272 - Ada Palmer on Learning From the Past and the Future

<p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">In today’s interview, the Getting Smart team is talking to Ada Palmer, a history professor at the University of Chicago. As a historian, Ada studies the long-term evolution of ideas and the history of religious radicalism, science, and freethought, especially in the Italian Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Classical Greece and Rome. In addition to being a historian, Ada is also a composer and an award-winning science fiction author.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">In Tom and Ada’s conversation, they discuss how we can learn from the past and the future. Ada shares her insights on historical pandemics; how society has changed; how history may influence the future; how sci-fi can help society integrate new, ethical frameworks; and how investigating the past and the future can help us navigate the complex here and now.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[:10] About today’s episode.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[:41] Tom welcomes Ada to the podcast!</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[:48] As a historian at Chicago, what does Ada believe that history can teach us about a world that’s currently going through a pandemic as well as the current BLM movement?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[6:05] Donald Ferguson has said that historians study crisis. Does Ada think about studying history in this way?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[8:21] Ada shares her thoughts on what the Golden Age really means and why it is so incredibly important to study.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[12:19] Ada talks about her passion for space exploration, space launches, and the space program and what it all means to her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">[13:19] How true social change actually happens (using e