Context with Brad Harris

Context is a podcast that explores the historical forces shaping our modern world. Hosted by Brad Harris, who earned his PhD from Stanford in the History of Science & Technology, each episode delves into pivotal ideas, events, and figures that have influenced civilization’s trajectory. From the rise of scientific thought to the challenges of globalization, Brad provides insightful analysis that connects the past to our present. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or seeking deeper understanding of contemporary issues, Context with Brad Harris offers a thoughtful journey through the narratives that define us.

The Great Silence 12/22/2025

The Great Silence In this episode of Context, we explore the historical, philosophical, and ethical implications of artificial intelligence, drawing on examples from world history, literature, and modern AI research. We examine pivotal moments in the history of technology—from Ming China’s abandonment of oceanic exploration 600 years ago to the Cold War’s embrace of nuclear power 60 years ago—to frame the long-term liabilities of technological progress. This episode culminates in a simple but haunting idea: the greatest risk of artificial intelligence may not be the violent destruction of humanity, but its painless euthanasia. Not a civilization wiped out by its inventions, but one that trades the ordeal of being human for the ease of being entertained into extinction. History’s rule is progress. But progress for its own sake has never been humanity’s purpose. Purpose has to be chosen by every generation. If AI can make everything infinitely easy, it may also make everything infinitely meaningless. This episode asks whether we are willing to keep choosing struggle, curiosity, and wonder—or whether we’re prepared to outsource meaning itself, and quietly accept The Great Silence that follows. If you value this work and want to hear every episode ad-free, along with bonus content, you can support the show on or subscribe through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/39482425

Back from the Brink: How Societies Recover 09/30/2025

Back from the Brink: How Societies Recover Can fractured societies pull themselves back from the brink? Is America doomed to slide into another civil war? Or, are we already engaged in a kind of Cold Civil War? In this episode of Context, we examine three powerful case studies of recovery: England emerging from the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century West Germany rising from the rubble of 1945 America clawing its way out of the malaise of the 1970s Each story reveals how societies that seemed broken beyond repair found ways to discipline elites, renew their principles, and restore confidence in themselves and in the future. As America faces mounting political violence and cultural fatigue, these examples remind us that collapse is not destiny. Renewal has always required sacrifice, leadership, and moral courage, but history proves it is possible. If you like this podcast, and you'd like to access supporter-only episodes and listen ad-free, join me on , or subscribe directly through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/38357695

Good vs Evil 09/16/2025

Good vs Evil My thoughts on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and what his martyrdom reveals about truth versus lies, good versus evil, and the West's spiritual fight for its life. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/38213905

The Wilderness at the Gates 09/02/2025

The Wilderness at the Gates For fifty years, we’ve been told that nature is fragile — a porcelain Eden, easily shattered by the slightest human pressure. But history tells a different story. From the fall of Rome to the Black Death, from Chernobyl to Detroit, every time people retreat, the wilderness rushes back with astonishing speed. In this episode, we examine the reality that civilization is fragile while life on Earth is ferociously tenacious. Drawing on historians like Bryan Ward-Perkins and William Cronon, and ecologists like C.S. Holling, we discover how fast forests and animals can reclaim human spaces, and why the modern myth of a delicate planet misses the deeper truth. Nature is not fragile. Civilization is. If you like what I’m up to, please leave a five-star review wherever you listen, and consider signing up to support the show as a paying member on or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. As a supporter, you get access to lots of additional episodes and help keep Context ad-free. Thank you so much to those of you who’ve already taken that step - I hope you love today’s episode. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/38035845

Phantom Worlds 08/26/2025

Phantom Worlds History is full of phantom worlds—alternative technological paradigms that could have made everything turn out radically differently. Airships instead of airplanes. Rail instead of cars. Direct current instead of alternating current. Telegraphs instead of telephones. Each path once seemed inevitable, until another won out and reshaped civilization. In this episode of Context, we explore these turning points and what they reveal about our own moment, when autonomous vehicles and immersive virtual reality are racing forward in parallel. Will the future be built on radical mobility, or radical simulation? Or both? Most of all, we ask: what kind of lives do we want our grandchildren to live, and how will the choices we make now determine the answer? To support the show and access *supporter-only bonus episodes, join me on or subscribe directly through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/37947080

The Machinery of Abundance 08/12/2025

The Machinery of Abundance Modern life runs on hidden engine rooms—vast, intricate systems most of us never see. The Haber-Bosch process, which turns air into fertilizer, is one of them. It feeds billions, yet almost no one outside of science or industry could explain how it works or why it matters. In this episode, we explore Haber-Bosch not just as a technological marvel, but as a parable for our dependence on complex systems most of us barely understand. From the fight over bird droppings in the 19th century to the industrial alchemy of fixing nitrogen, we trace how human ingenuity transformed the limits of nature, and how that transformation fostered both abundance and fragility. This is a story about the machinery that sustains us, and the risks we run when we forget it’s there. To keep the show ad-free and access over a dozen bonus episodes, join me on or subscribe through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/37749710

When We Were Most Human 08/05/2025

When We Were Most Human The modern world is defined by acceleration. But what if the most stable—and perhaps most human—version of ourselves existed long before civilization? In this episode, we explore the world of the Cro-Magnon: anatomically modern humans who thrived in Ice Age Europe. For hundreds of generations, their way of life remained remarkably unchanged. What was it like to live in near-perfect evolutionary harmony with the environment? Civilization ultimately emerged as a hedge against danger, especially for those with children to protect. But in exchange for safety and surplus, we surrendered something more elemental and spiritually sustaining. This is the story of that trade-off—and of what we lost in the bargain. This is the story of a time before history began, when we were most human. If you’d like to support the show and access over a dozen supporter-only bonus episodes, you can join me on or subscribe through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/37651955

The History of the Future 07/28/2025

The History of the Future Why did we stop believing in utopia? By the late 19th century, many Americans had come to believe that the future would be defined by peace, prosperity, and moral progress. But over the next century, optimism gave way to fear—war, nuclear weapons, and runaway technology began to reshape our vision of what was possible. In this episode of Context, we explore how our ideas about the future have evolved—from Edward Bellamy’s best-seller Looking Backward (1888), to H.G. Wells’ The Shape of Things to Come (1933), to The Terminator series (1984), and finally to Brian Christian’s The Alignment Problem (2020). Along the way, we trace the rise of techno-utopianism, the shock of dystopian realism, and the ethical dilemmas now posed by artificial intelligence. The history of the future has never mattered more. To support the show and access bonus episodes, join me on or subscribe through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/37567660

The Meaning of War 07/01/2025

The Meaning of War Is it possible that war, for all its horror, once played a vital role in human flourishing—and that its disappearance has left a cultural and spiritual void? In this episode, we explore the provocative thesis that war has historically served not only as an engine of destruction, but as a forge for meaning and social cohesion. Drawing on J. Glenn Gray’s The Warriors, with insight from William James, Nietzsche, and Durkheim, we examine what modern society loses when it loses war—not just as a military phenomenon, but as a psychological and cultural one. What happens to masculinity when its most historically sanctioned outlet evaporates? What fills the vacuum when existential struggle is no longer a shared reality? And could space exploration become the next great crucible that gives our civilization meaning without violence? This is not an argument for militarism—but a call to confront what war once offered, and to ask what might replace it in a civilization that seeks to remain vital. To support the show and unlock *supporter-only episodes, join me on or subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/37208915

The Decline of the West: Oswald Spengler’s Prophetic Vision 06/19/2025

The Decline of the West: Oswald Spengler’s Prophetic Vision A century ago, Oswald Spengler warned that Western civilization was entering its final phase—not from war or catastrophe, but from cultural exhaustion. In The Decline of the West, he argued that every great society passes through organic stages of growth and decay—and the West, he claimed, had already entered winter. In this episode of Context, we revisit Spengler’s audacious and unsettling vision. We explore the patterns he identified—technocracy, Caesarism, the erosion of civic virtue—and ask whether Spengler’s predictions still hold up. Are we watching a great civilization fade… or transform? Topics include: • Spengler’s life, method, and seasonal model of civilization • Parallels between ancient Rome and the modern West • Technological achievement vs. cultural vitality • Why memory and myth matter for renewal • The possibility of rebirth—and what spring might require If you value this show, please take a moment to give it a five-star rating. To unlock *supporter-only episodes, join me on , or subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/37061435

Narrative Warfare: How National Stories Shape Geopolitics 06/12/2025

Narrative Warfare: How National Stories Shape Geopolitics We often think global power is all about armies and technology. But what if the most decisive battles are fought through stories? In this episode of Context, we explore the concept of narrative warfare—the battle over how nations interpret their past, define their identity, and imagine their future. From Manifest Destiny to the 1619 Project, from China’s “Century of Humiliation” to Russia’s myth of the “Third Rome,” we examine how national stories shape the world order—and what happens when a superpower like America stops believing in its own. Support the show and access supporter-only episodes: patreon.com/bradcoleharris /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/36972960

PREVIEW: The Ghost in the Machine – Why We Believe in Robots 06/05/2025

PREVIEW: The Ghost in the Machine – Why We Believe in Robots This is a short preview of a supporter-only bonus episode. In this episode, I explore the psychological and philosophical reasons we keep projecting something human into our machines. From ancient automata to Boston Dynamics, from Descartes to modern AI, we’ve been building mechanical reflections of ourselves for centuries. But why? What does it say about us that we want our machines to seem alive—even when we know they aren’t? 🎧 To hear the full episode, head to: /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/36864145

The Lost Virtue of Boredom: What We Lose When We’re Never Still 05/29/2025

The Lost Virtue of Boredom: What We Lose When We’re Never Still We didn’t cure boredom—we erased it. And in doing so, we may have lost one of the most quietly powerful forces in human development. In this episode of Context, I explore boredom as a lost human experience—not a problem to eliminate, but a signal for reflection, imagination, and growth. From ancient philosophers to Enlightenment thinkers, boredom once played a vital role in the human condition. But today, it’s nearly extinct. Our lives are saturated with stimulation, leaving little space for silence, solitude, or introspection. What happens when we’re never bored—never still, never alone with our thoughts? We’ll look at the cultural disappearance of boredom and what that tells us about our distracted age. And we’ll consider why boredom might be worth reclaiming—not just for our creativity, but for our humanity. 🎧 Support the show and access bonus episodes at /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/36769590

The Bureaucracy vs. the Future: How the SEC Is Undermining American Innovation 05/22/2025

The Bureaucracy vs. the Future: How the SEC Is Undermining American Innovation The SEC was created to protect investors—but is it now protecting incumbents instead? In this episode of Context, we explore the rise of unelected bureaucracies and their hostility to innovation, using crypto regulation as a lens into a larger democratic dysfunction. From the roots of the administrative state to today’s battle between blockchain pioneers and entrenched financial regulators, we explore how bureaucratic overreach can derail progress—and what it would take for America to rediscover its courage to build. Topics include: • SEC vs. Ripple Labs and Coinbase • Regulatory capture and the death of oversight • Blockchain, XRP, and the Internet of Value • American innovation and bureaucratic stagnation Support the show: patreon.com/bradcoleharris /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/36670975

Sliding Into Serfdom - 10 Minutes on Hayek 05/15/2025

Sliding Into Serfdom - 10 Minutes on Hayek In this episode, we examine Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom, a chilling warning about how societies drift into tyranny—not through force, but through the seductive promise of central planning. Written in the shadow of fascism and communism, Hayek’s argument is more relevant than ever: when the state takes control of the economy, it inevitably takes control of our lives. What begins as progress can end in oppression. This is the road to serfdom. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/36579115

Into the Trenches Once More 05/17/2023

Into the Trenches Once More If you like this stuff and you'd like to hear more, please support my work on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bradcoleharris /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/26866911

Urban Versus Rural 06/01/2021

Urban Versus Rural There’s a lot that’s dividing Americans right now - lots of divisive narratives that have captivated lots of people. One of those narratives features the apparent widening political divide between urban and rural culture. But, the truth is that the evolution of America’s urban and rural communities has always been symbiotic. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/19302884

Notes On Tribalism 04/26/2021

Notes On Tribalism "Notes on Nationalism" was an essay written by George Orwell in 1945, just as World War II was ending. It caused quite a stir at the time, but most people these days have never heard of it. Nonetheless, "Notes on Nationalism" remains one of the most powerful examples of Orwell's timeless insight into human nature; in this case, focused on our instinct to gang up on each other, our instinct for tribalism. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/18855317

The Fate of Universities 02/24/2021

The Fate of Universities Like many others, I’ve begun to worry about the fate of higher education in American society. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/18064625

Explaining Postmodernism: A Conversation with Stephen Hicks 01/25/2021

Explaining Postmodernism: A Conversation with Stephen Hicks Postmodernism planted the seeds of the illiberalism that's erupting throughout our society today. The battle of ideas postmodern thinking provokes could very well determine the fate of liberal democracy our lifetime. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/17659160

Escaping the Cycle of History 12/21/2020

Escaping the Cycle of History "History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes." /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/17266121

Reflections from A Distant Mirror 10/26/2020

Reflections from A Distant Mirror Plague, political chaos, the looming prospect of another civil war... what century are we in? /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/16536989

2+2=5 09/14/2020

2+2=5 I went slightly mad producing this episode. But then, the line between our reality and the fiction of 1984 has become far too blurry for my comfort. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/15984011

All Things Being Equal 08/25/2020

All Things Being Equal One of the worst features of our society, we are told, is wealth inequality. But, what is the historical truth about wealth inequality? /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/15735089

Approximating Perfection 07/08/2020

Approximating Perfection The history of calculus may seem irrelevant to most of our going concerns, but as author and mathematician Strogatz shows, the spirit of calculus expresses one of the best ideas humanity has ever had: greatness is not to be found in the end, but in the effort. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/15117689

Science as a Candle in the Dark 06/05/2020

Science as a Candle in the Dark Carl Sagan was a brilliant popularizer of science. His book, The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, helps to inspire clear thinking when chaos reigns supreme. Here, I share my thoughts on the important themes of that work. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/14702375

What If Our Ignorance Outgrows Our Potential? 08/05/2019

What If Our Ignorance Outgrows Our Potential? There is an overlooked rule in history: far more is lost and forgotten than is preserved and remembered. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/10762583

A Battle Against Medieval Barbarism 07/01/2019

A Battle Against Medieval Barbarism Today, we explore the origin of the modern concept of a fact. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/10350041

What's True? 06/03/2019

What's True? Today I'm speaking with Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, a historian from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. It would be hard to find a scholar better equipped to enhance our historical perspective on how we decide what's true. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/9955397

The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom 05/02/2019

The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind became one of the most influential books of the last 50 years, instigating a battle over the soul of the American university that’s been raging ever since. /episode/index/show/contextwithbradharris/id/9596747

Context with Brad Harris

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