The Scholars' Circle

What motivates big protest movements like the ones occurring in France, India, and the “No Kings” demonstrations in the U.S.? Are there common demands? Have generational shifts led to more protests? When mass protests and large demonstrations break out, governments have responded with counter campaigns or violence to delegitimize protesters. What happens when governments counter moveme...

The midterms are fast approaching and here in Los Angeles where we record our show, the city braces for a much anticipated mayoral race. Incumbent Karen Bass, who initially expected to glide into re-election, is facing off with city councilwoman Nithya Raman, who narrowly defeated reality show participant Spencer Pratt in a contentious primary. While the polls show Raman leading, the vast number o...

On September 30, 2026, the state of Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike. She had been convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1996. The state failed to execute her. This is not the first time in 2026 that the state failed in an execution. The subsequent reporting of how the execution was carried out and the pain and suffering that Ms Pike experienced has raised several issues. These...

Ever since Russia attacked Ukraine, there have been predictions that the normative order against aggressive war was under threat. Then the US and Israel attacked Iran. Numerous scholars have predicted this would encourage China to attack Taiwan. The normative restrictions on war are loosening and the US is distracted and hence not able to help defend Taiwan. But two clear developments challenge th...

Is the age of privacy over? We spend the hour on technology, spying and privacy, exploring how privacy, and the lack of it, affects security, democracy and society. What exactly is at stake when we lose our privacy? [ dur: 58 mins. ] For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ Helen Nissenbaum is Professor of Information Science at Cornell Tech. She is the author of Privacy in Contex...

Data drives politics. But politics drive data. That is to say, we make political decisions based on data, often selected from mountains of available information. How we gather data is an inherently political process and nowhere is this more clear than when the US collects information about its population, which is mandated by the Constitution every ten years. Today, we will interview Danah Boyd on...

The United States and Canada share the longest undefended border in the world. We record this show on September 11 and we are reminded of Canada’s strong alliance with the US, allowing American flights to land as the skies closed and showing remarkable generosity to the passengers that day. But recently, the US has shown antagonism and even animosity to its ally to the North. Ranging from presiden...

On August 26, 2026, massive floods swept through Nepal and Tibet. As of today, September 3, over 1,200 people are recorded dead and as many as 4,200 are still missing. A landslide reported to be an equivalent 5.2 earthquake hit the Nepal/China border in the Himalayan Mountains, triggering a massive glacial collapse that led to severe flooding. So, on today’s show, we will explore glacial collapse...

The 21st century has seen a significant increase in the use of drones in warfare. Unmanned weapons, often cheaper than many of the more complicated and advanced weapons used by major powers like the US and Russia, seem to be aiding defenders and creating a more level playing field. What can these drones do? Do they make wars more likely to break out? Or, do they serve as a cautionary tale against...

The world is on fire. While that seems alarmist, this summer has been the summer of fire. Wildfires have spread all around the world, with specific fires in Spain, France, Canada and the US seizing global headlines. While the summer in the northern hemisphere is typically wildfire season, this year seems to mark an increased intensity and occurrences of these fires. On today’s show we will explore...

The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, Section 1 reads as follows: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” So all persons born in the US are citizens. We call this Birthright Citizenship. In Trump v Barbara, the US Supreme Court agreed. But only 5 of the 9 justices a...

If its June, its time for Supreme Court decisions. On today’s show we will explore recent rulings on two large topics. The first is the extent of the second amendment. That’s the gun rights Amendment and the right to bear arms. Then we will turn to the broad question, is the Constitution colorblind? What role does and should race play in Supreme Court decisions? [ dur: 58mins ] Robert J. Spitzer i...

The world is obsessed with the World Cup. Soccer, or what most of the world calls football, is the most popular sport across the globe. And no event captures more attention than the World Cup. And the host of the World Cup has the global attention on them throughout the tournament. This year’s tournament is the first to be hosted by three different countries, the United States, Mexico and Canada....

The War between Israel and the US on one side and Iran and Lebanon on the other is in its fourth month. Despite claims from the White House that a deal is imminent, the war and the destruction have continued. Indeed the concept of a cease fire is undermined with every attack. The global economy is struggling with the increased energy costs due to the closing of the Straits of Hormuz. And people co...

Africa once again has an Ebola outbreak. At this point, it is centered in the so-called Greak Lakes region, with the largest number of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda has also seen several cases. Sadly this is not new news. But it takes place in the context of a weakened World Health Organization, with the US withdrawal, and a stark memory of the Covid outbreaks. It also is e...

California has a state GDP of $4.25 trillion dollars. This is over $1 trillion more than the second largest state, Texas, with $2.9 trillion. If it were its own country, it would be the 4th largest GDP in the world (just past Japan and behind only Germany, China, and the US). It is the largest state by population, with just over 39 million. It’s over 12% of the total population. And it is holding...