Mr. Beat
Does Congress Have Implied Powers? | McCulloch v. Maryland
In the second episode of Supreme Court Briefs, Mr. Beat makes one of the most boring Supreme Court cases in American history somewhat more interesting. It was, after all, QUITE A FREAKING BIG DEAL. Washington, D.C. 1816 The United States...
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The US and the ICC, Part II
Legal scholar Emilie Hafner-Burton (UC San Diego) discusses why the US should be a signatory to the International Criminal Court.
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The US and the ICC, Part I
Legal scholar Emilie Hafner-Burton (UC San Diego) discusses American attitudes regarding the International Criminal Court.
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The Supreme Court Thought Experiment
Philosopher Brian Epstein (Tufts) describes the celebrated ontological thought experiment of the Supreme Court.
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The Structure of Sign Languages
Linguist Carol Padden (UC San Diego), describes Bill Stokoe’s early work on analyzing sign languages and searching for the relevant parameters to characterize meaning.
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The Sociology of Religion
Frans de Waal, Emory University’s award-winning primatologist discusses how the current anthropological thinking is that religious sentiment developed to control group behavior once societies reached a certain size.
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The Sociology of Philosophy
Philosopher Scott Soames (USC) relates aspects of the spectrum of professional views on what philosophy should and should not be.
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The Sociology of Jewish Identity
David Goldberg, Former Senior Rabbi Emeritus of London’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue, traces the roots of matrilineality to the times of Jewish persecution.
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The Social Turn
Philosopher Brian Epstein (Tufts University) describes academic philosophy's movement towards social engagement and responsibility.
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The Roots of Sign Language
UC San Diego linguist Carol Padden describes how, while we now recognize that gesture and sign language are structurally very different, linguists are now carefully examining how gesture might have originally given rise to sign languages.
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The Role of Gesture
Linguist Carol Padden (UC San Diego) describes how recognizing the difference between gesture and sign language shouldn’t prevent us from investigating how gesture helps brings languages into being.
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The Relevance of Models
Historian Nile Green (UCLA) describes how his invocation of the model of religious economy for Islam gives benefits to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
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The Real World
Marine biologist Edie Widder at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association laments how we’re woefully underusing one of our most valuable resources: the passion and energy of today’s youth.
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The Pain Paradox
Poet and independent scholar Jennifer Michael Hecht questions whether eliminating pain would be in our collective long-term interest.
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The Model of Religious Economy and Islam
Historian Nile Green (UCLA) describes how the model of religious economy explains both the evolution and diversity of organized religion, and some of the benefits of applying it to Islam.
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The Message and the Messenger
University of Michigan business professor Andrew Hoffman describes how his research investigates the cultural aspects of climate change, focusing on the question, What comes to people’s minds when they hear the words “climate change”?
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The International Criminal Court
Legal scholar Emilie Hafner-Burton (UC San Diego) assesses the International Criminal Court and points to ways it could be improved.
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The Importance of Dialogue
Political scientist Mark Bevir (UC Berkeley) describes the importance of regular dialogue between policymakers and the populace.
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The Hubris of Publishers
Chinese scholar and literary translator Michael Berry (UCLA) describes how many publishers demand original works be changed to fit American sensibilities.
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The Flexibility of Language
David Bellos, Director of the Program in Translation and Intercultural Communication at Princeton University, describes the extraordinary flexibility that language possesses to convey different shades of meaning.
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The Diversity of Sign Languages
Linguist Carol Padden (UC San Diego), gives us a taste of the extraordinary geographical diversity of sign languages throughout the world.
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The Cocktail Circuit
Legal scholar Emilie Hafner-Burton (UCSD) talks about her experience working at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
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The British Raj and Islam
Historian Nile Green (UCLA) describes how aspects of British colonialism in India led to the exportation of various types of Islam to Japan and the United States.
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The Benefits of Hardship
Historian Michael Berry (UCLA) discusses how he experienced more culture shock on returning to the USA from China than in going to China.