Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Zoe Chance about the power of influence. They discuss what influence is and why it is important for humans. They discuss some of the misconceptions of influence, her reframing of Daniel Kahneman's system 1 and system 1, and the necessity of saying no. They talk about the elements of negotiation, how to spot red flags, and many other topics. Zoe Chance is researcher and teacher with her main interests being in influence. She has her PhD from Harvard University and is currently a professor at the Yale School of Management. She is the author of Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen. Twitter: @zoebchance Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jomana Qaddour and Gissou Nia about many of the human rights atrocities in the Syrian conflict. They discuss the origins and data on the Syrian conflict, a chronology of events in the conflict, and allies of the Syrian government. They discuss the atrocities of human rights violations and why the international community has been on the sidelines.  They discuss the international law dynamics and pragmatic ways in which aid could be delivered to the Syrian people. Jomana Qaddour is a Senior Fellow of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council. Currently, she is a doctorate student at Georgetown University Law Center where her work focuses on ethno-sectarianism in Syria, Iraq, and Bosnia. She has been a Senior Policy Analyst at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Senior Research Assistant and Publications Manager for the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy. Twitter: @jomanaqaddourGissou Nia is the Director of the Strategic Litigation Project for Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council. She is a human rights lawyer and is the board chair of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. Her main interests focus on human rights advocacy, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Twitter: @gissounia Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with William Harris about the origins of the human brain. They discuss the evolutionary history of the brain, rise of the neuron, and genesis of the neural tube and neuroepithelium. They talk about the phylotypic stage, neural stem cells to neurons, and four cycles of the cell. They discuss the important neuron theory, contributions of Ramon y Cajal, and how neurons "wire up." They talk about growth cones, Sperry's theory of neural connections, cell death, neural plasticity, and many other topics. William A. Harris is professor emeritus of anatomy at the University of Cambridge. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society, Academy of Medical Sciences, and was awarded the Waddington Medal by the British Society for Developmental Biology for his specialization on the visual system in the human brain. He is widely published within the scientific literature and author of many books including his most recent book, Zero to Birth: How the Human Brain is Built.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kai Bird about Jimmy Carter. They discuss the context and environment of rural Georgia in the 1920s in which Carter was born. They talk about the impact of racism in his upbringing, importance of his Christian faith, and steady bond with his wife Rosalynn. They discuss his presidency and inflation and unemployment, Panama Canal, Camp David accords, and the Iran hostage situation. They also discuss why he did not get re-elected in 1980 and his enduring legacy. Kai Bird is a historian, journalist, and writer. He is executive director and distinguished lecturer at CUNY Graduate Center's Leon Levy Center for Biography in New York City. He is the author of numerous books and is the recipient (along with co-author Michael J. Sherwin) of the 2005 National Book Critics Circle Award, the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, and the 2008 Duff Cooper Prize for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. He is also the author of The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter. You can find his work here. Twitter: @kaibird123 Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Douglas Futuyma about the evolution of birds. They discuss how evolutionary biology can be a very helpful lens to understand birds. They talk about the importance of the phylogenetic tree for birds, their genetics, and why variation in birds is so important. They explain the three important questions for evolution, speciation, developmental life cycles, social lives of birds, and many more topics.Douglas Futuyma is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Stonybrook University. He has a PhD in Zoology from the University of Michigan, Ann Harbor and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Guggenheim Fellow, and Fulbright Fellow. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, How Birds Evolve: What Science Reveals About Their Origin, Lives, and Diversity.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jon Alexander about a citizens story for humanity. They begin by talking about the consumer's story, how reciprocity and interdependence work in a citizens story, and how one sees the subject, consumer, and citizen story in a our present society. They talk about Taiwan as a case study of the citizen model and where populism fits into the citizen story. They discuss whether institutional reform is possible, practical features, and many other topics. Jon Alexander is the Co-Founder of the New Citizenship project, a company design to shift individuals and companies from a consumer model to citizen model. He has an extensive background in advertising and three Masters degrees. He is also the former Chair of the Food Ethics Council. You can find his book, Citizens, and the project here. Twitter: @jonjalex Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christia Spears Brown about the various aspects of bias. They give a definition and overview of bias in our current society. They question whether bias can be positive and some of the human differences in the reception of bias. They talk about implicit vs. explicit bias and provide a history of institutional bias. They discuss how bias shows up in schools and Title IX expansion. They talk about girls in STEM programs, progress and needed work with children in the LGBTQIA+ community, culture change, and many other topics. Christia Spears Brown is a developmental psychologist who is a Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Kentucky. She is also the Director of the Center for Equality and Social Justice at the University of Kentucky. She has her PhD from the University of Texas, Austin. Her research focuses on how children develop gender and ethnic stereotypes and how they perceive individual and group level discrimination. She is the author of many books including the most recent, Undoing Bias: How Prejudice Has Shaped Children for Generations and Why It's Time to Break the Cycle. You can find her work here. Twitter: @christiabrown Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Riley Black about the last days of the dinosaurs. They discuss what life on earth was like with dinosaurs being very prominent and so successful in diversifying. They mention the importance of fossils for understanding dinosaurs. They discuss the asteroid and its impact on the earth. They talk about the animals that survived after the asteroid and how earth survived post-impact. They discuss how plants showed subsistence on the post-impact earth and how this was important for life to happen again. They talk about the similarities between how dinosaurs were prominent in their age and how humans are prominent now and many other topics. Riley Black is a freelance science writer with a background in paleontology. She has written for many publications such as Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, and National Geographic. She continues to do work in the field and is the author of numerous books, including the most recent, The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. Twitter: @laelaps Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nancy Foner about immigration and some of the current data on immigration in the 21st century. They provide and overview of current immigration data, discuss the more recent waves of immigration and why the 1965 immigration bill was very important. They discuss the current racial composition of the United States, culture change, and immigrants positive influence on school, economy, and within communities. They also talk about the role of politics, mixed race relationships, and many other topics. Nancy Foner is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She has her Bachelors from Brandeis and her PhD from the University of Chicago. Her main interest is in studying various aspects of immigration in the United States. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  She is the author of numerous books including the most recent, One Quarter of The Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America. You can find her work here.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Steven Nadler about the philosophy of Spinoza. They discuss Spinoza's definition of god and the connection with nature. They talk about how humans are included within nature and the role of free will. They discuss Spinoza's moral philosophy, humans move towards preservation, and how Spinoza defines the free person. They also talk about how Spinoza views the emotions, honesty, and how to live the good life. Steven Nadler is the Vilas Research Professor and William H. Hay II Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also the director of the UW-Madison's Institute for Research in the Humanities. His main research interests are on philosophy in the 17th century, specifically the philosophy of Spinoza. He has written numerous books, including his most recent, Think Least of Death: Spinoza On How to Live and How to Die. You can find his work here.  Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe