Opening Session
Setup
Part 1. Contrary to Popular Opinion — Bill Maher in Real Time: The iconoclastic host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” sits down with Tina Brown to talk about calling out hypocrisy and malfeasance on right and left, the dangers of groupthink and his new book, “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.”
Part 2. Lifting the Veil on Iran: The brutal crackdown on women’s freedoms has not silenced an American-Iranian activist who has been agitating on behalf of women for a decade. Hear from the firebrand who is defying the Islamic Republic leadership, and from a historian who explains the current tinderbox of Iran...
Part 3. To Infinity and Beyond — The Most Powerful Woman in Space: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson leads a conversation with Space X COO and President, Gwynne Shotwell about the limitless future of space exploration and what’s next on the launch pad.
Speakers
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Gwynne ShotwellCOO, SpaceX
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Bill NelsonNASA Administrator
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Masih AlinejadJournalist
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Arash AziziHistorian and Writer
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Mary Louise KellyCo-Host, “All Things Considered,” NPR
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Bill MaherComedian and TV host
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Tina BrownGuest Curator, Aspen Ideas Festival
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Dan PorterfieldPresident and CEO of the Aspen Institute
Explore More
World
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Conflict and suffering can bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best. This is one of the lessons New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has learned...
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The war in Ukraine continues to reshape European security and global alliances, while the war in Gaza raises urgent questions about humanitarian aid and international interven...
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The grim stream of news from the Middle East has been making it more and more difficult to hold onto hope for peace. When and how will the conflict in Gaza end? And could war...
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For as long as humans have looked at the skies, we’ve speculated about whether there is life in space. Scientists, the U.S. military and the CIA have all searched for proof of...
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As one of the foremost reporters of his generation, Nicholas Kristof has been witness to century-defining events and atrocities around the world. How has he managed to weaponi...
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Africa is a rising giant. By 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African, and by 2060, Africa will have the largest labor force in the world. A former Nigerian pres...
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It sounds like sci-fi: Scientists are beaming solar energy from space, subbing seaweed for plastic and brightening clouds to reflect sunlight to lower temperatures in a warmin...
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*No food or service animals allowed in this session.* The creator of Fat Bear Week in Alaska gives insight on the importance of wildlife education, and then ecologists unpack...
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With the war in Ukraine in its third year, Putin shows no sign of tempering his military ambitions. Though global pressure on Russian investment has so far failed to crush the...
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Of the 1.2 billion youth aged 15 to 24 worldwide in 2019, close to half were out of school, out of work or underemployed, and this number will continue to grow. Listen as glob...
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Right-wing populism is surging worldwide, in places as diverse as India, the Netherlands, Argentina, France and the United States. What are the cultural and social forces driv...
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Hear from Mexican investigative journalist Anabel Hernández, who risks her life to investigate drug cartels and the people in power who protect them, and former assistant U.S....
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The October 7 attack by Hamas and the devastating nine-month war in Gaza have shattered hopes for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reduced the likelihood of expa...
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The October 7 attack by Hamas and the devastating nine-month war in Gaza have shattered hopes for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reduced the likelihood of expa...
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Brain-computer interfaces show potential to restore function to people impacted by incurable neurological conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury...
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Scientists are developing life-extending drugs for dogs, and new advancements could bring them to market by 2025. Two leaders working to slow the aging process for Fido discus...
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As repressive regimes clamp down on the press, they are now targeting media owners. China shut Hong Kong’s Apple Daily and locked up owner Jimmy Lai. Guatemala’s El Periódico...
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With antisemitism resurgent, Simon Schama, acclaimed author of “The Story of the Jews,” speaks about the magnitude of the problem, examining “the oldest hatred” from the time...
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Across the chasm of anger that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some families who have lost loved ones have found common cause in their grief. Hear from those who eschew r...