Episode 13: Catholicism

In this episode we explore what sway one of the oldest institutions in the world has on economics. Pope Francis recently made a bold call to people and nations of the world. In a 184-page document, he urged us to veer from unbridled capitalism, lest we damn ourselves. What’s the impact?  Is he a radical or traditionalist?  To find out we speak with Devin Singh, professor of religion at Dartmouth and visiting scholar at Harvard; Sister Simone Campbell, a Catholic nun and executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic lobbying group; Nathan Schneider, a reporter for the New York Times, The Nation, and Catholic publications, and Father Stephen Gaertner, a punk turned Catholic priest.

Original Broadcast: June 24, 2017

Episode 12: Happiness

In this episode, our guests awaken us to our misguided reliance on the GDP, the Gross Domestic Product, an inadequate guide that has deceived us about our progress and wellbeing.  They are on a mission to find alternatives that will better track and direct us toward a healthy future.  Eric Zencey, a professor and a fellow at the Gund Center for Ecological Economics, introduces the Genuine Progress Indicator to the state of Vermont. And Julia Kim takes us to Bhutan, where she designs programs to measure and promote happiness in communities around the world.

Original Broadcast: April 29, 2017 

Episode 11: Automation

In this episode we consider automation as the secret culprit of job loss in plain sight. Peter Frase, author of Four Futures, discerns choices we face as robots march into every facet of our lives. Kathi Weeks, Associate Professor at Duke University, and author of The Problem with Work, questions our relationship to work as a multi-faceted solution to financial despair. And we visit Juha Jarvinen in the forest of Northern Finland, where he takes part in a cutting edge income experiment that holds promise of freeing us to pursue our highest potential.

Original Broadcast: March 25, 2016