Beauty At Work

Brandon Vaidyanathan
  • 5.0 (9)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Beauty at Work expands our understanding of beauty: what it is, how it works, and why it matters. Sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan interviews scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders across diverse fields to reveal new insights into how beauty shapes our brains, behaviors, organizations, and societies--for good and for ill. Learn how to harness the power of beauty in your life and work, while avoiding its pitfalls.

  1. Can AI Replace Human Connection? with Dr. Allison Pugh and Louis Kim - S4E10 (Part 1 of 2)

    5D AGO

    Can AI Replace Human Connection? with Dr. Allison Pugh and Louis Kim - S4E10 (Part 1 of 2)

    Dr. Allison Pugh is Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University and author of The Last Human Job, winner of the 2025 Best Book Award from the American Sociological Association. Her work examines how automation, efficiency, and quantification reshape work that relies on presence, dignity, and visibility. She introduces the concept of connective labor—the mutual, human work of recognizing another person and reflecting that understanding to them. Louis Kim is a former Vice President at Hewlett-Packard, where he led teams in developing AI-enabled technologies for healthcare and other industries. After decades in corporate leadership, he is now pursuing a Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School, focusing on hospice and palliative care. Alongside his theological training, Louis participates in Vatican-sponsored conversations on principled AI in healthcare, exploring where technology can assist care and where it must not replace human presence. In this first part of our conversation, we discuss:  What in-depth interviewing reveals about being truly seen How experiences of death shape our understanding of accompaniment The difference between emotional labor and connective labor How automation and standardization threaten dignity and belonging Why institutions rely on checklists, data, and control The factors driving institutional challenges to connective labor Why human connection is defined by unpredictability The role of moral formation in resisting depersonalization To learn more about Allison’s work, you can find her at:                                            https://www.allisonpugh.com/ To learn more about Louis’s work, you can find him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisjkim/ Books and Resources Mentioned: The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World (by Allison Pugh)This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    38 min
  2. Innovations in Spiritual Care with Dr. Wendy Cadge & Dr. Michael Skaggs - S4E9 (Part 2 of 2)

    FEB 3

    Innovations in Spiritual Care with Dr. Wendy Cadge & Dr. Michael Skaggs - S4E9 (Part 2 of 2)

    What does innovation look like in the field of spiritual care, when fewer people belong to congregations, yet more people still need meaning, accompaniment, and spiritual support? My two guests today have been researching this question extensively. Wendy Cadge is President of Bryn Mawr College and a nationally renowned sociologist of religion and spirituality. She is the founder of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, which brings together chaplains, educators, and social scientists to study and support spiritual care across public institutions and community settings. Her work focuses on religious diversity, spirituality, and the role of chaplaincy in contemporary society. Michael Skaggs is Director of Programs and Co-Founder of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab. A historian of American religion based at the University of Notre Dame, his research explores interfaith dialogue, maritime and port chaplaincy, American Catholicism, and emerging models of spiritual care. He oversees education, professional development, and public-facing initiatives for the Lab. In this second part of our conversation, we talk about: The biggest challenges facing chaplaincy and spiritual care todayBusiness models and sustainability in spiritual care workBarriers faced by spiritual care providers from minority faith traditionsWhat the “spiritual infrastructure of the future” really meansHow congregational closures are reshaping where people find meaning and careThe promises and dangers of AI in spiritual care To learn more about Wendy and Michael’s work, you can find them at: Wendy Cadge: https://www.brynmawr.edu/inside/people/wendy-cadge Michael Skaggs: https://chaplaincyinnovation.org/team/michael-skaggs-phd  Links Mentioned: Chaplaincy Innovation Lab – https://chaplaincyinnovation.org/ Templeton Religion Trust – https://templetonreligiontrust.org/  This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    26 min
  3. Innovations in Spiritual Care with Dr. Wendy Cadge & Dr. Michael Skaggs - S4E9 (Part 1 of 2)

    JAN 27

    Innovations in Spiritual Care with Dr. Wendy Cadge & Dr. Michael Skaggs - S4E9 (Part 1 of 2)

    What does innovation look like in the field of spiritual care, when fewer people belong to congregations, yet more people still need meaning, accompaniment, and spiritual support? My two guests today have been researching this question extensively. Wendy Cadge is President of Bryn Mawr College and a nationally renowned sociologist of religion and spirituality. She is the founder of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, which brings together chaplains, educators, and social scientists to study and support spiritual care across public institutions and community settings. Her work focuses on religious diversity, spirituality, and the role of chaplaincy in contemporary society. Michael Skaggs is Director of Programs and Co-Founder of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab. A historian of American religion based at the University of Notre Dame, his research explores interfaith dialogue, maritime and port chaplaincy, American Catholicism, and emerging models of spiritual care. He oversees education, professional development, and public-facing initiatives for the Lab. In this first part of our conversation, we discuss: The origins and mission of the Chaplaincy Innovation LabTraditional and emerging models of chaplaincy and spiritual careThe blurry boundaries of chaplaincyReal applied value of good social, scientific, and historical researchPublic perceptions of chaplains versus how chaplains describe their workChaplaincy as religious leadership in the futureThe role of chaplains in addressing loneliness and isolationSpiritual care beyond formal religionCommunity-based and workplace chaplaincy models To learn more about Wendy and Michael’s work, you can find them at: Wendy Cadge: https://www.brynmawr.edu/inside/people/wendy-cadge Michael Skaggs: https://chaplaincyinnovation.org/team/michael-skaggs-phd  Links Mentioned: Chaplaincy Innovation Lab – https://chaplaincyinnovation.org/ Templeton Religion Trust – https://templetonreligiontrust.org/  This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    25 min
  4. Disruptive Innovations with Scott D. Anthony - S4E8 (Part 2 of 2)

    JAN 20

    Disruptive Innovations with Scott D. Anthony - S4E8 (Part 2 of 2)

    Scott D. Anthony is a globally recognized expert on navigating disruptive change and a passionate optimist about humanity’s capacity to adapt in a constantly evolving world. He is a Clinical Professor of Strategy at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, where he teaches courses on leading disruptive change, horizon scanning, and AI-enabled decision-making. Scott’s work builds on more than two decades of field research and close mentorship under Clayton Christensen, spent over 20 years at Innosight, and is the author of several influential books, including his latest, Epic Disruptions. In this second part of our conversation, we talk about: The three clear patterns of disruptionWhat Shiseido’s transformation reveals about balancing heritage and reinventionModels of social generativityRelationship between change and discomfortThe invisible “ghosts” that haunt organizationsCompeting against non-consumption and why “something is better than nothing” drives disruptionThe systemic dimension of innovationThe three shadows of innovationWhat past disruptions can teach us about governing AI responsiblyWhat disruptive innovation might look like in religious and spiritual communities To learn more about Scott’s work, you can find him at:  https://www.innosight.com/  Books and resources mentioned: Epic Disruptions (by Scott D. Anthony)The Innovator’s Dilemma (by Clayton M. Christensen)The First Mile (by Scott D. Anthony) This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    33 min
  5. Disruptive Innovations with Scott D. Anthony - S4E8 (Part 1 of 2)

    JAN 13

    Disruptive Innovations with Scott D. Anthony - S4E8 (Part 1 of 2)

    Scott D. Anthony is a globally recognized expert on navigating disruptive change and a passionate optimist about humanity’s capacity to adapt in a constantly evolving world. He is a Clinical Professor of Strategy at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, where he teaches courses on leading disruptive change, horizon scanning, and AI-enabled decision-making. Scott’s work builds on more than two decades of field research and close mentorship under Clayton Christensen, spent over 20 years at Innosight, and is the author of several influential books, including his latest, Epic Disruptions. In this first part of our conversation, we discuss: The meaning of innovation: something different that creates valueHow the meaning of “innovation” shifted from something dangerous to something sacredScott’s first encounter with Clayton ChristensenClay Christensen’s regret over how the term “disruption” has been misusedThe four big questions Scott poses about innovationWhat Gutenberg’s printing press reveals about collective creativity and unintended consequencesThe predictable and unpredictable nature of innovationLessons from a failed medical tourism venture on testing real demand To learn more about Scott’s work, you can find him at:  https://tuck.dartmouth.edu/faculty/faculty-directory/scott-d-anthony https://www.innosight.com/  Books and resources mentioned: Epic Disruptions (by Scott D. Anthony)The Innovator’s Dilemma (by Clayton M. Christensen)The First Mile (by Scott D. Anthony) This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    26 min
  6. The Promise and Peril of AI with Jaron Lanier, E. Glen Weyl, and Taylor Black - S4E7 (Part 2 of 2)

    JAN 6

    The Promise and Peril of AI with Jaron Lanier, E. Glen Weyl, and Taylor Black - S4E7 (Part 2 of 2)

    Jaron Lanier, E. Glen Weyl, and Taylor Black join Beauty at Work for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, innovation, and the deeper questions of meaning, faith, and human flourishing that surround emerging technologies. Jaron Lanier coined the terms Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality and is widely regarded as a founding figure of the field. He has served as a leading critic of digital culture and social media, and his books include You Are Not a Gadget and Who Owns the Future? In 2018, Wired Magazine named him one of the 25 most influential people in technology of the previous 25 years. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Jaron is currently the Prime Unifying Scientist at Microsoft’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, which spells out “Octopus”, in reference to his fascination with cephalopod neurology. He is also a musician and composer who has recently performed or recorded with Sara Bareilles, T Bone Burnett, Jon Batiste, Philip Glass, and many others. E. Glen Weyl is Founder and Research Lead at Microsoft Research’s Plural Technology Collaboratory and Co-Founder of the Plurality Institute and RadicalxChange Foundation. He is the co-author of Radical Markets and Plurality and works at the intersection of economics, technology, democracy, and social institutions. Taylor Black is Director of AI & Venture Ecosystems in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and the founding director of the Leonum Institute on Emerging Technologies and AI at The Catholic University of America. His background spans philosophy, law, and technology leadership. In this second part of our conversation, we talk about: 1. The idea that modern technology and AI, in particular, have taken on religious or idolatrous qualities 2. Why the Talmud offers a powerful model for collective intelligence without erasing individual voices 3. The dangers of excessive anonymity in digital systems and AI training 4. The idea of “superintelligences” as collective human systems like corporations, democracies, and religions 5. Vatican-led efforts toward algorithmic ethics and the protection of human dignity 6. Where Glen and Jaron disagree about human-centered AI 7. AI as a tool for metacognition 8. How imagination, storytelling, and shared meaning can shape the future of innovation To learn more about Jaron, Glen and Taylor’s work, you can find them at:  Jaron Lanier - https://www.jaronlanier.com/ Glen Weyl - https://glenweyl.com/ Taylor Black - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blacktaylor/  Books and Resources mentioned: You Are Not a Gadget (Jaron Lanier)Who Owns the Future? (Jaron Lanier)Radical Markets (Eric Posner & E. Glen Weyl)Plurality (Audrey Tang & E. Glen Weyl)The Human Use of Human Beings (Norbert Wiener)The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien) This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    30 min
  7. The Promise and Peril of AI with Jaron Lanier, E. Glen Weyl, and Taylor Black - S4E7 (Part 1 of 2)

    12/30/2025

    The Promise and Peril of AI with Jaron Lanier, E. Glen Weyl, and Taylor Black - S4E7 (Part 1 of 2)

    Jaron Lanier, E. Glen Weyl, and Taylor Black join Beauty at Work for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, innovation, and the deeper questions of meaning, faith, and human flourishing that surround emerging technologies. Jaron Lanier coined the terms Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality and is widely regarded as a founding figure of the field. He has served as a leading critic of digital culture and social media, and his books include You Are Not a Gadget and Who Owns the Future? In 2018, Wired Magazine named him one of the 25 most influential people in technology of the previous 25 years. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Jaron is currently the Prime Unifying Scientist at Microsoft’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, which spells out “Octopus”, in reference to his fascination with cephalopod neurology. He is also a musician and composer who has recently performed or recorded with Sara Bareilles, T Bone Burnett, Jon Batiste, Philip Glass, and many others. E. Glen Weyl is Founder and Research Lead at Microsoft Research’s Plural Technology Collaboratory and Co-Founder of the Plurality Institute and RadicalxChange Foundation. He is the co-author of Radical Markets and Plurality and works at the intersection of economics, technology, democracy, and social institutions. Taylor Black is Director of AI & Venture Ecosystems in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and the founding director of the Leonum Institute on Emerging Technologies and AI at The Catholic University of America. His background spans philosophy, law, and technology leadership. In this first part of our conversation, we discuss: 1. How aesthetic experience shapes worldview, imagination, and intellectual vocation 2. The historical rivalry between artificial intelligence and cybernetics 3. The danger of treating AI as an object of faith or a replacement for human meaning 4. The psychological and spiritual costs of assuming people will become obsolete 5. A tension between two different modalities of beauty To learn more about Jaron, Glen and Taylor’s work, you can find them at:  Jaron Lanier - https://www.jaronlanier.com/ Glen Weyl - https://glenweyl.com/ Taylor Black - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blacktaylor/  Books and Resources mentioned: You Are Not a Gadget (Jaron Lanier)Who Owns the Future? (Jaron Lanier)Radical Markets (Eric Posner & E. Glen Weyl)Plurality (Audrey Tang & E. Glen Weyl)The Human Use of Human Beings (Norbert Wiener)The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien) This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    38 min
  8. Regenerative Beauty with Alan Moore - S4E6 (Part 2 of 2)

    12/23/2025

    Regenerative Beauty with Alan Moore - S4E6 (Part 2 of 2)

    Alan Moore is a craftsman of beautiful business. He is a business innovator, author, and global speaker whose life’s work centers on one simple but radical idea: beauty is not a luxury in business, but a necessity. He has designed everything from books to organizations, working across six continents with artists, entrepreneurs, and leadership teams. He has advised companies including PayPal, Microsoft, and Interface, taught at institutions such as MIT, INSEAD, and the Sloan School of Management, and helped guide some of the world’s most innovative enterprises. He is the author of four books, including No Straight Lines: Making Sense of Our Nonlinear World and Do Design: Why Beauty Is Key to Everything. His work has been featured in outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and The Huffington Post. In this second part of our conversation, we talk about: 1. Beauty as a quest for truth rather than surface aesthetics 2. What it means to create something like a jewel 3. Inevitability in design 4. Beauty as a metric for innovation 5. The distinction between extractive and regenerative approaches 6. Beauty as a verb and everyday practices for “doing beauty.”  To learn more about Alan’s work, you can find him at: https://thebeautifuldesignproject.com/  Books and resources mentioned: No Straight Lines: Making Sense of Our Nonlinear World (by Alan Moore)Do Design: Why Beauty Is Key to Everything (by Alan Moore) This season of the podcast is sponsored by Templeton Religion Trust. Support the show

    28 min
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About

Beauty at Work expands our understanding of beauty: what it is, how it works, and why it matters. Sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan interviews scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders across diverse fields to reveal new insights into how beauty shapes our brains, behaviors, organizations, and societies--for good and for ill. Learn how to harness the power of beauty in your life and work, while avoiding its pitfalls.

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Vaidyanathan
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    137
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Beauty At Work
  • Show Website
    Beauty At Work