In the Mouth of the Wolf: The Murder of Regina Martínez and the State of the Free Press in Mexico, with Katherine Corcoran. Nov. 7, 2023

On April 28, 2012, Regina Martinez, a reporter for the magazine Proceso, was brutally murdered. Author and investigative journalist Katherine Corcoran investigated the murder and tells the story in her book, In the Mouth of the Wolf: A Murder, a Coverup and the True Cost of Silencing the Press. Corcoran’s presentation will examine the meaning of the Martinez case and others like it for the prospects of a free press in Mexico. … Read more »

Water in the World, in Mexico, and here in San Miguel, with Dylan Terrell. Dec. 5, 2023

“Water is the next oil” is an oft-cited trope used to sum up the emerging geopolitical landscape. But the reality is more subtle and far more complex. More than a quarter of the world’s population, 2.2 billion people, lack access to clean water. Global groundwater resources are severely overexploited, some perilously so, and new classes of water contaminants that were once rare are now becoming far too commonplace — rendering even adequate water supplies unfit for human consumption. … Read more »

Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World, with Wade Davis. Jan. 9, 2024

Western Culture, with its advanced technology, arts, and political systems, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of human cultural evolution. But one need not look beyond the calamities of climate change, biodiversity loss, pervasive inequality and other ills of modern society to see the lie in this myth. Wade Davis speaks with authority on indigenous cultures and other ways of being in the world—sustainably and with dignity—recounting along the way remarkable encounters and high adventure, in his trademark mesmerizing presentation style. … Read more »

Busting Nutritional Myths, with Nina Teicholz. Feb. 13, 2024

The diet-heart hypothesis, which cautions against a diet high in fat—and especially saturated fat—has been a cornerstone of dietary guidelines and medical advice for decades. Yet this same period has seen a disturbing rise in type-2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Through careful research and insightful reporting, Teicholz has upended the diet-heart hypothesis in her New York Times bestseller, The Big Fat Surprise. … Read more »

How the Supreme Court Lost the American Public, with Linda Greenhouse. Mar. 5, 2024

Over many years, even as public confidence in other institutions of American government and society wavered, the Supreme Court managed to maintain high levels of public trust. Today, only seven percent of Americans have high confidence in the court. What are the implications of the collapse of the court’s reputation, and what can the court or anyone else do about it? … Read more »

PAT MITCHELL:
Becoming a Dangerous Woman
Cancelled

Pat Mitchell charts her path to power, from an early childhood on a cotton farm to the front lines of social, political, and cultural change, where she navigated the halls of power in Washington DC and Hollywood, traveled to war zones with Eve Ensler and Glenn Close, pressed Fidel Castro into making historic admissions about the Cold War, and formed powerful alliances with fellow media leaders like Ted Turner and Robert Redford. … Read more »

MARYN MCKENNA:
Antibiotic Resistance – A Global Health Threat
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Award-winning investigative science journalist, Maryn McKenna, has taken a deep dive into the antibiotic crisis, and her findings are as chilling as they are illuminating. Her 2017 bestseller, Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats, traces chicken’s meteoric rise from scarce treat to ubiquitous global commodity, and reveals the astounding role antibiotics have played in industrial farming. … Read more »

PAMELA RONALD:
The Future of Food
Thursday, December 12, 2019

Pamela Ronald, distinguished professor of Plant Pathology and Genetics at the University of California at Davis, knows that meeting the challenge of producing enough food to feed our growing population will take every trick in the book. Prof. Ronald investigates how food plants respond to environmental stresses, and develops strategies employing genetic techniques to help plants thrive. … Read more »

ROB DUNN:
Unseen Life: In Us, On Us, and All Around Us
Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Evolutionary biologist Rob Dunn investigates microbes and their hosts in the places where we live. Our homes may be one of the most novel habitats on the planet, with diverse ecological niches—showerheads and toilets, doormats and pillows, freezers and stovetops, cats and dogs, cleaning products and bathtub rings—plus all manner of manmade materials and imported foodstuffs. We share our homes with hundreds of thousands of species, a large proportion of which are unnamed and previously unknown to science. … Read more »