About Theory of Change
Lots of people want to change the world. But how does change happen? History is filled with stories of people and institutions that spent big and devoted many resources to effect change but have little to show for it. By contrast, many societal developments have happened without forethought from anyone. And of course, change can be negative as well as positive.
In each episode of this weekly program, Theory of Change host Matthew Sheffield delves deep with guests to discuss larger trends in politics, religion, media, and technology.
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Episodes
Artificial intelligence is going to change the world, but how much of it is hype?
Gary N. Smith and Jeff Schatten debate and discuss how chatbots will change education, employment, and a lot more
Baby Boomers fundamentally changed America, when will other generations get their chance?
Washington Post columnist Philip Bump talks about his new book ‘The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America’
Dominion’s Fox lawsuit has incontrovertibly exposed that Fox isn’t news
The Daily Beast’s Diana Falzone and Justin Baragona report from inside the troubled right-wing network
The Christian Right was a theological rebellion against modernity before it became a force for Republicans
Religion scholar David Hollinger on the soteriology of reaction and his book ‘Christianity’s American Fate’
Christianity, Islam, and equal rights are often in conflict, but do they have to be?
Author Wajahat Ali discusses his book ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’ and how non-believers and the faithful need to come together
The sexuality of reaction is complicated and contradictory
Writers Seyward Darby and Katherine Abughazaleh discuss how far-right influencers have created a form of religious prudery
The world’s richest people are starting to realize the system they’ve created is unstable, but they can’t stop
Author and filmmaker Douglas Rushkoff talks about why oligarchs are planning for disaster and his book, ‘Survival of the Richest’
The old neoliberal consensus is dead, will a ‘designer economy’ replace it?
Historian Nils Gilman on why leaders on the left and right are realizing the state must play a bigger role in the economy
The strange political history of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency
David Golumbia, author of ‘The Politics of Bitcoin: Software as Right-Wing Extremism’ talks about the rigid ideologies behind crypto
To make a better future, we must first realize why we didn’t get the one we were promised
Author Richard Barbrook talks about the failed promises of tech liberation, neoliberalism, and the ‘Californian Ideology’
Many older comedians would rather attack the audience than update their material
Comedian Lisa Curry discusses why some standup comics are crying ‘cancel culture’ instead of coming up with new jokes
Male popular culture is obsolete, and men are suffering because of it
Men’s support group leader Brandon Bradford says many men are feeling lonely because society never taught them sustainable mental health
What makes Trump supporters change their minds about him?
Filmmaker Melissa Jo Peltier discusses her documentary about disillusioned Trump voters, “The Game Is Up”
America’s public libraries are facing an epidemic of censorship
Jonathan Friedman of PEN America tells how far-right activists are trying to silence LGBT and progressive authors