【聊了什么】 谎言，是人类社会的润滑剂，还是效率的绊脚石？是一种自我保护的自由，还是滋生不公的温床？当「我没问题」「收到」「您说得对」背后真实的吐槽被强制公之于众，你的职场生活会更好还是更坏呢？《选修课》「如果宇宙」思想实验系列，再次撕开现实的口子，邀请你一同推想一个“无谎职场”。 我们探讨了当“防御性谎言”和“心照不宣的潜规则”消失后，一系列连锁反应将如何展开：预算博弈的“囚徒困境”能否被终结？等级森严的组织中，是会催生出更强的个体，还是会强迫人们将“崇拜”内化为真实信仰？从语言学的角度看，当隐喻与模糊性被视为不诚实，我们的沟通能力是否会被根本性地剥夺？00后新人为何期盼一个没有潜规则的世界？而体制内的“防御性表演”又将在绝对诚实面前何去何从？当情绪价值被重新估量，当“演戏”不再可能，我们究竟离一个更好的职场更近了，还是更远了？ Are lies the lubricant of human society or the stumbling block of efficiency? Are they a form of self-protection and personal freedom, or the breeding ground of injustice? When everyday workplace phrases like “I’m fine,” “Got it,” and “You’re right” are forced to give way to the truth behind the polite facades, will your work life become better—or worse? In this episode of Elective Course's “What If Universe” thought experiment series, we once again tear open a crack in reality and invite you to imagine a world with no lies at work. We explore the chain reactions that could follow the disappearance of "defensive lies" and unspoken workplace rules: Can the budgetary “prisoner’s dilemma” be resolved? In rigid hierarchies, will this honesty foster stronger individuals—or compel people to internalize flattery as genuine belief? From a linguistic standpoint, if metaphors and ambiguity are deemed dishonest, are we fundamentally robbed of our ability to communicate? Why do Gen Z newcomers long for a workplace without unspoken rules? And in the bureaucracy, what happens to “defensive performances” when absolute honesty becomes the norm? When emotional labor is reassessed and there’s no room left for “performing,” are we getting closer to a better workplace—or drifting further away? [image.png] 【时间轴】 * 00:00 “如果宇宙”系列，设定脑洞“如果上班不能说谎”。 * 05:30 四位主播背景介绍（投资人、科研学者、体制内、00后新人） * 08:00 体制内财务预算的“防御性表演”（虚报预算）和资源申请虚报的“囚徒困境” * 20:24 对上级的表面崇拜和讨好全部消失，会增加还是减少情绪消耗？ * 31:41 演戏是否算说谎？ * 41:15 无谎会否带来更多PUA和画饼）？ * 48:07 上位者在现有潜规则下获得了什么？ * 55:06 从语言学角度看，“不许说谎”约等于“不许说话”？？ * 59:32 为何透明高效的模式未成为主流？ * 00:00 "What If" series: Thought experiment — What if you couldn't lie at work? * 05:30 Backgrounds of the four hosts: investor, academic researcher, government employee, Gen Z newcomer * 08:00 "Defensive performances" in government budgeting (inflated numbers) and the “prisoner’s dilemma” of resource applications * 20:24 If all superficial flattery and fake admiration toward superiors disappear, will emotional exhaustion increase or decrease? * 31:41 Is "acting" considered a form of lying? * 41:15 Will a no-lies workplace lead to more workplace gaslighting and empty promises? * 48:07 What do those in power gain from the current implicit rules? * 55:06 From a linguistic perspective, does “no lying” mean “no talking”? * 59:32 Why hasn’t the transparent and efficient model become mainstream? 【我们是谁 The Who】 选修课 Universus 是一档分享和探讨泛文化话题的中文播客，脱胎于2013年创办的纽约文化沙龙。 我们力求引发对学科方法和视角的认知和思考，而不仅仅是知识的传递。我们在组织活动的过程中积累了一些经验和人脉，尝试打造成年人的博雅教育，并在播客中拓展这样的探索。我们希望审视和反抗无意识的价值规训与随波逐流。我们希望冷酷地剖析自己的偏见，热忱地拥抱多元视角。我们希望去工具化，真诚地感知、理解、创造自己的生活和复杂的世界。我们追随原初的好奇而非代餐式的猎奇。话题可以轻松，方法力求严肃。在《选修课》里，我们互相映照，唤醒失落的维度。 选修课 Universus is a Chinese-language podcast created by the same people who founded the New York Chinese Cultural Salon (纽约文化沙龙）in 2013. The past decade of organizing events and talks put us in a position of creating a sort of liberal arts education experience for those who have left school. We strive to go beyond merely transmitting knowledge to reflecting on complex topics using cross-disciplinary perspectives. We strive to resist conformity, to dissect our own biases, and to embrace diverse schools of thought. Our goal is to help professionals resist becoming just a tool of production, and to understand the world around us in earnest. We let our genuine curiosity be our guide. With a light-hearted tone, we approach each topic seriously. We hope that “选修课 Universus” creates a space to explore lost dimensions. 【买咖啡 Please Support Us】 如果喜欢这期节目并愿意想要给我们买杯咖啡： * 打赏平台：www.patreon.com/universuspod * 商务合作邮箱：[email protected] If you like our show and want to support us, please consider the following: * 打赏平台: www.patreon.com/universuspod * Business Inquiries Email: [email protected]

【聊了什么 The What】 本期「选修课」邀请民俗学家李明洁，从一张尘封于哥伦比亚大学特藏、来自1931年北京的“月光马”出发，开启一场对民俗图像与文化记忆的深度探索。 中秋节为何曾是专属女性的节日？为何观音、财神、关公、送子娘娘会毫无违和感地出现在同一张画上？“月光马”如何将一个普通空间瞬间切换为神圣场域，又在焚化后开启世俗的团圆？ In this episode, folklorist Li Mingjie takes us on an in-depth journey into folk imagery and cultural memory, beginning with a rare Moonlight Horse (月光马) print from 1931 Beijing—now preserved in Columbia University's Special Collections on Chinese popular religion. Why was the Mid-Autumn Festival once a festival primarily for women? Why do Guanyin, the God of Wealth, Guan Yu, and the Child-Giving Goddess (送子娘娘) all appear harmoniously on a single paper image? How did the Moonlight Horse instantly transform an everyday domestic space into a sacred ritual site—and, upon burning, open the door to a secular reunion? 【时间轴 The When】 * 00:34 - 哥大馆藏“中国纸神专藏”中的月光马 * 14:55 - “纸马”是什么 * 36:51 - “玉兔”和背景众神：华严三圣、四大天王等 * 53:21 - 阐释“男不拜月，女不祭灶”习俗 * 55:25 - 关羽为什么是财神 * 70:02 - 解释“兔儿爷”的由来与功能 * 72:25 - 月光马作为创造神圣空间的符号界标 * 76:45 - 追溯文化记忆的源头：从汉代画像石到当代田野调查 * 00:34 – The Moonlight Horse (月光马) in Columbia University’s “Chinese Paper Deities” special collection * 14:55 – What are paper horses (纸马)? * 36:51 – The Jade Rabbit (玉兔) and background deities: Huayan Trinity (华严三圣), Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王), etc. * 53:21 – Explaining the folk custom: “Men don’t worship the moon, women don’t sacrifice to the kitchen god” * 55:25 – Why Guan Yu is worshipped as the God of Wealth * 70:02 – The origin and function of Tu’er Ye (兔儿爷, “Lord Rabbit”) * 72:25 – The Moonlight Horse as a symbolic marker for sacred space creation * 76:45 – Tracing cultural memory: from Han dynasty stone reliefs to contemporary ethnographic fieldwork [image.png] [image.png] [image.png] [image.png] [image.png] [image.png] [image.png] [image.png] 【我们是谁 The Who】 选修课 Universus 是一档分享和探讨泛文化话题的中文播客，脱胎于2013年创办的纽约文化沙龙。 我们力求引发对学科方法和视角的认知和思考，而不仅仅是知识的传递。我们在组织活动的过程中积累了一些经验和人脉，尝试打造成年人的博雅教育，并在播客中拓展这样的探索。我们希望审视和反抗无意识的价值规训与随波逐流。我们希望冷酷地剖析自己的偏见，热忱地拥抱多元视角。我们希望去工具化，真诚地感知、理解、创造自己的生活和复杂的世界。我们追随原初的好奇而非代餐式的猎奇。话题可以轻松，方法力求严肃。在《选修课》里，我们互相映照，唤醒失落的维度。 主讲： * 李明洁: 1991年至2023年任教于华东师范大学中文系和民俗学研究所，教授、博士生导师，从事社会语言学、都市民俗学和文化人类学的教学与研究，偏重文化认知和社会记忆领域。现供职于纽约大学东亚系和新学院大学尤金朗文理学院。 选修课 Universus is a Chinese-language podcast created by the same people who founded the New York Chinese Cultural Salon (纽约文化沙龙）in 2013. The past decade of organizing events and talks put us in a position of creating a sort of liberal arts education experience for those who have left school. We strive to go beyond merely transmitting knowledge to reflecting on complex topics using cross-disciplinary perspectives. We strive to resist conformity, to dissect our own biases, and to embrace diverse schools of thought. Our goal is to help professionals resist becoming just a tool of production, and to understand the world around us in earnest. We let our genuine curiosity be our guide. With a light-hearted tone, we approach each topic seriously. We hope that “选修课 Universus” creates a space to explore lost dimensions. Our guest: * Mingjie Li: From 1991 to 2023, she taught in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature and the Institute of Folklore at East China Normal University as a professor and doctoral advisor. Her academic work focuses on sociolinguistics, urban folklore, and cultural anthropology, with an emphasis on cultural cognition and social memory. She is currently affiliated with the Department of East Asian Studies at New York University and the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School. 【买咖啡 Please Support Us】 如果喜欢这期节目并愿意想要给我们买杯咖啡： * 打赏平台：www.patreon.com/universuspod * 商务合作邮箱：[email protected] If you like our show and want to support us, please consider the following: * 打赏平台: www.patreon.com/universuspod * Business Inquiries Email: [email protected]

【聊了什么 The What】 无麸质饮食真的更健康吗？减肥到底该低碳还是低脂？市面上五花八门的保健品，是不是智商税？关于“吃”这件事，我们每天都在做决定，却也时常感到困惑。本期节目，我们请来美国注册营养师张千慧博士，为你一一击破关于流行饮食的常见迷思。 我们将以“无麸质饮食”和“低脂 vs. 低碳之争”为两大案例，回顾营养科学的发展轨迹，探讨其研究范式的局限性，并揭示食品工业的利益冲突如何深刻影响着公共卫生建议。究竟是否存在一套适合所有人的“最佳饮食”？当面对海量的营养信息时，我们该如何建立自己的思辨框架？本期节目将带你“浅尝不止”，从科学与历史的纵深处，重新理解我们与食物的复杂关系。 Is going gluten-free really healthier? When it comes to weight loss, should you cut carbs or fat? And what about all those supplements on the market—are they worth it or just a scam? Eating is something we do every day, yet we’re constantly confused by conflicting information. In this episode, we invite Dr. Jera Zhang, a registered dietitian based in the U.S., to debunk some of the most common myths surrounding popular diets. Focusing on two major case studies—“the gluten-free diet” and “the low-fat vs. low-carb debate”—we trace the evolution of nutrition science, question the limitations of its research paradigms, and expose how corporate interests in the food industry shape public health recommendations. Is there truly one “optimal” diet for everyone? How do we build our own critical thinking framework amid a flood of nutritional advice? This episode goes beyond surface-level bites, offering a deeper historical and scientific look into our complex relationship with food. 【时间轴 The When】 * 02:10 从流行饮食审视人与食物的关系。 * 05:10 详解无麸质饮食：麸质的定义，无麸质饮食的医学起源，谁需要无麸质饮食 * 26:43 低碳水化合物与低脂饮食的世纪之争 * 42:55 Q&A：低碳对女性生理期影响，在美国什么情况下可以看营养师，益生菌、保健品（维生素D、鱼油等） * 65:12 营养学研究的复杂性和食品工业的强大影响力 * 02:10 Viewing human-food relationships through the lens of popular diets * 05:10 Deep dive into gluten-free diets: What is gluten, the medical origins of gluten-free eating, who really needs it * 26:43 The century-long battle between low-carb and low-fat diets * 42:55 Q&A: Effects of low-carb diets on menstrual cycles, when to see a dietitian in the U.S., probiotics and supplements (vitamin D, fish oil, etc.) * 65:12 The complexity of nutrition research and the powerful influence of the food industry 【我们是谁 The Who】 选修课 Universus 是一档分享和探讨泛文化话题的中文播客，脱胎于2013年创办的纽约文化沙龙。 我们力求引发对学科方法和视角的认知和思考，而不仅仅是知识的传递。我们在组织活动的过程中积累了一些经验和人脉，尝试打造成年人的博雅教育，并在播客中拓展这样的探索。我们希望审视和反抗无意识的价值规训与随波逐流。我们希望冷酷地剖析自己的偏见，热忱地拥抱多元视角。我们希望去工具化，真诚地感知、理解、创造自己的生活和复杂的世界。我们追随原初的好奇而非代餐式的猎奇。话题可以轻松，方法力求严肃。在《选修课》里，我们互相映照，唤醒失落的维度。 主讲： * 张千惠 Jera Zhang: 美国注册营养师，纽约市立大学亨特学院营养与公共健康系助理教授 选修课 Universus is a Chinese-language podcast created by the same people who founded the New York Chinese Cultural Salon (纽约文化沙龙）in 2013. The past decade of organizing events and talks put us in a position of creating a sort of liberal arts education experience for those who have left school. We strive to go beyond merely transmitting knowledge to reflecting on complex topics using cross-disciplinary perspectives. We strive to resist conformity, to dissect our own biases, and to embrace diverse schools of thought. Our goal is to help professionals resist becoming just a tool of production, and to understand the world around us in earnest. We let our genuine curiosity be our guide. With a light-hearted tone, we approach each topic seriously. We hope that “选修课 Universus” creates a space to explore lost dimensions. Our guest: Jera Zhang: Registered Dietitian (RD), Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Public Health at Hunter College, City University of New York 【买咖啡 Please Support Us】 如果喜欢这期节目并愿意想要给我们买杯咖啡： * 打赏平台：www.patreon.com/universuspod * 商务合作邮箱：[email protected] If you like our show and want to support us, please consider the following: * 打赏平台: www.patreon.com/universuspod * Business Inquiries Email: [email protected]

【聊了什么 The What】 本期节目是一个串台节目，录制于2024年十月，首发于不合时宜播客。 上一次诺贝尔物理学奖把桂冠颁给两位“AI 教父”，在物理圈和科技圈同时掀起了腥风血雨——物理奖是不是“名存实亡”？老赵从这桩「史上最具争议的诺奖」聊到个人 16 年的高能物理求学路，再到 AI、神经网络与涌现现象；一路拆解「时间-空间」这种我们天天挂在嘴边却难以言说的概念，甚至把广义相对论、规范场论背后的“美学冲动”也摆上了桌。 物理奖为什么会颁给人工智能研究？如果 AI 只是借了物理的灵感，这算不算“跨界越界”？当深度学习席卷世界，Hinton 与同行为何频频示警？技术飞奔时，谁来守住人类的边界？物理学究竟教会了我们什么视角？它真的是寻找客观真理，还是只是一种“看世界的方法论工具箱”？为什么爱因斯坦单凭“审美直觉”就能预言引力定律？当理论之“美”与自然精确吻合时，我们到底在惊叹什么？ Last year’s Nobel Prize in Physics crowned two AI luminaries and instantly ignited a storm: has the prize abandoned “real” physics? In this episode, physicist-turned-AI-researcher Zhichen walks us through the controversy, his 16-year voyage in high-energy theory, and how neural networks, emergence, and even the texture of space-time weave together. Along the way he reveals the aesthetic intuition behind general relativity and gauge theories and asks whether physics is a hunt for objective truth or just one more lens on reality. Does awarding an AI discovery rewrite the borders of physics? Why do pioneers like Hinton sound the alarm while driving the field forward? Is physics a toolbox of world-models rather than a catalogue of eternal facts? What do the debates between scientific realism and logical positivism mean for everyday reasoning? 【时间轴 The When】 * 00:00:37 去年的诺贝尔物理学奖与《什么是物理》初登场 * 00:08:32 老赵的“物理初心”——从奥赛保送到北大 * 00:14:10 无人押中！物理奖给 AI 的惊愕与争议 * 00:20:55 Hinton 为何把自己比作“AI 奥本海默” * 00:24:44 学科边界正在消融：物理当“方法论输出者” * 00:31:10 赫布定律与神经元：学习是如何在大脑里“写电流”的 * 00:43:31 “一百只白天鹅”与物理解释学危机 * 00:58:07 广义相对论：当审美预言被宇宙检验 * 00:00:37 The controversial Nobel Prize & Lao Zhao’s new book * 00:08:32 Origin story: from Physics Olympiad to Peking University * 00:14:10 Nobody guessed the AI-physics Nobel shock * 00:20:55 Hinton as the “AI Oppenheimer” * 00:24:44 Disappearing borders: physics as a methods supplier * 00:31:10 Hebbian learning—how brains write with electricity * 00:43:31 “One hundred white swans” & the crisis of explanation * 00:58:07 General relativity: when elegance meets evidence 【我们是谁 The Who】 选修课 Universus 是一档分享和探讨泛文化话题的中文播客，脱胎于2013年创办的纽约文化沙龙。 我们力求引发对学科方法和视角的认知和思考，而不仅仅是知识的传递。我们在组织活动的过程中积累了一些经验和人脉，尝试打造成年人的博雅教育，并在播客中拓展这样的探索。我们希望审视和反抗无意识的价值规训与随波逐流。我们希望冷酷地剖析自己的偏见，热忱地拥抱多元视角。我们希望去工具化，真诚地感知、理解、创造自己的生活和复杂的世界。我们追随原初的好奇而非代餐式的猎奇。话题可以轻松，方法力求严肃。在《选修课》里，我们互相映照，唤醒失落的维度。 主播： * 老赵：理论物理学博士，软件工程师，纽约文化沙龙组织者。 选修课 Universus is a Chinese-language podcast created by the same people who founded the New York Chinese Cultural Salon (纽约文化沙龙）in 2013. The past decade of organizing events and talks put us in a position of creating a sort of liberal arts education experience for those who have left school. We strive to go beyond merely transmitting knowledge to reflecting on complex topics using cross-disciplinary perspectives. We strive to resist conformity, to dissect our own biases, and to embrace diverse schools of thought. Our goal is to help professionals resist becoming just a tool of production, and to understand the world around us in earnest. We let our genuine curiosity be our guide. With a light-hearted tone, we approach each topic seriously. We hope that “选修课 Universus” creates a space to explore lost dimensions. Hosted by: * Lao Zhao: PhD in Theoretical Physics, software engineer, and organizer of the New York Cultural Salon. 【买咖啡 Please Support Us】 如果喜欢这期节目并愿意想要给我们买杯咖啡： * 打赏平台：www.patreon.com/universuspod * 商务合作邮箱：[email protected] If you like our show and want to support us, please consider the following: * 打赏平台: www.patreon.com/universuspod * Business Inquiries Email: [email protected]