Views from Cleve-Mandu is taking a brief respite with the plan to return with more episodes sometime this Spring. When we return the direction, format, and release schedule may change. This first season was exploratory, serving more as a learning experience for us than an attempt to build and grow an audience. Right now, we gathering analytics on the first season and assessing what the best direction for the show will be. As always, we are open to feedback and various pitches.
Our first season explored a wide range of topics, and we sometimes found the opportunity to draw from our distinct backgrounds, Cleveland and Kathmandu. For those who may just be discovering the podcast, we have provided a summary of the first ten episodes with links. Please give them a listen!
Here’s the Recap:
Episode 1: Dadsplaining (September 22, 2024): In our first episode, we discuss modern parenting, including generational differences in expectations, cultural differences in parenting styles, and the nature versus nurture debate. We draw from our personal experiences as fathers.
Episode 2: The Deep History of Us (October 6, 2024): Manjul interviews Stetson about the deep origins of humanity. The discussion covers many high-level insights from historical disciplines, including paleogenomics and archaeology. The episodes was inspired in many ways by David Reich’s book Who We Are and How We Got Here. We aim to explain both the recently shared birth of modern humans and all the extant diversity.
Episode 3: Does Sports Betting Have an Upside? (October 20, 2024): Stetson interview Manjul about the world of sports betting, including some general best practices and the current landscape. We debate some of the pros and cons of the new wide availability of app-based sports betting.
Episode 4: Electoral Politics in 2024 (November 3, 2024): As a prelude to the 2024 national elections, we discuss American civics and the history of the electoral college, then we tack on some home race coverage. This includes a brief tangent on the salience of identity in representational politics.
Episode 5: Is College Still Worth It? (November 17, 2024): In this episode, we scrutinize the value of higher education. We explore why college tuition prices soared, the causes and consequences of the monolithic culture of higher ed, and the effects demographic change and shifting social attitudes may have on the future of higher ed.
Episode 6: Elephant Inside, Tail Outside (December 1, 2024): Manjul quizzes Stetson on the meaning of Nepali proverbs and this transitions into a larger discussion about Eastern and Western culture. Stetson bring up one of his favorite topics: Joseph Henrich’s concept of WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies versus non-WEIRD societies.
Episode 7: The Cost of Reading (December 15, 2024): We discuss the trade-offs involved in dedicating time to reading books in their entirety versus consuming shorter forms of information-dense content. The ongoing decline in reading and the dominance of longform text as the medium of popular and intellectual discourse inspired the discussion.
Episode 8: Mortal Certainty and Its Consequences (December 29, 2024): We venture into uncomfortable philosophical territory in this episode. We ask each other if we’d actually like to know when our lives will end and how that knowledge would affect our life choices. This discussion touches on many philosophical topics like utilitarianism, population ethics, and effective altruism.
Episode 9: There Will Be Carbon (January 12, 2025): Stetson interviews Manjul on the economic landscape and dynamics of the hydrocarbon industry. This touches on hydrocarbon chemistry, supply and demand dynamics, geographical considerations, and some key industry players, and the political landscape.
Episode 10: Inflation (January 26, 2025): We provide some basic insights into the economic phenomenon of inflation, including what it is, how it’s measured, and why it happens. We explore the effects that inflation has had on political outcomes both today and in the recent past.
Over the course of the season, we’ve sought to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue and often provided external resources with published episode. We want to treat complex and controversial subjects with care, while also not shying away from chasing after truth. Thank you for listening.
Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes. The opinions expressed are solely our own. We are not providing professional advice (financial, medical, etc) of any kind.
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