Societal changes and world events have converged to create our current loneliness epidemic. Despite being in constant contact in some ways, we’ve become extremely isolated in others. But by taking thoughtful action, we might be able to reverse that trend. Today’s talk from the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival brings together experts approaching this problem from vastly different perspectives. Marc Dunkelman is a fellow in international and public affairs at Brown University, Virginia Thomas is a psychology professor studying solitude at Middlebury College, and Michael Maltzan is an architect adept at designing public spaces. As the three panelists weave their disciplines together and formulate a vision for a more connected world, journalist and host of “Radio Atlantic,” Hanna Rosin, moderates the conversation.

Humans have had plenty of time to think about it, but still rarely agree on what it means to live a good life. What actually motivates us toward particular actions, and is that the same as what should motivate us? If we don’t already have guiding principles, where can we find them? This lively panel discussion from the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival features two philosophers and a writer who approach these questions from diverse angles. University of Chicago philosophy professor Agnes Callard joins Harvard Law School lecturer Adam Sandel and writer David Brooks, the co-founder of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute for an exploration of how intellect meets desire and individualism meets community. Samuel Kimbriel, the founding director of the Aspen Institute’s Philosophy and Society Initiative, moderates the conversation.

The nature of war is changing quickly. In hot spots around the world, the battlefield is increasingly tech-driven. It’s clear in the Russian-Ukraine conflict where drone expertise has become an essential tool. “The frontlines are incredibly lethal. The moment the Russians show themselves, hundreds of suicide drones can be launched to take them out,” says United States General David Petraeus who commanded US-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, Ukraine recently offered to help the US in its drone warfare with Iran. Petraeus talks with Anne Neuberger, former deputy national security advisor in the Biden Administration, and Politico’s Dasha Burns about the future of modern warfare.

Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, has a long list of accolades. He has nine NBA championship rings–five as a player and four as a coach. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he coached the U-S team to a gold medal and, as a player, he holds the title of the NBA’s all-time three-point percentage leader. Rather than basking in glory, Kerr is known for deflecting praise and elevating those around him. He speaks with podcast host and author Kelly Corrigan about influential figures in his life, like his parents and past coaches, and how they shaped his ability to remain grounded. He also talks about his advocacy for gun safety laws and balancing political involvement with his day job.

As younger generations encounter tough job and housing markets and many Americans feel left behind, it’s become more popular to question the utility of the capitalistic system. Can this tide really lift all boats? In this talk from the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, three experts in business, economics and anthropology meet to dissect how we got to this point, and what can be done to forge a new path for capitalism. Gillian Tett of the Financial Times and Cambridge University joins Jim Sorenson, the founder of the Sorenson Impact Foundation and Joshua Bolten, the CEO of Business Roundtable for a boundary-pushing conversation. The co-executive director of the Aspen Financial Security Program, Ida Rademacher, moderates the discussion.

Fertility may be more about the daily choices we make rather than factors like delayed maternal age, says fertility physician Dr. Natalie Crawford. Markers of metabolic health, such as chronic inflammation, affect women’s egg quality. Crawford, who experienced four failed pregnancies before having her children, began studying the link between inflammation and infertility. Taking charge of your fertility, she says, means having early conversations about hormonal health and taking steps, like better sleep and nutrition, to improve your chances of getting pregnant. She speaks with Pamela Brown, anchor and correspondent for CNN, about her new book The Fertility Formula: Take Control of Your Reproductive Future.

As fewer and fewer Americans attend traditional houses of worship, the role religion plays in our society is shifting. People will always hunger for spiritual fulfillment and seek value systems, though, so where will they go to meet those needs? Secular life often still draws from deep religious traditions, and faith leaders are in the best position to offer advice about mixing the two worlds. The panelists from this talk at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival examine the evolution of organized religion from several diverse angles. Krista Tippett is the creator and co-host of the public radio show “On Being,” and joins Shira Stutman, a rabbi and co-host of the “Chutzpod” podcast and Gregory Boyle, a Catholic priest and founder of Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention and re-entry program in Los Angeles. David DeSteno, Northeastern University psychology professor and host of the podcast “How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality,” moderates the conversation.

We all have the ability to be more compassionate, which is scientifically proven to make us healthier, happier, and more connected. It almost sounds like a miracle cure – and it doesn’t even cost anything. So what gets in the way and how do we break down those barriers? Lonnie Ali is the co-founder of the Muhammed Ali Center, which created the Muhammed Ali Index and produced the 2025 Compassion Report. She explains the findings to an audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, joined by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the director of the Social Connections Lab at Brigham Young University, and Sara Konrath, a social psychologist and professor at Indiana University. They dive into the latest studies on compassion and how to cultivate it in individuals and society at large. Frederick Riley, the executive director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, moderates the conversation.