Aiming for the Moon

Aiming for the Moon
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We interview interesting people from a teenage perspective. Join us as we have fascinating discussions with successful authors, entrepreneurs, scientists, etc. (Oh, and adventurers!)

  1. FEB 2

    131. To Think, or Not to Think - The Sad Trajectory of Liberal Arts in Universities and UTulsa's Honors College : Jennifer A. Frey (Former Dean of UTulsa's Honors College)

    Send us a text This interview is a bit different from other episodes. I sit down with Dr. Jennifer A. Frey, the former Dean of the University of Tulsa’s Honors College. If you’ve been following the Lessons for Interesting People podcast on Substack, you will know I wrote an article about Tulsa’s honors college recently. I committed to UTulsa because the university seemed to have accomplished the impossible: combine a computer science college filled with research opportunities with an Honors College whose mission was to analyze and debate the great works of the Western tradition in a vibrant community of professors and peers. That’s why I was distressed, when seven weeks before school was set to begin, UTulsa decided to “restructure their program” without any clear information on what exactly this meant.  In this interview, Dr. Frey discusses the purpose of higher education.  Is it simply to equip you for the workplace? Or, is it to teach you the habits of mind to think freely? Then, we dive into the truth about why programs like UTulsa’s Honors College are not being supported by their universities. According to Dr. Frey, it’s not the cost.  Topics: The State of Higher Education: What is the Purpose of the University?What is a Liberal Education?The Honors College of the University of Tulsa: the Dream, its Present, and its Precarious Future"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers?" Bio: Dr. Jennifer A. Frey is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tulsa. She previously served as the inaugural Dean of the Honors College at the University of Tulsa. Before coming to the University of Tulsa, she was an Associate Professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina, where she was also a Peter and Bonnie McCausland Faculty Fellow in the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to her tenure at Carolina, she was a Collegiate Assistant Professor the Humanities at the University of Chicago, and a junior fellow of the Society for the Liberal Arts Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

    47 min

  2. 12/29/2025

    130. The Consolation of Philosophy - Boethius on Suffering and Hope: Dr. Thomas M. Ward (Prof. of Philosophy @ University of Texas at Austin | Author of "After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher")

    Send us a text What happens when your world crumbles? When all the things you hold dear are snatched away from you? Most of us would give up and despair. And, yet, though he awaited an unjust execution, Roman senator and philosopher Boethius penned these hopeful words: “The world in constant change maintains a harmony. And elements keep peace whose nature is to war.” Faced with his coming death, Boethius reflected upon his life of contemplation and philosophy, writing one of the greatest works of the medieval age on facing suffering: The Consolation of Philosophy.  In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Thomas Ward to discuss Boethius’ magnum opus and Dr. Ward’s latest book, After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher. Dr. Ward and I examine what Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy can tell us about how to approach life in the midst of suffering.  Topics: Who Was Boethius and Why He MattersWhy The Consolation of Philosophy EnduredLady Fortune, The Wheel, and ApproachabilityBoethius’ Illness and Philosophy’s DiagnosisForgetting Who We AreModern Stoicism’s Appeal and LimitsAfter Stoicism: Hope, God, and JoyLove as the Order of the CosmosEros and Caritas: What Love MeansDaily Practices for RecollectionHow to Live Like Boethius: Suffering, Virtue, and a Transcendent Order"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers?" Bio: Thomas M. Ward is Associate Professor of Philosophy at The University of Texas at Austin, in the School of Civic Leadership. He is the author of After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher (Word on Fire, 2024), which won the Catholic Media Association Book Award for History (First Place). He studied philosophy at Biola University (BA 2004) and UCLA (PhD, 2011) and theology at Oxford University (M.Phil 2006). Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

    48 min

  3. 07/23/2025

    129. AI Needs You: Verity Harding (director of the AI & Geopolitics Project @ the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge | Founder of Formation Advisory)

    Send us a text With the development of artificial intelligence on the rise, we are at a crossroads. How will we continue our innovations and regulations of this new technology? But, this is more than a technological question. As my guest, Verity Harding states, “AI needs you.” In this episode, I sit down with Verity Harding to discuss her book, AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI’s Future and Save Our Own.  How we apply AI is a multi-disciplinary issue. We need everyone, from tech people to teachers, to students, to nurses and doctors, and to everyone else.   Topics: Why AI Needs EveryoneTechnology's Shadow SelfThe Socio-Technical Approach to AI"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers? Bio: One of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, Verity Harding is director of the AI & Geopolitics Project at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and founder of Formation Advisory, a consultancy firm that advises on the future of technology and society. She worked for many years as Global Head of Policy for Google DeepMind and as a political adviser to Britain’s deputy prime minister. Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

    25 min

  4. 03/28/2025

    128. The Accursed Questions - Fyodor Dostoevsky on Suffering, Freedom, and Love: Prof. Gary S. Morson (Prof. of Russian literature @ Northwestern University | Author of "Wonder Confronts Certainty")

    Send us a text What's the meaning of life? Why is there pain and suffering? How do you balance justice and love? These "accursed questions" have haunted humanity for centuries. Fyodor Dostoevsky sought to answer these questions through his characters' lives. His answers are prophetic for our time. In this episode, I sit down with Northwestern University professor of Russian literature Gary Saul Morson. We discuss what Dostoevsky reveals about developing intellectual honesty, how to deal with suffering and brokenness, as well as his arguments for and against God.  His latest book, Wonder Confronts Certainty: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter, sets the stage for this interview. Topics: The "Accursed Questions" of Russian LiteratureDostoevsky's Intellectual Honesty with FaithBattle-Testing Worldviews through FictionThe Dangers of Abstracting IndividualsNotes from Underground: Human Freedom vs DeterminismThe Core of Ethics: Human Surprisingness"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers? Bio: Gary Saul Morson is Lawrence B. Dumas Professor of the Arts and Humanities and Professor of Russian Literature at Northwestern University.   His 21 authored or edited volumes and 300 shorter publications have examined major Russian writers, the philosophy of time, the role of quotations in culture, great aphorisms, and the ultimate questions about life taken seriously in Russian literature. His classes on Russian writers in translation have enrolled over 500 students, and he is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards. Morson writes regularly for numerous national publications, including The New York Review of Books, The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, First Things, Mosaic, and several others.  He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1995 Prof. Morson on the best Dostoevsky translations: “The best translations of Dostoevsky are by Constance Garnett or revisions of Garnett.  For Notes from Underground, use Garnett revised by Ralph Matlaw;  for The Brothers Karamazov, Garnett revised by Susan McReynolds;  and for The Possessed (Demons)be sure to use the Modern Library version of the Garnett translation with appendixes containing versions of a chapter he was not allowed to publish.” Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

    34 min

  5. 03/22/2025

    127. Connective Labor - What Machines Can't Replace in Our Disconnected World: Prof. Allison Pugh (Author of "The Last Human Job" | Prof. of Sociology @ Johns Hopkins University)

    Send us a text As we enter a world of artificial intelligence, the question of what should be automated looms before us. Models need clear, objective metrics to train on. But, can jobs really be distilled to data points?  In her book, The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World, Prof. Allison Pugh asserts many jobs have a relational component that can’t be caught in the metrics. In this episode, Prof. Pugh warns that devaluing connective labor leads to automation that overlooks the core issues and leaves us more isolated. Topics: Connective LaborUndervaluation of Connective LaborAutomation of Connective LaborRole of Data in EducationEducational Inequality and Standardized TestingArtificial Intelligence and RelationshipsGrowing Demand for Connection"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers? Bio: Allison Pugh is a Research Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, and the author of four books, most recently The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World (Princeton 2024). The 2024-5 Vice President of the American Sociological Association, Pugh was faculty at the University of Virginia for 17 years before moving to Hopkins this summer. She is a former journalist, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Republic, and other outlets. She served as a US diplomat in Honduras, cofounded a charter school in Oakland, waited on tables at the US Tennis Open, packed salmon roe in Alaska, and was an intern at Ms. Magazine.   Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

    33 min

  6. 12/30/2024

    126. Pen, Page, and People - The History of the Book: Prof. Adam Smyth (Author of "The Book-Makers")

    Send us a text When we think of history of books, we often neglect the people who created them. We think of history as a figment of facts, connected together by time and advances in technology. But sometimes we overlook the humanity, the souls, the fingerprints in the ink-stained margins of long-forgotten tomes. In this episode, I sit down with Oxford's Prof. Adam Smyth to discuss his The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives. How a book was made tells us about the people who created it, as well as what the culture valued about books. The way a book was formed changes how we interact with it. Topics: Humanizing the history of the book - the forgotten lives of the book-makersThe book - a blend of prose and productionHow culture influenced the design of booksHow hand-printing influences your view of writingDo you think the abstract nature and accessibility of text have changed how we view it?"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers?Bio: Adam Smyth is professor of English literature and the history of the book at Balliol College, University of Oxford. He is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books and the TLS. He also runs the 39 Steps Press, a small printing press, which he keeps in a barn in Oxfordshire, England.  Affiliate book links: (Support the show by buying through these links :D) The Book-Maker: A History of the Book in Eighteen LivesBooks of impact: Short stories of Borges Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

    28 min

  7. 10/23/2024

    125. How Cutting-edge Science Returns Us to Ancient Theology: Return of Dr. Spencer Klavan (Associate Editor @ the Claremont Review of Books | Classicist | Podcaster)

    Send us a text For the past few centuries, we have philosophically operated under Newtonian physics where questions of experience and of the soul were seen as subjective, with no connection to the numerical certainty of science. However, then came quantum physics. In his new book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science Through Faith, classicist Dr. Spencer Klavan retells the history of science and highlights the philosophical implications of each era. He argues that quantum mechanics, with its exploration of uncertainty and consciousness, has not only returned physics to the question of the soul. But, also, has provided an incredible argument for the Genesis account of creation. You may recognize Dr. Klavan from his appearance in episode 104 - Modern Problems, Ancient Solutions - Applying the Wisdom of the Classics to the Cultural Conflicts of Today Topics: The purpose of this bookMusic of the Spheres & the Medieval View of the world - the World as Beauty + OrderPhilosophical implications of "ghost in the machine" philosophyAI and the mechanical view of the universeGenesis, Consciousness, and Quantum MechanicsWorldviews and ScienceA clash of cultures: Scientism and Skepticism in AmericaConfusing spiritual truths and scientific truths"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers?" Bio: Dr. Spencer Klavan is an associate editor at the Claremont Review of Books and a podcaster on the great works of the West. Dr. Klavan is a scholar, writer, and podcast host of Young Heretics, with a lifelong devotion to the great works and principles of the West. After studying Greek and Latin at Yale University as an undergrad, he spent five years at Oxford University completing his doctorate in ancient Greek literature. Check out his latest book, Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science Through Faith. Resources mentioned: Light of the Mind, Light of the World: Illuminating Science Through FaithBooks of impact:In high school: BibleDuring grad school: Owen Barfield's Poetic Diction and Saving AppearancesSince his last appearance: Thomas Traherne's Centuries of Meditations Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon Facebook: https://www.facebook

    46 min

  8. 09/23/2024

    124. The Road to Wisdom - On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust: Dr. Francis S. Collins (Physician, Geneticist, Former Director of NIH)

    Send us a text A multifaceted understanding of wisdom is essential for a functioning society.  Only with this broad understanding can we humbly dialogue with those who disagree with us and piece by piece build a culture of conversation. In this episode, I sit down with geneticist and physician Dr. Francis Collins to discuss his latest book, The Road to Wisdom. Dr. Collins argues that we must return to the four core sources of judgment and clear thinking: truth, science, faith, and trust. A Quick Note: Aiming for the Moon has a diverse audience. I strongly believe that developing your perspective comes from speaking with people who you both agree with and disagree with. Iron sharpens iron. That’s why this podcast is a platform that hosts interesting and successful people from a variety of worldviews. Gen. Z has the opportunity to trailblaze a culture of conversation. So, let’s go. Topic: Four Anchors of Knowledge: Truth, Science, Faith, and TrustCynicism and Nihilism in Public Discourse The Importance of Humility in Dialogue"How has being attacked by those 'on your side?' changed how you communicate?"Harmonizing Faith and ScienceIron sharpens Iron: How going outside your bubble helps expand your perspectiveNavigating Polarized Issues in a Multicultural SocietyPractical Steps: So, how should we then live?"What books have had an impact on you?""What advice do you have for teenagers?" Bio: Dr. Francis S. Collins is a physician and geneticist. His groundbreaking work has led to the discovery of the cause of cystic fibrosis, among other diseases.  In 1993 he was appointed director of the international Human Genome Project, which successfully sequenced all 3 billion letters of our DNA. He went on to serve three Presidents as the Director of the National Institutes of Health. Resources mentioned: The Road to WisdomTaylor's Substack: The Dangers of Abstracting Individuals in a Divided SocietyEp. 80. The Perception of Political Polarization and How to Fix It: Dr. Chris BailThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtBooks of impact:BibleMere Christianity by C.S. LewisThe Constitution of Knowledge by Jonathan Rauch Socials - Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/ Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon Facebook: https://www.facebook.

    31 min
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4.9
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66 Ratings

About

We interview interesting people from a teenage perspective. Join us as we have fascinating discussions with successful authors, entrepreneurs, scientists, etc. (Oh, and adventurers!)

Information

  • Creator
    Aiming for the Moon
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    138
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Aiming for the Moon
  • Show Website
    Aiming for the Moon