Dr. Roy Casagranda Podcast

Language isn’t just communication; it’s power. Drawing on insights from Malcolm X, George Orwell, and political history, Roy unpacks how misused words blur meaning and control our thinking. He then decodes the difference between countries, states, provinces, and nations, and why these distinctions matter for understanding politics, legitimacy, and sovereignty. Takeaways:Why Malcolm X studied the dictionary in prison, and what it reveals about language and empowerment.George Orwell’s 1984 and the dangers of shrinking vocabulary.The difference between accuracy vs. precision, theory vs. hypothesis, and why the misuse of words weakens critical thinking.Clear definitions of country, state, province, nation, and nation-state with real-world historical examples.How legitimacy, revenue, and violence form the foundations of sovereignty.The role of identity in creating nations, from the Navajo to the Rohingya.Why states fail, how legitimacy erodes, and what history teaches about repeating cycles.Resources & References:Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm XGeorge Orwell, 1984Harvard Implicit Bias Test (IAT)Case studies: Punt, Burgundy, Navajo Nation, Brexit and the EU, the Rohingya people, failed states like SomaliaU.S. Constitution and Articles of ConfederationBeyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video. Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).

Why does leadership matter, and how do small decisions ripple across the future? Dr. Roy begins with the hidden dangers of implicit bias, from medicine to global politics, before diving into the story of Theodore Roosevelt. From cowboy adventurer to America’s youngest president, Roosevelt’s choices reshaped U.S. foreign policy, transformed the presidency, and continue to influence what leadership looks like today.Takeaways:How implicit bias influences medical treatment, politics, and global perceptions, often without people realizing it.Why Roosevelt’s rise from “Rough Rider” to president was more accidental than planned, and how he built power without party backing.The role of “shuttle diplomacy” in shaping U.S. foreign policy and Roosevelt’s Nobel Peace Prize.Roosevelt’s domestic reforms, from breaking up Standard Oil to reshaping football safety rules.The darker side of his presidency, including the war in the Philippines and his failure to support child labor reform.Why Roosevelt’s approach to foreign policy still echoes in the American presidency today.Resources & References:Harvard implicit bias study on race and gender in emergency roomsHarvard Implicit Association Test (IAT)Case study: 2002 Winter Olympics corruption in Salt Lake CityThe Treaty of Portsmouth (1905) and “shuttle diplomacy”Beyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video. Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).

Known as the “Father of Modern Medicine,” Ibn Sina was a Persian polymath whose writings transformed science, philosophy, and ethics. In this episode, Roy traces the turbulent world Ibn Sina lived in, the intellectual traditions that shaped him, and the groundbreaking discoveries that continue to impact our lives today.Takeaways:The political and cultural backdrop of Ibn Sina’s time, including the collapse of empires and the rise of learning centers like the House of Wisdom.Ibn Sina’s early genius: memorizing the Qur’an at 10, mastering philosophy as a teenager, and serving as a court physician by 17.His most famous work, The Canon of Medicine, which introduced the revolutionary idea that diseases are distinct and can be prevented, not just cured.His contributions to philosophy, including early ideas of entropy and the concept of a singularity, foreshadowing the modern Big Bang theory.Why Ibn Sina’s legacy remains vital to medicine, science, and human knowledge.Resources & References:Ibn Sina, The Canon of Medicine (1025)Secondary readings: Aristotle, Metaphysics; Euclid, Elements; Ptolemy, Almagest; Al-Farabi’s commentary on Aristotle; Writings preserved and translated through the House of Wisdom (Islamic Golden Age)Beyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video. Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).

History is never just the past. It’s the stories and people we choose to remember, and the ones we choose to erase.Welcome to the Dr. Roy Casagranda Podcast: a space where history, politics, and culture are woven together to reveal the threads that connect us all. Dr. Roy believes everything we do as a species is linked: past to present, present to future, one culture to another. In this podcast, he traces those fibers across oceans and generations, uncovering how we arrived at this moment and what it means for where we’re headed. The goal? To better understand our shared humanity and ensure the future we’re building is one worth striving toward.