The International Tracing Service, one of the world's largest Holocaust-related archival repositories, holds millions of documents detailing the many forms of persecution that transpired during the Nazi era and their continuing repercussions. Based on her recently published book, "Nazi Persecution and Postwar Repercussions: The International Tracing Service Archive and Holocaust Research," Suzanne Brown-Fleming provides new insights into human decision-making in genocidal settings, the factors that drive it, and its far-reaching consequences. Brown-Fleming is director of the Visiting Scholar Programs of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. She is presented here by the Holocaust Living History Workshop at UC San Diego. 

In describing his new book, "East West Street" author Philippe Sands looks at the personal and intellectual evolution of the two men who simultaneously originated the ideas of "genocide" and "crimes against humanity," both of whom, not knowing the other, studied at the same university in a now-obscure city that had once been known as "the little Paris of Ukraine," a city variously called Lemberg, Lwów, Lvov, or Lviv. It is also a spellbinding family memoir, as Sands traces the mysterious story of his grandfather, as he maneuvered through Europe in the face of Nazi atrocities. Sands is presented by the Holocaust Living History Workshop and the Library at UC San Diego. Recorded on 02/28/2018.

The Last Gift study aims to understand where and how HIV hides in the human body when a person with HIV is taking HIV medications. The Last Gift study tackles these aims by studying people with HIV who are terminally ill from a disease other than HIV, like cancer, ALS, or heart disease. The study follows these volunteers with regular blood draws before the person dies and then examines multiple tissues throughout their bodies after death. From these samples, investigators hope to understand how HIV remains hidden from both the person's immune system and from current HIV therapy. Results from these studies are designed to help develop ways to clear these reservoirs with future therapies. Dr. Davey Smith, Professor of Medicine and Chief of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UCSD discusses the study and its medical and ethical implications.

Ernst Lubitsch's controversial anti-Nazi political satire "To Be or Not To Be" is celebrated as one of the most subtle meditations on power, politics, and performance to emerge from Hollywood during the war. Professor Emily Carman (Film and Media Arts, Chapman University) joins Carsey-Wolf Center Director Patrice Petro for a discussion about the original ambivalent reviews and how perceptions have changed since its 1942 release. Recorded on 10/19/2017.

A panel discussion follows the release of the US postage stamp honoring Sally Ride, America's first woman in space. Three trailblazing women leaders Billie Jean King, tennis legend and champion of social change; Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic woman in space and director of the Johnson Space Center; and Condoleezza Rice, 66th U.S. Secretary of State join journalist Lynn Sherr in sharing stories of obstacles and triumphs while encouraging more women to assume leadership roles in their fields.Presented by Sally Ride Science@UC San Diego.

Luis Urrea is a prolific writer who uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss and triumph. Born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and American mother, Urrea is the critically acclaimed, best-selling author of 16 books. He talks with Steven Schick about his life and work, and their collaboration on a new version of Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat" with texts from Urrea's writings. Recorded on 2/1/2018.

Beth Shapiro, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, explains her work on using ancient DNA to infer evolutionary history and processes. She is the MacArthur Award-winning author of "How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction," which considers the feasibility and desirability of bringing back passenger pigeons, steppe bison, mammoth and other currently extinct species. This program is presented by the Institute for Practical Ethics in the Division of Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego.

Based on a true story, I, Tonya (2017) is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya Harding and her role in one of the most sensational scandals in sports history. Screenwriter/producer Steven Rogers discussed the film with Matt Ryan before a live audience at UCSB. Recorded on 04/26/2018.