Episodes
June 19, 2018
#22: How Does Your Phone Call Become Law?
In Episode 22, Quinn & Brian ask: how does your phone call become law? To help answer that question, they’ve got Andres Jimenez on the line. Andres is the Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Citizens Climate Lobby,...
June 12, 2018
#21: The #1 thing you can do to fight climate change
In Episode 21, Quinn & Brian finally get to the heart of it: What’s the #1 thing YOU can do to affect climate change? On the mic and down the street, Peter Kalmus, an atmospheric scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in ...
June 5, 2018
#20: How the hell are we gonna feed 10 billion people?
In Episode 20, Quinn and Brian wonder: How the hell are we gonna feed 10 billion people? Enter Fred Iutzi of the Land Institute, where they’re focused on the incredibly modest goal of working to displace the predominant indus...
May 29, 2018
#19: What’s the future of antibiotics?
In Episode 19, Quinn & Brian asks: What’s the future of antibiotics? To answer: the irrepressible Dr. Gautam Dantas, the professor of pathology and immunology and biomedical engineering at the Washington University School of ...
May 22, 2018
#18: A new science foundation in America
In Episode 18, Quinn & Brian try to build a more flexible, approachable, and fun new science foundation in America. But they don't know where to start. Enter the legendary Phil Plait, the “Bad Astronomer”. He's an astronomer ...
May 15, 2018
#17: What’s the future of emergency medical systems in the age of climate change?
In Episode 17, Quinn & Brian ask: What’s the future of emergency medical systems in the age of climate change? Joining us: Jason Friesen, the founder and executive director of Trek Medics, a 501 c3 registered NGO dedicated to...
May 8, 2018
#16: Clouds ruin EVERYTHING
In Episode 16, Quinn & Brian ask: what's the future of climate modeling? Also, what's a climate model? Enter Dr. Kate Marvel. She's a climate scientist and a writer. A theoretical physicist by training, she is now an associat...
May 1, 2018
#15: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action, Part II?
In Episode 15, Quinn and Brian dig deeper and ask: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action, part II? On the mic: Akshat Rathi , a reporter for Quartz in London. He wrote a series last year called The Race to ...
April 24, 2018
#14: How do we improve America’s agriculture system?
In Episode 14, Quinn (Brian abandoned him) asks himself: How do we improve America’s agriculture system? On the mic, Emily Cassidy, the Sustainability Science Manager at the illustrious and beautiful California Academy of Sci...
April 17, 2018
#13: A blueprint for suing the pants off fossil fuel companies
In Episode 13, Quinn and Brian plot a blueprint for suing the pants off fossil fuel companies. Of course we don't know where to start, so we asked for help. Meet the mastermind: Mayor Serge Dedina of tiny Imperial Beach, Cali...
April 10, 2018
#12: Can algorithms predict the next major pandemic?
In Episode 12, Quinn and Brian ask: Can algorithms predict the next major pandemic? Pretty please? Joining us: Dr. Sam Scarpino, Assistant Professor of Marine & Environmental Sciences and Physics and a core faculty member in ...
April 3, 2018
#11: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action?
In Episode 11, Quinn & Brian ask with fingers crossed: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action? On the mic: David Hawkins, director of the climate program at the National Resources Defense Council, and the ma...
March 27, 2018
#10: The Tantrum That Saved The World
In Episode 10 (we made it!), Quinn & Brian read a picture book. And a damn good one. Introducing The Tantrum That Saved The World. On the mic: Megan Herbert, Aussie co-author and illustrator of the popular new children’s book...
March 20, 2018
#9: How do we stay safe from infectious disease (zombies)?
In Episode 9, Quinn and Brian cower under the desk and ask: How do we stay safe from infectious disease (zombies)? Please meet Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician, Assistant Professor at Boston University, an...
March 13, 2018
#8: How do we safeguard science in American schools?
In Episode 8, Quinn and Brian ask: How do we safeguard science in American schools? Here to answer: Don Duggan-Haas, a lifetime advocate for science education standards (he literally wrote the textbook, and yes, this is the c...
March 6, 2018
#7: How can we use the ocean without using it up?
In Episode 7, Brian and Quinn ask: How can we use the ocean without using it up?
Meet Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, policy expert, and conservation strategist extraordinaire. And like a hundred other things, ...
Feb. 27, 2018
#6: The queer female volcanologist who wants to change Congress
In Episode 6, Quinn and Brian meet the queer female volcanologist who wants to change Congress Today's guest is the one and only Jess Phoenix, volcanologist, geologist, and Congressional candidate for CA-25. We discuss her ex...
Feb. 20, 2018
#5: Is climate action worth getting kicked out of Congress?
In Episode 5, Quinn and Brian conclude (for now!) their conversations with conservative climate activists, asking: Is climate action worth getting kicked out of Congress?
Uniquely qualified to answer is former Congressperson ...
Feb. 13, 2018
#4: What does the bible say about climate change?
In Episode 4, Quinn and Brian continue with the second in their "trilogy" of conversations with conservative climate activists, and ask: What does the bible say about climate change? Here to answer: Reverend Mitch Hescox of t...
Feb. 9, 2018
#3: A professional climate denier changes his mind
In Episode 3, Quinn and Brian host the first of three conversations with conservative climate activists. In the first, a professional climate denier changes his mind. Meet Jerry Taylor, former professional climate denier turn...
Feb. 6, 2018
#2: Can this boat full of women save the world?
In Episode #2, Quinn introduces his co-host, Brian Colbert Kennedy, the mad genius (ugh) behind IMNIM’s infographic game. Together, they ask the question: Can this boat full of women save the world? Join Quinn and Brian as th...
Jan. 17, 2018
#1: Sixteen Minutes to Live
In this impromptu first episode of the Important, Not Important podcast, host Quinn Emmett is joined by childhood friend David Schmidt for a conversation about the longest thirty-eight minutes of David’s life — what he said, ...