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In this episode, we discuss… What science really is, both as body of knowledge and a constantly evolving process Why one study is never enough and the importance of multiple methods, reproducibility, and scientific consensus over time When "gold standard" research falls short and why fields like nutrition require more flexible, creative approaches Science's built-in caution and how new ideas face a high bar of proof, slowing acceptance but strengthening reliability How doubt is manufactured, from the tobacco era to climate science, using fringe voices to challenge strong consensus The role of ideology, and how "freedom" narratives can shape public resistance to scientific evidence Acting without certainty and why we must make public health decisions even when data isn't 100% complete AI and misinformation and the promise and risk of tools like OpenAI in shaping how we consume science Naomi Oreskes Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences ON LEAVE SPRING 2026 emailoreskes@fas.harvard.edu Faculty Assistant: Yaz Alfata Primary Areas of Research: Agnotology; the Political Economy of Scientific Knowledge; History and Philosophy of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Science and Technology Studies (STS); the History of Climate Change Disinformation Secondary Areas of Interest: Science Policy, Science and Religion, Women and Gender Studies Naomi Oreskes is Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, she is the author of the best-selling book, Merchants of Doubt (2010) and a leading voice on the role of science in society, the reality of anthropogenic climate change, and the role of disinformation in blocking climate action. Oreskes is author or co-author of 9 books, and over 150 articles, essays and opinion pieces, including Merchants of Doubt (Bloomsbury, 2010), The Collapse of Western Civilization (Columbia University Press, 2014), Discerning Experts (University Chicago Press, 2019), Why Trust Science? (Princeton University Press, 2019), and Science on a Mission: American Oceanography from the Cold War to Climate Change, (University of Chicago Press, 2021). Merchants of Doubt, co-authored with Erik Conway, was the subject of a documentary film of the same name produced by participant Media and distributed by SONY Pictures Classics, and has been translated into nine languages. A new edition of Merchants of Doubt, with an introduction by Al Gore, was published in 2020. Her latest book, with Erik Conway, is The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loath Government and Love the Free Market, which has been translated to French and Italian. Oreskes wrote the Introduction to the Melville House edition of the Papal Encyclical on Climate Change and Inequality, Laudato Si, and her essays and opinion pieces on climate change have appeared in leading newspapers around the globe, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, the Times (London), and Frankfurter Allegemeine. Her numerous awards and prizes include the 2019 Geological Society of American Mary C. Rabbitt Award, the 2016 Stephen Schneider Award for outstanding Climate Science Communication, the 2015 Public Service Award of the Geological Society of America, the 2015 Herbert Feis Prize of the American Historical Association for her contributions to public history, and the 2014 American Geophysical Union Presidential Citation for Science and Society. She is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. In 2018, she was named a Guggenheim Fellow, and in 2019 she was awarded the British Academy Medal. In 2024, she was awarded the Nonino Foundation "Maestro del Nostro Tempo" award. And in 2025, she was awarded the Volvo Environment Prize for her contributions in "shaping our understanding of how scientific knowledge is collectively constructed and addressing the challenges of misinformation in public discourse." Curriculum Vitae Select Publications The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loath Government and Love the Free Market, 2023 (Bloomsbury Press) Science on a Mission, 2021 (University of Chicago Press) Why Trust Science?, 2019 (Princeton University Press) Science and Technology in the Global Cold War, 2014 (MIT Press) The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future, 2014 (Columbia University Press) Collapse of Western Civilization Home Page Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, 2010. (New York: Bloomsbury Press.) Merchants of Doubt Home Page Merchants of Doubt at the 52nd New York Film Festival, October 8, 2014 Models in Environmental Regulatory Decision Making, Whipple, Chris et al. (fourteen additional authors), 2007. (Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology), 287 pp. The Rejection of Continental Drift: Theory and Method in American Earth Science, 1999. (New York: Oxford University Press) In the Media Testimony Before the US Senate Budget Committee, Twitter, June 22, 2023 Science Isn't Always Perfect - But We Should Still Trust It, TIME, October 2019 Climate Change Will Cost Us Even More Than We Think, New York Times, October 2019 Escaping Extinction, World Economic Forum, January 2019 Yes, ExxonMobil Misled the Public, LA Times, September 2017 What Exxon Mobil Didn't Say About Climate Change, The New York Times, August 2017 Assessing ExxonMobil's Climate Change Communications (177-2014), Environment Research Letters, August 2017 Scientists Dive Into the Political Fray, PBS Newshour, April 2017 How to Break the Climate Deadlock, Scientific American, November 2015 What Did Exxon Know?, On The Media, November 2015 The Pope and the Planet, The Open Mind, November 2015 Exxon's Climate Concealment, New York Times, October 2015 Naomi Oreskes, a Lightning Rod in a Changing Climate, New York Times, June 2015 A Chronicler of Warnings Denied, New York Times, October 2014 Merchants of Doubt, Documentary from Sony Pictures Classics, 2014 "Why We Should Trust Scientists," TED Talk, June 2014 The 2014 Vatican Environmental Summit: Can a Pope Help Sustain Humanity and Ecology?, New York Times Interview for Cosmologics Magazine Prof. Oreskes discusses her book, "The Collapse of Western Civilization..." Naomi Oreskes - The Collapse of Western Civilization, Inquiring Minds Podcast "A View From the Climate Change Future," National Public Radio via Boston's WBUR Edited Volumes Oreskes, Naomi, ed., with Homer E. Le Grand, 2001. Plate Tectonics: An Insider's History of the Modern Theory of the Earth (Boulder: Westview Press), paperback edition February 2003. Edited Journal Volumes Oreskes, Naomi and James R. Fleming, eds. 2000. "Perspectives on Geophysics," Special Issue of Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 31B, September 2000.
Last week, Capt. Kyle Schaefer was called to testify as a witness at the US Senate Budget Committee. Sitting amongst a panel of other brilliant minds, Kyle provided a first-hand account of the effects of a changing climate on ocean-based small businesses like his own. Schaefer's biggest takeaway was, "We belong here". Kyle exhibited a whole lot of courage and exuded a passion for protecting our oceans. In doing so, he set a great example for anglers, outdoorsmen and business owners around the country. We're extremely proud of Kyle and hope to amplify this behind-the-scenes account of the preparation for this big day.
A discussion with Matt Stoller, Author of Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy. Matt is a former senior policy advisor to the US Senate Budget Committee where he helped create legislation on Federal Reserve policy. Matt is also a former producer at MSNBC and political comedy show co-host with Russell Brand. Topics discussed include: -Definition of the "left" in the American political spectrum -Is a radical realignment under way in the American political structure vis a vis the reemergence of populism? -US global trade policy and the commerce relationship with China -Origin of the trade war between the United States and China -Is Trump attempting to reverse the de-industrialization of the United States? -Should giant tech and social media platform monopolies be considered public utilities?
By Michael Tetreault, Editor-in-Chief, The Direct Primary Care Journal, Host of The DocPreneur Podcast | iTunes + Soundcloud MARCH/APRIL 2019 -- Today we catch up with James C. Capretta, a resident fellow and holds the Milton Friedman Chair at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies health care, entitlement, and US budgetary policy, as well as global trends in aging, health, and retirement programs. In this interview we discuss the following topics: + Bringing competitive direct primary care to Medicare + CMS, Medicare and the use of Direct Primary Care with HSAs + Positive Moves Forward in Policy for the Future of Free Market Healthcare + The Affordable Care Act and the future of healthcare policy initiatives + Retail Healthcare, Convenient Care Clinics and How Non-Traditional Primary Care Will Be Approached by Policy Makers and Consumers + Policy and Primary Care And the Adoption of Medical Marijuana in the U.S. + How/Why/Should/Can Doctors Get Better Involved In Policy? + Where are you excited about where healthcare is going? February 25, 2019 | RealClearPolicy DocPreneur Podcast with James C. Capretta and Host/Editor-in-Chief, Michael Tetreault Meet James C. Capretta Resident Fellow Milton Friedman Chair Today we catch up with James C. Capretta, a resident fellow and holds the Milton Friedman Chair at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies health care, entitlement, and US budgetary policy, as well as global trends in aging, health, and retirement programs. Health Care Policy, Market-Based Reform of US Health Care, Entitlement Reform, US Budgetary Policy, Global Trends in Aging, Health, and Retirement Program Reforms James C. Capretta is a resident fellow and holds the Milton Friedman Chair at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies health care, entitlement, and US budgetary policy, as well as global trends in aging, health, and retirement programs. Mr. Capretta spent more than 16 years in public service before joining AEI. As an associate director at the White House's Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004, he was responsible for all health care, Social Security, welfare, and labor and education issues. Earlier, he served as a senior health policy analyst at the US Senate Budget Committee and at the US House Committee on Ways and Means. From 2006 to 2016, Mr. Capretta was a fellow, and later a senior fellow, at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Mr. Capretta regularly publishes his commentary on public policy in RealClearPolicy, where he is a contributor.His published essays and reports include “Improving Health and Health Care: An Agenda for Reform” (AEI, 2015), and “Increasing the Effectiveness and Sustainability of the Nation's Entitlement Programs” (AEI, 2016). In addition, his book chapters include “Reforming Medicaid” in “The Economics of Medicaid: Assessing the Costs and Consequences” (Mercatus Center, 2014), and “Medicaid,” in A Safety Net That Works (AEI, 2017). Mr. Capretta has been widely published in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals, including Health Affairs (where he is a member of the Editorial Board), The JAMA Forum, National Affairs, National Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Weekly Standard. His television appearances include “PBS NewsHour,” Fox News Sunday, CNBC, C-SPAN's “Washington Journal,” and Bloomberg Television. Mr. Capretta has an M.A. in public policy studies from Duke University and a B.A. in government from the University of Notre Dame. Related Links Discussed In This Episode www.DirectPrimaryCare.com www.ConciergeMedicineToday.com https://www.aei.org/scholar/james-c-capretta/ https://www.aei.org/publication/bringing-competitive-direct-primary-care-to-medicare/
Steph Kelton, former Chief Economist on the US Senate Budget Committee, and senior economic advisor to the Bernie 2016 campaign joins us for a conversation about the Bernie campaign, a federal Job Guarantee, and the way conservatives and progressives both miss the point when talking about government spending.
After a look at the day's news, Nicole welcomes Stephanie Kelton back to the show. Stephanie is a professor of public policy and economics at Stony Brook University and former chief economist on the US Senate Budget Committee, working for Bernie Sanders
A review of the week's major US international tax-related news. In this edition: US Senate Budget Committee agrees on FY ’18 Budget Resolution; implications for tax reform – “Big 6” tax reform consensus document released next week – US Treasury to publicly release report on “significant tax regulations” in September – IRS official upbeat on countries’ implementation of OECD dispute resolution recommendations; concern over established transfer pricing principles.
In Episode 17 of Hidden Forces, host Demetri Kofinas speaks with Robert Johnson, about the political economy, inequality, and the failings of our technocratic institutions. Dr. Johnson serves as President of the Institute for New Economic Thinking and is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Global Finance Project for the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute in New York. Robert Johnson served for many years as a Managing Director for George Soros at Soros Fund Management and was part of the famous team of speculators that broke the bank of England in 1992, forcing the pound out of ERM. He served as Chief Economist of the US Senate Banking Committee under the leadership of Chairman William Proxmire, and before this, as Senior Economist of the US Senate Budget Committee under the leadership of Chairman Pete Domenici. Black Wednesday was almost 25 years ago to the day. How has global finance, international trade, foreign exchange, and financial deregulation changed the landscape of speculation in the years since? How has a decline in productivity, a collapse in marginal costs, a rise in total debt, along with an aging demographic laid the groundwork for a rise in populism? What is the role of experts, and how has faith in technocrats and academics declined in recent years? How do we defend our liberal, democratic institutions absent convincing academics, trustworthy politicians, and inspirational leaders? How do we get the money out of politics when politics is so beholden to money? How do we reform a corrupt government that is in bed with Wall Street – a government that is beholden to multinational corporations and co-mingled with industrial military companies whose very profitability is dependent on multi-billion dollar federal contracts? It is time for us to become educated on how our political economy works, because if we don’t have the knowledge to call out “the experts,” then we are powerless to affect the very changes that we seek to induce. Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor: Stylianos Nicolaou Engineer: Ignacio Lecumberi Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod
We sat down with James Capretta, the Milton Friedman Chair at the American Enterprise Institute in this podcast to talk about the American Health Care Act. He walks us through how the AHCA would work if implemented, points out some of the AHCA's shortfalls and his suggestions, and its possible political consequences for both Republicans and Democrats. Mr. Capretta studies health care, entitlement, and US budgetary policy at the AEI. Before joining the AEI, he spent 16 years in public service, including as an associate director at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004. Earlier, he served as a senior health policy analyst at the US Senate Budget Committee and at the US House Committee on Ways and Means.
Listen NowDuring this 21-minute interview, Professor Nichols discusses the reasons for the decline in health care cost growth and whether its slowing will persist, alternative payment models (to fee for service) that contribute to this decline, how worrisome or not health care market consolidation is as well as the prospect of employers dropping employee health care coverage, why Congressional Republicans (moreover House Republicans) oppose the ACA, ways of improving the law via moroever price transparency provisions and whether states, specificallly Virginia, will take advantage of the ACA and expand its Medicaid coverage in 2014.Since 2010 Dr. Len Nichols has been Professor of Health Policy and the Director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University. Previously, Dr. Nichols served as the Director of the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation, as Vice President of the Center for Studying Health System Change, as a Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute, as a Senior Advisor for health policy at the Office of Management and Budget during the Clinton Administration's health reform effort, and as Chairman of the Economics Department at Wellesley College. He has advised the World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization, as well as various state governments and departments of the US Government. Because of his reputation as an honest and knowledgeable health policy analyst, Dr. Nichols has testified on numerous occasions before Congress and is frequently interviewed by major media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Congressional Quarterly, National Public Radio, the British Broadcasting Service and ABC, CBS and the NBC's nightly news. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.Professor Nichols most recent Congressional testimony was before the US Senate Budget Committee this past July 30th, see: http://www.budget.senate.gov/democratic/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=4dd8a8b5-c123-44e6-b13e-34b6e825c3f0Among other noted publications Prof. Nichols co-authored (with John Bertko) in 2009 "A Modest Proposal for a Competing Public Health Plan". See: http://www.newamerica.net/files/CompetingPublicHealthPlan.pdf This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thehealthcarepolicypodcast.com