EPISODE 1 - Galileo's Letters with Hannah Marcus
In this podcast, David Nicholson speaks with Professor Hannah Marcus about her work on Galileo’s letters. Hannah Marcus is an Assistant Professor in the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University. Her research focuses on the scientific culture of early modern Europe between 1450 and 1700.
Marcus earned her BA at the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD at Stanford University in 2016. Before coming to Harvard she worked as a postdoctoral researcher on the Galileo Correspondence Project, which she directs with Paula Findlen.
Galileo Correspondence Project
Findlen, Paula, and Hannah Marcus. "The breakdown of Galileo’s Roman network: Crisis and community, ca. 1633." Social studies of science (2017).
Hannah Marcus
EPISODE 2 - AMERICA'S WAR FOR THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST
Andrew J. Bacevich
In this podcast, David Nicholson speaks with Andrew J. Bacevich about America’s perpetual war in the Middle East. Andrew J. Bacevich, Sr. is an American historian specializing in international relations, security studies, American foreign policy, and American diplomatic and military history.
The podcast is based on Bacevich’s book: America's War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History.
The book was long-listed for the national book award. It offers a searing assessment of U.S. military policy in the Middle East over the past four decades. Bacevich is a retired army colonel and New Your Times best-selling author.
EPISODE 3 - EINSTEIN FOR EVERYONE
John Norton
In this podcast, David Nicholson speaks with Professor John Norton from the University of Pittsburgh’s History and Philosophy of Science department. Professor Norton studies the history and philosophy of physics (relativity, quantum theory, and statistical physics), with a special interest in general relativity, and has published extensively on the detailed steps of Einstein's discovery of general and special relativity and also on many aspects of the theory's philosophical foundations.
Among other topics related to the work of Albert Einstein, the conversation explores the situation of physics before and after Einstein's annus mirabilis of 1905.
EPISODE 4 - THE POWER OF PLATO'S CAVE
Grace Ledbetter
In this podcast, David Nicholson speaks with Professor Grace Ledbetter from Swarthmore College. Grace Ledbetter is an Associate Professor and Department Chair, Classics, and Associate Professor of Philosophy. She was a Townsend Traveling Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (1994-5). She holds a joint appointment in Classics and Philosophy and specializes in Ancient Philosophy and Greek Poetry. She regularly teaches courses at all levels on Greek and Latin languages, Plato, the history of ancient philosophy, Homer, Greek tragedy, Greek lyric poetry, Greek religion, and Greek myth in 20th Century performing arts.
In our conversation, Professor Ledbetter and I discuss Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Topics include Plato’s place within Ancient Greek philosophy, virtue, and the meaning of education for Plato.