Accent, Profanity, The President and the Machines That Talk Back with Dr. Chris Montgomery

What does your voice give away before you've finished a sentence? Dr. Larry Barsh talks with Dr. Chris Montgomery, a dialectologist at the University of Sheffield, about the verdicts we reach in half a second — educated or backward, polished or rough, one of us or not from around here — and why nobody believes they have an accent. Montgomery leads the UK Swear Map, a national survey of how Britain actually curses, built in partnership with the satirical arts collective Modern Toss (creators o

There is a particular kind of authority that comes only from having been inside something for fifty years — from having seen it at its best, trained its practitioners, published its science, and then watched it hollow itself out from within. Dr. Peter Kowey has that authority. He holds the William Wickoff Smith Chair in Cardiovascular Research at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, is a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at Thomas Jefferson University, and spent years as

Episode Title: Becoming Martian: What Space Will Do to the Human Body, Mind, and Species Runtime: ~55 minutes Episode Summary What happens to us — biologically, genetically, evolutionarily — if humans actually go live on Mars? Not visit. Live. Dr. Scott Solomon, evolutionary biologist and teaching professor at Rice University, has spent years following that question to its surprisingly unsettling conclusions. His new book, Becoming Martian (MIT Press), argues that the most profound c

THE ENLIGHTENED CYNIC Episode: The Rule of Law — What It Means, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do Host: Dr. Larry Barsh Guest: Professor Alexandra Natapoff, Harvard Law School EPISODE SUMMARY In this inaugural episode under its new name, The Enlightened Cynic welcomes Harvard Law Professor Alexandra Natapoff for a conversation about one of the most urgent concepts of our time: the rule of law. Professor Natapoff explains what rule of law actually means in 2026, why she chose to open Harv

Specifically for Seniors • Guest: Bill McKibben About the GuestBill McKibben is a journalist, author of 20+ books, and professor at Middlebury College. He wrote the first major book on climate change in the 1980s and founded 350.org — the world's first global grassroots climate campaign — and Third Act, an organization mobilizing Americans over 60 on climate and democracy. Episode Summary McKibben joins host Dr. Larry Barsh to argue that cheap solar and wind power represent the most powerful

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a tool of the future—it’s already in the exam room. In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, host Dr. Larry Barsh sits down with Dr. Adam Rodman, a Harvard professor and internal medicine physician, to discuss how AI is fundamentally changing the way doctors practice and how patients manage their health. From "AI scribes" that record visits to patients using ChatGPT for a second opinion, we explore the benefits, the risks, and the future of healthcare in

Host Dr. Larry Barsh sits down with two frontline Philadelphia healthcare providers to discuss the mounting health crisis driven by fear of immigration enforcement in immigrant communities. The conversation draws on a powerful New York Times op-ed the guests co-authored in February, titled "Our Patients Are More Frightened and Sicker Than Ever," and explores real patient stories, systemic failures, and what listeners can do to help. Dr. Robin Canada - Professor of Clinical Medicine, University

You Can't Retire From Purpose Dr. Alan Rozanski on the Six Domains of Health and What It Really Means to Age Well In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alan Rozanski — cardiologist, lifestyle medicine physician, professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a founding pioneer of behavioral cardiology. With nearly 300 published articles, Dr. Rozanski has spent 40 years studying how our physical and mental behaviors shape heart health. What We Cover The Aha Moment. Forty years ago,

In an era when American democracy faces unprecedented challenges and questions about authoritarianism have moved from the margins to the center of our political discourse, this conversation with author Jack El-Hai offers crucial historical perspective. The parallels between the events he chronicles in his book and the political landscape we're witnessing today make this discussion essential listening for anyone concerned about the preservation of democratic institutions and the rise of authorita

The Digital Workout: Why Your Smartphone is a Shield Against Dementia In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, Dr. Larry Barsh sits down with Dr. Michael Scullin, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University, to tackle a common frustration among the "Digital Pioneer" generation: the steep learning curve of modern technology. While many seniors feel tempted to set their smartphones aside out of frustration, Dr. Scullin’s research suggests that the "headache" of learning a

In this episode of the podcast Specifically for Seniors, host Dr. Larry Barsh sits down with technologist and author Dan Wilson to discuss how artificial intelligence can empower older adults. Dan shares that his inspiration for writing his book came after he successfully helped his mother fix her home WiFi from 500 miles away by using ChatGPT to troubleshoot the problem. He explains that for the first time in his twenty-five-year career, technology has become "gentle" by adapting to human needs

In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, Dr. Larry Barsh welcomes David Cravit and Larry Wolf, co-authors of Super Aging: Getting Older without Getting Old and the Super Aging Workbook. Together they explore how aging can be reframed as a stage of opportunity rather than decline. Drawing on decades of experience in advertising, branding, and consumer trends, they describe how the concept of “super aging” challenges stereotypes and offers a positive, purposeful approach to later life. Cravit

Welcome to Specifically for Seniors! Today we’re delighted to introduce Tony McMullen, affectionately known as “Tony the Democrat.” His story is one of those rare grassroots adventures that begins small and blossoms into something extraordinary. \ Back in March of 2017, Tony invited just five friends over to handwrite postcards reminding voters about an upcoming election. Five friends, five postcards each—that was it. Yet within a month, that modest gathering had sparked a nationwide movement o

Editorial cartoons distill political complexity into a single, unforgettable image. By exaggerating flaws, contradictions, and absurdities, they make power visible—often more effectively than prose. In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, we sit down with the legendary Steve Brodner, whose fearless illustrations have chronicled American political theater for decades. From the Library of Congress to the pages of The Nation, The Washington Post, and The LA Times, Brodner’s pen has skewered

In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, host Laurence I. Barsh sits down with Dr. Lee Tannenbaum, a physician and healthcare leader whose career has been devoted to improving addiction treatment across the lifespan. Together, they confront a growing but often invisible crisis: substance misuse among older adults. While addiction in the United States is frequently portrayed as a youth-driven epidemic, this conversation reveals a more complex and urgent reality—one in which seniors are increa

Welcome to Specifically for Seniors, where today we explore the civic power of everyday objects and the people who dare to redesign them. Today’s guest didn’t start with a blueprint—she started with a daughter. Drew Ann Long is the creator of Caroline’s Cart, a revolutionary shopping cart designed for children and adults with disabilities. Named after her daughter Caroline, who was born with Rett syndrome, the cart began as a mother’s plea for inclusion and became a national movement in retail d

Welcome to Specifically for Seniors, the podcast that celebrates the wisdom, wit, and willpower of older adults who refuse to sit quietly on the sidelines. Today’s episode is a rich opportunity to spotlight the civic firepower of senior activism and the strategic brilliance behind We the Seniors—a grassroots movement that’s proving age is not a limitation, but a launchpad for change. Our guests, Mary Mulvihill and Judy Loeb, are the architects of this powerful network. Through weekly Zoom call

One day, Narcissus caught sight of his own reflection and thought, “Finally—someone who gets me.” Fast forward a few millennia, and Donald Trump, in a moment of mythological cosplay, gazed into the Capitol Reflecting Pool and saw not the dome of democracy, but the shimmering image of his own magnificence. And like his ancient counterpart, he was utterly transfixed.So in June 2025, to mark his 79th birthday—and presumably the anniversary of his divine self-recognition—he staged a taxpayer-funded

Join us on our Substack page (https://specificallyforseniors.substack.com)where satire meets substance and storytelling sparks civic engagement and where we comment several + times a week. Let’s keep the conversation sharp, smart, and unapologetically bold.In the August 14, 2025 episode, Larry welcomes Dr. Sophia McClennen. Sophia is a professor of international affairs and comparative literature at Penn State University. She is the author of several books on satire, media, and politics, includi

I don’t usually invite a sponsor on to a podcast, but today I’m going to do just that because I think it's important for you to hear what my guest has to say about his product. Regular listeners to Specifically for Seniors realize that I have accepted a sponsor for the podcast and, hopefully, it will help keep us on the air. I’ve held off because I wanted to make sure that any product or service that we recommended was validated by clinical research. Memory Lane TV was that product. I know man

With the appointment of Robert F Kennedy, Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Trump administration has systematically targeted the next generation of scientists and public health leaders. He has cut science funding to its lowest level in decades. More than 20,000 jobs were eliminated, billions of dollars in scientific research has been threatened or paused, and a budget draft proposes a major restructuring of Health and Human Services. The Trump administration has asked Federal a