Demographic Shifts / Atlantis in the North Sea

In the first half, renowned political economist and author Mauro Guillen outlined the sweeping demographic shift that will soon reshape the world, transforming the economy, work, retirement, and life as we currently know it. Currently, his research indicates, most people aren't fulfilled in their work— but they're not especially happy in retirement either. As he discusses in his new book Perennials, norms and stereotypes about what is "age-appropriate" at different stages of life need to change or be dismissed altogether. The concept of distinct generations, after all, is not clear-cut, so it doesn't make sense to keep constructing these divisions between ourselves.

Instead, we need to be "perennial" in our approach to life and work, as opposed to having rigid expectations as to when we pursue education, careers, and personal goals, he went on. This is the only way to effectively deal with the constant changes brought by the economy, technology, politics, and so on.

For Guillen, the first thing we need to do in order to adjust to the post-pandemic world is to expect to reinvent ourselves. The lines between generations are more blurred than ever, with people working longer and returning to the workforce after retirement. Second, we need to realize that the key to managing the constant change around us is more change— in ourselves. Finally, Guillen argued, it's important to notice the mistakes others make in adjusting to the new world, and to help them along when possible.

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Historical detective Graham Phillips, one of Britain’s bestselling nonfiction authors, was the guest in the second half. He shared evidence that in Great Britain's North Sea lies a type of mythical Atlantis: a sunken island called Doggerland. The Atlantis at Doggerland is not the same one described by Plato, however. Phillips explained that Plato's description of an Atlantis located near the Strait of Gibraltar exactly matches the underwater findings there. By studying the sea floor in the area, archaeologists discovered stone circles on Doggerland, along with ancient saunas and sea walls made of melted stone. These artifacts demonstrate that the culture on Doggerland enjoyed relatively sophisticated technology— and its inhabitants may have even built Stonehenge. The stone types and their formations are a match, as well as their ages as determined by scientific analysis, said Phillips.

Like many parts of Earth, Phillips claimed, Doggerland succumbed to the surging sea levels that followed the Ice Age, leaving drowned civilizations all around the globe. He speculated that as by-products of an Ice Age, these various "Atlantises" may have been historical anomalies created under conditions that aren't likely to repeat. If, on the other hand, the global warming phenomenon is real, these sunken civilizations may become more frequent events in the future.

At the end of the final hour, George played a recording of a show from February 2019, when Bill Bean talked about his experiences with demon possession.

News Segment guests: Christian Wilde / Kevin Randle