaders (2018)
We talk to experts about how teachers and schools are teaching young adults to think critically about important topics and take an active role in the ongoing debates.
Making Philosophy Relatable Through Humor
Authors Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein use humor to explain philosophical beliefs from deep thinkers, like Immanuel Kant and John Locke.
Bumper Sticker Philosophy
We talk to a teacher and philosopher about the deeper meanings of popular bumper stickers.
