Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

American life is dominated by machines: our computers, our televisions, our phones. This has been especially true over the past year as technology kept us connected—to our jobs, our friends, our families, even our doctors. But, as the country sees the light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, what now? What has our reliance on technology done to us for not only the past year, but for the past decade (or longer)?Two authors, Sherry Turkle and Tiffany Shlain, will use the occasion of the publications of Turkle's new book (The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir) and the paperback version of Shlain's book (24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection) to have an intimate and timely discussion on the urgent need to reclaim humanity and empathy in this technological age.Turke's latest book illuminates our present search for authentic connection in a time of uncharted challenges. Her book ties together her coming-of-age and her pathbreaking research on technology, empathy and ethics. Growing up in postwar Brooklyn, Turkle searched for clues to her identity in a house filled with mysteries. She mastered the codes that governed her mother’s secretive life. She learned never to ask about her absent scientist father—and never to use his name, her name. Before empathy became a way to find connection, it was her strategy for survival.Shlain's book recounts the efforts she and her family have made to gain more time, productivity, connection and presence in their lives by giving up screens for one day a week. Her book takes readers on a thought-provoking and entertaining journey through time and technology, introducing a strategy for flourishing in our 24/7 world. Drawn from the ancient ritual of Shabbat, she says that living 24/6 can work for anyone from any background. With humor and wisdom, Shlain shares her story, offering the accessible lessons she has learned and providing a blueprint for how to do it yourself.Please join for this special event about the critical need to reclaim our lives from technology.SPEAKERSSherry TurkleAuthor, The Empathy Diaries: A MemoirTiffany ShlainAuthor, 24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and ConnectionIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A century ago, food was industrialized. Since then, new styles of agriculture and food production have written a new chapter of human history, one that’s driving both climate change and global health crises. Best-selling food authority Mark Bittman will offer a panoramic view of the story and explain how we can rescue ourselves from the modern wrong turn.Mark Bittman has been a leading voice in global food culture and policy for more than three decades. Born in New York City in 1950, Bittman began writing professionally in 1978. After five years as a general assignment reporter, he turned all of his attention to food. His first cookbook, Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking, was published in 1994 and remains in print; since then he has written or co-written thirty others, including the How to Cook Everything series.Bittman was a distinguished fellow at the University of California, Berkeley and a fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists; he remains a fellow at Yale and is now on the faculty of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. He has received six James Beard Awards, four IACP Awards, and numerous other honors. He is also the editor-in-chief of "The Mark Bittman Project," a newsletter and website focusing on all aspects of food, from political to delicious. His most recent book is his history of food and humanity, Animal, Vegetable, Junk.MLF ORGANIZERPatty JamesNOTESMLF: Health & MedicineSPEAKERSMark BittmanFellow, Yale University; Faculty Member, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; Winner of 6 James Beard Awards; Editor-in-Chief, "The Mark Bittman Project"; Author, Animal, Vegetable, JunkPatty JamesM.S., N.C. Nutritionist; Chef; Author—ModeratorIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the challenges of 2020, most of higher education was already facing intense demographic, financial and cultural pressures. Now, with the likelihood of some online learning remaining part of college curriculum even post-pandemic, what does the future hold for higher education? What questions should students and families be asking institutions as they prepare to return to campus in the fall? Will higher education as we once knew it return, or has the pandemic fundamentally changed how students will experience college? Join us for this engaging conversation between two seasoned experts on the rapidly changing state of higher education, and how colleges are preparing to meet the needs of students for generations to come.Dr. Marcy is the ninth president of Dominican University of California, serving since 2011. Her research focuses on higher education innovation and transformation. She has published and presented extensively on issues of leadership, strategy and diversity. She holds a doctorate and master's degree in politics from the University of Oxford.As California Governor Gavin Newsom's senior policy advisor for higher education, Dr. Ajose is responsible for developing and shaping the governor’s higher education policy agenda, which is focused on protecting college affordability, preserving college access and increasing system efficiency to meet the state’s need for a skilled and educated workforce. Most recently she led the Governor's Recovery with Equity task force. She holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.SPEAKERSDr. Mary MarcyPh.D., President, Dominican University of California; Board Member, Commonwealth Club; Author, The Small College Imperative: Models for Sustainable FuturesIn Conversation with Dr. Lande AjosePh.D., Senior Policy Advisor for Higher Education to Governor Gavin NewsomIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent article on The Daily Beast, Dr. Steven Hassan refers to the cult leaders’ “playbook” and lists some of the mind-control strategies employed by former President Donald Trump: These include his grandiose claims, his practice of sowing confusion, his demand for absolute loyalty, his tendency to lie and create alternative "facts" and realities, his shunning and belittling of critics and ex-believers, and his cultivating an "us versus them" mindset. Of all these tactics, the "us versus them" mindset is probably one of the most effective. He says that from the moment you are recruited into a cult, you are made to feel special, part of an "inside" group in opposition to unenlightened, unbelieving, dangerous "outsiders."Join us for an intriguing talk with Dr. Hassan on cult-like behavior in the political world.Steven Hassan, Ph.D., is a mental health professional who has been helping people leave destructive cults since 1976 after he was deprogrammed from Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church. He is the author of four books Combating Cult Mind Control: The Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults; Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves; Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Thoughts & Beliefs; and The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control.MLF ORGANIZERPatrick O'ReillyNOTESMLF: PsychologySPEAKERSSteven HassanPh.D., Author, The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind ControlPatrick O'ReillyChair, Psychology Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—ModeratorIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guests:Sandra Kwak, CEO and Founder, 10PowerDonnel Baird, CEO, BlocPowerAndreas Karelas, Author, Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America Summary: As the spring of 2021 arrives, it would be hard to design a more challenging — or more promising — moment for implementing climate solutions. Americans are reeling from an economic shutdown that’s pushed many out of the workforce, and widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor. In this brave new post-Covid world, can President Biden step up where Obama couldn’t? “I'm delighted about what I'm seeing from the Biden-Harris team,” notes Donnel Baird, CEO of BlocPower. “Climate justice and racial equality are wedded together alongside employment, alongside public health and working our way out of these kinds of four simultaneous crises we’re dealing with.” From big tech to clean energy, what are the opportunities for scaling new solutions — and where do inequity and politics continue to set us back?Related links:10PowerBlocPowerClimate CourageRe-volv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nipsey Hussle lived a life full of passion for his craft and compassion for his community. As a prolific rapper and artist, Nipsey strove for excellence in his work without forgetting Crenshaw, Los Angeles, the neighborhood he grew up in and sought to lift out of poverty. In his new book The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle, music journalist Rob Kenner studies Nipsey’s life in exacting detail, sharing interviews from friends and family that reveal unknown information about Nipsey’s goals and mission. While Nipsey’s tragic passing deprived the world of his future success, Kenner emphasizes the influence Nipsey already held at his young age.Join Rob Kenner at INFORUM to learn more about Nipsey’s life and his legacy, which will have an impact long beyond his lifetime. This conversation is moderated by Dave “Davey D” Cook, a hip hop historian and professor at San Francisco State University.Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.SPEAKERSRob KennerFounding editor, Vibe Magazine; Author, The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey HussleDavey DHip-hop historian; Professor, Department of Africana Studies, San Francisco State UniversityIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Rifle Association is widely considered to be one of the most influential—and arguably most controversial—interest groups in America. In its infancy, the NRA operated as a nonpartisan organization for gun owners to learn firearm safety, practice marksmanship and shoot for recreation. The organization has expanded into a political powerhouse since then. Despite existing in an era where mass shootings and other gun-related deaths provoke public outcry, the NRA still manages to exert its power and consistently defeat proposals for gun restrictions.In his new book Firepower, political researcher Matthew Lacombe seeks to understand how the NRA came to be this powerful. Drawing on nearly a century of archives and records, Lacombe discovers that the NRA has fashioned a distinct pro-gun worldview among its supporters to influence their political actions and mobilize them when necessary. He says the NRA has used its large, unified and active base to secure an alliance with the Republican Party and ensure its political objectives are advanced. Lacombe sheds new light on how the NRA has grown powerful by mobilizing average Americans, and how it uses its GOP alliance to shape the national agenda and maintain political power.Join us as Matthew Lacombe discusses Firepower and reveals how the NRA has turned its once-nonpartisan membership into modern political pawns.SPEAKERSMatthew LacombeAssistant Professor of Political Science, Columbia University; Author, Firepower: How the NRA Turned Gun Owners into a Political ForceIn Conversation with John BolandPresident Emeritus, KQED Public Media; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of GovernorsIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it in the United States, journalists Alexis Madrigal and Erin Kissane of The Atlantic started the COVID Tracking Project. The project was an effort to provide comprehensive data and to pressure public health agencies to publish better metrics regarding the spread of COVID-19. While the founders only anticipated that the project would last a few weeks until the government began to keep more accurate numbers, the project will officially cease collecting data on March 7, exactly one year after it started.Join Alexis Madrigal at INFORUM to learn more about how the project has functioned in the past year, the staff’s experiences working with government officials, and what lessons Madrigal has to impart as our society begins to envision a post-pandemic world.SPEAKERSAlexis MadrigalStaff Writer, The Atlantic; Founder, The COVID Tracking ProjectIn Conversation with DJ PatilPh.D., Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of GovernorsIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. population is aging. The number of Americans aged 65 and older will more than double over the next 40 years, reaching 80 million in 2040. The group most often needing help with basic personal care, adults ages 85 and older, will nearly quadruple between 2000 and 2040.Aging in place will be an option for many people, which means staying in the comfort of your own home, rather than moving into a retirement or long-term care facility. Most of the care provided to older adults in this country comes from families, friends and neighbors. In fact, by 2030, it is projected that half of the families in the United States will be involved in caring for an older adult.While home-based care is less expensive than institutional care, few of the 45 million family caregivers in the United States are trained or paid to provide this complex care. In California, the economic value of family care was put at $63 trillion in 2017. This vast labor force could be tapped for future success, including better health outcomes, less demand on the health-care system, and reduced costs. But optimizing the home-based caregiver system requires a systematic approach, which will be discussed by our panel of experts.MLF ORGANIZERRobert Lee KilpatrickNOTESMLF: Health & MedicineSPEAKERSTheresa (Terri) HarvathPh.D., RN, FAAN, FGSA, Professor and Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives, Family Caregiving Institute, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, DavisSusan C. ReinhardPh.D., RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Director, AARP Public Policy Institute; Chief Strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America and Family Caregiving InitiativesJonathan DavisFounder and CEO, TrualtaIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices