Semantic Reactions

Corey Anton, a professor at Grand Valley State University, sheds light on cultural divides and technology's role in education. Susan Drucker, from Hofstra University, shares insights on students’ perspectives of higher ed and tech's impact. Thom Gencarelli discusses mental health challenges and the transformative power of AI, while Peggy Cassidy points out distractions students face and the difficulties in conveying education's value. Together, they navigate the complexities of current educational dynamics amid technological advancements and political pressures.

Our April 2025 installment features the return of author, financier, and IGS Trustee Christopher Mayer to discuss the current economic situation in the United States with IGS President Lance Strate. Their dialogue emphasizes how general semantics can help us to understand financial concepts such as the trade deficit, tariffs, inflation, and even money itself.

Our March 2025 installment features the return of author, scholar, and critic Marleen Barr to discuss her recently published anthology entitled, Jewish Women Science Fiction Writers Create Future Females, with IGS President Lance Strate.

Our February 2025 podcast features IGS President Lance Strate interviewing writer, musician, artist, and author of the recently published book, Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought of Robert Anton Wilson, Gabriel Kennedy, aka Prop Anon. Their discussion deals with the life and work of Robert Anton Wilson and how he was greatly influenced by Alfred Korzybski and general semantics, as well as Gabriel Kennedy's background and career.

Our January 2025 podcast features IGS President Lance Strate interviewing computer programmer and activist Brianna Wu. Their conversation covers Gamergate, feminism, transexual issues, and politics and activism.

Our December 2024 podcast features IGS President Lance Strate interviewing computer scientist and IGS Past President Jeff Mordkowitz. Their conversation covers the history of general semantics and the Institute, approaches to teaching general semantics, the importance of the non-verbal or silent level, and Mordkowitz's Seven Simple Steps to Sanity.

Our November 2024 episode departs from our usual format as IGS President Lance Strate shares the Balvant Parekh Memorial Lecture that he recently delivered in India for the Balvant Parekh Centre for General Semantics and other Human Sciences. The lecture, entitled "The Message, the Meaning, and the Medium," ties together general semantics, behaviorism, information theory and cybernetics, and media ecology.

Our October 2024 podcast features IGS Trustees Eva Berger, Corey Anton, and Lance Strate taking part a controversial discussion on some of the most recent developments in artificial intelligence and language models and their implications for the future, as well as their connections to general semantics.

Our September 2024 episode features an interview with author, New York Law School professor, and former president of the American Civil Liberties Union, Nadine Strossen, conducted by IGS trustees Lance Strate and Susan Drucker. Their conversation centers on legal issues such as free speech in the context of contemporary American politics and culture.

Our August 2024 episode features Corey Anton and Thom Gencarelli discussing general semantics and politics, based on the recent special issues of the IGS's quarterly journal, ETC: A Review of General Semantics. In conversation with Lance Strate, they talk about Corey Anton's role as guest editor working together with Thom Gencarelli as ETC editor in chief, and their plans for publishing an anthology based on the two issues. Naturally enough, they also cover Alfred Korzybski's historical development of time-binding and how general semantics has been and could be applied to politics. They also had much to say about contemporary American politics, media and technology, and the current presidential election campaign.