We speak in this 2013 conversation with Samuel Tadros, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, about the unfolding situation in Egypt.

What makes Jewish humor different and unique? Or is it all that unique? We talk about that with one of our favorite guests, Ruth Wisse, who’s just written an excellent new book on the topic called No Joke: Making Jewish Humor.

Are civilizations cyclical? Must all civilizations die? We explore all this with David Goldman, author of How Civilizations Die: (And Why Islam Is Dying Too). He has more than a few thoughts on the topic of civilizations and their longevity.

Since Ann-Marie Slaughter’s much debated article in The Atlantic last year, it’s been a debate raging across all corners of the Internet. What’s the role of women in today’s society? Can they have both the high-powered career and the pleasant family life? We talk about it with Kay Hymowitz, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of an excellent article on the topic in the latest edition of Foreign Policy magazine.

We’re joined by Peter Wyatt Wood, an anthropologist by training and president of the National Association of Scholars. We talk with Peter about his work at NAS, the coarsening of the college campus, and the increased political correctness of some of the most prestigious universities in the country.

We talked in 2013 with Bruce Thornton, research fellow at the Hoover Institution and expert on all things in the Middle East. Up for discussion: the civil war in Syria, the always simmering tension with Iran, and what to expect from the then-current administration on foreign policy over the next few years.

Everyone makes mistakes, and the brilliant among us are no exception as Mario Livio tells us in his book Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein – Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe.

Livio, an astrophysicist who works on the Hubble telescope, relates how even the most genius minds sometimes made mistakes in their work – and how their discoveries came in spite of, or sometimes because of, their mistakes.

We set to it with Kevin Williamson, author of The End Is Near and It’s Going to Be Awesome. He talks with us about his vision of the future – where the government will have less money and less resources, and citizens will be better off because of it.

We’re joined by Craig Sirles, professor of English at DePaul University, to discuss the current state of English usage. Is it whom or who? Milt and I or Milt and me? And, what are some of our pet peeves?

We talked in 2013 with Rich Lowry about his then-new book Lincoln Unbound: How an Ambitious Young Railsplitter Saved the American Dream–and How We Can Do It Again.

Lowry, editor of National Review, traces Lincoln from his upbringing on a farm in Kentucky through the start of his political career, and discusses how Lincoln’s experiences shaped his political and cultural sense of government.