Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Geoffrey Wawro about the Vietnam War. They discuss why the U.S. chose to get involved in Vietnam, Eisenhower’s approach, JFK’s approach, and the attempted coups in Vietnam. They talk about the domino theory, McNamara, U.S. involvement in Vietnam in 1964/1965, the draft, high casualties of 1967/1968, public sentiment, LBJ not running for re-election, Nixon’s approach, legacy of the Vietnam War, and many other topics. Geoffrey Wawro is Distinguished Research Professor of Military History and Founding Director of the Military History Center at the University of North Texas. He has previously served as professor of strategy & policy, and strategic studies at the U.S. Naval War College and was a Fullbright Scholar in Vienna. He has his Bachelors from Brown University, his MPhil and PhD from Yale University. He is the author of several books, including the most recent, The Vietnam War: A Military History. Website: https://geoffreywawro.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nick Lloyd about the Eastern Front of World War I. They discuss the Eastern Front and why it has been neglected in popular understanding, major players and landscape of the Eastern Front, and the role of Galicia. They discuss 1915 and fall of Serbia, impact of the Russian Revolution, final years of the war, and many more topics. Nick Lloyd is Professor of Modern Warfare at King's College London based at the Joint Services Command & Staff College in Shrivenham, Wiltshire. He has PhD from the University of Birmingham. He is the author of five books including the most recent book, The Eastern Front: A History of The Great War, 1914-1918. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robin Waterfield about his new English translation of Aesop’s Fables. They discuss the timeless nature of Aesop’s fables, translating the fables, selecting the 400 fables, and authorship of the fables. They also discuss categorizing the fables, their structure, morals and ethics in the fables, comparisons with other fables, and many other topics.Robin Waterfield is a British classical scholar, translator, and editor, specializing in Ancient Greek philosophy. He has written and/or translated many works, including the recent English translation of Aesop’s Fables. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paula Fredriksen about the various Christianities in the early 1st and 2nd centuries. They discuss how there are many Christianities, contradictions within the New Testament, integration of Jews and pagans in the Mediterranean in the 1st century, and Jewish diaspora. They also talk about the crucifixion of Jesus, the idea of Israel, and persecution of early Christians. They discuss early eschatology, early church fathers, Constantine, Asceticism, and many more topics.Paula Fredriksen is fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Aurelio Professor of Scripture emerita at Boston University and Distinguished Visiting Professor emerita in the Department of Comparative Religions at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She has degrees from Wellesley College, Oxford University and Princeton University and is published widely on the social and intellectual history of ancient Christianity and on pagan-Jewish-Christian relations in the Roman Empire. She is the author of numerous books, including the most recent, Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Ben Goldfarb about road ecology. They define road ecology, discuss current landscape of roadways in the U.S., and discuss road crossings. They talk about the human impact of animal roadkill, Banff National park, current state of road crossings, Federal and State involvement, road crossings in cities, future of road crossings, and many more topics. Ben Goldfarb is an independent conservation journalist who has written fiction and non-fiction in various outlets such as The Atlantic, Science, The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Guardian, Outside Magazine, Smithsonian, Audubon Magazine, Scientific American, and other publications. His non-fiction work was also anthologized in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. He is the author Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and the recent book, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet, named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times. Website: https://www.bengoldfarb.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Christofi about the history of Cyprus. They discuss Cypriot identity, Greek and Turkish involvement, and the origins and mythology of Cyprus. They talk about olive culture and royal purple, Cyprus in the Bible, Islam, the Ottomans, British involvement, independence, the 1974 coup d’etat, present and future of Cyprus, and many more topics. Alex Christofi is Editorial Director at Transworld Publishers. He is the author of numerous essays, reviews, and short pieces that have appeared in the Guardian, New Humanist, Prospect, New European, The White Review, The Brixton Review of Books and The London Magazine. He is the author of Dostoevsky In Love and the latest, Cypria: A Journey to the heart of the Mediterranean. Website: https://alexchristofi.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Benjamin Winegard about the 2024 U.S. Elections. They discuss their overall thoughts, examine the results and the county shifts nationwide, and talk about Trump and Trump-lite candidates. They talk about split-ticket voting, current state of MAGA, Latinos, gender, ballot measures, Trump’s 2nd term, how Democrats reset their agenda, and many more topics. Benjamin Winegard is an Assistant Professor of psychology at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. He holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology with an emphasis on evolution. His current interests are on human progress, polarization, and political issues. Similar episodes: Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Arlie Hochschild about pride and shame in Appalachia. They discuss the political Right in Appalachia and framework of pride and shame, demographic makeup of the population in Appalachia, current challenges in Appalachia, and the emotions of pride, shame, and guilt. They talk about the appeal of the far Right, immigration and nationalism, liberals abandoning the working class, how we repair the politics divides, and many other topics. Arlie Hochschild is writer and Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California-Berkeley, where she also earned her PhD. Her main interests have been on social relationships with politics, emotions, and culture. She is the author of numerous books, including Strangers In Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, and the most recent, Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jason Stanley about the importance of preserving history. They talked about why authoritarians attempt to erase history, fascist ideas, nationalism, immigration, book burning, classical education, how to defend history, and many other topics. Jason Stanley is the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University and honorary professor at the Kyiv School of Economics. Before coming to Yale in 2013, he was Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Rutgers University and was also Professor at the University of Michigan (2000-4) and Cornell University (1995-2000). He has his PhD in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT and his BA from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is the author of seven books, which include How Propaganda Works, How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them , and the newest book, Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mario Livio about finding life in our universe. They define life, discuss if we are alone, and the improtance of telescopes showing galaxies. They talk about the goldilocks zone, how life began on earth, proteins and genes, and building blocks of life on other planets. They talk about tidal forces, exoplanets, UAPs, intelligent life, and many more topics. Dr. Mario Livio is an astrophysicist, author, and speaker. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has published more than 500 scientific articles and has made significant theoretical contributions to topics ranging from cosmology, supernova explosions, and black holes to extrasolar planets and the emergence of life in the universe. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his research. He is the author of eight popular science books, including the most recent in collaboration with Nobel laureate Jack Szostak, Is Earth Exceptional? Website: https://www.mario-livio.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Sheena Mason about race and culture. They talk about the increased focus on race, racelessness and the wayfinder, defining race/ism and history of the categories of race. They talk about culture, history, and ethnicity, mixed race and ethnicity, anti-racism, practical ways to end racism, and many more topics. Sheena Michele Mason is an assistant professor of English at SUNY Oneonta. She holds a PhD with distinction in English from Howard University and specializes in Africana and American literature studies and philosophy of race. She is published with Oxford University Press, Palgrave MacMillan, Cambridge University Press, and the University of Warsaw among other presses. She is the innovator of the togetherness wayfinder (formerly and alternatively called the theory of racelessness) and founder of Togetherness Wayfinder, an educational firm. Her book The Raceless Antiracist: Why Ending Race Is the Future of Antiracism shows how ending our belief in “race” and practice of racialization is required toward the goal of ending the causes and effects of racialized dehumanization.Website: https://www.togethernesswayfinder.org/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Emily Herring about the life and philosophy of Henri Bergson. They discuss who he was and why he is forgotten, changes in his childhood, and how he choose philosophy. They talk about his concepts of Durée, freedom, and memory. They talk about his relationship with Proust, his global popularity, evolution, later life, his legacy, and many more topics.Emily Herring is a writer based in Paris. She has her PhD in the history and philosophy of science from the University of Leeds. Her writing has appears in Aeon and Times Literary Supplement. She is the author of the latest book, Herald Of A Restless World: How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People. Website: https://www.wellreadherring.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones about the history of the various Cleopatra queens. They discuss the 7 major Cleopatras, gender roles and norms in Egypt, and the context of the Antigonids, Ptolemies, and Seleucids. They talk about Cleopatra I, incestuous marriages, Potbelly and Cleopatra II and III. They discuss the ethnicity of Cleopatra VII, her various romantic relationships, her suicide, legacy of the Cleopatras, and many more topics. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is Chair and Professor of Ancient History at Cardiff University. He has his PhD in Ancient History from Cardiff University and has taught previously at the University of Edinburgh. His main interests are in Greek socio-cultural history, women’s history, and ancient Persia. He is the author of many books including the most recent book, The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nathan J. Robinson about US foreign policy. They discuss his collaboration with Noam Chomsky, myth of American idealism, and positive elements of US foreign policy. They discuss US foreign policy in Latin America, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel and Palestine, and China. They talk about current threats of climate change and nuclear weapons and the future of US foreign policy. Nathan J. Robinson is editor of Current Affairs and a political columnist at The Guardian. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Nation, Al Jazeera America, and Salon. He has his JD from Yale Law School and PhD in Sociology and Social Policy from Harvard University. He is the author of numerous books, including the most recent (co-authored with Noam Chomsky), The Myth of American Idealism: How US Foreign Policy Endangers The World. Website: https://www.nathanjrobinson.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Melissa Eddy about the life and chancellorship of Angela Merkel. They discuss Merkel’s general themes and profile, gender and fashion, and her East German origins. They talk about her major achievements, criticisms, interactions with world leaders, her legacy, and many more topics. Melissa Eddy is a journalist based in Berlin who covers German business, economics, and politics for The New York Times. She has covered Chancellor Angela Merkel since she entered office in 2005. A Minnesota native fluent in German and French, she came to Germany as a Fulbright scholar in 1996. Before joining The International Herald Tribune, now the international edition of The New York Times, in 2015, she was a correspondent for the Associated Press in Frankfurt, Vienna, and the Balkans. She is the author of Merkel’s Law: Wisdom from the woman who led the free world. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Musa al-Gharbi about the new elite, “wokeness,” and symbolic capitalism. They discuss why we should still care about “wokeness” and cancel culture, history of the four great “awokenings,” and sincerity of those that have “woke” beliefs. They define and discuss symbolic capitalism, people denying their new elite status, defining “woke” and the history of the word. They talk about “wokeness” as a new religion, the anti-woke, DEI, and many more topics.Musa al-Gharbi is a sociologist and Assistant Professor in the School of Communication and Journalism and Fellow in Sociology at Columbia University. He has a Bachelors in Near Eastern Studies, Masters in Philosophy, Masters in Sociology, MPhil in Sociology, and PhD in Sociology. His work focuses on various social phenomena such as race relations, inequality, social movements, foreign policy and domestic U.S. political interests. He is the author of the latest book, We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions Of A New Elite. Website: https://musaalgharbi.com/Substack: Musa al-Gharbi Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Chaffetz about the history of the horse and impact with empires. They discuss the origins of the horse and living alongside humans, herding and horse milk, domesticating the horse and riding horses. They talk about the Steppe environment, rise of chariots, the Scythians and mounted combat, horses used within empires, and China’s relationship with horses. They talk about the Kushans, Turks, Chinggis Khan, Timur, WWI, and many more topics.David Chaffetz is a regular Asian Review of Books contributor, member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, and author of A Journey through Afghanistan, Three Asian Divas, and Raiders, Rulers, and Traders. He has traveled extensively in Asia for more than forty years. He divides his time between Lisbon and Paris. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mark Updegrove about the Presidency of Lyndon Johnson. They discuss the elusive figure of LBJ, his intuition for politics, and ascending to the Presidency. They talk about the “Johnson treatment,” Civil Rights, Lady Bird, and his war on poverty. They discuss his foreign policy, not running for re-election in 1968, legacy, and many more topics. Mark Updegrove is the president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation and serves as Presidential Historian for ABC News. From 2009 to 2017, he was the director of the LBJ Presidential Library, where in 2014 he hosted the Civil Rights Summit which included Presidents Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Carter. He is the author of five books on the presidency including, Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency, and the executive producer of the CNN Original Series, “LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy.” He has written for the New York Times, Politico, Time, National Geographic, the Daily Beast, and USA Today, and has conducted exclusive interviews with seven U.S. presidents.Website: https://www.lbjlibrary.org/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bruce Gordon about a history of the Bible. They discuss the origins of how the Bible formed in the 2nd Century, original audience of the Bible, Codex and canonization and how we got 66 books. They talk about original languages, the Bible as an icon and symbol, different ways of reading and interpreting the Bible, and the impact of the Gutenberg Press. They talk about the King James Bible (KJV), missions, global legacy, and many other topics. Bruce Gordon is the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School at Yale University. He previously taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. His research and teaching focus on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation and its reception. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The Bible: A Global History. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Renée DiResta about misinformation and digital delusions. They define misinformation and disinformation, rise of influencers, and incentive structures. They discuss audience capture, online ethical responsibilities, the Twitter files, election interference, and many other topics. Renée DiResta is the former technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, a cross-disciplinary program of research, teaching, and policy engagement for the study of abuse in information technologies. Her work examines rumors and propaganda in the digital age. She has analyzed geopolitical campaigns created by foreign powers such as Russia, China, and Iran; voting‑ related rumors that led to the January 6 insurrection; and health misinformation and conspiracy theories pushed by domestic influencers. She is a contributor at The Atlantic. Her writing has appeared in Wired, Foreign Affairs, New York Times, Washington Post, Yale Review, The Guardian, POLITICO, as well as many academic journals. She is the author of the latest book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality. Website: https://www.reneediresta.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alice Driver about immigrants working at meatpacking factories. They discuss moral beauty in immigrants work, immigrants who work in meatpacking factories, and how the factories operate. They talk about onsite medical clinics, the Clintons relationship with Tyson Foods, and challenges during the pandemic. They discuss the class action lawsuit against Tyson Foods, future of the industry, and many more topics. Alice Driver is a writer and author. She has her Masters and PhD in Hispanic Studies from the University of Kentucky. She has won many awards for her journalism and, in 2025, will be a Resident at the Bellagio Center. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Life and Death of the American Worker: The immigrants taking on America’s largest meatpacking company. Website: https://www.alicedriver.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paul North and Paul Reitter about their new English translation of Karl Marx’s Capital I. They discuss their process editing and translation Capital I, the 2nd German edition and various English and French translations, and the motivations for Marx. They discuss Marx’s thought and Marx’s impact, his main thesis in Capital I, and some of the interactions with Hegel’s thought. They also talk about Marx’s labor theory of value, the enduring legacy of Marx, and many other topics.Paul North is Chair and Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures at Yale University. He has his PhD in comparative literary studies (German Concentration) from Northwestern University. His main research areas are on Critical Theory, History of Philosophy, and European literature. Paul Reitter is Professor in Germanic Languages and Literatures at The Ohio State University. He has his PhD in German Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. His main research areas are on Critical Theory, German-Jewish culture, and History of Higher Education. They are the editors and translators of the new English translation of Karl Marx’s Capital I. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Marlene Laruelle about the rise of Illiberalism. They talk about liberalism, illiberalism, impact of immigration and socioeconomic issues, and the current and future state of the EU. They discuss Le Pen and far-right in France, Orban in Hungary, the AFD in Germany, and state of Central Eurasian countries. They talk about the Russian-Ukrainian war, motivations of Putin, propaganda, peace in Ukraine, illiberalism in the United States, and many other topics. Marlene Laruelle is Research Professor of International Affairs and Political Science at The George Washington University, and Director of GW's Illiberalism Studies Program. Her main research interests are in populist and illiberal movements in post-Soviet Eurasia, Europe, and the US. Her research explores the transformations of nationalist and conservative ideologies in Russia and nationhood construction in Central Asia, as well as the development of Russia’s Arctic regions.Website: https://marlene-laruelle.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Josephine Quinn about a 4,000 year history of the world. They discuss why “the West” is not an accurate or helpful framing, civilizational thinking, importance of sailing, and different people groups in one region. They also talked about the importance of ancient/isolated languages (i.e., Sumerian, Ugaritic), the Iberian regions absorbing elements of the Levant in the 2nd Millennium, invention of Greece, Rome and Byzantium, Crusades, the idea of “Europe,” moving away from civilizational thinking, and many more topics. Josephine Quinn is currently Professor of Ancient History at Oxford University, and Martin Frederiksen Fellow and Tutor of Ancient History at Worcester College, Oxford. In January 2025, she will be Professor of Ancient History at Cambridge. She has her BA in Classics from Oxford, and an MA and PhD in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology from the University of California, Berkeley. Her main interests are in Mediterranean history and archaeology, with a particular interest in ancient North Africa. She is the author of, In Search of the Phoenicians and her latest book, How the World Made the West: A 4,000 Year History. Website: https://josephinecrawleyquinn.wordpress.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lindsay Chervinsky about the presidency of John Adams. They provide an overview of Adams’s presidency, maintaining the cabinet, the XYZ affair, Alien and Sedition Acts, Fries Rebellion, replacing Pickering and McHenry, Election of 1800, legacy of Adams, and many more topics. Lindsay M. Chervinsky a historian of the presidency, political culture, and the government. She is the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. She obtained her PhD in history from the University of California, Davis and has been a fellow at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. She has also been a professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. She is the author of The Cabinet: George Washington and The Creation of An American Institution, co-editor (with Matthew R. Costello) of Mourning The Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture, and her latest, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic. Website: https://www.lindsaychervinsky.com/Substack: Imperfect Union Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Steven Mithen about the evolutionary history of language. They discuss the language puzzle, provide an overview of human evolution, importance of bipedalism, and fossil record gaps. They discuss different human species, how language works, origins and spread of different languages, and the physiology of speech. They also talk about the neurology of language, language evolving over time, language connected with thinking and emotions, future of language, and many other topics. Steven Mithen is a Professor of Early Prehistory in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading. He has previously been Pro Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Reading. He has a BA (hons) in Prehistory & Archaeology from Sheffield University, an MSc in Biological Computation from York University, and a PhD in Archaeology from Cambridge University. He has been a Fellow of the British Academy since 2004. His main research areas are in Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene hunter-gatherers and evolution of the human mind. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-Million-Year Story of How Words Evolved. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Benjamin Nathans about the Soviet dissident movement. They discuss how he complied all of the narratives together, why the Soviet dissident movement matters and how the Soviet legal system was used. They discuss civil disobedience vs. civil obedience, Alexander Volpin, Sinyavsky-Daniel affair, and what rights looked like in the Soviet Union. They talked about the makeup of the dissident movement, the Red Square demonstration, Initiative group, fifth directorate, Solzhenitsyn, other civil rights movements, legacy, and many more topics. Benjamin Nathans is Associate Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. His main focus areas are on Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union, modern European Jewish history, history of human rights. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Brett Loyd on political polling. They discuss what polls can and cannot tell us, sample size, random sampling, flex quotas, weighting variables, and sample characteristics. They talk about question order and wording on polling surveys, phone and online polling, internal vs. external polling and national vs. state polls. They talk about how pollsters got the 2016 election wrong, characteristics of a Trump voter, and education level. They talk about the 2020 and 2022 elections, why there was no red wave in 2022, and reproductive rights. They discuss the 2024 election, battleground states, Harris’s challenges, contrast between Republican and Democratic tickets, and VP picks. They also talk about the 2024 Senate outlook, the House, how to read polls, and many more topics. Brett Loyd is President and CEO of The Bullfinch Group and is leading researcher and campaign strategist. He has degrees in statistics and political science from Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. He has worked on presidential, senatorial, congressional, and gubernatorial campaigns; national political committees; and corporate and issue campaigns. Website: https://www.thebullfinchgroup.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Isaac Nakhimovsky about the holy alliance. They discuss understanding current events through historical events, what is the holy alliance, “friend of mankind,” debates around the holy alliance, La Harpe and Czartoryski, Krug, Kant, and history of religion, league of nations, and the holy alliance today. Isaac Nakhimovsky is Associate Professor of History and Humanities at Yale University. Previously, he was research fellow at Emmanuel College and the Faculty of History in the University of Cambridge. He received his PhD in Political Science from Harvard University. His research focuses on the history of political thought and on European debates about economic competition and international relations in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The Holy Alliance: Liberalism and the Politics of Federation. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Elizabeth Saunders on elites dictating foreign policy. They discuss negative public opinion, the elites comprised of military, administration, and legislators, and the differences with hawks and doves. They talk about McNamara and LBJ in Vietnam, Truman, Korea, and Taiwan, and Bush in Afghanistan and Iraq. They also discuss Obama on Syria, future insider’s games, and many more topics. Elizabeth Saunders is Professor of Political Science at Columbia University. She previously taught in the School of Foreign Service and the Director of the Mortara Center for International Studies, as well as a core faculty member in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. She is also a non-resident senior fellow at Brookings Institution. Her main interests focus on the domestic politics of international relations and US foreign policy, especially the role of leaders, the presidency, and the politics of using force. She is the author of two books, including the most recent book, The Insiders’ Game: How Elites Make War and Peace. Website: https://profsaunders.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Arik Kershenbaum about why and how animals communicate with each other. They discuss the differences between language and communication in animals, respectfully communicating with animals, and the six animals he studied for communication. They talk about howling in wolves, clicks in dolphins, comprehension in parrots, singing in the hyrax and gibbons, chimps, humans, and many more topics. Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist and College Lecturer at Girton College, University of Cambridge and is formerly Herchel Smith Research Fellow in Zoology at the University of Cambridge. He has his Bachelors in Natural Sciences from University of Cambridge and his PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology from the University of Haifa, Israel. His main research interests are in the acoustic communication systems in different animals. He is the author of the latest book, Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication. Website: https://arikkershenbaum.wixsite.com/arikkershenbaum Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nick Romeo on different and alternative economies. They talked about reimagining capitalism, improving economic pedagogy in academia, True Price, a living wage, and Job Guarantee program. They discuss the gig economy, purpose economy, scaling alternative economies, and many more topics. Nick Romeo is a Journalist and Author who has focused his writing on economics, policy, and culture. Currently, he is a writer for The New Yorker and has written pieces in outlets such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The New Republic. He is the author of the latest book, The Alternative: How To Build A Just Economy.Website: https://www.nickromeowriter.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with B. Rosemary Grant on her life and work on genetics and evolutionary change. They discuss an overview of her life and research, her childhood and being raised in England in WWII, her interest in genetics, and moving to Canada and meeting her husband. They discuss how she balanced raising a family and her career, her work over 40 years in the Galapagos Islands, retirement and continued research, her legacy, and many other topics. B. Rosemary Grant is an evolutionary biologist and Emeritus Professor at Princeton University. Her research focuses on phenotypic variation and the process of speciation in natural environments. She is well-known for the research done with her husband (Peter Grant) on Darwin’s Finches on the Galapagos Islands for over 40 years. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society and received many awards for her research. She is the author numerous books, including her recent memoir, One Step Sideways, Three Steps Forward: One Woman’s Path to Becoming a Biologist. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Anthony Sattin about the history of Nomads on our planet. They discuss humans as naturally nomadic, Göbekli Tepe, Çatalhöyük and early settlements, Uruk and the epic of Gilgamesh, and domestication of horses. They talk about the Persian empire, Scythian empire, and nomadic identity. They discuss the impact of Islam, Chinggis Khan and the Mongol empire, Ottoman empire, Native Americans, future of nomads, and many more topics.Anthony Sattin is a writer and broadcaster who has written a fiction and non-fiction works. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, editorial advisor on Geographical Magazine, founder-member of Travel Intelligence and ASTENE (the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East). He is the author of the latest book, Nomads: The Wanderers who Shaped our World. Website: https://www.anthonysattin.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Adam Forrest Kay about the history and current state of quantum mechanics. They discuss the current state of quantum mechanics, overview of modern physics, and the impact of Niels Bohr. They also talk about light and vision, double slit experiment, Fourier analysis, Schrödinger’s equation, Bell’s theorem, and many other topics. Adam Forrest Kay is a postdoctoral associate in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has two PhDs, one in literature from the University of Cambridge and the other in Mathematics from the University of Oxford. His interests and research have centered around Hydrodynamic Quantum Analogies (HQA), quantum mechanics, relativity theory, and variable coefficient wave equations. He is the author of, Escape From Shadow Physics: The quest to end the dark ages of quantum theory. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kenneth Harl about the various nomadic empires of the steppes. They discuss the origins of nomadic peoples, Tocharian texts, and why language is essential for understanding nomadic peoples. They talk about the Turkish language, nomadic spread over 35 centuries, the Steppe, and nomadic identity. They discuss the Scythians, impact of China, Kublai Khan, Uyghurs, administrative might of the Mongols, Orkhon valley and Mongolia, legacy of the Nomadic peoples, and many more topics. Kenneth Harl is Professor Emeritus of Classical and Byzantine history at Tulane University. He has his Bachelors in history from Trinity College, Masters in history from Yale University, and PhD in history from Yale University. He specializes in ancient history, specifically in classical Anatolia and on Imperial Roman Coinage. He is the author of many books including, Empires of the Steppes: A History of the Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilization. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alexandre Lefebvre about the many facets of liberalism. They discuss morals and values from liberalism, Christianity’s impact on liberalism and Western society, defining liberalism, and the differences between liberalism and conservatism. They also talk about the philosophy of Rawls, swearing, fairness, spiritual exercises, public dialogue, liberalism as a way of life, and many more topics. Alexandre Lefebvre is Professor of Politics and Philosophy at The University of Sydney. He has his PhD from Johns Hopkins University and his teaching and his research are in political theory, the history of political thought, modern and contemporary French philosophy, and human rights. He is the author of the latest book, Liberalism As A Way Of Life. Website: https://www.alexlefebvre.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a conversation with Michael Cook about the history of the Muslim world. They discuss Islamic civilization from origins to modernity, early antecedents before Islam, genesis of Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad and his creation of a monotheistic religion and state. They discuss succession after the death of Muhammad and the caliphate, the Umayyid dynasty, the Abbasid dynasty, and how important Islam and the Arabic language were for an Islamic civilization. They talk about the origin of the Turks, Bilga Qaghan, Turks being pagan and interacting with Islam, and the three ways the Turks spread out of the Steppe. They discuss the Mongols and their relationship with Islam, the Seljuk dynasty, the Safawid dynasty and the impact of Shiism. They also talk about the Ottoman Empire and their administration and integration of other cultures. They discuss the spread of Islam into India by conquest and merchants, Islam in Southeast Asia and around the Indian Ocean, Sahara and central Africa, and conflict between Christians and Muslims in Ethiopia. They also discuss Arab identity, Islam’s spread through conquest, Islam juxtaposed with other religions and cultures, Islam in the modern period, future of Islam, and many other topics. Michael Cook is the Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He was educated at Cambridge studying English and European history and learned Turkish and Persian. He was also educated at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London, emphasizing research into Ottoman population history in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. He spent many years teaching and researching Islamic history at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He is the author of numerous books, including the most recent book, A History of the Muslim World: From its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tom Chivers about Bayesian probability and the impact Bayesian priors have on ourselves. They define Bayesian priors, Thomas Bayes, subjective aspects of Bayes theorem, and the problematic elements of statistical figures such as Galton, Pearson, and Fisher. They talk about the replication crisis, p-hacking, where priors come from, AI, Friston’s free energy principle, and Bayesian priors in our world today. Tom Chivers is a science writer. He does freelance science writing and also writes for Semafor.com’s daily Flagship email. Before joining Semafor, he was a science editor at UnHerd, science writer for BuzzFeed UK, and features writer for the Telegraph. He is the author of several books including the most recent, Everything Is Predictable: How Bayesian Statistics Explain Our World. Website: https://tomchivers.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Thomas Cech about RNA as a major catalyst in organic systems. They discuss why RNA does not get discussed as much as DNA, basics of DNA, RNA as a catalyst, and the splicing capabilities of RNA. They also talk about transcription, translation, and splicing, RNA as internal catalyst and external catalyst, and the origins of life. They talk about telomeres and extended life, different types of RNA, mRNA vaccines, CRISPR, and many more topics. Thomas Cech is distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He has been an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) since 1988 and was President of HHMI in 2000-2009. He has his PhD from the University of California-Berkeley and completed his postdoctorate at MIT. His main interests are in RNA and telomeres. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (with Sidney Altman) in 1989 and the National Medal of Science in 1995. He is the author of the latest book, The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Wendy Pearlman about the voices from the new Syrian Diaspora. They discuss the various reasons for telling Syrian stories, protests around the world, the ongoing Syrian conflict, concept of home and internal displacement. They also talked about leaving Syria and rebuilding elsewhere, maintaining culture, future of the Syrian diaspora, and many other topics. Wendy Pearlman is Crown Professor of Middle East Studies and Interim Director of Middle East and North Africa Studies Program at Northwestern University. Her main interests are comparative politics of the Middle East. She has her Bachelors from Brown University and her PhD from Harvard University. She is the author of numerous books, including the most recent, The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the new Syrian Diaspora. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Eugene Rogan about the 1860 Damascus massacre. They discuss why the 1860 Damascus massacre is still relevant, relationship between Egypt and the Ottomans, Mishaqa as US Vice-Consulate in Damascus, Ottoman Tanzimat Reforms, Druzes and Maronites with rising tensions in Lebanon and Damascus. They also talk about al-Qadir’s influential role, events about the Damascus massacre, defining genocide, aftermath of the massacre, rebuilding Damascus, impact on the modern Middle East, and many more topics. Eugene Rogan is Professor of modern Middle Eastern History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the British Academy. He has a Bachelors in economics from Columbia University and Masters and PhD in Middle Eastern history from Harvard. His main interests are the Arab world from the 18th to 20th century. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The Damascus Events: The 1860 Massacre and the Making of the Modern Middle East. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Maxwell Stearns about potential changes to the Constitution. They discuss the general narrative about the US Constitution, overview of his proposed reforms, third parties as spoilers, generational shifting of parties, and history of political parties in the 19th century. They also talked about positive vs. negative rights, gerrymandering, Germany’s Mixed Member Proportionality, problems with ranked choice voting, and many more topics. Maxwell Stearns is Venable, Baetjer & Howard Professor of Law at the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland. His main interests are in Constitutional law and law & economics. He has his Bachelors from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD from the University of Virginia. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, Parliamentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy.Website: https://www.blindspotblog.us/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Aziz Rana about the failures of the US Constitution. They discuss the timeframe of 1887-1987, why people resist criticisms of the US Constitution, and creedal constitutionalism. They discuss the positive aspects of the Constitution, empire settlerism and the US state in post-reconstruction era. They discuss the Socialist Party of America, WWI and pro-constitutionalism, the New Deal, and government elites post WWII. They talk about justices with more authority over the Constitutionalism, originalism, Black Panther movement, the future of the Constitution, and many other topics. Aziz Rana is professor of Law at Boston College Law School where his main interests are American Constitutional law and political development. He has his Bachelors from Harvard College, JD from Yale Law School, and PhD in political science from Harvard University. He has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and The Law and Political Economy Project. He is the author of the latest book, The Constitutional Bind: How Americans came to idolize a document that fails them. Website: https://www.azizrana.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lynn Tesser about the various ways of thinking about empire. They discuss moving from empire to nation states, define nationalism vs. nation states, and sovereignty and modular nationalism. They talk about rebellions in the Americas as being more mixed, the Greek revolution as performed by elites, the Balkans and Anatolia in the post-Ottoman period, Armenia, empire today, and many more topics. Lynn Tesser is an Associate Professor of International Relations at Marine Corps University with a focus on comparative politics, international relations, and history. She has Bachelors in political science from Reed College and her Masters and PhD in political science from the University of Chicago. She has received fellowships from the Social Science Research Council, Fulbright Commission, and the MacArthur and Mellon Foundations. She was a Visiting Fellow at the European University Institute (2019), a Research Fellow at the University of Helsinki’s Aleksanteri Institute for Russian and Eastern European Studies (2011), and an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International University of Sarajevo (2008-10) as well as at the American University, Girne-Cyprus (2011-12). She is the author of her latest book, Rethinking the End of Empire: Nationalism, State Formation, and Great Power Politics. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Batja Mesquita about the impact of culture on emotions. The discuss the distinctions between emotions, feelings, and affect, universalist vs. social constructionist theories, and the expression of emotions. They discuss the MINE vs. OURS framework, emotions in other cultures, shame and how it presents differently in other countries, emotionally acculturating to a new environment, and many other topics. Batja Mesqutia is a is a social psychologist, an affective scientist, and a pioneer of cultural psychology. She is a professor of psychology at the University of Leuven, Belgium, and director of the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology at the University of Leuven. Previously, she was affiliated to Wake Forest University, the University of Michigan, Stanford University, and the University of Amsterdam. Mesquita is one of the world’s leading authorities on the psychological study of cultural differences in emotions. Her most recent research focuses on the role of emotions in multicultural societies. She studies how emotions affect the belonging of minorities in middle schools, and the social and economic integration of “newcomers” (i.e. newly arrived immigrants). She has been a consultant for UNICEF and the WHO, and most recently, she was a member of the core group of scientific advisors for the Happiness and Well-being (SEH) Project, and initiative of the Vatican in partnership with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). She is the author of the book, Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions. Website: https://www.batjamesquita.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Natalie Foster about the guarantee framework for economic stability for all Americans. They discuss what is the guarantee and why government involvement is essential, FDR and basic rights, the rise of neoliberal and neoconservative policies, and the features of the guarantee over the past 15 years. They discuss the importance of community organizing, the great recession and bank bailouts, the rise of right-wing and left-wing populism, debt and inflation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the future of the guarantee framework. Natalie Foster is the President and co-founder of the Economic Security Project and a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative. Previously, she was the CEO and co-founder of Rebuild the Dream, a platform for people–driven economic change, with Van Jones. She served as digital director for President Obama’s Organizing for America (OFA) and the Democratic National Committee. She built the first digital department at the Sierra Club and served as the deputy organizing director for MoveOn.org. She’s been awarded fellowships at the Institute for the Future, Rockwood Leadership Institute and New America California, and is a board member of the California Budget and Policy Center, the Change.org global foundation and Liberation in a Generation, a project to close the racial wealth gap. She is the author of the latest book, The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy. Website: https://nataliefoster.me/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tricia Rose about systemic racism in the United States. They discuss why and how racism persists, how it looks different from decades past, and how it evolves in institutions. They define metaracism, discuss individuals vs. institutions, understanding systems theory, colorblindness, and many more topics. Tricia Rose is Chancellor’s Professor of Africana Studies, Associate Dean of the Faculty for Special Initiatives, and Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America. She has her Bachelors in Sociology from Yale and her PhD in American Studies from Brown University. She has received numerous scholarly fellowships including from the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Mellon Foundation and the American Association of University Women. She is the author of the latest book, Metaracism: How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives—And How We break Free.Website: https://www.triciarose.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robert Merry about the Presidency of James Polk. They give and overview of James Polk, influence of Andrew Jackson, Polk’s personality and trajectory, and the four major issues he tackled as President. They discuss Polk’s expansionism, the Mexican-American War, Polk’s one-term deal, legacy, and many more topics. Robert W. Merry has an extensive background as a reporter, newsroom manager, and publishing CEO. He has both his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Journalism. Currently, he is the author of numerous books on American history and foreign policy, including, A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent. Website: https://www.robertwmerry.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Edmans about misinformation and the role of human biases. They discuss how to look at data, confirmation bias, statements not facts, facts not data, and the value and limits of the scientific method. They also discuss data mining and ethics with stats, correlation not being causation, data with social issues, and many more topics.Alex Edmans is Professor of Professor of Finance at London Business School. He has a degree from Oxford University and a PhD in Finance from MIT Sloan as a Fulbright Scholar. Prior to teaching at LBS, he taught at Wharton and became tenured in 2013. He is a Director of the American Finance Association, Vice President-Elect of the Western Finance Association, Fellow, Director, and Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Financial Management Association, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. From 2017-2022, he was Managing Editor of the Review of Finance, the leading academic finance journal in Europe. Alex’s research interests are in corporate finance, responsible business and behavioral finance. He is a Director of the American Finance Association, Vice President-Elect of the Western Finance Association, Fellow, Director, and Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Financial Management Association, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. From 2017-2022 he was Managing Editor of the Review of Finance, the leading academic finance journal in Europe. Alex has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, testified in the UK Parliament, presented to the World Bank Board of Directors as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series, and given the TED talk What to Trust in a Post-Truth World and the TEDx talks The Pie-Growing Mindset and The Social Responsibility of Business. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review and World Economic Forum and been interviewed by Bloomberg, BBC, CNBC, CNN, ESPN, Fox, ITV, NPR, Reuters, Sky News, and Sky Sports. He is the author of the latest book, May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases – And What We Can Do About It.Website: https://alexedmans.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe