Aspen Ideas to Go

Now, more than ever, a diversifying United States needs a shared base of knowledge. That’s according to Eric Liu, executive director of the Citizenship and American Identity Program at the Aspen Institute. He’s calling on the American public and cultural leaders to build a crowd-sourced national list of facts and references every American should know. In this “Extra” episode, he talks to Maria Hinojosa, an award-winning news anchor and reporter. She founded the Futuro Media Group and hosts Latino USA, NPR’s only national Latino news and cultural weekly radio program. (Music: Podington Bear/Jack) aspenideas.org

First Lady Michelle Obama says play, nutrition, and physical activity aren’t available to every child and, that’s a problem. With the cost of sports participation around $2,200 each year per child, these opportunities are increasingly only available to wealthier families. Plus, a report from the Sports and Society Program at the Aspen Institute shows parents have concerns around risk of injury, the quality or behavior of coaches, time commitment, and the emphasis on winning over having fun. What can be done to ensure children are being physically active and learning team skills? Obama discusses accessibility and affordability of sports with her brother and ESPN analyst Craig Robinson. Michael Wilbon, host of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” moderates the conversation. aspenideas.org

Now, more than ever, a diversifying United States needs a shared base of knowledge. That’s according to Eric Liu, executive director of the Citizenship and American Identity Program at the Aspen Institute. He’s calling on the American public and cultural leaders to build a crowd-sourced national list of facts and references every American should know. In this “Extra” episode, Liu talks to Colin Woodard, an award-winning author and journalist. In his book, “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America,” Woodard describes why American values differ across the country. (Music: David Szesztay/Throughout The City) aspenideas.org

Powerhouse literary couple Geraldine Brooks and Tony Horwitz didn’t start their careers writing books. The two were war correspondents covering events like the Gulf War in the 1990s. In this episode, Brooks and Horwitz are onstage for a lecture series held by Aspen Words, the literary organization of The Aspen Institute. Besides recalling their reporting experiences, the duo discuss what it takes to write a great book. Brooks is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historical novelist. Her first book Year of Wonders was an international bestseller. Her latest work The Secret Chord, is based on the life of King David. Horwitz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and has written several bestsellers, including Midnight Rising about a raid in the slaveholding South that sparked the Civil War. (photo of Geraldine Brooks: Randi Baird) aspenideas.org

Now, more than ever, a diversifying United States needs a shared base of knowledge. That’s according to Eric Liu, executive director of the Citizenship and American Identity Program at the Aspen Institute. He’s calling on the American public and cultural leaders to build a crowd-sourced national list of facts and references every American should know. In this “Extra” episode, he talks to Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Gates is a filmmaker, scholar, journalist and cultural critic. He offers his ideas on what terms should make up a modern American language. (Music: David Szesztay/Throughout The City) aspenideas.org

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among adults in the US and cancer care costs $125 billion a year. In this episode we hear from medical experts who have researched, written, and made progress in the fight against cancer. Ronald DePinho, president of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, says it’s an exciting time because research has shed light on the instigators of the disease. With the knowledge we have now, he says, up to half of all cancers can be prevented. He’s featured in the podcast along with Eric Lander, president and director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. aspenideas.org

The Director of the FBI has said that the Bureau has counterterrorism investigations underway in all 50 states, underscoring the gravity of the “insider” terrorism threat in the United States. Simultaneously, terrorists from abroad, especially “foreign fighters” from among ISIL’s ranks, are seeking to enter Western countries. In this episode FBI Director James Comey speaks with Brooke Masters of the Financial Times about terrorism, cybercrime, an uptick in violence in minority communities in the US and Apple’s refusal to hack into the iPhone of a terrorist. Comey spoke at the Aspen Security Forum Global in London in April. (music bed: Podington Bear/Bambi, photo: Miles Willis) aspenideas.org

Best-selling author of "The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything Fast!" Josh Kaufman shares universal, field-tested approaches to effective learning and rapid skill acquisition in adults. From deconstructing complex skills to maximizing productive practice and removing common learning barriers, Kaufman describes how 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice can help you develop surprising levels of skill in any field. And, he may even play his Ukulele. (music bed: Podington Bear/Golden Hour) aspenideas.org

The architecture of how we live our lives is badly in need of renovation and repair. One of the things that makes it harder to connect with ourselves - and thus our creativity, intuition, and wisdom - is our increasing dependence on technology. In this episode, Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington explains how devices, texts, emails, constant notifications, and social media are not just distractions, but addictions. Reimagining our relationship with technology can have a transformational impact on our well-being, our capacity to tap into our own wisdom, and to make a difference in the lives of others, and on our ability to truly thrive. aspenideas.org

As radical extremism in the Middle East continues to undermine global security, it's crucial to understand and counter its roots and appeal. This episode features a discussion between David Ignatius, columnist for the Washington Post, Farah Pandith, who's with the Council on Foreign Relations and Nicholas Burns, director of the Aspen Strategy Group. How do we confront radicalism in the Middle East? What does this nightmare mean for the United States? And, what about the refugee crisis? The panelists also give thoughts on what the next president should be thinking about. aspenideas.org