They Changed Our Minds. Alina Chan and Jonathan Rauch

They Changed Our Minds. Alina Chan and Jonathan Rauch

How do you tell the difference between truth and lies? The answer involves a careful process of seeking knowledge that may contradict our long held beliefs. In this episode, our hosts share two conversations with expert guests who changed Jim and Richard's minds about how they approach topics central to our understanding of politics, science, and society.


Journalist and scholar Jonathan Rauch is the author of the best-selling book, "The Constitution of Knowledge". He makes a stirring case for the social system of checks and balances used by scientists, lawyers, business leaders, and researchers to turn disagreements into verifiable facts.


Alina Chan is a Canadian molecular biologist specializing in gene therapy and cell engineering at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where she is a postdoctoral fellow. Chan is the co-author of "Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19."


When she and several other scientists raised the possibility that the SARS CoV2 could have escaped from a lab, Chan's research was dismissed by many leading scientists and mainstream journalists. Some declared that her work was "a conspiracy theory." But Chan continues to ask crucial questions. The world needs to know the true origins of the pandemic in order to prevent the next dangerous virus from causing a future pandemic. A full and open investigation was never done.


Both of our interviews underline the need for nuance, curiosity and open-minded approaches to the world's great problems. The "global network of people hunting for each others' errors is far and away the greatest technology ever invented," Rauch tells us. The constitution of knowledge, he says, "is a global conversation of people looking for truth, and more especially, looking for error."


Recommendation: Richard is reading "Broken News" by political journalist Chris Stirewalt. This new book provides a crisp, passionate, well-judged argument of how the media rage machine divides America. Reporters in newsrooms are incentivized to write news stories that are full of emotion and anger. These reports very often get the most clicks and social media attention. This emphasis on anger and rage has polluted journalism, Stirewalt argues.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(437)

#5 We Need More Free Range Kids: How Do We Fix It?

#5 We Need More Free Range Kids: How Do We Fix It?

Do helicopter parents need to come in for a landing? Lenore Skenazy, host of the cable TV show, "World's Worst Mom", says yes. The founder of the parenting movement Free Range Kids is Jim and Richard's expert guest. Skenazy argues society fills parents with fear about what might happen to their children. http://www.freerangekids.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Juni 201526min

#1 The Tech Threat To Your Kids: How Do We Fix It?

#1 The Tech Threat To Your Kids: How Do We Fix It?

Computers, video games and mobile devices are a huge temptation for kids. But are they really a threat, or instead a great opportunity for children to learn about the world? In this show Jim and Richard are joined by developmental psychologist Abigail Baird of Vassar College. The mother of two 6-year old twins and an expert on the teenage brain, Abigail has some fascinating fixes for parents who want to strike the right balance on tech for their kids. http://psychology.vassar.edu/bios/abbaird.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Apr 201529min

#2 Why We're Bored and Frustrated At Work: How Do We Fix It?

#2 Why We're Bored and Frustrated At Work: How Do We Fix It?

The numbers are alarming. A recent Gallup says that less than one-third of American workers are engaged in their jobs. Millions of employees are either bored or completely fed up. In addition to the human misery this causes dysfunctional workplaces damage businesses and harm the economy. Ron Friedman is the author of "The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace." He has some great tips for both employers and employees.http://thebestplacetoworkbook.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Mars 201532min

#4 Government Red Tape Is A Nightmare: How Do We Fix It?

#4 Government Red Tape Is A Nightmare: How Do We Fix It?

All of us pay taxes, but how well is that money being spent? Many government services are poorly delivered. From the local DMV or zoning department to the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs, government can be a big tangled mess. For decades, Philip K. Howard has been a leading expert on how streamline government and make it work for all of us. His latest book is "The Rule of Nobody." In this episode, Richard, Jim and Philip a lively conversation about the problem and how to would fix it. http://philipkhoward.com/book/the-rule-of-nobody/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Mars 201531min

#3 Drowning In Credit Card Debt: How Do We Fix It?

#3 Drowning In Credit Card Debt: How Do We Fix It?

Credit card debt is once again on the rise. The average U.S. household that borrows money with high interest credit cards owes $15,000. Many people are overwhelmed by monthly bills. Expert Beverly Harzog has seen the problems from both sides. Author of two helpful books, "Confessions of a Credit Card Junkie," and "The Debt Escape Plan", Beverly knows all about the crisis of bad credit and how to dig yourself out from debt. www.beverlyharzog.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Mars 201532min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
rss-viva-fotboll
fordomspodden
flashback-forever
aftonbladet-daily
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-vad-fan-hande
olyckan-inifran
dagens-eko
rss-frandfors-horna
krimmagasinet
rss-krimreportrarna
motiv
svd-dokumentara-berattelser-2
rss-expressen-dok
blenda-2
svd-nyhetsartiklar
spotlight