Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

Exploring the invisibility of women in science, the challenges faced by female physicists, historic contributions of women in physics, navigating the marriage-science dichotomy, promoting gender equality in science, and the passion for science communication.

Explore the effects of habituation on joy, motivation, and belief systems. Learn how to rediscover joy in relationships through novelty. Reflect on the dangers of incremental changes leading to major atrocities in history. Discover the impact of 'Nudge' and the power of collaborative work. Dive into the intricacies of perception and the pursuit of exploration.

Discover the intriguing history of punctuation marks, from their creation by librarian Aristophanes to the introduction of lesser-known symbols like pilcrows, octothorps, and interrobangs. Explore the evolution of writing practices, the origin of the interrobang symbol, ancient counting systems, and the transformative impact of books on human nature.

The Irondale Ensemble Project, a theater company rooted in improvisation, created a program to help police and community build trust and mutual understanding through theater games. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky challenges the notion of free will, exploring how decisions are influenced by unconscious processes and societal factors. The podcast delves into the morality of punishment, determinism's impact on change, and Sapolsky's passion for teaching and human interactions.

Tom Hanks, an actor and producer, discusses his novel about making movies, sharing the challenges and excitement of working on a film set, the importance of problem-solving skills, real-life anecdotes, the need for balance in acting, and the significance of understanding and empathy in reading novels.

Why can’t AI bots be made to be good, to be moral, so they’ll help us and not do harmful or terrible things? But just whose moral values would we want them to have? And what if they become too moral? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, discusses the risks and benefits of AI, including its ability to create fake people for influence campaigns. He emphasizes the need for responsible governance and regulation of AI technologies and explores the manipulation of social media and AI in the political process. Schmidt also highlights the resilience of humans and the importance of reading.

Fei-Fei Li, a trailblazer in AI and big data, shares her inspiring journey from childhood in China to groundbreaking contributions in the field. She discusses the challenges she faced, including gender biases, and reflects on the importance of human values in AI development. A heartfelt story about her mother's pivotal question led her to prioritize human-centered approaches in technology. With insights into ImageNet's impact and future of AI, Fei-Fei emphasizes the balance between innovation and responsibility, illuminating the path forward.

Alan and Executive Producer Graham Chedd chat about and play excerpts from Alan's conversations with some of the guests in the new season, beginning next week. Guests include computer scientist Fei-Fei Li; former CEO of Google Eric Schmidt; and actor Tom Hanks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.