SCIENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO GIVE A SHIT

Videos

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 the interface of microbiogenomics, ecology, synthetic biology, and systems biology to understand, harness,…

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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 (https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/take-action/actions/donate/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=how-i-think-about-how-to-think-about-what-s-next)unite labor unions and environmental organizations to create clean jobs, develop clean infrastructure, and pursue fair trade. • Volunteer with 3.14 Action (https://314action.org/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=how-i-think-about-how-to-think-about-what-s-next)and help get people…

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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 conversation should be taken as medical advice. If a treatment…

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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 conversation should be taken as medical advice. If a treatment or…

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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 (https://stevefund.org/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-disconnect) to support the mental health of young people of color. • Volunteer with Everytown (https://www.everytown.org/?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-disconnect) so youth can grow up in communities free from gun violence. • Get…

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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 What You Can Do: • Donate to…

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Oct. 16, 2023

How Infrastructure Shapes Our Daily Lives

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, rebuild them, reinforce the ones we already have, and build new…

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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, rebuild them, reinforce the ones we already have, and build new…

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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 CREW (https://www.climatecrew.org/resilience_hubs?utm_source=importantnotimportant.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=the-coolest-year-of-the-rest-of-your-life) to help build resilience…

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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 must keep fighting, to hold off the darkness. Here's What You Can Do: • Donate to…

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Sept. 25, 2023

How To Reduce Microplastic Pollution

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 closed-loop, consumer-facing laundry startup working to tackle ocean microplastic…

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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 closed-loop, consumer-facing laundry startup working to tackle ocean microplastic…

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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 (https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2Nvb3BlcmF0aW9uaHVtYm9sZHQuY29tLz91dG1fc291cmNlPWltcG9ydGFudG5vdGltcG9ydGFudC5jb20mdXRtX21lZGl1bT1yZWZlcnJhbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249dGhlLW5leHQtYmlnLXRlc3QiLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiODQ0Y2Y3NTEtNDQyMC00ZGVmLWI4NzAtYzgzNGI1NGFjN2VkIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJhNzg0Yzc1Zi1mYTg3LTRjZDItODllMS02MTA2NzU2MGIxOWMiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6IjA1ZDRkOTExLWZhMjMtNDM0Yi05ZGQxLWUwZTNmMzRjNjVmNiIsImlhdCI6MTY5NTQwNjg5NCwiaXNzIjoib3JjaGlkIn0.5Nr4O-z6HL9XlqpAh8KjjAKDiY14VmaS9X3n_x2b_Qw), a worker-led, non-hierarchical non-profit that delivers programming in seven areas that are key to basic human rights. • Volunteer with Global.health (https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dsb2JhbC5oZWFsdGgvYWJvdXQvP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9aW1wb3J0YW50bm90aW1wb3J0YW50LmNvbSZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPXJlZmVycmFsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj10aGUtbmV4dC1iaWctdGVzdCNnZXQtaW52b2x2ZWQiLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiODQ0Y2Y3NTEtNDQyMC00ZGVmLWI4NzAtYzgzNGI1NGFjN2VkIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJhNzg0Yzc1Zi1mYTg3LTRjZDItODllMS02MTA2NzU2MGIxOWMiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6IjA1ZDRkOTExLWZhMjMtNDM0Yi05ZGQxLWUwZTNmMzRjNjVmNiIsImlhdCI6MTY5NTQwNjg5NCwiaXNzIjoib3JjaGlkIn0.9Fz20t1O5YNNMRVA7Z18XTg7HhcASq4FwwAf_Bud5yU) to help create a global resource of…

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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 ready for that as they…

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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 elections – don’t turn out for midterms. Much less…

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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 actually buying good-quality wine. If it’s expensive, it must be good, right?…

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Aug. 25, 2023

🌎 The Best Kinds of Stories

This Week: Telling better stories is a type of Compound Action. Here's What You Can Do: • Check out the Good Energy Project's (https://www.goodenergystories.com/) playbook on how to tell better climate stories. • Donate to Experiment (https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/N5VPMbd61mETFbSU3e12aP0pdnQ5ix4rVUcLnPZ0Ba8B1U7lYJExJdGPkH_qBSst_VU3XezZ1G7cbVzq0Nvqbre220Eg_0O0YH2aENq3y15bIW9Dz_qQVnC1QupTiOq1XxXAsQUxlzmkfC8fSNzNaeoTRpnziHCOhsPn3sTNRk96HjxloDzVFX_IoyNDHY-w/3z1/1pXMbmzNROC90AmDWOj8eg/h5/wZiOFa1IZN037JhJQe8SYkhct_xUXqObjr2VY5WxUDQ), a platform where scientists can crowdfund their research, and you can pick and…

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Aug. 21, 2023

How To Access Better Maternal Mental Health Care

How can we provide better mental health support for pregnancy, postpartum, and loss around pregnancy? That's today's big question, and obviously in America in 2023, it's a loaded one, so I'm so thankful that my guest today is Simmone Taitt. She's the Founder and CEO of Poppy Seed Health. Simmone…

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Aug. 21, 2023

How To Access Better Maternal Mental Health Care

How can we provide better mental health support for pregnancy, postpartum, and loss around pregnancy? That's today's big question, and obviously in America in 2023, it's a loaded one, so I'm so thankful that my guest today is Simmone Taitt. She's the Founder and CEO of Poppy Seed Health. Simmone…

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Aug. 14, 2023

Is This How Evolution Started?

How did we get here? That's today's big question, and today my guests are Roy Moger-Reischer, and our first three-time guest, Brandon Ogbunu. Roy Moger-Reischer is a scientist trained in microbiology, evolution and data analysis for his PhD. He's currently a fermentation specialist Arzeda, working to develop new proteins and…

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Aug. 14, 2023

What Can You Do With Just 493 Genes?

How did we get here? That's today's big question, and today my guests are Roy Moger-Reischer, and our first three-time guest, Brandon Ogbunu. Roy Moger-Reischer is a scientist trained in microbiology, evolution and data analysis for his PhD. He's currently a fermentation specialist Arzeda, working to develop new proteins and…

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Aug. 7, 2023

Introducing: Degrees: How To Green Any Job

This week, we’re running an episode of Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers, from our friends at the Environmental Defense Fund (https://www.edf.org/). This episode is part of a new miniseries called “The Year of the Climate Job,” hosted by EDF Innovation Director Daniel Hill. Each episode provides the best advice…

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Aug. 2, 2023

🌎 Shiny Things

This week: How to be excited about the future, explained. Plus, the news: • 🌊 The tipping point for the Atlantic Ocean • 👶 An RSV shot for babies • 🥕 Examining the “N” in SNAP • 🤖 Profiting from AI tools • And more! Here's What You Can Do:…

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July 31, 2023

Introducing: Living Change: A Quest for Climate Leadership

This week, we want to tell you about Andrea Learned’s podcast: Living Change: A Quest for Climate Leadership. In season one, Andrea interviews local leaders living the change they want to see reflected in their communities, from John Bauters and Alex Fisch on the west coast to Barbara Buffaloe in…

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