Up For Discussion

Can Pop Culture Save the Nerds?

TV Portrayals of the Smart and Awkward Are Nicer, But What Is Their Impact?

 

On TV, the nerds have traditionally played the role of sidekick or butt of the jokes: Screech Powers and Steve Urkel were better known for their unrequited crushes and awkward fashion statements than for their brains. But now the tables have turned, and sometimes it seems like the universe, both real and fictional, belongs to the nerds. Perhaps nowhere is that more true than on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, where hyper-intelligent geeks find success in the lab and in love. In advance of a Zócalo event with Mayim Bialik, …

Read More

More In: Up For Discussion

Economic Recovery Room

Besides the End Of the Great Depression, What Historical Moment Should the U.S. Look Back To For Inspiration In Coming Out Of the Recession?

 

Boom-and-bust cycles are not new. Our economy has had to redefine itself a number of times throughout our history, as Michael Lind’s magisterial book Land of Promise reminds us. And …

What Google Can’t Tell You | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

What Google Can’t Tell You

What Do Depth, Nuance, Context, and Balance Have in Common? You Can’t Find Them Through Search Engines

Back in 2012, we asked scholars of technology and knowledge about the ways search engines were changing how we made decisions, educated ourselves, and …

What’s Up, (Animal) Doc?

Veterinarians Say Physicians Could Learn Much From the Treatment of Beasts

 

Rabbits can contract syphilis. Golden retrievers get breast cancer. Siamese cats and Doberman pinschers often have OCD–and are prescribed Prozac to ease their symptoms. Canaries, fish, and Yorkies react to …

Poetry and Power

Which Poem Can Give You Language, Defend Your Rights, Or Make it Christmas?

 

The work of California’s new poet laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera, powerfully evokes the landscape and language of places he’s known well: the San Joaquin Valley, San Diego, San Francisco’s Mission …

Persian Dispersion

A Discussion Of the Effect Of Iranians on Los Angeles-and Angelenos On Iran

 

In the late 1970s, Iranians emigrated by the hundreds of thousands, and a sizeable proportion of them found their way to Los Angeles. Today, Los Angeles County is home to …


By continuing to use our website, you agree to our privacy and cookie policy.

✕

Get More Zócalo

No paywall. No ads. No partisan hacks. Ideas journalism with a head and a heart.

You may opt out or contact us anytime.

×