IDEAS: The Magazine of The Aspen Institute Full Special Issue 2018

THE
HEIGHTS OF
SUMMER
TACKLING IDEAS, HEALTH,
SECURITY,ACTION, &
THE ECONOMY IN ASPEN
PLUS:
SOCIAL IMPACT ON
SESAME STREET &
AN ARTIFICIALLY
INTELLIGENT FUTURE
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CONTENTS
Dan Bayer
84
DEPARTMENTS THE JOURNAL OF IDEAS

8 | W H AT I S T H E I N S T I T U T E ? 66 | UNBREAKING NEWS
Manipulative technologies and fake political
13 | A R O U N D T H E I N S T I T U T E stories are fueling bias across the internet,
Three Institute programs help “opportunity youth”; leaving Americans deeply distrustful of the news.
Michael Pollan tries hallucinogenics; Moshin Hamid wins Joanne Lipman says it’s up to members of the
the Aspen Words Literary Prize; Millennials flood the media themselves to fix the problem—and she
Aspen Ideas Festival; and more. explains how.
74 | FA C E S

Behind the scenes at Institute events. 68 | THE MUPPET EFFECT
Sesame Workshop is known all over the world
80 | FA C T S for both its children’s programming and extensive
Get to know the Institute’s programs.
outreach to communities in need. Sherrie
82 | C O N N E C T W I T H U S Westin tells us how a group of imaginary
Contact our program directors; get in touch characters can change the real world.
on social media.
84 | PA R T I N G S H O T 70 | MEXICO’S WAKE-UP CALL

The Institute’s latest Bauhaus masterpiece: Anaconda. The populist surge in the recent Mexican
presidential election is an example of the nation’s
ON THE COVER commitment to democracy. But, as Juan
Ramon de la Fuente points out, many elites
were caught asleep at the wheel.
THE 72 | IDEAS EX MACHINA

HEIGHTS OF
SUMMER Truly creative artificial intelligence may still be
TACKLING IDEAS, HEALTH,
SECURITY,ACTION, &
THE ECONOMY IN ASPEN
years away, but AI is already disrupting every
Exchanging ideas in the field imaginable. Joseph Byrum explains why
Marble Garden Tent at the those who aren’t preparing for a future enhanced
PLUS:
SOCIAL IMPACT ON
SESAME STREET & 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival. by smart machines will be left behind.
AN ARTIFICIALLY
Photo: C2 Photography
INTELLIGENT FUTURE
4 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

Dan Bayer
CONTENTS
C2 Photography (27, 28), Ian Wagreich (34)

27 28 34
Hal Williams (50), Dan Bayer (54, 60)

50 54 60
FEATURES
27 | S U M M E R AT A S P E N 50 | M A K I N G C A P I TA L I S M S M A R T E R
A look at some of the highlights from the 2018 season. The economy is strong, so why are so many Americans
still struggling? That was the question at the heart of the
28 | T H E B E S T M E D I C I N E Institute’s Economic Security Summit, which invited
Spotlight Health placed sharp focus on areas of health experts to brainstorm solutions. Katie Bryan and Dan
and health care that are too often underexplored, like Lebiednik look at the results.
how mass-media imagery affects stress and well-being,
why gun violence is still a public-health epidemic, how 54 | O N T H E S A F E S I D E
migration impacts health, and what the prison system It was a riveting year for homeland security: cyberattacks
means for health care reform. on US elections, arms-control talks in North Korea,
and a controversial summit with Russia—to name
34 | A N A P P E T I T E F O R I D E A S
a few. Luckily, as Nicole Corea reports, the Aspen
The 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival sprang to life in June Security Forum asked experts from the highest levels of
to explore a unique mix of ideas—from art’s place in government what they are doing to keep America safe.
social justice to what dogs can teach humans about
empathy, from shadow banking to FBI investigations, 60 | C O U R A G E O U S C O N V E R S AT I O N S
and from the #MeToo movement to the resurgence of Making a dent in the universe is a tall order—one
white supremacist groups. Here are just a few of the members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network
year’s most interesting moments. are determined to fulfill. At the Resnick Aspen Action
Forum, Shireen Mathews learns what motivates the
fellows to tackle challenges like hunger, climate change,
and trauma—and how they face their fears.

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WHAT IS THE ASPEN INSTITUTE?
Dan Bayer
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy-studies organization headquartered in Washington,

DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for
dealing with critical issues. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on
Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network
of partners.

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HDANIEL R. PORTERFIELD, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer
AMY DeMARIA
Executive Vice President, Communications and Marketing
ELLIOT F. GERSON
Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs; International Partners
NAMITA KHASAT
Executive Vice President, Finance and Administrative Services;
Chief Financial Officer; Corporate Treasurer
DAVID LANGSTAFF
Community. It’s at the heart of the Institute’s national and Interim Executive Vice President, Leadership and Seminars
international policy work. Community building starts at home—as ERIC L. MOTLEY, PhD
the new Institute headquarters demonstrates daily in the open Executive Vice President, Institutional Advancement; Corporate Secretary
space that joins dozens of offices previously in separate fiefs and JAMES M. SPIEGELMAN
floors, and as we all dramatically saw this summer on the Aspen Vice President and Chief of Staff
campus. Just after the Aspen Ideas Festival ended, fires spread down EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHER CORBY KUMMER
the Roaring Fork Valley. Would speakers be able to travel? Would EXECUTIVE EDITOR SACHA ZIMMERMAN
MANAGING EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER NICOLE COREA
long-planned events be cancelled altogether? SENIOR EDITOR JAMES M. SPIEGELMAN
The threat of concern to all of us, though, was everyone DESIGN DIRECTOR KATIE KISSANE-VIOLA
who contributes to the summer’s events—the Institute’s staff and CREATIVE DIRECTOR PAUL VIOLA
family, of course, but also the many volunteers and workers at the DESIGNER MICHAEL STOUT
EDITOR EMERITUS JAMIE MILLER
Meadows resort on campus. So staff members welcomed to their MANAGING DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PHERABE KOLB
homes friends who were evacuated. The Institute immediately ADVERTISING CYNTHIA CAMERON, 970.948.8177, adsales@aspeninstitute.org
donated $10,000 to the Aspen Community Foundation. Dan CONTACT EDITORIAL ideas.magazine@aspeninstitute.org
GENERAL The Aspen Institute,
Porterfield, in his very first summer as the Institute’s president
2300 N Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037
and CEO, mobilized forces on the staff to coordinate with local 202.736.5800, www.aspeninstitute.org
authorities and to offer all the resources on campus—including
rooms at the Meadows—to those in need. It was a baptism by, well, BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN
James S. Crown
emergency. But it was also part of Porterfield’s incoming intention
to forge close bonds with Aspen community leaders—work he BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Madeleine K. Albright, Jean-Luc Allavena, Paul F. Anderson, Donna Barksdale, Mercedes T. Bass,
continued after the threat of the fires had passed and the summer Miguel Bezos, Richard S. Braddock, Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak, William D. Budinger, William Bynum,
events were over. Stephen L. Carter, Troy Carter, Cesar R. Conde, Phyllis Coulter, Katie Couric, Andrea Cunningham,
Forward motion is what animates every summer at Aspen. No Kenneth L. Davis, John Doerr, Thelma Duggin, Arne Duncan, Michael D. Eisner, L. Brooks Entwistle,
Alan Fletcher, Ann B. Friedman, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Mircea D. Geoana,
one demonstrated this more elegantly than my two favorite models Antonio Gracias, Patrick W. Gross, Arjun Gupta, Jane Harman, Kaya Henderson, Hayne Hipp, Ivan Hodac,
of our annual IDEAS Magazine t-shirt, shown above: Damian Mark S. Hoplamazian, Gerald D. Hosier, Robert J. Hurst, Natalie Jaresko, Salman Khan, Teisuke Kitayama,
Woetzel, about to dance his way to the Julliard School as Erika Michael Klein, David H. Koch, Satinder K. Lambah, Laura Lauder, Yo-Yo Ma, James M. Manyika, William E.
Mallin came onstage to direct the Mayer,* Bonnie P. McCloskey, David McCormick, Anne Welsh McNulty, Diane Morris, Karlheinz Muhr,
Clare Muñana, Jerry Murdock, Marc B. Nathanson, William A. Nitze, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Jacqueline
Insititute’s Arts Program; and board Novogratz, Olara A. Otunnu, Elaine Pagels, Carrie Walton Penner, Daniel R. Porterfield, Margot L. Pritzker,
member Katie Couric, who in Lynda R. Resnick, Condoleezza Rice, James Rogers, Ricardo B. Salinas, Lewis A. Sanders, Anna Deavere Smith,
public dances her way through life Michelle Smith, Javier Solana, Robert K. Steel,* Shashi Tharoor,** Laurie M. Tisch, Giulio Tremonti,
Eckart von Klaedan, Roderick K. von Lipsey, Vin Weber
but spends much of the Aspen Ideas
Festival sprinting to a secluded room *Chairman Emeritus **On Leave of Absence
to intensely prepare for LIFETIME TRUSTEES CO-CHAIRMEN

the substantive, fearless Berl Bernhard, Ann Korologos*
conversations that LIFETIME TRUSTEES

Keith Berwick, James C. Calaway,* Lester Crown, Tarun Das, William H. Donaldson, Sylvia A. Earle,
make the summer’s Richard N. Gardner, David Gergen, Alma L. Gildenhorn, Jacqueline Grapin, Gerald Greenwald,
ideas dance in our Irvine O. Hockaday Jr., Nina Rodale Houghton, Anne Frasher Hudson, Jérôme Huret, William N. Joy,
minds for months to Henry A. Kissinger, Leonard A. Lauder,* Frederic V. Malek, Olivier Mellerio, Sandra Day O’Connor,
Roman Cho
Hisashi Owada, Thomas R. Pickering, Charles Powell, Jay Sandrich, Lloyd G. Schermer, Carlo Scognamiglio,
come.
Albert H. Small, Andrew L. Stern, Paul A. Volcker, Leslie H. Wexner, Frederick B. Whittemore, Alice Young
—Corby Kummer *Chairman Emeritus
The Aspen Institute sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable manner.
This issue was printed by American Web on recycled fibers containing 10 percent postconsumer waste, with inks containing a blend of soy base. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council
and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and it meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards.

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AROUND THE INSTITUTE
RURAL & READY Throughout rural America, from Appalachia to the Tribal West, some young people face daunting
education and employment challenges. “Opportunity youth” are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in school, not working, and disconnected from the
networks and services that are critical to success. Three Institute policy programs—the Community Strategies Group, the Forum for Community
Solutions, and the Center for Native American Youth—have joined forces to tackle the realities of America’s rural places, so that all young people can
realize their potential. What’s more, projects like these are working. But there is more to do. See below for the good news and the challenges ahead.
aspeninstitute.org/community-strategies-group l aspeninstitute.org/forum-for-community-solutions l cnay.org
OPPORTUNITY
YOUTH
are 16- to 24-year-olds
The national opportunity youth rate There are nearly 5 million opportunity who are not in school,
DROPPED 21 PERCENT youth. That means about 1 in every 8 young not working, and
over six years, from 14.7 percent in people in America is disconnected.
disconnected from the
2010 to 11.7 percent in 2016.
This means there are roughly
networks and services
1.2 MILLION FEWER
that are critical to
disconnected young people. success.
20% 14% 12% The rate of opportunity youth in RURAL

counties far exceeds that of URBAN and
RURAL URBAN SUBURBAN SUBURBAN counties.
NATIVE AMERICANS THE YOUTH ASIANS

have the highest rate DISCONNECTION have the lowest rate
of opportunity youth. RATE VARIES of opportunity youth.
25.8% BY RACE 6.6%

$13,900 opportunity youth to taxpayers. MATTERS,
The average annual cost of
GENDER
TOO.
$148,790 opportunity youth to taxpayers.
The average lifetime cost of Disconnected young
women are nearly
4 times more likely to
be mothers than
Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2016; Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) USA, University
of Minnesota; Measure of America, Disconnected Youth 2017; Carsey School of Public Policy, University of New Hampshire.
connected women.
Civic Enterprises for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Economic Value of Opportunity Youth, 2012.
IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 13

Jo Altmaier, a Roaring Fork
Valley slam poet, at the
Young Adult Forum
BEING THE
CHANGE
Young activists from around the world came together in
the spirit of social justice, equality, and democracy at the
portion of the Aspen Ideas Festival reserved for young
people with big dreams. At the 2018 Young Adult Forum,
attendees heard about turning their concerns into action
from speakers like Maria Hinojosa, an NPR and PBS news
reporter; Ina Fried, the chief technology correspondent for
Axios; Ash Bhat, the co-founder and CEO of RoBhat Labs;
and Tristan Harris, the founder of the Center for Humane
Technology. “Sometimes there’s a really important job to
be done, and you might think, ‘Oh someone else is going
to solve that problem,’ ” Harris said. “But what if you’re the
one who needs to solve that problem?” In spoken-word
performances, young activists addressed “slacktivism” and
ageism. A pair of high-school students representing Aspen
Challenge teams from Dallas and Philadelphia addressed
their peers: “You can do anything in this world,” Araceli
Ramirez said. “When you are passionate about something,
go for it,” Augustus Harris added. As Tom Wilson, the
Riccardo Savi
CEO of the Allstate Corporation, put it: “If not you, then
who?” aspenideas.org/young-adult-forum
MAGAZINE FEATURES, DIGITAL ACCESS

This fall, IDEAS launched the first in a series of digital long-form
essays called IDEAS in Action. This online feature brings together
the efforts of multiple Institute programs working in similar subject
areas in one deeply reported, data-rich, handsomely designed article.
For our first piece, senior digital editor and producer Matt Connolly
Courtesy Women and Girls Lead Global
interviews first-generation college students whose lives have been

touched by the Institute’s work in higher education. Data-visualization
tools include an interactive map of Institute educational initiatives all
over the country and charts of first-generation educational outcomes
versus those of continuing-generation students.
aspeninstitute.org/ideas-in-action

CAN FILMS CHANGE LIVES?
Bhagwat Thorat lives in a Delhi slum with his three daughters. He Documentary films inspire. Depicting real people overcoming
pulled his girls out of school when they reached puberty in order to obstacles inspires participants and strengthens their sense of agency.
marry them off; child marriage is a widespread practice in India. But The screenings prompted many to act—from campaigning for female
then he attended a screening and discussion of the documentary candidates in Kenya to improving Bangladeshi girls’ safety in school.
film The Revolutionary Optimists, which depicts the hardships faced Quality facilitation is essential. Productive discussions at
by children in Kolkata slums and one man’s efforts to empower those screenings require careful, ongoing facilitator training, clear
children. Thorat wept as he contemplated the misery his daughters discussion guides, small audiences, and call-to-action cards that help
would face as child brides. The next day, he told the screening participants understand how to take next steps.
facilitator that he planned to re-enroll all three girls in school. Local stories are powerful. Short films set in the audiences’
This is one of many stories coming out of Women and Girls Lead own countries are an invaluable complement to international
Global, a project developed by Independent Television Service in documentaries, allowing audiences to see themselves and their
partnership with local organizations to empower women and girls in everyday realities on film.
Bangladesh, India, Jordan, Kenya, and Peru. Women and Girls Lead Social change takes time. Facilitators needed a sequence
Global uses international documentary films to spark discussions of three or more screenings in order to meaningfully engage
about sensitive and taboo gender topics. Those conversations participants in a process of building trust, discussing taboo topics,
help participants rethink their own ideas and behaviors as well as and shifting attitudes and behaviors. Building local partners’ ability
develop solutions to the challenges women and girls face in their to lead that process creates roots to sustain progress and engage
communities. For the past five years, the Institute’s Aspen Planning more communities going forward.
and Evaluation Program served as ITVS’s partner, helping them learn Want more insights into how film can inspire social change?
from and evaluate their efforts to motivate social change through Check out APEP’s work as well as the mission of Women and Girls
Women and Girls Lead Global films. Just a few of APEP’s findings: Lead Global. womenandgirlslead.org l aspeninstitute.org/apep
Riccardo Savi
Courtesy Women and Girls Lead Global
Women and Girls Lead

Global’s Best School
for Girls Awards

Mark Campbell
The Atlantic’s Tanvi Misra with David Favela of Border X Brewing and Tawanna
Black of the Center for Economic Inclusion at the America’s Future Summit
“AN AMERICAN ISSUE”

“Economic prosperity for all isn’t a black, brown, or white issue;
“capital.
it’s an American issue,” Laysha Ward, the executive vice president
and chief external engagement officer of Target, said at the
We must build and share social
“America’s Future Summit: Unlocking Potential, Advancing Communities can’t
Prosperity.” Her words set the tone for a day of conversations collectively thrive if people aren’t
about advancing Latino economic mobility. In May, the Institute’s
Latinos and Society Program hosted the third America’s Future
Summit in Chicago, where Latinos are now the largest minority
informed.
”
group—a reflection of America’s demographic future. Nearly people aren’t informed.” Later, former US Education Secretary
200 entrepreneurs, government officials, educators, and experts and Henry Crown fellow Arne Duncan highlighted the academic
gathered at Malcolm X College to explore ways to create good trends in marginalized communities. “Over the past 20 years,
jobs, avenues to wealth, balanced development, and inclusive Latino college completion rates have doubled,” he said. “That’s the
environments for entrepreneurs of color. good news. The bad news is that they doubled from 8 percent to 15
“Knowledge is power, and just like wealth, not everyone percent. We have to accelerate the pace of change.”
has it,” Jorge Pule, the citywide youth council director for the Conversations that began onstage continued in working-group
Mikva Challenge Foundation, told the audience. “We must build sessions; the details and ideas from those sessions were published
and share social capital. Communities can’t collectively thrive if in September. aspeninstitute.org/latinos-and-society

Pollan
Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and
Transcendence, as well as his intensely personal experiences going on a
series of psychedelic trips himself.
“We could have a powerful new tool for psychiatry,” Pollan said,
adding that mental-health care has not seen any significant advances
since the advent of anti-depressant drugs in the late 1980s. “There’s
a desperate need for new tools. Psychedelics have the power to shake
the snow globe of the mind.” During trials at NYU and Johns Hopkins,
Pollan explained, clinicians gave high doses of psilocybin (the active
ingredient in “magic mushrooms”) to cancer patients dealing with
anxiety, depression, and fear of death. Most were able to confront and
overcome those issues, as have other volunteers in pilot studies using
psychedelics to treat addiction.
Riccardo Savi
Of course, it’s important to distinguish between recreational use of

drugs and therapeutic or guided use. For his own experiences—including
A HEALING HEAD TRIP smoking the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad—Pollan enlisted the
help of guides and psychotherapists. Pollan said the neuroscience
Best-selling author Michael Pollan discussed the potential of behind the psychedelics is based on the brain’s neuroplasticity—its
psychedelic drugs to treat depression, addiction, and trauma as part ability to adapt. Researchers have found that brain activity under the
of the Institute’s Murdock Mind, Body, Spirit series this summer in influence of psychedelics is strikingly similar to that of very experienced
Aspen. In conversation with Corby Kummer, the editor-in-chief of meditators. “Our brains are tuned for novelty,” Pollan said, “which
Mark Campbell
IDEAS and the director of the Institute’s Food and Society Program, makes sense in evolution, but we downplay the familiar, such as love for
Pollan described the extensive research that went into his latest book, people. And the familiar becomes something really rich you suddenly
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics want to explore.” aspeninstitute.org/murdock-series-pollan
MIGRANTS ON THE PAGE

Mohsin Hamid describes himself as a mongrel. Originally from
Pakistan, Hamid spent the first 38 years of his life moving back
and forth between the United States and his home country, the
United Kingdom. He takes the growing backlash against migrants
very personally. His latest novel wrestles with this sentiment. Exit
West is the story of Saeed and Nadia, two young people who leave
their country as it descends into the horrors of a civil war. As
they move around the world in search of a new home, they face
discrimination and hardship. In some lands, they are labeled illegal
immigrants. In others, they are seen as terrorists. Hamid forces
readers to question the nature of a world with 50 million displaced
people. Instead of focusing explicitly on migration, however, he tells
the story through the experiences of human beings. His ability to
illuminate this contemporary issue is why he was chosen as the first
recipient of the Aspen Words Literary Prize. In June, Hamid joined
Institute CEO Dan Porterfield for a conversation about literature
Anna Stonehouse
and world politics, at an event that also included dramatic readings

from the novel by Theatre Aspen’s Iris Beaumier.
Hamid
aspenwords.org/programs/literaryprize
LOOK WHO’S TALKING
Every summer, the McCloskey Speaker Series invites newsmakers
and international leaders to the stage in Aspen for frank talk about
culture and politics today. This year, speakers explored hot-button
CAROL DOPKIN
THE REALTOR WITH issues like climate change and immigration as well as societal
HORSE SENSE
themes like civility and the strength of democratic institutions.
Keeping it Fun is a Good Idea! Below are just a few highlights from a season of rich discussions.
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of Maryland, former Republican National Committee chairman, and an Aspen Institute–
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Rodel fellow in public leadership, the panel examined the philosophical underpinnings of
conservatism. Specifically, the group discussed what President Trump means to the GOP’s
CAROL DOPKIN future. “After this Wild, Wild West moment we’re having in politics, the country will change
970.618.0187 | CarolDopkin.com dramatically,” Steele said. “It’ll look a lot more like me than it does you. And they will be holding
carol@caroldopkin.com
616 E. Hyman Ave.| Aspen CO key positions of power—not just in economics, not just in policy, but in votes. By 2043, the
JUMP into the WINNER’s country will be majority minority. The Republican Party right now has laid down tracks that will
circle like Lucky Boy,
Riccardo Savi
Carol’s Prize Jumper. make it very difficult for that new majority to call itself or identify in any way with conservatism
or Republicanism. That’s what’s at stake.” aspeninstitute.org/mccloskey-steele

“WE’RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE” The Institute’s
McCloskey Speaker Series also hosted a conversation between Supreme
Court Justice Stephen Breyer and Joshua Johnson, the host of the
NPR radio show and podcast 1A. Breyer emphasized the complexity
of the Court’s deliberative process. There are multiple audiences,
Breyer explained, for any decision: the parties, lawyers, other judges,
and society as a whole. “You are trying to get something to work in
this messy, complicated, multi-institutional body called the law—and
we’re not always going to agree,” Breyer said. He remains optimistic
about the endeavor, however. He said there has been no personal
hostility among the justices, even when on opposite sides of an issue.
Breyer also stressed the importance of civic education as the most
significant way to create an informed electorate. Civics, he said, can
help Americans productively engage with one another, even when they
Riccardo Savi
Breyer
disagree—a lesson the Court has learned and one the country could use.
aspeninstitute.org/mccloskey-breyer
CITIES OF LIGHT US cities are leading the way in public policy.

And Los Angeles is at the forefront of that movement—so said LA
Mayor Eric Garcetti at the McCloskey Speaker Series. Los Angeles,
Garcetti said, is taking on tough national and international issues.
For example, the day President Donald Trump announced that
the United States would pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement,
Garcetti said, “I started calling cities and saying, ‘He says he’s out;
let’s say we’re in.’ ” The result? The Mayors National Climate Action
Agenda, a promise among more than 400 US cities and 70 million
Riccardo Savi
Americans to uphold the Paris accord. And since building codes,

transportation, and electricity generation are the work of local
government, cities have become “the most necessary and best
platform in the world” for the environment. Garcetti, whose family
background is Mexican and Jewish, became emotional on the topic
of immigration. He said current federal laws are “dehumanizing”
and likened a zero-tolerance border policy to “taking a hammer
to an already broken system, smashing it further, and now looking
at the pieces and trying to figure out how to repair it.” His own
local immigration policies have included funding for legal services
for undocumented migrants, declining federal requests to detain
arrestees, and helping to reunite migrant families. Garcetti noted
that immigrants started fully 61 percent of LA’s newest businesses.
Riccardo Savi
“I want economic prosperity, I want family unity, and I want safe

Garcetti streets,” Garcetti said. aspeninstitute.org/mccloskey-garcetti

A BLUEPRINT
FOR FAMILIES
“Meet families where they dream, as opposed to where they are,” Janine
McMahon, a parent leader, told the audience at the Institute’s Ascend
Dan Bayer
State Solutions Series forum. The event marked the release of the Ascend
program’s report, States Leading the Way: Practical Solutions that Lift Up
Bayer’s Anaconda
Children and Families. The forum featured experts and local leaders—
SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS including state commissioners, agency directors, state secretaries, and
parents—who shared insights into successful two-generation, or “2Gen,”
The Institute’s Aspen Meadows Campus is one of
solutions: that is, solutions focused on both children and parents. States
the nation’s best examples of Bauhaus architecture,
because it is a rich showcase of the work of the visionary Leading the Way offers a blueprint for leaders looking for 2Gen approaches
designer Herbert Bayer. Now, thanks to Melony and to get families out of poverty. It profiles successful strategies from both
Adam Lewis, the Institute has acquired and installed Democratic and Republican officials in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida,
Anaconda, a 1978 Bayer sculpture. “We are thrilled that Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Utah. These eight states,
key supporters in the Aspen community are embracing with two dozen more preparing to take part, are providing education,
the Aspen Meadows campus as a museum for the works
social services, and job training to parents and children with an eye toward
of Herbert Bayer,” Lynda Resnick, an Institute trustee
and the chair of the Art Advisory Committee, noted. economic security for families and economic growth for states. Institute
“The Institute is to be commended for its dedication to CEO Dan Porterfield gave the forum’s keynote address, sharing his own
preserving Herbert Bayer’s art legacy.” 2Gen success story and adding: “Now I get the opportunity to shine a
Anaconda was first installed in the foyer of the Atlantic light on people we should be supporting in this society.” The next State
Richfield Company’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado, Solutions Series event—on November 29, in Washington, DC—will be a
in 1978. ARCO, an oil company, was founded by Robert
partnership with the GOOD+ Foundation focused on supporting fathers.
O. Anderson, who served as the second president of
ascend.aspeninstitute.org
the Institute from 1957 to 1963. The Institute acquired
the sculpture from the Denver Art Museum in 2017,
where it had remained in crates since its removal
from the ARCO lobby in 1995. In its new home on Tony Carvajal of the Florida Chamber Foundation, Gretchen Hammer of the Colorado Department of
Health Care Policy and Financing, JoMarie Morris of the Jeremiah Program in Minnesota, and Tracy Gru-
the Aspen Meadows Campus, Anaconda is outdoors, ber of the Utah Department of Child Care at the Ascend State Solutions Series forum
with the mountains as a backdrop and in alignment
with the Walter Paepcke Memorial Building. The site
was selected with the advice of Bernard Jazzar, the
curator of the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Collection;
Jeff Berkus, the founder of Jeffrey Berkus Architects;
and Richard Shaw, a landscape architect with Design
Workshop. “We are delighted to install this sculpture as
we gear up for next year’s celebration of the 100th-year
anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus School,”
Institute CEO Dan Porterfield said.
Melony and Adam Lewis, philanthropists and members
of the Institute’s Society of Fellows, dedicated the gift
to Adam’s mother, Toby Devan Lewis, an art curator,
Courtesy Fresh Tracks
collector, author, and philanthropist who has been

Laurence Genon
involved with the Institute for decades. For more, see

“Parting Shot,” on page 84.

FRESH TRACKS,
ENDURING LEGACY
In 2015, President Barack Obama visited Alaska. He left so inspired by the Alaska Natives’
traditional relationships with the land that he called on his aides to create Fresh Tracks, a
Dan Bayer
program to bring together tribal, urban, and rural youth in the outdoors to build leadership
skills through cross-cultural exchanges. The program provides resources and mentorship
for youth leaders to carry out community action plans following the expedition. The first
expedition gathered young people from Compton, California, and tribal Alaska. They
visited each other’s communities and learned about each other’s cultures. They put faces
and stories to issues they’d only heard about on the news.
Now, the Institute’s Center for Native American Youth, the Children & Nature
Network’s Natural Leaders, and the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance,
have joined forces to continue both the Fresh Tracks and Generation Indigenous programs
here at the Institute (see “Creative Native,” page 24). Fresh Tracks continues to bring
together urban, rural, and tribal youth to learn four pillars of advocacy: personal narratives,
leadership development, community organizing, and action planning. They also receive
implicit-bias training, meet with local leaders, and learn about their own leadership styles.
All these lessons occur in and around the outdoors. This year, Fresh Tracks, which is open to
young adults ages 18 to 24, held trainings in Essex, Massachusetts; Long Beach, California;
Abiquiu, New Mexico; and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. freshtracksaction.org
Albright
Courtesy Fresh Tracks
Laurence Genon
A Fresh Tracks expedition

AUDIENCE OF A
GENERATION
At this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival, Shark Tank regular Kevin Rose Marcario, the CEO of Patagonia, who discussed
O’Leary’s talk—“Why Should Millennials Invest?”—at the environmental activism; Ava DuVernay, the filmmaker,
Wheeler Opera House was packed with young adults. That who talked about art and justice; and Jordan Peterson,
was the whole point. In 2017, the Institute launched the the controversial psychologist, who addressed the political
Millennial Pass, giving 18- to 35-year-olds partial access culture wars. “What I really loved about the Millennial Pass
to the Aspen Ideas Festival and Spotlight Health. Each is that I ended up going to panels I wouldn’t have gone to if
year, about 80 public sessions are held in downtown Aspen I had to pay for the individual session,” passholder Kristin
instead of on the Institute’s campus, and the majority of that Wright said. Institute staff strive to maintain a diversity of
downtown programming is available to Millennial passholders. ideas among speakers; the Millennial Pass allows that crucial
Dan Bayer
This year, the Institute sold 244 passes for $75 each. In variety to be reflected in the audience as well.
addition to O’Leary, Millennial highlights this year included aspenideas.org/millennial-pass
Dan Bayer
Young people listen to Ava DuVernay at an event in downtown Aspen.

THE ANATOMY OF HATE
Hate. It’s a word we teach children not to say, but few of us
ponder its broader ramifications. Back in 1990, former Czech
President Vaclav Havel, a multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominee,
spoke about the global dangers of hatred. Two friends of the
late dissident—Madeleine Albright, the former US secretary of
state, and Michael Zantovsky, who worked for Havel and now
runs his library—discussed Havel’s ideas about hatred in a modern
context at a Society of Fellows event in Aspen this summer.
Nationalism and anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment,
which have been gaining strength in the West, are antithetical
to Havel’s values. Before the breakup of the Soviet Union and
the war that fractured Yugoslavia, Havel warned of “a powder
keg of latent hatreds and nationalistic passions.” His words were Albright, Zantovsky
prescient. “It all came back to haunt us years later, and Havel
saw it,” Zantovsky said. What’s more, because globalization is as central.” Collective hatred becomes much more dangerous than
faceless, personal identity becomes tribal. “If my identity hates individual hatred. “It’s a process in which hatred gets legitimized,”
your identity,” Albright added, “then it’s nationalism and hyper-
Dan Bayer
Zankovsky said. For more on the Society of Fellows and how to join,
nationalism, and that’s where Havel foresaw the identity issue go to aspeninstitute.org/society-of-fellows.
Journalist Jay Newton Small with Fatima Goss
Graves of the National Women’s Law Center
Aspen | Avon | Crested Butte | Basalt | Glenwood Springs | Rifle
Big-City Legal Services, Small-Town Practice Attorneys in Litigation & Transactional Law
Garfield & Hecht, P.C. is a proud sponsor of the Sandra Day O’Connor Conversation Series
www.garfieldhecht.com | 970.925.1936 ph | atty@garfieldhecht.com

Dan Bayer

CREATIVE
NATIVE
This year, the Institute’s Center for Native
American Youth did something bold: it hosted
a competition for young artists. “Creative
Native” called on Indigenous youth between 5
and 24 years old from across the United States
to send in art inspired by former President
Barack Obama’s Generation Indigenous
movement and what it meant to them. Obama’s
Generation Indigenous, or “Gen-I,” creates
educational, career, and advocacy opportunities
for Indigenous youth; CNAY leads Gen-I’s
National Native Youth Network, which connects
thousands of Native youth across the country.
Riccardo Savi
Creative Native is CNAY’s first project to focus
on the power of art to highlight Indigenous Moderator Kathy Moxon, Jacobson, Starks, White
priorities. Submissions ranged from traditional

clothing to sculpture to graphic design—each
RURAL AMERICA’S LONG ROAD
accompanied by an explanation of how the
In March, the Institute’s Community Strategies Group held its seventh public
artwork connects to Gen-I. Artists wrote about
event in its America’s Rural Opportunity series, this time showcasing new data on
the reclamation of culture, modern indigeneity,
“opportunity youth”—that is, young people ages 16 to 24 who are not employed
decolonization, and the sanctity of
or in school (see “Rural and Ready,” page 13). The event, held at the Institute’s
tribal lands. The grand
new DC headquarters, featured rural American leaders who are linking
prize winner of the
youth to jobs, training, and education. The Community Strategies
Creative Native
Group collaborated with two other programs to make the event a
art competition
success: the Forum for Community Solutions and the Center
will receive
for Native American Youth. Speakers affiliated with all three
Kassaundra John of Diné (Navajo Nation)

funding for
programs included Mable Starks, the president and CEO of
art supplies,
MACE in Greenville, Mississippi; Deontay White, a Mississippi
a $200 prize,
Action for Community Education YouthBuild graduate; Shawna
will see his
Campbell-Daniels, the State Tribal Education Partnership
or her work
manager in Idaho; and Karen Jacobson, the executive director
featured on the
of the Randolph County Housing Authority in West Virginia.
cover of CNAY’s
The event explored ways to link young people to jobs in Appalachia,
annual State of
to empower youth in the Mississippi Delta, and to strengthen tribal
Native Youth report, and
education on the Coeur d’Alene reservation. At the end of the discussion,
will win an all-expenses-paid
the audience and the more than 400 live-stream viewers were treated to an
trip to Washington, DC, for the report’s release
impromptu rendition of “Faith of the Heart,” a song YouthBuild’s White uses to
event in November. All submissions will be
inspire students: “It’s been a long road, getting there from here, but they aren’t
shared through both a digital and physical gallery
going to hold me back no more.” aspeninstitute.org/community-strategies-group
later this year. cnay.org

FINDING COMMON GROUND ON NEW GROUND
“In recognition of the transformative leadership of Walter Isaacson, Shaw Construction, Jeffrey Berkus Architects, and project
the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees has voted to rename the manager Jim Curtis spearheaded renovations of the building,
Aspen Meadows Reception Center as the Walter Isaacson Center,” originally constructed in 1958. The transformation added much-
James S. Crown, the Institute’s board chairman, said in 2017 when needed upgrades and additions while remaining consistent with
plans for the center were announced. Now, the Isaacson Center is a designer Herbert Bayer’s vision and classic Bauhaus style. “We are
reality. Located on the western side of the Aspen Meadows Campus, proud to be a part of the renovation, which brings a fresh energy
the building has reopened after extensive renovations. Among the and an inspired indoor/outdoor gathering center to the Aspen
additions and enhancements are a new glass-enclosed event and Meadows Campus,” Jeffrey Berkus, the project architect, said.
dining space on the main floor named the Madeleine K. Albright “In the vein of the Bauhaus movement, the spaces resonate with a
Pavilion and the outdoor Bren and Mel Simon Terrace. Members of strong connection to the natural world while further supporting the
the public and Institute guests can also visit and enjoy a meal or a drink Institute’s mission of finding common ground.”
at Limeslicers Bar, Hefner Lounge, Davis Commons Restaurant, That’s a sentiment Isaacson has long supported. As Crown said
or Plato’s Restaurant. Or they can relax and reflect in the Morris back in 2017, Isaacson “leaves a legacy of values-based leadership and
Riccardo Savi
Lobby, on the Bass Castle Creek Deck, on the Moderators Bridge, extraordinary growth in the eminence and impact of the Institute.”
or in the Tisch Terrace and Gardens. Now even more people can feel that impact in even more settings.
Kassaundra John of Diné (Navajo Nation)
Dan Bayer
The new Walter Isaacson Center and

Madeleine K. Albright Pavilion

SCHOOL, SPORTS,
AND SPONSORSHIP
NCAA athletes are big business for US colleges and universities. So
should student athletes be compensated? Speaking at the Institute’s
“Future of College Sports: Reimagining Athlete Pay” event in May,
former University of Wisconsin basketball player Nigel Hayes said
they should. Hayes said he and his college teammates once considered
boycotting a high-profile game during the 2016–2017 season to
protest the NCAA’s limits on what athletes can accept while playing
college sports. (The idea was abandoned because not everyone on the
Wisconsin team favored the idea.) “With all the money that’s being
Laurence Genon
made that the players are not receiving, there’s going to be a point
where the players don’t play,” said Hayes, now an NBA forward who Solomon, McGlade, Hayes
last played for the Sacramento Kings. “It’s going to take the right
player or the right team in the right big-game setting.” and Radakovich pointed out possible problems with players signing
Participants in the Future of College Sports discussion also included deals that conflict with their university’s own business contracts.
Clemson Athletic Director Dan Radakovich, former Georgetown and For instance, an athlete who promotes Under Armour may be at
Princeton men’s basketball coach John Thompson III, and Atlantic odds with his or her college’s deal with Nike. Watch the discussion
10 Conference Commissioner Bernadette McGlade, all of whom at as.pn/collegesportsfuture and read Jon Solomon, the Sports &
debated the implications of NCAA athletes receiving compensation Society Program’s editorial director, on the history behind the
for their names and images through outside sponsorships. Thompson debate at aspeninstitute.org/pay-ncaa-athletes.
Rios
HARLEM NEEDS PLAYTIME
All kids should have access to good sports opportunities, regardless of zip code or ability. Project Play, part of the
Institute’s Sports & Society Program, assesses the youth sports landscape in cities around the country—and then
acts. The initiative’s latest report, State of Play: Harlem, sheds light on East Harlem, New York. Next up, Project
Play will collaborate with community partners there to fill in the gaps. harlem.projectplay.us
24% 15%
males females
Percentage of East Harlem youth who $36.1 million 0.77 acres
meet the Centers for Disease Control Projected medical costs averted Amount of open space per 1,000
and Prevention’s recommended if 50% of East Harlem youth East Harlem residents—below the
60 minutes of physical activity a day. stay active until age 18. recommended Open Space Index
benchmark.

SUMMER AT ASPEN
The Heights of Summer
When the snow melts and the mountains are instead blanketed by vibrant
wildflowers, Aspen transforms into a gathering ground. Artists, journalists,
leaders, writers, academics, and musicians come to share their ideas—just as
Institute founder Walter Paepcke envisioned they would. Summers in Aspen are
perfect for the intellectually omnivorous. The Institute campus is a wellspring of
creative ideas and discussions—discussions that range from the widening racial
wealth gap to the benefits of forest therapy.
This summer featured the Economic Security Summit, which explored the
challenges facing American workers and families in today’s changing economy.
Experts at Spotlight Health examined the current state of health and medicine
around the globe. Government officials and industry experts at the Aspen
Security Forum took on top national security issues. At the Resnick Aspen
Action Forum, fellows from the Aspen Global Leadership Network reflected on
what it means to be fearless. And, of course, the Institute’s touchstone gathering,
the Aspen Ideas Festival, brought together an audience of curious thousands
and the best minds in science, art, policy, and politics.
Each of these events gives visitors a broad view of the opinions, experiences,
and ideas that shape the world outside this little mountain town. And every
C2 Photography
summer, we reach new heights.

SUMMER AT ASPEN: S P OT L I G H T H E A LT H
The Best Medicine
Health is linked to just about everything else in the universe.
And so the Health, Medicine and Society Program and the
Aspen Global Innovators Group launched Spotlight Health
five years ago. “In every society, successful health systems and
strategies will benefit everything else,” new Aspen Institute
CEO Dan Porterfield said at his first Spotlight Health opening
session. “Everything is deeply interdependent when health
systems work—or melt down.”
Over three days in June, experts in all fields of health—
doctors, nurses, institutional leaders, scientists, and
policymakers—gathered in Aspen to debate and look at
innovations. Sessions focused on community health, new
findings in medicine and science, disruptive health care
systems, and personal well-being. But the ideas transcended
those themes—often touching on the intersections between
health and poverty, justice, art, politics, food, violence, race,
climate, education, and play. Participants even went on guided
forest-therapy walks and mindful morning yoga sessions. As
usual, the ideas and conversations that emerged—just a few of
which are on the following pages—were richer for being held
C2 Photography
in Aspen. aspenideas.org/spotlight-health
All quotes and transcripts have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Riccardo Savi
An Epidemic of Gun Violence
After the Valentine’s Day school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 17 people were killed
(all but three were teenagers) and the nation saw a massive uptick in attention to gun control, mental health, and trauma. At Spot-
light Health, Ann Thomas, the CEO of the Children’s Place; Olivia Wesch, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School;
Kayla Schaefer, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; Ke’Shon Newman, a youth leader at Bold Resistance
Against Violence Everywhere (or “BRAVE”) in Chicago; and journalist Ted Koppel came together to address gun violence and
the tragedy of young life lost.
Thomas: Anxiety is a highly Newman: In our community, Wesch: We cannot vote, but Schaefer: When you walk in
contagious emotion. It’s very school is the safest place. When we can share our stories the hallway, you look to see if
easy to share it, to feel it, we leave school, we have to to show adults that there anyone’s suspicious. School
and to understand it. Now make sure we don’t go to cer- is a need for change. We gives me anxiety. There’s
children know what code- tain places because there may can push them to go vote, always that fear in the back
red drills are. At our agency, be shootings or violence. so that we have the right of my head.
we’re teaching 4-year-olds people in office who will
what a quiet drill is. It’s scary. help us with the movement
Dan Bayer
Dan Bayer
and make the change.
“As a doctor, as a black woman, I know

the intersections of gender, class,
migration, and different bodily abilities
mean that, for us, the right to choose is
simply not enough.”
—Tlaleng Mofokeng, general practitioner
and vice-chairperson, Sexual and Reproductive
Justice Coalition, South Africa
Riccardo Savi
Dan Bayer

“When I walk into the Capitol, people think,
‘It’s that goody two-shoes surgeon general
saying we can’t have fun and we need to
spend all our money promoting health.”
They know what I’m going to say—and they
know their voters are voting on jobs and the
economy. When Warren Buffett shows up
and says, ‘We need to invest in health,’ it
resonates in a very different way.”
—Jerome Adams, US surgeon general
Riccardo Savi
“Detroit is a powerhouse of urban agriculture.

And there is no doubt that Detroit’s future is
one where our entire food system is going to be
community-based. We have to start listening to
the voices of those most impacted by our toxic
food system.”
—Devita Davison, executive director, FoodLab Detroit
Dan Bayer
Dan Bayer
“We’re moving from a world in

which genetic testing was rare
and expensive to a world of
genetic-data abundance.”
—Robert C. Green, professor of medicine and
director, Genomes2People Research Program,
Harvard Medical School
Dan Bayer
Dan Bayer

“The most unjust health care
system that costs taxpayers
hundreds of billions of dollars a
year is the criminal-justice system.
Why is that a health care system?
Because that’s what we do with our
addicted people in this country:
we shove them in prison.”
—Cory Booker, US senator
Dan Bayer
“Everybody feels the health care
system is out of their control—
the payers, the patients, and the
providers. When you give them
tools to get together around
a common goal, you can get
dramatic results.”
—Atul Gawande, professor, Harvard
TH Chan School of Public Health and
Harvard Medical School, and surgeon,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Dan Bayer
“It’s a highly gendered industry; the vast
majority of the workforce is disproportionately
women of color and immigrants. And it’s all
work women have historically done: cleaning
and caregiving.”
—Ai-Jen Poo, executive director,
National Domestic Workers Alliance
Riccardo Savi

“Suffering connects you to
all human beings across time,
forever.”
—Lucy Kalanithi, clinical assistant
professor of medicine, Stanford
University School of Medicine
Riccardo Savi
Dan Bayer
Feed Your Soul

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay on art,
imagery, and a healthy society.
DuVernay: We use the phrase “the mind’s eye” for a reason. The
images we consume become part of our mind and memory. Images
have been used to make us unhealthy, particularly in communities
of color and oppressed communities. Ideologies about black people
and women being “less than” are perpetuated through imagery.
It was becoming part of my DNA, and it has become part of the
DNA of so many. Not just the person who is the subject of the
erroneous information or image but everyone who consumes it.
Dan Bayer
Images are the bedrock of my industry, and it was founded brick by

brick on top of racist, violent imagery. These images come into our
mind’s eye and become part of us, like food. How do you turn that
around? How do you make it whole food, whole images that inform
and nourish? It doesn’t even have to be the violent, racist imagery
that’s malnourishing; it is the absence of people that’s malnourishing.
Movies are mass imagery, mass storytelling. We think it’s a way
to say the things we want to say and put up the images we want to
see. But we’ve become so focused on story that we forget the systems
around the story. Studio heads: there are none of color, and there’s
two women. Critics: 94 percent of the critics on Rotten Tomatoes are
white men. Our very presence or absence is a weapon against us.
For a long time in Hollywood, I was on the outside. When I fi-
nally walked into the industry, I had a spirit of independence, think-
ing: “They can’t hit a moving target. I’m going to make narrative
scripted films with actors, I’m going to make documentaries, I’m
going to make television, I’m going to make commercials.” Because
if they say, “We don’t like her making dramas anymore.” Cool, I’ll
go make a doc. “No! No more docs for you, lady.” It’s OK, I’ll go
Riccardo Savi
make some TV. “Wait a minute, don’t make TV.” OK, I’m going to
Dan Bayer
make a commercial. They can’t stop me because I’m moving.

An Appetite for Ideas
Take 450 presenters, drop them in various combinations into
400 sessions on 12 very broad themes over seven days, then serve
the resulting mix to thousands of attendees. Add speakers who
bring a matchless depth of experience in their fields to the table
and the stage; this year’s tracks covered freedom of speech, the
art of justice, staying human in a high-tech world, the genius of
animals, and an examination of the American union and global
geopolitics. Add to that a 3,000-strong audience—many of
them top thinkers and leaders in their own right—and include
300 action-oriented young scholars from all over the world plus
30 high-school students and educators from the Bezos Scholars
program. You have the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Important questions were raised in every room, every
campus pathway, and on seemingly every corner of downtown
Aspen, where the conversation often continued. How should we
relate to each other in these divisive times? How are social media
and the ways we consume news fueling polarization? How can
the personal, visceral stories of students from Parkland, Florida,
and inner-city Chicago spur action on the complexities of gun
violence? How do we resolve US-Mexico border tensions? Will
the #MeToo movement spur meaningful policy changes? How
do we shelter the millions of refugees from the global migration
crisis? And can animal behavior inspire one to think differently,
dream for a better existence, and even change the world?
“Big ideas don’t just happen,” Fred Dust, a senior partner
at IDEO, said at the opening session. “Big ideas are nurtured.
They are engaged, fostered, and raised by communities.” In
the following pages, we offer just a taste of those big ideas.
aspenideas.org
Dan Bayer
All quotes and transcripts have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

35
SUMMER AT ASPEN: A S P E N I D E A S F E S T I VA L
2018
SPECIAL ISSUE
IDEAS
“A Great Global
Riccardo Savi
Force for Good”
Dan Porterfield, the Institute’s new president and CEO, spoke with
David Bradley, the chairman of Atlantic Media, about what the future
holds and why he took the job.
Bradley: Dan was coaching young people when he was in The Aspen Institute is this great global force for good
high school. He set up two mentoring programs while he that Walter Isaacson and all of you helped to build. Our
was at Georgetown that still exist. He went into under- best days, in terms of social impact and improving the
graduate education, both as a teacher and as the president quality of life for the one and the many, are still ahead
of an undergraduate school. You have devoted your entire of us. What I’m hoping to do with you is to build on this
life to youth. I don’t know if you’ve looked at us, Dan, but incredible resource to promote human flourishing in all the
for some of us, the last time we were in school was the ways that has to happen—intellectual, personal, social—as
Coolidge administration. What were you thinking? citizens, as members of the human family, together.
We are all called by the example of those who have
Porterfield: I’d like to channel my mentor, Father Tim Healy, come before us to make this Institute as important and
who had this beautiful line that I quote a little differently each results-oriented as it can be. Not just for us, of course, but
time I say it: “The young dream, and the old teach. In that for the entire country and world. We are at a moment when
mystery comes a tomorrow that we who are older will not see it feels like centrifugal forces are pulling us apart. But the
but will have helped to shape through the lives and work of truth of the matter is it’s a centripetal calling that we all
our students.” All of us are called to be educators and men- feel to be one. This Institute can enact change in still more
tors to the young. Every single one of us, always, until we say dramatic ways by focusing on framing and solving problems
goodnight. Our human calling is to invest in the young. in a way that helps everyone.
Leigh Vogel
Dan Bayer

“All of my courses come down to present-
ness and past-ness and the rich mixture,
almost like drinking an elixir of those
two things. It’s past and present, but it’s
also truth and make-believe. It’s being
at the spot where something real never
happened. Nowadays, we distinguish
between truth and falsehood as never
before. But fiction sits beautifully between
those categories.”
—Alexander Nemerov, professor of arts and humanities,
Stanford University, and author, Summoning Pearl Harbor
Riccardo Savi
“Mass incarceration has decimated the

African-American community in this
country. The world has never seen a
penal system like the one we have built.
America deserves credit for a whole lot
of special inventions—but we have to put
this one on our ledger, too.”
—Danielle Allen, political theorist and author,
Cuz: An American Tragedy
Dan Bayer

“Could technology make us
smarter about who we trust, or
is technology encouraging us
to give our trust to the wrong
people and the wrong places?”
—Rachel Botsman, visiting academic,
University of Oxford, and author,
Who Can You Trust?
Dan Bayer
“In the United States alone, over
70 million adults use shadow
banking or don’t have bank
accounts. They spend $170
billion on interest rates and
on fees to do basic consumer
transactions. That’s the same
amount they spend on food.”
—Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal
Riccardo Savi

“Higher Ground”
Dan Bayer
For decades, artist Carrie Mae Weems has created art that probes
politics and power. At the festival, she staged a performance and then
discussed how her work merges the personal and the political.
Weems: I don’t deal with the history of violence constantly singing, “We’re climbing Jacob’s Ladder.” It was not a hymn
because I want to, but because I am compelled to: by my but this extraordinary protest song.
background, my culture, my concerns, my skin, the way in I knew then that part of the work I had to do was to
which I have been marked by time. There is a great tradition figure out how to get to higher ground. How to get to higher
of artists involved in activism. Today, we started with this idea: ground, how to see what this moment is, how to think about
the personal and the political. For me, there is no difference in it, how to talk about it, how to negotiate it, how to write
my life between the personal and political. It all blends. I do about it—and then how to make work out of it. That’s my
the work not because somebody is paying me to do it. I’m not project. So for me, the political is personal, and the personal
doing it because “social justice” is trending on social media. I is always political.
do it because the work really impels me. We’re always grappling with that idea. What matters at
I had this incredible dream. It was a hot August night, any given moment, as you are shifting, developing, and pro-
and I dreamt that a tsunami was coming. I saw this massive cessing, is how to enter your work in a way that allows you to
wall of water just rising up and threatening to take us all. In build on this sustained dialog that you are having with your-
my dream, I knew I had to warn my friends that this huge self, with the meaning of your life. I have been completely, for
thing was coming, and it’s about to swallow us and destroy us, years, buried in snaking through these ideas about structures
overtaking the land. I started running, and just as I began to of power. Right now, I’m looking at that in relationship to
run, I turned, and there was Donald Trump—leering at me. violence. It’s an interconnected way of working, of seeing the
Fabulous. I ran past him, and I ran toward my friends, saying world and understanding your place in it, and what you have
that this tsunami was coming, we had to protect ourselves. I to give voice to through art. In one way or another, we are all
Riccardo Savi
came to a point where there was a great ladder. I saw all of my involved in questions about art and justice. This is a crucial
friends climbing this ladder, and as they climbed, they were moment, but we’ve been doing this work for a very long time.

“Millennials want to know
how they fit in the big
picture, want constant
feedback, don’t want
to be micromanaged.
But they also have high
expectations for why it
is we do this work. That
matters.”
—John Doerr, chairman,
Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers
Dan Bayer
“Black women are making better
political decisions than any of
you. That’s a hard truth to hear
because no one thinks black
women know anything. They
think we’re here to be angry for
the revolution or provide comfort
for the tired. They don’t see us as
knowledge producers who know
that when the lowest group of
folks wins, everybody wins.”
—Brittney Cooper, associate professor,
Rutgers University, and author,
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist
Discovers Her Superpower
Riccardo Savi
Ian Wagreich

Dan Bayer
Comey’s Choice
Former FBI director James Comey sat down with Katie Couric to examine
the tough decisions he faced in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Couric: On July 5, 2016, you held a press conference was to announce the recommendation she said she would
announcing you were not recommending charges against accept separately. This was the result best calculated to
Hillary Clinton. You were not the attorney general, you maintain the faith and confidence of the American people
weren’t even a prosecutor. Why was it appropriate for you, as and end the investigation in a credible way.
the investigator, to make that announcement?
Couric: You called Hillary Clinton’s behavior “extremely
Comey: It’s always the attorney general who announces, and careless,” placing a value judgment on her. Can you give
the FBI director is typically standing next to her. The reason me another example of an FBI agent or prosecutor publicly
I did it was I thought it was between two options: offering maligning someone they’ve decided not to prosecute?
transparency separately or offering it standing next to the
attorney general. The option least likely to do lasting damage Comey: Lois Lerner, the IRS executive. The Justice
to the institution was the first bad option. There was a lot of Department described her as a “poor manager” but not
controversy during the final week of the investigation, when engaged in criminal wrongdoing when they closed the
Attorney General Loretta Lynch had a meeting with Bill investigation of the so-called targeting of the Tea Party. Also
Clinton on an airplane. There was a storm about whether José Padilla, the “dirty bomber,” in 2004. The department
that fatally compromised her. I worried about the public made a public announcement of why he had been detained
perception that the investigation was not done credibly. Lynch and not prosecuted and described in great detail his conduct.
announced, without talking to me, that she would accept my It is the norm to do that when the public interest requires
recommendation and that of the career prosecutors. I don’t it. There’s no doubt the announcement falls well within the
Riccardo Savi
know what option I had then besides choosing either the conduct of the department. I wasn’t trying to attack Clinton.
Ian Wagreich
traditional thing, or doing something I never imagined, which I was trying to be transparent with the American people.

“Just being the kind of person who
prioritizes time over money can
increase your well-being. That’s what
very happy people do. But the modern
environment is not one that’s causing
us to prioritize all these things that
Dan Bayer
bump up our well-being. We all are
not as happy as we can be.”
—Laurie Santos, professor of psychology and
director, Comparative Cognition Laboratory,
Yale University
Dan Bayer
“I really believe that women
are going to be the force for
changing the way business
is done, not because we’re
Riccardo Savi
better but because we’ve
been left out.”
—Eileen Fisher, founder and
chairwoman, Eileen Fisher, Inc.
Ian Wagreich
Dan Bayer

“There’s an orchestra and there’s an
audience, and they’ve got to connect.
They’ve got to feel that connection.
It’s about creating intimacy.”
—Frank Gehry, architect and founder,
Gehry Partners
Dan Bayer
“When we pet dogs, we get a surge of

oxytocin. They’ve kind of hitchhiked
on our feeling toward our infants. And
they get the oxytocin rush, too.”
—Alexandra Horowitz, dog-cognition scientist
Dan Bayer
and associate professor of psychology,

Barnard College
Riccardo Savi
“The hashtag is not a

movement. The work that we’re
doing on the ground to support
those people who raise their
hands—that’s a movement.”
—Tarana Burke, social-justice activist and
original founder, #MeToo
Ian Wagreich
Dan Bayer

Your Brain on Tech
The Center for Humane Technology’s Tristan
Harris came to make a point: automation is
an existential threat to humans.
Harris: We have this narrative that technology’s just a neutral tool; we can
do whatever we want with it. That is completely not true. The technology
we have right now is purpose built and designed to capture human atten-
tion. How much have you paid recently for your Facebook account? Zero.
Their business model is to capture your attention and sell it to advertis-
ers—and they have a bunch of techniques to get people hooked. On top
of this, you have automation. On Facebook, there are millions of items
they could show you, but they pick the things that are going to keep you
hooked. About 70 percent of YouTube’s traffic comes from recommen-
dations from their “up next” feature. And because the goal is capturing
people’s attention, it’s going to select the thing that will most likely keep
you on YouTube for the longest amount of time. The biggest supercom-
puters in the world are inside Facebook and Google—and they’re pointed
at two billion people’s brains.
When Garry Kasparov played chess against IBM’s Deep Blue, he lost.
Riccardo Savi
Why? Because even though Kasparov has the best human mind for chess,
the computer can still see way more moves ahead. It’s game over. There’s
never going to be another human to beat computers at chess. You now
have 1.9 billion human animals dropping into YouTube, and a supercom-
puter is activated to play chess against their minds, asking, What’s the perfect
video I can show you that’s going to keep you here the longest? That’s why we say, “I’m
gonna watch this one video,” and then wake up two hours later like, “What
the hell just happened?” It’s like bringing a knife to a space-laser fight.
The political consequences are alarming. There’s an intrinsic bias
toward conspiracy theories, radicalizing content, and divisive material.
So if you drop into a normal 9/11 news video and then watch what’s on
autoplay, two videos later you’re watching 9/11 conspiracy theories. If
you drop a teen girl into a dieting video, two videos later she gets anorexia
videos. It’s on Facebook, too: if you join a mommy group, they suggest
other groups that are good at keeping people on Facebook: anti-vaccine
conspiracy groups. Automated systems are driving what 2 billion human
animals are being led to and believing—and there’s no one home.
It’s not as if there’s someone at YouTube or Facebook who wants this
to happen. It’s an automated system pursuing a naïve goal: capture atten-
tion. And it’s producing everything from a doubling rate of teen suicide in
young women to radicalizing conspiracy theorists. YouTube recommend-
ed Infowars conspiracy-theory videos 15 billion times. This mind influence
is jacked into people everywhere in languages the engineers don’t even
speak. Then in sensitive markets, genocide is amplified because systems
are recommending fake news videos that amplify ethnic tensions between,
say, the Rohingya and Myanmar. The consequences are vast. This is an
existential threat that’s outpacing the human control loop of our choice-
Ian Wagreich
making capacity. It’s steering world history right now. And we have to fix it.
Dan Bayer

“Who were the first
illegal aliens on this
land? The Pilgrims.
We don’t like to
say that, but if the
first peoples tell the
story, it’s a different
narrative.”
—Maria Hinojosa,
news anchor and
president and CEO,
Futuro Media Group
Riccardo Savi
“Sometimes society’s
demands for equality,
to the people who have
control, seems like
oppression.”
—Christian Picciolini,
former white supremacist and
author, White American Youth:
My Descent into America’s
Most Violent Hate Movement
Ian Wagreich
Dan Bayer

“How do you engage
with the outdoors
when we all carry
a computer in our
pockets with more
computing power
than what we sent to
the moon the first
time?”
—Jerry Strizke, president
and CEO, REI
Leigh Vogel
Riccardo Savi
“If you’re living with a chronic
stressor that goes on for months,
years, decades, then you become
poisoned by your own stress
hormones.”
—Meg Jay, clinical psychologist and
author, Supernormal: The Untold Story of
Adversity and Resilience
Dan Bayer

Leigh Vogel
Riccardo Savi
The Beauty of Mimicry

Janine Benyus, the co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8 and the Biomimicry
Institute, introduced us to spectacular innovations inspired by animals.
When humans go to space, we experience extreme osteoporosis, Now we’re asking how. “How are you doing this? How can
because we’re not moving around as much. That’s why strength we mimic it?” It requires us to see the natural world not as a
exercising is good for bone health. Bears strengthen their own warehouse of goods but as a mentor.
bones. Their bones come out of hibernation stronger than they Biologist Rusty Rodriguez went to Yellowstone and saw
went in. They also don’t urinate or defecate in hibernation. If something called “panic grass” growing next to the hot pools.
we did that, our glucose levels would rise, and we’d be extremely He thought, That cannot happen. It’s too hot. He found there was
diabetic. Bears don’t get diabetes. We’re trying to understand a fungus associated with the plant that allowed it to grow in
how that works so doctors can create a diabetes treatment. hot conditions. He now has a company that inoculates seeds
There is a new cancer-cell detector. It is not a fancy piece of with a fungus so plants can grow in drought conditions. Rice
equipment: it’s $20. It’s based on butterflies’ eyes and their abil- can grow with half the water.
ity to see certain light wavelengths. When you go for your next Wax worms pose a problem for beekeepers like Frederica
cancer screening and your cells fluoresce, this sensor can see Bertocchini, who’s also a scientist. Bertocchini plucked some
that. You may owe your early diagnosis to a butterfly. of these wax worms off her hives and put them in a plastic
What is “biomimicry”? It’s not like putting in wood floors. bag. Later, they were crawling all over her kitchen floor. They
That’s “bio-utilization.” It’s not like using yeast to make bread. had eaten their way out of the bag. Ninety percent of plastic
That’s “bio-assisted” technology. Biomimicry is mimicking and waste is polyethylene or polypropylene, and wax worms eat it
valuing nature—not for what we can extract, domesticate, or for breakfast. What is the chemical reaction that breaks down
harvest but for what we can learn. It’s the stance of a student all that plastic? We stopped creating plastics that are not bio-
after a few hundred years of being the conqueror. We’ve spent a degradable, but what do we do with those legacy plastics—
long time learning about nature. This is learning from nature. For like in our oceans and landfills? Thank you, wax worms. We
Dan Bayer
years, evolutionary biologists asked, “Why are you doing this?” need to train more biologists to see the world this way.

Ian Wagreich
Dan Bayer
Psychology, Linguistics, and Empathy
When psychologist Jordan Peterson encountered linguist John
McWhorter, the festival audience was treated to a debate about
pronouns, manipulation, and gut instincts.
McWhorter: I teach trans students, and I’m asked often to call they requested. But that’s not the issue. The issue is I’m compelled
people singularly “they.” You can tell that for some of them, by law to do so. Because it’s compelled, I’m not doing it. That’s
it’s coming from a very deep place, and they need to be called the end of the game as far as I’m concerned. And it wasn’t an
“they.” My horse sense says some enjoy giving me a certain isolated move. It’s part of a whole sequence of legislation. It’s a
shock and that there’s a certain theatrical aspect to it. I’m radical ideology attempting to gain the linguistic upper hand.
probably right, but I can’t know for sure. I’m a linguist, and
my feeling has been, whatever they ask, just go with it and let’s McWhorter: But how would your psychological training help?
change our usage of the pronouns. You said you can tell the My ears pricked up when you said there is a way of thinking that
difference in these cases based on your psychological training. would allow us to decide who is really trans and who is posturing.
How do you know? If you hear a tiny bit of skepticism in my
voice, you’re correct. However, I am open to being convinced. Peterson: There’s a way of thinking that allows me to decide for me.
Based on your training, how would you know which students
to discount as opposed to which ones to go along with? McWhorter: No, for us to decide for us. Surely you have a larger
mission than just what’s going on in your own head.
Peterson: Among all of them, I wouldn’t know. Which is partly
why your skepticism is justified. In any reasonable situation, I Peterson: No. I had a perfectly straightforward mission: there was
would err on the side of addressing the person in the manner no damn way I was going to say those words when compelled to.

Ian Wagreich
Dan Bayer
McWhorter: You weren’t trying to model for the rest of us a way Peterson: No, it’s not that. Though it’s not easy to ar-
of thinking based on expertise? It was really only about you? ticulate the unerring principles by which to make such
a categorical judgment. Part of the problem is how to
Peterson: It was about me and the law. I thought lawmakers had make a generic moral truth apply to a very individual-
gone too far. They’d stepped out of their appropriate territory istic situation, where you have these students who vary
into the domain of linguistic freedom. And that was the state- in their attitude toward their self-professed gender—the
ment: I’m not doing this. People can draw their own conclusions ones who are grandstanding and the ones who are very
from that. Maybe they want to do it, too. Now you asked a spe- serious. You have to make a judgment in the moment
cific question, which was, do I have special expertise that I might that is dependent on variables that present themselves
share with other people? What makes you think that you’re doing in a very complex way. I understand why you took the
the kids who are grandstanding any favors by going along with pathway you took, and it’s perfectly reasonable to do
their manipulation? so. My point was that you don’t minimize all the errors
by doing so. Because of my psychological acumen, and
McWhorter: Because I can’t decide which ones those are. I just the experience I’ve derived, I would be comfortable in
have my gut instincts, and that’s not good enough. making the judgment and taking the consequential risk.
I’m not saying I’d be correct. But I’m willing to suffer
Peterson: Fair enough, but you have a type-one and type-two the consequences of my error. That’s not the same
error problem. One error is that you don’t call students what they thing as being right. If I feel a student is manipulating
deserve to be called. And the other error is that you call students me, I’m not going to go along with it. Now, I might
what they want to be called even though they don’t deserve it. be wrong about that and actually hurt someone who’s
You’ve just decided to minimize one form of error at the expense genuinely asking for something that they need. But I’m
of the other. You’re allowing attention-seeking and somewhat nar- also sensitive to the error of allowing manipulation to
cissistic undergraduates to gain the upper hand over you in class. go unchecked.
McWhorter: Are you saying that psychological theory has nothing McWhorter: Everything you’re saying is very well put,
to teach us about this? Yes or no? Or is it just too complicated? but it’s too slippery for me.

Lata Reddy addresses the Economic Security Summit.

SUMMER AT ASPEN: E C O N O M I C S E C U R I T Y S U M M I T
Making Capitalism Smarter
The United States needs to
deliver more growth and more
prosperity to more people.
The annual Economic Security
Summit brought together
experts to figure out how.
BY KATIE BRYAN AND DAN LEBIEDNIK
Lately, headlines have touted the nation’s robust economy.

But there’s a jarring paradox that isn’t making the front page:
millions of Americans’ economic lives remain stagnant. Even as
businesses rack up record profits and unemployment falls, nearly
half of all Americans report not having $400 in the bank to weather
an economic shock. Plus, the vast majority of the American
workforce hasn’t seen a raise in decades. Today, roughly one in four
working adults earns a wage that’s insufficient to lift a family out of
poverty. When working full time in a strong economy isn’t enough
to beat back poverty, what are American families supposed to do?
To address this challenge, the Aspen Institute’s Economic
Opportunities Program and the Financial Security Program have
joined forces over the past three years to host the Economic Security
Summit. “The problem of rising economic insecurity is understood
much better,” said Alex Mazer, a 2017 summit participant and
founding partner at Common Wealth, “when you connect two
conversations: financial well-being on the one hand and jobs and
work on the other.” Over several days in Aspen this July, leaders
from across disciplines came together to focus on solutions. “The
implications of the problem are not just economic,” Mazer added.
“Economic insecurity poses a threat to a functioning system of
Photos by Hal Williams
democratic capitalism—and to democracy.”

With the stakes made clear, participants at the 2018 Economic
Security Summit addressed three key themes: institutions,

Rademacher, Conway
“Millennials are an important their working years and in retirement. The group focused on
reforming institutions to support employees’ voices at work,
group driving change, particularly provide benefits that promote financial health, and offer
opportunities for skill development. “There’s currently an
within large employers.” imbalance of power in our society,” says Maureen Conway,
the vice president of policy programs and the executive
director of the Economic Opportunities Program at the
Institute. “We need to build the organizations that will shift
ownership, and incentives. In small groups, economic that balance over time to give working people more control
leaders and social innovators examined new institutions, over their work and their lives. Families are struggling now,
policies, and platforms that support workers and increase and we need to find solutions that make a difference for
their access to benefits. They brainstormed incentives for them today.”
businesses to create good jobs and for employers to improve The group working on incentives focused on strategies
the financial health and security of workers. And they to drive a greater share of market investment toward firms
looked at expanding access to asset ownership for low- and that view worker stability and financial health as critical to
moderate-income workers. Each group also explored how their long-term success and sustainability. They looked at
market changes, policy, and technology will affect potential ways to help institutional and values-based investors spend
solutions. money in more effective ways. They discussed fostering
Institutions can be exceptionally slow to change, corporate leadership at both the CEO and emerging-
especially when it comes to helping employees. So the leader levels; standardizing organizational metrics on
small group discussing institutions centered on the need worker incomes, financial health, and well-being; and
to rebalance economic power structures to give working encouraging businesses to recognize talented employees as
people what they need to lead dignified lives—both during vital to success. The group agreed that company brand and

SUMMER AT ASPEN: E C O N O M I C S E C U R I T Y S U M M I T
reputation drive not only business success but also employee inequality, opportunities for ownership must become
satisfaction. more diversified, widespread, and accessible—especially
Finally, the ownership working group wrestled with for communities of color and women.”
questions about the future of wealth in the United States, The group identified one exciting near-term
and explored new and innovative ideas to democratize asset solution: leverage the bipartisan Mainstreet Employee
ownership for more Americans. “Summit participants were Ownership Act, which was recently signed into law,
keenly aware of the role that wealth and ownership has played to broaden the base of people who have significant
throughout history in shaping mobility at the household level,” ownership of business assets.
Ida Rademacher, an Institute vice president and the executive The conversations were often challenging, but they
director of the Financial Security Program, says. “If we are helped to forge new relationships among experts who
serious about expanding economic security and reducing rarely meet in the same room. At times, participants
disagreed on what issues to tackle first: worker pay,
shareholder primacy, or wealth-building opportunities.
“Some of the conversations here were tense, and that’s
a good thing,” Ben Mangan, a senior fellow at the
Institute, says. “That will lead us to hard truths and
solutions.” Though summit participants didn’t agree on
everything, a palpable sense of possibility emerged—a
sense that the ideas and relationships formed at the
summit can go a long way toward creating a more
inclusive vision for economic growth and prosperity for
generations to come.
Katie Bryan is the communications manager at the

Institute’s Financial Security Program; Dan Lebiednik is
the communications manager at the Institute’s Economic
The summit’s working group on institutions Opportunities Program.
Ellis Carr, president and CEO,

Capital Impact Partners

On the Safe Side
The 2018 Aspen Security
Forum made plenty of news as
officials in and out of office went
on the record about keeping
America out of harm’s way.
BY NICOLE COREA
Everyone in the room sat up straight as NBC’s Andrea Mitchell read

the latest tweet from the White House out loud. Following what
Donald Trump referred to as the “great success” of the Helsinki
summit, he had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to
Washington in the fall. That’s when every eye and camera turned
to Dan Coats, Trump’s director of national intelligence.
Coats paused. With a knowing smile he asked, “Say that again?”
The tension broke, and the audience burst into laughter. “That’s
going to be special,” he added.
The clip went viral. This year’s Aspen Security Forum was full
of moments like this. For three and a half days, national security
experts made headlines as they discussed the power dynamics
driving many of today’s global conflicts. The forum was broadcast
by outlets across the political spectrum in the United States and
around the world. Reporters jostled for standing-room-only spots
to hear speakers such as Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen
Photos by Dan Bayer
Nielsen, Commander of US Cyber Command and Director of

the National Security Agency Paul Nakasone, Deputy Attorney
General Rod Rosenstein, and FBI Director Christopher Wray. BBC News security correspondent Gordon Corera, Nakasone

55
SUMMER AT ASPEN: A S P E N S E C U R I T Y F O R U M
2018
SPECIAL ISSUE
IDEAS
Rosenstein
“The intelligence community’s assessment has not

changed. Russia attempted to interfere with the last
election and continues to engage in malign influence
operations to this day.”
Director Wray’s interview with NBC’s Lester Holt Attorney General Rosenstein took the stage to formally issue
kicked off the event. Holt asked him to clarify his reaction the task force’s report. It evaluates the department’s work in
to Putin’s denials of Russian involvement in the 2016 detecting, deterring, and disrupting threats, and it details how
presidential election. hostile foreign influence operations have been used to target
“The intelligence community’s assessment has not US democratic processes—including elections.
changed,” Wray said. “Russia attempted to interfere “These actions are persistent, they are pervasive, they are
with the last election and continues to engage in malign meant to undermine democracy on a daily basis regardless
influence operations to this day.” He expressed concern of whether it is election time or not,” Rosenstein said. He
that the public’s exclusive focus on Russia is distracting it told the audience not to underestimate US law enforcement’s
from cyber threats from other nations, particularly China— ability to fight back. Manipulating elections, he warned, will
America’s most challenging threat, Wray said, because of lead to investigations, indictments, and sanctions.
the volume and scale of its intelligence operations. Although Trump and Kim Jong Un are currently on polite
Cyber threats are the focus of the Department of Justice’s terms, denuclearization talks with North Korea have become
new Cyber-Digital Task Force, and at the forum, Deputy stagnant. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House

Mitchell, Coats
Nielsen Nakasone

Holt, Wray
“No power wants to give

up nuclear weapons unless
they feel self-preservation
is at risk.”
Committee on Homeland Security, stressed that now is

the time to put maximum pressure on the regime. “No
power wants to give up nuclear weapons unless they feel
self-preservation is at risk,” he said, adding that he believes
both sanctions and the threat of a military option should
be in play.
Panelists at the forum also assessed security challenges
created by immigration. Secretary of Homeland Security
Nielsen faced tough questions from NBC’s Peter Alexander
regarding the administration’s policy on separating families
at the US-Mexico border. Nielsen denied that family
separation was a result of the zero-tolerance policy for illegal
migration, saying that she too wants to protect the thousands
Bickert
of children in the Department of Homeland Security’s care.

Institute CEO Dan Porterfield and his wife, Karen
Herrling, sit with Bonnie and Tom McCloskey to their
right and Aspen Homeland Security Program Director
Clark Kent Ervin and former Secretary of Homeland
Security Michael Chertoff to their left.
“We have to make sure that the system allows us to keep children security and trust at Microsoft, revealed that the
and families together,” she said. “Right now, under the law and company had recently worked with law enforcement to
court cases, we cannot do that.” It was a startling claim given foil a Russian attempt to hack the campaigns of three
that, until this administration, the United States has historically candidates running for office in the midterm elections.
kept families together. Congress and the White House should Today’s threat environment is so complex, the
work in tandem, Nielsen said, to address the “push factors” of government can’t handle it alone. Tech companies
immigration. like Facebook and Microsoft are going to have to work
Government policies were not the only ones under the more closely with government agencies if the United
microscope at the forum. Representatives from Facebook States wants to combat the full range of online attacks.
defended the company’s decision to allow content from General Nakasone emphasized the significance of the
Infowars and Holocaust deniers to permeate users’ newsfeeds. government’s relationships with allies in industry and
“We do not generally remove content just because it is academia. “Whether it’s in the information sphere,
factually inaccurate,” Monika Bickert, Facebook’s head of the economic sphere, the military sphere, we have to
product policy and counterterrorism, said. In the weeks after address our adversaries with the combined weight of
the forum, however, Facebook decided to remove the Infowars what we have,” he said. The Aspen Security Forum
pages for violating its graphic-violence and hate-speech provides a space for these partnerships to form and
policies. flourish. And the conversations will continue at next
In the wake of the last presidential election, tech companies year’s forum, from July 17 to 20, 2019.
have been asked to help protect democratic processes. Bickert As Institute CEO Dan Porterfield noted, the Aspen
announced that Facebook is shielding its users against Security Forum showcases “concentrated, candid,
disinformation by deploying artificial-intelligence tools that principled, nonpartisan, and patriotic commentary on
detect fake accounts. Tom Burt, the vice president for customer all of our national security threats.”

Courageous Conversations
Aspen Global Leadership
Network fellows meet up at
the Resnick Aspen Action
Forum to reignite their passion
for meaningful change.
BY SHIREEN MATHEWS
“I am because you are. You are because I am.” Hope Azeda,

the daughter of Rwandan refugees and the founder of the
Ubumuntu Arts Festival, invoked the words of Nobel Peace Prize
winner Desmond Tutu at this year’s Resnick Aspen Action Forum,
speaking movingly about recognizing each other’s humanity and
using art as a tool for social transformation. At the Forum, Azeda was
announced as one of the four McNulty Prize laureates—recognized
for bringing together performers from Rwanda and around the
world to explore the trauma of conflict and resilience through art.
As extraordinary as Azeda is, she was a lot like the other 350
members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network who gathered
in Aspen in July for the sixth annual Action Forum. Entrepreneurial
leaders from business and civil society came from more than 25
countries to discuss making an impact. This year’s theme, “Fearless
Leadership,” signaled that at a moment of unprecedented change
around the world, the AGLN community can grapple with the
need for courageous leadership in the face of uncertainty.
Human-rights activist and Central America Leadership
Initiative fellow Felix Maradiaga—in conversation with Times of
India diplomatic editor Indrani Bagchi and New York Times columnist
David Brooks, now the executive director of the Institute’s Weave:
The Social Fabric Initiative—talked about leaving his comfortable
Photos by Dan Bayer
corporate job to protest the Ortega dictatorship in Nicaragua. “If I

had less fear,” he said, “I think my heart would have more room for
love, more room for compassion, and more capacity to have honest
conversations with those that disagree with me.”

SUMMER AT ASPEN: R E S N I C K A S P E N AC T I O N F O R U M
Photojournalist Aaron Huey’s protest posters in an art installation at Anderson Park

Action Forum fellows at the Hub
“I don’t think I’ve ever been my fear into a motivational tool. My moral compass and
completely fearless, but I’m my role as an industry leader compels me to step forward
and be an example and, hopefully, an inspiration to others.”
willing to transform my fear into Reflection and dialogue are key, but the Aspen Global
Leadership Network focuses on activating fellows to
motivation.” move from ideas to action. Banners all around campus
displayed the Action Pledges fellows made—specific,
Engaging in such open conversations is core to the public commitments to address societal challenges, such
Action Forum experience. In seminar rooms, fellows had as fighting the rise of fake news in India, using theater to
the opportunity to unpack and share their own perspectives develop workforce-readiness skills in South Carolina, and
on texts by Kirstin Downey, Pablo Neruda, Malala helping families escape predatory lending in Chicago.
Yousafzai, and others. They discussed the future of work More than 1,200 pledges have been made since 2013.
in the age of automation and how to build a culture of Attending the Action Forum for the first time, Azeda said
health and wellness. They went to skill-building workshops she felt energized learning about the work of other fellows.
on topics like design thinking, the power of play, and “Everyone I talk to is doing something miraculous in their
using business as a force for good. During free time, many own communities,” she said. “It gives me a ray of hope that
gravitated toward the central tent, “the Hub,” where a change is actually possible.”
large chalkboard was soon scrawled over with ideas fellows On the final day, Di-Ann Eisnor, a Henry Crown
wanted to discuss, including concrete ways they could offer fellow and the director of Growth at Waze, and Urania
help with the ongoing crisis in Nicaragua. Callejas-Vidaurre, a Central America Leadership fellow
Fear can push us to take a stand—even when doing and the director of innovation at the creative agency
so comes at a professional or personal cost. Finance Boombit, created a new platform to mobilize AGLN
Leaders fellow and CEO of Gladius Capital Management fellows into collective action for humanitarian aid and
Pavandeep Sethi understands. “I don’t think I’ve ever been support, beginning with Nicaragua. “Networks strengthen
completely fearless,” he said. “But I’m willing to transform the activity of all the different partners so we can have

SUMMER AT ASPEN: R E S N I C K A S P E N AC T I O N F O R U M
collective impact,” Aspen Institute CEO Dan Porterfield
said during the closing session.
This year’s Action Forum also placed emphasis on the
next generation of leaders. Nearly 100 youth ages 10 to 18
from 20 countries participated in a youth camp, engaging
in text-based dialogue and developing strategies to create
change in their communities. Salvador Gomez Colon,
a fellow from Puerto Rico, spoke about the need to act
when you see a problem: “You can’t expect anything to be
changed if you’re not willing to do it yourself.” Annabel
Lee, a fellow from China, emphasized service: “To be a
leader, you must do something for the people that you
believe in.”
The 14 AGLN fellowships don’t offer a how-to manual
on leadership. The model is based on the foundation of
active citizenship, beginning with the premise, said Interim
Executive Vice President for Leadership and Seminars at the
Institute David Langstaff, that “we are all human beings, we
care, and we have the privilege of education, success, access,
and resources.” Fellows, he added, share a commitment to
improve the world and a strong sense of responsibility to
engage—“which requires courage combined with action.”
In other words, fearless leadership.
Henry Crown fellows Bill Browder and Suzanne Malveaux discuss how to lead
Shireen Mathews is the Institute’s social media coordinator. fearlessly, even as a known target of the Russian government—which Browder is.
Liberty fellow Eve Blossom, Youth Camp participant Maya Mills
Henry Crown fellow Jay Coen Gilbert leads a session

devoted to making progress on a 2015 Action Pledge:
truth, reconciliation, and the legacy of US slavery.
Fellows discuss fearless

AGLN fellows look for collective-action opportunities in West Africa. leadership.

The Aspen Journal of Ideas offers thought-provoking analysis and issue-defining
information from the programs and partners of the Institute. The digital magazine,
updated weekly, is at aspen.us/journal.
UNBREAKING NEWS
66 Manipulative technologies and fake political
stories are fueling bias across the internet,
leaving Americans deeply distrustful of the news.
Joanne Lipman says it’s up to members of the
media themselves to fix the problem—and she
explains how.
THE MUPPET EFFECT

68 Sesame Workshop is known all over the world
for both its children’s programming and
extensive outreach to communities in need.
Sherrie Westin tells us how a group of
imaginary characters can change the real world.
70 MEXICO’S WAKE-UP CALL

The populist surge in the recent Mexican
presidential election is an example of the
nation’s commitment to democracy. But, as
Juan Ramon de la Fuente points out, many
elites were caught asleep at the wheel.
72 IDEAS EX MACHINA
Truly creative artificial intelligence may still be
years away, but AI is already disrupting every
field imaginable. Joseph Byrum explains
why those who aren’t preparing for a future
enhanced by smart machines will be left behind.

UNBREAKING NEWS

Fake news, bias, and manipulative technology have led Americans to
doubt or outright distrust the media. It’s time to fix that. By Joanne Lipman
T
he American journalistic ideal for more than a But in a dangerous twist, MIT researchers recently found that lies
century has been unbiased, objective journalism that and fake news spread more quickly on Twitter than true news.
presents the facts accurately and fairly. Today’s crisis Another study suggested that angry posts spread more quickly
of trust in media is largely due to the perception— than joyful ones. Bad actors can take advantage of that behavior
and often the reality—that news organizations to plant fake posts that sow discontent, hatred, and divisiveness.
representing themselves as fair are instead biased. How to address this volatile state? The answers are many, but
It isn’t hard to understand why. Consumers are bombarded with here are four that build on the ideas above:
different types of information, from multiple sources of varying A new incentive system. Currently, the business models of
reliability, all of which looks the same when served up in an internet Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other platforms are built on viral
search or on social media. The media, meanwhile, do a poor job of content—whatever is shared the most ends up earning the most
clearly distinguishing fact from opinion. Multiple news formats make money for both the tech firms and the content creators. That in
ample use of opinion—including analysis, editorials, advocacy, and turn encourages manipulative and false content, because it spreads
op-eds. Then there are straight-news reports that are perceived as the fastest. The nation’s brightest minds need to harness persuasive
biased either because of judgment calls or omissions. On one recent technology to reinvent that incentive system. How do we reward
evening, for example, the lead story on CNN was about the Russia good content? What techniques will encourage users to share it?
investigation, while the Fox News lead was about the strength of the Clear labeling of fact versus opinion. Can any news
economy. Both were factually accurate. But viewers of one would consumer name the differences among “analysis,” “perspective,” and
think they were living in a different world than viewers of the other. “opinion”? If they can’t—and it’s a fair bet even most professional
Bias itself isn’t necessarily dangerous. In other Western countries, journalists can’t—the labels are useless. Media need fewer labels,
including the United Kingdom, news organizations are openly paired with more prominent demarcations of what is fact and what
biased and consider it a virtue to have a point of view. Bias is also at is opinion. Journalists have a role to play here, as do their editors.
the heart of advocacy journalism, which has toppled dictators and Reporters who speak publicly must strive to stick to the facts of what
authoritarian regimes. A century ago in the United States, advocacy they have reported firsthand, rather than opining on events.
journalism revealed abuses in child labor and the meatpacking Acknowledgment of bias. Media and tech firms need to
industry, which led to health and safety laws. The problem comes agree on a definition of bias. This alone is complicated, made more
when bias isn’t acknowledged—especially when there is no so by the stigma of admitting to bias. But a lack of transparency
transparency about the source of information, who is sharing it, or breeds mistrust. So let’s call it what it is. In some cases, the answer
what their motivation is. Then, information can be weaponized. is straightforward: Fox News leans right, while MSNBC leans left.
Unfortunately, bad actors have become expert at weaponizing In more cases, though, the answer is complex, such as at outlets
information—and are adept at abusing technological platforms to do like CNN and The New York Times, which consider themselves
it. It’s clear Russia staged a cyberattack to disrupt the 2016 elections. unbiased but can slip into the liberal camp.
Recently, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats sounded the Clarity of sourcing. Who is sharing information, for what
alarm that “the warning lights are blinking red.” Also, there are home- purpose, who is funding it, and how credible is the organization?
grown political agitators as well as profiteers looking to make money Digital leaders must commit to transparency on this front. A
on advertising for viral posts. Platforms like Facebook, Google, and number of initiatives—including the Trust Project and the Knight
Twitter are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks and manipulation. Commission on Trust, Media, and Democracy—are working on
Russians, and other bad actors, have focused their efforts on platforms solutions. The purpose is not to suppress points of view. It is to ferret
that use both algorithms to surface and distribute information as well out bad actors, such as foreign countries interfering in the political
as social signals that can be manipulated with bots and “like farms,” system or home-grown scammers making a buck from viral posts.
or “click farms,” that artificially inflate post interactions. These We can restore public trust in the integrity of journalism. The
platforms distribute damaging and false information more quickly journey starts with adherence to journalistic first principles, an
and to a far wider audience than any individual news outlet. overhaul of the information incentive system using aggressive
Those with bad intentions make sophisticated use of “persuasive technological solutions, and transparency in all ways.
technology,” a set of tools used to create addictive behavior: alerts,
likes, retweets, colorful graphics, Snapchat streaks. Persuasive Joanne Lipman, the author of That’s What She Said and the former
technology rewards information that spreads quickly and garners editor-in-chief of USA Today, is a member of the Knight Commission
attention. Virtually all digital players, including mainstream media, on Trust, Media, and Democracy, which is organized and directed by the
use some form of it to change behavior and entice repeat usage. Institute’s Communications and Society Program.

THE MUPPET EFFECT
Creating social change and empathy in children isn’t easy.
Luckily, Sesame Street is on the case. By Sherrie Westin
A
t Sesame Workshop, nothing means more seven million South Africans were living with HIV/AIDS and more
than to hear we’ve touched a child’s life. One than two million children were AIDS orphans, Sesame Workshop
of my favorite letters was from a mother who introduced Kami, the first HIV-positive Muppet. Beyond the
used the Sesame Street autism storybook, We’re physical and emotional effects of the epidemic, an unwillingness
Amazing 1, 2, 3!, to explain to her daughter that to discuss the disease led to ignorance, fear, and misconceptions.
she had autism like the character Julia in the Kami was created to give children and adults a lexicon to talk
book. The little girl responded, “So, I’m amazing, too, right?” about the disease, helping to break down the culture of silence.
The book—and Julia—are part of Sesame Workshop’s autism One segment featured Kami and her friends playing the “train
initiative, See Amazing in All Children, which is just one example game,” where everyone chugs along together. To play, Kami’s
of our impact around the world. For almost 50 years, Sesame friends had to touch her—showing that HIV isn’t transmitted
Workshop has responded to children’s evolving needs, tackling through touch. Children who watched Kami showed substantial
tough issues from a child’s perspective. The best thing about working gains in knowledge about how HIV is and isn’t spread and had
with talented teams of researchers, producers, and performers, as much more positive attitudes toward interacting with those affected.
well as invaluable advisers and partners, is the ability to make a Parents and caregivers who watched Takalani Sesame were twice as
difference in children’s lives. When I participate in a forum like likely to talk to children about the illness than those who didn’t,
Spotlight Health, I get to do the second-best thing: share our work. and educators were four times as likely to tackle the subject in class.
In the United States, Sesame Workshop has helped children At that time, I witnessed dozens of pregnant HIV-positive
cope with divorce, parental incarceration, and loss of a loved one. women refuse free medical treatment that would virtually guarantee
Internationally, we’ve focused on girls’ education, critical health their unborn baby would be protected from the virus during
issues, the needs of refugees, and more. We’ve been able to change childbirth. The stigma was that great. The fear of being shunned
how children—and adults—perceive themselves and the world. by their husbands or villages was enough for these women to risk
And we do it all through the power of media and Muppets. their unborn children’s health. That’s when I knew introducing
Most people are familiar with icons like Cookie Monster or Kami could save lives. I am convinced that, by helping reduce the
Elmo, but they are perhaps unaware of the lesser-known but no stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, Kami has done just that.
less beloved characters who help Sesame Workshop reach more Whether it’s AIDS in South Africa or autism at home, Sesame
than 190 million children globally. Children learn by seeing Workshop focuses on the most vital issues affecting children
themselves represented on screen—so, when we create local Sesame around the world. Today, half of the unprecedented number of
Street productions in India or Afghanistan, we develop characters global refugees are children; that’s why we are partnering with the
children can relate to, with story lines that reflect their realities. International Rescue Committee to reach young Syrian refugees
The face of the autism initiative is Julia—a bright, adorable with early education. The need for this work has never been greater,
4-year-old Muppet with autism. With such a high incidence of but Sesame Workshop is dependent on philanthropic support to
autism (one in 59 American children), Sesame Workshop created make these programs possible. We were so grateful to be awarded
See Amazing in All Children to destigmatize autism, change the MacArthur Foundation’s first “100&Change” grant for $100
perceptions, and foster empathy. The response has been incredible. million to fund this initiative. Together, we’ll create the largest early
Research shows that, after using See Amazing materials, parents childhood intervention in the history of humanitarian responses.
of autistic children feel more comfortable involving them in the I imagine there will soon be a new Muppet with a storyline young
community, and parents who don’t have an autistic child greatly Syrian refugees can relate to, one modeling resilience, acceptance,
increase their knowledge and acceptance of autism. What’s most and inclusion for those children as well as their new neighbors in
meaningful is hearing from parents who say that, because of Julia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and beyond—carrying on the powerful
their autistic child has more playdates, or from teachers who say tradition of using media and Muppets to create a better world.
that, because of Julia, students are more inclusive at playtime.
Julia comes from a long line of powerful characters. Take Kami, Sherrie Westin is the president of global impact and philanthropy at
from the South African production, Takalani Sesame. In 1999, when Sesame Workshop.
MEXICO’S
WAKE-UP CALL
For many Mexicans, the recent election was a sign of democracy in action.
But for those with a bad case of political somnambulism, it was a shock.
By Juan Ramon de la Fuente
A
lot of people still do not trust in Mexico’s In a country like Mexico, so corrupt and so unequal, who
democracy. During this past election season, decides what’s fair and what’s not? Those who live in comfort
as the results of the polls were released, you and want more, or those who barely survive and just want a
could sense the unease, the lack of faith in decent salary and a measure of respect? The majority of
institutions. Some people feared that if their Mexicans fall into the latter category. It was clear before Election
preferred candidate did not win the election, Day that if they voted, they would win—even as the elite tuned
instability would take over the country. Others suspected that out their restlessness. The portion of Mexican society that
the entire system was compromised. felt offended by the status quo had reached epic levels. And
In Mexico, this doubt is reasonable. In certain circumstances, so, Andrés Manuel López Obrador—the nationalist, populist
even suspicion is warranted. The real danger, however, is not firebrand who has drawn comparisons to Donald Trump—won
doubt or suspicion; the real danger is an open intolerance for the presidency.
an opponent’s ideas and for the democratic process itself. The Yet López Obrador’s surprising ascension does not betray
popular will cannot be despised even when the party and its the tenets of liberal democracy. It means only a political change.
leader are far different from previous administrations. These Liberalism is fundamental to new technologies, innovation,
are times to respect popular will and to defend democracy—not and individual difference. It is also fundamental to new ideas.
to underestimate or ignore it. After watching their country suffer from an unstoppable and
One cause of this tension in the electorate was the deluge unpunished scourge of violence for 12 years in a row, voters
of political social media that Mexicans were exposed to, an demanded a change. Mexicans honored their democracy
unpredictable and noisy stream of crossed messages from participating in elections this July. The votes of the poor had
anonymous authors with imperfect information and ulterior the same power as the votes of the rich. The votes of the young
purposes. Political adversaries aimed to discredit one another had the same power as the votes of the old. The votes of the
no matter what it took and no matter what ethical lines were wise had the same power as the votes of the unenlightened. In
crossed. The unconscious, knee-jerk need to win overwhelmed a democracy, there is no reason to fear change.
engaged thinking and productive debate. Nevertheless, in a mature nation, mistakes have to be
Operating on political autopilot, voters’ actions did not corrected. In order to do so, institutions have to be strong, not
always match their core beliefs. It’s a theme the Mexican weak. Prosecutors and courts have to be autonomous, media
novelist Carlos Fuentes explored in The Good Conscience: he have to be independent, and there has to be freedom for all
contemplated whether it is possible to fix the flaws in established and not just for a minority. This doesn’t describe Mexico today.
institutions while still retaining one’s integrity. Today, in every But it could. Now more than ever, Mexicans would be wise
corner of Mexican society, integrity and politics clash. Many to start conversations with different parts of society. Bankers
people wanted to democratically vote into power a selective, should talk to students. Entrepreneurs should talk to academics.
authoritarian, and classist regime. Even as they fervently Rural people should talk to urban dwellers. The rights of
defended freedom, they were incapable of accepting that minorities, indigenous people, women, and children should be
freedom itself can be interpreted in very different ways. Some consolidated. And the vacuity of the social-media frenzy must
were simply tribal and could not accept those who did not share be countered with reason and fair-minded values.
their values. Some were impoverished and harbored a deep and The fight has to be against intolerance, not against the will
painful ignorance; importantly, they had also never once seen of the people or, worse, against dissent—dissent, above all, is a
the government’s promises for better opportunities come true. privilege of freedom.
All of this put the well-educated and well-informed—and more
privileged—voters at a disadvantage. Juan Ramon de la Fuente is the chair of Aspen Institute México.

IDEAS EX MACHINA
Businesses—and individuals—who fail to invest in AI
risk being left behind. By Joseph Byrum
I
f asked, Alexa can tell you a dad joke—but it’s not the significant investments in STEM fields to ensure that the
real thing. Amazon’s automated assistant can do no workforce has the mind-set needed to develop and deploy AI
more than repeat a few canned lines. Like all the digital solutions effectively. Young computer scientists won’t have to
assistants touted to the public as powered by “artificial worry about being displaced by AI that is able to rewrite code to
intelligence,” Alexa lacks the spark, the humor, that master every possible situation. The world is a far too complex
is the hallmark of the creative process. Developing a place for that to happen. For now.
household device able to understand spoken commands (at least Smart AI poses a challenge fundamentally different from, say,
some of the time) and repeat back an intelligible response is a the introduction of robots in factories and internal combustion
truly remarkable feat, but it remains as far from true intelligence on the streets. AI has the potential to insert itself into fields that
as a parrot that mimics the sound of its owner. were never before at risk from automation. Already, lawyering,
What happens if more advanced devices do achieve a and even copy editing and writing, have seen incursions from
measure of creativity? Creativity isn’t something derived from a AI algorithms.
mathematical equation. The simplest thing for a child, picking It’s important to also recognize the limits of AI. Current
a random number, is something a computer can only fake. A systems have a narrow focus, and are best at absorbing data and
machine capable of coming up not just with unpredictable evaluating the best options for action using statistics. For example,
numbers but also with spontaneous ideas would change when IBM’s Watson supercomputer won Jeopardy! in 2011, it was
everything. not by coming up with clear right answers but by coming up
A recent roundtable hosted by the Institute’s Long Term with the most likely responses. The method wasn’t creative, but
Strategy Group explored the potential of AI—“the great it worked. Such systems are best for augmenting, not replacing,
disruptor”—and how it could radically alter the way traditional human judgment. Instead of basing decisions on gut instinct,
institutions function. It is hard to imagine a development that AI makes far more effective decisions based on data. UPS, for
would shake humanity’s worldview more than the creation of a example, spent a decade building Orion, a system that models
machine that could express a truly original thought. Participants every possible delivery route for its 55,000 drivers to determine
discussed initiatives to govern AI, research into the technology’s the most efficient path. Largely by avoiding left-hand turns,
known shortcomings, and how to make the most of any potential Orion’s revised routes saved the shipping giant $350 million a
societal benefits in the near term. Most experts agree that year. Any business that deals with complex situations and choices
the prospect of machines with minds of their own, known as can take similar advantage of algorithms that do a great job of
“artificial general intelligence,” is a distant development decades modeling potential outcomes and give people the information to
down the road—if such a thing is even possible. make informed choices.
Nonetheless, this possibility should not be dismissed. AI has Because the artificial general intelligence capable of
already accomplished more in a short time than most would have true inspiration is still far off, there is still plenty of time for
imagined. AI systems can learn from their environment, process today’s businesses to build an advantage by making use of the
startling amounts of data, simulate possible courses of action, algorithms, uncreative but logical and useful, that can optimize
and zero in on strategies with the most statistical likelihood to their businesses now. Companies that fail to build this capability
bring success—all without human guidance. Such systems might will certainly find themselves left behind.
come up with an option that seems out of the blue, because a Will there still be a need for inventors, thinkers, researchers,
human could never weigh enough possible options to come up and comedians when machine intelligence reaches a level where
with it. That might not be a truly creative idea, but it could be it can come up with an original idea—particularly when enough
a very close facsimile. Even a semi-creative robot would be a of these machines can be cheaply deployed?That’s a much more
breakthrough. difficult question to answer. If machines are better at coming up
Success in a world dominated by this more limited concept with ideas than humans, then our species loses its competitive
of AI will come more easily to those individuals and businesses advantage. Ideas, after all, are what make us who we are.
prepared to maximize its potential. This means providing
training in the use of algorithms to solve complex business Joseph Byrum, the chief data scientist at Principal Financial Group, is
problems across a wide variety of industries. It means making a member of the Aspen Business and Society Long Term Strategy Group.
FACES: Isaacson Center & Albright Pavilion Dedication
Marc Nathanson, Lynda and Stewart Resnick
Jim Crown, Madeleine Albright, Walter Isaacson, Dan Porterfield, Bob Steel
Mercedes Bass, Gilchrist Berg

r, Denise Kingsmill
Samia and Huda Farouki, Laura Laude
Ken and Bonnie Davis
Kitty Boone, Tom and Ann Korologos, Bonnie McCloskey
Bren Simon, Eric Motley

Mike Bezos, Ken Ito
Mark Hoplamazian, Bill

Berkus Mayer
Jerry and Glenda Greenwald, Jeff
Anna Stonehouse
Riccardo Savi
on
Frasher Hudson Pergande, Ann Huds

FACES: Aspen Words Helen Schulman, Zoë and Bruce Hand
y
Susan Barbour, Sarah Miller
Megan Walsh, Bich Minh Nguyen

Jenny Xie, Ruchi Kapoor, Pallavi Wakharkar,
Erin Branning, Carrie Muehle
May Selby, Lea Tucker
Andrew and Natalie

Travers
Anna Stonehouse
Riccardo Savi
Katie Viola, Killeen Brettma

Dan Porterfield, John Fullerton nn, Jacqueline Hutton, Amy DeM
aria

FACES: Summer Celebration
Jamie Dimon, Jim Crown Stephenie Maurer, Anna Dea
vere Smith, Bill Bynum
Arjun Gupta, Stewart Resnick

Gillian Tett, Jamie Dimon Joan Fabry, Mary Anderson, Michael Klein
Jimmy Reiss, John Sarpa
Ann Nitze, Paula Crown
Romi and Idit Ferder

, Dina Powell
Jared Cohen, Condoleezza Rice Margot Pritzker, Lisa Aronin Riccardo Savi and Nick Tininenko
Riccardo Savi

FACES: Socrates Benefit Dinner Mark Schapiro, Jackie Weld Drake
n Breyer Ashlee Ammons, Kerry Schrader
Dan Porterfield, Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Stephe
Gail Engelberg
Linda Gersh, Jill Bernstein, Wally and Helen Obermeyer, Cordell Carter
Gary and Laura Lau

der, Marc and Jane
Nathanson
Andahazy
Michael J. Stubbs and Bill Resnick, Rob Kramer, Victoria
Riccardo Savi and Nick Tininenko
Riccardo Savi
Joshua Johnson, Dan Port

erfield, Chris Gates

FACES: Society of Fellows Receptions Martha Metz, Doren Pinnell
Judith Steinberg, Alonzo King Alireza Ittihadieh
Camilla Kampmann, Jim Psaki Sam Linhart, Christy

Greg Amadon Burton, Judy Linhart
Stephanie Naidoff, Monique Clarine

Ken Hubbard
Gerald Hines,
Dan Bayer, Riccardo Savi

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Dan Bayer
Dan Bayer
POLICY PUBLIC
POLICY PROGRAMS EVENTS
Policy programs and initiatives serve as nonpartisan forums for The Institute hosts hundreds of public conferences and events to
analysis, consensus-building, and problem-solving on a wide variety provide a commons for people to share ideas. Flagship annual events
of issues. Currently there are 29 policy programs spanning nine like the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Washington Ideas Forum, Aspen
overarching themes: Business and Society, Communications Words, the Arts Program, and the Aspen Security Forum occur side
and Culture, Education, Energy and Environment, Health and by side with ongoing year-round programs in New York, Washington,
Sport, Justice and Civil Identity, Opportunity and Development, San Francisco, and Aspen.
Philanthropy and Social Enterprise, Security and Global Affairs aspenideas.org
aspeninstitute.org/policy-work aspenwords.org
aspeninstitute.org/arts
aspensecurityforum.org
POLICY FELLOWSHIPS
aspeninstitute.org/events/newyorkevents
Born from the Institute’s policy programs, Policy Leadership Programs
aspeninstitute.org/community
empower exceptional individuals to lead in their chosen fields. The
aspeninstitute.org/events
New Voices Fellowship cultivates compelling development experts.
The Ascend Fellowship targets diverse pioneers who are breaking the
cycle of intergenerational poverty. The First Movers Fellowship helps
corporate “intrapreneurs” give financial value to their companies and INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
positive outcomes to the world. The Colorado Children & Families The Aspen Institute has international partners in Prague, Czech
Health & Human Services Fellowship invests in leaders who are Republic; Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; Rome, Italy; Bucharest,
making the state the best place to have a thriving family. Romania; Madrid, Spain; New Delhi, India; Tokyo, Japan; Mexico City,
aspennewvoices.org Mexico; and Kyiv, Ukraine. These centers host seminars, workshops,
aspeninstitute.org/ascend conferences, and policy programs for high-level leaders to encourage
discussion and debate on foreign policy, defense, and trade issues.
aspeninstitute.org/firstmovers
aspeninstitute.org/colorado-fellows aspeninstitute.org/international

FACTS
CONNECT
DONATIONS, SPECIAL EVENTS,
AND BENEFITS
Director of Development Events and Donor
Relations
Desirée Beebe // 202.736.1076
desiree.beebe@aspeninstitute.org
HERITAGE SOCIETY
To learn more about planned giving
opportunities, please call
Stephenie Maurer // 202.736.3852
aspeninstitute.org/heritagesociety
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Managing Director, Communications
and Public Affairs
Pherabe Kolb // 202.736.2906
pherabe.kolb@aspeninstitute.org
Dan Bayer
OFFICE HEADQUARTERS
2300 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.736.5800
ASPEN CAMPUS
1000 North Third Street
Aspen, CO 81611
970.925.7010
WYE RIVER CAMPUS

2010 Carmichael Road
P.O. Box 222
Queenstown, MD 21658
410.827.7168
OWL CREEK RANCH

NEW YORK OFFICES
477 Madison Avenue
Suite 730
S e c l u d e d o n a p r i v a te ro a d a n d t u c ke d a w a y f ro m A s p e n j u s t f a r e n o u g h to New York, NY 10022
u n w i n d , t h i s e l e g a n t e s t a te i n c l u d e s 6 2 g l o r i o u s a c re s i n a p a r k-l i ke s e t t i n g.
212.895.8000
J u s t 10 m i n u te s f ro m A s p e n o r S n o w m a s s . $ 2 5 , 5 0 0,0 0 0
E-NEWSLETTER
Ro c h elle B o u c hard Sign up for the Aspen Institute’s biweekly
970. 3 7 9. 16 6 2 e-newsletter.
Ro c h e l l e . B o u c h a r d @ s i r.c o m aspeninstitute.org/newsletter
B u y In A s p e n .c o m

CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 21 OCTOBER 9 OCTOBER 11 NOVEMBER 8
BREAKING APART AND CONFRONTING OUR REVOLUTIONIZING 35TH ANNUAL
COMING TOGETHER: NATION’S OPIOID CRISIS HIGHER-EDUCATION: AWARDS DINNER
The Rebuilding and Preserving Join the Society of Fellows Transforming the University Chaired by Mercedes T. Bass
of Democratic Nations for a talk with former Clinton for a Modern World Bill Browder will be honored
The Society of Fellows will host White House staffer Ryan A Society of Fellows event with the Henry Crown Leader-
a Vanguard Chapter Discussion Hampton, a former opioid user featuring Shai Reshef, the ship Award for his campaign to
Reception with the Council and current recovery advocate. founder and president of the expose Russian corruption and
Hampton will discuss his new University of the People, human-rights abuses. Sarah
on Foreign Relations' Farah
book, American Fix: Inside the the world's first nonprofit, Jessica Parker will receive the
Pandith and Greenville Health tuition-free, accredited online
Opioid Addiction Crisis—and Public Service Award for her
System's John Simpkins in university.
How to End It. dedication to children’s issues,
conversation about how nations public health, and the arts. For
Bay Area Discussion Reception New York Discussion Reception
recover from disruption and New York, NY more, please contact Natasha
San Francisco, CA
preserve democracy. Little at 202.736.3503.
6:00–8:00 pm 6:00–8:00 pm
Aspen Meadows Campus The Plaza Hotel
Aspen, CO New York, NY
Dan Bayer
5:00–7:00 pm 7:00 pm
Coming together to solve the
challenges of America’s workers.
For five years the Economic Opportunities Program has hosted
Working in America, a discussion series at the Aspen Institute bringing
together business and labor leaders, policymakers, educators, academics,
and more to discuss issues affecting low and moderateincome workers
and ideas to address today’s labor market challenges. We are grateful to
the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Hitachi
Foundation, the Prudential Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, and the
Walmart Foundation for their support.
as.pn/workinginamerica

PARTING SHOT
THE SHAPE OF IDEAS

The job of a sculptor is to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. That is what Herbert Bayer did when he took a few tons
of Carrara marble and sculpted the 32-foot Anaconda, which now lives outdoors on the Aspen Meadows campus. Where
others see rock, artists like Bayer see beauty waiting to be revealed. At the Institute, we do the same with ideas. We find
inspiration in their conception—but acknowledge that they are raw materials in need of refinement. So we work from
the outside in. We carve, chip, and chisel until a new shape has formed. Then we polish the ideas until we have created
something that will withstand the test of time. This is the work that we hope will outlive us—and define our legacy.
IDEAS: The Magazine of the Aspen Institute is published three times each year by the A
spen Institute and distributed to Institute constituents, friends, and supporters.
To receive a copy, call (202) 736-3541. Postmaster: Please send address changes to The Aspen Institute Communications Department, Ste. 700, 2300 N St NW, Washington, DC 20037
or ideas.magazine@aspeninstitute.org.
The opinions and statements expressed by the authors and contributors to this publication do not necessarily reflect opinions or positions of the Aspen Institute, which is a nonpartisan forum. All rights reserved.
No material in this publication may be published or copied without the express written consent of the Aspen Institute. ©The Aspen Institute All rights reserved.

Whitman Fine Properties
Luxury Real Estate
855 Gibson | 5 Bed +Den | $10,995,000

This incredible home enjoys south facing views of both Aspen Mountain and the Roaring Fork River. The main level entertains perfectly as it flows easily to
the expansive outdoor patio and lawn. The custom kitchen is open to a formal dining area, spacious living room with fireplace, soaring ceilings and over-sized
windows to enjoy views of Ajax Mtn. and the river. The top floor has a spacious air conditioned master suite with a private south-facing balcony, fireplace, and
his/hers closets. A walk-out lower level features 3 en suite bedrooms and a living room. Two car garage. Separate caretaker apartment.
645 Hunter Creek | 5 Bed | 7,840 SQFT| $27,500,000

This home has it all: a swimming pool, hot tub, outdoor shower off the master bathroom, ski room, home gym and media room. Finishes include: Caesarstone
and Calacatta Borghini Polished Marble countertops, Bianco Macchietta Marble fireplace surrounds, Miele and SubZero appliances.
55/79 Winter Way | $11,995,000 These newly constructed riverfront homes offer gorgeous contemporary finishes, top-of-the-line kitchen and secluded
master suites with a private balconies. Gorgeous open living area with custom stone fireplace & vaulted ceilings. Built on the most exclusive and unique
riverfront setting in Aspen overlooking protected openspace. An easy walk or bike to town. Two car garage with storage and snowmelt driveway.
69 Herron Hollow
Lot Size 46,609 SQFT | $14,995,000
Situated on over an acre located on the ‘’Fifth
Avenue’’ of Aspen, this unique lot sits out on
a perch and enjoys panoramic mountain views.
The existing home is over 6,200 square feet with
no subterranean living. In the fall, this house
will be torn down for an incredible new contem-
porary home.
Wendalin Whitman is ranked in the top 100 in the Nation and 14th among independent, non-national firms as featured in
The Wall Street Journal
www.WhitmanFineProperties.com | 970-544-3771 | www.Aspen-Luxury-Rentals.com
Cheryl Windless thought it was a simple flu infection. But, assist device (LVAD), which functions like an artificial heart.
she was in severe cardiogenic shock and many of her organs In fact, it was a typical Mount Sinai success story: one that began
were failing. She was given only a ten percent chance of survival. with very little hope of success.
One hospital wouldn’t admit her because they thought she
couldn’t be saved. At Mount Sinai Heart, doctors performed 1- 8 0 0 - MD-SINA I
emergency surgery to implant a HeartMate II left ventricular mou n t s i n a i .or g /m s h e a r t
OUR
DOCTORS WORK ON HEARTS
OTHER DOCTORS
DON’T HAVE THE HEART
TO TOUCH.
Ideas_Heart.indd 1 9/5/18 5:15 PM

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THE

NE WPORT BE ACH | ASPEN | PALM BE ACH | 866. 584.2666 | 970.710.7644 | LUGANODIAMONDS.COM

DEPARTMENTS THE JOURNAL OF IDEAS

84 | PA R T I N G S H O T 70 | MEXICO’S WAKE-UP CALL

THE 72 | IDEAS EX MACHINA

4 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

C2 Photography (27, 28), Ian Wagreich (34)

Hal Williams (50), Dan Bayer (54, 60)

6 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

Committed to buyers and sellers from Aspen to Aspen Glen

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy-studies organization headquartered in Washington,

8 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

stimulating ideas with attainable actions.

845 Meadows Road, Aspen

mobile, social, global, crowd-sourced, some are only 20% there.

Copyright © 2018 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved.

to intensely prepare for LIFETIME TRUSTEES CO-CHAIRMEN

conversations that LIFETIME TRUSTEES

10 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

Exquisitely sophisticated, supremely private and endlessly seductive,

20% 14% 12% The rate of opportunity youth in RURAL

NATIVE AMERICANS THE YOUTH ASIANS

25.8% BY RACE 6.6%

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 13

MAGAZINE FEATURES, DIGITAL ACCESS

interviews first-generation college students whose lives have been

14 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

Courtesy Women and Girls Lead Global

Women and Girls Lead

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 15

“AN AMERICAN ISSUE”

16 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

Of course, it’s important to distinguish between recreational use of

MIGRANTS ON THE PAGE

and world politics, at an event that also included dramatic readings

18 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

CITIES OF LIGHT US cities are leading the way in public policy.

Americans to uphold the Paris accord. And since building codes,

“I want economic prosperity, I want family unity, and I want safe

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 19

collector, author, and philanthropist who has been

involved with the Institute for decades. For more, see

20 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

A Fresh Tracks expedition

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 21

Young people listen to Ava DuVernay at an event in downtown Aspen.

22 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

Aspen | Avon | Crested Butte | Basalt | Glenwood Springs | Rifle

www.garfieldhecht.com | 970.925.1936 ph | atty@garfieldhecht.com

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 23

priorities. Submissions ranged from traditional

Kassaundra John of Diné (Navajo Nation)

24 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

The new Walter Isaacson Center and

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 25

26 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

summer, we reach new heights.

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 27

IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018 29

“As a doctor, as a black woman, I know

30 IDEAS SPECIAL ISSUE 2018

“Detroit is a powerhouse of urban agriculture.

“We’re moving from a world in