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by American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1780 has recognized and convened leaders across disciplines and divides. Together, these individuals examine new ideas, address major issues, and advance the common good. On Amacad, Academy President Laurie Patton speaks with Academy members about their lives and work, diving deep into the experiences that shape their approaches and perspectives.
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- 5 days ago1h 6m
‘The Greeks said know thyself’—David Dunning on the psychology and humanity of blind spots
About the guestProfessor David Dunning is the Mary Ann and Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Professor of the Study of Human Understanding, professor of psychology, an associate chair of the Department of Psychology, and faculty affiliate at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. His research centers on the psychology underlying personal misbeliefs and social misunderstandings.He was elected to the Academy in 2025.Visit our website to access the related Archives content discussed in the episode. Gino Beniamino produces Amacad.“Love Endures,” from the jazz quartet 4-Sight featuring Rodney Whitaker, is the Amacad theme music.
- 5 days ago59 min
‘Repair, correct, improve, adapt, update, those are good ideas’—Jill Lepore on amending the Constitution
About the guestProfessor Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. A prize-winning professor, she teaches classes in evidence, historical methods, humanistic inquiry, and American history. Her latest book, We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution (Liveright, 2026) won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in History.Professor Lepore was elected to the Academy in 2014.Visit our website to access the related Archives content discussed in the episode. Gino Beniamino produces Amacad.“Love Endures,” from the jazz quartet 4-Sight featuring Rodney Whitaker, is the Amacad theme music.
- 5 days ago1h 19m
‘Empathy in leadership is not some soft, touchy-feely kind of thing—it is an essential attribute of building trust’—James Mattis on leadership
About the guestJames N. Mattis is currently the Davies Family Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University where he lectures and writes on domestic and international security policy. In 2017-18 he served as the 26th Secretary of Defense. During his 43 years in the Marine Corps, retired General Mattis commanded combat tours at the platoon, battalion, regiment, brigade, division, force, and theater levels, including command of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and of the 1st Marine Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.He was elected to the Academy in 2021.Visit our website to access the related Archives content discussed in the episode. Gino Beniamino produces Amacad.“Love Endures,” from the jazz quartet 4-Sight featuring Rodney Whitaker, is the Amacad theme music.
- 5 days ago58 min
‘Weather is your mood and climate is your personality’—J. Marshall Shepherd on public intellectualism and getting out the facts
About the guestDr. J. Marshall Shepherd is a leading international expert in weather and climate and is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. Dr. Shepherd was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS), the nation’s largest and oldest professional/science society in the atmospheric and related sciences. Dr. Shepherd serves as Director of the University of Georgia’s Atmospheric Sciences Program and Full Professor in the Department of Geography where he was a previous Associate Department Head. Dr. Shepherd is also the host of The Weather Channel’s Award-Winning Sunday talk show Weather Geeks, a pioneering Sunday talk podcast/show and a contributor to Forbes Magazine.He was elected to the Academy in 2021.Visit our website to access the related Archives content discussed in the episode. Gino Beniamino produces Amacad.“Love Endures,” from the jazz quartet 4-Sight featuring Rodney Whitaker, is the Amacad theme music.
- 5 days ago58 min
‘Folk music was the dominant carrier of cultural commentary for a long time’—Rhiannon Giddens on reckoning with history through music
About the guestRhiannon Giddens co-founded the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, and she has been nominated for six additional Grammys for her work as a soloist and collaborator.Among her many diverse career highlights, Giddens has performed for the Obamas at the White House, served as a Carnegie Hall Perspectives curator, and received an inaugural Legacy of Americana Award from Nashville’s National Museum of African American History in partnership with the Americana Music Association. She is the 2023 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music.Giddens was elected to the Academy in 2022.Visit our website to access the related Archives content discussed in the episode. Gino Beniamino produces Amacad.“Love Endures,” from the jazz quartet 4-Sight featuring Rodney Whitaker, is the Amacad theme music.
- 5 days ago43 min
‘The country was my patient’—Anthony Fauci on leading in crisis and navigating the West Wing
About the guestAnthony S. Fauci is a physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022. As the NIAID director, he oversaw an extensive portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, and malaria as well as emerging diseases such as Ebola, Zika and COVID-19. He also led the NIAID research effort on transplantation and immune-related illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, asthma, and allergies.Dr. Fauci was elected to the Academy in 1991.Visit our website to access the related Archives content discussed in the episode. Gino Beniamino produces Amacad.“Love Endures,” from the jazz quartet 4-Sight featuring Rodney Whitaker, is the Amacad theme music.
About Amacad
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1780 has recognized and convened leaders across disciplines and divides. Together, these individuals examine new ideas, address major issues, and advance the common good. On Amacad, Academy President Laurie Patton speaks with Academy members about their lives and work, diving deep into the experiences that shape their approaches and perspectives.
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