At a Distance

Computer scientist and investor Kai-Fu Lee, co-author of the new book “A.I. 2041: Ten Visions For Our Future,” discusses reasons to remain optimistic about artificial intelligence, why minimizing routine work could make space for more creativity, and the powerful role that science fiction can play in inspiring STEM professionals.

Mathematician and professor Jordan Ellenberg, author of the book “Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else,” speaks with us about the limitations of logic, how math can help us develop mindful skepticism, and why gerrymandering is no longer visible to the naked eye.

Entrepreneur and writer Emilien Crespo, founder of the publishing company Ordinary Flame, talks with us about the importance of getting out of one’s comfort zone, how an increasingly digital culture can intensify real-life experiences, and an adventure in Tokyo he went on with the artist Harold Ancart. Episode sponsored by Grand Seiko.

Activist, journalist, and academic Raj Patel, co-author of the new book “Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice,” discusses why corporations encourage people to make changes within themselves rather than within society, the consequences of treating nature as a cheap and infinite resource, and how external anxieties, from payday loans to the stress of living in an exploitative culture, can prime the body for illness.

Penny Abeywardena, New York City’s Commissioner for International Affairs, speaks with us about how the Trump era provided an opportunity for community leadership to harness its governing power, why an entrepreneurial spirit can aid in developing public policy, and how the city is navigating various pandemic-related issues, including vaccination requirements, keeping schools open, and a recent uptick in violence.

Anthropologist and historian Josh Berson, author of the new book “The Human Scaffold: How Not to Design Your Way Out of a Climate Crisis,” talks with us about why design thinking often fails to result in actual anthropological work, how reconsidering what it means to be comfortable can help us find environmental solutions, and the relationship between race, capitalism, and eating meat.

Devon Turnbull, founder of the hi-fi audio equipment company Ojas, discusses listening with intention, the parallels between consuming music and viewing art, how the Japanese audio scene’s emphasis on tradition and simplicity has informed his work, and the profound response to his D.I.Y. speaker-making kit.Episode sponsored by Grand Seiko.

Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder and CEO of the fashion brand Another Tomorrow, speaks with us about building supply chains from scratch, how clothing resale marks a radical shift in how people think about fashion, and why the pandemic provides an opportunity to redefine luxury in terms of personal and planetary values.

Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, who designed the original Ground Zero master plan at the World Trade Center site, talks with us about his personal experience of the 9/11 attacks; how architecture can serve as an instrument for healing; and why the Tree of Life Synagogue he’s redesigning in Pittsburgh, to memorialize victims of the 2018 mass shooting there, represents a global vision for the future.

Astrologer Alice Sparkly Kat, author of the new book “Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets through Capital, Power, and Labor,” discusses the dual meanings of planets, the relationship between race and astrology, and why the practice is about making, not predicting, the future.