At a Distance

The Slowdown

A podcast about the bigger picture. Host Spencer Bailey calls on leading minds, from scientists and technologists to artists and climate activists, to zoom out and look at some of the planet’s most pressing issues from a whole-earth, long-view perspective.

#26 in the Top 100 anxiety All time chart

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Top 10 At a Distance Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best At a Distance episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to At a Distance for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite At a Distance episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Lesley Lokko on Imagining the Future Through an African Lens

At a Distance

03/13/23 • 27 min

Architect and novelist Lesley Lokko, the founder and director of the African Futures Institute and the curator of this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, discusses how, for her, the rich context of Africa has always served as a “testing ground for ideas” about the future; why she has become disenchanted with the academic establishment over time; and how architects serve as translators between the imaginary and the real.

Episode sponsored by MUD\WTR.

1 Listener

Chris Smaje on How Small Farms Could Fuel Our Future

At a Distance

11/10/20 • 29 min

Somerset, England–based farmer Chris Smaje, author of the new book “A Small Farm Future: Making the Case for a Society Built Around Local Economies, Self-Provisioning, Agricultural Diversity, and a Shared Earth,” discusses incentivizing a new generation of farmers, the problems inherent with cheap food, and how reconnecting people with nature could impact the “bullshit jobs” phenomenon.

1 Listener

Daniel Schmachtenberger on the Dire Need for an Open Society

At a Distance

12/06/21 • 48 min

Social philosopher Daniel Schmachtenberger, a founding member of The Consilience Project, discusses the importance of taking multiple perspectives on a single situation, the challenge of international coordination when trying to solve global problems, and how collective action can mitigate catastrophic and existential risk.

1 Listener

Suzanne Lee on the Circular, Lower-Impact Potential of Biomaterials

At a Distance

11/21/22 • 29 min

Fashion designer Suzanne Lee, the founder of Biofabricate, speaks with us about a new era of materials that could lead to more circular and regenerative systems, misunderstandings around the term “biomaterials,” and leaning into biology as a means of pushing the parameters of fashion forward.

Episode sponsored by Grand Seiko.

1 Listener

Pedro Gadanho on How Architecture Must Adapt to Our Ecological Emergency

At a Distance

07/10/23 • 30 min

Architect, writer, and curator Pedro Gadanho, author of the book “Climax Change!” and a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University, discusses how architects must increasingly innovate through densification and adaptive reuse rather than building anew; existing buildings as “material banks”; and the importance of downgrading our consumption levels, particularly in the Western world.

1 Listener

Charlayne Hunter-Gault on History as a Compass for Navigating the Present

At a Distance

11/20/23 • 30 min

The civil rights activist, award-winning journalist, and former NPR and CNN foreign correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault talks about her book “My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives”; why understanding history is like a form of armor in a world full of misinformation; and the transformational, life-altering notion of viewing herself as a “queen” from a young age.

1 Listener

Sarah Lohman on Creating a More Affordable, Healthful, and Moral Food System

At a Distance

10/23/23 • 24 min

The culinary historian Sarah Lohman, author of the new book “Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods,” talks about the importance of engaging with local foodways, why “the idea that eating McDonald’s is universally bad is woefully unaware of class and racial conflicts,” and how Indigenous communities across the U.S. are fighting to protect their heritage.

1 Listener

Rebecca Solnit on Slowness as a Superpower

At a Distance

12/11/23 • 53 min

Rebecca Solnit, the author of books including “A Paradise Built in Hell” (2009) and “Orwell’s Roses” (2021) and the co-editor of the new collection of essays “Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility,” discusses the long view as a “mind-blowing” way of looking at the world, why the majority of people tend to be altruistic and resourceful in a disaster, and why the climate crisis requires eschewing a scarcity mindset for one of abundance.

1 Listener

Leonard Koren on Being a Curious Aesthete

At a Distance

09/29/20 • 31 min

Artist, aesthetics expert, and writer Leonard Koren, author of the new book “Musings of a Curious Aesthete,” discusses the psychological benefits of bathing, how “action intellectuals” harness life’s experiences, and the enlightenment that comes from looking at things from a new perspective.

Virginia Heffernan on Donald Trump and “Tiger King” in the Time of Covid-19

At a Distance

04/08/20 • 45 min

Journalist and Trumpcast co-host Virginia Heffernan speaks with us about the perils of President Trump’s response to Covid-19, why she views Fox News as “a snuff-and-porn channel passing as news,” and her fascination with microbiology.

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FAQ

How many episodes does At a Distance have?

At a Distance currently has 167 episodes available.

What topics does At a Distance cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Anxiety, Truth, Climate, Documentary, Podcasts, Covid-19, Coronavirus, Fear, Philosophy and Health.

What is the most popular episode on At a Distance?

The episode title 'Charlayne Hunter-Gault on History as a Compass for Navigating the Present' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on At a Distance?

The average episode length on At a Distance is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of At a Distance released?

Episodes of At a Distance are typically released every 4 days, 23 hours.

When was the first episode of At a Distance?

The first episode of At a Distance was released on Mar 24, 2020.

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At a Distance

The Slowdown

Top 10 At a Distance Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does At a Distance have?

What topics does At a Distance cover?

What is the most popular episode on At a Distance?

What is the average episode length on At a Distance?

How often are episodes of At a Distance released?

When was the first episode of At a Distance?

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