Episodes

  • GOOOAL!!!

    GOOOAL!!!
    Jan 29 2026
    As the world braces for another difficult year, a single global event promises to capture the attention of billions: the FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In this episode, New Thinking for a New World takes a detour from geopolitics and climate to explore how an event of this scale actually comes together. Gabriela Cuevas—an experienced Mexican political leader—has the daunting task of coordinating Mexico’s role in a 104-match tournament watched around the globe. She joins the podcast to discuss the logistical, political, and cultural challenges of hosting the world’s most popular sporting event—and the opportunities it creates for countries and communities alike.
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    30 mins
  • Thinking Differently About the Rainforests

    Thinking Differently About the Rainforests
    Dec 18 2025
    For decades, warnings about the destruction of the Amazon and Congo rainforests have grown louder, even as meaningful action has lagged behind. International summits and political declarations continue, but the forests edge closer to dangerous tipping points. In this episode, we ask whether a different approach is needed. Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Dr. Fernando Trujillo, and Sam Muller bring perspectives shaped by hands-on experience in conservation, science, justice, and governance. Together, they argue that protecting the world’s great rainforests is not only an environmental challenge, but also one of equity, economic development, and power—and that lasting solutions are more likely to emerge from the ground up than from global pledges alone.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Inheriting Trauma

    Inheriting Trauma
    Dec 11 2025
    The world is entering a new era of conflict: more violent, more fragmented, and with more civilians caught in the crossfire than at any time since World War II. But the consequences of war may extend far beyond the battlefield. Rana Dajani, Jordanian molecular biologist and long-time member of the Tällberg network, is part of a research team uncovering how traumatic violence might alter gene expression and affect not only survivors but also their children and grandchildren. In this episode, she explains the emerging science behind intergenerational trauma and explores what these findings could mean for societies living through—and after—conflict.
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    33 mins
  • What Has the Whale to Say?

    What Has the Whale to Say?
    Dec 4 2025
    Sperm whales are among the most extraordinary creatures on the planet—massive, deep-diving, highly social, and constantly communicating. David Gruber, marine biologist and founder of Project CETI, leads a global team of scientists using cutting-edge technology to decode the vocalizations of these remarkable animals. A 2025 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winner, Gruber explains how understanding whale communication isn’t about speaking to them, but about learning how they see and interact with the world we share. In this episode, he discusses the science, wonder, and purpose behind CETI—and what unlocking whale language could mean for humanity.
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    36 mins
  • Greek Classics—Modern Life

    Greek Classics—Modern Life
    Nov 27 2025
    For thousands of years, Greek tragedies have helped people make sense of fear, grief, conflict, and the complexities of being human. Bryan Doerries—co-founder and Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions and a newly selected Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winner—has spent nearly two decades bringing these timeless texts to contemporary audiences. In this episode, he reflects on how classical stories open space for empathy, dialogue, and healing in the 21st century. By stripping away the myth that our struggles are unique to our time, Doerries helps reveal what connects us across cultures and generations.
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    45 mins
  • Reimagining Environmental Journalism

    Reimagining Environmental Journalism
    Nov 20 2025
    Climate change is accelerating, but reliable information about what is really happening on the ground is still far too rare. Rhett Ayers Butler—founder of Mongabay and a 2025 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winner—has built one of the world’s most trusted platforms for independent environmental journalism. In this episode, he explains why empowering communities with accurate reporting, elevating local and Indigenous voices, and grounding public debate in science are essential to driving meaningful environmental action. His work shows how journalism, done right, can inform, inspire, and help protect both people and the planet.
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    34 mins
  • Interesting Times: Colombia Edition

    Interesting Times: Colombia Edition
    Nov 6 2025
    “May you live in interesting times,” goes the old saying—and for Colombia, these are indeed interesting times. The country faces rising political violence, institutional strain, and the possibility of a constitutional crisis. In this episode, Paula Moreno—former Minister of Culture and founder of Manos Visibles—explores what leadership looks like when everything seems uncertain. Drawing on her experience in government, civil society, and cultural transformation, Moreno offers a perspective rooted in courage, inclusion, and integrity. Her reflections extend beyond Colombia, revealing what it means to lead in an era defined by complexity and change.
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    32 mins
  • Rinsing and Repeating Our Way to Climate Disaster? Is There a Better Way?

    Rinsing and Repeating Our Way to Climate Disaster? Is There a Better Way?
    Oct 30 2025
    Thirty years after the United Nations first called for global action on climate change, progress remains painfully slow. Year after year, world leaders meet, make promises, and defer real solutions. Why? Because top-down global governance continues to fail in a world divided by power, politics, and inequality. In this episode, Linwood Pendleton, Global Coordinator of the Ocean Knowledge Action Network, argues that it’s time to look elsewhere for answers. Drawing on his work with Indigenous academics, ocean scientists, and local communities around the world, he explains why true progress depends on wisdom from the ground up. Hope, he insists, lies not in endless summits—but in reconnecting with knowledge systems that already know how to live in balance with the planet.
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    33 mins