Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

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Ezra Klein: Why We're Polarized Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

Ezra Klein doesn’t believe America’s political system is broken. He argues that the truth is scarier: It’s working exactly as designed. Over the past 50 years, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological and cultural identities. According to Klein, this merging has created a toxic system that is tearing at the bonds that hold this country together. In his new book, Why We’re Polarized, Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and each other. The book provides a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. Join us for a conversation around how American politics became a gridlocked system, why we participate in it and what it means for our future. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Nonviolence: The Fierce Urgency of Now Feb 07, 2020

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The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. implored us to fight racism, poverty and militarism with disciplined nonviolence and radical love. “The choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence,” he said. “It is either nonviolence or nonexistence.” Tragically, more than a half century after Dr. King’s assassination, we face a resurgence of racist hatred, ubiquitous gun violence, extreme inequality, pervasive homelessness and threats to the human species from global warming and nuclear weapons. How can we rediscover the power of nonviolence to effectively address these grave problems and urgent threats? What role do colleges and universities play to further Dr. King’s legacy of nonviolence? Join the Rev. Paul Fitzgerald and Clarence Jones in a dialogue on nonviolence, social justice, moral vision and higher education today. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Harvard’s Laura Huang: Turning Adversity into Success Feb 07, 2020

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Laura Huang, a preeminent Harvard Business School professor, says that success is about gaining an edge: that elusive quality that gives you an upper hand and attracts attention and support. Some people seem to naturally have it. She says the rest of us can create our own successes from the challenges and biases we think hold us back, turning them to work in our favor. Huang argues that success is rarely just about the quality of our ideas, credentials and skills, or our effort. Instead, she says achieving success hinges on how well we shape others' perceptions—of our strengths, certainly, but also of our flaws. It's about creating our own edge by confronting the factors that seem like shortcomings and turning them into assets that make others take notice. Come for a fascinating conversation about how to find your unique edge and keep it sharp.

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Daniel J. Levitin: Successful Aging - Marin Conversations Feb 06, 2020

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As American society continues to have a growing older population, understanding all aspects of aging is a critical national priority. Perhaps no subject is more important than understanding what happens to our brains as they age and what people can do to enhance cognition as they get older. And there is, perhaps, no better person to explain this all than best-selling neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, author of the iconic best sellers This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind. In his latest book, Successful Aging, Levitin turns his keen insights to what happens in our brains as people get older and, based on a rigorous analysis of neuroscientific evidence, what people can do to make the most of their 70s, 80s and 90s. Successful Aging uses research from developmental neuroscience and the psychology of individual differences to show that 60+ years is a unique developmental stage that, like infancy or adolescence, has its own demands and distinct advantages. Levitin looks at the science behind what we all can learn from those who age joyously as well as how to adapt our culture to take full advantage of older people's wisdom and experience. Successful Aging inspires a powerful new approach to how readers think about our final decades and has the potential to revolutionize the way we plan for old age as individuals, family members and citizens within a society where the average life expectancy continues to rise. This event will be hosted at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, one of the leading research institutions on helping people live longer. In association with the Buck Institute

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An Evening with Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Feb 05, 2020

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Acclaimed New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and entrepreneur Sheryl WuDunn are the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors behind countless best-selling books. In their newest work, Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, Kristof and WuDunn turn their focus inward to the crisis in working-class America. Kristof, who grew up in rural Oregon, discovered one-quarter of the kids on his school bus growing up died in adulthood from drugs, alcohol, suicide or reckless accidents. While shocking to many, Kristof and WuDunn argue stories like this are representative of everyone from the Dakotas and Oklahoma to New York and Virginia. But along with tragedy, they tell stories of resurgence: recovery from opioid addiction, adults devoting their lives to helping teenagers navigate the reality of poverty and other inspiring journeys. According to Kristof and WuDunn, these accounts provide a picture of working-class families needlessly but profoundly damaged as a result of decades of policy mistakes. Join us for an uplifting and profoundly inspiring conversation with two writers who have devoted their lives to amplifying the voices of people who make the world a better place.

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Building the Transcontinental Railroad Feb 05, 2020

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The construction of the 1,776 mile long Transcontinental Railroad is one of the most impressive civil engineering achievements of the 19th century. Begun in 1863 during the Civil War, its construction required the efforts of thousands of workers who conquered demanding terrain and survived harsh construction and weather conditions. Giroux sheds new light on the civil engineers who designed and constructed that marvel, and commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike. On May 10, 1869, it was hammered into place, completing the Transcontinental Railroad, which helped knit together the then recently restored Union from its Atlantic coast to its Pacific coast. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Donna DiGiuseppe: Renaissance Artist Sofonisba Anguissola Feb 05, 2020

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If you can't be in Madrid this month to see the exhibit of Sofonisba Anguissola's paintings at the Prado, come to The Commonwealth Club instead to hear all about this fascinating female Renaissance artist. Donna DiGiuseppe will describe why she turned Anguissola's biographical details into a novel, Anguissola's artistic apprenticeship with Bernardino Campi and the difficult process of cataloguing her work, which wasn't always signed. But Anguissola's legacy lives on in Italy, and her direct descendant, Count Ferrante Anguissola D'Altoe, recently wrote that Lady in Ermine captures Anguissola's 16th century, from lavish court life to its treatment of women. The reader roots for Anguissola to achieve her dream to paint the king and overcome the challenges of being a Renaissance woman painter. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: What Is a Just Transition? Feb 03, 2020

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Our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels has led to climate disruption and inequality. Underserved communities are the ones most harmed by pollution, lack of green space and heat-related illness. Transitioning to clean energy would seem to be the obvious answer. But in the process of trying to right old wrongs, do we risk leaving some communities behind? What does a just transition to a cleaner, greener economy look like?

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The 2020 Census and the LGBTQ+ Community Feb 03, 2020

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In 2020, the United States will conduct its 24th census. Will LGBTQI+ people be counted? Will they even bother to fill out the census forms? The results of the country's every-10-years census are used in everything from apportioning representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives to the provision of social services. Join us for a timely discussion about why the census is important to LGBTQI+ people and how it impacts resources for members of our community. El Censo del 2020 y la Comunidad LGBTQ+ En el 2020, los Estados Unidos llevará a cabo el censo por vigésimocuarta vez. ¿Se contará a las personas LGBTQI+? ¿Se molestarán siquiera en rellenar los formularios del censo? El censo ocurre cada 10 años y los resultados se usan para tomar decisiones importantes, desde cuántos representantes del Congreso recibe cada estado hasta la provisión de servicios sociales. Únete a una conversación oportuna sobre por qué el censo es importante para las personas LGBTQI+ y cómo afecta los recursos disponibles para miembros de nuestra comunidad. Notes In association with the the Office of Transgender Initiatives, the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, and the SF LGBT Center; Este evento esta copatrocinado por la Oficina de Iniciativas Transgénero, la Oficina de Participación Cívica y Asuntos de Inmigrantes, y el Centro LGBT de SF como parte de una serie de eventos para la campaña SF Counts. This program is part of a series of events for the SF Counts campaign

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Immortality Inc: The Quest to Live Forever Feb 02, 2020

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Can we live forever? Science journalist, Chip Walter reveals the ground-breaking research and visionaries who are trying to answer that very question. Find out more from Walter and leading rejuvenation, stem cell research and genetic experts who are redefining our understanding of life, aging and mortality. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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