These days, with catastrophe after catastrophe, it can be easy to turn to despair and to believe that there is nothing we can do. But writer Rebecca Solnit is determined to change that narrative. Over the course of her career, Solnit has published twenty-five books on feminism, popular power, social change and insurrection, and hope and catastrophe. Her most ... Show More
Jan 25
Bradley R. Simpson, "The First Right: Self-Determination and the Transformation of International Order, 1941-2000" (Oxford UP, 2025)
The idea of self-determination is one of the most significant in modern international politics. For more than a century diplomats, lawyers, scholars, activists, and ordinary people in every part of the globe have wrestled with its meaning and implications for decolonization, huma ... Show More
1h 27m
Jan 24
Nick Romeo, "The Alternative: How to Build a Just Economy" (PublicAffairs, 2024)
Winners Take All meets Nickel and Dimed: a provocative debunking of accepted wisdom, providing the pathway to a sustainable, survivable economy. Confronted by the terrifying trends of the early twenty-first century - widening inequality, environmental destruction, and the immiser ... Show More
32m 3s
Jan 24
Emily Mendenhall, "Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID" (U California Press, 2026)
Inspired by her work with long COVID patients, in Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID (U California Press, 2026) medical anthropologist Dr. Emily Mendenhall traces the story of complex chronic conditions to show why both research and practice fail so many. M ... Show More
38m 44s
Oct 9
The Case for Hope, With Rebecca Solnit
<p>We explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit.</p><p>Summary: When you think about climate change, do you feel hope? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we examine ... Show More
21m 45s
Jan 2025
How to turn climate anxiety into action (w/ Luisa Neubauer) (re-release)
Amidst the multiple devastating fires in Los Angeles, where Chris lives, extreme weather events and shifting climate patterns are occurring across the globe, making our everyday lives all the more unpredictable. Today we are re-airing this episode from the very first season of Ho ... Show More
31m 29s
Sep 2024
"We've Hit a Tipping Point" - Riz Ahmed on Protest, Joy, and the Power of Story
Mehdi is joined by Oscar-winning actor and producer Riz Ahmed for a high school reunion (yes, they went to school together back in London in the 1990s!) and catch up on life, work, and how the world has changed for brown folks since their childhood. They talk about Riz’s journey ... Show More
46m 16s
Oct 2024
Extra Stupid: Tim Winton's vision for our precarious future
<p>Julia has been reading Tim Winton's new novel, Juice, and it has her thinking about eco-anxiety, climate change and whether a novel can change the public's view on an issue. Join the conversation and email the show at <a href="mailto:notstupid@abc.net.au" target="_blank">notst ... Show More
13 m