Podcast Episodes

Steven Hahn Unmasks the Myth of Liberal America

Diplomacy via tweet rarely ends well, but US ambassadors are now flailing into their way through international tensions with sarcasm, memes, and zero restraint. Plus Steven Hahn, NYU historian and au…

Published on 3 weeks, 2 days ago

Not Her Type: E. Jean Carroll vs. The President

E. Jean Carroll joins to talk about the lawsuit she won, the president she sued, and the dressing room encounter that changed everything. The author of Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President opens up…

Published on 3 weeks, 3 days ago

High Stakes, Low Standards: America's Gambling Gamble

Jonathan D. Cohen, author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, joins to explain why our national rush into online sports betting might be a bigger mess than we realize. They talk…

Published on 3 weeks, 4 days ago

Pay to Play: The NCAA’s Big Payout Era Begins

The NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement doesn’t just change the rules—it rewrites the entire playbook. Mike talks with Gabe Feldman, director of Tulane’s Sports Law Program, about what happens now that sc…

Published on 3 weeks, 5 days ago

Puzzling The Puzzle Master on The Puzzler

Today on The Gist we air Mikes appearence on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs.

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Published on 4 weeks ago

The NIH vs. The New Grievance Politics

Former NIH director Elias Zerhouni reflects on the agency’s triumphs and shortcomings in light of his new memoir, Disease Knows No Politics. He defends the NIH’s legacy while addressing critiques fro…

Published on 4 weeks, 1 day ago

Airborne Assumptions and Subventilated Science

Carl Zimmer joins to discuss Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, a book that excavates the forgotten science of airborne disease transmission—from Louis Pasteur’s broth experiments t…

Published on 4 weeks, 2 days ago

How to Make Crime Feel Weird

Criminologist Nick Cowen joins to explore how drunk driving transformed from a tolerated norm to a societal taboo, and how deterrence works best when paired with norm-shaping—catching people before t…

Published on 1 month ago

The Algorithm Is Hollywood’s New God

Filmmaker Justine Bateman argues that Hollywood’s creative spark has been smothered by fear, corporate consolidation, and algorithmic decision-making. In her view, true artistry requires fearlessness…

Published on 1 month ago

When Hulk Turned Heel

Marc Raimondi discusses Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Professional Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America, his new book on Hulk Hogan’s heel turn and how WCW’s edgy branding reflected a broader…

Published on 1 month ago