Essays Episodes
The weekly tent-pole essay, plus Action Steps. 10/10, you're welcome.
April 26, 2023
🌎 What Would You Say You Do Here
This week: Is what you’re working on important? Plus: The cleanest produce, a mosquito factory, lots of rooftop solar, autonomous GPT, maybe, and the latest with the Colorado River Here's What You Can Do: ⚡️ Climate change an...
April 18, 2023
🌎 This Isn't Rocket Science (Unless It Is)
This week: A very basic way to use a mental model, you’re welcome. PLUS: Mosquitoes, overseas abortion pills, healthy ice cream, German nuclear power, electric school buses, and more. Here's What You Can Do: ⚡️ Interested in ...
March 24, 2023
🌎 ESG is good business (but don't call it ESG)
This week: Fighting over ESG is stupid, risky, and bad business. Let’s move on. Plus: RSV vaccines, the E-BIKE Act, Skittles (?), deepfakes, allergies, and a new season of DRILLED What We Can Do: ⚡️ Submit your comment to kee...
March 17, 2023
🌎 Welcome to the Unknown Unknowns
This week: What we know — and more importantly, what we don’t — about what AI is capable of, and how much change we’re capable of absorbing. Plus: the Willow Project, H-1B visas, blueberries, honeybee vaccines, climate disclo...
March 8, 2023
🌎 A living act of resistance
This week: Can little-old-you really make a difference? Hell yes you can. Plus: cheaper insulin, cleaner camping gear, a new (lidless) coffee cup, good news on BetterHelp, and maybe even some paid leave. Here's What You Can D...
Feb. 24, 2023
🌎 How to get sh*t done
This week: Pulled in a million directions? Wondering what the hell you do with your days? Find your north stars (and become devastatingly effective) with one simple question. What We Can Do: ⚡️ Please don’t use public wifi wi...
Feb. 22, 2023
🌎 What Do You Need?
This week: The future of search and chatbots looks a lot like our ancient past. Why do we keep making the same tools over and over again? What We Can Do: ⚡️ Addiction is brutal. Help yourself or a loved one or someone you’ve ...
Feb. 15, 2023
🌎 How to Survive
This week: There are a default group of problems that exist in our society because of the basic needs required to be a human. They are: Air Water Food Sleep These, our most primal needs, are more or less biologically inarguab...
Feb. 13, 2023
🌎 "Why Do We Exist?"
This week: For the next few weeks, I’m rewriting and sharing a selection of essays I wrote in 2020 and 2021, so about two hundred years ago. I think they’re more relevant than ever — I can’t wait to hear what you think. This ...
Jan. 27, 2023
🌎 Insurance, for you and me
This week: Everyone needs insurance. But what kind? And what does it mean to have it, or not? Well, there’s actual insurance, which is a policy where you and an insurer contract with one another in case things go south with (...
Jan. 23, 2023
🌎 You Say You Want A Revolution
This week: What does it mean when people say “revolution”? For these purposes, which are pretty narrow and entirely of my own invention, I don’t mean some single moment in time, unless it was a bellwether for something bigger...
Jan. 13, 2023
🌎 What it all means
Across the front of our website, in big bold letters, is our calling card: “Science for people who give a shit.” You may have seen it and immediately thought “That’s me!” or “You sir, are a child.” Either reaction is well and...
Nov. 18, 2022
Newsletter #299: How to save 1.3 million lives
This week: Global climate news roundup beyond COP27 The human cost of vaccine inequity Water runs dry Chatbots aren't your friends Caveats to exciting AI developments Here's What You Can Do: More Democratic Senators means a g...
Nov. 4, 2022
#298: What they're *not* teaching kids today
This week: Climate change in the curriculum Increasingly divergent subvariants Cell-cultured meat RSV vaccines are coming Generative AI (...didn't write this, but it might one day) Here's What You Can Do: Teachers can't teach...
Oct. 28, 2022
Newsletter #297: Your neighborhood's about to get much cleaner
This week: $1 billion for electric school buses A potential "tripledemic" sandwich (not as delicious as it sounds!) One person's (treated) wastewater is another person's drinking water Most pregnancy-related deaths in America...
Oct. 21, 2022
Newsletter #296: Fake meat, fake profits?
This week: Plant-based meat stocks Another COVID winter is coming A long-term plan for the baby formula shortage The uncertain future of telehealth Willfully shunning data privacy Here's What You Can Do: Help elect progressiv...
Oct. 7, 2022
Newsletter #295: Insurance, for when climate change comes at you fast
This week: What climate change means for insurance Pregnancy and the COVID vaccine Food insecurity in America What wildfire smoke means for air quality Internet blackout in Iran What we can do Understand your flood risk with ...
Sept. 30, 2022
Newsletter #294: Look for the helpers (that's us)
This week: It's hurricane season Viral levels in wastewater spiking What the world might look like in 2050 Results from the biggest-ever Alzheimer's study Asking better questions about our apps Action Steps Send disaster reco...
Sept. 23, 2022
Newsletter #293: Is COVID "over"?
This week: The companies building a new clean economy (and the pretenders) The "I" in COVID Defrauded pandemic funds for hungry kids Preventing overdoses with safer supply programs Increasing surveillance Action Steps Read Pr...
Sept. 16, 2022
Newsletter #292: A love letter to my e-bike
This week: What's happening with cars and micro-mobility in America Brain fog A food system rundown The corporations backing a national abortion ban Border agents are taking your phone data Action Steps Watch this short about...
Sept. 9, 2022
Newsletter #291: When climate change happens to you
This week: Corporate clean energy purchases go down as temperatures go up The current status of COVID-19 vaccines Moving towards a healthier, climate-friendly diet A promising new malaria vaccine Back to the drawing board for...
Sept. 2, 2022
Newsletter #290: Life at 1.2°C
This week: The cost of electrification The end of free COVID tests The water crisis in Jackson Minimizing cancer treatment side effects The companies selling your location data to the police Action Steps Read Rewiring America...
Aug. 26, 2022
Newsletter #289: The new arms race (where everybody wins?)
This week: Heat in China ramping up a clean economy arms race How to learn more about Long COVID Cleaning up after coal Magic mushrooms and depression Better data for pregnant people Action Steps Check out CTVC's rundown on I...
Aug. 19, 2022
Newsletter #288: What $200,000 buys you
This week: What IRA means for cars Centralizing data for the next pandemic A parched Earth Big Pharma is Big Mad about IRA Fingers crossed that Big Tech will protect democracy Action Steps: Listen to a very-Ira episode of "Th...