Why do young people want to read more than they actually do? Why does it sometimes require bravery to admit that one is a reader? And what makes reading literature so important for our development?

In the 7th episode of In a Nutshell, Jara and her guest Jeroen Dera find answers to these questions. Together, they uncover the perks and pitfalls of BookTok, examine the connection between open-mindedness and reading, and investigate what keeps young people from reading.

Jeroen is an associate professor of Dutch literature. In his research, he focuses on the reading culture of young people and on the role literature plays in education.

Do you want to know more about this topic? Make sure to follow Jeroen’s recommendations and read “The Reading Lives of Teens”, edited by Chin Ee Loh, and “De lezende mens”, by Adriaan van der Weel and Ruud Hisgen.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Why is producing more food not a solution to globalhunger? What needs to happen for our food systems to become more sustainable? And what role does property play in all of this?

In the eight episodes of In a Nutshell, host Jara explores food and the land it grows on. Together with her guest, Adam Calo, she learns about growing populations, the myth of feeding the world, and soil as an underlying problem.

Adam is an assistant professor of Environmental Governance and Politics. In his research, he studies how our land governance prevents us from transitioning to a more sustainable, ecologically resilient, and just food system.

Do you want to know more about food and sustainablefood systems? Make sure to follow Adam’s recommendations and read the book Beginning to End Hunger by M. Jahi Chappell, listen to Adam’s very own podcast called Landscapes, or watch the documentary Food Chains directed by Sanjay Rawal.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

How was the AIDS epidemic translated into theatre plays? Why is the way we talk about illness important? And what does Susan Sontag have to do with all of that

In this episode of In a Nutshell, Antonia and guest Dirk Visser take a look at the way theatre can – and has – tackled heavy topics like AIDS. And why it matters how a story is being told.

Dirk Visser has conducted his PhD at the Faculty of Arts research investigates the theatrical response to the AIDS crisis in Britain and America, focusing particularly on those plays that did not enter the canon of English or American drama. His intend is thereby to restore those plays as part within the cultural memory of the AIDS epidemic.

This episode is part of a two-part series on politics and theatre. Also tune in for the first episode, which explores the topic of political theatre in general.

Edit: Jara MajerusCover: Antonia Leise

How political is theatre? What do plays have to do with Brexit? And how has theatre shaped (and commented on) political developments in the past?

In this episode of In a Nutshell, Antonia and guest Ruud van den Beuken explore how political topics can be explored in theatre – and ask the question whether theatre is always the best way to address certain political issues, especially when it comes to class in Britain.

Ruud van den Beuken is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Arts. His own theatre research has started with a course on Samuel Beckett and Irish theatre, which was also the topic of his PhD research. Amongst other things, Ruud is researching Brexit theatre, national identity formation (also through theatre) and postcolonial cultural memory.

Would you like to learn more about the politics of theatre? Then follow Ruud’s advise and watch some theatre plays yourself. Including Sadettin Kirmiziyuz's Citzen K, available on the NPO streaming service.

This episode is part of a two-part series on politics and theatre. Also tune in for the second episode, which explores AIDS theatre.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Why should kids not choose where they sit in a classroom? How does where we sit affect our relationships and chances of success, both socially and academically?

In the third episode of In a Nutshell, host Jara explores seating plans, distance, and proximity. Together with her guest, Yvonne van den Berg, she investigates why it matters where we sit and how we use distance to communicate our feelings.

Yvonne is an assistant professor of developmental psychology. In her research, she investigates how proximity influences our social relationships, with a particular focus on the role that physical proximity plays in classroom social dynamics.

Would you like to learn more about the importance of physical proximity? Make sure to follow Yvonne’s recommendations and read Relationships 5.0 by Elyakim Kislev, or check out the experiment mentioned by Yvonne on YouTube.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Can we predict the future? How is identity shaped by the past? And how can history help with making sense of our present? In today’s episode, Antonia and guest Adriaan Duiveman go – quite literally – back to the future and talk about how a historian ends up studying a time that hasn’t even happened yet. And why being a “futurologist” is anything but straight-forward. Adriaan Duiveman is a postdoc at the Faculty of Arts, where he researches crises – and the stories citizens, authorities and opinion makers tell in and about them. Would you like to learn more about the future, the past and the present (or at least one way of looking at it)? Then Adriaan recommends the novel “Time Shelter” by Georgi Gospodinov.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Can we overcome capitalism? What alternatives to communism exist? And what keeps us from imagining new economies?

In the first episode of In a Nutshell’s third season, we delve into the challenges of capitalism. Together with this week’s guest, Querine Kommandeur, we discuss whether it is possible to exit capitalism and learn why it matters how we talk about economics.

Querine is a PhD candidate at Radboud University. In her research, she focuses on alternative economic discourses. With her work, she aims to better understand how these discourses emerge and develop, and how they can lead totransformations.

Do you want to delve deeper into alternative economics? Make sure to follow Querine’s recommendations and listen to the podcasts “Economics for Rebels” by Dr. Köves Alexandra, “Leven na de groei” by Just Enough, or “Ecosofie” by MarnixKluiters.

And if you want to stick your nose into some books, check out “Doughnut Ecomics” by Kate Raworth, “Mission Economy” by Mariana Mazzucato, and “Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World” by Jason Hickel.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

How advanced are robots? Why do we communicate differently with them than with humans? And why are cats, in the end, perhaps the better companions than robots?

In today’s episode, Antonia talks with Lynn de Rijk about how we communicate with beings that aren’t human, or, differently put: how we communicate with cats and robots. And why that is sometimes anything but straight-forward. Lynn talks about her research at the cat café in Nijmegen and Amazon robots that have already ceased to exist before they even hit the consumer market.

Lynn de Rijk is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Arts and part of the Centre for Language Studies. They investigate how humans attribute meaning to non-verbal conduct – especially between humans and non-humans.

Would you like to learn more about communication between humans, cats, robots and others? Then follow Lynn’s suggestion and have a look at the books Ways of Being by James Bridle and Animal Languages by Eva Meijer.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise