Podcast Episodes
Back to Search"People Feel Lied To": The White House, the Media, and the Joe Biden Blame Game
Season 3 Episode 43
Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance has created a crisis for the Democratic Party and a set of interlocking debates about whether the White Hou…
2 years ago
Whatever Happened to Serial Killers?
Season 3 Episode 42
In the first five decades of the 20th century, the number of serial killers in the U.S. remained at a very low level. But between the 1950s and 1960s…
2 years ago
The Radical Cultural Shift Behind America's Declining Birth Rate
Season 3 Episode 41
We've done several podcasts on America's declining fertility rate, and why South Korea has the lowest birthrate in the world. But we've never done an…
2 years, 1 month ago
Breathing Is Easy. But We’re Doing It Wrong.
Season 3 Episode 40
Today’s episode is about the science of breathing—from the evolution of our sinuses and palate, to the downsides of mouth breathing and the upsides o…
2 years, 1 month ago
The News Media’s Dangerous Addiction to ‘Fake Facts’
Season 3 Episode 39
What do most people not understand about the news media? I would say two things. First: The most important bias in news media is not left or right. I…
2 years, 1 month ago
Microplastics Are Everywhere. How Dangerous Are They?
Season 3 Episode 38
Plastic is a life-saving technology. Plastic medical equipment like disposable syringes and IV bags reduce deaths in hospitals. Plastic packaging kee…
2 years, 1 month ago
Why the New NBA Deal Is So Weird. Plus, How Sports Rights Actually Work.
Season 3 Episode 37
In an age of cults, sports are the last gasp of the monoculture—the last remnant of the 20th century mainstream still standing. Even so, the new NBA …
2 years, 1 month ago
What America’s Bold New Economic Experiment Is Missing
Season 3 Episode 36
The news media is very good at focusing on points of disagreement in our politics. Wherever Democrats and Republicans are butting heads, that's where…
2 years, 2 months ago
The Five Superstars Who Invented the Modern NBA
Season 3 Episode 35
The game of basketball has changed dramatically in the last 40 years. In the early 1990s, Michael Jordan said that 3-point shooting was "something I …
2 years, 2 months ago
Are Smartphones Really Driving the Rise in Teenage Depression?
Season 3 Episode 33
Today—a closer critical look at the relationship between smartphones and mental health. One of the themes we’ve touched on more than any other on thi…
2 years, 2 months ago