Deep Background with Noah Feldman

Latest Episodes:

The Election Pollster’s Song Oct 21, 2020

Show notes

Anthony Salvanto, CBS News’ director of Elections and Surveys, discusses the latest polling data and how to make sense of it.

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Deep Background Presents: Takeover Oct 17, 2020

Show notes

We've taken our five part "Deep Bench" mini-series about the rise of the Federalist Society and expanded it into an audiobook entitled Takeover: How a Conservative Student Club Captured the Supreme Court. Takeover includes a preface and afterword including new commentary from Noah Feldman and never-heard-before interviews. The Federalist Society has become the most powerful legal organization in the country. How did this happen? What are the challenges it faces now? And why does it matter to everyone to know today? Download Takeover at www.pushkin.fm/takeover.

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Deep Background Presents: Brave New Planet Oct 14, 2020

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Introducing Brave New Planet, a seven-part series that delves deep into powerful technologies changing our world. They have amazing potential upsides, but we can’t ignore the serious risks. Hosted by Dr. Eric Lander, Brave New Planet is a partnership between the Broad Institute, Pushkin Industries, and the Boston Globe.

In this episode, we're talking about how it's becoming more common to make convincing -- but false -- videos through artificial intelligence. These “deepfakes” can be useful in art, education, and therapy. But they can also be used to harm the reputation of an ex-partner or a stranger. Could they be weaponized to provoke international conflicts or swing elections? When seeing is not believing, who can we trust, and can democracy and truth survive?

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Will Trump Concede? Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

Adam Przeworski, a politics professor at New York University and one of the world’s foremost scholars on democratic transitions, explains his worries about a peaceful transfer of power.

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A Former Surgeon General on the Coronavirus Pandemic Sep 30, 2020

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Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former Surgeon General of the United States and health care advisor to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, discusses how to rebuild public trust in science, why rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine will be challenging, and why despite everything he still feels hopeful.

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Remembering Justice Ginsburg Sep 23, 2020

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Richard Primus, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School and a former clerk of Justice Ginsburg, discusses what it was like to work for the Justice, her legacy, and what comes next.

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Why a Leading Election Scholar Can’t Sleep Sep 16, 2020

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Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford Law professor who specializes in election law, discusses his biggest concerns about the upcoming election.

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The Allure of QAnon Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

Adrian Hon, the CEO of the gaming company Six to Start, says the conspiracy theory QAnon is compelling to believers because it operates a bit like a virtual quest.

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“Where Is The Truth Going to Come From?” Sep 02, 2020

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Dr. Walid Gellad, the Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh, discusses a misleading statement from the FDA about convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19. Plus, he lays out a worrisome vaccine announcement scenario.

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Can the Post Office Handle the Election? Aug 26, 2020

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Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies the post office and electoral politics, discusses whether the agency can handle a pandemic election.

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