Forbidden Conversations

David Sutcliffe is a coach, teacher, workshop facilitator, and podcast host. He is a certified Somatic Practitioner, trained in Core Energetics. A former actor, he's best known for his role on the popular TV series Gilmore Girls. Born and raised in Canada, he now lives in Valle de Bravo, Mexico with his wife, Diana.

Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a leading scholar in the study of extremism, radicalization, and polarization, whose work bridges academic research and practical interventions. As the director of the Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University, her research informs policy, media, and community-based strategies to address pressing global challenges. Her publications and contributions offer critical insights into understanding and preventing the dynamics of hate and violence.More about her work at: https://www.cynthiamilleridriss.com/

Zion Lights is an award-winning science communicator and environmental advocate, widely recognised for challenging conventional environmental narratives. She champions a science-led vision of human progress, in which energy poverty is alleviated.Zion is notable particularly for her success with advocating for nuclear energy. With over 10 years of experience in communications, public engagement, public speaking, messaging strategy, and journalism in the climate space, Zion brought her expertise to nuclear energy and has played a key role in shifting the global narrative on nuclear energy. She founded Emergency Reactor, the UK’s first pro-nuclear environmental campaign group, and her advocacy directly led to government proposals to build new nuclear and public perception shifts. As part of her public engagement strategy, Zion was the first person to have a pro-nuclear article published in two of Britain’s most-read newspapers.As the former Editor of Extinction Rebellion's print newspaper, The Hourglass, Zion played a pivotal role in elevating climate discourse in the UK, achieving remarkable distribution figures and media reviews. As a spokesperson for the group, she highlighted the need for action on climate change on major outlets such as BBC Politics Live, Good Morning Britain, Byline TV, Sky News, The Andrew Neil Show, France 24, Debatten in Denmark, and Arirang News in South Korea. She has also appeared in several documentaries.Zion is the author of the evidence-based book The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting and recently contributed to humanitarian Rob Greenfield's Zero Waste Kids and the French book Lumières sur le Nucléaire.Zion has been referred to as “Britain’s greenest mother” by The Daily Telegraph and “an eco-pragmatist, happily heavy on science” by The Guardian. Recognised for her impactful contributions, Zion was selected by the British Science Association to deliver a Presidential Address at the British Science Festival in 2023, receiving accolades for her dedication to education. As a Patron of Humanists UK, Zion actively supports causes aligned with humanist values. Her work was further recognised when she was awarded the Holyoake Lecture Medal in 2023.Beyond her environmental advocacy, Zion's passion for astronomy shines through her TED talk on stargazing, where she underscores the profound connection between humanity, nature, and the cosmos.Zion writes at Everything is Light: https://zionlights.substack.comSocial media handles:X: @ziontreeInstagram: @zion.lightsTikTok: @zilovesscienceLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zionlightsWebsite: www.zionlights.co.uk

Can laughter solve everything? Clifford Myers is a 16-year stand-up comedy veteran, Founder of The Other Comedy Company (theothercomedy.co), and President of The Canadian Association of Stand-up, Sketch and Improv Comedians (CASC).Clifford uses his unique position at the intersection of comedy, education and advocacy to speak on humour and creativity as complex human traits, the importance of communal learning, emotional-drivers, adversity, authenticity and self-acceptance.His second comedy special JOKEBOX HERO is available now on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M-f5YR2K3U

Adam Szetela is a Ph.D. student in the English department at Cornell University, and a former visiting fellow in the history department at Harvard University. His book, "That Book Is Dangerous! How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing," will be published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press and distributed by Penguin Random House on August 12th, 2025. He has written for, or been quoted in, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and other publications.His website: Adam-Szetela.comBook: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049856/that-book-is-dangerous/

About Paolo Gaudiano:With advanced degrees in aerospace engineering and neuroscience, Paolo jokes that he had already done rocket science and brain surgery before facing a really complex problem: convincing business leaders they can make more money by creating more inclusive organizations.Paolo is founder of DEI tech company Aleria and the research nonprofit ARC. A former tenured professor, he is an adjunct at NYU and chair of the annual D&I Research Conference.Paolo is a sought-after speaker with two TEDx talks, author of the award-winning book Measuring Inclusion, and frequent contributor to leading publications. He has received numerous awards for his work, including fellowships in social entrepreneurship, robotics and neuroscience."Measuring inclusion": https://www.amazon.ca/Measuring-Inclusion-profits-guesswork-backlash-ebook/dp/B0DBLRYHGH/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0https://www.aleria.tech/paolo-gaudiano----The FORBIDDEN CONVERSATIONS Podcast is a series that takes on topics that don't always get attention or are more challenging to tackle and seeks to address them through civil discourse and nuanced exploration.

Comedy has two roles: to entertain people and to expose societal absurdities. It can be a tool for critical thinking, encouraging audiences to reconsider and mock ideas that don't deserve their respect.Today's guest is Seth Dillon, the CEO of The Babylon Bee, the world's most trusted, factually accurate news source. Taking on the tone of a traditional news media publication, the Bee satirizes real-world events and public figures.Dillon's experience with censorship and deplatforming has placed him on the front lines of the battle for free speech in the public square. He now speaks on college campuses and at conferences across the country about the effectiveness of humor, the moral imperative of mockery, and the dangers of censorship.

Benjamin Ryan is a veteran independent journalist, specializing in science and health care coverage. He contributes to The New York Times, NBC News, the New York Post and The New York Sun and the Washington Post opinion section. He has also written for the The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Nation, New York and many other publications. He publishes the Substack Hazard Ratio, where he focuses on examining the science behind the controversial field of pediatric gender medicine from a circumspect lens. A cum laude graduate of Columbia University and native of Seattle, Benjamin got his start covering the HIV epidemic. More recently, he has reported on Covid-19 treatments and the mpox outbreak. He lives in Manhattan.More: http://www.benryan.net/bio.htmlX: https://x.com/benryanwriter

Join this conversation with Habib Khan Totakhil, founder of Afghan Peace Watch and former Kabul-based reporter with The Wall Street Journal. Previously, he worked for Afghanistan Times daily newspaper. He received Rumi Award for “Best International Journalist in Afghanistan” in 2014.Find him on X at: @HabibKhanT

In this episode, I chat with David Josef Volodzko about good faith discourse, how to deal with those who don’t want to engage honestly, and the nature of debate. How do we have good conversations? What's at the heart of bad faith?

Steven Hassan, PhD is a mental health professional and expert in undue influence tactics used by authoritarian leaders and destructive cults. His expertise includes harmful influence in cases of destructive religious and political cults, human trafficking, extremist and terrorist groups, one-on-one relationships, families, parental alienation, mini-cults, therapy and self-improvement groups, professional and institutional abuse, corporate and multi-level marketing programs, and harmful belief systems. He is the author of four books including Combating Cult Mind Control, Freedom of Mind, and The Cult of Trump. He is a translated author with books in 10 languages. His general audience courses and mental health professional continuing education courses include Understanding Cults: A Foundational Course and Understanding Cults: A Foundational Course for Clinicians. He is the Founding Director of the Freedom of Mind Resource Center, which provides training, consulting, and support to individuals who are struggling to leave or recover from a cult and to families and organizations that are concerned about cult behaviors. He is also the founder of Freedom From Undue Influence, a not-for-profit entity with the purpose of conducting and publishing research on undue influence that is needed to update legal and social policies. He developed the BITE Model of Authoritarian Control to identify control tactics and the Influence Continuum Model to discern ethical from unethical influence. He developed the Strategic Interactive Approach (SIA), as an effective and legal intervention alternative for families to help cult members. Dr. Hassan believes that access to the truth, freedom of thought, and freedom from undue influence are basic human rights. A complex systems approach, based in science and supported by the rule of law, is necessary to protect these rights. He is a member of the Program in Psychiatry and the Law at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. He is an experienced educator having served as an instructor for the Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop, as an elective teacher and a presenter for the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program, and in other educational and training capacities for other higher education, professional, law enforcement, governmental, non-governmental and advocacy group audiences. Dr. Hassan began helping people affected by undue influence after he was deprogrammed from the Moon cult in 1976 at age 22. His 45-plus years of experience give him a unique perspective on the damaging effects of undue influence and exploitation by destructive cults. He is a frequently requested speaker and media interviewee. Dr. Hassan holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Cambridge College and a Doctorate in Organizational Development and Change from Fielding Graduate University School of Leadership Studies. WEBSITE: https://freedomofmind.com X: @CultExpert

Welcome to the Forbidden Conversations podcasts, which provides a nuanced and civil approach to difficult subjects. My guest today is Mo Ghaoui, a Palestinian-Lebanese refugee turned American who has spent 25 years in the tech sector, including some involvement with the more shadowy aspects of the political world. Despite his professional background, he remains committed to resolving the right of return dilemma and actively opposes the communication ban with Israelis, advocating for open dialogue to foster better relationships and understanding. Mo's voice is one that is often omitted from the spotlight when it comes to navigating the conflict in the Middle East, but is critical to include in the discourse. Not only do we tackle the Gaza/Israel conflict, but we unexpectedly get into the weeds of Islam and the interpretation of the Quran.

This isn't a debate, but rather a civil conversation that presents two different perspectives on the trans conversation—particularly around children. There's areas of agreement and disagreement, all in good faith. ---- Brianna Wu is an American video game developer and computer programmer. She co-founded Giant Spacekat, an independent video game development studio, with Amanda Warner in Boston, Massachusetts. She is also a blogger and podcaster on matters relating to the video game industry. Christina Buttons is a liberal, science-oriented, independent journalist who primarily reports on news and research related to "gender medicine."

Warren Smith is a teacher whose video of a conversation with a student went viral back as he challenged the student to think critically about his claim relating to author J.K. Rowling. He has since been laid off from his position and runs Secret Scholars on YouTube.

It's striking how many people believe things that are demonstrably false, even though we live in an era where information is more accessible than ever before. This phenomenon affects everything from personal medical decisions to global policies. In an age brimming with data and facts at our fingertips, do so many of us cling to untruths? And more importantly, how can we counteract this and foster a more accurate understanding of reality? To unravel these questions, we need to delve into the psychological and social mechanisms that shape our beliefs. This video explores 7 key consideration about how we think and perceive information, along with practical antidotes to combat our tendency to succumb to false narratives and beliefs.

This conversation was streamed live on X on February 19, 2024. This episode features and interview between Katherine Brodsky & Elon Musk and a Q&A to follow. Warning: There were significant sound issues due to glitches and Elon doing this interview from an airplane.

Robert Scoble is an American blogger, technical evangelist, and author. Scoble is best known for his blog, Scobleizer, which came to prominence during his tenure as a technology evangelist at Microsoft. You can find him on X: @Scobleizer His podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robert-scoble4

My guest, Emmanuel Maggiori (PhD), is a 10-year AI industry insider and author of the book Smart Until It's Dumb: Why artificial intelligence keeps making epic mistakes (and why the AI bubble will burst). He has developed AI for a wide variety of applications, from extracting objects from satellite images to packaging holiday deals for millions of travelers every day, working as a data scientist and software engineer for various clients. After studying software engineering in Argentina, he completed his PhD at Inria, the French national IT research lab. He joins me to discuss the dangers of AI and where it can excel. Is AI delivering on its promises? Is AI as good as we think it is? What can humans do better than AI? Do we need AI tools everywhere or are we putting it to use where it is not needed? Is there too much pressure to implement it everywhere? Is it overhyped? Should we be worried?

These days, wars aren’t merely fought on battlefields. The battle is also for public sentiment and perception. Whether we’re talking about government propaganda, or the massive spread of lies on an unprecedented scale due to speed of transmission—it is not something to be dismissed lightly. On this episode of Forbidden Conversations, I talk to combat veteran and national security/military analyst, John Spencer about the state of modern warfare, Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, the situation in Israel, what “disproportionate response” really means, and the difficulty of fighting both mis and disinformation. I also encourage you to read his insightful article for CNN about whether Israel is actually committing war crimes in Gaza. John Spencer is an award-winning scholar, professor, author, combat veteran, national security and military analyst, and internationally recognized expert and advisor on urban warfare, military strategy, tactics, and other related topics. Considered one of the world’s leading expert on urban warfare, he served as an advisor to the top four-star general and other senior leaders in the U.S. Army as part of strategic research groups from the Pentagon to the United States Military Academy. He is the author of three books: Understanding Urban Warfare, (Howgate Publishing, 2022), Connected Soldiers: Life, Leadership, and Social Connections in Modern War (Potomac Books, 2022), The Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender (John Spencer, 2022). Spencer currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast. He serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with the Madison Policy Forum, a New York based think-tank. He also serves as a Colonel in the California State Guard with assignment to the 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard as the Director of Urban Warfare Training. He is a founding member of the International Working Group on Subterranean Warfare. You can find him on X at @SpencerGuard.

My guest, Gurwinder Bhogal, is a writer examining the intersection of psychology and technology. On this episode of Forbidden Conversations, we explore some of the ideas central to his work—namely—ways in which we tend to get fooled in the digital age. Why have we seemingly abandoned reason? Is the Internet really rotting our brain, or do we share that responsibility? We have more data available to us than ever before, but it isn’t necessarily making us more knowledgeable. And there’s few of us that have been able to avoid the Kruger-Dunning effect. Why is it that smart people believe false things? And why is it so difficult for many of us to change our minds? Most importantly, what is the antidote? After working in web development on projects like Microsoft Bing, Gurwinder left the tech industry to pursue a career as a freelance writer. His work has featured in UnHerd, Quillette, Areo, The Humanist, The Sunday Express, and on the blog of the counter-terrorism think-tank Quilliam. He also writes at Gurwinder gurwinder.substack.com and you can find him on Twitter.