SCIENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO GIVE A SHIT
IMPORTANT, NOT IMPORTANT

Episodes

Dec. 25, 2018

#49: How Can HUGE Food & Beverage Companies Contribute to a More Sustainable Future?

In Episode 49, Quinn & Brian ask: What can the HUGE food and beverage companies do, right now, to improve U.S. food systems and drive trends towards a more sustainable future? It’s a big and complicated question, but our gue…
Dec. 18, 2018

#48: Why Does Childhood Cancer Exist & What Can We Do to Make It Go Away Forever?

In Episode 48, Quinn & Brian ask: Why the hell does childhood cancer exist, isn't the world effed up enough as it is, and what can we do to make it go away forever? Our guest is one of our favorite humans, Jay Scott, Co-Exec…
Dec. 11, 2018

#47: The Future of Digital Health, Part 2: America’s Data

In Episode 47, Quinn goes solo for a minute to discuss: America’s data and the future of digital health. Quinn sits down for a one-on-one chat with Dave Gershgorn, the lead artificial intelligence reporter at Quartz (AKA qz.…
Dec. 4, 2018

#46: Is There Nuclear Waste in the Ocean (& Can We Become Super Heroes if There Is)?

Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson is an Associate Dean and Distinguished Professor in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of South Carolina, and today she schools us on radioactivity in the ocean. Want to send us feedb…
Nov. 27, 2018

#45: Poop Vs. Cancer

Our guest is Dr. Diwakar Davar, a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and a a medical oncologist/hematologist. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Nov. 20, 2018

#44: Is Food Waste the Stupidest Thing We Do (& How Do We Cut it in Half)?

Our guest is Dr. James Rogers, founder and CEO of Apeel Sciences and one of our most mind-blowing guests yet. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Nov. 13, 2018

#43: The Future of Digital Health, Part 1

Our guests are Dr. Indra Joshi & Maxine Mackintosh, the co-founders of One HealthTech. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Nov. 6, 2018

#42: What Happens When You’re Almost an Astronaut... And What Comes Next?

Dr. Sian Proctor tells us how we can all help get more women and more people of color into space, one way or another. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Oct. 30, 2018

Trailer -- Important, Not Important

"The Conversations Most Vital to Our Survival As a Species”. Quinn Emmett & Brian Colbert Kennedy, publishers of the popular “Important, Not Important” weekly newsletter and otherwise regular, progressive, terrified folks li…
Oct. 30, 2018

#41: Outsmarting Cholera

Our guest is Dr. Minmin Yen, the CEO and co-founder of medical startup PhagePro, where she and her team are developing viruses specifically designed to kill bacteria and prevent bacterial infections. Want to send us feedback…
Oct. 26, 2018

Bonus: The #1 thing you can do to fight climate change

Hi. So you read the IPCC climate change report. Not great, Bob. We get it. Now you want to do something about it. We get that, too. So here’s a re-run of one of our favorite episodes, “What’s the #1 Thing You Can Do To Affec…
Oct. 23, 2018

#40: What Takes a Young Woman from Art School to NASA... & Why Might That Change Everything Forever, for Everyone?

Our guest is Ariel Waldman, the author of What's It Like in Space? Stories from Astronauts Who've Been There, the founder of Spacehack.org, the global director of Science Hack Day, and a member of the council for NASA Innova…
Oct. 16, 2018

#39: Is The Ocean Running Out of Oxygen? Is That Bad?

Our guest is Dawn “Deepsea Dawn” Wright, Ph.D., the Chief Scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (AKA Esri) and a Professor of Geography and Oceanography at Oregon State University. Want to send us feedbac…
Oct. 9, 2018

#38: Is It Harder to Build Clean Power Plants or Play in a Reputable Cover Band?

Our guest is Sean Casten, a scientist, clean energy entrepreneur, and cover band member who is running for Congress in Illinois’ 6th district. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Oct. 2, 2018

#37: Why Does Congress Need a Female Air Force Officer / Engineer / Chemistry Teacher / Mom?

Our guest is Chrissy Houlahan, a candidate for Pennsylvania District 6 on Nov. 6th. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Sept. 25, 2018

#36: Can Latinos Save the Planet?

Our guest is Mark Magana, the Founding President & CEO of GreenLatinos, a national coalition of Latino environmental, natural resources, and conservation advocates. Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a…
Sept. 18, 2018

#35: Can These Scientists Really Save Congress?

Our guest is Shaughnessy Naughton. She is the President & Founder of 314 Action, an organization founded by members of the STEM community; grassroots supporters and political activists who believe in the power of SCIENCE! Wa…
Sept. 11, 2018

#34: Electrocuting the S#!t Out of Cancer.

In Episode 34, Quinn & Brian discuss: Electrocuting the S#!t Out of Cancer. Our guest is Theo Roth, an MB/PhD student candidate at UCSF who spends his days running experiments in the Marson Lab, and contributing to kick-ass …
Sept. 4, 2018

#33: This is Zero Hour... So What The Hell Are You Doing?

Our guests are Elsa Mengistu and Emelly Villa, two of the young people behind Zero Hour, a movement that is bringing the voices of diverse youth into the conversation on climate and environmental justice. They’re doing incre…
Aug. 28, 2018

#32: Are You Ready for Some Radical Environmental Justice?

Our guest is Shantha Ready Alonso, Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries, whose mission is to “educate, equip, and mobilize Christian communities and individuals to protect, restore, and rightly share God's Creat…
Aug. 21, 2018

#31: Can Texas Go (Clean Energy) Independent?

In Episode 31, Quinn & Brian ask: Can Texas Go (Clean Energy) Independent? Joining us this week is candidate for Texas district 21, Joseph Kopser. He’s a military vet and clean energy entrepreneur on the hunt for enemy of sc…
Aug. 14, 2018

#30: What’s the Business Incentive for Climate/Clean Energy Action?

In Episode 30, Quinn & Brian ask: what’s the business incentive for climate/clean energy action? In light of the Paris Agreement and all the bullshit that’s gone down since, we drafted Will Hackman to be our guest and explai…
Aug. 7, 2018

#29: The Pope Has Decided to Defeat Climate Change with His Own Bare Hands.

In Episode 29, Quinn & Brian ponder the fact that the Pope Has Decided to Defeat Climate Change With His Own Bare Hands. Our guest — Jose Aguto. Jose is the Associate Director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, where he works…
July 31, 2018

#28: Why the Hell is Space Exploration Important When the Planet is Literally on Fire?

In Episode 28, Quinn & Brian ask: why the hell is space exploration important when the planet is literally on fire? To answer that, they’ve brought on The Space Gal, Emily Calandrelli. And boy does she set the record straigh…