Conversations With Coleman

Shadi Hamid, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and contributing writer at The Atlantic, discusses the difference between liberal democracy and democracy. They explore democratic minimalism in the Middle East, public opinion in Arab countries, the impact of democracy on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and lessons from the Arab Spring. They also touch on the challenges of accepting election results, the notion of a benign dictatorship, the problem of democracy in addressing zero COVID, and their book 'The Problem of Democracy'.

David Sacks, entrepreneur and co-host of All-In podcast, discusses his background, the success of the PayPal Mafia, and the problems with elite colleges. They critique the expert class, talk about being an unapologetic conservative film producer, and share their mutual love for chess.

Rama Chellappa, professor at Johns Hopkins University, discusses artificial intelligence with the host. They cover various topics such as deep fakes, AI gameplay, generative adversarial networks, neural networks, facial recognition software, racial discrimination, the future of work, and the alignment problem. They also explore the development of AI, the distinction between narrow and general intelligence, and the challenges of deepfake detection.

Law professor Alexandra Natapoff discusses the use of criminal informants in the American justice system, highlighting the lack of transparency and the risks of false information. The triangular relationship between cops, informants, and prosecutors is analyzed, and the secretive nature of the informant system is discussed. The proposal for transparency is examined, considering its potential impact on solving crimes and ensuring safety in neighborhoods.

Tim Shenk, a historian and co-editor, discusses Obama's unpublished book from the 90s, his evolving views, and the crisis of building lasting coalitions. They explore the impact of media polarization, harnessing protests for political change, and the need for personal responsibility in progress.

In this episode, fantasy and sci-fi author Christopher Paolini discusses his writing process, the art of storytelling, the differences between young adult and adult fiction, and the challenges of adapting a novel into a movie. They also explore the rise of short form content and the power of understanding someone's experience. A fascinating conversation with an accomplished author.

Guest Josh Mitchell, Wall Street Journal reporter who covers debt and finance, discusses the history of government involvement in student loans, the soaring college tuition, the value of a four-year college degree, the similarities between the student loan crisis and the housing crisis, President Biden's student loan forgiveness program, and more.

Buddhist nun and spiritual teacher, Samaneri Jayasāra, discusses the purpose of meditation, the true nature of emotions, core teachings of Buddhism, the illusion of boredom, the difference between Buddhism and Abrahamic religions, the possibility of enlightenment, and the cycle of pleasure and pain.

Music, Movies, And Innovation is an entertaining podcast featuring Ted Gioia, author of 'Music: A Subversive History'. They discuss the evolutionary aspect of music, the transition from analog to digital in the music industry, the competition between old and new music in streaming platforms, the disappointment with major record labels, the phenomenon of fake artists on Spotify, and the rise of alternative platforms like TikTok and Substack.

Maryam Namazie, an Iranian-born writer and activist, discusses the Iranian protests, the death of Masa Amini, the Iranian morality police, laws governing women's behavior and dress, the alliance between conservative Islam and Western feminism, the legacy of the Iranian Revolution, the black market for Western content in Iran, and suggestions for supporting Iranian women and protesters.