Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda
335 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 3.4K ratingsLearn to connect better with others in every area of your life. Immerse yourself in spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect with other people – whether it’s one person, an audience or a whole country. You'll know many of the people in these conversations – they are luminaries in our culture. Some you may not know. But what links them all is their powerful ability to relate and communicate. It's something we need now more than ever.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Jaron Lanier on Why You Should Delete Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
January 08, 2019 02:15 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBShould you shut down your social media accounts right now? Jaron Lanier thinks so, and he knows the tech world. He helped build the Internet and was one of the creators of virtual reality. But now, he believes something has gone very wrong with our new digital world. In this episode, Jaron joins Alan Alda to discuss social media addiction, the crisis at Facebook, how our behavior is being subtly manipulated, and how the means of communication that we hoped would bring us closer together - is...
Rachael Ray on Communicating Through the Medium of Food
December 17, 2018 13:11 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBRachael Ray knows how to relate over food. When she cooks, she's always thinking about her audience and how to communicate a message through the medium of food. Her energy and talent have led her to create a billion dollar lifestyle empire, built around the concept of fun, healthy, and joyous experiences with food. In this episode of Clear+Vivid, Rachael Ray and Alan Alda cook up some pasta together and enjoy a lively conversation around the dinner table! This special holiday episode is spon...
W. Kamau Bell on How He Communicates with Racists
December 11, 2018 02:15 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MBW. Kamau Bell, the host of CNN's "United Shades of America,” describes his show as giving people a “microphone” and “public square to tell their version of the story.” Putting it plainly, he's said his greatest gift as a communicator is in knowing, “... how to shut the f*ck up and let people talk.” Kamau is a gifted stand up comedian who delivers his comedy through a socio-political lens. In this episode of Clear+Vivid, Alan Alda asks W. Kamau Bell about his approach to comedy and how it's po...
W. Kamau Bell on How He Communicates with Racists
December 11, 2018 02:15 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MBW. Kamau Bell, the host of CNN's "United Shades of America,” describes his show as giving people a “microphone” and “public square to tell their version of the story.” Putting it plainly, he's said his greatest gift as a communicator is in knowing, “... how to shut the f*ck up and let people talk.” Kamau is a gifted stand up comedian who delivers his comedy through a socio-political lens. In this episode of Clear+Vivid, Alan Alda asks W. Kamau Bell about his approach to comedy and how it's p...
How the Alda Center Teaches Empathy in Science, and Medicine (Part 3)
December 08, 2018 02:15 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MBThe most important time in your life can be those few minutes when you're in the doctors office - this is a critical time for you to tell your story and for your doctor to listen. 80% of correct diagnoses are made when doctors get the whole history from their patients. And the more empathic the communication, the better the diagnosis. In this last episode of our 3-part series, we speak with Dr. Susmita Pati and Dr. Laura Lindenfeld at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony B...
Dr. Karl VanDevender: Empathy and the Doctor-Patient Relationship (Part 2)
December 06, 2018 02:15 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBDr. Karl VanDevender is one of the most empathic doctors you'll ever meet. In fact, he's one of the most empathic people that Alan Alda has ever met! Dr. VanDevender has been practicing medicine for forty years and in that time he has learned some interesting ways to connect with his patients, resulting in surprisingly positive results. Dr. VanDevender has a lot to teach us about the doctor-patient relationship, and how it can lead to better health. Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda is devoting a s...
Dr. Helen Riess on Empathy and the Science of Emotion (Part 1 of 3)
December 04, 2018 02:15 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBRelating and communicating in the doctor’s office can sometimes be a matter of life or death. Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda is devoting a special series of three shows to doctor-patient relations and how better understanding can be achieved through empathy and deeper listening. First up is Dr. Helen Riess whose research has shown that not only is empathy important to the doctor-patient relationship, but that, when it’s lacking, empathy can be taught. Join us for this episode with Dr. Riess, fol...
Marc Maron on What Podcasting Has Taught Him About Relating
November 27, 2018 02:15 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBMarc Maron is a legend in both the stand-up community and also as a podcaster. His WTF Podcast broke new ground in the interview genre when he welcomed President Obama onto his show and helped to truly define the independent podcast movement. But Marc’s rise to the top has been an arduous personal journey. As a comedian and performer he’s dealt with anxiety and other issues that have haunted him over the years. He talks with Alan Alda about his personal life and how podcasting helped him to ...
Neil deGrasse Tyson on Communicating Science So We Actually Get It
November 20, 2018 02:15 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBThe universe has wonders that can stun us — if only someone could be clear and vivid in explaining them to us. Neil deGrasse Tyson does just that, which has put him among the most recognized science communicators of the 21st Century. He’s not only an astrophysicist, an author, and the head of the world-renowned Hayden Planetarium, he’s also funny. In this episode Alan and Neil explore some surprising techniques for making hard stuff clear, including how a particular football play can explain...
Michael J. Fox: How to Keep Going When Life Gives You Speed Bumps
November 13, 2018 02:15 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBMichael J. Fox was diagnosed with young on-set Parkinson's Disease in 1991. He threw himself into his work and fell into moments of depression and alcohol abuse. But, in 1998, when he went public with his story, he changed the way the world looked at Parkinson's Disease and has now raised nearly a billion dollars in research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which he founded. And he inspired many other people with the disease to not let it stop them -- including Alan Alda. Alan was diag...
Behind the Scenes Table Talk with Alan Alda and the Production Team
November 06, 2018 02:15 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBGo behind the scenes with the Clear+Vivid team! Alan Alda sits down with his friend and long time producer, Graham Chedd, to talk about podcasting, their years together on Scientific American Frontiers, and their enduring friendship. Alan and Graham are joined by Associate Producer, Sarah Chase, who is also the voice of the ads and helps Alan run his company, Alda Communication Training (ACT). Our "Tech Guru," Allison Coston also joins in and tells us about her 6 years in the U.S. Navy. The t...
Behind the Scenes Table Talk with Alan Alda and the Production Team
November 06, 2018 02:15 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBGo behind the scenes with the Clear+Vivid team! Alan Alda sits down with his friend and long time producer, Graham Chedd, to talk about podcasting, their years together on Scientific American Frontiers, and their enduring friendship. Alan and Graham are joined by Associate Producer, Sarah Chase, who is also the voice of the ads and helps Alan run his company, Alda Communication Training (ACT). Our "Tech Guru," Allison Coston also joins in and tells us about her 6 years in the U.S. Navy. The ...
Katie Couric and Sheryl Sandberg Take Over the Pod
October 30, 2018 01:15 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBWhile Alan Alda is on vacation, he's invited his friend Katie Couric to take over the pod with some of her favorite episodes! Alan's producers interviewed Katie about this episode and Katie talks about the shared experience that she and Sheryl Sandberg have in common. After her husband died suddenly from a cardiac arrhythmia, Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg (Lean In) thought she would never experience true joy again. Sheryl speaks about her book, Option B, that delves into how she proved hers...
Katie Couric and Bryan Stevenson Take Over the Pod
October 23, 2018 01:15 - 50 minutes - 46 MBAlan is on vacation (literally). So, he asked his friend Katie Couric if she'd lend him a couple of episodes of her podcast. Alan sent in his producers to interview Katie about her podcast. In this episode Katie and her co-host Brian Goldsmith welcome Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Bryan could have gone anywhere—he chose to move to Alabama to help confront racial disparities and reform the criminal justice system. On the pod, they d...
Season 2 of Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda Starts Nov 13th - Official Trailer
October 02, 2018 02:30 - 2 minutes - 2.98 MBSeason 2 of Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda starts on November 13th! Listen to the official trailer to meet some of Alan's next guests -- you're not going to want to miss the spectacular bonus episodes in the works! New episodes are available every Tuesday. Subscribe and listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you like to enjoy podcasts. For more details and to subscribe to Alan's newsletter, please visit AlanAlda.com. These episodes are made possible thanks to the generous suppo...
Season 2 of Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda Starts Nov 13th - Official Trailer
October 02, 2018 02:30 - 2 minutes - 2.64 MBSeason 2 of Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda starts on November 13th! Listen to the official trailer to meet some of Alan's next guests -- you're not going to want to miss the spectacular bonus episodes in the works! New episodes are available every Tuesday. Subscribe and listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you like to enjoy podcasts. For more details and to subscribe to Alan's newsletter, please visit AlanAlda.com. These episodes are made possible thanks to the generous suppor...
Hostage Crisis: How to Negotiate Through the Unthinkable with Chris Voss
October 02, 2018 01:15 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBChris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator who has used communication to save lives. Alan Alda interviews Chris about his experiences and they discuss intense situations where empathy has been successfully used as a tool to guard against the unthinkable. Alan also has a few tricks up his own sleeve as he lures Chris into a role play situation to see how well he does under pressure. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Father Greg Boyle on Compassion, Kinship, and Real Ways to Help Others
September 25, 2018 01:15 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBHow do you talk to a member of a deadly gang? How do you help someone leave that life, and why did they join it in the first place? The answers are surprising. And they throw light on how to communicate with anyone. In this episode of Clear+Vivid Alan Alda has a lively and eye-opening conversation with Father Greg Boyle who tells how his Homeboys Industries in Los Angeles has been a lifeline to thousands of young people escaping the deadly culture of gang life. And how he answers violence wi...
Isabella Rossellini on Communicating the Wonder of Nature
September 18, 2018 01:15 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBIsabella Rossellini is a legendary actress, iconic model, filmmaker, writer, and now - if that's not enough - she's working on her master's degree in Animal Behavior. In this wildly fun conversation, Alan Alda talks with Isabella about how how animals communicate with one another and with us. And how Isabella communicates with us about the sometimes bizarre sex lives of animals — in her popular video series called "Green Porno." Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
The Quest to Understand Ourselves Through Art and Mind
September 11, 2018 01:15 - 40 minutes - 37 MBIs a work of art complete if no one experiences it? Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel talks with Alan Alda about the vital role of the audience when we communicate through art and story And his prize-winning discoveries on memory come alive in his own memorable stories. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Cheryl Strayed Shares Her Advice on How to Give Advice
September 04, 2018 01:15 - 45 minutes - 42 MBCheryl Strayed, one of the most exciting and uplifting authors of our time, is funny, down to earth, complex, and the perfect person to offer Alan Alda solid advice about how to give good advice. She's the author of Tiny Beautiful Things and the co-host of the New York Times/WBUR podcast Dear Sugars, which originated with her popular Dear Sugar advice column, and she's the co-author of The Sweet Spot advice column in the New York Times Thursday Styles section. Her novel, Wild, about her lif...
Cheryl Strayed Shares Her Advice on How to Give Advice
September 04, 2018 01:15 - 45 minutes - 42 MBCheryl Strayed, one of the most exciting and uplifting authors of our time, is funny, down to earth, complex, and the perfect person to offer Alan Alda solid advice about how to give good advice. She's the author of Tiny Beautiful Things and the co-host of the New York Times/WBUR podcast Dear Sugars, which originated with her popular Dear Sugar advice column, and she's the co-author of The Sweet Spot advice column in the New York Times Thursday Styles section. Her novel, Wild, about her life...
George Mitchell on Bringing Together Enemies - Part 2 Northern Ireland
August 28, 2018 01:15 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MBGeorge Mitchell helped end decades of lethal violence in Northern Ireland with the historic accord known as the Good Friday Agreement. In this episode Alan Alda talks with Sen. Mitchell about how he achieved that agreement through effective communication, and an understanding of human nature. He describes the essential elements of effective communication that brought together the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom as well as the political parties of Northern Ireland, bringing an e...
Tina Fey and the Transformative Power of Improv
August 21, 2018 04:05 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBTwo icons of improv and comedy together on the same podcast. Alan Alda and Tina Fey - do we need to say more? This episode was originally recorded live on stage. Tina also joined Alan in studio to answer 7 questions about herself. Her answers are profound and funny and show why she's one of the great comedians of all time. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Ann Patchett on Novelists and the Sources of Empathy in Story
August 14, 2018 04:10 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBAnn Patchett is a best selling author with an uncanny ability to write amazing characters, who capture our imagination and hold us in their emotional grip. Alan Alda talks with Ann about her approach to writing and how empathy influences both her stories and her personal life. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Bringing Together Enemies - Part 1: The Middle East
August 07, 2018 01:15 - 41 minutes - 38 MBAuthor and activist Letty Cottin Pogrebin reflects on the modern state of feminism and the #MeToo movement – and how she’s brought people together in the Middle East through experiences that change their understanding of one another. (In Part 2 of these conversations on “Bringing Enemies Together” Senator George Mitchell discusses bringing peace to Northern Ireland.) Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Bringing Together Enemies - Part 1: The Middle East
August 07, 2018 01:15 - 41 minutes - 38 MBAuthor and activist Letty Cottin Pogrebin reflects on the modern state of feminism and the #MeToo movement – and how she’s brought people together in the Middle East through experiences that change their understanding of one another. (In Part 2 of these conversations on “Bringing Enemies Together” Senator George Mitchell discusses bringing peace to Northern Ireland.) Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Empathy Good or Bad? A Conversation with Paul Bloom
July 31, 2018 01:10 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBYale Professor Paul Bloom doesn't think empathy is such a good thing. He's even written a book about it called, The Case Against Empathy. However, he does have an interesting theory about what he calls rational compassion. Paul and Alan Alda discuss their views for and against empathy and find out that they have more in common than they thought. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Renée Fleming and the Healing Power of Music
July 24, 2018 01:10 - 39 minutes - 36 MBSurprisingly, Renée Fleming has been using her iconic voice to help scientists discover how music heals us. Alan talks with Renée about their mutual interest in science, her new starring role in Carousel, and what it's like to really be present as a performer. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Judge Judy on How to Figure Out Who’s Telling the Truth
July 17, 2018 04:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBEvery day, 10 million Americans watch Judge Judy on TV. Her style is direct and to the point. Her job is to know how to quickly separate fact from fiction. She talks with Alan about justice and what it's like for a judge to have such an impact on the lives of others. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Kate Bowler and How to Handle the Worst News of All
July 13, 2018 04:00 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBAlan talks with Kate about the awkward, funny, and often misguided, ways people approach the subject when they know someone is seriously ill. New York Times Bestselling author and Duke University divinity professor, Kate Bowler tells Alan how stage 4 cancer led her to write a humorous, and graceful book about communicating with someone who’s received the worst possible news. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Itzhak Perlman on the Spontaneity and Connection of Performance
July 09, 2018 23:30 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MBIn this delightful and spirited conversation, Alan Alda talks with his good friend the world-renowned violinist, Itzhak Perlman. They explore the power of spontaneity in both music and acting, and what happens when a musician talks to the audience. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Sarah Silverman and the Joy of Enjoying People You Don't Agree With
July 09, 2018 23:25 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBAlan Alda talks with comedian Sarah Silverman about how she befriended someone who was hateful toward her on Twitter, and how her new series on Hulu challenges her to connect with people that she doesn't agree with. Her question to us is “Can Americans put down their "porcupine needles" and really listen to one another again?” Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid
Clear + Vivid™ with Alan Alda - Official Trailer
May 23, 2018 10:35 - 1 minute - 1020 KBClear and Vivid is a series of Alan Alda’s spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect with other people – whether it’s one person, an audience or a whole country. You'll know many of the people in these conversations – they are luminaries in our culture. Some you may not know. But what links them all is their powerful ability to relate and communicate. With his unique blend of humor and insight, Alda explores the ways we can conne...
Clear + Vivid™ with Alan Alda - Official Trailer
May 23, 2018 10:35 - 1 minute - 1020 KBClear and Vivid is a series of Alan Alda’s spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect with other people – whether it’s one person, an audience or a whole country. You'll know many of the people in these conversations – they are luminaries in our culture. Some you may not know. But what links them all is their powerful ability to relate and communicate. With his unique blend of humor and insight, Alda explores the ways we can connec...