How Do We Fix It?

The fight against sexual harassment was the hot topic in Hollywood at the Golden Globes Awards, with outspoken and inspiring remarks by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and others. But allegations of bullying or inappropriate behavior by powerful men are still being made almost every day.Despite widespread outrage, little focus has been given to effective measures that can be taken by employers to reduce the number of cases and improve the workplace environment.  Our guest is journalist Claire Cain Miller, who writes about gender, families and the future of work for The Upshot, a New York Times site that covers policy and economics. She tells us what works and explains the challenges ahead in the fight for gender equality and respect. A recent survey found that nearly half of women said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment at work at least once in their careers. A 2015 study revealed that only one-quarter to a third of women who experience sexual harassment report it.Solutions:Empower bystanders to act, giving everyone the tools to help prevent harassment. Bystander training is still rare in corporate America, but it has been effectively used in the military and on college campuses. In some cases, direct action may work. One example was Charles Sonder, in the Snackman case, who disrupted a fight on a New York subway train by standing between a couple and loudly eating chips. Other examples of how to disrupt harassment: Drop a book, ask the victim to come to a conference room or if they want to get coffee. Talk to the victim to make sure she is OK, You might say: “I noticed that happened. Are you alright with that?”Encourage civility: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission designed a program to create a culture of respect for everyone, such as spotlighting contributions by people who are marginalized. The program also offers helpful things to say in situations when you want to act but don’t know what to do.Claire Cain Miller says frequent workplace training programs can help. Employees and managers should be encouraged to report harassment. Professor Ian Ayres of Yale Law School has written "information escrows"-- creative and safer ways to help harassment victims who may fear that reporting wrongdoing to harm their careers. Among other potential solutions: Gender equity with more women in senior executive positions; greater diversity in occupations now dominated by either men or women; generous workplace and family leave policies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2018 is certain to bring surprises. In this episode, Jim and Richard bravely venture out onto the high diving board of ideas and plunge into the pool of predictions. We also asked listeners and "How Do We Fix It?" guests for their forecasts of the year to come.Well-known author and skeptic Michael Shermer says "2018 will be the best year in the history of humanity as measured by health, longevity, medicine, technology, science and culture."Disruptive marketer and communications designer Geoff Colon tells us that "people are tired of how noisy the world has become. So I see more people deleting apps from their phones and spending less time in the Twitter-verse."Jim and Richard give their predictions on the 2018 mid-term elections and the new tax code (they go out on a limb here). Both forecast troubled days ahead for Facebook, Google and other giant internet firms, as they run into a buzz saw of criticism over their business practices. On the international stage, Richard predicts the U.S. will continue its recent retreat from diplomacy and be weaker as a result. China's strength will grow. Jim says U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will be a shining star in the Republican party.  What are your predictions? Go to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Tell us what you think, using the hashtag #FixItForecasts. Our Twitter i.d. is @fixitshow. Find us at "How Do We Fix It?" on Facebook and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to shift the narrative about food and health from fear to facts. Popular culture promotes all sorts of anti-scientific myths, from astrology and conspiracy theories to vaccine denial and misinformation about GMOs.On this episode our guest is "Science Mom" Kavin Senapathy, one of five mothers of young children who decided to collaborate on communication and push back against a conspiratorial mindset around biotechnology. They argue that there's an epidemic of bad science and fear-based marketing largely aimed at parents of young children. Kavin writes for Forbes and Slate. Other Science Moms are writers and working scientists with PhDs—in biology, genetics, neuroscience. The crowdfunded Science Moms documentary is available for download on the Science Moms website.On this episode, Jim, Richard and Kavin look at solutions, such as fighting back against hype and anti-science ideas with better education for children and adults. We examine how social media has weaponized debate, including attacks on academics who base their findings on careful research. Too often, science-minded parents are drowned out by shamers and "Celeb Moms" who make bogus claims about food and health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billions of people use Facebook and YouTube. But do social media platforms threaten our privacy and our freedom? The problem goes well beyond hate messages and other forms of inappropriate content, or fake news and "dark posts"— targeted ads not visible to the public. "The crucial problem here is we have no protections about the data that's collected," says our guest, Professor Zeynep Tufekci. "We have no protections about how that data is used and we have a business model where we are the product and not the customer." Zeynep is the author of the critically-acclaimed book, "Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest." At the University of North Carolina, she teaches a class: "Big Data, Algorithms and Society.""They have all our data...They control all the gatekeeping," Zeynep says of Facebook and other internet giants. "The threat that I fear is that we're building the infrastructure for a sort of soft authoritarianism."  Much of the information these companies have collected on us is "sold to the highest bidders whatever they may be peddling." The ability of tech firms to spy on us, while nudging and seducing users into different forms of behavior, is constantly changing. "The past five years have been mind-blowing. We are growing a form of machine intelligence," says Zeynep. Unlike the past "this one is learning itself and we don't understanding how it's doing what it's doing." "How Do We Fix It?" is a solutions podcast. This episode examines potential remedies, including the need for greater corporate transparency, sunsetting data, government regulation and voluntary actions by Facebook and other big tech firms. Those of us who use social media sites should inform ourselves about how they work. This show is a good place to start. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once again the alarm bells are ringing. A new study by the McKinsey Global Institutes estimates that within 12 years, up to 800 million of today's workers may be replaced by robots or some other form of automation. Other recent research reports on the impact of technology are even more disturbing. A survey by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the professional services company, claims 38% of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being replaced by robots and artificial intelligence over the next 15 years.But what if many experts are wrong? Peter Cappelli, Director for Human Resources at the Wharton School is our guest in this episode. His research is both contrarian and eye-opening. Peter has been named one of the most influential thinkers of the decade by HR Magazine, and is the author of "Why Good People Can't Get Jobs." In this episode, we discuss the paradox of the tax code, which gives incentives to companies to spend money on new technology INSTEAD of re-training workers. Peter also gives constructive insights into business culture and why it needs to change.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you think of when you hear the word “refugee” or “migrant”? If over-crowded rafts or vast tent encampments come to mind, you are not alone.But there’s a very different— and much more positive side to migration. Across the world, record numbers of people are on the move in search of new opportunities and a better life.One solution to the vast increase in global migration is to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges resulting from a more deeply connected world.Former journalist, Leonard Doyle,head of Media and Communications at the UN Migration agency IOM, is our guest. This episode discusses immigration reform, the surprising impact of Facebook and other social media platforms in promoting migration and the great contributions many migrants and refugees make to the new societies they join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss the American Revolution through six different pairs of eyes with acclaimed historian and journalist, Russell Shorto, author of the new book, "Revolution Song."This episode examines the meaning of freedom in a fresh new light and has special resonance during the week of Thanksgiving. As he did with "The Island at the Center of the World," which looked at the Dutch impact on Manhattan and the founding of the nation, this book examines American values, drawing deeply on diaries, letters and autobiographies to flesh out six important lives. They include an African-American man who freed himself and his family from slavery, a Seneca tribal warrior who became a wise and respected political leader, and George Washington himself. When he began working on "Revolution Song" six years ago, "I thought I was doing history," Russell tells us. "I thought these things were long ago settled. I didn't think I would be living in a time when freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of speech would be even debatable or under attack.""The intertwined stories of "Revolution Song" give a sense of how far-reaching a phenomenon the War of Independence was," wrote a book reviewer recently in the New York Times.Russell Shorto makes the case that the Revolution is still being fought today and its ideals are worth defending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we dismantle the myth that American manufacturing is in a death spiral. It’s not. Our guest is MIT-trained engineer and tech entrepreneur Krisztina “Z” Holly, host of the podcast, “The Art of Manufacturing."Even as factory jobs have declined, manufacturing growth has surged during the past three decades. Manufacturing production grew 2.9% in October compared to 2016, according to the Federal Reserve. From construction equipment to food products and semiconductors, manufacturers are riding a tide of business optimism.This episode looks at new innovations in manufacturing and how the future could be brighter.In addition to her popular podcast, Z is Founder & Chief Instigator of LA Mayor Garcetti’s "Make it in in LA" manufacturing initiative. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America’s opioid epidemic is an addiction crisis like no other the country has ever faced. Deaths outnumber car crash fatalities. Since 1999, 200,000 people have died from overdoses related to Oxycontin and other prescription painkillers. The scourge is the result of a terrible double whammy: The relentless marketing of pain pills and the ruthless efficiency of drug pushers from one small Mexican town, who deliver heroin like takeout pizza.Our guest, Sam Quinones, author of the highly praised book "Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic," is our guide to this complex tragedy. We look at the roots of the epidemic and possible solutions. From innovative treatment programs in Kentucky jails to drug courts in Buffalo, New York that offer help for addicts, but also demand accountability, there are ways to reduce the immense pain, suffering and damage."This issue allows us to come together as Americans," says Sam. "Every addict cannot go it alone. They need to be surrounded by services and people who can offer help.""We've destroyed community in this country in a million different ways and heroin is what you get when you do that." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year after the election of Donald Trump, American democracy is under threat. Our civic life is in a shambles.Our guest, Reed Galen, says America is a “dual-civilization society,” with each side viewing the other with suspicion, disgust and disdain.The guardrails of democracy are banged up. Some dents were made years ago — the result of dysfunction In Washington D.C. Others are the result of the President’s sustained attacks on Congress, the judiciary and a free press.In this episode we look at ways to narrow the gap — from non-partisan redistricting commissions and curbs on gerrymandering, to encouraging more independents to run for office.Political strategist Reed Galen was deputy campaign manager for Senator John McCain's Presidential campaign and worked in the George W. Bush White House. Earlier this year, Reed left the Republican Party and is now Chief Strategist at Serve America Movement.He works actively to narrow the great political divide and boost citizen involvement in civic life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.