Podcast Episodes
Back to Search578. Water, Water Everywhere — But You Have to Stop and Think
Episode 578
What surprises lurk in our sewage? How did racist city planners end up saving Black lives? Why does Arizona grow hay for cows in Saudi Arabia? Three …
2 years ago
Is Google Getting Worse? (Update)
Episode 522
It used to feel like magic. Now it can feel like a set of cheap tricks. Is the problem with Google — or with us? And is Google Search finally facing …
2 years ago
Extra: Mr. Feynman Takes a Trip — But Doesn’t Fall
A wide-open conversation with three women who guided Richard Feynman through some big adventures at the Esalen Institute. (Part of our Feynman series…
2 years ago
The Vanishing Mr. Feynman
Episode 577
In his final years, Richard Feynman's curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he was…
2 years ago
The Brilliant Mr. Feynman
Episode 576
What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We follow Richard Fey…
2 years, 1 month ago
How the San Francisco 49ers Stopped Being Losers (Update)
They’re heading to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years. But back in 2018, they were coming off a long losing streak — and that’s the yea…
2 years, 1 month ago
The Curious Mr. Feynman
Episode 575
From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, th…
2 years, 1 month ago
574. “A Low Moment in Higher Education”
Episode 574
Michael Roth of Wesleyan University doesn’t hang out with other university presidents. He also thinks some of them have failed a basic test of good s…
2 years, 1 month ago
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Replay)
We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “steep learning curve” and “hard-wired.” Most of the time, th…
2 years, 1 month ago
573. Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped?
Episode 573
Probably not — the incentives are too strong. Scholarly publishing is a $28 billion global industry, with misconduct at every level. But a few reform…
2 years, 1 month ago