Playlist: Barry Lam's Portfolio
Featured
The Wishes of the Dead
From Barry Lam | Part of the Hi-Phi Nation series | 46:43
Our lives are controlled by the invisible hand from the grave. Death does not prevent people from influencing the world with their wealth, but such influence requires living people to execute the wishes of the dead. These practices raise philosophical questions about why we give the dead so much power over our lives.
- Playing
- The Wishes of the Dead
- From
- Barry Lam
Our lives are controlled by the invisible hand from the grave. Trillions of dollars of the economy are devoted to executing the wishes of people who died long ago, rather than satisfying the desires of the living. We follow the story of the Hershey fortune to show how a 19th century industrialist constructed the oddest business structure to ensure that his wishes would be fulfilled hundreds of years after his death. The story raises questions about why we give the dead so much power over our lives, and what this says about how we find meaning in our own lives given foreknowledge of our mortality. Guest voices include Ray Madoff, Jim Mcmahon, Bob Fernandez, Joe Berning, Carole Hite, James Stacey Taylor, Barbara Baum Levenbook, Russ Shaffer-Landau, and Samuel Scheffler.
Hackademics 1
From Barry Lam | Part of the Hi-Phi Nation series | 42:40
After years of unusual episodes dating back to her childhood, Anita went to the doctor and was told there was nothing medically wrong with her. "She had a gift," she was told, and she was sent down the street to an ESP lab. Parapsychology is the scientific study of telepathy, clairvoyance, telekinesis, precognition, and spirits. Or is it? The field has been pushed to the fringes of science for decades now. In two episodes, I first follow the study of psychics, and then the mainstream sciences of human nature, to see if they differ enough to make one worthy of belief, and the other scorn.
- Playing
- Hackademics 1
- From
- Barry Lam
After years of unusual episodes dating back to her childhood, Anita went to the doctor and was told there was nothing medically wrong with her. "She had a gift," she was told, and she was sent down the street to an ESP lab. Parapsychology is the scientific study of telepathy, clairvoyance, telekinesis, precognition, and spirits. Or is it? The field has been pushed to the fringes of science for decades now. In two episodes, I first follow the study of psychics, and then the mainstream sciences of human nature, to see if they differ enough to make one worthy of belief, and the other scorn.
The Name of God
From Barry Lam | Part of the Hi-Phi Nation series | 47:05
With a small gesture of good will toward Syrian refugees, one woman incurred the wrath of evangelical Christians on social media. The resulting chaos helped write the next chapter in a thousand year-old controversy concerning Christianity, Islam, their shared origins, and the nature of God. Guest voices include Larycia Hawkins, Michael Mangis, Karly Bothman, Paul Griffiths, and Amir Hussain.
- Playing
- The Name of God
- From
- Barry Lam
With a small gesture of good will toward Syrian refugees, one woman incurred the wrath of evangelical Christians on social media. The resulting chaos helped write the next chapter in a thousand year-old controversy concerning Christianity, Islam, their shared origins, and the nature of God. Guest voices include Larycia Hawkins, Michael Mangis, Karly Bothman, Paul Griffiths, and Amir Hussain.
The Cops of Pop
From Barry Lam | Part of the Hi-Phi Nation series | 44:02
Two records from 1983 achieved minor novelty fame, and then faded away, only to emerge 20 years later as the originators of a curious genre of pop music in the age of social media. This peculiar genre raises questions about how we should think about genre, musical aesthetics, and artistry in the time of industrially-produced music and digital reproduction. Guest voices include Jordan Roseman, aka DJ Earworm, Steve Stein, aka Steinski, philosopher Chris Bartel, and musicologist Christine Boone.
- Playing
- The Cops of Pop
- From
- Barry Lam
Two records from 1983 achieved minor novelty fame, and then faded away, only to emerge 20 years later as the originators of a curious genre of pop music in the age of social media. This peculiar genre raises questions about how we should think about genre, musical aesthetics, and artistry in the time of industrially-produced music and digital reproduction. Guest voices include Jordan Roseman, aka DJ Earworm, Steve Stein, aka Steinski, philosopher Chris Bartel, and musicologist Christine Boone.
Soldier Philosophers Part 1: Moral Exploitation
From Barry Lam | Part of the Hi-Phi Nation series | 45:50
As a new U.S. administration takes hold, with talk of new military action against ISIS in the Middle East, and the reinstatement of Bush-era torture policies, we embark on a two-week exploration of the morality of war, particularly of unconventional warfare, but this time, from the soldiers who served.
- Playing
- Soldier Philosophers Part 1: Moral Exploitation
- From
- Barry Lam
When one Army soldier discovered the propagation of torture techniques during the Iraq war, he engaged in a one-man mission inside the organization to learn about their origins and what was happening to lower-level soldiers who were implementing them. From there, he took on the Bush administration. Years later, he is training to be a philosopher.
As a new U.S. administration takes hold, with talk of new military action against ISIS in the Middle East, and the reinstatement of Bush-era torture policies, we embark on a two-week exploration of the philosophy of war, particularly of unconventional warfare. We follow the story of soldier philosophers, the first generation who served in a large-scale American war since Vietnam, returning to bring new thinking about the morality of warfare. On this episode, we look at the side-effects of moral decision-making on the soldiers who are asked to carry-out a President's orders.
Soldier Philosophers Part 1: Moral Exploitation
From Barry Lam | Part of the Hi-Phi Nation series | 45:50
As a new U.S. administration takes hold, with talk of new military action against ISIS in the Middle East, and the reinstatement of Bush-era torture policies, we embark on a two-week exploration of the morality of war, particularly of unconventional warfare, but this time, from the soldiers who served.
- Playing
- Soldier Philosophers Part 1: Moral Exploitation
- From
- Barry Lam
When one Army soldier discovered the propagation of torture techniques during the Iraq war, he engaged in a one-man mission inside the organization to learn about their origins and what was happening to lower-level soldiers who were implementing them. From there, he took on the Bush administration. Years later, he is training to be a philosopher.
As a new U.S. administration takes hold, with talk of new military action against ISIS in the Middle East, and the reinstatement of Bush-era torture policies, we embark on a two-week exploration of the philosophy of war, particularly of unconventional warfare. We follow the story of soldier philosophers, the first generation who served in a large-scale American war since Vietnam, returning to bring new thinking about the morality of warfare. On this episode, we look at the side-effects of moral decision-making on the soldiers who are asked to carry-out a President's orders.