Hosted by Andrew Salisbury and Eden Cohen, An Attempt at Civil Discourse is an ambitious experiment in thoughtfully debating some of the most profound questions facing our world. We tackle a wide range of subjects, from free will and cognitive biases, to renewable energy and geopolitical rifts. Our objective is to inspire knowledge and curiosity in ourselves and our listeners. And sometimes, we might even reach an agreement on something.
With Facebook becoming "Meta" and all the hype surrounding this elusive new vision, 2021 will be remembered as the year of the metaverse. But what would it take to morph this from buzzword into reality, and is reality what we want out of it? In this very special episode, Eden and Andrew meet one last time for a lively exchange on the metaverse: what it is, the possibilities, the promises, and the perils.
6 Oct 2021
Episode 15: Privacy and Surveillance in the Digital Age
The events of 9/11 triggered the world's largest civilian surveillance programs. Now, two decades later, Eden and Andrew pause to assess the consequences of all this on the complex relationship between people, private data, and the government agencies meant to protect us. Is there an ethical balance between individual privacy and public safety? Can using encrypted communications be proof of criminal intent? Should we trust governments and their employees to responsibly handle personal data, and are encryption "backdoors" ever a good idea? Tune in for a civil discourse on these and other hotly contested questions.
If you would like to suggest future podcast content, please email us at: anatemmptatcivildiscourse@gmail.com (mailto:anatemmptatcivildiscourse@gmail.com)
26 Aug 2021
Episode 14: Decisions, Decisions...
Making good decisions is absolutely critical - but how to proceed and when to stop! Join us as we dive in and discuss with some fine civil discourse.
17 Jul 2021
Episode 13: The Future of Work
As cities begin to return to normality and employees come back to the office, what will the new world of work look like? How successful has the working-from-home experience been, and which of its features are here to stay with us? In their effort to explore the future of work, Eden and Andrew tackle the cultural, technological and even legal aspects of work in yet another pretty civil discourse. If you would like to suggest future podcast content, please email us at: anatemmptatcivildiscourse@gmail.com (mailto:anatemmptatcivildiscourse@gmail.com)
15 Jun 2021
Episode 12: Space - The New Frontier?
Space has been called the new frontier but is it? After a hot start with Sputnik and the moon landings, our collective attempts at space slowed way down. Now there is a boom of new plans and new contestants for the space race. Our first guest Ankit joins us for an enthusiastic go at space - its future and possibilities. Informative and polite - an excellent attempt at civil discourse.
28 Mar 2021
Episode 11: The American Criminal Justice System
In both relative and absolute terms, the US imprisons more of its population than any other country on earth, and it pays a fortune to do so. This is neither normal nor inevitable. Eden and Andrew meet to dissect the fundamental issues and untangle how this came to be. From plea bargains to the war on drugs, and from racial discrimination to privatized prisons, there is no shortage of controversy in this passionate search of causes and solutions to this age-old problem of crime.
4 Mar 2021
Episode 10: Building a Better Society (2)
What does it take to resurrect a damaged society? Which conceptions and traditions are holding us back? Eden and Andrew meet once again to unpack why America and other societies are in a dangerous decline. From face mask disobedience to special interest groups to ineffective central governments, nothing is off limits in this ambitious discourse on how to re-engineer a post-crisis society.
25 Jan 2021
Episode 9: Building a Better Society
As the US recovers from a barbaric assault on its democracy, Andrew and Eden meet to discuss the country’s challenges and what it could take to fix a seemingly broken system. From voting reforms to mandatory national service, and social heroes to social media – everything is on the table in this civilized quest to understand and to design a better American model.
25 Dec 2020
Episode 8: The Future of Crypto
As governments flood economies with stimulus money, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are reaching ever greater peaks. Where is all this headed? Is the US dollar under any real threat? What should we cherish and what should we fear about the rise of virtual currencies? And will there ever come a day when Bitcoin goes truly mainstream? Eden and Andrew gather around a virtual fireplace to transact in warnings, opinions, and plenty of predictions.
19 Nov 2020
Episode 7: Cognitive Biases
What are cognitive biases, and why do they happen to us? In this episode we examine these mental distortions through plenty of examples, and explore how we can guard ourselves against the most pernicious of them. We'll also find out which cognitive biases afflict Andrew and Eden, both from their own perspective as well as the other's. Last but not least, we go through several polite but effective ways to communicate with someone blindsided by a cognitive bias.
30 Oct 2020
Episode 6: The Escalating Divide between the US and China
The US-China relationship is at a dangerous crossroads. Intensified by covid-19 and the Trump administration, an assertive and highly competent China is challenging America like never before. Are the two superpowers headed towards an inevitable conflict? Does China seek to coexist alongside a strong US, or does it aspire to supplant it? In what arenas is this rivalry taking place, and what role do tech giants like Huawei play in it? Eden and Andrew meet to exchange views and deliberate the future of this high-stakes competition.
7 Oct 2020
Episode 5: Capitalism 2.0
Have our economic and political systems failed us? Is profit seeking the only way to run a society? Is there any workable alternative to a GDP-dominated capitalism that creates and destroys all at once? Andrew and Eden discuss some deep-rooted concerns with the present system and conjure up ideas for a next-gen capitalism. As is often the case, agreeing on problems seems easier than agreeing on solutions.
2 Sept 2020
Episode 4: Andrew's Green Energy Moonshot
Eden and Andrew continue to explore and debate the topic of green energy. Andrew lays out his American moonshot plan for a massive Federal government-led green transition. As expected, Eden pokes some holes while promoting the role of the private sector and the need for carbon capture. In the end, both reach an agreement that more action is needed, more quickly!
14 Aug 2020
Episode 3: Fossil Fuels and the Green Energy Transition
As global warming breaks dismal records, can we and should we aim for a world free of fossil fuels? Do coal, oil and natural gas have a place in a low carbon economy? What about nuclear energy and its potential calamities? And where does all this leave the transportation sector? Eden and Andrew try to find answers to these and other questions through a civilized fact-based discussion on the future of energy.
25 Jul 2020
Episode 2: Free Will in the 21st century
Andrew and Eden respectfully debate the age-old question of Free Will vs. Determinism. Do we have free will? What does science tell us about its existence? Just how much of our lives are determined by environmental factors that we have no control over? Where does the "American Dream" fit into this, and can people truly be happy if their life course is preordained? We weigh in on these and other timeless questions from a 2020 vantage point.
11 Jul 2020
Episode 1: Artificial General Intelligence
What is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)? In what ways does it differ from today's ubiquitous AI? How far away is AGI, and how would we know when we've finally achieved it? In this first episode of the podcast we tackle what will potentially be the century's greatest breakthrough, and respectfully debate its feasibility, timelines, shape and form.
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