Aspen Ideas To Go

Whether they publicly tout it or not, U.S. technology companies play a powerful role in politics, cultural issues and the way we live. Founder and investor Peter Thiel is one of the more visible and outspoken Silicon Valley figures. A member of the so-called "PayPal Mafia," a highly successful group of PayPal founders and employees, Thiel waded into the limelight in the lead-up to the 2016 election when he became an avid supporter and funder of the Trump campaign. While Trump and Thiel’s relationship has reportedly suffered since then, he explains in this interview at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival why he’ll likely still vote for Trump in 2024, but not donate to any campaigns. Co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Andrew Ross Sorkin presses Thiel on what another Trump presidency could mean for the country and democracy. Since this conversation was recorded on June 27, Trump selected Thiel’s mentee J.D. Vance as his vice presidential pick, and Thiel reportedly may be warming up to stronger support of the campaign. S

Sizable electorates around the world are flocking to populist candidates who promise power, domination and a return to better times. The global experiment in liberalism seems to be suffering a setback. In his latest book, “Age of Revolutions,” journalist Fareed Zakaria teases apart the foreign policy decisions that got us to this point. Several U.S. missteps, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the 2008 financial crisis, eroded trust in the vision of the American project, he says. And growing individual liberty and choice sparked a backlash among those mourning a cohesion they believe their society used to enjoy. New York Times columnist David Brooks, interviews Zakaria and takes questions from the audience.  aspenideas.org

Conflict and suffering can bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best. This is one of the lessons New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has learned from decades of reporting on the ground in war zones and amidst humanitarian nightmares. Somehow, despite witnessing atrocities like the Tiananmen Square protests, genocide in Darfur and war in Iraq, Kristof still believes in humanity and holds onto optimism about the future. In his latest book, a memoir called “Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life,” he explains how he’s been able to persist. Podcast and TV host Kelly Corrigan interviews Kristof at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival about his road from a small rural town in Oregon to a decades-long career at the Times. This conversation was held on June 29.*Please note that this conversation references substance abuse, sexual abuse, and suicide. aspenideas.org

The federal right to abortions in the United States has been overturned, access to contraception and IVF services are threatened in many states, and the gender wage gap persists. It feels like an era of backsliding for women’s rights and freedoms. What can we do to reverse the trend and get back on the road to progress? Three experts and crusaders for women’s and family rights meet on stage at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival for a conversation and strategy session on standing up for women. U.S. Representative (D-CA) Katie Porter, NYU law professor and constitutional law scholar Melissa Murray, and litigator Roberta Kaplan discuss recent Supreme Court decisions, the presidential debate, and the policy priorities and messages they’d like to see from lawmakers and candidates. Journalist Katie Couric moderates the conversation and takes audience questions. The talk was held on June 28. aspenideas.org

The grim stream of news from the Middle East has been making it more and more difficult to hold onto hope for peace. When and how will the conflict in Gaza end? And could war even spread to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon? Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who served from 2006 to 2009, takes the stage at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival to share his frank thoughts on the situation. Washington Post reporter David Ignatius interviews Olmert, pushing to the heart of the issue in this rare opportunity to hear straight from the leader. In the second portion of the talk, Ignatius continues the conversation with the current ambassador to the United States from Jordan, Dina Kawar, and former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides. The diplomats give insights into the region’s complexities and possible paths out of constant conflict. Both talks were held on June 26. aspenideas.org

The Supreme Court has issued another series of controversial and consequential decisions this term, fueling discussion on the current state of the judicial branch. Recent polling data show that seven in 10 Americans do not trust that the court can be impartial, and the justice’s actions outside of their chambers continue to make headlines. In a timely panel at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, three constitutional law experts meet for a lively and hard-hitting conversation on the court’s latest rulings. Neal Katyal of Georgetown Law, Melissa Murray of NYU School of Law and George Conway of the Society for the Rule of Law discuss how the Chevron doctrine ruling will change U.S. regulation and lawmaking. And they cover other major decisions such as the Idaho emergency abortion case and continued consequences of the 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. What constitutes ethical conduct for a Supreme Court justice? Has the court been politicized, and if so, what do we do about it? The conversation took place

People and families suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia often feel desperate for a cure and will try anything. Unfortunately, no cure exists and not a single treatment has been shown to reverse the effects of these brain diseases once they’ve started. Millions of Americans are afflicted by Alzheimer’s and dementia, and dishearteningly, the numbers are growing. But studies show that prevention via simple lifestyle habits is extremely effective, and some simple changes in diet, exercise and sleep practices can reduce the chances of developing brain disease by up to 40 or 50 percent. Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai are a husband-and-wife team of neurologists who co-direct the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University in Southern California. In this talk from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival, the Sherzais share some of the most hopeful and accessible tips on adopting a healthy lifestyle that can optimize long-term brain health and keep cognitive decline at bay. aspenideas.org

Death is understandably difficult – and for some people, nearly impossible – to conceive of and talk about. Especially our own. It may seem like there’s nothing we can do to prepare for our last moments on earth, but several innovative panelists at the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival would disagree. Alua Arthur is a “death doula,” who helps people find peace with themselves when nearing the end of their life. A former lawyer, she founded the organization Going With Grace to help redefine the end-of-life experience. Dan Diaz was thrust into advocacy when his wife, Brittany Maynard, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2014 at age 29. Maynard wanted control over how she died, and the couple moved to Oregon for the last months of her life, where medical aid in dying was legal. Diaz has been pushing to expand legalization of medical aid in dying ever since, and has helped pass legislation in several states since Brittany’s death. Designer Katrina Spade invented a way to turn humans into compost after life, and f

Climate change is demanding an extraordinarily rapid transformation of human society, and we don’t have a manual. The people who have done the least to cause the problem are the people who will be feeling it most, and that pattern of inequality exists both within and between nations. Mapping a course to an adapted planet is an incredibly complex task that requires the cooperation of millions. Atmospheric scientist Katharine Hayhoe is one of those pitching in, and she has co-authored the past four U.S. National Climate Assessment reports. She’s also the chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy and a professor in the Texas Tech University Political Science department. Her multiple insider roles give her a unique perspective on what it will take to solve and adapt to the climate crisis, and her practice of finding hope keeps her engaged. NBC “Today” show weather and feature anchor Al Roker interviews Hayhoe at the 2024 Aspen Ideas: Climate event in Miami Beach, Florida. aspenideas.org

For years, Yale undergraduate students have lined up to take a wildly popular course called Life Worth Living. Bucking the highly competitive tone you might expect at an Ivy League school, the class teaches students to look beyond traditional markers of success for deeper meaning. Theology professor Miroslav Volf is one of the co-teachers, and also one of the co-authors of a book version of the course that came out last year called “Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most.” Podcast and TV host Kelly Corrigan invited Volf to introduce the book and start an extended and lively conversation with a wide variety of writers and thinkers at the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival. After setting the stage with Volf, Corrigan poses probing questions to Mónica Guzmán, the author of “I Never Thought of It That Way” and a senior fellow at Braver Angels, James Ijames, a playwright who won a 2022 Pulitzer for his play “Fat Ham,” Alexandra Reeve Givens, a lawyer and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, and Rainn Wi

In the late 1990s, HIV and AIDS was killing people in Sub-Saharan Africa at an astonishing rate. Generations of children were growing up without parents and the workforce of civil society was hollowing out. Drugs effectively treating the disease were just becoming available, and the George W. Bush administration wanted to explore a way to bring treatment to Africa. Anthony Fauci was head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the time, and under near-secrecy, he was assigned to formulate a plan via several fact-finding trips to the continent. When the outline of the program came together, then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist rallied support in congress and led the passage of legislation for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. In today’s talk from Aspen Ideas: Health, Fauci and Frist meet on stage about two decades after the start of PEPFAR to tell the story of how it got started and reflect on where it’s gone since. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen mo

The world seems to be moving and evolving faster than ever before, and democratic ideals are under threat in many countries around the globe. New York Times columnist and journalist Thomas Friedman has spent his career learning how to see things from many sides and identify the seams in the fabric of society. He believes we’re at a moment in time when it’s critical that we focus our energy on coming together and rebuilding functional democracy. In the closing session of the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival last June, Friedman shares his experiences of reporting in the Middle East and at home in the United States, and reflects on witnessing the best and worst of humanity. aspenideas.org

It doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to put the generative artificial intelligence genie back in the bottle. But we might still be able to prevent some potential damage. Tools like Bard and ChatGPT are already being used in the workplace, educational settings, health care, scientific research, and all over social media. What kind of guardrails do we need to prevent bad actors from causing the worst imaginable outcomes? And who can put those protections in place and enforce them? A panel of A.I. experts from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival shares hopes and fears for this kind of technology, and discusses what can realistically be done by private, public and civil society sectors to keep it in check. Lila Ibrahim, COO of the Google A.I. company DeepMind, joins social science professor Alondra Nelson and IBM’s head of privacy and trust, Christina Montgomery, for a conversation about charting a path to ethical uses of A.I. CNBC tech journalist Deirdre Bosa moderates the conversation and takes audience questi

History has the power to teach us what to do in the present, but do we actually make good use of that tool? Many events in our recent past might suggest otherwise. American history is complex and full of pain, suffering and missteps. Harvard professor Imani Perry’s interdisciplinary work draws from African American studies, legal history and cultural studies to find insights into how we live today. In this talk from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival, she joins author, historian and Vanderbilt professor Jon Meacham for a conversation about how to reckon with the United States’ difficult history. The two touch on the Civil Rights movement, the value of civics education and a collective mindset and what simply getting along with our neighbors can and cannot accomplish. aspenideas.org

After millennia of human existence, we’re still figuring out and talking constantly about one of our most fundamental behaviors – sex. Despite the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s and the growth of sex positivity in recent decades, a lot of people still report having a lot of bad sex. The reasons for that are varied and multiple, but culture has a role to play, and we can help each other get to the root of what might be making sex feel unsatisfying, or even scary or shameful. In this panel from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival, the renowned sex columnist Dan Savage, longtime author of the Savage Love advice column, joins Washington Post columnist Christine Emba, author of “Rethinking Sex: A Provocation,” for a candid conversation about building healthy sex lives and finding physical connection. Kelly Corrigan, the host of the PBS show “Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan,” moderates the conversation and carefully chooses questions from the audience. aspenideas.org

Teenagers and young adults today are dealing with challenges their parents never experienced and couldn’t have prepared for. Nobody has a map and the road to resolution can be bumpy for all involved. Two adolescent psychologists published books last year aimed at helping parents understand and empathize with what their kids are going through and guiding everyone toward helpful solutions. Clinical psychologist and author Lisa Damour wrote “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable and Compassionate Adolescents,” after demand for her professional help skyrocketed during the pandemic. Developmental psychologist and researcher Laurence Steinberg released “You and Your Adult Child: How to Grow Together in Challenging Times,” to meet a need in society for more guidance on adult children moving back in with parents and going through tough periods. Damour and Steinberg interview each other about their books at the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival and take questions from the audience. aspenideas.org

Scientists could actually be close to being able to decode animal communication and figure out what animals are saying to each other. And more astonishingly, we might even find ways to talk back. The study of sonic communication in animals is relatively new, and researchers have made a lot of headway over the past few decades with recordings and human analysis. But recent advancements in artificial intelligence are opening doors to parsing animal communication in ways that haven’t been close to possible until now. In this talk from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival in partnership with Vox’s “Unexplainable” podcast, two experts on animal communication and the digital world come together to explain what may come next. Tragically, a few months after this conversation was recorded in June, one of the panelists, Karen Bakker, passed away unexpectedly. Bakker was a professor at the University of British Columbia who looked at ways digital tools can address our most pressing problems. She also wrote the book “The Sounds

Menopause is a normal phase of life, but can nonetheless be a challenging and confusing time for women reaching middle age. As a culture, we talk about the details of menopausal transition very little, and women often have to walk a gauntlet of sellers offering dubious cures and treatments before getting to medically sound and reliable solutions. Even experts frequently struggle to find the right combination of treatments for a particular patient’s hot flashes, memory lapses, sleep issues, sexual functioning changes and other symptoms that so many women experience. Two obstetrician and gynecologists meet on stage at the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival to shed light on the latest menopause research, hormone replacement treatments and the misinformation clouding women’s paths to relief. Jen Gunter wrote “The Menopause Manifesto” and has been called “the internet’s OB/GYN.” Nanette Santoro has helped run several studies on menopause, including the Women’s Health Initiative and the Study of Women’s Health Across the Na

William Shakespeare started writing plays in an era when popular theater was exploding and cementing its place in culture. Audiences spanned economic classes, professions and educational backgrounds, and he was keenly aware of the need to write for all attendees. He frequently wrestled with topics that retain relevance for society across centuries, such as power struggles, relationships, politics, and love. Not only are Shakespeare’s plays still performed constantly, but his storylines and themes are also frequently borrowed for contemporary entertainment. The Scottish actor Brian Cox has performed classic Shakespeare roles, including King Lear, hundreds of times on stage. Most recently he played the iconic patriarch Logan Roy on HBO’s “Succession,” a modern King Lear story. Simon Godwin, the artistic director of the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, D.C., is tasked with keeping Shakespeare’s work fresh with every new season and reaching a broad cross-section of audience members. Both joined entertai

Living a happy life isn’t as simple as having a smile on your face all the time. We often think that our negative emotions should be minimized and repressed, but acknowledging and managing them is actually key to achieving a healthy baseline. Author and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks studies the latest happiness research across behavioral science, philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. He shares his findings with the business school students he teaches and with the general public he writes for, and explains how to understand and manage our emotions. We cannot control our emotional responses to the world, he says, but we can learn to control how we react to them. aspenideas.org