Hi, I'm Bill Crystal. Welcome to Conversations. I'm very happy to have with me today. David

Galerinter, Professor of Computer Science at Yale,

a brilliant author on so many topics ranging from art to education to Judaism to America.

Let's begin with America. Your most recent book is called America Light.

Why is America Light?

Was it ever heavy?

I mean, having people been complaining

about America Light for 200 years?

You know?

I guess I have.

There's never any shortage of complaints.

And it's true, it's something one really has to keep in mind that any generation looking back is likely to be wistful and nostalgic and how great it used to be.

Of course we've made progress in a million ways and about dentistry.

You know, it obvious things, we're so much wealthier. The middle club, we take this for

granted. But when I think of my parents generation, the middle class have made enormous progress, but America Light, I'm a teacher of college students.

I'm lucky to be at one of the best colleges in the world at Yale. Our

students are as smart as any in the world. We're very hard to get here. They are eager, they're likable. My generation

is doing that a chip on its shoulder. We always thought we knew everything about every topic,

and our professors were morons,

and we were the ones who were building the world.

You know, my students today are much less obnoxious

and much more likable than I and my friends used to be but they are so ignorant that it's hard to accept how

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