https://simplecast.com 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. 2026 American Academy of Arts and Sciences en Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:25:02 +0000 Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:56:12 +0000 https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com Amacad https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/922e4528-ad78-4f3b-aff2-419a5094bd97/0ea3a775-92a9-4e84-9ffd-ec2245d529d0/3000x3000/cropped_1790621201738.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com episodic 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. American Academy of Arts and Sciences false https://feeds.simplecast.com/NDHiECyW #arts,#humanities,#science American Academy of Arts and Sciences jbreeden@amacad.org 474bc24c-1e61-49a9-8e34-1ea2105cc54f ‘The Greeks said know thyself’—David Dunning on the psychology and humanity of blind spots About the guest

Professor 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.

]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:25:02 +0000 jbreeden@amacad.org (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/dunning-poPOs7LM About the guest

Professor 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.

]]> ‘The Greeks said know thyself’—David Dunning on the psychology and humanity of blind spots American Academy of Arts and Sciences 01:06:20 Professor David Dunning speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about how the humanities shaped his professional path and approach, the difficulty of identifying and addressing blindspots, and the role of AI in human knowledge development and degeneration. Professor David Dunning speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about how the humanities shaped his professional path and approach, the difficulty of identifying and addressing blindspots, and the role of AI in human knowledge development and degeneration. social psychology, blindspots false full 3 1 ae2afe4e-52ec-44d0-ade0-a377521a5fef ‘Repair, correct, improve, adapt, update, those are good ideas’—Jill Lepore on amending the Constitution About the guest

Professor 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.

]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:24:37 +0000 jbreeden@amacad.org (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/lepore-NA4h_MDe About the guest

Professor 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.

]]> ‘Repair, correct, improve, adapt, update, those are good ideas’—Jill Lepore on amending the Constitution American Academy of Arts and Sciences 00:59:48 Professor Jill Lepore speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about the history of Constitutional amendment and the barriers—both intentional and unintentional—that have emerged to curtail the spirit of experimentation and revision inherent in our foremost founding document. Professor Jill Lepore speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about the history of Constitutional amendment and the barriers—both intentional and unintentional—that have emerged to curtail the spirit of experimentation and revision inherent in our foremost founding document. amendments, harvard, these truths, history, us constitution false full 4 1 3a63e6c1-7cd6-45a4-9c5d-79879d1d598c ‘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 guest

James 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.

]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:24:11 +0000 jbreeden@amacad.org (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/mattis-JYDNw9Hs About the guest

James 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.

]]> ‘Empathy in leadership is not some soft, touchy-feely kind of thing—it is an essential attribute of building trust’—James Mattis on leadership American Academy of Arts and Sciences 01:19:57 Retired General James Mattis speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about the peculiarities of leadership in an era of hyper partisanship, his early professional growth, and the relationship between the American military and the American public. Retired General James Mattis speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about the peculiarities of leadership in an era of hyper partisanship, his early professional growth, and the relationship between the American military and the American public. history, foreign relations, george washington, us military false full 5 1 a6971740-1f80-442d-acb8-f5fb896f0ad7 ‘Weather is your mood and climate is your personality’—J. Marshall Shepherd on public intellectualism and getting out the facts About the guest

Dr. 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.

]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:23:34 +0000 jbreeden@amacad.org (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/shepherd-t2sV5mkh About the guest

Dr. 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.

]]> ‘Weather is your mood and climate is your personality’—J. Marshall Shepherd on public intellectualism and getting out the facts American Academy of Arts and Sciences 00:58:09 Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about his entrance into atmospheric science, the importance of science popularizers, and communicating accurately about our weather and climate amid rampant misinformation. Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about his entrance into atmospheric science, the importance of science popularizers, and communicating accurately about our weather and climate amid rampant misinformation. wheather, nasa, climate change, university of georgia false full 6 1 70e59f74-de63-4069-adae-1f8735771ef7 ‘Folk music was the dominant carrier of cultural commentary for a long time’—Rhiannon Giddens on reckoning with history through music About the guest

Rhiannon 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.

]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:23:10 +0000 jbreeden@amacad.org (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/giddens-FlwDw3UY About the guest

Rhiannon 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.

]]> ‘Folk music was the dominant carrier of cultural commentary for a long time’—Rhiannon Giddens on reckoning with history through music American Academy of Arts and Sciences 00:58:31 Rhiannon Giddens speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about her career beginnings, including a couple of years working a corporate job; her developing reputation as a musician-scholar; and the unique mix of influences that have shaped her creative perspective and approach to making art. Rhiannon Giddens speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about her career beginnings, including a couple of years working a corporate job; her developing reputation as a musician-scholar; and the unique mix of influences that have shaped her creative perspective and approach to making art. opera, folk music, music, music history, arts and culture false full 2 1 09a05488-35e8-4136-859e-1f3ec65b1336 ‘The country was my patient’—Anthony Fauci on leading in crisis and navigating the West Wing About the guest

Anthony 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.

]]> Thu, 1 Oct 2026 15:22:40 +0000 jbreeden@amacad.org (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) https://amacad-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/fauci-5_n_XGFm About the guest

Anthony 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.

]]> ‘The country was my patient’—Anthony Fauci on leading in crisis and navigating the West Wing American Academy of Arts and Sciences 00:43:19 Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about his early life in Brooklyn, his first years in medicine, and his extensive career in public health, where he worked across five presidential administrations to improve the health of the nation and address multiple crises, including the emergence of HIV/AIDS and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks with Academy President Laurie Patton about his early life in Brooklyn, his first years in medicine, and his extensive career in public health, where he worked across five presidential administrations to improve the health of the nation and address multiple crises, including the emergence of HIV/AIDS and the COVID-19 pandemic. hiv/aids, public health, pandemic, nih false full 1 1