Public Affairs

Overview

Public Affairs hosted speakers who are prominent people in the world of international affairs, from acclaimed authors, to Nobel laureates, to high-ranking UN officials.

A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran

JAN 18, 2012 Podcast

A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran

Trita Parsi recounts the previously unknown story of American and Iranian negotiations during Obama's early years as president, and the real reasons for their current ...

JAN 10, 2012 Podcast

Making our Democracy Work: A Judge's View

The nine unelected justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have the power to strike down laws enacted by elected representatives. Why does the public ...

The Dictator

DEC 20, 2011 Podcast

The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior Is Almost Always Good Politics

Cynics or realists? Just follow five rules and you can be a successful dictator, say Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith--at least until old ...

DEC 15, 2011 Podcast

Justice for Hedgehogs

"The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." Ronald Dworkin argues for one big thing: the unity of value. He asserts ...

Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science

DEC 7, 2011 Podcast

Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science

In this fascinating talk, theoretical physicist Michael Nielsen describes today's groundbreaking new era, where scientists, mathematicians, and ordinary people worldwide are working together online to ...

NOV 30, 2011 Podcast

Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius

Looking back at the truly revolutionary rise in global living standards over the last 150 years, what have we learned about economic policies? There are clear ...

The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade

NOV 29, 2011 Podcast

The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade

In 2010, global military expenditure was roughly $1.6 trillion--that's $235 for every person on earth. This has profound impacts, from the perpetuation of conflict, to the corrosion of ...

NOV 22, 2011 Podcast

George F. Kennan: An American Life

George Kennan was one of the great men of the 20th century, says John Lewis Gaddis. And he was great in multiple dimensions: as the ...

NOV 16, 2011 Podcast

UN Population Fund Report

Now that the population has reached seven billion, most of the focus is on the numbers. In this report, however, Crossette explores individual stories around ...

The Darwin Economy: Liberty Competition and the Common Good

NOV 16, 2011 Podcast

The Darwin Economy: Liberty Competition and the Common Good

Should economic policies be guided less by economist Adam Smith and more by naturalist Charles Darwin? Robert Frank thinks so, and has some provocative tax ...