Litmus podcast is a community crowdsourced podcast that explores who we are and where we land on the proverbial scale on a particular topic at Brown University. 
The Litmus Podcast is a brand new pursuit for the Multimedia Labs at Brown, and this episode is a prototype of what we think could be a really great podcast for our community.  In this episode, we hear from some staff and Alumni about how to pick the best classes, a few awesome resources to check out on campus, some contrasting views on what the word community means at Brown, and some sage advice about success. 
Because this episode is a prototype, we hope to iterate or remake it with even more content and perspectives for Fall 2021, so we are keeping participation/submissions open during the summer! If you are a member of the Brown community and would like to add something, provide a counterpoint to what you hear, or take the topic in a completely different direction, consider visiting our website at brown.edu/go/litmuspodcast to find out how to submit your own Litmus Message.

Litmus Podcast Prototype Episode: What Should First Year Students Know About Brown?

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Annenberg Institute, share their take on the week's news.

On this episode: the G7's shaky promises on taxing the rich, and shaky relationships with China and Russia; regional variations in the Covid-19 recovery in the US; making sense of the tight US labor market; the Supreme Court talks Snapchat and labor organizing; Justice Stephen Breyer's work/life balance; voting rights, critical race theory, and the 2022 midterm elections; can Jeff Bezos just stay in space?

You can listen to Mark on Watson's podcast Trending Globally here: [https://soundcloud.com/watsoninstitute/earth-day-special-whats-missing-from-the-climate-discussion]

You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jeOI2Bi2pjZrvioInN4dvoILNNurLmN9/view?usp=sharing]

06/25/2021 - The Putative, Possible, Potential End of the Pandemic

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Annenberg Institute, share their take on the week's news.

On this episode: the Delta variant spreads the globe; the economy is doing great and has reverted to the mean (or it isn't and it hasn't); Carrie's Olympic fever and Mark's Olympic skepticism; Haiti, South Africa, and fragile states in peril; billionaires in space; waiting for Prince Harry's memoir's Netflix adaptation.

You can learn more about the Watson Institute's other podcasts here: [https://watson.brown.edu/news/podcasts]

[Transcript forthcoming]

07/30/2021 - There Is No Mean Reversion (Except for Bennifer)

In Mexican cities, the war on drugs has created a culture of such fear that upper class cities within cities are developing, and drawing on both private and public resources for protection.

You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QeqJxFvTyQAL81Z560pWTf1iuyeg9lca/view?usp=sharing]

Violence, Fear and Upper-Class Seclusion in Mexican Cities

On this episode Sarah talks with Jori Breslawski, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Watson and expert on one type of organization that’s been on the front lines in the fight against Covid-19: armed non-governmental groups. That means groups like Boko Haram, Hezbollah, and the Islamic State, as well as gangs in countries like Brazil, El Salvador, and South Africa. While ‘emergency healthcare provider’ might seem like a surprising role for these types of groups, Jori explains how, once you understand how they operate in society, it's not surprising at all. 

You can read Jori's article about how armed groups are responding to Covid in 'The Conversation' here: [https://theconversation.com/terrorists-militants-and-criminal-gangs-join-the-fight-against-the-coronavirus-135914]
You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_C3NX0EctNGEpyps-bJqyqBy0BtJElOo/view?usp=sharing]

Terrorist Group, Armed Militia, or Public Health Provider? In a Pandemic, the Lines Get Blurred.

Between the presidential election, spikes in the coronavirus pandemic, and the beginning of mass vaccination, you might have missed this other world-historical event: China landed on the moon. 

On this episode, Watson’s Director Ed Steinfeld talks about China’s lunar mission with Watson Faculty Fellow Jim Head. Jim is a Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown, and a leading expert on interplanetary exploration. They discuss the science and politics of China’s growing space program, and what it means for human space exploration in the 21st century. They also look at why this next generation of space travel will be nothing like the Cold War ‘space race,’ and a little bit about where exactly Elon Musk fits in, too.

You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bIP3GMKVL8oa8zjczM4AqyFQtIMJ4FKq/view?usp=sharing]

Violence, Fear and Upper-Class Seclusion in Mexican Cities

Trending Globally: Politics & Policy

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