Aspen Ideas to Go

Raising our kids with access to touchscreens and technology at almost all hours of the day is an untested experiment with unknown results. But by many measures, it isn’t going well. For several years, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has been collecting and analyzing the data on young people, social media and smartphones. He’s found some deeply troubling trends, which he explains in his latest book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” In a talk at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Haidt highlights his key findings and underscores the seriousness of this problem, but also presents practical and feasible ideas for solutions. Olivia Walton, the founder and CEO of Ingeborg Investments, joins Haidt after his solo talk for a question and answer session.

A push to expand publicly-funded school choice programs across the country is gaining steam. In only three decades, the practice has grown dramatically and President Trump is supportive of the idea. But what effect do school choice policies have on the K-12 education system as a whole? And where do charter schools fit in this debate? In this discussion from the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, three education experts from various perspectives report on what the data is telling us and highlight the nuances we should be considering. Alberto Carvalho is the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest district in the country. Education journalist Cara Fitzpatrick reports for Chalkbeat and is the author of “The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America.” And Tommy Schultz is the CEO of the American Federation for Children, which advocates for school choice. CBS co-anchor John Dickerson moderates the conversation, which was recorded in June.

Major forces shaping the U.S. economy are already causing ripple effects across the globe. To say it’s a time of economic uncertainty and transformation may be an understatement. America could see the biggest tariff shock in nearly a century and immigration policy is affecting the labor market. In addition, the Tax Act, or One Big Beautiful Bill, could add trillions to the deficit. Prominent business leaders unpack the situation in a well-rounded discussion on the state of the economy. Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor in chief of The Economist, moderates the conversation that includes Blackrock CEO Laurence Fink, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, New York Stock Exchange Group President Lynn Martin, and Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf.

Regardless of one’s politics, most would agree that America is going through a difficult time. Our rifts seem overwhelmingly deep, and it’s not clear how to repair them. New York Times columnist and writer David Brooks has had his idea of what America is supposed to be and stand for upended in recent years. But he also isn’t giving up. In his 20th talk at the Aspen Ideas Festival, he charts a path of recovery. He looks to history for examples of eras when society’s ruptures reached untenable levels, and to psychology, philosophy, theology and other disciplines for clues about how we might move toward a healthy future. His talk was recorded in June at the 2025 festival.

The United States is in a pivotal foreign policy moment. What can a zoomed-out view of the current world order tell us about where things are going? Several foreign policy experts come together on stage at the Aspen Ideas Festival for a discussion on the state of the world order. David Petraeus is a former CIA director and Army general, Susan Rice served as an advisor to both Biden and Obama and UN ambassador, and John Bolton was Trump’s national security advisor for part of the president’s first term. CNN journalist and author Fareed Zakaria keeps the conversation on track as moderator.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Justice has been tested over the past few months, as the Trump administration has thrust the agency into the center of several politicized debates. In the current atmosphere, can the DOJ fulfill its job of keeping our country safe and upholding civil rights? Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who served under President George W. Bush, and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who served under President Obama, lend their deep experience to this question in a talk at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival. CNN journalist and author Fareed Zakaria moderates the conversation, which was recorded at the end of June.

The Middle East is being remade at this very moment. With missiles flying between Iran and Israel with US engagement, and Gaza in rubbles, what will the future hold? Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he hopes for peace. In a wide-ranging conversation with CBS Evening News Co-Anchor John Dickerson, Olmert speaks passionately about the state of his region — from Israel’s war with Hamas and the crisis in Gaza to the likelihood that Iran’s nuclear program wasn’t completely wiped out in the June bombing.

U.S. Government funding for scientific research has led to innovations and breakthroughs for decades. But, with funding freezes, slashed budgets, and the cancellation of grants, the health of America’s scientific enterprise is in jeopardy. What’s at stake – for research, innovation, and the economy? How did we get here, and what will it take to chart a more sustainable path forward? David Leonhardt, director of the Editorial Board of The New York Times, leads a discussion with Holden Thorp, editor in chief of the Science family of journals, Jennifer Nuzzo, epidemiology professor at Brown University, and Karel Mertens, senior vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Their conversation was held in late June, 2025.

Since many Americans’ ancestors arrived at Ellis Island, the United States has experienced surges in immigration. But the largest escalation, surpassing even the peak at the turn of the 20th century, was during the Biden Administration. “In the U.S. and much of the world, we are living in an age of mass migration that has no precedent,” says David Leonhardt, editorial board director at The New York Times. What accounts for this upsurge and why has it fiercely divided republicans and democrats? Leonhardt speaks with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero about one of the most pressing and discordant issues of our time.

Controversies on college campuses have been near-constant over the past several years, and higher education institutions are now politically divisive targets. Administrators are asked to meet difficult demands and account for the actions of the thousands of faculty, staff and students under their wing. A panel of experts reflect on major recent challenges facing schools and share honest thoughts on previous shortcomings and where to go from here. Michael Elliot is the president of Amherst College, Margaret Spellings is president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Ted Mitchell is president of the American Council on Education. New York Times editorial board director David Leonhardt moderates the conversation. This talk was recorded on June 25.

Are you ready for bold ideas and thought-provoking conversations from the world’s top thinkers and doers? From happiness and leadership to AI, global affairs, the arts, and beyond — Aspen Ideas to Go is your front-row seat to the Aspen Ideas Festival where we challenge assumptions and ignite curiosity, one conversation at a time. New episodes drop weekly in 2025. Subscribe now and learn more at Aspen ideas.org/podcast.

Are We Alone Out There?

The nuclear family structure that Americans think of as traditional is actually a relatively recent convention. And for a lot of folks, it isn’t quite working. More and more people are rethinking who they want to live with and how they want to raise children, and are willing to brave legal hurdles and social stigma to give something else a try. Jaymes Black is the CEO of the organization Family Equality, which works to help LGBTQ+ families thrive. They join NPR producer and editor Rhaina Cohen, the author of “The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center,” for this talk on choosing the family that works for you. Podcast host Kelly Corrigan of “Kelly Corrigan Wonders” moderates the conversation, which was recorded at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival. “The Other Significant Others” comes out in paperback on June 17.

A privileged childhood in Hollywood surrounded by entertainment industry characters gave actor, producer and director Griffin Dunne a wealth of stories. Some are about the kind of funny and charming encounters with glittery names that you might expect. But others are tragically life-altering, such as his sister’s murder by her ex-boyfriend and the excruciating high-profile trial that followed. Dunne got it all down on paper and published “The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir” last year. He spoke at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival with his longtime friend and fellow actor and producer Fisher Stevens about reliving years of hilarity and pain while writing the book. aspenideas.org

Communication is about a lot more than the words coming out of our mouths. We often hear each other, but don’t really listen. Or we understand the literal meaning of what someone is saying, but we seem to miss the point and fail to connect. What’s happening in our brains in those situations? And why is it sometimes so hard to do something we’ve been doing since we were children? New Yorker writer Charles Duhigg set out to find the answers to these questions in his latest book, “Supercommunicators: The Science of Conversation and Connection.” In this talk at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, Duhigg explains that there aren’t any secret talents required in becoming a supercommunicator. All you have to do is understand a few concepts and learn and practice a few basic skills. He breaks down what’s going on when two people are talking to each other and demonstrates the methods he’s researched with some audience participation exercises. aspenideas.org

In 2018, professional basketball superstar DeMar DeRozan gave the world a dose of reality when he tweeted about struggling with depression. Even though he was in the middle of NBA All-Star weekend – an achievement many people think is the ultimate dream – he didn’t want to leave his hotel room. He was just looking to be truly seen and heard, but he ended up starting an important conversation and becoming a devoted advocate for mental health issues. And he inspired fellow NBA player Kevin Love to speak out not long after with an essay about dealing with longtime anxiety and depression. The two players have given countless hours since then to breaking mental health stigmas and guiding honest conversations about success, money and true happiness. DeRozan also published a book about his mental health journey last year called “Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm.” For Mental Health Awareness month in May, we’re bringing back a conversation between the two players and performance psychologist Michael Gervais. This talk was recorded at the 2019 Aspen Ideas Festival. aspenideas.org

For centuries, people have tried to get to the bottom of what makes us happy. Recent studies show regular sex makes people happiest and commuting is when we’re most unhappy. And, happiness levels fluctuate throughout life. “Happiness follows a u-shaped curve,” says author and columnist David Brooks. “People are happier in their twenties. They typically decline and hit their bottom happiness category at age 47 and they tend to get happier as they get older.” These findings, though, may not tell the whole story. How does the consideration of purpose, meaning, and virtue change the definition of happiness? What can we learn from ancient philosophers, America’s forefathers, and our own modern-day culture about the journey to joy? Jeffrey Rosen, author of “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America,” Sarah Lewis, founder of the Vision and Justice Project, Adam Gopnik, author of “All That Happiness Is: Some Words on What Matters,” and Tamar Gendler, dean and philosophy professor at Yale University, join Brooks to discuss the question of happiness. This talk was recorded at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival. aspenideas.org

Being a parent today is full of stress, pressure and information overload. Experts offering advice are everywhere, and for some parents, the wealth of available resources can make it feel like failure and criticism is inevitable. How do you pick out what’s actually helpful in the limited time you have? This talk from the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival features a panel of moms who are also experts on parenting and child development. Aliza Pressman, MD is a developmental psychologist and co-founder of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center. Grace Bastidas is the editor-in-chief of Parents magazine and founder of a parenting resource for Latine families. Reshma Saujani started and leads Girls Who Code and the advocacy group Moms First. They come together to reassuringly break down the lessons they’ve learned from interacting with all kinds of families and guide us through some of the toughest parenting issues of our time, like social media, racism and gender imbalances. Host of NBC’s “Today With Jenna and Friends,” Jenna Bush Hager, moderates the conversation. aspenideas.org

Using the law to charge and imprison political opponents is a favorite tactic of dictators the world over. In an age of growing global authoritarianism, unscrupulous rulers are getting more strategic about their methods and sharing lessons learned. The fight to free political prisoners is one with moving goalposts for the human rights attorneys and advocates working hard behind the scenes. Jared Genser of Perseus Strategies and Caoilfhionn Gallagher of Doughty Street Chambers, both human rights lawyers, explain how these processes often play out in reality, and where governments frequently fall short. Diane Foley, founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, created and named for her journalist son in 2014 after his public beheading by ISIS, describes what motivated her to try and improve efforts to free hostages after her horrific experience. Mark Stephens, the founder of Howard Kennedy law firm in the UK, moderates the conversation. aspenideas.org

The quest for work-life balance is neverending for many of us. The advice in this talk from the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival still holds a lot of relevance, so we’re bringing it back for a refresher. In today’s world, we tend to switch jobs more frequently than previous generations, and are more likely to have multiple jobs. Side gigs where we express passions or find meaning are also common, and many juggle additional roles as caregivers and community members, as people always have. In short, many of us are focused on a lot more than just climbing a corporate ladder. Our careers and lives aren’t linear, although a lot of the traditional advice about them is. Where do we look for updated guidance? In this panel discussion, three authors withbooks on finding our way in the world come together for a discussion on making life choices in modern times. Writer and speaker Bruce Feiler interviewed hundreds of people across the country for “The Search: Finding Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World.” Wired Magazine co-founder and co-chair of the Long Now Foundation, Kevin Kelly, compiled his lessons and experiences into a book inspired by his children called “Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier.” And journalist Joanne Lipman moderates the conversation and shares what she learned writing “Next! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work.” aspenideas.org