The UIUC Talkshow

The UIUC Talkshow
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A show about the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas.

  1. 1D AGO

    #57 - We Have Hunter-Gatherer Emotions and Star Wars Technology: An Archaeologist Explains Our Future with Brett Kaufman

    Brett Kaufman is an archaeologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.His work lives at a rare intersection: field excavation + ancient languages + hard science. He studies the peoples, states, and empires of the Middle East and North Africa—from the Bronze Age to the present—combining archaeological evidence with historical texts and Semitic inscriptions to understand how power, identity, and institutions are built (and rebuilt).He’s directed or supervised excavations across Tunisia, China, Italy, Israel, and New York, and his research has been supported by major institutions including NSF, National Geographic, China’s NSFC, and the Getty. In the lab, he uses materials-science tools to reverse-engineer ancient technology—especially metals—so the past becomes something you can test, not just imagine.In this episode, we follow Kaufman’s core obsession: the human experience under pressure. What part of the human experience are you trying to understand right now?*EPISODE LINKS:*- Brett Kaufman's UIUC Website: https://classics.illinois.edu/directory/profile/bsk- Phoenicia, Carthage, and Popular Government in the Pre-Classical Mediterranean: The Other Democracy by Brett Kaufman: https://amzn.to/4qLAQEx*OUTLINE:*0:00 Preview0:53 Host intro2:40 Speaking Dead Languages: Phoenician, Punic, Hebrew3:48 When History Lies7:35 Fieldwork: How Archaeology Actually Happens9:32 Who Decides Where We Dig? 11:27 Ethics12:25 Tunisia After the Arab Spring13:59 How Long Does an Excavation Last?15:21 When Your Hypothesis Is Wrong16:03 Is Archaeology Dying?17:00 What Is the Point of Archaeology?18:28 Tourism, UNESCO, and Shared Heritage20:04 Why Archaeology Doesn’t Make Money21:39 Should There Be More Archaeologists?23:37 Luck, Tenure, and Academic Stress24:54 Fear of Failure26:18 What Brings Humans Together?27:04 Us vs. Them30:27 Breaking Social Constructs31:36 Was the Past Actually Better?32:33 The Agricultural Revolution: Teeth Rot & Arthritis33:49 Hunter-Gatherer Emotions, Medieval Institutions, Star Wars Technology40:57 Bronze in Mesopotamia & the Andes42:21 Is There Objective Truth?43:50 Good vs. Evil1:12:18 Feasting, Ritual, Taboo1:13:51 How Brett Kaufman Finds Meaning1:14:18 Nine Animals & a Neolithic Household1:16:57 Why Young People Feel Lost1:21:22 Responsibility as Meaning1:27:12 Fear of Failure1:31:41 Ignore Bullies1:33:15 Why Civilizations Collapse1:34:43 Climate Oscillations & Scarcity1:37:17 Climate Volatility1:40:22 Can Archaeology Predict the Future?1:42:21 Idealism vs. Pragmatism1:44:40 Different Human Species Sharing Tools1:46:42 Animal Welfare & Habitat Loss1:47:44 The Third Epidemiological Transition🚥 Overrated or Underrated Section 🚥1:51:27 - 🕍 Jerusalem1:52:16 - 🏺 Terracotta Army1:52:54 - 🗼 Tower of Babel1:53:38 - 📐 Archimedes1:54:50 - 🏛 Sumerians1:56:07 - 👑 King Tut1:57:55 - 🏜 Pyramids1:59:30 - 👽 Ancient Aliens2:01:48 Closing Reflections2:03:26 Host Outro*What is the UIUC Talkshow?*Our goal with this show is to introduce you to the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas.*Consider Supporting Us*If you enjoy our talk show and videos, your support means the world to us! Your contributions help us keep the show running and focus on creating interesting conversations with interesting people. Every dollar goes towards our basic needs, allowing us to dedicate more time and energy to this project. Join us here: https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/

    2h 5m

  2. FEB 6

    #56 - Leslie Looney – Why a Truly Advanced Civilization Is Defined by Curiosity, Aliens, and Astronomy

    Leslie Looney is a professor of Astronomy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on star formation, the early evolution of planets, and building the powerful telescopes and observational tools needed to explore our universe. In this episode, we explore how stars and planets come to life, why building a giant telescope on the Moon could lead to revolutionary discoveries, and the idea that the universe itself is fundamentally unimaginable. At the core of our conversation is one powerful idea: whether we're human, alien, or artificial, the mark of a truly advanced civilization is curiosity. The unstoppable desire to explore, discover, and understand our place in this vast, unimaginable universe. What are YOU curious about? EPISODE LINKS: Leslie Looney's Website: https://eeyore.astro.illinois.edu/Leslie Looney's UIUC Website: https://astro.illinois.edu/directory/profile/lwlOUTLINE: 0:00 Preview 1:16 Host intro 4:11 What makes research “good” 5:43 Would you go to space? + NASA / shuttle launch energy 6:27 Gatekeeping 8:49 Research vs teaching: 9:44 R1 10:16 Why are students here? 11:53 Modern astronomy 13:29 His path: first-gen, low-income, didn’t know “science” as a career → electrical engineering + physics 14:58 Do you want a star named after you? 17:01 Holy grail 18:20 What is a star? 20:05 Motion 20:56 Baby stars 22:02 Turbulence 23:29 Big Bang24:25 Hydrogen 26:20 Survival 27:27 Scale 29:06 Butterfly effect 31:08 How small fluctuations made everything 36:22 Gravity 38:36 Dark energy 40:03 Dyson sphere 41:16 Expansion 43:02 Meaning 44:43 The next fundamental discovery: “we’re not alone” 46:34 Signals 48:27 Messaging 51:23 Civilization priorities 52:33 Wonder 57:06 Simulation 59:33 Robots 1:02:52 Moon telescope 1:05:22 NASA stories 1:08:21 Munich 1:12:22 Astronomy as a career 1:15:04 Independent research 1:19:18 Open skies 1:28:25 Advice for Young People 🚥 Overrated or Underrated Section 🚥 1:30:07 - 🪐 Planet naming 1:31:32 - 🌌 Constellations 1:32:01 - 🌍 Southern hemisphere skies 1:33:31 - 📚 Project Hail Mary 1:36:25 - 🎙️ Science communicators (Tyson/Sagan) 1:37:28 - 🧠 Wolfram’s “A New Kind of Science” 1:38:43 - 🍺 Oktoberfest 1:39:56 - Closing words 1:41:30 - Host outro SOCIAL:

    1h 45m

  3. JAN 20

    #55 - A Bankruptcy Expert Explains Why Millions Can Never Repay Their Student Loans with Robert Lawless

    Robert Lawless is a Law Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Lawless is one of the country’s leading experts on bankruptcy and consumer debt. In this conversation, he explains how the student loan crisis was created, why student loans are treated differently from almost every other type of debt, and how a series of legal and political decisions made them nearly impossible to discharge. Lawless walks through the history of bankruptcy law and shows how, over time, student loans moved from being treated like credit card debt to becoming a lifelong obligation. What began as a temporary restriction slowly hardened into a system where borrowers are expected to carry debt indefinitely, even when repayment is no longer realistic. He challenges the common belief that bankruptcy is a sign of economic collapse. During the pandemic, bankruptcy filings dropped sharply, not because people were better off, but because fear, uncertainty, and temporary relief masked deeper problems. Debt, he explains, works on a delay. The consequences often appear years later. Throughout the conversation, Lawless reframes bankruptcy as a tool meant to deal with failure in a functional way. Bankruptcy does not create money, jobs, or growth. It recognizes reality when there is not enough to go around. In that sense, it acts more like a hospital than a punishment. He also proposes a clear and practical solution to the student loan problem. Allow student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy after a five-year waiting period. Those who can pay would still pay. Those who cannot would have a path forward. This conversation is not about ideology or slogans. It is about how the system actually works, why it ended up this way, and what it would take to fix it. EPISODE LINKS: Robert Lawless's Website: https://rlawless.web.illinois.edu/Robert Lawless's UIUC Website: https://law.illinois.edu/faculty-research/faculty-profiles/robert-m-lawless/Debt's Grip by Robert Lawless et al: https://amzn.to/3LJAJef‘Too Little Too Late’: Bankruptcy Booms Among Older Americans: https://archive.is/jfpFSBlacks Face Bias in Bankruptcy, Study Suggests: https://archive.is/XAI8UCredit Slips Blog: https://creditslips.org/Matt Levine's Money Stuff: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/money-stuffConsider Supporting UsIf you enjoy our talk show and videos, your support means the world to us! Your contributions help us keep the show running and focus on creating interesting conversations with interesting people. Every dollar goes towards our basic needs, allowing us to dedicate more time and energy to this project. Support us here: https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/

    1h 48m

  4. 08/13/2025

    #54 - Space Race: How a Laser Scientist Built a Midwest Rocket Factory—who wins by 2030—China or SpaceX?

    David Carroll, president & co-founder of CU Aerospace (UIUC B.S./M.S./Ph.D.), walked away from a top university post in 1998 to build a rocket company in the Illinois cornfields. A laser scientist by training, he didn’t stay in theory—he shipped: electric CubeSat engines, plasma systems, high-energy lasers, and even a genetic-algorithm tool that jumped from lab code to a cancer operating room. This conversation is a builder’s tour of how space actually gets made—and what’s at stake now. We trace the arc from lasers to flight hardware, from test-to-failure scrappiness to NASA-level safety, and from a small Midwestern shop to engines headed for orbit. Along the way: why smallsats matter more than slogans, the case for high-power electric propulsion (magnetoplasmadynamic, or MPD, thrusters), and how China’s Moon timeline and SpaceX/Starlink’s launch cadence are quietly setting the rules of the game. If you’re choosing what to study, where to live, or which problems to bet your twenties on, this is a field guide: build outside the coasts, turn bullets into cannonballs, ship before you polish, and keep going when the first three proposals get rejected. Cornfields to orbit isn’t a metaphor. It’s a map. This is The UIUC Talkshow, and this is our conversation with David Carroll. EPISODE LINKS: CU Aerospace WebsiteKim Stanley Robinson's AuroraGood to Great by Jim CollinsAbout CU AerospaceFounded in 1998, CU Aerospace (CUA) operates a 10,000-sq-ft mixed office/lab facility in Champaign, Illinois, with cleanrooms, a rapid-prototyping shop, and dedicated propulsion and plasma labs. CUA's hardware has been supported by NASA, DoD customers, and commercial partners.OUTLINE:0:00 - Introduction0:16 - The Space Race3:33 - SpaceX8:40 - The Next Big Aerospace Company11:10 - What Would David Carroll Study in College today?13:40 - What Does It Take to Become an Astronaut?18:28 - Near-Death Experience as a Pilot20:27 - The Interplay of Politics in Science25:44 - David's Research with Missiles and Lasers32:01 - Why Venture Capitalists don't like Aerospace Companies34:29 - Importance of Social Recognition/Do Awards mean anything?35:07 - Genetic Algorithms41:38 - What Drives You?43:47 - Coming to Champaign, IL47:13 - The Story Behind "CU Aerospace"49:12 - Lessons from working at McDonald's53:26 - David's Daughters55:45 - Parenting59:37 - David's Musical Talents1:00:46 - Future of Space Propulsion1:02:57 - Interstellar Travel/Physics of the Future1:08:19 - CU Aerospace's Projects1:17:08 - Hardest Part of Running a Business1:18:26 - Building a Mountain in Champaign1:21:27 - Advice for Young People🚥Overrated or Underrated Section 🚥1:24:44 - Good to Great 📕1:26:20 - eVTOLs ✈️1:29:49 - Kelly Johnson (Designer of Black Bird) 🦨1:30:32 - Solar Sail ☀️1:33:53 - Life in the Universe 🌌1:36:55 - Closing WordsJoin The UIUC Talkshow Community!Become part of our community and unlock exclusive access to the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and special updates. Be the first to know about upcoming guests and new episodes!Join here: https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/What is the UIUC Talkshow?Our goal with this show is to introduce you to the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas.Consider Supporting UsIf you enjoy our talk show and videos, your support means the world to us! Your contributions help us keep the show running and focus on creating interesting conversations with interesting people. Every dollar goes towards our basic needs, allowing us to dedicate more time and energy to this project. Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/uiuctalkshowLearn more about Juan David & Aaryaman:AaryamanWebsiteLinkedIn Twitter Juan DavidWebsite TwitterLinkedInInstagram

    1h 38m

  5. 06/10/2025

    #53 - Geoffrey Challen: Insubordinate by Design

    Geoffrey Challen is a Computer Science Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With some professors, there's a before and after in your reality as a student—you see things differently. For me, that was Challen's CS 125 (now called CS 124). After I picked up my phone and called the head of physics, he said I couldn't take Physics 211 because my transcript didn't show calculus. Even though I knew it and had taught myself, he didn't let me take it and hung up on me. I found myself with an open spot, and it was this class I'd heard so much about—CS 125 with Geoffrey Challen. I'd heard it was tough, but he was unique and idiosyncratic, and that was interesting, so I took the bait. And it changed me. Not necessarily because of anything I learned, although it helped my understanding of how technology worked, but because of how he saw the world. He spoke openly, questioned norms, and never just went through the motions. Unlike typical professors—front-row nerds and teacher's pets—Challen is a hacker, a rebel. He fell asleep in classes, sat in the back, resisted authority, and now builds his courses around that spirit. His iconic cap reads τέχνῃ—the ancient Greek root of the word technology—which means "the art and skill of making." For Challen, teaching technology isn't just about tools or code; it's about guiding students to become creators. After all, perhaps we shouldn't be called Homo sapiens (the wise ones), but Homo technologicus—those who craft, build, and innovate through τέχνῃ. Challen might not be considered the wisest by some of his colleagues, but the future—reflected in today’s students—seems to know better. They don’t call him “professor” as much as they call him “dope” or “based.” That's what you get with Challen—not just a professor, but someone who shows you a different way to see the world, to resist conformity, to build things that you want. Someone who proves that being yourself, even when it costs you, is worth it. EPISODE LINKS: Geoffrey Challen's Website: https://www.geoffreychallen.com/ Geoffrey Challen's Learn CS Website: https://www.learncs.online/ Geoffrey Challen's Society and Technology Class: https://archive.is/SdNAn Geoffrey Challen's Reddit Account: https://www.reddit.com/user/geoffreychallen/comments/?sort=top Books Mentioned When Things Go Missing by Kathryn Schulz: https://archive.is/J5ztk Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders: https://amzn.to/4k0FdbP Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz: https://amzn.to/43Umit4 Coders by Clive Thompson: https://amzn.to/4jJk1GS The Overstory by Richard Powers: https://amzn.to/4mUCG5g Bewilderment by Richard Powers: https://amzn.to/446zYSS The Ground Beneath Her Feet by Salman Rushdie: https://amzn.to/45fxEdx

    4h 46m

  6. 03/25/2025

    #52 - When Empathy Becomes a Weapon: How a Master Diplomat Saves Nations with Stu Eizenstat

    Stuart E. Eizenstat, a seasoned American diplomat and former ambassador to the European Union, offers an exploration of the craft of negotiation. Drawing on decades of experience and the insights of hundreds of interviews—including with titans like Henry Kissinger and James Baker—his latest book, The Art of Diplomacy, serves as a masterclass in both strategy and empathy. Eizenstat emphasizes the power of truly listening, finding common ground, and engaging with respect, all of which are vital in both high-stakes international negotiations and everyday interactions. This conversation not only unpacks the nuanced skills behind effective diplomacy but also tackles contemporary global challenges—from the tensions in Ukraine to the complexities in the Middle East and Venezuela—underscoring the indispensable role of diplomacy in building a peaceful future. EPISODE LINKS: The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that Changed the World: https://amzn.to/41VCbhS President Carter: The White House Years: https://amzn.to/4228VWL OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 2:08 - How to Connect with People 4:20 - Henry Kissinger 8:11 - Creativity in Negotiation 9:50 - Ukraine 10:50 - Venezuela 11:11 - Closing Words Join The UIUC Talkshow Community! Become part of our community and unlock exclusive access to the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and special updates. Be the first to know about upcoming guests and new episodes! Join here: https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/ SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uiuctalkshow X: https://twitter.com/uiuctalkshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uiuctalkshow Patreon https://www.patreon.com/uiuctalkshow Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ezoc4xJa4DrGq7N4lhqQn Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-uiuc-talkshow/id1611427075 Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1H9UJqXvJXr3qlx9c89Rv76c6IpnwGeC Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UIUCTalkshowClips What is the UIUC Talkshow? Our goal with this show is to introduce you to the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas. Consider Supporting Us If you enjoy our talk show and videos, your support means the world to us! Your contributions help us keep the show running and focus on creating interesting conversations with interesting people. Every dollar goes towards our basic needs, allowing us to dedicate more time and energy to this project. Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/uiuctalkshow Join The UIUC Talkshow Community! Become part of our community and unlock exclusive access to the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and special updates. Be the first to know about upcoming guests and new episodes. Join us here: https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/

    13 min

  7. 03/04/2025

    #51 - The Real Reagan: Max Boot on Life, Legend, and Leadership After 10 Years of Research

    Max Boot, a Washington Post columnist and author, discusses his decade-long journey researching and writing Reagan: His Life and Legend. Through extensive archival research and interviews with nearly 100 people who knew Reagan, including Colin Powell and George Schultz, Boot reveals a more pragmatic president than commonly portrayed. The conversation explores Reagan's ability to compromise on issues like immigration and nuclear arms, his development as a communicator across different media, and Boot's personal experience undertaking a 10-year writing project. As a Soviet-born writer who later became an independent after leaving the Republican party, Boot offers unique insights into Reagan's presidency and legacy. EPISODE LINKS: Reagan: His Life and Legend: https://amzn.to/435hD8U OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 1:27 - Publicity 1:56 - Why Reagan? 3:49 - Pragmatism 4:43 - Soviet Union 6:31 - 10-Year Commitment 11:01 - Reagan's Charisma 13:37 - Compromises 16:11 - Future 17:50 - Advice for young people 16:11 - Future 19:06 - Closing Words Join The UIUC Talkshow Community!Become part of our community and unlock exclusive access to the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and special updates. Be the first to know about upcoming guests and new episodes! Join here: https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/ SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uiuctalkshowX: https://twitter.com/uiuctalkshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uiuctalkshowPatreon https://www.patreon.com/uiuctalkshowSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ezoc4xJa4DrGq7N4lhqQnApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-uiuc-talkshow/id1611427075Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1H9UJqXvJXr3qlx9c89Rv76c6IpnwGeCClips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UIUCTalkshowClips What is the UIUC Talkshow?Our goal with this show is to introduce you to the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas. Consider Supporting UsIf you enjoy our talk show and videos, your support means the world to us! Your contributions help us keep the show running and focus on creating interesting conversations with interesting people. Every dollar goes towards our basic needs, allowing us to dedicate more time and energy to this project. Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/uiuctalkshow Join The UIUC Talkshow Community!Become part of our community and unlock exclusive access to the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and special updates. Be the first to know about upcoming guests and new episodes. Join us here: https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/

    22 min

  8. 02/08/2025

    #50 - The Lost Voice of 60 Million: How Marie Arana Is Writing a New Chapter for Latinos in America

    Marie Arana is an author, former Washington Post reporter, and former Literary Director of the Library of Congress. Through her books and work, she has dedicated herself to creating a unified narrative for the Hispanic community, with notable works such as Bolívar: American Liberator, American Chica, and LatinoLand. EPISODE LINKS: Bolivar: American Liberator:https://amzn.to/4aPAvKU LatinoLand:https://amzn.to/4jMQDAV American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood:https://amzn.to/413DHPM Other Marie Arana's Books:https://amzn.to/4gA2U94 OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 1:36 - Dad: Unconditional Love 4:47 - Family Values 8:40 - Writing a Book in Spanish 10:27 - What Drives Marie Arana? 12:55 - Advice for Writers 16:01 - Latinos Don't Have a Unified Narrative 19:00 - Movies 22:46 - What's Marie Arana's Big Dream? 27:00 - Closing Words SOCIAL: Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/uiuctalkshow X:https://twitter.com/uiuctalkshow TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@uiuctalkshow Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/uiuctalkshow Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/3ezoc4xJa4DrGq7N4lhqQn Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-uiuc-talkshow/id1611427075 Full episodes playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1H9UJqXvJXr3qlx9c89Rv76c6IpnwGeC Clips Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@UIUCTalkshowClips What is the UIUC Talkshow? Our goal with this show is to introduce you to the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas. Consider Supporting Us If you enjoy our talk show and videos, your support means the world to us! Your contributions help us keep the show running and focus on creating interesting conversations with interesting people. Every dollar goes towards our basic needs, allowing us to dedicate more time and energy to this project. Support us here:https://www.patreon.com/uiuctalkshow Join The UIUC Talkshow Community! Become part of our community and unlock exclusive access to the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and special updates. Be the first to know about upcoming guests and new episodes! Join here:https://uiuctalkshow.substack.com/ Learn more about Juan David & Aaryaman: Aaryaman Website:https://www.aaryamanpatel.com/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaryamanpatel/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/aaryamanpatel Juan David Website:https://www.juandavidcampolargo.com/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/jdcampolargo LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdcampolargo Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jdcampolargo/

    29 min
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About

A show about the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas.

Information

  • Creator
    The UIUC Talkshow
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The UIUC Talkshow
  • Show Website
    The UIUC Talkshow