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)

SOUNDCLOUD LISTENERS: We've moved Trending Globally to a new podcast platform and new website, so starting this fall, episodes will no longer be available on Soundcloud. You can still listen by subscribing to Trending Globally on your favorite podcast app, or online here: [trending-globally.captivate.fm/]. Thanks!

In the world of international affairs, there’s perhaps no concept more fundamental than human rights. Yet despite that, these rights seem to be under greater threat in more places than we’ve seen in a long time. 

In order to understand how we might better promote human rights around the world, we at Trending Globally wanted to take a step back and explore the very concept of ‘human rights.’ Sarah Baldwin ‘87 and Dan Richards spoke with two experts -- one a political scientist, and one a neuroscientist -- about where exactly this concept comes from, and where it might be going. 

Guests on this episode:

Nina Tannenwald, Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Brown University

Tara White, Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University

Read Tara White’s paper on ‘Dignity Neuroscience’ here: [https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.14670]

Learn more about the Watson Institute's other podcasts on our website: [https://watson.brown.edu/news/podcasts]

The Origins and The Future of Human Rights

Trending Globally: Politics & Policy

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