Vis a Vis

According to many scientists and historians, we have entered a new historical period: the age of the Anthropocene. For the first time in history, as a result of climate change, humans are altering the makeup of planet Earth. In this episode of Vis A Vis, history professor François Hartog and Frédérique Aït-Touati, historian of modern science,…

Public debate today often focuses on uncertainties about the future: what to do about climate change, how to prevent the next pandemic, how to cope with technological revolutions? But many issues that divide societies also have to do with the past. How do we ensure continuity with the values that have shaped us? How should…

This episode delves into a critical examination of how the legal system is increasingly becoming a frontline battleground in the fight against climate change. In a conversation that covers the impact of climate-related court decisions on governments and corporations, the potential outcomes of landmark cases like Juliana v. the United States, the legal obligations towards…

There is no denying the fact that social media and the Internet have the power to inform, educate, spread knowledge and create new pathways of activism. At the same time, the online world is full of deep, dark spaces. Fake news, misinformation, cyber-harassment and hate speech proliferate. They endanger the social fabric of our communities. They also threaten our democracies. European Union-impose...

Today, more than ever, climate change and its effects are in the news. One the one hand, what we learn is a constant cause for alarm: the number and the intensity of hurricanes is on the rise; forests the world over are being decimated by wildfires; and communities in low lying lands (like Bangladesh and Pakistan) are devastated by floods. Many countries are not keeping up with their carbon-zero c...

In the wake of current debates on racism and racial discrimination in the US and Europe, the question of reparations for slavery is gaining renewed interest. In her book Faire justice de l’irréparable, (Justice As a Response to the Irreparable), Magali Bessone, Professor of Philosophy at Paris 1 – Panthéon Sorbonne, explains that the French abolition of slavery in 1848 did not put an end to econom...

As our societies in Europe and America struggle with economic inequality, police violence and social injustice, it is quite clear that we are still dealing with the long-term after effects of colonialism and historic racism. This power imbalance is visible in the cultures we inhabit and the languages we speak. Of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world today, half are endangered and may disappear...

Every year, 1.3 million babies are born with congenital heart disease worldwide. One third of them need an artificial valve implant. These complex heart surgeries save hundreds of thousands of babies’ lives every year. But valve implants are not a perfect solution. New valves need to be implanted every few years, which requires multiple operations that have a deep impact on these children’s qualit...

Since being elected Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi and the BJP party he leads have implemented legislation and policies that call into question India’s commitment to democracy. Today, legitimate dissent in India is compromised. The BJP has used the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to designate individuals as terrorists without providing corroborating evidence, and provisions in the penal...

On September 16th, a young Iranian woman of Kurdish origin, Mahsa Amini, died after being arrested by Iran’s Guidance Patrol – the morality police – for wearing her hijab too loosely. Her death triggered a wave of protests throughout the country. In this episode, we speak with Dr Kian Tajbakhsh, Fellow of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University, to understand the origins of this “fe...

The 13,000 nuclear warheads that exist across the world today are enough to eradicate humanity several times over. Given the real risk that nuclear disruption still represents, it should feature more prominently in the public debate. In this episode, we speak to Benoît Pelopidas, Associate Professor at Sciences Po, to understand the state of the threat today. We ask him about his research on close...

"Vis a Vis" is a new podcast brought to you by the Alliance Program at Columbia University. Alliance is a partnership bringing together Columbia University and three leading French higher education institutions: Sciences Po, Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne and Ecole Polytechnique.