Episodes
Jan. 29, 2024
2023 Review: What Just Happened?
This week: I’m back today to share my 2023 wrap-up. It’s a pretty stream-of-consciousness endeavor, but I think it sums up where I was right in my 2023 preview, where I was very wrong, how the world changed — or didn’t — and ...
Jan. 22, 2024
Best of: The End of the Universe
How will the universe end? That's today's big question, and my guest is Sarafina El-Badry Nance. Sarafina is an NSF graduate research fellow, astrophysics Ph.D. candidate, and Forbes 30 Under 30 Science 2022 honoree, speciali...
Jan. 15, 2024
Best of: Episode X: A Far Out Geek Girl Rises
Why does it matter who reviews our video games? That's today's big question, and my guest is Swapna Krishna . Swapna and I recorded this conversation in 2022 , and as gaming and the entire media ecosystem changes and evolves ...
Jan. 8, 2024
Best of: Why We Can't Focus
How do we get our attention back? That's today's big question. I think about it every day, and my guest is Johann Hari . Johann and I recorded this conversation in 2022 , and with the Internet in general and social networks o...
Jan. 1, 2024
Best of: Internal Activism
How's your mental health around climate change? That is today's big question, and my guest is Britt Wray. Britt and I recorded this conversation in 2022. It is an all-time favorite of mine and of our listeners. Britt is the a...
Dec. 4, 2023
How To Make Ethical Decisions
Has there ever been a more important time, a more consequential time, to lead with ethics? That's today's big question, and my guest is Dr. Susan Liautaud . Susan is the author of The Power of Ethics and of the Little Book of...
Nov. 27, 2023
The Creepy Reality of Consumer Tech (Privacy Not Included)
What are the best holiday gifts that aren't privacy nightmares? That's today's big question, and my guest is Jen Caltrider. Jen is the lead researcher for Mozilla's Privacy Not Included program where since 2017 Mozilla has pu...
Nov. 22, 2023
🌎 How Does The Brain Work?
This week: How the hell does the brain work? And what does it have to do with lemonade stands and school supplies? Here's What You Can Do: Donate to support The Markup’s invaluable work examining the ways technology is being ...
Nov. 20, 2023
Best of: Life Finds A Way
I think about time a lot. Some days I feel ancient, some days I can’t believe how old I am. I’ve got kids, too. I can’t believe how fast they’ve grown up already. They love so many things. Swimming. Cooking. Plain pasta. The ...
Nov. 13, 2023
The Female Origin of Species
How did the female body drive 200 million years of human evolution? And why the hell are we just finding out about it now? That's today's big question, and my guest is Cat Bohannon . Cat is the author of the incredible new bo...
Nov. 10, 2023
🌎 Coffee: Back To The Future
This week: Will coffee survive climate change? Here's What You Can Do: Donate to support African farmers by increasing incomes and improving food security through the Alliance for a Green Africa . Volunteer to join the Coffee...
Nov. 6, 2023
Can Your Gut Predict Alzheimer's?
Can your gut composition predict Alzheimer's? That's today's big question and my returning guest is Gautam Dantas. Gautam heads up the Dantas Lab at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis . His lab works at...
Nov. 2, 2023
🌎 How I think about how to think about what’s next
This week: How I think about how to think about what’s next Here's What You Can Do: Donate to help the BlueGreen Alliance unite labor unions and environmental organizations to create clean jobs, develop clean infrastructure, ...
Oct. 30, 2023
What Causes Depression?
Content Warning We're going to be talking about stress and anxiety, depression, suicide, and more today. If any of this could be triggering to you in any way, please feel free to just skip over this one. Nothing in this conve...
Oct. 24, 2023
🌎 The Disconnect
This week: Exactly why the youths are so pissed off. Here's What You Can Do: Donate to the Steve Fund to support the mental health of young people of color. Volunteer with Everytown so youth can grow up in communities free fr...
Oct. 18, 2023
🌎 The Illusion of Choice
This week: It can be difficult as hell to understand when we don’t actually have a choice — and when we’ve got more options than we think. Deciphering the two is the key to the good stuff getting built way, way faster. Here's...
Oct. 16, 2023
Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From?
Every single one of us needs air, water, food, shelter, and energy. So why are the infrastructure that provides them, the systems we are most reliant on hidden in plain sight? How can we reconnect with them, appreciate them, ...
Oct. 11, 2023
🌎 The coolest year of the rest of your life
This week: Why was this year so hot? Will it keep getting hotter, and for how long? It’s not an easy read, but it’s important you know and keep in mind the inputs and externalities. Here's What You Can Do: Donate to Climate C...
Sept. 26, 2023
🌎 The Long Defeat
This week: Tolkien described life (and often, his stories) as a "long defeat", where evil frequently, inevitably wins. But he allowed for "eucatastrophe" - sudden joyous turns, just like breakthroughs in voting rights. We mus...
Sept. 25, 2023
Turning The Tide On Microplastics
What are microplastics doing to us? And how do we stop putting them into our water, and our bloodstreams, and our food? That's today's big question, and my guest is Julia Yan . Julia is the co-founder and CEO at Baleena , a c...
Sept. 23, 2023
The Next Big Test
This week: Are you ready for the next big test? Here's What You Can Do: Donate to Cooperation Humboldt , a worker-led, non-hierarchical non-profit that delivers programming in seven areas that are key to basic human rights. V...
Sept. 21, 2023
Did You Hear The One About The Starfish?
This week: Because I am a sap, I have been thinking about my kids a lot lately. And kids in general. They’re going to grow up and live in a world that’s very different from ours, and it’s important to me that they’re all as r...
Sept. 18, 2023
Best of: Peer Pressure Works
Over the past few years, more and more voters have cited “action on climate” as a reason for voting the way they do. But here’s the thing: lots of voters who are registered, and even those who do vote in presidential election...
Sept. 11, 2023
Introducing: Catalyst with Shayle Kann - The Carbon Market's Quality Problem
Voluntary carbon credits are a lot like used cars: You really have no idea what their quality might be. Or maybe they’re more like expensive bottles of wine. Many people (or at least Shayle) can’t tell whether they’re actuall...