The Backdrop - A UC Davis Podcast Exploring the World of Ideas

UC Davis
  • 5.0 (5)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
The Backdrop - A UC Davis Podcast Exploring the World of Ideas

The Backdrop podcast is a monthly interview program featuring conversations with UC Davis scholars and researchers working in the social sciences, humanities, arts and culture. Hosted by public radio veteran Soterios Johnson, the conversations feature new work or expertise on a trending topic in the news.

  1. 06/27/2023

    19 - Charan Ranganath on the Search for Biomarkers to Detect Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Early

    UC Davis psychology professor Charan Ranganath discusses how he and his colleagues are working to find biomarkers to help identify people with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.  Earlier detection — before the brain is significantly damaged — would allow for more successful interventions and better outcomes.

    38 min

  2. 05/16/2023

    18 - Don Roth on the Recovered Voices Project

    Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts Executive Director Don Roth discusses the Recovered Voices project highlighting composers and works derailed by the Nazi regime.

    37 min

  3. 02/21/2023

    17 - Richard Huskey on Brain Flow

    Whether it’s an athlete performing at their best or a musician taking it to another level, flow feels good and is good for our well-being.  And the best part — pretty much anyone can attain it.  Evidence suggests flow can ward off depression, prevent burnout and make us more resilient. In this episode, Richard Huskey, a UC Davis, assistant professor of communication and cognitive science, explains the flow state, how he and other researchers are piecing together how it can be achieved and what is going on in the brain when it happens.

    24 min

  4. 12/13/2022

    16 - Muhammad Haroon on How Social Media Algorithms Can Foster Political Radicalization

    A new study from UC Davis suggests that artificial intelligence recommendation algorithms on sites like YouTube and TikTok can play a role in political radicalization. In this episode, UC Davis Computer Science Ph.D. Student Muhammad Haroon, who led the study, discusses how the study was designed, what the team found, and a new digital tool they created to mitigate the radicalizing effect of social media platform AI Algorithms.

    25 min

  5. 10/25/2022

    15 - Lisa Ikemoto on the Ripple Effects of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs Decision

    The consequences of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade go far beyond the immediate right to terminate a pregnancy.  Some of the ramifications are only now being realized, months after the court’s landmark abortion ruling. In this episode of The Backdrop, Lisa Ikemoto, professor at the UC Davis School of Law, details some of the far-reaching ramifications of the court’s Dobbs decision, which touch on issues of privacy, equality, eugenics, disability rights and medical research.

    19 min

  6. 08/02/2022

    14 - Paul Griffin on How Climate Risk Could Bring a Series of Recessions

    New research finds the economy could be plunged into recession — or a series of recessions — because financial markets don’t account for climate risk.  Without a better knowledge of the risk posed by extreme weather events, the average investor can only hope that the next extreme event won’t trigger a sudden correction. Paul Griffin, Distinguished Professor at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, has been studying this ”unpriced risk” and how it can affect markets and the economy.   In this episode, Griffin discusses the magnitude of climate risk, what companies and governments can do lessen the risk and how people can lower their financial exposure to it.

    26 min

  7. 04/29/2022

    13 - Clifford Saron on the Scientific Study of Meditation

    Clifford Saron, a neuroscientist at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain and the MIND Institute, leads the Shamatha Project, one of the most ambitious and comprehensive longitudinal studies of meditation ever conducted. In this episode, Saron discusses the findings so far of the Shamatha Project; what science can tell us about the tangible effects of meditation; and how mindfulness affects our physical, mental and emotional health.

    44 min

  8. 04/01/2022

    12 - Victoria Juharyan on the Destruction of Ukrainian Cultural Heritage

    Victoria Juharyan discusses the destruction and threat of destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage during the Russian invasion. The visiting assistant professor in the Department of Russian and German at UC Davis teaches literature and philosophy. She has been active in the effort to preserve Ukrainian culture.

    21 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Backdrop podcast is a monthly interview program featuring conversations with UC Davis scholars and researchers working in the social sciences, humanities, arts and culture. Hosted by public radio veteran Soterios Johnson, the conversations feature new work or expertise on a trending topic in the news.

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