Humanities (Audio)

Screenwriter Katie Silberman discusses the writing process for the hit coming-of-age film “Booksmart” with moderator Matt Ryan. Silberman reflects on her work with director Olivia Wilde and the creation of key scenes and themes in the film. Breaking down the script, Silberman explores the importance of pacing, character development, and emotional authenticity and examines the challenge of developing unique characters and overcoming high school stereotypes. She also explains how the cast worked collaboratively to make this high school comedy stand out and faithfully represent a modern generation of youth. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38382]

In this program, Rabbi and UC Santa Barbara Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies Professor Wendy Zierler discuss S.Y. Agnon and Devorah Baron on the large and the small in Jewish culture. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38310]

As humans have evolved, so has our ability to drastically alter the planet we call home. In this collection of talks from the CARTA symposium, "Humans: The Planet-Altering Apes" you will learn about specific examples on how humans have changed Earth and what can be done to prevent its cataclysmic demise. Rob Knight will talk about how all microbiomes that have been studies are impacted by human activity. Alice Goramn discusses how accumulating space debris surrounding our planet that may prevent us from leaving the Earth in the future. Asher Rosinger addresses the global water challenges that humans may face as climate change begins to affect water supplies. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 38206]

As humans have evolved, so has our ability to drastically alter the planet we call home. In this collection of talks from the CARTA symposium, "Humans: The Planet-Altering Apes" you will learn about specific examples on how humans have changed Earth and what can be done to prevent its cataclysmic demise. Walter Willett will discuss how climate change is having devastating effects that will undermine our ability to feed the world’s growing population. Jessica Thompson talks about humans transformed the environment and the damage it has done to our ecosystem. Finally, David Tilman addresses the global alteration of Earth's nitrogen cycle, and what it means for u as a species moving forward. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 38205]

Adapted from the 1998 short story “Story of Your Life” by acclaimed science fiction author Ted Chiang, “Arrival” (2016) centers on communicating with tentacular alien visitors, whose language changes one’s experience of time. Introspective and immersive, “Arrival” imagines a fantastical calligraphy alongside questions of alienation, race, and motherhood. Professor Jennifer Rhee joins Melody Jue to discuss the film and explore the dynamics of free will, determinism, disorientation, communication, language, and temporal nonlinearity, as well as the similarities and differences between the film and the original short story. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38161]

In this program, UC Santa Barbara Professor of Religion and Literature, Philosophy of Religion and History of Judaism Sarah Hammerschlag discusses Emmanuel Levinas’ Talmudic Lectures. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38311]

Writer/director Oualid Mouaness discusses his film 1982 with moderator Paul Amar (Global Studies, UCSB). Mouaness details the development of the film and the importance of depicting an honest representation of the war in Lebanon, especially as a means to bridge gaps between older and younger generations. He explains the significance of telling 1982’s story through a child’s perspective and the unique point-of-view they have in experiencing war and history. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38159]

This CARTA public symposia addresses specific examples of how humans have drastically altered the planet. Acknowledged experts discuss clearly defined global-scale negative impacts on planet earth, our life support system (other than climate change, population growth and infectious diseases, which are well-known). Each talk succinctly describes a specific impact, the role that our species has played, and concludes with ongoing or potential approaches to mitigation. In the process, we come full circle to Anthropogeny, asking how a single species could have evolved the ability to so drastically alter the entire planet. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 38009]

Acclaimed co-writer/director Abderrahmane Sissako discusses his film Timbuktu with moderators Richard Watts and Peter Bloom. Sissako details the development of the script and its connection to real-world news stories from Mali. He also recalls the political and logistical challenges during the film production. Watts and Bloom discuss the poetic qualities of the film, and in his own words, Sissako describes his artistic objectives with landscape and setting. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38160]

In this program, Yvette Flores, professor of psychology at UC Davis, discusses how to cope during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, especially social stress and the impact of it on disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Series: "Critically Human" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 37074]