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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Mark Harris on "Mike Nichols: A Life"

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

2021/03/05

Author Mark Harris took on the daunting task of writing a biography of Mike Nichols, the larger-than-life theatre and film actor, comedian, producer, and director. Harris worked on the book for several years, and the product, “Mike Nichols: A Life,” has been lauded as “meticulous,” “engrossing,” and “superbly written” by reviewers. The book, released in February 2021, was an instant New York Times Bestseller. On this episode of Watching America, Alan Campbell speaks to Harris about Mike Nichols’

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Jason D. Hill on "We Have Overcome: An...

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

2021/02/26

Jason D. Hill is an author, poet and professor of philosophy. He’s earned multiple degrees and has a most interesting background. Originally from Jamaica, Hill immigrated to the United States when he was 20 years old. His academic specialties include ethics and political philosophy, and he is a shameless fan of the United States. On this episode of Watching America, Hill discusses his book, “We Have Overcome: An Immigrant’s Letter to the American People.” His unique perspective and gentle demeanor

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

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

2021/02/19

Annie Jacobsen is a prolific, award-winning author. Her latest work is FIRST PLATOON: A STORY OF MODERN WAR IN THE AGE OF IDENTITY DOMINANCE. In it, Jacobsen reveals the connection between young US Army men in Afghanistan and the Department of Defense’s quest to create the most powerful biometrics database in the world. You won’t want to miss this conversation. “…all of this calls into question our fourth amendment right, the right to privacy. And what I learned from some of these legal

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Scott Barry Kaufman "Transcends" Maslow's...

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

2021/02/05

What if someone told you that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was actually just the beginning -- a proverbial sail to a massive ship of self-actualization? And what if the way to realize your best self is to transcend your “self” altogether? On this episode of Watching America, host Dr. Alan Campbell explores these ideas more with cognitive scientist, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman. They discuss Kaufman’s journey through Maslow’s work, how his own adolescent experiences lead him to the work he does today,

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The Inimitable Julie Newmar

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

2021/01/29

The woman who changed Batman forever -- Catwoman. In the late 1960’s, Julie Newmar captured the world’s attention as the series’ first femme fatale. Her credits on stage, television and film are too numerous to list, but they span multiple decades—most recently, she revised her iconic role as Catwoman in the animated feature “Batman Vs. Two-Face” in 2017. This was 50 years after the role premiered. There’s even more to Newmar than being the “It” girl of the 20th century and beyond. In this episode

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Harold Holzer: The Presidents Vs. The Press

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

2021/01/22

Presidents have wrangled with journalists in a struggle to convey--and repress--the truth, all the way back to George Washington. Award-winning author Harold Holzer writes a full history of this contentious relationship in his book, The Presidents Vs. The Press: The Endless Battle Between the White House and the Media—From the Founding Fathers to Fake News. Former President Trump’s tweets seem downright mild compared to antics from previous presidents. Holzer is a leading authority on Abraham

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CNN's Clarissa Ward: The Education of a Journalist

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

2021/01/15

Growing up between two cultures - two worlds - can teach a kid a lot. But it cannot teach an innate love and talent for storytelling. This week’s guest has both. Clarissa Ward is the chief international correspondent for CNN and has collected quite a number of stories during her lifetime of traveling, reporting and teaching others what she knows. This week, Dr. Alan Campbell talks with Ward about her childhood, early career, biggest lessons from aspiring journalists, and her know book that ties it

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Matthew Yglesias: One Billion Americans

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

2021/01/08

In this episode, we hear from author and journalist Matthew Yglesias about his latest book, One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger. He says we have the space for more people, and more people would make us a wealthier and happier country. Yglesias co-founded Vox.com with Ezra Klein and Melissa Bell in 2014. He currently writes for Substack and co-hosts The Weeds podcast twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. He’s worked for The Atlantic, The Center for American Progress, and Slate. Other

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Film Buff Ben Beard: The South Never Plays Itself

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

2020/12/18

What can we learn from the Southern films of the past? What can be done in the future to make new ones as multidimensional and as vast as the region really is? This week, Dr. Alan Campbell chats with author and film fanatic Ben Beard about his new book, The South Never Plays Itself: A Film Buff’s Journey Through the South on Screen, and more. The film industry’s idea of the South never seems to capture the true complexities, differences, and beauties that it holds. Beard and Campbell take a trip

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Thomas Ricks: First Principles

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

2020/12/04

Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Ricks set out to dig into the foundation of the United States by reading the literature that was read by the first four presidents. This took him on a journey from Aristotle to Cicero to John Locke. He wrote about the influence of classical education on the American republic in his book, First Principle: What America’s Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country. Host Dr. Alan Campbell speaks with Ricks about the

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Barton Gellman: Dark Mirror--Edward Snowden and the...

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

2020/11/20

Pulitzer-Prize and Emmy award-winning journalist, Barton Gellman became one of the most notable investigative journalists of our time while working with Edward Snowden to expose the machinery of the U.S. surveillance state. His new book, Dark Mirror, is the story he couldn’t tell before -- a real-life spy saga and a gripping narrative of the investigative reporting that exposed a different side of national security. In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell and Gellman dive deeper

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Stephen Root: Character Actor Extraordinaire

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

2020/11/13

Actor Stephen Root has appeared in nearly countless roles on television and film—from Star Trek, NewsRadio, West Wing, and King of the Hill on television, to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, and Idiocracy on film. Root has worked with HBO on True Blood, Barry, and Boardwalk Empire, and most recently on Perry Mason as Maynard Barnes. That show is in its second season now. In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell talks with Root about his childhood, dramatic

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The Value of Tolerance and Freedom...

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

2020/11/06

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is activist for women’s rights and the author of the book Infidel: My Life, and many others. In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell speaks with Ali about America, religion, cancel culture, the failures of American universities, and more. Ali was born in Somalia in 1969 and took asylum in the Netherlands when she was 23. Within 10 years, she was a member of the Dutch Parliament. Ali became a U.S. citizen in 2013 and has become an international figure in the

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Michael Brody-Waite: Great Leaders Live Like Drug...

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

2020/10/23

Practice rigorous authenticity. Surrender the outcome. Do uncomfortable work. Michael Brody-Waite learned these skills through his continued recovery as a drug addict. He says these same practices made him a successful CEO. In this episode of Watching America, host Dr. Alan Campbell talks to Brody-Waite about his book, Great Leaders Live Like Drug Addicts: How to Lead Like Your Life Depends on It, and how to remove the “mask” we wear in order to truly thrive at work--and in life.

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Peter Boghossian: How To Have Impossible Conversations

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

2020/10/16

Dr. Peter Boghossian was one of our first guests on Watching America. In spring 2019, he spoke with us about the Grievance Studies hoax, along with his academic cohorts: mathematician James Lindsay and author/researcher Helen Pluckrose. Listen to that episode: https://mediaplayer.whro.org/program/watchingamerica/e/watchingamerica-thursday-may-2nd-2019 Boghossian and Lindsay recently published the book, “How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide.” Boghossian says society will

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Melissa Korn & Jennifer Levitz: Privilege, Deceit,...

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

2020/10/10

A man named Rick Singer was at the center of the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Singer helped wealthy parents get their children into colleges of choice with doctored essays, altered test scores, and fake athletic resumes. And let’s not forget—a whole lot of money. Wall Street Journal reporters Melissa Korn and Jennifer Levitz wrote a book detailing what Kirkus Reviews calls “the seamy intersection of ambition, money, and higher education.” Dr. Alan

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Mark Laita: "Soft White Underbelly"

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

2020/10/02

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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Gerald Horne's "Paul Robeson: The Artist As...

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

2020/09/25

Paul Robeson was world famous for his talents as a singer, actor, and professional football player. But his most important work was as an astute lawyer and activist, working against Jim Crow and Joseph McCarthy. Author Gerald Horne and Dr. Alan Campbell have an edifying and inspiring conversation about Horne’s new book, Paul Robeson: The Artist As Revolutionary. Horne also authored The Counter-Revolution of 1776 and Black Revolutionary. He holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and

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Burt Ward & Tracy Posner: Gentle Giants

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

2020/09/18

This is Part 2 of Dr. Alan Campbell's discussion with Burt Ward (Robin)--and this time, we hear from his wife, Tracy Posner, as well. Ward and Posner have dedicated their lives to rescuing animals. They created a dog food, "Gentle Giants," and just created a healthy formula for cats as well.

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Holy Burt Ward! It's Robin!

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

2020/09/11

We hear from Burt Ward, who played Robin in the original Batman TV series. Ward is as lively, clever and funny as ever. He talks about becoming Robin at a young age, his life-long friendship with Batman (Adam West), and reveals backstage secrets and stunts from the show. We bring you part 2 of Dr. Alan Campbell's conversation with Ward in our next episode.

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

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