Steven Pinker: Can Harvard Be Saved?

Steven Pinker: Can Harvard Be Saved?

Author: The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie May 7, 2025 Duration: 59:26
The Harvard psychologist discusses recent gains for free speech at Harvard, growing political and ideological threats to academic freedom, and the importance of shared knowledge in sustaining truth and progress.

The conversations on The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie move beyond the day's headlines to explore the deeper ideas shaping our world. Host Nick Gillespie engages with a wide range of guests-from politicians and policy experts to novelists, tech founders, and cultural critics-in dialogues that are substantive yet accessible. This podcast delves into the intersection of individual liberty, innovation, and societal change, examining how libertarian principles apply to contemporary debates. Each episode is a long-form discussion where guests explain their work and worldview in detail, offering listeners a nuanced perspective often missing from soundbite-driven media. You'll hear analyses of political movements, discussions on artistic expression, and debates about the future of technology and free speech. The tone is curious and challenging, favoring open inquiry over partisan talking points. For anyone interested in the forces driving politics and culture, this series provides thoughtful context for understanding both current events and the underlying trends that will define what comes next. Tune in for consistently engaging interviews that illuminate the people and ideas actively constructing the twenty-first century.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
Podcast Episodes
Can Iran's Protest Movement Topple the Regime? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:58
Exiled journalist Fardad Farahzad discusses how Iranians get uncensored news, the state of the protest movement, and whether the Islamic Republic is losing its grip on power.
Thomas Massie: Epstein Conspiracy Is 'Bigger Than Watergate' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:26
Rep. Thomas Massie explains why he is risking his political career over the Epstein files, details what he saw in the unredacted documents, and argues that the scandal reveals a bipartisan failure of accountability stret…
What the Media Gets Wrong About Crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:50
Crime analyst Jeff Asher explains the historic decline in murders, why Americans distrust crime statistics, and what the data actually show about public safety.
The Real Reason You Pay for NFL Stadiums [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:08
Economist J.C. Bradbury breaks down why taxpayer-funded stadiums are a bad idea, how team owners market them to politicians, and why another stadium building boom may be coming.
Can We Save American History From Partisan Politics? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:55
Former U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan discusses the importance of preserving presidential records and the challenge of maintaining public trust in an era of partisan conflict.
The Politics of Permanent Outrage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:56
Lauren Hall looks at the roots of political tribalism, why voters feel trapped between false choices, and how radical moderation offers a way out of constant polarization.
He's Serving 5 Years in Prison for Bitcoin Privacy Software [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:48
Keonne Rodriguez explains why he built a bitcoin privacy tool, discusses the federal charges that sent him to prison this week, and warns that his case could redefine the legal boundaries of financial privacy.