Aspen Ideas to Go

In the age of streaming entertainment, there’s Apple, Disney, Comcast, and many others. But it began with Netflix. In 2013 Netflix shifted from a distribution company (remember the mailed DVDs?) to a distribution and content creation business. Some of the company’s first shows were hits like “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, describes this transition and how the company has grown since. He tells Derek Thompson, staff writer for The Atlantic, how Netflix is keeping up in an increasingly crowded streaming market, and why a changing entertainment business is a good thing for artists. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

In July of 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to ever free-solo climb the face of Yosemite’s El Capitan. He climbed nearly 3,000 vertical feet alone and without ropes. The historic feat was captured in the Academy Award-winning film, “Free Solo.” He says self-confidence helped him complete the climb. “If you get scared while free-soloing, [your self-confidence] starts to crumble a little bit. You start to not trust your feet…they’re more likely to slip. Everything can spiral negatively.” He speaks with New York Times op-ed columnist Bret Stephens about the line between daring and recklessness, and how the mammoth climb has impacted every part of his life — from relationships to fame and future climbing pursuits. aspenideas.org

Writers Tara Westover and Sarah Smarsh grew up in rural parts of the mid-section of America and chronicled the stories of their childhoods in best-selling books. While the books vary in emphasis, structure, and theme, both writers agree that people in the Heartland are easily stereotyped by the national media and politicians. “There’s a real gulf between the story we tell ourselves about a country and those conflict- and ratings-driven conversations in New York City studios, and what happens on-the-ground in local communities,” says Smarsh. They tell James Fallows, author of Our Towns, about what needs to change to eliminate these damaging stereotypes. Smarsh and Westover also describe how they’re using their platforms to address some of the most complex challenges that rural communities face today. Smarsh is the author of Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Riches Country on Earth. Westover wrote the book, Educated. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Artificial intelligence isn’t something we’ll see in the future. Thinking machines are already here, and nine powerful companies in the US and China control their development. The spam filter in your email inbox is AI. So are programs like Google Translate. The next level for thinking machines is when they begin learning the way humans learn. As artificial intelligence gets refined, who’s keeping track of whether these machines share our motivations, desires, and hopes for the future of humanity? Amy Webb, author of The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity, speaks with Alexis Madrigal, a staff writer for The Atlantic who covers Silicon Valley. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

In the 2016 presidential election, more than 80 percent of white evangelicals voted for President Trump. At one point (in the 19th century) evangelicals were associated with malcontents who fought for prison reform, abolitionism, and even early feminism. Now, this group is “the most loyal and most vital element of the Trump coalition,” says Michael Gerson, syndicated columnist for The Washington Post. He sits down with Kate Bowler, author of Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel, David French, senior writer for National Review, and Chris Buskirk, editor and publisher of American Greatness. In 2016, some pundits thought evangelicals wouldn’t support Trump, who’s been accused of sexual assault and married three times. How can this deeply faithful group rally behind a president whose behaviors and values don’t exactly match up to traditional Christian mores? The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Two Pulitzer Prize-winning historians explain the difference between myth and reality in American history. David Blight, a professor at Yale, says we use myths to help process history, which can be dismal. “Much of history is dark because human nature is dark. We sometimes have to process the past in sentimentalism — in stories that allow us to wake up in the morning.” Annette Gordon-Reed, an American legal history professor at Harvard, says the point of history is to figure out how you got to where you are in present-day. Blight and Gordon-Reed sit down with John Dickerson, correspondent for “60 Minutes,” to discuss correcting America’s historical memory. They touch on historical events like the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, and whether reparations for injustice are realistic. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Tara Westover's childhood was distinct. Raised by survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she encountered extreme adversity. She wasn't allowed to attend school, and instead worked in her father's junkyard. She suffered serious injuries, and was sometimes at the mercy of a volatile and abusive older brother. She chronicled her story in "Educated," a best-selling book she hopes people find relatable. "I wrote the book in such a way that people, I hoped, could have some little pieces of the experiences I had. I wanted that to through a filter of their own lives," she says. She speaks with Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic. aspenideas.org

Bias is natural — it’s one way we make sense of the world. It becomes problematic when our biases become stereotypes and prejudices. So how do we manage bias, particularly in the classroom and workplace? Jennifer Eberhardt, author of “Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do,” sits down with Adam Grant, host of the WorkLife podcast to go over the science behind bias. How effective are workplace diversity trainings and how can we get at bias early before it becomes ingrained? John Dickerson, correspondent for “60 Minutes,” moderates the conversation. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

When she was 35 years old, Kate Bowler was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. She had been on an upward spiral: thriving in her career and loving life with her husband and newborn son. Bowler, who’s a scholar of Christianity, had just written the book “Blessed,” about the Christian idea that good things happen to good people. But through her experience of personal suffering, she realized no amount of determination can stop bad things from happening to anyone, no matter your level of faith. In an intimate conversation with David Brooks, op-ed columnist for The New York Times, Bowler talks about human frailty, why optimism can sometimes be a burden, and the dangers of worshiping at the altar of success. Bowler, who teaches at Duke Divinity School, has a new book out this month, “The Preacher’s Wife.” David Brooks runs a program at the Aspen Institute called Weave: The Social Fabric Project. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Countering racism is essential to the formation of a just and equitable society — so how can we fight it? Ibram X. Kendi says to be able to recognize racism we need to define it and then understand it’s opposite: antiracism. In his new best-selling book, How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi explains that racism is powerful and can change the way we see and value others and ourselves. How can we recognize racism and work to oppose it? In his conversation with Jemele Hill, staff writer for The Atlantic, Kendi talks about his own battle with racism, why it’s so difficult to talk productively about racism, and why an understanding of history is essential to combating racism. The views and opinions of the podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org