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Context is a podcast that explores the historical forces shaping our modern world. Hosted by Brad Harris, who earned his PhD from Stanford in the History of Science & Technology, each episode delves into pivotal ideas, events, and figures that have influenced civilization's trajectory. From the rise of scientific thought to the challenges of globalization, Brad provides insightful analysis that connects the past to our present. Whether you're a history enthusiast or seeking deeper understanding of contemporary issues, Context with Brad Harris offers a thoughtful journey through the narratives that define us.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ historical forces shaping modern world • science/technology history • AI ethics • civilization resilience/decline • war and meaning • truth, postmodernism, free speech • nationalism/tribalism narratives • bureaucracy, regulation, innovation • environment, disease, inequality, globalizationThis podcast uses history—especially the history of science, technology, and political ideas—to explain how the modern world took shape and why it now feels unstable, fast-moving, and contested. Across episodes, the host connects pivotal moments and influential books to contemporary dilemmas: the promises and liabilities of technological progress, the moral and psychological foundations of liberal democracy, and the cultural narratives that hold societies together or pull them apart.
A recurring emphasis is the double-edged character of modern systems. Listeners are guided through “hidden” infrastructures that enable mass prosperity while creating new fragilities, and through the way societies become dependent on complex mechanisms they barely understand. The show frequently returns to questions raised by artificial intelligence and automation, not just as technical breakthroughs but as forces that may reshape meaning, attention, and human agency.
Another major theme is societal resilience and decline. Using examples from different eras, the podcast considers how civilizations recover from crisis, how they slip into exhaustion or authoritarian tendencies, and what disciplines—institutional, cultural, and ethical—can renew public life. Related discussions examine bureaucracy, regulation, and central planning, along with debates about innovation and democratic legitimacy.
Intellectual history is central. Many episodes explore how concepts such as “facts,” scientific authority, and truth claims emerged, and how later movements—especially relativism and postmodernism—challenged shared standards of knowledge. The podcast also looks at universities as civic institutions and at science as both a method and a cultural achievement vulnerable to misinformation campaigns and politicization.
The show broadens further into big-picture accounts of world development: disease and demography, globalization and the Columbian Exchange, the rise and fall of empires, and explanations for why power accumulated unevenly across continents. Throughout, it highlights how national myths and competing historical interpretations influence geopolitics, polarization, and collective identity—framing history not as background, but as an active force shaping what societies believe is possible.