We Have No Idea

Guest:Jacob Ward is a science and technology journalist, national correspondent for NBC News, and author of The Loop: How Technology is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back. Jacob was a fellow at Stanford University's Center of Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, from 2018-2019. And he has worked for a variety of news outlets, including Popular Science, Al Jazeera, The New Yorker, Wired and more.  Topic:Adrian and Jacob examine the evolution of artificial intelligence and the automated systems shaping our future. They also discuss the potentially dangerous intentions of AI developers and the present + future risks of automated decision making. 

Guest:Frederika McClary Easley is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at The People's Ecosystem, an organization which seeks to empower and transform communities historically harmed by the criminalization of cannabis. Frederika is responsible for analyzing federal and state policies, and advises on equitable and inclusive language for cannabis regulations. She's also the host of The People Are Blunt podcast. Topic:Adrian and Frederika discuss the budding legal cannabis industry through the lens of racial equity and public policy. They explore which states are leading the way in terms of equitable legislation and practices, and which states are well behind the curve. They also examine historical factors influencing current government policies and strategies.

Guest:Bernardo Ruiz is a documentary filmmaker and director of The Infinite Race,  part of ESPN's 30 for 30  film series. In his film, Ruiz takes viewers to a remote, mountainous area in northern Mexico, where he examines the unintended consequences caused by a rise in popularity of one of the most grueling and remote ultramarathons in the world.Topic:Adrian and Bernardo discuss the motivation and creation of the film, contrasting ideas of competition, how social class impacts storytelling, the trouble with fetishizing unfamiliar cultures, and much more.  

Guest:Karin Vardaman is the founder of Working Circle, a nonprofit group that engages directly with ranchers to help reduce conflict between wolves, humans, and livestock.Topic:Adrian and Karin discuss how sustainable ranching creates a safer environment for growing wolf populations, and ranch families, in the American West.

Guest:Matthew Gianni is the co-founder, political and policy advisor for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. Topic:Adrian and Matthew discuss the ethical concerns and environmental risks of deep sea mining, from the perspective of the DSCC, an alliance of more than 90 environmental groups.

Guest:Michael Lodge is the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority,  a United Nations-affiliated organization.Topic:Adrian and Michael look at the future of deep sea mining, and discuss the ISA's plans to regulate which countries and companies will be able to mine the ocean floor on an industrial scale. 

Guest:  Jay Caspian Kang is an author, a columnist for the New York Times, and co-host of the podcast, Time To Say Goodbye.Topic: Adrian and Jay discuss Jay's new book The Loneliest Americans, blindspots in progressive politics, when equity in education goes wrong, and the devastating effects of California's affordable housing crisis.

Guest: Jenni Monet is an investigative journalist, media critic, and author of the weekly newsletter Indigenously: Decolonizing Your Newsfeed.Topic: Adrian & Jenni discuss the dark history of the Carlisle Indian Boarding School, the cyclical nature of colonization, and indigenous involvement (or lack thereof) in shaping climate policy.   

Guests: Rev. Carl Pascual is the Minister of Community Life at Oakland City Church. He is Filipino-American and was raised in the Bay Area.Lin-Chi Wang is the former Director of Equity and Title IX Coordinator at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. Prior to that, she was a civil rights attorney.  Topic:  This episode is Part I of a new series called, Exploring Identity. Each episode will feature a conversation about personal identity, told through lived experiences. Part I of this series looks at what it means to identity as Asian-American in the United States. We'll learn about the myth of the model minority, common misconceptions toward Asian-Americans, unique cultural dynamics, and more. 

Guests: Sicily Sierra is a chef, entrepreneur, and the founder & CEO of Food Plus People, a food non-profit providing educational and professional opportunities to "systemically impacted people who have been neglected by dominate culture."Caleb Zigas is the Executive Director of La Cocina, a food-focused, small business incubator in San Francisco. Zigas was the recipient of the 2020 Leadership Award from the James Beard Foundation.  Topic:Adrian, Sicily, and Caleb talk about what equity looks like in the food industry, how COVID-19 reshaped restaurants, and the role consumers play in influencing outcomes for marginalized food workers. 

Guest: Bao Nguyen is an award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His latest project, Be Water, is a reverent documentary about Bruce Lee, and part of ESPN's 30 for 30  series. Nguyen's work has been featured at Sundance, on HBO, the New York Times, VICE, and more. Topic: Adrian and Bao discuss what it's like creating a film about your hero, exploring identity as an immigrant and celebrity, carving your own lane, and reshaping cultural narratives. Note: This episode was recorded in late 2020, though remains timely as ever. We hope you enjoy. 

Guest: Dr. John McGowan is a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. His research explores the use of cymatics in music therapy for people on the autism spectrum.Topic:Adrian and Dr. McGowan breakdown the complexities of cymatics as a field of study, and explain how its therapeutic properties have boundless real world application.

Guests: Jeremie Greer is the co-founder and co-executive director of Liberation in a Generation Maurice BP-Weeks is the co-executive director of ACRE (Action Center On Race & The Economy)Topic:  Adrian, Jeremie, and Maurice discuss the racial history of the U.S. credit system, and shed light on how private companies control and surveil our financial lives.