Free Food For Thought

Nathaniel and Justin discuss topics ranging from ornithology to communication methods with UCLA Professor Jared Diamond, author of best-selling science books The Third Chimpanzee; Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse, The World Until Yesterday, and Upheaval.

Nathaniel and Noah interview two-time Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Michael Shear, who currently writes for the New York Times as a White House correspondent. Shear, a 1990 graduate of Claremont McKenna College, shares his career path, his thoughts on the current state of media, and some reflections on the reporting of the Virginia Tech shooting in this thought provoking episode.

In this episode, Nathaniel and Dorismar interview Amanda Little, Professor at Vanderbilt University. Hear an insightful discussion on the future of food, the importance of efficiency, and how students today can become involved in the future of agriculture.

In this installment, Daenerys and Nathan W. sit down with Tyehimba Jess, a Pulitzer Prize winning poet.

Vedanth and Nathan V. talk with anthropologist David Treuer about Native American narratives and how he approaches writing.

In this episode of Free Food for Thought, Daenerys and Joelle sit down with Professor Martha jones of Johns Hopkins University to discuss the history of Black women in American democracy.

In this episode, Adhi and Justin sit down with Professor John List about the proliferation of experiments in social science, deformalizing economics, and the strategies to recognize a great idea in his new book, the Voltage Effect.

Marshall and Daniel sat down with Dr. Jennifer Burns, an associate professor of history at Stanford University and author of Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand the American Right, to discuss her research on Ayn Rand and her upcoming book on Milton Friedman. We discussed her research, the influence of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman on today’s world, and the value of researching at the intersections.

Vedanth and Sophie sat down with Professor Chris Slobogin, Director of the Vanderbilt Criminal Justice Program and author of “Just Algorithms: Using Science to Reduce Incarceration and Inform a Jurisprudence of Risk” to talk about the role of algorithms and risk assessments in the legal system. We discuss the practical use of algorithms, their ethical ramifications, and the future of AI and machine learning in the legal system.

For this installment of Free Food for Thought, Simon and Daniel sit down with Daron Acemoglu, professor of economics at MIT. Their conversation covers Acemoglu’s work on growth and institutions, his approach to research, and the future of economics.

In this installment of free food for thought, Nathaniel and Simon talk to Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution about the ongoing war in Ukraine, the historical roots of Putin’s war, and what inspired her to work in Russian affairs.

Nathaniel and Izabella sit down in conversation with Matt Pyken (CMC 83’), a television writer and producer from Southern California. Discover Matt’s journey from DC to Hollywood, reflections on his time at CMC, and how he brought the western writing room style to India in this exciting episode of Free Food for Thought.

In this episode of Free Food for Thought, Daenerys and Sophie sit down to chat with Ragen Chastain, a speaker, writer, ACE Certified Health Coach and functional fitness specialist, and activist. They cover the topics of media and its effect on Fatphobia, the impact of fitness culture among young people, and activism.

In this episode of Free Food for Thought, Nathan sits down with Dr. France A. Cordova, a leader in science, engineering and education. Hear a discussion of the importance of women in STEM, science’s current place in the public dialogue, and the sharing of her wisdom gained through decades of experience.

In this episode, Adhitya and Daenerys sit down with Martha Minnow to discuss her career teaching and practicing law, legal challenges in the technology sector, and the key to asking a great question.

In this episode, Nathan and Simon sit down with Professor Roger Karapin to discuss the past, present, and future of climate policy.

In this installment of Free Food for Thought, Adhitya and Simon sit down with Professor Peter Moskos from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In their discussion, they discuss Professor Moskos's path from police officer to sociologist as well as the outlook for more effective law enforcement in the United States.

Daenerys and Anna speak with Charles Yu, author of novels How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and National Book Award winner Interior Chinatown. They discuss his transition from corporate law to writing full-time, the role of science fiction in imagining a more equitable world, and the inspiration behind Interior Chinatown.

Sophie and Simon sit down with Ryan Cirz, founder of Achaogen and Revagenix. They discuss the development of antibiotics, his path through the world of pharmaceutical startups, and how he stays motivated in field as tumultuous and antibiotic development.

This week Izzy and Justin speak with Steven Pinker, a renowned cognitive psychologist, Harvard professor, and public intellectual. They discuss optimism in the face of uncertainty, the extent of human rationality, social media, and the validity of the nature versus nurture debate.