Monica L. Smith, professor of anthropology at UCLA, joins us to explain how the development of cities – from Mesopotamia to the present – is strongly linked to the prosperity of humankind as a whole.
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It All Starts With Algae
Ruth Kassinger joins us to talk about how algae might just be the key to creating a more sustainable future.
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Tiny Nations, Giant Impact: The Politics of Climate Change
Time’s Justin Worland joins us to talk about how Fiji and other tiny countries are leading the charge to address climate change.
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Why Beef Is What’s For Dinner
Notre Dame visiting professor Joshua Specht joins us to recount the complex history – filled with exploitation and innovation – of the beef we consume.
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Do These Meerkats Have Deep Emotions? Yeah, Probably.
Emory University psychologist Frans de Waal joins us to talk about the natural evolution of animal intelligence research, which looks into how animals feel. His new book is called “Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves.”
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A Wild View Of The Border
Filmmaker Ben Masters joins us to talk about documenting the wilderness from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico that could one day be cut in two by the border wall.
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Cities, Not Sprawl: The Future Of Urban Development
Architect and urban planner Peter Calthorpe joins us to talk about how urban planners are thinking through how to handle large populations living in close quarters.
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It’s Deeply Human To Love Animals
Jacky Colliss Harvey joins us to talk about how the furry, feathered and scaly friends we’ve shared our homes with have shaped us for thousands of years. Her new book is called “The Animal’s Companion: People & Their Pets, a 26,000-Year Love Story.”
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We Can’t Stop Climate Change: Here Is What We Can Do
Roger Sedjo joins us to talk about global warming as two parallel tracks: One focused on slowing global warming and another planning for its inevitability. His new book is called “Surviving Global Warming: Why Eliminating Greenhouse Gases Isn’t Enough.”
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Why We Think We’re Ready for Natural Disasters And Why We’re Wrong
Seismologist Lucy Jones joins us to talk about the long-term psychological toll natural disasters have on the people who experience them. Her book “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (And What We Can Do About Them)” has just been released in paperback.
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Public Lands In Peril
Stephen Nash joins us to talk about the need to protect wildlife habitats from mining, drilling and other development.
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Wildlife, The Environment And The Casualties Of War
Evolutionary biologist Alex Dehgan dedicated his career to protecting Afghanistan’s unique environment and wildlife population from human destruction and joins us to talk about the effect war has on an area’s natural landscape.
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