Dan Carlin is an American podcaster, political commentator and amateur historian. Once a professional radio host, Carlin eventually took his shows to the web, and he now hosts two critically acclaimed independent podcasts: Common Sense and Hardcore History. Hardcore History, which has more than 3 million downloads, was nominated in 2012 for a Stitcher Award in the Best Educational & Learning Podcast category. In addition, Carlin has received the Best Classic Podcast in iTunes’ Best of 2014 Awards. He has been pushing the idea that the two main political parties in the United States are part of the problem, not the solution to our governmental and societal dilemmas for more than a dozen years. In addition to advocating his 'neoprudentist' view of things, Carlin brings historical context and analysis into politcal discussion and uses it to help analyze current problems and craft solutions. Carlin is the son of Academy Award nominated actress Lynn Carlin and film producer Ed Carlin. He obtained a B.A. in History from the University of Colorado, Boulder and broke into the television news business in Los Angeles in the late 1980s. He has worked as a television news reporter, an author, a columnist, and a radio talk show host. No longer broadcasting on terrestrial radio, Carlin has achieved recognition in internet radio, podcasting, and the blogosphere with his two podcasts. Common Sense is similar in scope to several Carlin-hosted radio programs that aired between 1994 and 2004. The shows highlight his independent political views, his sense of humor, and unique communication style. He has described his political philosophy as "Neoprudentist," taking a skeptical approach to evaluation of the current political trends and forces. He fosters discussion by developing and presenting self-deprecating ("Martian") thought experiments on solutions to current political and socioeconomic issues. The podcasts are said to be broadcast "almost live from the end of runway two here at the Emerald International Airport." Common Sense was nominated for a Podcast Award in the Politics/News category in 2012 and 2013. Hardcore History is Carlin's forum for exploring topics throughout world history. The focus of each episode varies widely from show to show but they are generally centered around specific historical events and are discussed in a "theater of the mind" style. New episodes are released approximately every two to five months. Carlin has made guest appearances on numerous other podcasts, including Daniele Bolelli's "The Drunken Taoist Podcast", making three appearances on "The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast", two appearances on "Smells Like Human Spirit" and on a "crosscast" podcast on Sam Harris's "Waking Up". In addition, Carlin has served a panelist on CBS This Morning and was invited to speak at the TEDxMtHood Conference on May 2, 2015.