Best Kelly Weinersmith Podcasts (2024)

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 517 - Wall Street, Weight Loss, and Wealthy Universities 43:23

5h ago43:23

43:23

From AI hype to Dolly Parton releases, Jonathan Aberman and Mark Walsh explore this month’s trends in finance, culture, and politics. Also, Jonathan sits down with Paulina Bren, author of “She-Wolves”, to honor the women who defied the odds and left their mark on Wall Street in the 1960s and ‘70s. Drawing on Jonathan’s own experience on Ozempic, Jo…

1
Science Denial: Why It Happens and What To Do About It, with Gale Sinatra 1:07:27

6d ago1:07:27

1:07:27

Everyone is vulnerable to fallacies that can lead to misunderstanding scientific topics. In her book (written with Barbara Hofer), Science Denial: Why It Happens and What To Do About It, Gale investigates many of these, including: Cognitive biases Emotions Motivated reasoning Identities Gale also explains what all of us can do to increase our scien…

1
Anti-natalism with Mark Maharaj 59:34

21d ago59:34

59:34

Anti-natalism is the philosophical idea that choosing to have children is an unethical act. Mark explains what anti-natalism is, as well as what it isn’t, and describes how he came to subscribe to anti-natalist thought. Learn more about anti-natalism from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (https://iep.utm.edu/anti-natalism/) and Stanford Ency…

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 516 - Powered by the People - Corey Brettschneider 43:23

12d ago43:23

43:23

Longer episodes, deeper dives! In our new one hour format, hosts Jonathan Aberman and Mark Walsh explore new trends, share media recommendations, and interview author Corey Brettschneider. "The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It" examines how citizen movements have resisted pres…

1
Kelly Weinersmith asks: Are we ready to live off-planet? 1:02:44

29d ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Dr. Kelly Weinersmith (@FuSchmu) is the co-author (with her husband Zach) of Soonish and A City on Mars. Kelly maintains that while having humans living off Earth would be awesome, we’re simply not ready for it yet. She answers many of Leslie’s questions: Why can’t we go to Mars if we have the will? Why can’t we all just get along? Why should we ex…

1
Designing Brain-Computer Interfaces w/ Conor Russomanno 29:03

2M ago29:03

29:03

Founder & CEO of OpenBCI Conor Russomanno shares his thoughts on what neurotechnology can teach us about being human, the ethical challenges of designing devices to measure brain activity, and the advantages of open-source brain-computer interfaces. Conor Russomanno is the founder and CEO of OpenBCI, a company working to build ethical brain-compute…

1
The search for truth, with Carolyn Biltoft 1:03:42

2M ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Carolyn Biltoft received her PhD in World History from Princeton University in 2010. Her work fuses the tools of world history, intellectual history, cultural studies and critical theory. Carolyn has thought deeply about the nature of truth, and realized that each person necessarily has an incomplete understanding, because we only experience a smal…

1
The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself, with Robin Reames 1:09:11

2M ago1:09:11

1:09:11

Robin Reames is the incoming Culbertson Chair of English at Indiana University. She researches and writes about the history of ideas, particularly lost ideas from the ancient Greek rhetorical tradition that can enrich our lives today. Leslie and Robin talk about her book, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized …

1
What’s the point if there’s no god? Ralph Lewis has an answer. 1:17:38

2M ago1:17:38

1:17:38

Dr. Ralph Lewis is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, a practicing psychiatrist, and blogs for Psychology Today. Leslie and Dr. Lewis explore the themes in his book, “Finding Purpose in a Godless World: Why We Care Even if the Universe Doesn’t”, including addressing some key questions: Does the universe have a purpose? Why are we …

1
Why Tech Needs Feminism w/ Dr. Eleanor Drage & Dr. Kerry McInerney 50:02

2M ago50:02

50:02

Senior Research Fellows Dr. Eleanor Drage and Dr. Kerry McInerney share their insights on how artificial intelligence will impact society, using a feminist lens to rethink innovation and the importance of language in shaping our understanding of ‘good’ technology. Dr Eleanor Drage is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre fo…

1
The Founding Myth, with Andrew Seidel 1:01:01

3M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

Andrew Seidel (@AndrewLSeidel) is the author of The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is un-American, and works for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He and Leslie discuss the birth of the United States and its founding documents. Andrew reveals that America was not intended to be in any way a Christian nation, yet a signi…

1
A Right to Cognitive Liberty w/ Prof. Nita Farahany 26:53

3M ago26:53

26:53

Legal scholar Nita Farahany shares her insights into protecting our privacy through the right to cognitive liberty, how neuro-technology can enhance our understanding of mental health, and why the public should demand self-access to their brain data. Nita Farahany is Professor of Law & Philosophy at Duke Law School, Director of Science & Society, a…

1
Human Rights & Robot Wrongs w/ Dr. Susie Alegre 31:43

3M ago31:43

31:43

Human rights lawyer Dr. Susie Alegre shares her insights into the threat artificial intelligence poses to human creativity, the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in safeguarding freedom of thought, and applying existing laws to regulate the development and deployment of emerging technologies. Dr. Susie Alegre is a leadi…

1
The Ten Commitments, with Kristin Wintermute and Emily Newman 1:15:59

3M ago1:15:59

1:15:59

The Ten Commitments come from the American Humanist Association’s Center for Education. They “represent our shared humanistic values and principles that promote a democratic world in which every individual’s worth and dignity is respected, nurtured, and supported, and where human freedom and ethical responsibility are natural aspirations for everyo…

1
Alternative medicine nearly killed me, says Kat Mac 1:03:14

4M ago1:03:14

1:03:14

Kat McLeod is passionate about dispelling misinformation, especially regarding herbal remedies. Taking herbal supplements nearly killed her, so she volunteers at the University of Alberta as a mentor for pharmacy and medical students, arming them with the knowledge that can hopefully prevent the kind of suffering she has endured. Kat and Leslie tal…

1
Reclaiming Tech w/ Jeremy Gilbert, Alex Williams & Alison Winch 48:47

4M ago48:47

48:47

Cultural & Political Theorists Jeremy Gilbert, Alex Williams & Alison Winch share their insights on the societal impacts of technological innovation, the hegemonic power of the Silicon Valley tech billionaires, and re-engineering digital platforms for democratic purposes. Jeremy Gilbert is Professor of Cultural & Political Theory at the University …

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 515 - Lessons on Earth and Life on Mars - Kelly Weinersmith 28:13

4M ago28:13

28:13

Exploring and settling outer space may seem like the ultimate form of entrepreneurship – but is it a realistic ambition? Drawing from her latest book "A City on Mars", Kelly Weinersmith sits down with Jonathan to discuss the hurdles we face in our journey to space, from human physiology to resource governance. So human life on Mars is still far-fet…

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 514 - Is Entrepreneurship Overrated? - Benjamin Waterhouse 28:13

4M ago28:13

28:13

"Being your own boss" isn't just about getting rich and being independent. In his latest book “One Day I’ll Work for Myself", author and historian Benjamin Waterhouse separates the allure from the illusions of self-employment. He takes a hard look at the mythology of entrepreneurship, from colonial America and the digital revolution of the 1980s to…

1
Behind the Scenes at Podcast for Inquiry 31:45

4M ago31:45

31:45

Leslie gave the keynote address at the Centre for Inquiry Canada’s Annual General Meeting in March. That address is today’s special episode of Podcast for Inquiry. Leslie talks about the principles underlying the podcast, the rules and guidelines they led to, and some of the difficult decisions those working on the podcast had to make. Leslie also …

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 513 - Privacy, Prejudice, and Policy in A.I.'s Future - Sean Perryman 28:13

5M ago28:13

28:13

Sean Perryman is the Head of Algorithmic Fairness Policy at Uber. He sits down with Jonathan Aberman to discuss the major questions about privacy and bias raised by artificial intelligence, and how policymakers need to respond. From facial recognition technology to Google's Gemini, Perryman calls for greater tech literacy among lawmakers. He lays o…

1
Engineering a Better Future w/ Dr. Shini Somara 33:35

5M ago33:35

33:35

Mechanical Engineer Shini Somara shares her thoughts on why we need impactful storytelling in science communication, how diversity drives innovation in STEM, and why imagination is key to understanding new technologies. Dr. Shini Somara is a Mechanical Engineer specialising in Computational Fluid Dynamics and an award-winning media broadcaster. She…

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 512 - A Pitch for Product-Driven Innovation - Ben Foster 28:13

5M ago28:13

28:13

Ben Foster is co-founder & executive chairman at Prodify. In an increasingly service-based economy, Foster makes the case for enhancing product-driven innovation and entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C.. He discusses his vision for scaleable, efficient product companies to compete with Silicon Valley’s recent interest in national security technolog…

1
Misguided: My Jesus Freak Life In A Doomsday Cult with Perry Bulwer 1:11:14

5M ago1:11:14

1:11:14

Perry Bulwer (Facebook) speaks about his part-memoir, part-exposé book, Misguided: My Jesus Freak Life in a Doomsday Cult. Perry describes what first attracted him to the cult, and why he stayed in it for nearly 20 years. Perry recounts the lasting damage from his time in the Children of God, to himself and especially to those born into it. Podcast…

1
Blockchain Radicals w/ Joshua Dávila 41:13

5M ago41:13

41:13

Blockchain Socialist Joshua Dávila shares his insights on using blockchain technology to challenge capitalism, why we should take a techno-probabalistic approach to crypto, and how to build a more equitable and decentralised world. Joshua Dávila has been working in the blockchain space for the past five years in Europe and has been anonymously moon…

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 511 - Supporting Sustainable Entrepreneurs - Dave Feldman 28:13

5M ago28:13

28:13

Since its launch in 2007, Bethesda Green has been on a mission to foster innovation and community for sustainable small businesses. Today, Jonathan sits down with executive director Dave Feldman to discuss environmental entrepreneurship in Bethesda, Maryland and beyond. From start-up incubation to environmental awareness efforts, Feldman and Bethes…

1
Bonus: BAHACON - Sarnia Ontario, August 9-11 2024 13:34

5M ago13:34

13:34

In this bonus episode of Podcast for Inquiry, Leslie speaks with Bob Barnes and Jeff Brooks of Bluewater Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics about the third annual BAHACON, to be held in Sarnia, Ontario on August 9-11, 2024. Leslie hopes to see you there! Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry …

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 510 - Best Practices for Innovation Adoption - Justin Fanelli 28:13

5M ago28:13

28:13

This week, Jonathan sits down with Justin Fanelli, Acting Chief Technology Officer for the United States Department of the Navy and Technical Director of PEO Digital. Together, they unpack his strategies for adopting innovation, from iterative improvements to a collaborative, motivated workplace environment. In building stronger tech infrastructure…

1
Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will, with Kevin Mitchell 1:13:19

5M ago1:13:19

1:13:19

Kevin Mitchell (@WiringtheBrain) is Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin and writes the blog Wiring the Brain. His book, Free Agents, argues that evolution gave us Free Will. Kevin begins by describing free will, how life has it but rocks do not, and the gradient of choice from paramecia to humans. He talks abo…

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 509 - The Science of Creativity - Adam Green 28:13

6M ago28:13

28:13

Adam Green is a professor at Georgetown University and director of the Lab for Relational Cognition. This week, he sits down with Jonathan to discuss imagination, brain function, and his research in creative neuroscience. As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and more popular, Green explores human creativity as a source of hope and empow…

1
Protopian Stories for Better Tomorrows w/ Ari Wallach 1:21:26

6M ago1:21:26

1:21:26

Futurist Ari Wallach shares his insights into why we need ethical long-term visions that prioritise humanity, the importance of transgenerational empathy, and how to co-construct inclusive stories that imagine better tomorrows. Ari Wallach is a futurist and social systems strategist. He is the founder and Executive Director of Longpath Labs, an ini…

1
What's Working in Washington - Ep 508 - Investing in Innovation - Lance Collins 28:13

6M ago28:13

28:13

Lance Collins is the is the inaugural vice president and executive director of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus. Set to open in Spring 2025, the new state-of-the-art campus was announced by the university as part of the state’s successful effort to attract Amazon’s HQ2 to Northern Virginia, and aims to produce talented computer scientists and so…

1
Julien Musolino asks: Who cares if Libertarian Free Will is scientifically incoherent? 1:16:19

6M ago1:16:19

1:16:19

Dr. Julien Musolino is a cognitive scientist and author of The Soul Fallacy. He explains why the intuitively, commonly-held notion of free will - known as “libertarian” or “contra-causal” - is scientifically incoherent. This has some implications for how we view ourselves and how we treat others, but on many levels it also doesn’t matter. Julien re…

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