Colloquy

Epizode

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  How to Change—for Good 07.08.2026 34min

  Why is it so hard to build positive habits like exercising and studying regularly? Behavioral scientist Katie Milkman, PhD ’09, breaks down internal obstacles, motivation, and strategies to reach your goals.
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  The Radicalism of the American Revolution 03.07.2026 29min

  In one of the last interviews of his life, the Brown University historian Gordon Wood, known as the "dean of historians of the American Revolution," spoke with Harvard Griffin GSAS about the creation of the American republic, the social and cultural transformations that accompanied those in politics, and why an understanding of the country's early history can provide perspective in our own tumultuous times.
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  Was the American Revolution a War Against or for Empire? 19.06.2026 32min

  In his forthcoming book, University of California, Berkeley historian Brian DeLay, PhD ’04, argues that the great paradox of the Revolution was that the Patriots were fighting not only for their independence, but also for an empire of their own—and that their surprising ability to access guns and ammunition enabled their success.
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  Has the Supreme Court Become Too Powerful? 05.06.2026 27min

  Harvard Law School Professor Nikolas Bowie, PhD ’18, discusses how the Supreme Court seized the power to define what the Constitution means, and how Congress could reclaim that authority.
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  Can We Learn to Have Courage? 22.05.2026 29min

  Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati, PhD ’93, an expert on leadership strategy and organizational growth, says that bravery is a learned behavior. His new book leverages social science research to put readers on the path to a more courageous mindset.
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  More Rules for Aging with Roger Rosenblatt 01.05.2026 28min

  A generation after the bestselling "Rules for Aging," author Roger Rosenblatt, PhD ’68, is back with "More Rules for Aging," a new book of wry maxims and hard-won wisdom. He reflects on life’s "October," the reality of loss, and finding the beauty in recalling old friends and cherished memories.
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  What Was the Boston Tea Party Really About? 03.04.2026 32min

  The historian Vanessa Williamson, PhD '15, asserts the Patriots who dumped 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773, were actually protesting a corporate tax break for the British East India Company. Discover how the fight for taxation has been central to American democracy, liberty, and the pursuit of equality since the founding.
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  How Military Occupation Sparked the American Revolution 06.03.2026 31min

  Historian and former presidential adviser Ted Widmer discusses the use of state power in the 18th century—and today.
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  Harvard’s First Black PhD: Part 2—W.E.B. Du Bois, From Social Scientist to Global Leader 20.02.2026 23min

  W.E.B. Du Bois was doing groundbreaking research in academia. Why did he leave it behind to become an activist?
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  Harvard's First Black PhD: Part 1—W.E.B. Du Bois the Student 06.02.2026 21min

  Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer David Levering Lewis on how the Harvard PhD experience influenced W.E.B. Du Bois, the man who would become one of the leading Black activists and intellectuals of the 20th century.
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  Voting Rights, Climate, and the Most Important Election in US History: A Conversation with Dean Emma Dench and Professor Stephen Ansolabehere 02.01.2026 45min

  Stephen Ansolabehere, PhD '89, an expert in public opinion and elections on voting, energy, and the mood of the US electorate. 
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  A Breakthrough in Studying Diseases of the Brain 05.12.2025 20min

  New research from Harvard Griffin GSAS alumni sheds light not only on how brain trauma leads to long-term decline but also on possible shared mechanisms across different neurodegenerative conditions.
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  “Was the American Revolution a Civil War?” and Other Thorny Questions about the Nation’s Founding 07.11.2025 36min

  In preparation for the Ken Burns documentary event on PBS, we're getting a primer on the founding of the US from Phil Mead, PhD '12, former chief historian and curator of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
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  In the Snare of the Devil: What Really Caused the Salem Witch Crisis 03.10.2025 30min

  Cornell University historian Mary Beth Norton discusses how the conflict on New England’s frontier shaped the Salem witch trials, revealing a story of trauma, refugees, and accusations in 17th-century Massachusetts.
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  What Happens When Your Brain Goes to the Supermarket and Other Stories of Human Adaptability 05.09.2025 24min

  Duke University Professor Herman Pontzer, PhD ’06, says that a deeper understanding of how our bodies evolved and how that process shapes our biology can help us better take charge of our health.
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  Living Tombs: Toward a Fluid Understanding of Architectural Space 29.08.2025 7min

  Sergio Alarcón Robledo’s 2025 Harvard Horizons project, “Entangled Ritual and Architectural Practices at North Saqqara,” explores ancient Egyptian architecture through an interdisciplinary approach that sits at the crossroads of archaeology, Egyptology, and architecture.
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  Empire of String: Unraveling the Enigma of Inka Khipus 14.08.2025 8min

  In his project "Empire of String: Unravelling the Enigma of Inka Khipus," 2025 Harvard Horizons Scholar Mack FitzPatrick is immersing himself in the complex record-keeping system of khipus: intricate knotted cord devices that served as the administrative backbone of the Inka civilization.
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  Embracing Twilight: Older Women Poets of the Slavic World and the Unfurling of Their Voices 30.07.2025 7min

  In her project "Embracing Twilight: Older Women Poets and the Unfurling of Their Voices," 2025 Harvard Horizons Scholar Alex Braslavsky brings together the works of three Slavic poets to explore how the creative process evolves with age and what work by artists in their advanced age reveals about the human condition.
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  Pitfalls of Anthropomorphism: Misunderstanding AI’s Potential 21.07.2025 8min

  We expect machines to think like people. What happens when they don’t? 2025 Harvard Horizons Scholar Raphaël Raux explores the nuanced interplay between human cognition and artificial intelligence (AI).
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  Law versus Democracy: Why Courts Defend or Undermine Democracy in Israel, Turkey, and Beyond 03.07.2025 9min

  When one political party gains disproportionate power over the judiciary, courts often act not to defend democracy but to endanger it. Harvard Horizons Scholar and PhD candidate Andrew O'Donohue's research shows how.