Aspen Ideas to Go

China was the first country in the world to experience effects from COVID-19. Now the epidemic there is slowing. How did the country of more than 1 billion people make it through? Technology played a big role. In this episode, Lydia Lee, Gary Liu, and Andrew McLaughlin join Vivian Schiller, executive director of the Aspen Digital program at the Aspen Institute, to talk over the kinds of technology that were launched or re-purposed to address aspects of the crisis. How did technology help keep the virus from spreading? How was misinformation handled online? Are there lessons that the United States can draw from? The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

During the coronavirus epidemic, many families are spending lots of time together. Families with teenagers may notice extreme highs and lows – and it’s not just because of the global crisis. Once they reach adolescence, kids land on an emotional rollercoaster and even question their own extreme reactions. As parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors, how can we help teens communicate and navigate the intensity of their emotions? Leading experts on girls, boys, and the neuroscience of the adolescent brain shed light on this perplexing – and exciting – decade of development. Hear from Lisa Damour, Leah Sommerville, Michael Reichert, and Lori Gottlieb. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

What are the best tools for dealing with fear, particularly in an uncertain period? “Human beings wrestle with fear. We are living in anxious times,” says Kansas pastor Adam Hamilton. Hamilton, who founded the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, created five sermons to help people feel less fearful. In this episode, he explains what he wrote in the sermons and later in a book, Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times. “People felt like these [sermons] were really helpful to them. They felt like they had a bit more of a handle on what was happening in the world around them,” he says. Whether it’s fear about politics, disappointment and failure, or problems out of our control (like the coronavirus outbreak), Hamilton’s advice is useful in turbulent times. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Two major news stories are dominating headlines: the novel coronavirus and the 2020 presidential contest. Both are vulnerable to disinformation campaigns, so what are newsrooms and technology companies doing to combat false news? What did journalists learn in 2016 that they can apply to political coverage in 2020? Local news is the most trusted news source but many newspapers are folding. How can small town newspapers find their footing and continue to offer trusted information? The conversation includes Richard Gingras, senior director of news and social products at Google, Brian Stelter, host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” Joanne Lipman, former editor-in-chief of USA Today, and Vivian Schiller, former NPR president and executive director of a program at the Aspen Institute that examines the role of media and technology in society. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

More than 100 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States, as of March 3, 2020. Nine people in the country have died from the disease. That’s far less than in countries like China, Iran, and Italy. What’s being done to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in America and beyond? How quickly can a vaccine be developed? What can individuals do to stay safe? A panel of health experts including Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, and Ron Klain, former White House Ebola Response Coordinator, sit down together discuss what’s being done. Their conversation is led by Helen Branswell who reports on infectious diseases and public health for STAT News. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Unpredictable weather is threatening crop production and a swelling population is increasing the demand for food. How will we eat in a hotter, more crowded world? The race to reinvent the global food system is on, and innovative solutions are already being served up. Meat produced from animal cells is one solution, says CEO of Memphis Meats Uma Valeti. "Can we start thinking about evolving our food system in a transformative way to feed 10 billion people and beyond?" He joins Amanda Little, author of The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World, and Susan Goldberg, editor-in-chief of National Geographic to discuss new methods of food production. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

When Americans elected their first black president more than a decade ago, some questioned whether the country had transitioned into a post-racial era. But today race is a more prominent and intransigent problem than ever. As the US grapples with issues like identity politics, the Travel Ban, a wall on the southern border, and Black Lives Matter, writers Jelani Cobb and Wajahat Ali question the likelihood of a post-racial America. Cobb, a staff writer at The New Yorker and journalism professor at Columbia, says America needs to closely examine its imperfections and reflect on its history of slavery. He speaks with Ali, a New York Times op-ed contributor. This episode originally dropped in February of 2019. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Societal problems like income inequality have emerged from a financial system that has taken a wrong turn, says Harvard finance professor Mihir Desai. “When finance goes awry, which I think it has, we all suffer. When finance is done well, it’s absolutely remarkable,” he says. Humanity needs to be re-infused into finance so that it’s led by personal stories rather than only value extraction. Desai, who wrote the book, The Wisdom of Finance: Discovering Humanity in the World of Risk and Return, sits down with John Dickerson, correspondent for CBS’ “60 Minutes.” The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

When psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb set out to write the stories of her patients she realized she should chronicle her own struggles too. The result was the bestselling book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. In it, she explores the human condition through the lives of her patients and herself. "We're all asking ourselves, how do I love and be loved, and how do I live in a world of uncertainty. So the patients I chose [to write about] have experiences that look different on the surface but we can see aspects of ourselves in all of them," she says. Gottlieb speaks with Tara Westover, author of Educated. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

It's already difficult to talk about politics in a polarized United States, but a few choice words are making it even harder. Columbia linguistics professor John McWhorter says the original meaning of words like "liberalism" and "socialism" have changed. Now such words muddy up political discourse. In this episode, McWhorter talks about the history of political "isms": progressivism, conservatism, fascism, and others. He says the rules that govern why words' meanings change and our social climate have made political terms dynamic and confusing. aspenideas.org