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Sessions
![Chasing Hope](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/2f55539f-2197-464f-8b26-2929b02cf707/53824051485_57d377543e_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=9%2C0%2C3863%2C3864&w=290)
As one of the foremost reporters of his generation, Nicholas Kristof has been witness to century-defining events and atrocities around the world. How has he managed to weaponize his pen against regimes and groups violating basic human rights, and still maintain faith in humanity?
![Are We Alone Out There?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/336d1ff6-e32b-4ca0-9bac-94dacbf8959b/53825023100_e70fda2b21_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=397%2C0%2C5507%2C5504&w=290)
For as long as humans have looked at the skies, we’ve speculated about whether there is life in space. Scientists, the U.S. military and the CIA have all searched for proof of extraterrestrials. What’s the latest in the quest to find life beyond our planet?
![Roots and Revelations](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/9a7290c3-c71d-4303-979a-7b49449a77c4/53824082684_f2a441a5d7_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=2000%2C0%2C4000%2C4000&w=290)
Henry Louis Gates Jr. — one of America’s leading public intellectuals and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard — explains the implications of knowing about our personal pasts. Actor and producer Joe Manganiello will then join him onstage to talk about what he learned from his appearance on Gates’ hit PBS show, “Finding your R...
![Closing Session](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/48047a1f-d980-4abf-ae89-bfbd1c8bc246/53824584793_ab831623a7_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=1080%2C0%2C2121%2C2120&w=290)
![Can AI Power Inclusivity?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/ce050571-0f55-491f-99d0-d3e755006e0b/53823507301_aa0a9a1273_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=245%2C0%2C3907%2C3906&w=290)
AI has the potential to create vibrant, inclusive communities as civil society organizations harness it to tackle inequality, industry leverages it to foster fairer practices, and commercial real estate uses it to create dynamic, accessible urban spaces.
![In Defense of Misfits: The Transcendence of an Unconventional Life](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/87df6db6-1f1f-4b05-95dd-118770600fd1/53823661837_0b1ee54615_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=1813%2C0%2C4641%2C4640&w=290)
A nonbinary comedian challenges us to question our notions of self, gender and society, and opens our eyes to what we may gain in the process.
![Supercommunicators: The Science of Conversation and Connection](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/4439f33b-44f3-4ce3-918c-6b7713b6017a/53825026550_67fcc31319_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=710%2C0%2C879%2C879&w=290)
Why do some conversations succeed while others stumble? The neurology and psychology of communication offer surprising explanations for why human connection goes right or wrong. Join in a live experiment — and explore how the right conversation, at the right moment, can change everything.
![Are American Women Going Backwards?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/a4f70e43-9976-4d6c-936d-6ffb4f1b3993/53824046585_143bcae259_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=224%2C0%2C3101%2C3101&w=290)
The rollback of reproductive rights, the push to end no-fault divorce, and gun laws that allow domestic abusers to own a firearm are turning the clock back on women’s rights. How can women preserve their freedoms?
![Does American Capitalism Still Work?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/6ddc1a5b-c983-41dc-9fdf-c50d8411fce7/53823880878_647f9e3767_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=123%2C0%2C3101%2C3101&w=290)
In a time of growing wealth disparity and evolving societal values, can capitalism adapt to sustain the American Dream?
![Meta Presents: Building Social Trust in an AI World](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/8ddf485e-1631-4696-a795-d4e3e1501612/240628_social_trust_ai_011.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=180%2C0%2C2667%2C2667&w=290)
Increasingly, AI informs our work output, our social views and our awareness of the world. Join SiriusXM host Mike Muse in conversation with Meta officials to explore the implications of AI for individuals and tech companies as they continue to innovate. Then, go behind the scenes with members of the Meta Oversight Board, who are charged with reviewing the company’s decisi...
![The Case for College](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/d466e46d-2c35-47dd-a43c-2aaaba7c24c5/53823335595_4e8cbae7d5_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C5504%2C5504&w=290)
In “Mindset Matters,” Daniel R. Porterfield advances the argument for the value of undergraduate education and suggests ways to improve education for new generations. Three college graduates join to talk about how the experience helped them launch the lives they’re living.
![Can We Disagree Better?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/867d54ef-2bf9-4bb5-995d-f35c23e375d0/53821131222_ca1376075a_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C3390%2C3389&w=290)
Americans feel more polarized than ever, but two governors from opposite sides of the aisle have made it their mission to show otherwise.
![Women Investing in Women](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/29942e24-e2ab-4f83-94d2-b907fbaf4615/53823873613_23991edd49_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C3101%2C3104&w=290)
Women are twice as likely to invest in female-led businesses. Explore the ways women approach wealth building and investment, and how they create opportunities to build financial security for all.
![A Friendship Forged Across the Aisle](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/7f68fce4-96b1-496a-9a3c-24bc903170c0/53823888468_306343aebd_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=775%2C0%2C3101%2C3101&w=290)
Former Senators Bill Nelson and Kay Bailey Hutchison discuss the bipartisan work that defined their careers, suggest ways for today’s elected officials to find common ground, and tell how the two of them helped launch NASA into a new era of exploration.
![Teens and Screens: The Unabating Scourge of Social Media](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/8214379e-2ce8-4e54-ba3a-f2b5b42982f7/teensandsocialmedia.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=115%2C0%2C5501%2C5504&w=290)
America’s teenagers are facing a mental health crisis; 1 in 3 teen girls say they’ve considered suicide in the past year. Many young people, parents and mental health professionals point to social media as a main culprit. What does science say, and what action is being taken on the legal and regulatory front? And how can you protect your kid’s emotional well-being?
![The Court Decides](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/44f5f558-fb15-4b8c-8704-3d09fe95fc55/53822899936_81b46589e0_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=1808%2C0%2C4640%2C4640&w=290)
As the Supreme Court concludes another contentious term, it is once again reshaping the legal landscape. With cases on abortion, gun rights and social media — and potentially democracy itself — on the docket, this year’s rulings couldn’t be more consequential.
![Ford’s CEO on EVs and Driving Into the Future](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/08b088f4-4719-4c3b-9330-be6ac4ff123a/fordceo.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C3760%2C3762&w=290)
Join Jim Farley as he explores how drivers' needs and priorities are guiding the future of vehicle technology and reshaping our expectations of cars and trucks.
![Pushback: The Perils (and Power) of Corporate Commitments](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/52e07d66-d3b4-46f7-9d95-fa97f85a9682/53823619826_882478669c_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=1269%2C0%2C3101%2C3101&w=290)
With ESG caught in the political culture wars, business executives must decide to speak up or stay quiet about climate, diversity and democracy. What do employees and citizens expect, and can playing offense be the best defense against the pushback?
![Extreme Heat: The Silent Killer of Climate Change](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/b5e2e176-6cbe-4d92-b593-011e59139c36/6.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=844%2C0%2C3101%2C3101&w=290)
Heat is now the top weather-related cause of death in the U.S., killing more people than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. An environmental journalist and two city chief heat officers discuss solutions to make searing summers more survivable.
![There’s an Energy Transition Happening in Your Backyard](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/038a9839-e479-49fe-ab58-0fbb6194b7d8/energytransition.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=1376%2C0%2C5504%2C5504&w=290)
Every transition comes with tradeoffs, and even clean energy carries negative consequences. As they mine for critical minerals or build solar arrays on sensitive land, clean energy developers must build consensus with tribal leaders, environmental activists, and politicians.