Climate Emergency: Lessons from Classic Maya to Contemporary China – Episode 81 – The Oxford Comment



The consequences of climate change are catastrophic. This real and present threat to our planet may seem insurmountable, but there are—and have been—lessons shared on how to mitigate the damage already wrought, and how to prevent future detriment.

On today’s episode, we explore two unique examples of societal adaptation to climate change: one from our past, and one from our present. First, we welcomed Kenneth E. Seligson, the author of The Maya and Climate Change: Human-Environmental Relationships in the Classic Period Lowlands, who shared insights into his work exploring the environmental resilience of the Classic Maya, the environmental challenges they faced and overcame, and the lessons we can learn from them. We then interviewed Scott M. Moore, the author of China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future, to speak about contemporary China’s meteoric and controversial rise to a global power, its leading role in sustainability and technology, and what this means for institutions around the world.

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Women in Sports: Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, and Their Legacies – Episode 80 – The Oxford Comment



The world of sports has long been a contested playing field for social change. On today’s episode, we discuss the lives, careers, and lasting legacies on and off the tennis courts of two great women athletes—Althea Gibson and Billie Jean King. First, we welcomed Ashley Brown, the author of Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson, to speak about the barrier breaking tennis player and golfer. We then interviewed Susan Ware, the author of American Women: A Concise History, American Women’s History: A Very Short Introduction, and Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women’s Sports, published by UNC Press, who shared with us how King leveraged her career as a form of activism for gender equality, and discussed how sports have changed for women athletes in the years since.

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Mind the Gap: The Growth in Economic Inequality – Episode 79 – The Oxford Comment



On today’s episode, the first for 2023, we spoke with Chris Howard, author of Who Cares: The Social Safety Net in America, and Tom Malleson, author of Against Inequality: The Practical and Ethical Case for Abolishing the Superrich, on the social safety net, the ethical implications of extreme wealth, and what steps can be taken to achieve economic equality. How can we address such financial distress and inequity, and how might we go about enacting more permanent resolution?

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Host: Meghan Schaffer

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Happiness – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 62



In the final episode of Season 5, Daniel Haybron introduces the emotion most of us aspire to have—happiness—and how our pursuit of it impacts our well-being.

Learn more about “Happiness: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/happiness-a-very-short-introduction-9780199590605

Daniel Haybron is is the Theodore R. Vitali C.P. Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University. His research focuses on ethics, psychology and political philosophy, particularly issues of well-being. He is the author of The Pursuit of Unhappiness: The Elusive Psychology of Well-Being.

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British Cinema – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 61



In this episode, Charles Barr introduces British cinema, the home of Ealing Studios and Alfred Hitchcock, and delves into its global significance.

Learn more about “British Cinema: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/british-cinema-a-very-short-introduction-9780199688333

Charles Barr worked for many years at the University of East Anglia, helping to develop one of the first UK programmes in Film Studies at graduate and undergraduate level and is currently Emeritus Professor at the University of East Anglia.

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