The Power of Ideas

A podcast with interesting people about their lives, their purpose and their calling using stars and stories. Be your own best idea.

Astrology, Gender, and the Irrationality Problem — with AI Ian & Matilda 02/26/2025

Astrology, Gender, and the Irrationality Problem — with AI Ian & Matilda In this special episode, I decided to have a little fun with Venus and Mercury retrograde energy by creating a fully AI-generated conversation between myself and a fictional podcast host named Matilda. Using ChatGPT to write the script and ElevenLabs to clone my voice, I explore the findings of my new (and first) academic solo-authore journal article "Reacting to the Irrationality Problem: Civilian Astrology and Certainty Posturing." The episode dives into how astrology—often dismissed as irrational—is actually a rich site for examining how people perform belief, negotiate gender stereotypes, and claim or reject scientific authority. From "civilian astrologers" to confident skeptics, we unpack it all with nuance and a bit of AI magic. This is part research breakdown, part sociological theater, and entirely a retrograde experiment in digital scholarship. Enjoy! ✨ Email: Follow me on tiktok: Follow me on instagram: /episode/index/show/ideas/id/35434195

2024. Ep 8. Credit Card Points & Financial Health - with Darren Aasen 04/22/2024

2024. Ep 8. Credit Card Points & Financial Health - with Darren Aasen Growing up, credit cards were always a thing I feared. It was a way to get in trouble with money. And indeed, like many (I am sure), I got into some credit card debt early on in life. Recently, however, I have been introduced to the world of credit card points and financial literacy more generally. Now, its a whole new world! To woo new customers, credit card companies have to offer better and better perks like bonus points, airport lounges, upgrades to first class and business class, etc. The result of this is a system that - If you work it right - means that you can get a lot of free stuff. That said, its complicated! Yet, lucky for me, my friend Darren has become a credit card points wizard. In this episode, I sit down and talk with Darren about how he got into the world of points, what kinds of things he has gotten from points and what you should be thinking about before starting to dive into this world. Welcome to the Power of Ideas. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/30535798

The Sociological Imagination: A Framework for Listening to the Podcast 04/19/2023

The Sociological Imagination: A Framework for Listening to the Podcast In this episode, I return with a framework that I hope will accomplish two things. One, help people understand the overly complicated and often misunderstood question of "what is sociology?" And, second, use it as a framework to help listen to the podcast. The sociological Imagination is a concept and framework put forward by sociological C. Wright Mills in which he says that the best way to understand societies is through looking at the intersection of biography and history, or put differently, personal troubles and public issues. Here, I make the case that whatever a sociologist tells you sociolgy "is," they all, in fact, use the same framework - the sociological method. With that in mind, it can help us all make better sense of the world, and also help you better understand how to listen to this podcast and what I am seeking to do with the concepts, conversations and ideas in it. Welcome to the Power of Ideas. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/26582436

Dan Duvall - Becoming a (sober) Comedian 06/28/2021

Dan Duvall - Becoming a (sober) Comedian Dan is a comedian, and a fucking funny one at at that. However, his journey to sobriety and struggle in relationships makes him not just a funny dude but a deep one as well. We talk comedy, sobriety, relationships, addiction, mental health and much more. At the end, we realized we didn't even answer the question of how he became the director at "Comedy here Often," a signifcant podcast network in Canada so this is just Part 1. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/19636856

Shadin Khreis - The Struggle for Palestinian Liberation 05/16/2021

Shadin Khreis - The Struggle for Palestinian Liberation Today is a special episode. I talk with Shadin, a Jordanian-Palestinian woman with family that was displaced by this "conflict." I talk with her about the history of Palestine, the colonization of Palestine by Israel with the support of European nations and the US. We discuss why this is such an urgent and grave concern historically and we then discuss what is going now. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/19125314

Quinton Richardson Brown - Overcoming Adversity 05/02/2021

Quinton Richardson Brown - Overcoming Adversity In today's episodes, I talk with my nephew, Quinton. Q is wise beyond his years and striving every day to become the best version of himself. And he isn't just saying it, he is doing it through his actions. Attempting to hold himself accountable and be grateful along the way. Through his adversity, faith and family, Q has somehow created a mindset that is more mature than many of the "adults" I know. It was an absolute pleasure to talk with him and share it with you. Welcome to The Power of Ideas. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/18934577

Shelley Maddox - What is Love? 04/25/2021

Shelley Maddox - What is Love? Venus is the planet of love. But what is love? And moreover, what is love, astrologically? In todays episode, I talk with my good friend Shelley Maddox about these questions. We frame the conversation around our own astrological placements (Venus in Aries and Venus in Gemini). Listen in as we try and flesh through the messiness and the poetry that is one of the oldest questions there is - love. Welcome to The Power of Ideas. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/18843446

Kacie Rogers - Becoming an Actress 08/23/2020

Kacie Rogers - Becoming an Actress Next week, Kacie will be joining me for the 2nd installment of "The Tenth House." We will break down the tenth house astrology of Will Smith. We will talk about his career, his life, his personality and, of course, his wife Jada (who doesn't have a birth time so I couldn't include her as much. Sigh). But before we did that, I wanted to re-introduce her to all of you. So, this is the conversation we had in 2018 in which we talk life, love, religion, acting & communication . /episode/index/show/ideas/id/15554750

Robin Woodward - Becoming an Astrologer 07/05/2020

Robin Woodward - Becoming an Astrologer Next week, I am going to have Robin Woodward on to talk about the astrology of 2020. So, I thought it was prudent to rebroadcast the conversation I had with Robin two years ago about her learning of astrology and becoming an astrologer. As most stories with those who find astrology, it begins with a mind-blowing personal experience/revelation. We talk about her learning of astrology, the "science of cycles" and more. Get familiar with Robin so you can jump in next week. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/15053972

Dr. Ada Onyewuenyi - Psychology, Sociology & Race 06/07/2020

Dr. Ada Onyewuenyi - Psychology, Sociology & Race Dr. Ada Onyewuenyi is a professor of Psychology who does research on the identity development of black youth across the diaspora. In this episode, we talk about everything from psychology, sociology, education and, of course, a little astrology. We do so in the context of George Floyd, race and racism, Black Panther, language appropriation by white supremacists, Journal paywalls and much more. /episode/index/show/ideas/id/14724260

Katy Larsen - Becoming a Nurse 05/10/2020

Katy Larsen - Becoming a Nurse This is a rebroadcast of an episode I recorded with Katy in mid 2018. We discuss the interesting story around how she became a nurse, what it means to her and a little about about basketball. If all goes well, Katy will be my special guess next week (May 17th) when I premiere a new segment I'm calling "The Tenth House." /episode/index/show/ideas/id/14248370

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