Billions of people travel internationally every year. We wondered, is it a need to authentically know a new place and people, or, is it all for the 'gram, aka an Instagram post?

On this episode of Can Anyone Tell Me, University of St. Thomas-Houston student Nhung Phan asks, "Does travel make you a better person?"

Host and MAX Studios Creative Director Darnell Miller talks with Dr. Hans Stockton, UST Associate Vice President of International Relations and Engagement, about travel and it's ultimate value for a person. In their conversation, they break open the difference between tourism and traveling internationally to stay for a while. Dr. Stockton tells about the importance of experience, reflection and allowing travel to surprise you. He mentions approaching it with curiosity and compassion while trying to immerse yourself in the culture around you. Finally, he shares who is his ideal celebrity traveler (spoiler alert, it's Keanu Reeves).

Learn more about Dr. Stockton, https://www.stthom.edu/Faculty/Faculty-Directory.aqf?Faculty_ID=122623

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In a galaxy far, far away - the Star Wars Universe - the Jedi are an order of warriors, politicians, and mystics, who, at a glance, draw a remarkable likeness to some Catholic religious orders.

On this episode of Can Anyone Tell Me, University of St. Thomas-Houston student Edgardo Giron asks, "If the Jedi Order was a Catholic religious order, which one would they be?"

Host and MAX Studios Creative Director Darnell Miller talks with Dr. Thomas Harmon, UST Scanlan Foundation Chair of Theology, Director of the Masters in Evangelization and Culture program, and Associate Director of Catholic Studies, about just that - Jedi and Catholic religious orders.

In their conversation, they dig into the similarities and differences between Catholic religious and Jedi including their acts of service, healing, and obedience. Dr. Harmon describes how each understand detachment and the role of community. They also look at some specific Jedi and try to pair them with a real-life religious order. All in all, they talk about why conversations about where theology and culture meet matter.

Learn more about Dr. Harmon https://downtime.stthom.edu/Faculty/Faculty-Directory.aqf?Faculty_ID=00131328

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Laughter is part of the human experience, baked into our DNA, explored for thousands of years, from the ancient Greek playwrights to our standup comics of today.

On this episode of a new series by MAX Studios, Can Anyone Tell Me, Abi Bielstein asks "Is laughter what makes us human?". Host and MAX Studios Creative Director Darnell Miller is our guide into this complex question.

Dr. Shivas Amin, associate professor of Biology at University of St. Thomas (UST), talks about whether laughter sets us apart from other animals or what he thinks sets humans apart from a biological perspective.

Then Fr. Dempsey Rosales Acosta, professor of Theology at UST, talks about what our laughter and humor reveals about our nature and how God created us in His image.

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