In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lindsay Chervinsky about the presidency of John Adams. They provide an overview of Adams’s presidency, maintaining the cabinet, the XYZ affair, Alien and Sedition Acts, Fries Rebellion, replacing Pickering and McHenry, Election of 1800, legacy of Adams, and many more topics.

Lindsay M. Chervinsky a historian of the presidency, political culture, and the government. She is the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. She obtained her PhD in history from the University of California, Davis and has been a fellow at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. She has also been a professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. She is the author of The Cabinet: George Washington and The Creation of An American Institution, co-editor (with Matthew R. Costello) of Mourning The Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture, and her latest, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic.

Website: https://www.lindsaychervinsky.com/

Substack: Imperfect Union

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Steven Mithen about the evolutionary history of language. They discuss the language puzzle, provide an overview of human evolution, importance of bipedalism, and fossil record gaps. They discuss different human species, how language works, origins and spread of different languages, and the physiology of speech. They also talk about the neurology of language, language evolving over time, language connected with thinking and emotions, future of language, and many other topics.

Steven Mithen is a Professor of Early Prehistory in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading. He has previously been Pro Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Reading. He has a BA (hons) in Prehistory & Archaeology from Sheffield University, an MSc in Biological Computation from York University, and a PhD in Archaeology from Cambridge University. He has been a Fellow of the British Academy since 2004. His main research areas are in Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene hunter-gatherers and evolution of the human mind. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-Million-Year Story of How Words Evolved.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Adam Forrest Kay about the history and current state of quantum mechanics. They discuss the current state of quantum mechanics, overview of modern physics, and the impact of Niels Bohr. They also talk about light and vision, double slit experiment, Fourier analysis, Schrödinger’s equation, Bell’s theorem, and many other topics.

Adam Forrest Kay is a postdoctoral associate in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has two PhDs, one in literature from the University of Cambridge and the other in Mathematics from the University of Oxford. His interests and research have centered around Hydrodynamic Quantum Analogies (HQA), quantum mechanics, relativity theory, and variable coefficient wave equations. He is the author of, Escape From Shadow Physics: The quest to end the dark ages of quantum theory.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Yascha Mounk about the cultural wars and how identity has become central for society today. They discuss his motivations for writing the book and his perspective on identity and cultural issues. They talk about the lure of the identity trap, the history of the identity synthesis from Foucault, to Said, to Spivack, to Bell, to Crenshaw, and the links between these figures. They discuss the impact of social media, institutional capture, how to engage with identity issues, and many more topics.

Yascha Mounk is a writer and academic. He has a Bachelors in history from Trinity College, Cambridge and PhD in government from Harvard University. He is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, where he holds appointments in both the School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute. He is also a Contributing Editor at The Atlantic, and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the Founder of Persuasion, the host of The Good Fight podcast, and serves as a publisher (Herausgeber) at Die Zeit. He is the author of five books, including the most recent book, The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.

Website: https://www.yaschamounk.com/

Substack: Yascha Mounk

Podcast: The Good Fight

Twitter: @yascha_mounk

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Adrian Goldsworthy about the 700 years of rivalry between the Roman and Persian Empires. They discuss the importance of studying past empires, overview of the rivalry, and the Roman and Persia Empires in this 700 year period. They discuss the differences in governing and peaceful co-existing, complexities of Armenia, greatness of Augustus, and the silk road. They also discuss Constantine, Justinian’s reign, the Arab armies and how they quelled the Roman and Persian rivalry, and many more topics.

Adrian Goldsworthy is a historian and author. He has his DPhil from Oxford University and has conducted research at Cardiff University and taught at King’s College London and University of Notre Dame. He is the author of numerous books on Roman history, including his latest book, Rome and Persia: The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry.

Website: http://www.adriangoldsworthy.com/

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tom Holland about the Golden Age of the Roman empire. They provide an overview of Pax Romana, greatness of Augustus, and Nero as a tyrant. They talk about the chaotic year of AD 69 with four emperors, Judean revolt, and Vespasian’s peacemaking abilities. They discuss the importance of Pliny, environmental contexts for peace, the five good emperors and the rule of Trajan and Hadrian, legacy of the Roman empire, and many more topics.

Tom Holland is a historian and author. He has adapted Homer, Herodotus and Virgil for the BBC. He is the presenter of BBC 4’s Making History series and is the co-host of the podcast, The Rest Is History. He is the author of numerous books such as Dominion, Dynasty, Rubicon, and his latest book, Pax.

Website: https://www.tom-holland.org/

Twitter: @holland_tom

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Lipsky about the history of climate science denial. They discuss how he wrote this book, origins of discovering climate change, Edison and Westinghouse, and the influence of Einstein. They discuss the history of scientists observing climate changes, Nixon and the Clean Air Act and EPA, and Fred Singer and his involvement with the Unification church. They also talk about believing pseudoscience, PR campaigns for science denial for smoking and climate, and many more topics.

David Lipsky is an author, editor, and teacher. He teaches writing and literature at New York University. He is the author of numerous books including Absolutely American, Although Of Course You End Up Yourself, and his latest book, The Parrot and The Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial. He is work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The Best American Short Stories, and The New York Times Book Review. He is also the recipient of the GLAAD award and National Magazine award.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Myisha Cherry about forgiveness. They define forgiveness, discuss how moral systems are important for forgiveness, and discuss the narrow view and the broad view of forgiveness. They also talk about emotions and behaviors, what we do with bitterness, actions or the person, different capacities for different people, canceling others and forgiving public figures, forgiving one’s self, and many other topics.

Myisha Cherry is associate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. She is the Director of the Emotion and Society Lab with her research areas being in moral psychology, emotions, and social and political philosophy. She has a Bachelors in philosophy from Morgan State University, a Masters of Divinity from Howard University, and a PhD in philosophy from University of Illinois, Chicago. She is the author of The Moral Psychology of Anger (Co-edited with Owen Flanagan), The Case for Rage, and her newest book, Failures of Forgiveness.

Website: https://www.myishacherry.org/

Substack: Myisha Cherry

Podcast: https://unmutetalk.podbean.com/

Twitter: @myishacherry

Instagram: @myishacherry

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Hajar Yazdiha about collective memory and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They discuss how we can accruately understand Dr. King’s message and legacy, how we reckon with history, and what a multicultural coalition looks like today. They discuss collective memory, creating culture, primary audience of Dr. King’s message, various groups using Dr. King’s message, and many more topics.

Hajar Yazdiha is a sociologist and writer. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and faculty affiliate of the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California. She has her PhD in Sociology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her main research areas are on social movements, race and ethnicity, immigration, and collective memory. She is the author of, The Struggle for the People’s King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement.

Website: https://www.hajaryazdiha.com/

Twitter: @hajyazdiha

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Daron Acemoglu on technology, inequality, and power. They discuss how technological progress is a choice, defining progress, power of persuasion, and needs and innovations. They also talk about innovation, globalization, and automation in the post World War II era, AI and culture, fixing the challenges of technological inequality, and many more topics.

Daron Acemoglu is an economist and Institute Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is part of the National Bureau Economic Research and Center for Economic Policy Research. He has his Bachelors in economics from the University of York, a Masters in mathematical economics and econometrics from the London School of Economics, and a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics. He is the author of six books including, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty (with James A. Robinson), and his most recent book, Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity (with Simon Johnson).

Website: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/daron-acemoglu

Twitter: @dacemoglumit

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Hugo Drochon about Nietzsche’s political thought. They talk about why Nietzsche’s political thought has been ignored, Nietzsche’s great politics, Nietzsche’s emphasis on culture, Plato and political philosophy, and how to build a culture. They also talk about philosophy of state, democracy, slavery, caste systems, Nietzsche’s politics in modernity, and many other topics.

Hugo Drochon is a political theorist and historian. He has his PhD from Cambridge and completed his postdoctoral fellowship there as well. He has also had fellowships at Yale, Princeton, and Royal Historical Society. His main interests are in Nietzsche’s politics, democratic theory, and liberalism. He is the author of, Nietzsche’s Great Politics.

Website: https://www.hugodrochon.com/

Twitter: @hdrochon

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Katja Hoyer about the history of East Germany. They discuss the culture of East and West Germany and how East Germany originated, East Germany and the relationship with the Soviet Union, and the political makeup of East Germany. They also talk about the significance of Ulbrecht and socialism, creation of the Berlin Wall, and the Stasi in East Germany. They discuss the failed economics in East Germany in the 1980s, similarities between unification in 1871 and reunification in 1990, Angela Merkel’s time in office, and how a unified Germany moves forward.

Katja Hoyer is a historian and journalist who is visiting research fellow at King’s College London and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She is also Global Opinions contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Her main research area is the history of modern Germany. She is the author of Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871-1918 and Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany.

Twitter: @hoyer_kat

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Diana Fleischman about a wide range of topics including polyamory and eugenics. They talk about how evolutionary psychology is a good framework for understanding relationships, patriarchal and matriarchal societies, history of monogamous and polyamorous relationships and jealousy and polyamory. They also talk about the difficult history of eugenics, decoupling bad from the good, polygenic scores, governmental differences with prenatal care, GWAS, and many more topics.

Diana Fleischman is an evolutionary psychologist and Associate Research professor at the University of New Mexico. Her research has focused on evolutionary psychology, disgust research, sex differences, animal rights, and eugenics.

Website: https://www.dianafleischman.com/

Substack: Dissentient

Twitter: @sentientist

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kenneth Harl about the various nomadic empires of the steppes. They discuss the origins of nomadic peoples, Tocharian texts, and why language is essential for understanding nomadic peoples. They talk about the Turkish language, nomadic spread over 35 centuries, the Steppe, and nomadic identity. They discuss the Scythians, impact of China, Kublai Khan, Uyghurs, administrative might of the Mongols, Orkhon valley and Mongolia, legacy of the Nomadic peoples, and many more topics.

Kenneth Harl is Professor Emeritus of Classical and Byzantine history at Tulane University. He has his Bachelors in history from Trinity College, Masters in history from Yale University, and PhD in history from Yale University. He specializes in ancient history, specifically in classical Anatolia and on Imperial Roman Coinage. He is the author of many books including, Empires of the Steppes: A History of the Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilization.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with William Egginton about the nature of reality through the work by Borges, Heisenberg, and Kant. They discuss what connects these three men, role of interpretation, and different tools to ask big questions about space, time, and reality. They also talk about the origins of reality, change, Hume’s impact on Kant’s thinking, power of theory for understanding science, existence, and many more topics.

William Egginton is an author, literary critic, and Decker Professor in the Humanities and Director of the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute at Johns Hopkins University. His main interests are in poetry, literature, philosophy, history of science. He is the author of numerous books including his latest book, The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality.

Website: https://www.williamegginton.com/

Twitter: @williamegginton

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Neil Theise about complexity in biology, physics, and consciousness. They talk about complexity with general systems theory, chaos theory, and fractals. They discuss complementarity with cellular biology and quantum mechanics. They also discuss consciousness, what it means to be human, and many more topics.

Neil Theise is a professor of pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His main research interests are on adult stem cells and the anatomy of the human interstitium. He is the author of the book, Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being.

Website: https://www.neiltheiseofficial.com/

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lauren Lassabe Shepherd about conservatives on colleges campuses in the 1960s. They talked about the organization of the book, presentism, the New Right being exported to mass media and politics, and how the New Right was very “Anti.” They discuss Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), movement from college campuses to politics, Libertarians split from conservatives, and the impact on current politics.

Lauren Lassabe Shepherd is a historian, writer, and teacher. She teaches in the Department of Education and Human Development at the University of New Orleans. Her research focuses on the history of higher education in the United States during the 20th century. She is the author of her first book, Resistance from the Right: Conservatives and the Campus Wars.

Website: laurenlassabe.com

Twitter: @llassabe

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lev Parikian about flight in animals. They discuss convergent evolution for flight, four forces of flight, and early flight with mayflies and dragonflies. They talk about vision in dragonflies, beetles, bees and their different uses of their wings and pterosaurs. They talk about birds, flightless birds, speed of hummingbirds, bats, and many more topics.

Lev Parikian is an author and conductor. He has written for many publications on birds. He is the author of six books including the most recent book, Taking Flight. His orchestral work has been on BBC and he has put out two albums and various orchestral work.

Website: https://levparikian.com/

Substack: Lev Parikian

Twitter: @levparikian

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Damion Searls about the philosophy of translation. They talk about decisions in translation, primacy of reading, and trusting the translator. They discuss language proficiency, fluency, dead vs. modern languages, and translating various authors. They also talk about translating Wittgenstein, translation process, how to select a translation, and many more topics.

Damion Searls is a translator, author, and philosopher. He has translated works by Proust, Rilke, Nietzsche, Thomas Mann, Jon Fosse, and many others. He is author of, The Inkblots, and is currently working on his latest book on the philosophy of translation.

Website: https://www.damionsearls.com/

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bence Nanay about mental imagery. They define mental imagery, hyperaphantasia and aphantasia, mental imagery as unconscious, predictive processing and representations. They discuss the role of the body, multimodal dimensions, EMDR, metaphysics, phenomenology of perception, and many more topics.

Bence Nanay is a philosopher and BOF Research Professor of philosophical psychology at the University of Antwerp. His main interests are on the philosophy and psychology of perception. He is well published with many peer-reviewed articles and is the author of numerous books, including the most recent book, Mental Imagery.

Website: https://bencenanay.com/

Twitter: @bencenanay

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Edmonds about the life and philosophy of Derek Parfit. They discuss the enigma of Derek Parfit, impact of his religious family, his work with poetry, journalism, and photography, and his time in the USA and Oxford. They talk about personal identity and the self, Reasons and Persons, utilitarianism, non-identity, equality, On What Matters, and many more topics.

David Edmonds is a philosopher and author. He is Distinguished Research Fellow at Oxford University. His main interests are in moral philosophy and ethics. He is also the co-host (with Nigel Warburton) of the popular podcast, Philosophy Bites. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent book, Parfit: A Philosopher and His Mission to Save Morality.

Website: http://www.davidedmonds.info/

Twitter: @davidedmonds100

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In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alfonso Martinez Arias about the cell and its importance for organisms. They talk about why many people overemphasize genes and underemphasize cells, provide a basic overview of the cell, and discuss the role of gametes. They talk about cells and embryos, embryonic stem cells, bioethics, science communication, polygenic index scores, cancerous cells, and many more topics.

Alfonso Martinez Arias is a developmental biologist and ICREA Research Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He is the leader of the Martinez Arias Lab where his research is focused on embryonic stem cells. He is the author of a handful of books including the most recent book, The Master Builder: How the New Science of the Cell is Rewriting the Story of Life.

Website: https://amapress.upf.edu/

Twitter: @amartinezarias

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jacob Mikanowski about the past and present history of Eastern Europe. They define the contours of Eastern Europe and why this region is often forgotten. They talk about the Slavs possibly originating from Romania, Ashkenazi Jews, Paganism, Christianity, and Judaism in Eastern Europe. They talk about Muslim majority countries in Eastern Europe, impact of the Ottoman Empire, the “almost empire” of Poland-Lithuania, and Transylvania. They also discuss language and nationalism, modernization in the 20th century, communism, and many more topics.

Jacob Mikanowski is a writer and journalist who focuses on on many topics within art, anthropology, and history. He has been studying the history of Eastern Europe for many years and his writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and many other places. He is the author of the latest book, Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of A Divided Land.

Website: https://jacob-mikanowski.com/

Twitter: @jmikanowski

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Andrew Jones about the impact that Kant had on biology. They discuss philosophy of science, Kant’s influence on biology, and how transcendental idealism of Kant impacts biology. They talk about Kant’s idea of the natural world and reality, Straussian interactions with Kant, the need for distinct disciplines, and some spiritualism in biology. They also talk about the impact of judgement on science, Kant and Hume, Kant’s relevance on Darwin, on biological organisms, and many more topics.

Andrew Jones is a philosopher and Postdoctoral Impact Fellow at the University of Exeter. He has a variety of interests in philosophy, interdisciplinary research, theology, and biology. He is the author of the book, How Kant Matters for Biology.

Website: https://andyjonesphilosophy.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @andyjonesphd

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alexandre Lefebvre about the many facets of liberalism. They discuss morals and values from liberalism, Christianity’s impact on liberalism and Western society, defining liberalism, and the differences between liberalism and conservatism. They also talk about the philosophy of Rawls, swearing, fairness, spiritual exercises, public dialogue, liberalism as a way of life, and many more topics.

Alexandre Lefebvre is Professor of Politics and Philosophy at The University of Sydney. He has his PhD from Johns Hopkins University and his teaching and his research are in political theory, the history of political thought, modern and contemporary French philosophy, and human rights. He is the author of the latest book, Liberalism As A Way Of Life.

Website: https://www.alexlefebvre.com/

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mackenzie Cooley, Anna Toledano, & Duygu Yildirim about natural things in early modern worlds. They discuss how they wrote and edited their book together, Bezoar stones and their medicinal purposes, and ambergris and its medicinal purposes along with aesthetic uses. They also talk about coffee in the middle Ottoman Empire and the relationship of coffee with the body. They discuss Felix de Azara as an engineer turned naturalist, use of local terms and labels, how we see natural things in the past and present, and many more topics.

Mackenzie Cooley is a historian and Assistant Professor of History and Director of Latin American Studies at Hamilton College. She has her PhD from Stanford University and completed her postdoc fellowship from Cornell University. Her main interests are uses and abuses of the natural world in early modern science. She is the author of The Perfection of Nature and co-editor of Natural Things in Modern Worlds. You can find her work here. Twitter: @newworldnature1

Anna Toledano is a historian and museum professional studying objects in early modern science. She is completing her PhD in History of Science from Stanford University. You can find her work here. Twitter: @annatoledano

Duygu Yildirim is a historian of science and medicine and Assistant Professor The University of Tennessee. She has her PhD in history from Stanford University. Her main interests are in the early Modern Mediterranean and Ottoman Empire. You can find her work here. Twitter: @historiandiary

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue about the life and impact of J. Robert Oppenheimer. They talk about the elusive nature of Oppenheimer, how he became involved with theoretical physics, and the creation of the atomic bomb. They discuss his involvement with communism, AEC hearings, his last years, the legacy of Oppenheimer, and many more topics.

Kai Bird is a historian, journalist, and writer. He is executive director and distinguished lecturer at CUNY Graduate Center's Leon Levy Center for Biography in New York City. He is the author of numerous books and is the recipient (along with co-author Martin J. Sherwin) of the 2005 National Book Critics Circle Award, the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, and the 2008 Duff Cooper Prize for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. He is also the author of The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter.

Website: https://www.kaibird.com/

Twitter: @kaibird123

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nancy McWilliams about psychoanalysis and the evolution of psychoanalytic theory and practice. They discuss the origins of psychoanalysis and misconceptions about Freud and the evolution of psychoanalytic theory from drive theory to object relations to self psychology to relational theory. They talk about the strengths and areas of improvement for psychoanalytic clinicians, case conceptualization, level of personality organization, defenses, transference, and countertransference. They also discuss psychoanalytic training for graduate students, clients looking for psychoanalytic clinicians, and many more topics.

Nancy McWilliams is Visiting Professor at Rutgers University and is a psychoanalytic clinician in private practice. She is a former president of the Division of Psychoanalysis (39) of the American Psychological Association. She is a specialist in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and supervision. She is the author of numerous books including, Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, Psychoanalytic Case Formulation, and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.

Website: https://nancymcwilliams.com/

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Sean Kirkland about Heidegger’s destruction of Aristotle. They discuss how he came to write on Heidegger and Aristotle together, destruction of the philosophical tradition, and the differences between positive and negative destruction. They provide and overview of Heidegger’s philosophy and provide an overview of Aristotle’s philosophy. They talk about the threefold aspects of Nietzsche, Aristotle’s idea of concepts, and three tactics of the destructive method. They also talk about the phenomenological reduction, construction, and destruction, truth and art, and many more topics.

Sean Kirkland is a philosopher and associate professor of philosophy at DePaul University. He has his PhD in philosophy from State University of New York, Stony Brook. His main research interests are in Greek philosophy and contemporary continental philosophy. He is the author of the recent book, Heidegger and the Destruction of Aristotle: On How to Read the Tradition.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Blair LM Kelley about the roots of the Black working class in the United States. They discuss why she wrote the book with some biographical content along with the historical events, class and race for Black Americans, and the impact of slavery for Black working class folks. They talk about the role of the church for building and organizing community, history of Black washerwomen and their involvement with unions, and the great migration. They also discuss the Porter union, Black maids, current themes with the Black working class, and many more topics.

Blair LM Kelley, Ph.D. is an award-winning author, historian, and scholar of the African American experience. Currently, she is the Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Southern Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the incoming director of the Center for the Study of the American South. She has her B.A. from the University of Virginia in History and African and African American Studies. She also has her M.A. and Ph.D. in History, and graduate certificates in African and African American Studies and Women’s Studies at Duke University. She is the author of two books, Right to Ride: Streetcar Boycotts and African American Citizenship, and the latest, Black Folk: The Roots the Black Working Class.

Website: https://www.profblmkelley.com/

Twitter: @profblmkelley

Instagram: @profblmkelley

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Frank Putnam about our various states of being. They discuss states of being, the continuous self, and states of being in development. They also talk about different states of being in rapid cycling with those that have Bipolar Disorders, importance of memory, and how critical is personality and the Big-5. They discuss mental disorders within a state model, the fragmented self and therapy, trauma and PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), psychedelics, and many more topics.

Frank Putnam is a Physician and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He was formerly a Professor of Pediatrics and Child Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He is an esteemed research on topics of violence, abuse, DID, and trauma. He is the author numerous books including, The Way We Are: How States of Mind Influence Our Identities, Personality, and Potential for Change.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with C.W. Goodyear about the life and presidency of James Garfield. They provide an overview of Garfield and talk about the background context and temperament of Garfield. They discuss how he rose to being a General in the Civil War very quickly, his tenure in the US House of Representatives, and his emphasis on Civil Service reform and a Department of Education. They discuss the moderate platform he ran on for President, his assassination, his legacy, and many more topics.

C.W. Goodyear is a historian and author who has a degree in Global Affairs from Yale University. He has worked as a ghostwriter for various projects. He is the author of the new book, President Garfield: From Radical To Unifier.

Website: https://www.cwgoodyearbooks.com/

Instagram: @cwgoodyear

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Salomé Sibonex about identity, creation, and embracing the ambiguity of life. They share immigration stories, shifting political sides, and being incentivized for being “anti.” They discuss why people believe in their belief systems so hard, being undefined, broad spectrum of opinions, and many more topics.

Salomé Sibonex is an artist, writer, and critic. She has written numerous articles on the self, identity, and spans topics in psychology and philosophy. She is also the Content Manager at the Foundation for Economic Education.

Substack: Salomé Sibonex

Website: https://www.salomesibonex.com/

Twitter: @salomesibonex

Instagram: @salomesibonex

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Richard Wolin about the dark side of Martin Heidegger. They discuss the black notebooks of Heidegger and what are the nature and intentions of these black notebooks. They dialogue about reading the antisemitic and Nazi themes in these notebooks with Heidegger’s philosophy. They talk about Heidegger being a member of the Nazi party, editing and re-editing his works, his views on race, and the impact these views have on his philosophy. They also talk about the New Right, Dugin, reading Heidegger in the 21st century, and many more topics.

Richard Wolin is a Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature, History, & Political Science at The City University of New York. He has a PhD in Social and Political Thought from York University. His main interests are on 20th century French and German political thought. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, Heidegger In Ruins: Between Philosophy and Ideology.

Website: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/richard-wolin

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Randy Nesse about evolutionary psychiatry. They define evolutionary psychiatry, critics of evolutionary psychiatry, and how we define disorders. They also discuss emotions mood regulation, disease model of addiction, and many more topics.

Randy Nesse is Research Professor of Life Sciences, and Founding Director of The Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University. He is also Professor Emeritus, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, and Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan. He is the founding President of The International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. He is the author of many books including, Good Reasons for Bad Feelings.

Website: https://www.randolphnesse.com/homepage

Twitter: @randynesse

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a conversation with Michael Cook about the history of the Muslim world. They discuss Islamic civilization from origins to modernity, early antecedents before Islam, genesis of Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad and his creation of a monotheistic religion and state. They discuss succession after the death of Muhammad and the caliphate, the Umayyid dynasty, the Abbasid dynasty, and how important Islam and the Arabic language were for an Islamic civilization. They talk about the origin of the Turks, Bilga Qaghan, Turks being pagan and interacting with Islam, and the three ways the Turks spread out of the Steppe. They discuss the Mongols and their relationship with Islam, the Seljuk dynasty, the Safawid dynasty and the impact of Shiism. They also talk about the Ottoman Empire and their administration and integration of other cultures. They discuss the spread of Islam into India by conquest and merchants, Islam in Southeast Asia and around the Indian Ocean, Sahara and central Africa, and conflict between Christians and Muslims in Ethiopia. They also discuss Arab identity, Islam’s spread through conquest, Islam juxtaposed with other religions and cultures, Islam in the modern period, future of Islam, and many other topics.

Michael Cook is the Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He was educated at Cambridge studying English and European history and learned Turkish and Persian. He was also educated at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London, emphasizing research into Ottoman population history in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. He spent many years teaching and researching Islamic history at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He is the author of numerous books, including the most recent book, A History of the Muslim World: From its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lewis Dartnell about his triptych of books on the earth and humanity. They talked about how he came to write his trilogy of books, our essentials for survival, and diversification of hominids. They also discuss plate tectonics, fertile crescent, and East African rift. They talk about the differences and similarities of different human species, importance of the oceans through time, and different materials for different civilizations. They also discuss the impact of wind on colonization and exploration, cooperation for humans, pair bonding, royal families, disease, war, and many more topics.

Lewis Dartnell is a research scientist, presenter, and author. He has a degree in Biological Sciences from Oxford University and PhD from University College London. Currently, he is a professor of science communication at the University of Westminster. His current research is on astrobiology. He has written numerous books including, The Knowledge, Origins, and his latest book, Being Human.

Website: lewisdartnell.com/en-gb/

Twitter: @lewis_dartnell

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Celine Kasem about the various ways she culturally identifies, her work in Syria, and activism in our current age. They begin by discussing how she became involved in activism and political work in Syria, and Gen Z’s use of digital media tools to spread awareness about issues. They also talk about the various places she has lived, concept of home, ethnic and cultural identities, Circassians, and the various ethnic groups in Syria. They discuss the history of the Syrian conflict and the Arab Spring, how the conflict escalated and failed attempts at peace, the recent Assad Anti-normalization bill, and refugees. They mention the recent Turkish election, activism in the 21st century, and many more topics.

Celine Kasem is a human rights activist and public speaker. Currently, she is the Director of media at the Syrian Emergency Task Force. She has her Bachelors in Political Science and will continue her education in Qatar for her Masters in Intercultural Communication. She has Syrian, Circassian, Canadian, and Armenian backgrounds and has a deep passion for Syrians around the world.

Website: https://setf.ngo/

Twitter: @celinekasem

Instagram: @celinekasem

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Toby Matthiesen about Sunni and Shiism within the Islamic religion. They talk about the “divide” between Sunni and Shia Muslims and how this is not an accurate framing of these groups. They discuss the origins of Islam with the prophet Mohammad and the role of succession, school of jurisprudence, and the Shia century and interactions with the crusades. They also talk about the role of the Ottoman Empire and impact of the Safavids with the Ottomans. They talk about the rise of Wahaabism, British rule in India, modernization of the Ottoman Empire, pan-Islam and nationalism in the 20th century, and Turkey becoming more modern in the 20th century. They discuss Baathism, Muslim brotherhood, US involvement in the Middle East, the Arab Spring, Syrian conflict, and many more topics.

Toby Matthiesen is a historian and political scientist on Middle East studies and Global Islam. He is the Marie Curie Global Fellow at Stanford University and Ca’Foscari University in Venice, Italy. Starting in Fall 2023, he is Senior Lecturer in Global Religious Studies/Global Islam at the University of Bristol. He remains an Associate Member of Oxford University’s Department of Politics and International Relations. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The Caliph and The Imam: The Making of Sunnism and Shiism.

Website: tobymatthiesen.com/wp/

Twitter: @tobymatthiesen

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Peter Kramer about psychiatry and the role of anti-depressants. They discuss the inspiration for his new book and some of the major themes, the Goldwater rule and role of diagnosis, and the importance of truth. They discuss whether therapy is always valued for everyone, past and current depression research, anti-depressants, and many more topics.

Peter Kramer is a psychiatrist who practiced and taught psychiatry for over 40 years. He is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Brown University. He has done extensive research on depression and anti-depressants. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent novel, Death of the Great Man.

Website: https://www.peterdkramer.com/

Twitter: @peterdkramer

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with James Costa about the life of Alfred Russel Wallace. They discuss the radical and revolutionary nature of Wallace, his inquisitiveness about nature since an early age, apprenticeship, trip to the Amazon, and scientific publications. They also talk about his trip to Asia, the interactions with Darwin, spiritualism, social justice, his legacy, and many more topics.

James Costa is an entomologist and evolutionary biologist who is professor of biology and executive director Western Carolina University-Highlands Biological Station. He has co-taught in Harvard’s summer Darwin program at the University of Oxford and has been a long-time Research Associate in entomology at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. His main interests and research are on Darwin, Wallace, and the history of evolutionary thinking. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent book, Radical By Nature: The Revolutionary Life of Alfred Russel Wallace.

Website: https://jamestcosta.com/

Twitter: @jimcostahbs

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lawrence Sherman and Dennis Plies about the neuroscience of music. They discuss how they wrote the book together, define music, discuss the different parts of the brain involved in music, and the different elements of music. They also discuss musical preferences, differences between composing and improvising, curiosity, memory, truth in art, and many more topics.

Lawrence Sherman is a neuroscientist and professor of neuroscience at the Oregon Health and Science University where he also runs a lab. His widely published on brain development and disease and has investigated the neuroscience connections with music. You can find his work here.

Dennis Plies is a musician and music professor at Warner Pacific University. He has played the marimba and has recorded albums in various genres such as jazz and classical. They are the author of the book, Every Brain Needs Music.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Andrew Koppelman about Libertarianism. They discuss why Libertarianism is so popular, how it is a mutated form of liberalism, Hayek and his views, and on rights. They also talk about taxation, the philosophy of Ayn Rand, role of regulation, Liberalism today, Obamacare, and many more topics.

Andrew Koppelman is the John Paul Stevens Professor of Law, Professor (by courtesy) of Political Science, and Philosophy Department Affiliated Faculty at Northwestern University. His research focuses on issues at the intersection of law and political philosophy. He has received numerous awards and has written more than 100 scholarly articles and numerous books, including the most recent, Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed.

Website: https://andrewkoppelman.com/

Twitter: @andrewkoppelman

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Veevers about the various perspectives around the British Empire. They talk about why people ignore some parts of history but emphasize others, Irish resistance, how the British colonized North America, and their interactions with various Native peoples. They discuss the British empire and the hegemony in Asia, meeting resistance in Africa, and having a full and complete picture of the history of the British Empire.

David Veevers is an award-winning historian and Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of Bangor. His holds a PhD from the University of Kent. His research areas are on the international role of the British Empire. He is the author of the latest book, The Great Defiance: How the World Took on the British Empire.

Twitter: @davidveevers1

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jaime Green about the origins of life, other planets, and meaning. They discuss the origins of life on earth, why humans ask the big questions of life, and life on other planets. They talk about AI, machine learning, utility of sci-fi films, UFOs and many more topics.

Jaime Green is a writer, editor, and essayist. She is the series editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing. She is also a lecturer at Smith College. She is the author of the latest book, The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos.

Website: https://www.jaimegreen.net/

Twitter: @jaimealyse

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Peggy O’Donnell Heffington about women’s rights, choice, and children. They talk about some of the reasons why women don’t have children, Millennials having children later, and structural aspects of choice. They discuss the history of abortion, contraception laws, Roe V. Wade, Dobbs ruling, the history and origins of the nuclear family, grandmother hypothesis, public perceptions of people without children, and many more topics.

Peggy O’Donnell Heffington is an Assistant Instructional Professor in the Department of History at the University of Chicago. Her interests are on historical research, gender, and women’s history. She is the author of the latest book, Without Children: The Long History of Not Being A Mother.

Website: http://poheffington.com/

Twitter: @peggyohdonnell

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tom Chivers about Bayesian probability and the impact Bayesian priors have on ourselves. They define Bayesian priors, Thomas Bayes, subjective aspects of Bayes theorem, and the problematic elements of statistical figures such as Galton, Pearson, and Fisher. They talk about the replication crisis, p-hacking, where priors come from, AI, Friston’s free energy principle, and Bayesian priors in our world today.

Tom Chivers is a science writer. He does freelance science writing and also writes for Semafor.com’s daily Flagship email. Before joining Semafor, he was a science editor at UnHerd, science writer for BuzzFeed UK, and features writer for the Telegraph. He is the author of several books including the most recent, Everything Is Predictable: How Bayesian Statistics Explain Our World.

Website: https://tomchivers.com/

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Scott Fulford about the economical paradox during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss what is the pandemic paradox ( spending less and saving more), income vs. wealth, state of the economy pre-pandemic, and the economy during the beginning of the pandemic. They talk about the CARES act, subsequent acts after the CARES act, the American Rescue Plan, childhood poverty, childcare and women’s labor, the work revolution, inflation, and many more topics.

Scott Fulford is Senior Economist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He was also Assistant Professor of Economics and International Studies at Boston College. He holds a BA in Economics and a BS in Mathematics from Stanford University. He has a MA and PhD in Economics from Princeton University. He is the author of numerous economics papers and of the new book, The Pandemic Paradox: How the COVID Crisis Made Americans More Financially Secure.

Website: https://www.scott-fulford.com/

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lionel Page about rational decision-making and behavioral economics. They discuss the history and contours of behavioral economics, work of Kahneman and Tversky, and why an evolutionary framework is important for behavioral economics. They also talk about heuristics, cognitive biases, gains and loses, game theory, Nash equilibrium, cooperation, belief systems, and many more topics.

Lionel Page is an economist and Professor of economics at The University of Queensland in Australia. His research interests are in decision-making, game theory, and economics. He has been widely-published in economic journals and is the author of the book, Optimally Irrational.

Substack: Optimally Irrational

Twitter: @page_eco

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Andy Clark about prediction processing, embodiment, and reality. They discuss the predictive processing model, Bayesian brain, and the role of human growth and development for the brain. They question what is reality, Friston’s Free Energy Principle, controlled hallucinations, and computational psychiatry. They also talk about reward vs. salience, prediction error, body budget, consciousness, the extended mind, and many other topics.

Andy Clark is a Philosopher and Professor of Cognitive Philosophy at the University of Sussex. His main research interests are embodied cognition, computational neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. He is the author of numerous books including his most recent book, The Experience Machine. You can find his work here.

Twitter: @cogsandy