Grey Matter with Michael Krasny

We spoke with leading climate scientist Dr. Kristina Dahl about the vital need for systemic solutions to the systemic problem of climate change and the vacillation many of us feel between hope and despair. If fossil fuels remain indispensable to us, what can be done and what, especially, can we as individuals do to curb carbon emissions and stave off extinction? One of TIME magazine's 2023 list of the world's 100 most influential people, Dr. Dahl takes us into depths of greater understanding of what needs to be done to make a difference.

Former hijacker and Mafia gangster Louis Ferrante discusses his life in crime, time in prison, and his published history of the American Mafia. Topics include guilt and religion, Mafia violence, snitching and Omerta, the Mafia's Sicilian roots, the FBI, and the JFK assassination conspiracy.

New Israel Fund CEO and self-described politically proud progressive Daniel Sokatch joined us to talk about what Emily Dickinson called "the thing with feathers" and discover seeds of hope for the long-term in the midst of the bloody battles between Israel and Hamas and their seemingly irreconcilable narratives. A passionate and incredibly well informed hour!

Happy Cooking are the two words that now are the trademark on recipes of master chef and culinary artist and educator Jacques Pepin. The French born public television star and author joined us to talk about his most recent book - Cooking My Way: Recipes and Techniques for Economical Cooking. We talked of cooking seasonally; using leftovers; the perfect omelet or souffle; and cooking at home; as well as Jacques as painter and illustrator and the Jacques Pepin Foundation. We were also able to delve into important and dramatic highlights of his biography, including the terrible car accident that changed his life; cooking for Charles DeGaulle; turning down JFK and Jackie for Howard Johnson and his friendship with Julia Child. An exquisite and enlightening hour with one of the world's most beloved chefs.

Internationally celebrated scientist Helen Blau focuses in on and elucidates the frontiers of stem cell research and her own singularly important work in her Stanford based lab and the company she co-founded. From longevity and replenishing and replacing stem cells, the conversation ranged on to an exploration of telomeres, CRISPR, and cloning and Dr. Blau's personal history as a woman scientist and historic and ongoing challenges women in science face as well as research of Dr. Blau's on muscle deterioration and muscle loss and ways to maintain muscle strength. Another wide-ranging, rich and expansive conversation with live questions from listeners.

We began our conversation with internationally celebrated photographer Howard Schatz by focusing on the nature of creativity and and the challenges of creating "phenomenal" images when so many images are unoriginal, easy to access and abundant -- though the abundance, Schatz feels, makes it easier to determine what is great. He spoke about his interest in the human form and the mystery of art as well as his recent book, PAIRS, anchored in the idea of the diptych. He spoke, too, of the necessity of knowing what is going on in one's chosen field and why it is singularly important not to previsualize, as well as the backgrounds on his computer screen, photographing flowers and nudes and how practicing medicine helped him to be more human and a better photographer. A rich and deep conversation.

Ken Dychtwald has acquired much wisdom on aging over the years so we began by exploring the upside of aging. He spoke of major historical changes in life expectancy and general attitudes toward aging. From there we discussed the central importance of purpose and the distinction New York Times columnist David Brooks has made between a career resume and a eulogy resume. Ken then followed with thoughts on the uses of free time and the importance of altruism, which can add years to one's life. He then spoke of retirement and his award winning Harvard Business Review article on retiring. He also had a number of significant observations on the American health care system, including ways AI might be used productively. He talked about how and why he became an expert on aging and ways that marketing and ads have changed to include older people, as well as how overall stereotypes tied to aging have morphed. We concluded discussing the X Prize Foundation (Ken is a trustee), and its commitment to finding ways to match health span to life span as well as the importance of humor (Your host even told a joke) and youthful versus useful. Conversations can often turn to the unexpected and this one did -- to Beyonce, Taylor Swift, TikTok and aging tied to Biden and Trump. Overall, a rich, energetic and highly illuminating dialogue!

Tech expert Jason Snell discusses diverse AI-related topics, including regulation challenges, biases in machine learning, societal impacts, and the digital divide. He also shares insights on Apple's corporate culture amid regulatory concerns and offers advice for aspiring tech journalists and podcasters.

In this enlightening episode of Gray Matter, Michael Krasny explores the life and work of accomplished entrepreneur and CEO of BioVie, Cuong Do. Starting from his humble beginnings as an immigrant from Vietnam, Cuong details his extensive contributions in the fields of business strategy and bio-medical research, from discovering a potential Alzheimer's treatment to his work in helping autistic individuals. He shares insights from his extensive career on overcoming challenges and how his humanitarian efforts, including teacher training in Cambodia and work with autistic children, are close to his heart. Join us as Cuong offers his perspective on a diverse range of issues including longevity, health, and the American dream.

We recently spoke with Dr. Laura Esserman, a leading internationally recognized surgeon and breast cancer oncologist at the University of California, San Francisco where she serves as director of the UCSF Breast Care Center. We discussed the need to redefine cancer and the need for personalized patient centered care in health care, as well as a range of other issues related to public policy and their impact on the delivery of clinical care. Join us!