Brainwaves Video Anthology
Tom Kemp - Containing Big Tech: How to Protect Our Civil Rights, Economy, and Democracy
Tom Kemp is a Silicon Valley–based author, entrepreneur, investor, and policy advisor. Tom was the founder and CEO of Centrify (renamed Delinea in 2022), a leading cybersecurity cloud provider that amassed over two thousand enterprise...
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Punishment
Duke University legal scholar Nita Farahany describes the varying and evolving societal rationales for punishment in our legal systems.
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A Supreme Example
Tufts University philosopher Brian Epstein describes how many people’s perspectives on the social world are prejudiced by a hidden assumption that he takes issue with, and uses the example of The Supreme Court to illustrate his point.
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Towards An Open Debate
Historian David Hollinger (UC Berkeley) relates his frustration of having religious beliefs being simultaneously private and independent of the American political culture.
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Towards a Civilized Discussion
Primatologist Frans de Waal (Emory) relates his frustration with both fundamentalists and so-called neo-atheists, both of whom he believes inhibit an open discussion on morality.
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Droughts and Water Scarcity
Droughts and Water Scarcity investigates environmental issues by examining problems caused by droughts, challenges of water shortages, and ways to combat water scarcity.
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Community Concern
Primatologist and bestselling author Frans de Waal (Emory) distinguishes between the community concern of humans and of animals.
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Beyond Irrationality
Philosopher Brian Epstein (Tufts University) argues that the social world cannot be explained through individuals alone.
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Global Morality
Political scientist Mark Bevir (UC Berkeley) describes the inevitable moral questions that arise when taking global governance seriously.
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Freedom and Social Justice
Intellectual historian Quentin Skinner (QMUL) describes how egalitarian principles in Scandinavian societies might be said to provide greater freedom to their people .
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Exploring Punishment
Legal scholar Nita Farahany (Duke) discusses the different rationales we have for criminal punishment, along with some alternatives.
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Examining Networks
Political scientist Mark Bevir (UC Berkeley) describes a network form of social organization and governance.
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Elite Capture and Societal Inequality
Classicist and political theorist Josiah Ober (Stanford) describes two concerns that were as important in ancient Athens are they are today: elite capture and political inequality.
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Denying Death
Poet and independent scholar Jennifer Michael Hecht describes how our modern society is “putting away death” and the negative aspects that has on community.
Weird History
Weirdest Elizabethan Era Manners
England was the clear winner of the latter half of the 16th century. Flourishing under the reign of their industrious and stylish monarch, Queen Elizabeth I, it was between 1558 and 1603 that England emerged as the world’s first real...
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Should You Watch The Social Dilemma? | The Social Dilemma (Netflix 2020) Review
In a channel first, we're watching the docu-drama The Social Dilemma and discussing how it portrays tech ethics, artificial intelligence, and more!
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Exploring Themes in The Scarlet Letter
"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a dark novel set in Puritan Massachusetts. It explores themes of sin, guilt, and the corrupting influence of society on individuals. Through the characters of Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur...
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Understanding American Religiosity
Historian David Hollinger (UC Berkeley) gives his perspective on why the United States appears to be internationally unique in its contemporary attitude towards religion.
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Non-barking Dogs
University of Oxford historian John Elliott describes how one intriguing avenue of historical scholarship lies in trying to develop an understanding for why some historical events didn’t happen.
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Religion in America
Author and independent scholar Matthew Stewart discusses the role religion plays in American society, and how religious practice gibes with the ideals of the Founding Fathers.
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Challenging Clichés
Cambridge intellectual historian Stefan Collini tangibly demonstrates his critical thinking skills in examining the role of universities in contemporary society.
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History and Morality
Historian Martin Jay, UC Berkeley, describes how a study of history can sharpen our moral understanding, showing that, rather than adhering to inflexible rules of behaviour, each situation presents a unique set of “competing moral...
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Democratic Misconceptions
Political scientist John Dunn, University of Cambridge, describes how the typical American view of democracy is incorrect, describing how America’s Founders were generally extremely sceptical of the idea of a democratic republic.
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Deceptive Language and Theatrical Metaphors
Historian Martin Jay (UC Berkeley) highlights the importance of wrestling with the subtle and often deceptive nature of language in order to fully appreciate the cultural values of any particular society.