Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Troubled interactions are moments when communication breaks down in subtle, often unnoticed ways. In this program, Waverly Duck, an urban ethnographer and professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara, discusses these breakdowns, revealing surprising aspects of how we create meaning and self-identity. Through video and audio recordings, Duck shows how misunderstandings lead people to assign motives to each other, creating conflict. Examples from Duck's research include neighborhood poverty, food inequality, and autism assessments. These cases highlight hidden social rules and practices, demonstrating how studying these troubles can help us understand everyday interactions better. Recorded on 07/08/2024. [Show ID: 40131]
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UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California -- teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
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Troubled interactions are moments when communication breaks down in subtle, often unnoticed ways. In this program, Waverly Duck, an urban ethnographer and professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara, discusses these breakdowns, revealing surprising aspects of how we create meaning and self-identity. Through video and audio recordings, Duck shows how misunderstandings lead people to assign motives to each other, creating conflict. Examples from Duck's research include neighborhood poverty, food inequality, and autism assessments. These cases highlight hidden social rules and practices, demonstrating how studying these troubles can help us understand everyday interactions better. Recorded on 07/08/2024. [Show ID: 40131]
Donate to UCTV to support informative & inspiring programming:
uctv.tv/donate
More videos from: GRIT Talks
(uctv.tv/grit)
Explore More Humanities on UCTV
(uctv.tv/humanities)
The humanities encourage us to think creatively and explore questions about our world. UCTV explores human culture through literature, history, ethics, philosophy, cinema and religion so we can better understand the human experience.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California -- teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
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![Flower and Flame
A documentary film celebrating the work, wit and wisdom of internationally acclaimed glass paperweight artist Paul J. Stankard. [11/2025] [Show ID: 41122]
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Art can excite, provoke, calm and inspire us. UCTV showcases excellence in arts and music from classical, jazz, folk, opera and contemporary music to theater, poetry, media arts, dance and fine arts.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Flower and Flame](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B48G1LImcz0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Desert Ocean Land
In our latest Earth Serenade, we bring you a meditative flight over the Sahara and an exploratory path over the Atlantic Ocean and Europe as we further explore Bachs Art of the Fugue. MDR Sinfonieorchester of Leipzig, Germany, brings us these two movements to accompany the visuals taken by ISS astronauts on Expeditions 67 and 69. [Show ID: 40754]
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Explore More Arts & Music on UCTV
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Art can excite, provoke, calm and inspire us. UCTV showcases excellence in arts and music from classical, jazz, folk, opera and contemporary music to theater, poetry, media arts, dance and fine arts.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Desert Ocean Land](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BHkvE1oGDlE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Evolution and Animal Minds
Peter Godfrey-Smith, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney, explores the evolutionary roots of consciousness by surveying animal evolution and the emergence of felt experience in several lineages. He examines two central philosophical questions: how such experience might arise gradually, existing in partial forms, and whether it represents a single unified feature with variations or instead a cluster of distinct traits. Author of Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection, and Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness and the Making of the World, Godfrey-Smith brings his expertise in philosophy of biology and mind to illuminate how consciousness may have emerged and why its origins remain a profound puzzle. Recorded on 09/24/2025. [12/2025] [Show ID: 41065]
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More videos from: UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures
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Explore More Humanities on UCTV
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The humanities encourage us to think creatively and explore questions about our world. UCTV explores human culture through literature, history, ethics, philosophy, cinema and religion so we can better understand the human experience.
Explore More Science & Technology on UCTV
(https://www.uctv.tv/science)
Science and technology continue to change our lives. University of California scientists are tackling the important questions like climate change, evolution, oceanography, neuroscience and the potential of stem cells.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Evolution and Animal Minds](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C3aOGQMSSIw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Sanctuary
Composer Bruce Lazaruss Sanctuary is truly atmospheric and speaks to the marvels of space. Astronaut Jeannette Epps took these images of eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean aboard ISS 71 on May 18, 2024, capturing the diverse views of land and sea, jungles and deserts, lakes and rivers. Earth is a sanctuary for all of humanity, indeed all of life. A sanctuary planet we must revere and protect. Recorded on 5/18/2024. [Show ID: 40515]
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More videos from: Earth Serenade
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Explore More Arts & Music on UCTV
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Art can excite, provoke, calm and inspire us. UCTV showcases excellence in arts and music from classical, jazz, folk, opera and contemporary music to theater, poetry, media arts, dance and fine arts.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Sanctuary](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C7kgxVCkr1o/mqdefault.jpg)
![Intersections Presents Kevin Flournoy
An unstoppable behind the scenes force of musical nature since his 1994 breakthrough as a producer with “Sweet Sensual Love,” Big Mountain’s follow-up to their smash “Baby I Love Your Way,” and keyboardist on their Reggae Sunsplash tour, Kevin Flournoy has amassed a dizzyingly prolific all-star resume in the jazz, pop and R&B realms over the past three decades. Kevin has written, performed or recorded with Chaka Khan, Babyface, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne, The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Hudson, Howard Hewett, and Jamie Foxx. Now, marking an extraordinary 30 years as the music industry’s premiere “go-to” guy in a multitude of arenas, Kevin is finally emerging as a recording artist in his own right, writing, recording and producing his independent debut album Vers•a•tility. The keyboardist/producer features a dynamic array of guest artists, complementing legends he has worked with throughout his career with hand-selected young and vibrant artists on the rise. [2/2025] [Show ID: 40025]
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More videos from: Intersections at Park & Market
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More from: Arts Channel
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Explore More Arts & Music on UCTV
(https://www.uctv.tv/arts)
Art can excite, provoke, calm and inspire us. UCTV showcases excellence in arts and music from classical, jazz, folk, opera and contemporary music to theater, poetry, media arts, dance and fine arts.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Intersections Presents Kevin Flournoy](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CXLQc6dIOe0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Pinar Yoldas: Synaptic Sculpture
Pinar Yoldas, Ph.D., an artist and professor at UC San Diego, uses her background in neuroscience and architecture to create thought-provoking art that blends biology, technology, and design. Her work imagines new possibilities for a more compassionate and sustainable future, from algae-based plastics to sculptures inspired by the human brain. By exploring how human desires drive technological innovation, Yoldas challenges us to consider how creativity can shape our world. [Show ID: 39862]
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Explore More Arts & Music on UCTV
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Art can excite, provoke, calm and inspire us. UCTV showcases excellence in arts and music from classical, jazz, folk, opera and contemporary music to theater, poetry, media arts, dance and fine arts.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Pinar Yoldas: Synaptic Sculpture](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CmU1G5G3xJw/mqdefault.jpg)
![In the Clouds
Clouds spark our imaginations. As we fly over Earth, clouds provide beauty, harmony, drama, and reveal Earth’s stories. From orbit, even night clouds offer their intrigues, as in this flight from the ISS Expedition 41 with clouds dancing over Europe at night. Clouds also serve as metaphor, embraced in this music by Steve Thomas featuring the stirring vocals of Patty Barkas. When we have trouble communicating with someone, perhaps their minds may be in the clouds, dreaming of far horizons, and the clouds beyond. [Show ID: 40590]
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More videos from: Earth Serenade
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Explore More Arts & Music on UCTV
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Art can excite, provoke, calm and inspire us. UCTV showcases excellence in arts and music from classical, jazz, folk, opera and contemporary music to theater, poetry, media arts, dance and fine arts.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) In the Clouds](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cmf9Zvd4__Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![Shana Moultons Time-based and Immersive Video Art
Artist Shana Moulton’s other self, ‘Cynthia,’ seeks enlightenment through song, shopping and exercise.
Performing the misadventures of her semi-autobiographical alter ego, artist Shana Moulton has drawn attention in the field of new media studies. Over two decades, Moulton, a professor of time-based arts at UC Santa Barbara, has used physical comedy to interpret her artistic creation, “Cynthia,” a wide-eyed ingénue.
In Moultons performance, video and sculpture series, Whispering Pines — named after the trailer park in Central California where Moulton grew up — Cynthia often sports a housecoat or spandex and seeks enlightenment through exercise and shopping.
Most recently, Moulton presented an extension of “Whispering Pines” — “Meta/Physical Therapy” — at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. (While the work was on view, from Feb. 17 to April 21, 2024, the museums overall attendance was close to half a million people.) [Show ID: 40207]
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Explore More Arts & Music on UCTV
(https://www.uctv.tv/arts)
Art can excite, provoke, calm and inspire us. UCTV showcases excellence in arts and music from classical, jazz, folk, opera and contemporary music to theater, poetry, media arts, dance and fine arts.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Shana Moultons Time-based and Immersive Video Art](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cmni06Qsx2Y/mqdefault.jpg)
![Water, Wealth, and the Economy
The extractive linear economy and policies focused on endless growth have produced unparalleled socioeconomic inequality and the climate crisis. Communities around the world are calling for new economic models that are regenerative towards people, place, and ecosystems. Ancestral ʻŌiwi (indigenous Hawaiian) economic systems were built around peoples relationships and understandings of wai (water). Kamanamaikalani Beamer, Director of the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi, explores the lessons that can be drawn from the Hawaiian Ancestral Circular Economy and the resurrection of peoples ancestral relationships to love and protect water. Recorded on 11/12/2025. [Show ID: 41295]
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More videos from: Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series
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Public Affairs UCTV goes beyond the headlines to explore economics, public policy, race, immigration, health policy and more. Hear directly from the researchers so you can be informed to make important decisions.
Explore More Science & Technology on UCTV
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Science and technology continue to change our lives. University of California scientists are tackling the important questions like climate change, evolution, oceanography, neuroscience and the potential of stem cells.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Water, Wealth, and the Economy](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ct3odHxF9gQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Panic!: Strangers on a Train
Screenwriter and playwright Phyllis Nagy joins moderator Patrice Petro for a discussion of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 classic Strangers on a Train. Adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s debut novel, the film follows tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger), who meets the charming but disturbed Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) during a chance encounter on a train. Bruno proposes they “swap” murders—he’ll kill Guy’s wife, and Guy will kill Bruno’s father—eliminating any obvious motive. When Bruno follows through, Guy finds himself caught in a dangerous game of blackmail and suspense. Known for its striking visual style and psychological complexity, Strangers on a Train is celebrated as one of Hitchcock’s most influential thrillers, offering a masterclass in tension and moral ambiguity. Recorded on 11/16/2024. [5/2025] [Show ID: 40542]
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More videos from: Carsey-Wolf Center
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Explore More Humanities on UCTV
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The humanities encourage us to think creatively and explore questions about our world. UCTV explores human culture through literature, history, ethics, philosophy, cinema and religion so we can better understand the human experience.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Panic!: Strangers on a Train](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DQiNcxg7JZc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Engineer Turned Restaurateur: Cris Liang’s Journey
Cris Liang, a UC San Diego alumnus trained in engineering, explains how a cross-border upbringing and family entrepreneurship guided his move from engineering to hospitality. He grew up between Mexico and the United States, spoke Cantonese and Spanish at home and in the community, and came to see food as a bridge that connects cultures and neighborhoods. His restaurants focus on community, offering welcoming places to share meals and friendships. Liang emphasizes relationships, resilience, and long-term purpose over quick wins. In this interview with Frank Silva, his practical creativity comes through as he reflects on identity, perseverance, and the power of hospitality to bring people together. [Show ID: 40974]
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From entrepreneurship to economic policies these programs introduce you to leaders and issues in the business community.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv) Engineer Turned Restaurateur: Cris Liang’s Journey](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DhqJt-s7V6E/mqdefault.jpg)