Episodes
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If we do absolutely nothing to mitigate climate change, scientists estimate the toll could be $38 trillion a year in damages. Industrialized countries like the United States, China, Russia and European nations are the biggest contributors to the problem, but as things stand, they probably won’t pay most of the costs from catastrophes that happen in other parts of the world. Transitioning to clean energy and staving off the worst possible climate harms will cost less in the long run, but requires investment now. What can spur the private financial sector to get excited about clean energy investment? Former climate envoy and U.S. secretary of state John Kerry joins Anne Finucane of TPG Rise Climate Fund and Vijay Vaitheeswaran, the global energy and climate innovation editor of The Economist for a strategic conversation at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival on how to get funding for climate mitigation projects to move faster. MSNBC business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle moderates the conversation.
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Hope seems like a simple concept, but the feeling can be difficult to hold onto. And when times are difficult and chaos swirls around us, it’s more important than ever. How do we find and practice hope when it’s elusive? Spiritual and religious leaders rely on centuries of experience and wisdom to continually guide people back to hope, and this episode’s discussion from the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival draws from these experts. Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber founded the House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, and doesn’t shy away from unorthodox methods of ministry. Rabbi Sharon Brous is the founder and leader of IKAR, a nondenominational Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. Humanist chaplain Greg Epstein works with the populations at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Union Theological Seminary professor and the former director of the Religion and Society Program at the Aspen Institute, Simran Jeet Singh, introduces and moderates the conversation.
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Almost anyone with a computer can figure out how to make a deepfake photo, video or audio. With a contentious and vitally important election around the corner in the United States, what can we do to prepare for convincing misinformation aimed at voters? Experts around the country and the world have been preparing for this issue, and many have already gone through their own recent elections. At the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, public and private sector officials met for a discussion on how to inoculate voters against bogus content and combat bad actors intent on disrupting democratic processes. Audrey Tang is Taiwan’s first Digital Minister, and led a successful effort to safeguard the country’s January elections. Michigan’s Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, has been through the past two election cycles and received national recognition for her special attention to tech interference. And Ginny Badanes manages Microsoft’s Democracy Forward program, focused on addressing global challenges to democracy. The Vice President and Executive Director of Aspen Digital, Vivian Schiller, moderates the conversation.
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It’s been decades since the United States has updated its immigration policies in any sort of comprehensive way, and the problems and suffering at the southern border have persisted. Meanwhile, worsening conflicts around the world push more and more people to leave their homes and try and make their way to America. Immigration is a top concern of U.S. voters, and almost everyone agrees that something needs to change. Why is immigration reform so difficult? Four experts with diverse perspectives meet for a frank and lively panel at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, and point out the gaps and roadblocks in our current system. President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband, brings the aid organization outlook. New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer has reported on immigration for years. U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw from Texas sees the political fight from inside Congress. And Marcela Escobari serves the public as coordinator for the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, and is also a special assistant to President Biden. NBC News journalist Rebecca Blumenstein moderates the conversation.
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Where will artificial intelligence be in five years, or 10 or 20? What happens if the technology is regulated? And if it isn’t? How will it shape the world and the way we live our lives? The CEO of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleyman, has been working in this young field for more than a decade. He knows the AI landscape inside and out, and is a level-headed advocate for the technology’s future. He talks with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, the co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” about how to proceed carefully and bring out the best version of AI while fostering progress. He believes friction and regulation aren’t necessarily a bad thing for an industry that could literally change the way we think about ourselves as humans. Suleyman is the bestselling author of “The Coming Wave: Technology, Power and the 21st Century’s Greatest Dilemma.” Their conversation took place at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival.
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The challenges for university presidents keep coming, from Middle East protests to standardized testing and admissions debates, to complaints over classroom content and pedagogical methods. The American public has little faith in college administrators right now, according to polling, and it’s often unclear how institutions can move forward and assuage the critics. Not to mention how to best educate our future leaders and citizens. A panel of wide-ranging experts on college life tackles these issues head on at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, sharing examples from their schools and answering audience questions. Two college presidents, Dr. Sian Beilock of Dartmouth and L. Song Richardson, formerly of Colorado College, bring the perspective of leadership to the conversation. Theo Baker, a Stanford University student and investigative journalist known for exposing falsifications in the former Stanford president’s research, speaks to the student experience at a well-resourced institution. And the CEO of U.S. News and World Report, Eric Gertler, explains how the higher education watchdog publication is observing the landscape. Financial Times editorial board member and columnist, and provost of Kings College, Cambridge University in the UK, Gillian Romaine Tett, moderates the discussion.
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Whether they publicly tout it or not, U.S. technology companies play a powerful role in politics, cultural issues and the way we live. Founder and investor Peter Thiel is one of the more visible and outspoken Silicon Valley figures. A member of the so-called "PayPal Mafia," a highly successful group of PayPal founders and employees, Thiel waded into the limelight in the lead-up to the 2016 election when he became an avid supporter and funder of the Trump campaign. While Trump and Thiel’s relationship has reportedly suffered since then, he explains in this interview at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival why he’ll likely still vote for Trump in 2024, but not donate to any campaigns. Co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Andrew Ross Sorkin presses Thiel on what another Trump presidency could mean for the country and democracy. Since this conversation was recorded on June 27, Trump selected Thiel’s mentee J.D. Vance as his vice presidential pick, and Thiel reportedly may be warming up to stronger support of the campaign. Sorkin also picks Thiel’s brain on the future of AI, cryptocurrency and cultural clashes in Silicon Valley and the tech world.
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Sizable electorates around the world are flocking to populist candidates who promise power, domination and a return to better times. The global experiment in liberalism seems to be suffering a setback. In his latest book, “Age of Revolutions,” journalist Fareed Zakaria teases apart the foreign policy decisions that got us to this point. Several U.S. missteps, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the 2008 financial crisis, eroded trust in the vision of the American project, he says. And growing individual liberty and choice sparked a backlash among those mourning a cohesion they believe their society used to enjoy. New York Times columnist David Brooks, interviews Zakaria and takes questions from the audience.
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Conflict and suffering can bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best. This is one of the lessons New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has learned from decades of reporting on the ground in war zones and amidst humanitarian nightmares. Somehow, despite witnessing atrocities like the Tiananmen Square protests, genocide in Darfur and war in Iraq, Kristof still believes in humanity and holds onto optimism about the future. In his latest book, a memoir called “Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life,” he explains how he’s been able to persist. Podcast and TV host Kelly Corrigan interviews Kristof at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival about his road from a small rural town in Oregon to a decades-long career at the Times. This conversation was held on June 29.
*Please note that this conversation references substance abuse, sexual abuse, and suicide.aspenideas.org
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The federal right to abortions in the United States has been overturned, access to contraception and IVF services are threatened in many states, and the gender wage gap persists. It feels like an era of backsliding for women’s rights and freedoms. What can we do to reverse the trend and get back on the road to progress? Three experts and crusaders for women’s and family rights meet on stage at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival for a conversation and strategy session on standing up for women. U.S. Representative (D-CA) Katie Porter, NYU law professor and constitutional law scholar Melissa Murray, and litigator Roberta Kaplan discuss recent Supreme Court decisions, the presidential debate, and the policy priorities and messages they’d like to see from lawmakers and candidates. Journalist Katie Couric moderates the conversation and takes audience questions. The talk was held on June 28.
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The grim stream of news from the Middle East has been making it more and more difficult to hold onto hope for peace. When and how will the conflict in Gaza end? And could war even spread to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon? Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who served from 2006 to 2009, takes the stage at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival to share his frank thoughts on the situation. Washington Post reporter David Ignatius interviews Olmert, pushing to the heart of the issue in this rare opportunity to hear straight from the leader. In the second portion of the talk, Ignatius continues the conversation with the current ambassador to the United States from Jordan, Dina Kawar, and former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides. The diplomats give insights into the region’s complexities and possible paths out of constant conflict. Both talks were held on June 26.
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The Supreme Court has issued another series of controversial and consequential decisions this term, fueling discussion on the current state of the judicial branch. Recent polling data show that seven in 10 Americans do not trust that the court can be impartial, and the justice’s actions outside of their chambers continue to make headlines. In a timely panel at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, three constitutional law experts meet for a lively and hard-hitting conversation on the court’s latest rulings. Neal Katyal of Georgetown Law, Melissa Murray of NYU School of Law and George Conway of the Society for the Rule of Law discuss how the Chevron doctrine ruling will change U.S. regulation and lawmaking. And they cover other major decisions such as the Idaho emergency abortion case and continued consequences of the 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. What constitutes ethical conduct for a Supreme Court justice? Has the court been politicized, and if so, what do we do about it? The conversation took place on the evening of Friday, June 28, just ahead of the court’s decision on former president Donald Trump’s immunity case. Liz Kreutz, NBC News national correspondent, moderates the conversation.
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People and families suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia often feel desperate for a cure and will try anything. Unfortunately, no cure exists and not a single treatment has been shown to reverse the effects of these brain diseases once they’ve started. Millions of Americans are afflicted by Alzheimer’s and dementia, and dishearteningly, the numbers are growing. But studies show that prevention via simple lifestyle habits is extremely effective, and some simple changes in diet, exercise and sleep practices can reduce the chances of developing brain disease by up to 40 or 50 percent. Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai are a husband-and-wife team of neurologists who co-direct the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University in Southern California. In this talk from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival, the Sherzais share some of the most hopeful and accessible tips on adopting a healthy lifestyle that can optimize long-term brain health and keep cognitive decline at bay.
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Death is understandably difficult – and for some people, nearly impossible – to conceive of and talk about. Especially our own. It may seem like there’s nothing we can do to prepare for our last moments on earth, but several innovative panelists at the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival would disagree. Alua Arthur is a “death doula,” who helps people find peace with themselves when nearing the end of their life. A former lawyer, she founded the organization Going With Grace to help redefine the end-of-life experience. Dan Diaz was thrust into advocacy when his wife, Brittany Maynard, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2014 at age 29. Maynard wanted control over how she died, and the couple moved to Oregon for the last months of her life, where medical aid in dying was legal. Diaz has been pushing to expand legalization of medical aid in dying ever since, and has helped pass legislation in several states since Brittany’s death. Designer Katrina Spade invented a way to turn humans into compost after life, and founded the company Recompose. Human composting is now legal in five states, thanks to efforts led by Recompose. Stanford medical professor and health care culture advocate Dr. Lucy Kalanithi moderates the conversation. Kalanithi’s husband Paul Kalanithi died of cancer in 2015, after writing the memoir “When Breath Becomes Air.”
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Climate change is demanding an extraordinarily rapid transformation of human society, and we don’t have a manual. The people who have done the least to cause the problem are the people who will be feeling it most, and that pattern of inequality exists both within and between nations. Mapping a course to an adapted planet is an incredibly complex task that requires the cooperation of millions. Atmospheric scientist Katharine Hayhoe is one of those pitching in, and she has co-authored the past four U.S. National Climate Assessment reports. She’s also the chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy and a professor in the Texas Tech University Political Science department. Her multiple insider roles give her a unique perspective on what it will take to solve and adapt to the climate crisis, and her practice of finding hope keeps her engaged. NBC “Today” show weather and feature anchor Al Roker interviews Hayhoe at the 2024 Aspen Ideas: Climate event in Miami Beach, Florida.
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For years, Yale undergraduate students have lined up to take a wildly popular course called Life Worth Living. Bucking the highly competitive tone you might expect at an Ivy League school, the class teaches students to look beyond traditional markers of success for deeper meaning. Theology professor Miroslav Volf is one of the co-teachers, and also one of the co-authors of a book version of the course that came out last year called “Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most.” Podcast and TV host Kelly Corrigan invited Volf to introduce the book and start an extended and lively conversation with a wide variety of writers and thinkers at the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival. After setting the stage with Volf, Corrigan poses probing questions to Mónica Guzmán, the author of “I Never Thought of It That Way” and a senior fellow at Braver Angels, James Ijames, a playwright who won a 2022 Pulitzer for his play “Fat Ham,” Alexandra Reeve Givens, a lawyer and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, and Rainn Wilson, the actor who played Dwight Schrute on the TV show “The Office” and recently wrote a book about spirituality called “Soul Boom.”
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In the late 1990s, HIV and AIDS was killing people in Sub-Saharan Africa at an astonishing rate. Generations of children were growing up without parents and the workforce of civil society was hollowing out. Drugs effectively treating the disease were just becoming available, and the George W. Bush administration wanted to explore a way to bring treatment to Africa. Anthony Fauci was head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the time, and under near-secrecy, he was assigned to formulate a plan via several fact-finding trips to the continent. When the outline of the program came together, then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist rallied support in congress and led the passage of legislation for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. In today’s talk from Aspen Ideas: Health, Fauci and Frist meet on stage about two decades after the start of PEPFAR to tell the story of how it got started and reflect on where it’s gone since. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen moderates the conversation.
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The world seems to be moving and evolving faster than ever before, and democratic ideals are under threat in many countries around the globe. New York Times columnist and journalist Thomas Friedman has spent his career learning how to see things from many sides and identify the seams in the fabric of society. He believes we’re at a moment in time when it’s critical that we focus our energy on coming together and rebuilding functional democracy. In the closing session of the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival last June, Friedman shares his experiences of reporting in the Middle East and at home in the United States, and reflects on witnessing the best and worst of humanity.
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It doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to put the generative artificial intelligence genie back in the bottle. But we might still be able to prevent some potential damage. Tools like Bard and ChatGPT are already being used in the workplace, educational settings, health care, scientific research, and all over social media. What kind of guardrails do we need to prevent bad actors from causing the worst imaginable outcomes? And who can put those protections in place and enforce them? A panel of A.I. experts from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival shares hopes and fears for this kind of technology, and discusses what can realistically be done by private, public and civil society sectors to keep it in check. Lila Ibrahim, COO of the Google A.I. company DeepMind, joins social science professor Alondra Nelson and IBM’s head of privacy and trust, Christina Montgomery, for a conversation about charting a path to ethical uses of A.I. CNBC tech journalist Deirdre Bosa moderates the conversation and takes audience questions.
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History has the power to teach us what to do in the present, but do we actually make good use of that tool? Many events in our recent past might suggest otherwise. American history is complex and full of pain, suffering and missteps. Harvard professor Imani Perry’s interdisciplinary work draws from African American studies, legal history and cultural studies to find insights into how we live today. In this talk from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival, she joins author, historian and Vanderbilt professor Jon Meacham for a conversation about how to reckon with the United States’ difficult history. The two touch on the Civil Rights movement, the value of civics education and a collective mindset and what simply getting along with our neighbors can and cannot accomplish.
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