The Beauty and Burdens of Innovation
Announcing Season 4 of the Beauty at Work Podcast
Season 4 of the Beauty at Work podcast is set to launch. Our theme this season is The Beauty and Burdens of Innovation.
For much of history, “innovation” was seen as suspect, linked with heresy, rebellion, something newfangled or faddish, or unwelcome change. Only recently has it become a marker of progress and genius. It has become a criterion of worth—perhaps even a new religion. But innovation is never only beautiful. It also comes with costs: unintended consequences and new vulnerabilities.
This season, we’ll ask: What makes innovation both beautiful and burdensome?
We’ll explore topics such as:
what is the role of beauty in driving both biological and cultural innovation?
the myths and realities of how innovation actually works—e.g., incremental vs. disruptive, collective vs. individual
the unintended consequences of innovations in technology, social media, and AI
what it takes to build regenerative forms of innovation in organizations
what spiritual innovation means and what factors contribute to or inhibit it
Our guests include Matt Ridley, Alan Moore, Michael Muthukrishna, Wendy Cadge, Michael Skaggs, Lisa Lindahl, Allison Pugh, John Havens, Casper ter Kuile, Angie Thurston, Marco Ventura, and more.
Across the season, our conversations will range from lekking birds to startups, from Shaker design to social media, from the invention of the sports bra to the future of AI. And along the way, we’ll hear stories of beauty, struggle, creativity, and renewal.
I’m excited to share these conversations with you and to reflect together on how innovation can enrich our work and our world, without losing sight of its burdens.
Many thanks to Templeton Religion Trust for sponsoring this season.
The first episode drops next week. Stay tuned.