Whose Century Is It?: Ideas, trends & twists shaping the world in the 21st century

Latest Episodes:

Is the American Century Over? Oct 08, 2015

Show notes

Americans have been worrying that their country's best days are behind it since before the American century began. And now? China's economic rise has persuaded many that China will supplant the US, if it hasn't already. But China's challenges are bigger than they look, and the US still has an edge when it comes to smart power, argues Harvard Professor Joseph Nye, author of "Is the American Century Over?"

China's Online Future Sep 22, 2015

Show notes

There's much we don't know about what the 21st Century will bring. But we’re not just flying blind. We know that certain things matter more now than they used, and others matter less. One thing that matters a lot is the Internet. It has transformed how we learn and how we connect, and how we come together. In China, there are now more than 600 million Internet users — about twice the population of the entire United States. With the advent of Chinese social media, starting about a decade ago, they began to connect more, speak out more, challenge the government more. The government has responded by clamping down, especially since Xi Jinping came to power almost three years ago. If a big country like China, with big aspirations, places significant limits on how its people can use the Internet, does that also limit its potential to be a 21st century power? Seems a good question to be asking, as Chinese president and Party Chief Xi Jinping arrives for a state visit, and speech at the United Nations.

Empires of Time Sep 22, 2015

Show notes

Whose century is it? Depends on whose calendar you're using. Anthony Aveni, author of "Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks & Cultures," and a professor of astronomy and anthropology at Colgate University, kicks off this new podcast with a discussion of how and why different cultures structure time and imbue time with meaning, and how time can be harnessed as a power tool, from the ancient Maya to modern Chinese.