The Edge

We’re back with something a little different this month. In the wake of this year’s historic floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, we asked ourselves: What would it look like to take a more optimistic attitude towards slowing climate change? In that spirit, we’re sharing an episode of The Science of Happiness, a podcast co-produced by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and PRX. The first in a miniseries the center is airing called “Climate, Hope and Science,” this episode features an interview with author Rebecca Solnit in which she explores how embracing uncertainty enables people to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action.Support the show

For centuries, doctors have medically treated people differently according to their race because they believed that race was biological. But in recent years, medical professionals and activists have argued that this is both wrongheaded and can be dangerous to people’s health. In this episode, we talk to UC Berkeley grad Stephen Richmond, a primary care physician and assistant professor at Stanford, about the movement to abolish biological race from medicine and how race and biology do and do not intersect. Support the show

Car-free streets are no longer just an urban fantasy. In cities across the nation, a movement is growing to return the streets to the people. In this episode, we talk to two advocates from UC Berkeley about their quest to ‘pedestrianize’ Telegraph Avenue and their grand vision for a more walkable, bikeable future.Support the show

The teens are not alright! In fact, they’re experiencing a sleep crisis. In this episode, we talk to journalist and UC Berkeley grad Lisa Lewis about why teens have different sleep needs than the rest of us and how she worked to get more sleep for all Californian teens. We explore sleep hygiene and what it means to restructure society around a vital health need. Support the show

Today, we’re featuring the audio version of California magazine’s recent cover story, “Into the Ishi Wilderness.” In 1911, a Yahi Native American man walked out of the wilderness near Oroville, California. The famed anthropologist Alfred Kroeber brought him to UC Berkeley’s campus. What happened next is still being hotly debated almost 100 years later. For audio text, please see the feature article, Into the Ishi Wilderness. This episode was written and hosted by Laura Smith and Leah Worthington, and produced by Coby McDonald. Special thanks to Pat Joseph. Art by Michiko Toki and original music by Mogli Maureal.Support the show

These days, kids want to be social media influencers when they grow up. But is it a viable career? And what does our ever-growing social media obsession mean for society? In this episode, we talk to TikTok star and UC Berkeley grad Talia Lichtstein about her day-to-day routine, how she makes money, and the future of work in the era of social media. Support the show

How is it possible to be blind and able to see at the same time? In this episode, we explore a bizarre, paradoxical neurological condition called blindsight, which challenges everything we think we know about vision—and offers insight into the nature of human consciousness. Leah is joined by a UC Berkeley researcher and Simon Lewis (JD ‘80), a film producer and survivor of a traumatic brain injury, to discuss how blindsight works and its implications for understanding the origin of consciousness. Support the show

In this conversation with Taylor Margo, a UC Berkeley grad and inventor of the Keys app, they tackle the ever-challenging world of online dating. Margo discusses his innovative app designed to ease awkward chatting on dating platforms with AI-generated messages. They explore the humorous and complex dynamics of using technology to communicate, from flirty bots to the implications of AI on authenticity. The discussion probes what the future holds for romance when the lines between human interaction and artificial intelligence begin to blur.

Medha Kothari, a UC Berkeley alum and founder of she256, discusses the transformative potential of blockchain technology. She highlights its ability to decentralize and provide a fairer alternative to traditional systems. The conversation dives into the importance of inclusivity and diversity within the blockchain space, addressing the gender gap in venture capital. Medha also explores various blockchain applications, from voting to NFTs, while emphasizing the need for accessibility and equitable development in this evolving field.

Passenger pigeons. Woolly mammoths. Neanderthals. They’re all extinct. But what if we could bring them back? And if we could, should we? Geneticists are exploring de-extincting extinct and near-extinct species, but ethical and logistical problems abound. Laura and Leah sit down with a genetic engineer and an ecologist from UC Berkeley to understand how de-extinction works and the unintended consequences of playing god. Life, uh, finds a way.Support the show