The average American voter is NOT smarter than a 5th grader, doesn't understand basic political facts and should probably not be allowed to vote. Philosopher Jason Brennan makes the case for an epistocracy: the rule of the knowledgeable.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Novelist Tim O’Brien talks 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.
Anthropologist Alia Gurtov was one of the first people to crawl into the Dinaledi Chamber to see the Homo naledi fossils. She describes the harrowing climb into the cave, where she had to crawl through tiny passages to retrieve the bones.
Naturalist and soundscape artist Bernie Krause talks about his book, "The Great Animal Orchestra: Finding the Origins of Music in the World's Wild Places."
In 2006, Barack Obama was the new darling of the Democratic Party and was considering a Presidential run in 2008.
Have you heard about Amazon's plans to start a fleet of delivery drones? What would that look like? Listener Sandra Cheasty gives us a glimpse in her short story, "Drones Gone Wild."
The late Christopher Hitchens was one of the most controversial journalists and public intellectuals of recent years. In this conversation, he talks about his memoir "Hitch 22" and the role of intellectuals.
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