The whole idea of American Exceptionalism has lost currency in recent years. But in this Dangerous Idea, cultural historian Andrew Warnes asks, What if American is exceptional after all?
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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There’s a Modern Caveman Movement afoot. And their inspirational leader is 76 year-old Arthur De Vany. A man who says we all should be mimicking our caveman ancestors.
The idea of a universal basic income is getting serious consideration these days from governments -- in Switzerland, Finland, even Kenya. Could it get traction in the U.S.? Absolutely, says journalist Rutger Bregman.
We know a lot about how slaves looked at books because of the hundreds of slave narratives they wrote. Scholar Cherene Sherrard-Johnson says a fundamental trope in those narratives is what’s called “the Talking Book.”
Psychiatrist Mindy Fullilove has studied cities for decades. She says evictions destroy the social fabric of a community and are key to understanding why many cities and neighborhoods are so divided.
Novelist Tim O’Brien talks with Jim Fleming about the life-long consequences of the decisions the Viet Nam generation made in their twenties, and says it’s harder to effectively protest today.
Stephen Greenblatt tells the remarkable story of how the discovery of an ancient poem helped launch the Scientific Revolution. Also, an excerpt from Lucretius' poem "On the Nature of Things."
Sam Harris says religious certainty is not only irrational, it's dangerous. He says believing in Allah or Jesus or the God of Abraham makes no more sense than believing in Zeus.
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