Adaptive Intelligence

About this episode

Dr. Shaunna and Dr. Lisa explore the concepts of polymathy and immigration policy, connecting adaptive intelligence to identity and belonging.

In this episode, Dr. Shaunna and Dr. Lisa examine language in a new way. First, they look at Elsa Mehary's provocative Instagram reel regarding what it means to be a polymath —someone with a wide range of knowledge or learning—and ask a provocative question: Are you a polymath, or just Black? It's always a good time to examine what’s celebrated as “genius” in one space that may be dismissed as “survival” in another. Later, Shaunna and Lisa pivot to immigration policy, reflecting on Jonathan Blitzer’s Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here and his recent New Yorker piece on how executive actions are reshaping who gets to become -- AND STAY -- American. They connect the dots between adaptive intelligence and survival systems—whether in identity, migration, or belonging. Tune in for a layered conversation about pattern recognition, the politics of brilliance, and the powers that affect immigrants.   Mentioned in the show For the Nation's Birthday, Making it Harder to Become American – The New Yorker Everyone Who is Gone is Here – Jonathan Blitzer

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr. Shaunna, Dr. Lisa

Topics covered

• adaptive intelligence
• immigration policy
• polymath
• identity
• belonging
• survival systems
• politics of brilliance

Keywords

• polymath
• adaptive intelligence
• immigration
• identity
• survival
• brilliance
• culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The New Yorker

Books & works: Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here

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