Clayton Smith

In this episode, the boys are joined by Nadine Strossen. Nadine is a civil liberties lawyer, legal scholar, activist, and author who's notable accomplishments are too numerous to list in totality. However, she is perhaps most famous for serving as the first female president of the ACLU from 1991 to 2008. Her books include such titles as Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship and, most recently, The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech — And Why They Fail. Listen to this episode to hear about the chilling effects of cancel culture, the nuances of first amendment law, why censorship is not the answer to hate speech, and much more!Some of Nadine's other books:- Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights- Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to KnowIMPORTANT UPDATE! -> If you want to support what we're doing, please use the links we provide in the show notes to purchase any of our guests' work. If you do, Amazon will give us a little kickback that we can use to improve the pod and grow our audience. Thank you!

In this episode the boys discuss the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. They explore the reactions from both the left and right and the psychological underpinnings of political violence. Listen to this episode to also hear about the different types of empathy, the latest FIRE college free speech rankings, Jungian archetypes, and much more.Don't forget to follow us on social media, and subscribe on YouTube and Substack!

In this episode the boys are joined by Nikos Mohammadi. Nikos is a rising sophomore at Columbia College and an aspiring writer. His work can be read in Sublation, Sundial, and the Substack Cracks in Postmodernity. Nikos offers insightful takes on Neoliberalism, Trump, Mamdani, and much more!  Some examples of Nikos' writing include...- MAGA Won. It Gave Us Zohran Mamdani.- Deporting Mahmoud Khalil Is Anti-American- How Ben Shapiro Lost My Generation

In this episode of Discourse Lab, the boys are joined by Mike Luso. Mike is a writer, content creator, and journalist. He hosts News Theory on YouTube, a video essay show that brings to light the different narratives and biases in media. Mike has also made several appearances on the Jubilee series Surrounded, most recently in a video titled 1 LGBTQ+ Activist vs 25 Conservatives (ft. Zander Moricz). Listen to this episode to hear what it's like to be in a Jubilee video, learn what Mike thinks is wrong with modern media, and get his take on what it means to be a true Christian. You can follow Mike on X and Instagram.And don't forget to follow us on social media, and subscribe on YouTube and Substack!

In this episode the boys are joined by Dr. Joe Duarte. Joe is a Social Psychologist who's work centers on political diversity, open inquiry, and methodological rigor in the behavioral sciences. He is perhaps best known for being the lead author of the 2015 paper Political diversity will improve social psychological science. Joe has been a prominent voice on how political bias undermines research outcomes and erodes public trust in science. Listen to this episode if you want to hear what Joe thinks of the current state of social psychology, his opinions on so-called "microaggressions," why he believes most academics are scumbags, and much more!Don't forget to follow us on social media, and subscribe on YouTube and Substack!

If you want to support Ukraine please donate to Ukrainian Relief Fund. In this episode the boys are joined by Sam Nahins. Sam is a writer and former Air Force drone operator. He is currently pursuing an MFA at Columbia University. Sam has been featured on Fox News, Newsmax, French 24, and other programs, where he has been outspoken about his views on Israel, Ukraine, and campus protests. In the Summer of 2025 he spent a month traveling around Ukraine to get a better sense of what life is like for soldiers and civilians alike.Listen to this episode to hear about Sam's experience in Ukraine, his hot take on who the leader of Russia should be, his thoughts on the war in Gaza, and much more!You can read Sam's writing on The Line, where you'll find pieces such as Stage Names and A Choir of Crickets.You can follow Sam on...XInstagramSubstackOh, and here is the article Clay wrote that features Sam and covers the tragic passing of Brandon Christie.

In this Episode the boys are joined by Daniel Idfresne. Daniel is a moderate-conservative thinker and commentator who’s writing has been featured in Real Clear Politics, The Free Press, and The New York Post, among others. He’s also a native New Yorker and rising senior at Syracuse University. Tune in to hear Daniel’s opinion on NYC Charter Schools, rent control, Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory, and much more!You can check out some of his writing here:Mamdani’s Trump-Proof New York: Safe Haven for Criminal Migrants?Zohran Mamdani: ‘Working-Class’ Mayor for Upper Class VotersA $20 Mistake: At-Risk Teens Will Pay for Cuomo’s Wage HikeCompanies Test Apple’s Playbook To Dodge Trump’s New Tariff RegimeApologies for Anthony’s bad audio quality! He had some unexpected technical difficulties.

In the first part of this episode Clay flies solo. He humbly requests guest suggestions, and also offers a good faith response to some very critical instagram comments. In the second part the lads discuss the "Big Beautiful Bill" (finally!), or at least the parts of it that they found particularly interesting. This one is a bit long, so bonus points to anyone who makes it all the way to the end. Please DM us on Instagram at @the_discourselab or email us at contactdiscourselab@gmail.com for guest suggestions (especially left-leaning ones)!

In this episode the boys are joined by Jonas Du, a Free Press Fellow and founder of Sundial, Columbia University's newest, most ideologically diverse student publication. Jonas shares his personal experience as a young conservative surrounded by mostly left-wing peers, and talks about what lead him to found Sundial. He also shares details about his latest article,Young, Hot, and Triumphant: Welcome to MAGA Summer. Tune in to get Du's takes on the rise of conservatism in Gen Z, the takeover of journalism by elites, and much more! If you want to hear/read more from Jonas, you can follow him on...- X- Instagram- Substack

In this episode of Discourse Lab, the boys dive into how ideology distorts research, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of moral foundations theory, and struggle (but ultimately succeed!) to explain P-values and P-hacking. 

In this episode the boys explain why you're not getting a full length episode this week. Stay to the end to hear what Anthony and Clay love about the good ol' US of A! 

In this episode, Anthony and Clay discuss NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's socialist platform. Listen to this episode if you want hear about the merits of rent control (or lack thereof) , the psychological predisposition of the authoritarian left, the nuggets of gold in Zohran's platform, and much more! Sincerest apologies to Mr. Mamdani for mispronouncing his name on a number of occasions.Oh, and the boys squeeze in a quick discussion about the innate differences between men and women in the last twenty minutes. Clay explains why he's recently become a bit more sexist, so listen until the end!

In this intro episode co-hosts Clay and Anthony introduce themselves and explain what they hope to do with Discourse Lab. Expect to learn why they stopped making The Columbia HxA Podcast, when new episodes will drop, why they chose the name "Discourse Lab," and more!