Podcast Episodes
Back to Search639. “This Country Kicks My Ass All the Time”
Episode 639
Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference.
SOURCES:Cory Booker, senior United States Senator from Ne…
8 months ago
638. Are You Ready for the Elder Swell?
Episode 638
In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unf…
8 months, 1 week ago
What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Update)
Episode 126
In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
SOURCES:Benedikt Herrmann, research officer at the European Commiss…
8 months, 1 week ago
637. What It’s Like to Be Middle-Aged (in the Middle Ages)
Episode 637
The simplicity of life back then is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack…
8 months, 2 weeks ago
636. Why Aren’t We Having More Babies?
Episode 636
For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-par…
8 months, 3 weeks ago
An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)
Episode 236
A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we loo…
8 months, 3 weeks ago
635. Can a Museum Be the Conscience of a Nation?
Episode 635
Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I'm not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about loote…
9 months ago
634. “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job”
Episode 634
Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why…
9 months, 1 week ago
633. The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of
Episode 633
Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business oppo…
9 months, 1 week ago
How to Succeed at Failing, Part 4: Extreme Resiliency (Update)
Episode 564
Everyone makes mistakes. How do we learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease. (Part fo…
9 months, 2 weeks ago