Heat and Light Podcast

Heat and Light

The Conversation
1968 transformed life in the U.S. forever. Join us as we go deep into six lesser-known stories from that year, guided by people who were so affected they devoted their lives to studying those events. From the students who rose up in protest to American TV's first interracial kiss, and from the roots of Silicon Valley to the beginning of the end of the "traditional" American family. Host Phillip Martin is our guide, and remembers his own 1968 as a sixth grader in inner-city Detroit. Brought to you by The Conversation US, on the fiftieth anniversary of the year that changed America.
The Left’s Gift to Nixon
1968 is the year that Richard Nixon won the White House — which Republicans would control for most of the next two decades — in addition to a year of protest on the left.
Oct 1, 2018
22 min
Why God Votes Republican
In 1968, the Protestant Left lost its political clout over its opposition to the Vietnam War – and opened the door for the rise of the modern Religious Right.
Sep 26, 2018
24 min
The Mother of All Demos
In 1968 computers were the size of a room. But after the founding of Intel and the introduction of the mouse that year they would eventually fit in a pocket – and change the Silicon Valley forever.
Sep 17, 2018
25 min
Detroit is Burning
In 1967, race riots nearly tore Detroit apart. The next year, the Kerner Commission, appointed by president Lyndon Johnson, placed the blame on the way the police and had handled the response.
Sep 10, 2018
23 min
An Interracial Kiss - on Another Planet
In 1968, the idea of romance between the races was still a controversial proposition. That made it all the more revolutionary when an episode of Star Trek featured a kiss between black and white characters, the first interracial kiss on American TV.
Sep 3, 2018
24 min
Fear of a Non-Nuclear Family
In 1968 the idea of the ideal American family was the father as breadwinner, stay-at-home mom, two kids and a white picket fence. But the women's movement and other forces were beginning to change this – and inspire a conservative backlash that persists to this day.
Aug 28, 2018
27 min
Revolution Starts on Campus
50 years ago, students rose up against authoritarian governments, racial inequality and, most passionately, the war in Vietnam.
Aug 27, 2018
33 min
Heat and Light: Trailer
Coming August 28th, The Conversation US presents Heat and Light: Stories from 1968, the year that changed America. We go deep into six key stories from this pivotal year.
Aug 9, 2018
1 min