The Glenn Show

0:00 The gigification of academia8:26 Is education just another commodity?18:14 What do historians do?26:22 Daniel: The university system is an unregulated cartel35:08 The liberalism (not the leftism) of the university38:22 Using (and getting used by) new technology43:19 An alternate history of global economic development47:29 The end of the American century54:27 Daniel’s critique of US support for UkraineRecorded February 7, 2023Links and ReadingsDaniel’s NYT op-ed, “The Dangerous Decline of the Historical Profession”Daniel’s TGS mini-series, “Glenn Loury’s Intellectual Origins”Francis Fukuyama’s book, The End of History and the Last ManDaniel’s essay on Fukuyama for the Nation, “A Bad Breakup”Adrianna Kezar, Tom DePaola, and Daniel T. Scott’s book, The Gig Academy: Mapping Labor in the Neoliberal UniversitySamuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis’s book, Schooling in Capitalist America: Educational Reform and the Contradictions of Economic LifeJames Sweet’s column, “Is History History?”Daniel’s Chronicle of Higher Education piece, “The AHA’s Mission Needs to Change”Eugen Weber’s book, Peasants into Frenchmen: The Modernization of Rural France, 1870-1914Daniel’s podcast, American PrestigeDaniel’s Harper’s Harper’s piece, “Empire Burlesque”Daniel’s New Republic piece, “Does American Fascism Exist? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Al Sharpton’s National Action Network still exists, apparently5:00 MLK’s understanding of America’s contributions to democracy12:58 Are the “people with three names” grifters or merely limited in their racial vision?21:07 How do you change the minds of black voters?30:13 The national black leadership vacuum36:30 The under-recognized success of the black middle class41:30 Ian’s got a four-point plan …47:38 … but what’s the best way to disseminate it? (It’s podcasts.)51:37 The paradox of Obama and Thomas1:01:01 How does Glenn know “nobody is coming to save us”?Recorded April 9, 2023Links and ReadingsIan’s book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for ALL Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to PowerIan’s charter school network, Vertex Partnership AcademiesAl Sharpton’s National Action NetworkPew poll on black political strategy and leadershipAEI’s study, “Black Men: Making It in America” Richard Reeves’s book, Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about ItThomas Sowell speaking at the 1980 Fairmont ConferenceClarence Thomas’s memoir, My Grandfather’s Son  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 What’s wrong with cancelation?13:28 A defense of Charles Murray21:24 Cancelation and the closet28:08 Jonathan’s book, The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth39:35 Jonathan: “The marketplace of ideas” is a necessary but insufficient metaphor42:51 Is Trump an agent of disinformation?54:22 What the woke and MAGA crowds have in common59:41 Why Jonathan is hopeful about the constitution of knowledgeRecorded February 6, 2022Links and ReadingsJonathan’s latest book, The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of TruthJonathan’s book, Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free ThoughtCharles Murray and Richard Herrnstein’s book, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American LifeJeff Gerth’s Four-Party Columbia Journalism Review series on Trump and the pressStanford’s Internet Observatory This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 The disruption of Judge Kyle Duncan’s speech at Stanford Law School9:33 Why did people have a problem with Duncan?13:51 Will the current Supreme Court overturn Obergefell v. Hodges16:37 The necessity of free inquiry and reasoned discourse26:44 What it’s like being a FedSoc conservative at Stanford Law34:30 The fallout from the Duncan protests41:30 The vulgarity of the insults hurled at Duncan50:00 The role of conservatives at StanfordRecorded March 26, 2022Links and ReadingsVideo of Stanford Law School Associate Dean Tirien Steinbach responding to Judge DuncanStanford Law School Dean Jenny Martinez’s letter about the Duncan eventJohn Stuart Mill’s book, On Liberty This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comGlenn and John respond to questions from Substack subscribers.

0:00 John’s recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher7:23 The rigors of the lecture circuit10:29 The difference between equity and equality22:10 How do we know that African Americans are just as smart as everyone else?30:59 The new black bourgeoisie38:33 Standards in the arts are relative. But how relative?51:15 John sets the record straight on his dancing skillsRecorded March 19, 2022Links and ReadingsJohn’s most recent appearance on Real Time with Bill MaherGlenn and John April 14 UATX event in New YorkE. Franklin Frazier’s book, Black Bourgeoisie Glenn and John’s conversation with pseudonymous orchestra conductor Don BatonDon Baton’s Substack, The PodiumGlenn and John’s conversation with actor James BeamanJames Beaman’s Substack, The CornfieldGlenn and John’s conversation with Vincent LloydJohn’s NYT piece, “The High Art of Musical Theater”Walter Murphy’s song, “A Fifth of Beethoven” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is the distinguished physicist Sylvester “Jim” Gates. Jim was my colleague at Brown for years (he’s now at the University of Maryland), and we’re both alumni of MIT. Jim has made pathbreaking contributions to areas of physics that laymen like me can barely understand—he’s a deep, deep guy. He’s also got some thoughts on race and diversity in the sciences that give us an opportunity for some friendly debate. Jim begins by introducing supersymmetry, a subfield in physics he helped to define back in the ‘70s. It’s extremely complex stuff, but he breaks it down. We spend the bulk of our time, though, talking about race in the sciences. Jim stresses the value that diversity plays in an under-recognized aspect of scientific innovation: imagination. In Jim’s view, while tests are important, there are limits to what they can tell us about who is most likely to produce the next big advance in any scientific field, just as there are limits to what tests can tell us about the competency of any given student. He uses himself as an example of a student who was average when he started grad school but managed to transform himself into a cutting-edge researcher. He sees value in giving weight to diversity, and even to continuing affirmative action, but there are limits. He worries, for example, that DEI initiatives classifying basic practices like homework and demanding excellence as “white” are going too far, just as he thinks speakers with unpopular views should be met with debate rather than cancelation. It’s a pleasure to sit down with a scientist as distinguished as Jim Gates. I think you’ll be seeing more of him on The Glenn Show in the future. This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from the Manhattan InstituteImproving our criminal-justice system means spending the requisite money to address America’s horrific and long-standing problem with criminal violence, argue Reihan Salam and Charles Fain Lehman.0:00 What led Jim to the forefront of physics 7:53 Jim explains supersymmetry 11:50 Is there racism in the sciences? 18:12 The role of culture and imagination in the sciences 28:47 The scientific “big bang” in Europe 33:03 How Jim accounts for racial disparities in test scores 49:35 Jim: “Genius” is a verb 54:18 Why Jim worries about DEI and cancelationRecorded February 6, 2023Links and ReadingsClarence Williams’s book, Technology and the Dream: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1941-1999Jim’s essay, “Equity vs. Excellence: A False Dichotomy in Science and Society”Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific RevolutionsKarl Popper, The Logic of Scientific DiscoveryPhysicist Stephon Alexander’s TGS appearanceStephon Alexander’s book, The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link between Music and the Structure of the UniverseStephon Alexander’s book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider’s Guide to the Future of Physics This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 John’s awkward run-in at the farmer’s market 5:40 Will people be reading Ibram X. Kendi in 2043? 17:03 Regret, doubt, and going against the tide  28:12 How Glenn and John negotiate their public profiles 40:50 Did Scott Adams deserve to get canceled?  52:47 What’s going on beneath the Scott Adams controversy?Recorded March 5, 2023Links and ReadingsIbram X. Kendi’s Zora Neale Hurston adaptation, Magnolia FlowerMelissa Harris Perry’s radio show, The TakeawayIshmael Reed’s novel, Reckless EyeballingIshmael Reed’s essay collection, Another Day at the Front This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Oded's new book, The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality7:58 How inequality and growth emerged over the course of human history18:52 Breaking free of a 300,000-year-old stagnation cycle27:24 Humanity's phase shift into modernity33:39 Inequality and the formation of institutions44:18 The deep links between geography and institutions50:38 Africa, Asia, and the trials of diversityRecorded January 21, 2023Links and ReadingsOded’s new book, The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Woke religion or woke cult? 8:59 Does suffering confer authority on the sufferer? 12:47 A world without “anti-black domination” 21:27 Is there an alternative to the criminal justice system? 34:42 Domination and the purpose of the university 42:47 How Vincent’s Telluride Association seminar blew up 50:45 The narrowness of the social justice framework 54:14 Glenn and John’s encounters with fans 59:49 Should Black Studies exist?Recorded February 19, 2023Links and ReadingsVincent’s latest book, Black Dignity: The Struggle against DominationVincent’s Compact essay, “A Black Professor Trapped in Anti-Racist Hell”John’s NYT piece, “DeSantis May Have Been Right” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe