Aspen Ideas to Go

Research on aging and extending life and healthspan has ventured beyond humans to our best animal friends – dogs. In less than a year, dog owners may be able to buy a drug that would extend their dog’s life and hopefully keep it healthier for longer. Especially for owners of big dogs with short lifespans, this could be welcome news. And what the drug developers learn about dog aging might contribute to learnings on human aging. Scientists are also building some of the first long-term studies on dog health that will provide detailed information and important insights on our pets’ lives, and maybe our own. Neuroscientist Celine Halioua founded her company Loyal when she was just 24, and is close to getting FDA approval for the company’s first drug. Daniel Promislow, a biogerontologist at Tufts University, founded and leads the Dog Aging Project, collecting data on dogs across the country from all walks of life. The Aspen Institute’s executive vice president, Eliot Gerson, moderates this feel-good conversation recorded at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival in June. aspenideas.org

After a lifetime of successful acting and passionate activism, Jane Fonda is far from done. At 86, she’s now pouring all of her efforts into pushing for action that will stop climate change, and she’s willing to put it all on the line for this fight. From protesting and getting arrested in DC to talks and appearances across the country, Fonda is lending her famous face and using her platform every chance she gets to ensure our planet has a future. Her latest book, from 2020, is called “What Can I Do? My Path From Climate Despair to Action.”Journalist Katie Couric interviews Fonda at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival about this stage of her life and activism. Their conversation was recorded in June. aspenideas.org

Reverend William Barber II, a social advocate and co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, teams up with Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans, to shed light on the overlooked realities of poverty in America. They discuss how outdated stereotypes distort the understanding of poverty, revealing that about 135 million people are affected, transcending racial boundaries. Barber emphasizes the importance of unity among low-income communities, advocating for moral leadership and political engagement to create lasting change in a landscape shaped by systemic inequality.

Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans, discusses the resilience required for leaders in crisis, drawing from his experiences after Hurricane Katrina. Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation emphasizes navigating the complexities of philanthropy focused on global justice. Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, highlights the importance of balancing corporate and societal needs. Veteran journalist Katie Couric guides a candid conversation on mentorship, the evolving nature of leadership, and the necessity of inclusive practices in today's polarized society.

Technological innovations are led by people, and in this episode, the leaders of two of the most influential companies in Silicon Valley provide some insight into the human drivers of their products. Sam Altman is co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, which created the artificial intelligence tools ChatGPT and DALL-E. Brian Chesky is co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, which has revolutionized the hospitality industry. Altman and Chesky are also close friends, exchanging advice and support when the road gets bumpy, as it has at times for both. NBC News anchor Lester Holt interviews the founders about the challenges, accomplishments and responsibilities that come with charting new technological territory. This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival in June. Altman said publicly in late September that OpenAI, which was founded as a nonprofit, is considering converting to a for-profit company. The day before that announcement, three top executives resigned from the company, but Altman said those departures were unrelated. Despite internal turmoil, OpenAI reportedly raised $6.6 billion in early October, which follows a funding round of $10 billion in January. aspenideas.org

Relations between the United States and China have become increasingly tense over the past few years. Trade wars have escalated, and U.S. national security experts are bracing as China bulks up its military power, purportedly for a 2027 anniversary. If China invaded Taiwan, it would spark major conflict between the two nations. In this June panel from the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, experts with varying perspectives debate how to interpret the countries’ recent actions and speculate on where this relationship might be headed. London School of Economics professor Keyu Jin joins Matt Pottinger from research firm Garnaut Global, Tsinghua University economics professor David Daokui Li and U.S. Naval War College professor Andrew Erickson for a lively and informative discussion. Historian and Hoover Institution fellow Niall Ferguson moderates. aspenideas.org

America’s “second founding” came on the heels of the Civil War, when the architects of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments thought long and hard about how to enshrine civil rights that were truly for all into the U.S. Constitution. Despite an immediate backlash, including from the Supreme Court, and repercussions we’re still dealing with today, that second generation of framers added a profoundly important layer to our legal foundation. With demagoguery on the rise and increasing evidence that social norms are fraying, do we need to do more to protect ourselves and those around us? In this talk from the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, civil rights attorney and scholar Sherrilyn Ifill of Howard University School of Law makes an inspiring case for a third American founding. Law professor and writer Jeffrey Rosen, now CEO of the National Constitution Center, joins Ifill in laying out the historical legal context for this bold idea. aspenideas.org

If we do absolutely nothing to mitigate climate change, scientists estimate the toll could be $38 trillion a year in damages. Industrialized countries like the United States, China, Russia and European nations are the biggest contributors to the problem, but as things stand, they probably won’t pay most of the costs from catastrophes that happen in other parts of the world. Transitioning to clean energy and staving off the worst possible climate harms will cost less in the long run, but requires investment now. What can spur the private financial sector to get excited about clean energy investment? Former climate envoy and U.S. secretary of state John Kerry joins Anne Finucane of TPG Rise Climate Fund and Vijay Vaitheeswaran, the global energy and climate innovation editor of The Economist for a strategic conversation at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival on how to get funding for climate mitigation projects to move faster. MSNBC business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle moderates the conversation. aspenideas.org

Hope seems like a simple concept, but the feeling can be difficult to hold onto. And when times are difficult and chaos swirls around us, it’s more important than ever. How do we find and practice hope when it’s elusive? Spiritual and religious leaders rely on centuries of experience and wisdom to continually guide people back to hope, and this episode’s discussion from the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival draws from these experts. Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber founded the House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, and doesn’t shy away from unorthodox methods of ministry. Rabbi Sharon Brous is the founder and leader of IKAR, a nondenominational Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. Humanist chaplain Greg Epstein works with the populations at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Union Theological Seminary professor and the former director of the Religion and Society Program at the Aspen Institute, Simran Jeet Singh, introduces and moderates the conversation. aspenideas.org

As elections loom, the threat of AI-generated misinformation becomes a hot topic. Experts discuss strategies like 'pre-bunking' and voter education to combat deceptive practices. From successful safeguards in Taiwan to recognition for Michigan's election efforts, innovative approaches are highlighted. The role of trusted sources and critical thinking is crucial for voters to differentiate fact from fiction. With technology evolving, collaboration between public and private sectors is essential to protect democracy and enhance electoral integrity.