The Center of the Universe
Wendy Freedman serves as director of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. From offices still located in Pasadena, Freedman oversees the development of major new telescopes at the Carnegie site in Las Campanas, Chile. Freedman recently spoke with Vision contributor Dan Cloer concerning her work and the next era of astronomy.
A Forever Question and Challenge
In his semi-retirement from a long career that focused (literally) on other planets, scientist Robert Nathan has turned his attention back to Earth and to how we humans can extend our stay here.
Politics and Religion, Politics as Religion
In times of crisis, people look for someone to deliver them. Historically, those who stepped in to fill the role often made use of religious symbolism to establish and further their power. Italian author and historian Emilio Gentile discusses what happens when politics and religion mix.
Teens, Parents, and Teen Parents
Vision interviews Bill Albert, chief program officer for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, on the importance of healthy relationships.
And Then What?
Vision interviews Paul Ehrlich, whose dire predictions about the effect of a burgeoning world population never came to pass. He may have got the dates wrong, he says, but not the gravity of the problem.
Communicating With Style
Deborah Tannen holds the esteemed rank of University Professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. A respected linguistics scholar who has written extensively within the scholarly community, she is also author of six books for popular audiences. Vision’s Gina Stepp talked with Tannen about some common misperceptions that can get in the way of effective communication.
Parent Talk
Ruth Nemzoff, a mother of four and grandmother of six, is a researcher and resident scholar at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. At the heart of Nemzoff’s research and writing is the fact that we are all flawed human beings, and that the task of building relationships requires forgiving each other for our humanness—that is, our flaws. To do this, we in turn need to forgive our own parents.
Teen Pregnancy and TV: The Good, The Bad and the Reality
Gina Stepp's conversation with Bill Albert (chief program officer for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy) leads to a discussion of the roles that family and media play in teen pregnancy rates.
Like the Arms of an Octopus
Vision's Gina Stepp interviews Thomas J. Hoffman, professor of Political Science at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. Much of Hoffman's research focusing on teen pregnancy and child abuse has been pursued in collaboration with faculty from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Dr. Hoffman also serves as an associate editor for The Social Science Journal.
Building Peace
Career diplomat Uri Savir has a passion for peace in the Middle East. This interview by publisher and Mideast scholar David Hulme is Savir’s second for Vision. The first (“Peace Talk”) appeared in the Spring 2000 issue.
In the Garden of the Mind
In 1996 brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor was on the fast track of her profession. But on December 10, 1996, the energetic brain scientist had a stroke. Her recovery took eight years, but it was anything but time lost.
Reclaiming Their Youth
Though recruiting children to serve in armed forces may violate the average person’s sensibilities, military organizations as well as non-state opposition groups in war-ravaged areas of the world often do just that.
The Many Faces of Forgiveness
Vision publisher David Hulme interviews Boston University professor Charles L. Griswold who explores the subject of forgiveness: what it is, what it isn’t, and how it plays out in our politicized world as well as in our individual lives.
The Lost Relationship: Fathers and Daughters
Linda Nielsen, interviewed by Vision’s Gina Stepp, is a psychologist and professor of adolescent psychology and women’s studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Author of Embracing Your Father: How to Build the Relationship You Always Wanted with Your Dad (2004), Nielsen also teaches a “Fathers and Daughters” course, the only one of its kind in the United States for nearly 20 years.
The Big Bang: Science or Scientism?
In addition to plasma physics, Eric J. Lerner, president of Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc., in New Jersey has written and done extensive research in the fields of cosmology and astrophysics. It is on the subject of cosmology that Vision contributor Dan Cloer recently interviewed him.
An Astronomer Attempts to Explain Spirituality
Is science opening the way to a new form of human spirituality that will transcend ancient ideas of a supernatural creator? Vision interviews one astronomer who seems to think so.
Neuroscience Enlightens Leadership
As research into the mind develops, we will see neuroscience being applied to more and more areas of human behavior. Most recently, international business consultant David Rock applied it to the art of leadership and coined the term neuroleadership.
Peace Talk: Effie Eitam, MK
Middle East scholar David Hulme interviews another key player in that region's ongoing conflict, Knesset member Effie Eitam.
Hope Springs Eternal
Ishmael Beah Ishmael Beah was 12 years old when Sierra Leone's brutal, decade-long civil war reached his village in January 1993. Soon he found himself swept up into the army, a child soldier.
On Abolishing Slavery (Again)
Kevin Bales is president of Free the Slaves in Washington, D.C., and a professor of sociology at Roehampton University in London. He is considered the world’s leading expert on contemporary slavery, and his book Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy has become a recognized manual on the subject.
Beatrice Fernando: Former Slave in Lebanon
Vision contributor Bill Butler interviews Beatrice Fernando about her experience of being sold into servitude in Lebanon.
Meeting the Challenge of Rescue and Rehabilitation
Jessica Donohue, director of Trafficked Persons Assistance at YMCA International Services in Houston, Texas, discusses with Vision what is being done through coordinated efforts of key government and volunteer groups in Houston to rescue and rehabilitate those forced into human trafficking.
Maria Suarez: Enslaved and Abused
Maria Suarez was enslaved at the age of 16. Her captor, a 65- or 70-year-old man, abused her physically, emotionally and mentally every day for five years. A neighbor finally killed her captor but Maria was falsely accused of the murder and was imprisoned for more than 22 years until being pardoned by the governor or California. Vision interviewed her recently to see how she is coping with her freedom.
Banking on Trust
In Bangladesh, a visionary professor turned the banking system upside down three decades ago. Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank, tells Vision what effect this has had on the poor of his country.
Stem Cell Research: Setting the Moral Frame
Stanford University's William B. Hurlbut, a member of the President's Council on Bioethics, discusses his proposed alternative to using embryonic stem cells in the controversial field of stem cell research.
Liah Greenfeld: In the National Interest
What role will nationalism play in the developing global economy? Liah Greenfeld of Boston University offers her view.
What Do We Know About Mary Magdalene?
Vision contributor David Lloyd interviews scholar and author Susan Haskins on the subject of Mary Magdalene. She is the author of Mary Magdalen: Myth and Metaphor, published in hardback in 2004 by Konecky & Konecky.
Source Code
Contributing writers David Lloyd and Peter Nathan discuss The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene and Gnosticism with Dr. James M. Robinson. Dr. Robinson is General Editor of The Nag Hammadi Library; former director of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity and Professor Emeritus of Religion, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California.
Final Solutions, Part 2
Vision publisher David Hulme continues his discussion with three historians and a filmmaker about the Holocaust. How could it have occurred, and could it ever happen again? Roundtable discussion with Christopher Browning, Sir Ian Kershaw, Steven Ozment & Arnold Schwartzman.
Final Solutions, Part 1
Vision publisher David Hulme talks with three historians and a filmmaker about the Holocaust. How could it have occurred, and could it ever happen again? Roundtable discussion with Christopher Browning, Sir Ian Kershaw, Steven Ozment & Arnold Schwartzman.
Paula Fredriksen: Paul and Paula
Author and early-church historian Paula Fredriksen discusses the life and times of the apostle Paul.
From Jew to Gentile?
James D. Tabor, chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a specialist in biblical studies, spoke with publisher David Hulme about the apostle Paul.
Our Fragile Future
Vision speaks with cosmologist Sir Martin Rees, Britain's Astronomer Royal, about the main threats facing humanity.
Answers & Questions
Vision publisher David Hulme interviews Charles A. Pasternak, a noted British biochemist and the founding director of the Oxford International Biomedical Centre.
Making the Case for Design
William Dembski, a key proponent of intelligent design, talks with Vision publisher David Hulme and contributor John C. Anderson about some of the issues and challenges facing the movement.
Europe's State of Mind
Will the European Dream supplant the American Dream as the dominant social force shaping the world? Vision puts the question to noted author and social critic Jeremy Rifkin.
Is Christianity Off Base?
Vision publisher David Hulme interviews theologian John Garr, president of Restoration Foundation for an upcoming television program Quest for the Real Paul.
Special Report: Rewiring the Brain: Fusing Mind and Matter
Vision interviews brain researcher Jeffrey M. Schwartz.
When More Is Less
Environmentalist Bill McKibben offers some succinct thoughts on our consumer age.
The Tale of Two Cities
Vision interviews Afif Safieh, a leading PLO representative for a Palestinian perpsective on how Jerusalem can have peace.
Jerusalem: The Fragile Mosaic
In an interview with Vision, historian Bernard Wasserstein offers a Jewish perspective on the importance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people and on the likelihood of a peaceful resolution of the "Jerusalem Question."
The Global Warming Debate: Who Turned Up the Heat?
How much have humans contributed to the problem, and what should we do about it? Crispin Tickell says we need to act now to undo the damage.
The Global Warming Debate: Should Cooler Heads Prevail?
Sallie Baliunas says science doesn't support the popular view.
Air Sick
Vision speaks with Farrol Kahn, founder and director of the Aviation Medicine Institute, about health issues related to flying.
To Have and to Hold
David H. Olson, president of Life Innovations, talks to Vision about the subject of marriage and discusses some of the challenges facing couples today.
Tyndale's Crucible
Vision contributor Robyn Page interviews author David Daniell about William Tyndale and the often overlooked importance of the 16th-century translator's work.
Islam: Putting the Pieces Together
Vision speaks with Malise Ruthven, a noted authority on Islam, about the events of September 11, 2001.
Consumerism and the Family Farm
The family farm is all but disappearing from the American landscape, and with it a unique and vital breed: the independent farmer.
Taking the Bounce Out of Boys
Vision contributor Thomas Fitzpatrick interviews author Christina Hoff Sommers about the upbringing of boys.
The Invisible Enemy
Can the battle against AIDS in South Africa be won? Vision interviews author Clem Sunter on the subject. Sunter serves on the board of governors of the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS.
The New War
Preeminent military historian, Sir John Keegan, talks to Vision about the impact of September 11 and what it means for the future of war.
Hands-On Parenting
Vision contributor Rebecca Sweat interviews psychologist William Damon, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, and a professor of education at Stanford University. Damon gives advice on raising children in today's society.
Medals of Honor
As the world celebrates the centennial of the Nobel prizes, Vision interviews the foremost expert on the history of the coveted peace prize. Interview with Irwin Abrams.
Taming the Monster Inside Us
Vision publisher David Hulme interviews author Jonathan Glover about his book Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century. Glover is director of the Center of Medical Law and Ethics at King's College, London.
Wading Into the Gene Pool
Contributing writer Rebecca Sweat interviews W. French Anderson, M.D., director of Gene Therapy Laboratories at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He is the program coordinator for gene therapy at the school’s Institute of Genetic Medicine and has been involved in gene therapy research for nearly four decades.
The Ultimate Commodity
Vision publisher David Hulme interviews Jeremy Rifkin, president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, about the sweeping changes the Information Age is bringing and the tough choices those changes demand of us.
Peace Talk: Abu Ala
Vision interviews two key players in the Middle East peace talks.
Peace Talk: Uri Savir
Vision interviews two key players in the Middle East peace talks.
Jerusalem: City of Peace?
David Hulme, publisher of Vision, interviews Shimon Peres, former prime minister of Israel, member of the Knesset and founder of the Peres Center for Peace. The following is a transcript of the interview.
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