Best Project Flux Podcasts (2025)

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AI in 2025: What Worked, What Failed & What’s Next in 2026 45:16

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3d ago45:16

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, James, Yoshi and John discuss the key trends and realisations from 2025 in the realm of AI, including the cultural shifts in adoption, the importance of context in implementation, and the challenges of accountability and ROI. They also make predictions for 2026, exploring the evolv…

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Thomas David DuBois, "China in Seven Banquets: A Flavourful History" (Reaktion Books, 2024) 1:13:58

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In this episode of New Books Network, Laura Goldberg speaks with Thomas David DuBois, Professor at Beijing Normal University, about his book China in Seven Banquets, which traces Chinese history through seven extraordinary meals. Gastronomy and dining rituals offer a revealing historical framework: they make visible social order, ethical values, an…

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Andrea Gevurtz Arai ed., "Spaces of Creative Resistance: Social Change Projects in Twenty-First-Century East Asia" (Rutgers UP, 2025) 1:22:45

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An exciting collection of stories of change that most people don’t usually hear from the bottom up, from the grassroots, about what’s happening in East Asia. Spaces of Creative Resistance: Social Change Projects in Twenty-First-Century East Asia (Rutgers UP, 2025) brings together an exciting cross-regional interdisciplinary group of scholars, schol…

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Joel S. Wit, "Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea" (Yale UP, 2025) 49:23

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After nearly four decades of negotiations, sanctions, summits, threats, and backdoor channels, the United States has failed to stop North Korea's nuclear program which now has the capability to strike American cities with weapons of mass destruction. In Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea (Yale UP, 2025), Joel S. Wi…

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Suvi Rautio, "The Invention of Tradition in China: Story of a Village and a Nation Remade" (Springer Nature, 2024) 1:18:40

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Today, anthropologist Professor Anru Lee is joining NBN as a guest host to interview me, Suvi Rautio, on my new book, The Invention of Tradition in China: Story of a Village and a Nation Remade published by Palgrave in 2024. In China, heritage projects are sprouting across the countryside carrying the promise of Xi Jinping’s “Chinese dream” as a ca…

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Weila Gong, "Implementing a Low-Carbon Future: Climate Leadership in Chinese Cities" (Oxford UP, 2025) 42:49

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This episode explores what China’s subnational climate experiments tell us about the possibilities and limits of climate leadership in an era of intensified geopolitics. We discuss how China’s domestic governance dynamics matter for international climate cooperation and competition, especially as Chinese actors become central in the global low-carb…

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Simon Avenell, "A History of Postwar Japan: Recovery, Prosperity, and Transformation" (U Hawaii Press, 2025) 1:00:37

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This sweeping history tells the story of contemporary Japan from its defeat in the Asia-Pacific War in 1945 until the early decades of the new millennium. How did the Japanese people deal with the collapse of its empire and the American-led occupation? What factors played into Japan's remarkable economic recovery and stunning affluence? How did dem…

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Tourism and a Kyoto in Flux: A Conversation with Dr. Chiara Rita Napolitano 28:58

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In today’s episode Julia Olsson continues her talk with Dr. Chiara Rita Napolitano from last episode, and they discuss the issue of overtourism and its effect on traditional urban neighbourhoods in Kyoto. Dr. Chiara Rita Napolitano is a JSPS Postdoctoral Researcher at Kyoto university. She got her PhD from the University of Naples in 2024. Her rese…

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The Truth About AI Music — With Tim Fraser & Anna Mylee 50:52

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, James and Yoshi explore the intersection of AI and the music industry with professional musicians Anna Mylee and Tim Fraser. They discuss the impact of AI on music creation, the ethical implications of AI-generated music, and the future of songwriting in an increasingly automated w…

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Gian Piero Persiani, "Poets, Patrons, and the Public: Poetry as Cultural Phenomenon in Courtly Japan" (Brill, 2025) 33:47

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Waka poetry was all the rage in tenth-century, courtly Japan. Every educated person composed it, emperors and consorts sponsored it, and societal interest in it was at an all-time high. Poets, Patrons, and the Public: Poetry as Cultural Phenomenon in Courtly Japan (Brill, 2025) offers an unprecedentedly broad and vivid portrayal of this season of l…

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Joseph Torigian, "The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping" (Stanford UP, 2025) 47:22

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Xi Zhongxun’s career spanned the entirety of China’s modern history. Born just two years after the 1911revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty, Xi was an early member of the Chinese Communist Party, tookpart in the Second World War, became an early leader of the PRC, was purged, survived the CulturalRevolution, was rehabilitated, and helped jump…

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Yan-ho Lai, "Legal Resistance Under Authoritarianism: The Struggle for the Rule of Law in Hong Kong" (Amsterdam UP, 2025) 1:02:56

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Today I spoke with Senior Fellow at the Centre for Asian Law, University of Georgetown, Dr Yan-ho Lai (Eric) about his book, Legal Resistance under Authoritarianism: The Struggle for the Rule of Law in Hong Kong (Amsterdam UP, 2025). We spoke about the complexities of authoritarian consolidation by Beijing in the Special Administrative Region of Ho…

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Yasmin Cho, "Politics of Tranquility: The Material and Mundane Lives of Buddhist Nuns in Post-Mao Tibet" (Cornell UP, 2025) 53:29

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Politics of Tranquility: The Material and Mundane Lives of Buddhist Nuns in Post-Mao Tibet (Cornell University Press, 2025) concerns the Tibetan Buddhist revival in China, illustrating the lives of Tibetan Buddhist nuns and exploring the political effects that arise from their nonpolitical daily engagements in the remote, mega-sized Tibetan Buddhis…

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Machiya, Seikatsu Bunka, and Changing Domestic Culture in the Japanese Urban Environment 31:42

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Kyoto is known as a pinnacle of Japanese history and culture, drawing visitors of more than double its resident population many times over every year. In this and the subsequent episode we explore Kyoto neighbourhoods and the houses in them to see what transformations are happening, and what is at risk of being lost in the process. In today’s episo…

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Paranormal Files.30 Krampus A Winter Solstice Tale 45:07

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In this episode of The Dreamscape Chronicles, we trace the shadowed origins of Krampusnacht through ancient Alpine folklore, beginning with Frau Perchta and unfolding through solstice rites, moral enforcers, and the liminal traditions of winter. Blending historical culture, pagan belief, and esoteric interpretation, the discussion reveals Krampus n…

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Liang Qichao, "Thoughts from the Ice-Drinker’s Studio: Essays on China and the World" (Penguin Classics, 2023) 1:03:43

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Thoughts from the Ice-Drinker’s Studio: Essays on China and the World (Penguin Classics, 2023) brings together a newly translated selection of pre-eminent public intellectual Liang Qichao’s most influential writings, spanning the many phases of his life: his early political awakening in the final decades of the Qing dynasty, his exile in Japan afte…

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How to Measure Anything in Project Management with Douglas Hubbard and Andreas Leed 51:33

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, hosts discuss the importance of measuring uncertainty in project management with authors Douglas Hubbard and Andreas Leed. They explore the challenges faced in different industries, the role of AI in improving project outcomes, and the need for a quantitative approach to decision-m…

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Andrew Bernstein, "Fuji: A Mountain In The Making" (Princeton UP, 2025) 44:56

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The Great Wave is perhaps the most famous piece of Japanese artwork: a roaring blue wave and three boats on the ocean. And far in the background is Mt. Fuji. And that’s actually what Hokusai’s famous woodprint is about: Mt. Fuji, volcano and Japan’s tallest mountain. Andrew Bernstein tells the story of Mt. Fuji–from its geographic origins as a viol…

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Shilla Lee , "Crafting Rural Japan: Traditional Potters and Rural Creativity in Regional Revitalization" (Routledge, 2024) 1:04:36

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Centering collaborations and frictions around a Japanese town’s pottery industry, Crafting Rural Japan: Traditional Potters and Rural Creativity in Regional Revitalization (Routledge, 2024)n discusses the place of creative village policy in the revitalization of rural Japan, highlighting how rural Japan is moving from a state of regional extinction…

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Is AI Replacing Consultants? An Ex-Big 4 Player Weighs In 44:25

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, Ikum Kandola, co-founder of TheAX.ai, shares his journey from PwC to launching a consultancy that leverages AI to transform traditional consulting models. The conversation explores the current state of the AI bubble, the challenges and opportunities in the consulting industry, and …

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Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis, "Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics" (Oxford UP, 2025) 1:06:12

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Following the end of the Cold War, the world experienced a remarkable wave of democratization. Over the next two decades, numerous authoritarian regimes transitioned to democracies, and it seemed that authoritarianism as a political model was fading. But as recent events have shown, things have clearly changed. In Dictating the Agenda: The Authorit…

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John Kieschnick, "Buddhist Historiography in China" (Columbia UP, 2022) 49:10

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Since the early days of Buddhism in China, monastics and laity alike have expressed a profound concern with the past. In voluminous historical works, they attempted to determine as precisely as possible the dates of events in the Buddha's life, seeking to iron out discrepancies in varying accounts and pinpoint when he delivered which sermons. Buddh…

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AI Wins in Real Estate: Johnny Morris from Fifth Dimension 48:39

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Send us a text Summary In this conversation, Johnny, co-founder and chief product officer of Fifth Dimension, discusses the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into the real estate industry. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the hype surrounding in-house AI development, the need for skilled professionals, and the significance…

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Micah S. Muscolino, "Remaking the Earth, Exhausting the People: The Burden of Conservation in Modern China" (U Washington Press, 2025) 1:04:35

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From the 1940s to the 1960s, soil and water conservation measures transformed both the arid, erosion-prone environment of China’s Loess Plateau and the lives of rural people. Remaking the Earth, Exhausting the People: The Burden of Conservation in Modern China (U Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Micah Muscolino explores how the Chinese state imposed …

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Yanqiu Zheng, "In Search of Admiration and Respect: Chinese Cultural Diplomacy in the United States, 1875–1974" (U Michigan Press, 2024) 1:12:18

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What does it mean for a country to seek admiration — and what kinds of institutions try to make that admiration possible? Yanqiu Zheng’s In Search of Admiration and Respect: Chinese Cultural Diplomacy in the United States, 1875–1974 (U Michigan Press, 2024) traces how China attempted to reshape its international image across a century marked by imp…

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Project Flux Live! Overbury Event - AI in Everyday Life and in Construction: What You Need to Know 45:19

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Send us a text Summary This conversation explores the multifaceted impact of AI across various sectors, particularly focusing on its implications for job stability, environmental concerns, and the construction industry. Experts discuss the rapid evolution of AI technologies, their practical applications in business, and the importance of adapting t…

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Paranormal Files.28 Dreaming Of The Shadows Within 52:10

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This week we study the cross between dreams and shadow work. Looking into lucid dreaming and aspects that can help one discern the meanings behind ones shadow. We go over the twelve most common archetypes popularized by Jung and how they may pertain to every person's sense of self. CLICK HERE to TEXT us your stories! Support the show Click The Supp…

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Jennifer Yip, "Grains of Conflict: The Struggle for Food in China’s Total War, 1937-1945" (Cambridge UP, 2025) 55:40

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How did China’s Nationalists feed their armies during the long war against Japan? In her new book, Grains of Conflict: The Struggle for Food in China’s Total War, 1937-1945 (Cambridge UP, 2025), Jennifer Yip (National University of Singapore) looks at China’s military grain systems from field to frontline. Yip examines the bureaucratic processes an…

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The Data Revolution in Construction 45:28

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, Iain Curtis, CEO of Single Point Solutions, discusses the evolution of the construction industry, the importance of data strategy, and the role of AI in reducing risk and improving decision-making. He emphasises the need for a cultural shift within the industry to embrace technolog…

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Yunxiang Gao, "Arise Africa, Roar China: Black and Chinese Citizens of the World in the Twentieth Century" (UNC Press, 2021) 56:08

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Arise Africa, Roar China: Black and Chinese Citizens of the World in the Twentieth Century (University of North Carolina Press, 2021) explores the close relationships between three of the most famous twentieth-century African Americans, W. E. B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson, and Langston Hughes, and their little-known Chinese allies during World War II an…

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Why AI Education Matters 40:47

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, Dr. Raoul Gabriel-Urma, founder and CEO of Cambridge Spark, shares his insights on the rapid evolution of AI and its implications for education and enterprise. He discusses the overwhelming pace of AI development, the importance of upskilling, and the need for organizations to adap…

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Fang Yu Hu, "Good Wife, Wise Mother: Educating Han Taiwanese Girls Under Japanese Rule" (U Washington Press, 2024) 1:01:17

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In Good Wife, Wise Mother: Educating Han Taiwanese Girls Under Japanese Rule (U Washington Press, 2024), female education and citizenship serve as a lens through which to examine Taiwan’s uniqueness as a colonial crossroads between Chinese and Japanese ideas and practices. A latecomer to the age of imperialism, Japan used modernization efforts in T…

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Christopher Nelson, "When the Bones Speak: The Living, the Dead, and the Sacrifice of Contemporary Okinawa" (Duke UP, 2025) 1:08:00

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Haunted by the past, ordinary Okinawans struggle to live with the unbearable legacies of war, Japanese nationalism, and American imperialism. They are caught up in a web of people and practices--living and dead, visible and immaterial--that exert powerful forces often beyond their control. In When the Bones Speak, Christopher T. Nelson examines the…

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Mark L. Clifford, "The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic" (Free Press, 2024) 1:29:57

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The extraordinary life story of the billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai, a leading Hong Kong democracy activist fighting for freedom of speech who became China’s most famous political prisoner. Jimmy Lai escaped mainland China when he was twelve years old, at the height of a famine that killed tens of millions. In Hong Kong, he hustled and often slep…

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AI, News, and the State: Reinstitutionalising Journalism in Global China’s Algorithmic Age: A conversation with Dr. Joanne Kuai 34:27

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How is artificial intelligence transforming journalism as both a profession and an institution? In this episode, Ning Ao speaks to Dr. Joanne Kuai, exploring how AI reshapes journalistic roles, organisational structures, and governance systems through the lens of China’s media landscape—while drawing comparisons with the US and EU. Dr. Joanne Kuai …

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My life is a slasher film 8:40

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Happy Halloween you creeps! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Weinberg

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Noel Hurley Explains the Next Big Shift in Artificial Intelligence 39:58

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, James Garner speaks with Noel Hurley, CEO of Literal Labs, about his journey from ARM to founding Literal Labs. They discuss the evolution of AI technology, the innovative approach of settling machines, and the importance of decision intelligence in various industries. Noel emphasi…

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Paranormal Files.27 The Witching Hour: Graveyard Etiquette 1:05:09

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Join Percival and Viviane as they explore the ancient art of graveyard etiquette the sacred practice of honoring the dead through mindful conduct, offerings, and ritual respect. Join us as we uncover how these timeless customs serve not only as acts of reverence but as powerful safeguards that maintain balance between the realms of the living and t…

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Joe Watkins, "Indigenizing Japan: Ainu Past, Present, and Future" (U Arizona Press, 2025) 44:06

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In Indigenizing Japan: Ainu Past, Present, and Future (University of Arizona Press, 2025), archaeologist Joe E. Watkins provides a comprehensive look at the rich history and cultural resilience of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido, Japan, tracing their journey from ancient times to their contemporary struggles for recognition. Relaying th…

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Taru Salmenkari, "Global Ideas, Local Adaptations: Chinese Activism and the Will to Make Civil Society" (Edward Elgar, 2025) 43:34

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Exploring the boundaries, fringes, and inner workings of civil society, Taru Salmenkari investigates local forms of political agency in China in light of the globalization of political values, practices, and institutions in Global Ideas, Local Adaptations: Chinese Activism and the Will to Make Civil Society (Edward Elgar, 2025). She provides a theo…

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AI Hype Exposed! Michael LePage 43:12

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, host James Garner speaks with Michael LaPage, Chief Learning Officer at Plan Academy. They discuss the impact of AI on project management, the importance of human relationships in the industry, and the role of training in project controls. Michael shares insights on the challenges …

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Yong-Shik Lee, "Sustainable Peace in Northeast Asia" (Anthem Press, 2023) 1:02:36

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In the long run, countries in Northeast Asia will have to see the need for collective defense. Otherwise, you won’t be able to stop rivalry between powers like the U.S. and China. It sounds utopian now, but so did the idea of French and German soldiers serving under the same command a century ago. – Y.S. Lee, NBN Interview (2025) Sustainable Peace …

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Megan Walsh, "The Subplot: What China Is Reading and Why It Matters" (Columbia Global Reports, 2022) 38:01

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What does contemporary China’s diverse and exciting fiction tell us about its culture, and the relationship between art and politics? The Subplot: What China Is Reading and Why It Matters (Columbia Global Reports, 2022) by Megan Walsh takes us on a lively journey through a literary landscape like you’ve never seen before: a vast migrant-worker poet…

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Mia Yinxing Liu, "Literati Lenses: Wenren Landscape in Chinese Cinema of the Mao Era" (U Hawai’i Press, 2019) 1:41:37

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Chinese cinema has a long history of engagement with China’s art traditions, and literati (wenren) landscape painting has been an enduring source of inspiration. Literati Lenses: Wenren Landscape in Chinese Cinema of the Mao Era (U Hawai’i Press, 2019) explores this interplay during the Mao era, a time when cinema, at the forefront of ideological c…

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Stevie Suan, "Anime's Identity: Performativity and Form Beyond Japan" (U Minnesota Press, 2021) 58:38

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A formal approach to anime rethinks globalization and transnationality under neoliberalism Anime has become synonymous with Japanese culture, but its global reach raises a perplexing question--what happens when anime is produced outside of Japan? Who actually makes anime, and how can this help us rethink notions of cultural production? In Anime's I…

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Paranormal Files.26 Moon Madness: The Shadow Of Lycanthropy 1:01:01

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We explore the history of the ancient werewolf. A creature born of fear, moonlight, and the wild within us. From historical tales to occult philosophy, we trace how transformation reveals humanity’s hidden instincts. The wolf inside invites you to face the beast within the shadow of your soul. Contact Natalie - Honorary Celestial Mage Bluesky @ npe…

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A Message to Spotify Listeners 6:06

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An important PSA about a real dumb rule for all of you who listen to the show on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Weinberg

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Lidar That Draws Your Floor Plan in 60 Seconds! 44:35

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Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Project Flux podcast, host James Garner and co-host Yoshi welcome Josh Schumann, director of Pepper Build Construction and consultant for Nav Live. They discuss the evolution of construction technology, the impact of AI, and the future of project management. Josh shares insights on the challenges and op…

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Rehan Abeyratne, "Courts and LGBTQ+ Rights in an Age of Judicial Retrenchment" (Oxford UP, 2025) 1:02:17

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Democratic backsliding, culture wars and partisan politics in the past two decades has seen the regression of human rights protections in the courts and across societies. However, having made incremental gains in constitutional courts, LGBTQ+ rights operate as somewhat of a paradox. In this pivotal work, Professor Rehan Abeyratne makes an argument …