Amacad

About Amacad

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1780 has recognized and convened leaders across disciplines and divides. Together, these individuals examine new ideas, address major issues, and advance the common good. On Amacad, Academy President Laurie Patton speaks with Academy members about their lives and work, diving deep into the experiences that shape their approaches and perspectives.

Publisher

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Category

arts · history · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

6 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   ‘The Greeks said know thyself’—David Dunning on the psychology and humanity of blind spots

   Professor David Dunning speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about how the humanities shaped his professional path and approach, the difficulty of identifying and addressing blindspots, and the role of AI in human knowledge development and degeneration.

2. 

   1 Oct 2026

   ‘Repair, correct, improve, adapt, update, those are good ideas’—Jill Lepore on amending the Constitution

   Professor Jill Lepore speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about the history of Constitutional amendment and the barriers—both intentional and unintentional—that have emerged to curtail the spirit of experimentation and revision inherent in our foremost founding document.

3. 

   1 Oct 2026

   ‘Empathy in leadership is not some soft, touchy-feely kind of thing—it is an essential attribute of building trust’—James Mattis on leadership

   Retired General James Mattis speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about the peculiarities of leadership in an era of hyper partisanship, his early professional growth, and the relationship between the American military and the American public.

4. 

   1 Oct 2026

   ‘Weather is your mood and climate is your personality’—J. Marshall Shepherd on public intellectualism and getting out the facts

   Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about his entrance into atmospheric science, the importance of science popularizers, and communicating accurately about our weather and climate amid rampant misinformation.

5. 

   1 Oct 2026

   ‘Folk music was the dominant carrier of cultural commentary for a long time’—Rhiannon Giddens on reckoning with history through music

   Rhiannon Giddens speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about her career beginnings, including a couple of years working a corporate job; her developing reputation as a musician-scholar; and the unique mix of influences that have shaped her creative perspective and approach to making art.

6. 

   1 Oct 2026

   ‘The country was my patient’—Anthony Fauci on leading in crisis and navigating the West Wing

   Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about his early life in Brooklyn, his first years in medicine, and his extensive career in public health, where he worked across five presidential administrations to improve the health of the nation and address multiple crises, including the emergence of HIV/AIDS and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Amacad

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.