PODCAST

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies Affair"--a conversation with Peter Boghossian, James Lindsay, and Helen Pluckrose

In 1996, Dr. Alan Sokal, a physics professor, wanted to test the intellectual rigor of “postmodern cultural studies.” To do so, he wrote an article titled “Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity.” This article was full of absolute nonsense—but Dr. Sokal believed it would be accepted by an academic journal anyway. And he was right. This hoax—called the “Sokal Affair” or “Sokal Hoax”—caused an uproar in academia because it questioned the validity of

society & culture

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Seth David Radwell: American Schism

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/08/06

Seth David Radwell was puzzled when he noticed his colleagues were increasingly less inclined to discuss topics of national interest. “How are we,” he says, “as a democratic republic, going to forge solutions if we can’t even discuss the problem?” Radwell says the way to reignite robust public discussion is to embrace enlightenment values--objectivity, science, and tolerance. Radwell’s deeply researched book, “American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation,”

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T.K. Thorne: Behind the Magic Curtain--Secrets,...

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/07/30

T.K. Thorne served on the police force in Birmingham, Alabama for more than two decades before retiring as a precinct captain. After that, she began the career she’d dreamt of since childhood as an award-winning author. Her latest book, “Behind the Magic Curtain: Secrets, Spies, and Unsung White Allies of Birmingham’s Civil Rights Days,” peels back the veil of history to reveal little-known or never-told stories of an intriguing cast of characters. These include progressive members of the Jewish,

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Visionary Choreographer Jemel McWilliams

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/07/23

Jemel McWilliams is the creative force behind performances you've likely seen-- John Legend, Janelle Mona, Alicia Keys, Lizzo, MAGIC! and The Walls Group have worked under his direction. His artistic vision has manifested on the multiple platforms, including the Oscars, Grammy's, Coachella, BET Awards, NBC's "The Voice," and numerous music videos. McWilliams is a dancer, choreographer, and an all-around Renaissance man. His work is inspiring, but as revealed in this conversation with Dr. Alan

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Mary Beth Wilkas Janke: The Protector

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/07/16

On this episode of Watching America, we hear from a former secret service agent who studied abnormal and forensic psychology. Mary Beth Wilkas Janke discusses her memoir, “The Protector: A Woman's Journey from the Secret Service to Guarding VIPs and Working in Some of the World's Most Dangerous Places.” Janke shares details of her harrowing adventures around the world along with some tips on how to stay calm in the middle of crisis.

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Stephen C. Meyer: The Return Of The God Hypothesis

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/07/09

Dr. Stephen Meyer has dedicated his life to the philosophy of science in an attempt to answer some of the most pressing questions in the universe. In this episode of Watching America, Meyer talks about his book, “Return of the God Hypothesis.” While intellectuals in the 19th century began insisting that science and religion were in a never-ending war, Meyer details three modern scientific discoveries with decidedly theistic implications. You don’t want to miss this thought-provoking conversation.

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America's Reluctant Prince: The Life of John F....

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/07/02

The legacy and the promise of John F. Kennedy, Jr. has always been a subject of controversy speculation in American culture. Now a scholar and friend of Kennedy comes forward with an important book to help unravel the mystery. In AMERICA'S RELUCTANT PRINCE: THE LIFE OF JOHN F. KENNEDY JR., Steven M. Gillon draws on his scholarship and his personal experience to bring us a portrait of a could-be leader the nation lost before he could achieve his potential. Dr. Alan Campbell discusses this important

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Donna Francart: "I've Seen Dead People"

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/06/25

Several years ago, Donna Francart started volunteering for a community crisis response team. She became aware of her innate compassion in dealing with difficult situations, which ultimately led her to a new line of work as a Deputy Coroner. Francart shares her experiences, documented through years of journaling, in her memoir, “I’ve Seen Dead People: Diary of a Deputy Coroner.” In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell speaks to Francart about the emotional and physical challenges

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Mark Laita: Soft White Underbelly

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/06/18

This episode is not appropriate for all listeners. Award-winning photographer Mark Laita has used his skills for clients such as Adidas, Apple and Mercedes-Benz, and his photography has been exhibited worldwide. But he might be doing the most important work of his life right now on Skid Row in Los Angeles. A few years ago, Laita started taking photographs of people living on the street, drug-addicts and prostitutes—and he began interviewing them and recording their stories. He never imagined his

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Greg Ellis: The Respondent

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/06/11

You may know actor Greg Ellis from his role as “Lieutenant Commander Groves” in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. Perhaps you’d recognize him as “Chief Engineer Olsen” from J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. Or maybe you remember him from The Titanic, Forsaken, and countless television roles. In this episode of Watching America, we don’t talk about the roles Ellis has played; instead, we hear about a real-life drama he experienced when ten false words led to the unravelling of his life. This conversation

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Double Feature: “Prey” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali & “A...

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/06/04

We first met with Ayaan Hirsi Ali last year about her work as an advocate for freedom of speech and the rights of Muslim women, as well as her conviction to the values of Western liberalism. Ali was born and raised in Somalia, became a Dutch citizen (and representative) as a young adult, and now is a citizen of the U.S. In this episode, she talks about her new book, “Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women’s Rights.” Find out more about the book and find Ali’s podcast at

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Annie Jacobsen: First Platoon-Modern War in the Age...

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/06/02

In her latest book, “First Platoon: A Story of Modern War in the Age of Identity Dominance,” award-winning author Annie Jacobsen documents how the U.S. Department of Defense has built the world’s most powerful biometrics database. It has the power to identify, monitor, catalogue, and police people all over the world. The San Francisco City Book Review calls Jacobsen’s book “grade A journalism.” If you are concerned about civil liberties, don’t miss this episode of Watching America. This

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Joshua Coombes: Do Something For Nothing

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/05/21

It started with one haircut. “One evening in the spring of 2015, I was on my way to a friend’s house after work. I didn’t make it. I walked past a man who was homeless at the time. I would often stop to speak with him … but this time was different … I remembered that I had my tools in my backpack and asked if he’d like his hair cut. In the hour that followed, he told me his story. The next time we met, he introduced me to some of his friends. Before long I was heading out whenever I could, giving

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Ethan Kross: Chatter

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/05/14

Do you hear voices … inside your head? Well, we all do. The secret, according to Dr. Ethan Kross, is to manage the way we talk to ourselves. In this episode of Watching America, Kross discusses the research behind his bestselling book, “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.” Kross is an experimental psychologist, neuroscientist, and founder of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. After listening to this enlightening conversation, your inner voice might learn

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Royals Part II with Roberta Fiorito

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/05/07

Dr. Alan Campbell continues his conversation about the British royal family with “Watching America” senior producer, Gina Gambony. We pick up from the last episode regarding the approach of the end of an era following the death of Prince Philip and the exit of Harry and Meghan from “the Firm.” In this episode, we also hear from Roberta Fiorito from the podcast “Royally Obsessed.” She has special insight into how Americans feel about topics emanating from Buckingham Palace. You can find that show on

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Royals

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/04/30

The British royalty have been in the American news lately—Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the death of Prince Philip. Then again, the royals always seem to make the news in the United States, even if only in the gossip columns. Our host, Dr. Alan Campbell, isn’t the first to say that many Americans are obsessed with royalty—but he believes we don’t know enough about them. In this episode of Watching America, the show’s senior producer, Gina Gambony, asks Alan questions she’d like answered

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Neil Farber: Serendipity

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/04/16

In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell talks with Neil Farber, MD about his new book, “Serendipity: Utilizing Everyday Unexpected Events to Improve Your Life.” The word “serendipity” implies accidental good luck. But doctor and researcher Neil Farber says it happens more than we think, and we can harness its power. Farber has spent decades teaching, researching, and practicing internal medicine, publishing more than 60 medical studies. He gives us an inside scoop on the

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Michele Bailey: The Currency of Gratitude

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/04/09

Michele Bailey has a long history in business. She is the CEO of “The Blazing Group” and “My Big Idea,” where she helps businesses build their vision and brands, create strategy-first cultures, and focus on the personal and professional growth of entrepreneurs and employees. Bailey talks with host Alan Campbell about her new book, “The Currency of Gratitude: Placing Gratitude at the Center of Your Personal Brand.” She shares her struggles as a business woman—even some she hasn’t yet overcome.

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Inspired Music: "Fantasia, the Lightning...

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/04/02

Sometimes inspiration comes like a bolt from the blue. On this edition of Watching America, we hear the story of “acquired savant” Tony Cicoria, who became musically inspired after being struck by lightning. His story was was brought to public attention in the book, “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,” by Oliver Sacks. We hear another inspirational musical tale from brothers James and Robert Freeman. They are musicians who come from a notably musical family. To honor their parents, the

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Michael Patrick F. Smith: The Good Hand

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/03/19

In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell talks with Michael Patrick Smith, a musician, playwright, and author of The Good Hand: A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation in an American Boomtown. Kirkus reviews calls Smith’s debut “a white-hot, fiercely argued case for working rural people in the face of their economically brutal lives.” After working countless “in-between” jobs as a stage actor, bartender, junk-hauler, waiter, security guard, legal assistant, and more,

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Pamela Paresky: Re-Humanizing Our Opponents

"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies... ·

2021/03/12

“If we can re-humanize the people with whom we disagree, that takes us a good bit of the way to being able to engage with them outside of this realm of moral purity and moral pollution.” What is “moral pollution”? On this episode of Watching America, we learn what it is and how it creates divisions between people that are difficult to bridge. Pamela Paresky, Ph.D., is a Visiting Senior Research Associate the the Stevanovich Institute on the Formation of Knowledge (SIFK) at the University of

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"Sokal Squared" or "Grievance Studies Affair"--a conversation with Peter Boghossian, James Lindsay, and Helen Pluckrose

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