Podcast Episodes

Rebecca Lemov and the Instability of Truth

Harvard historian of science Rebecca Lemov joins to talk about her book The Instability of Truth, which dives deep into the history of mind control, …

1 year, 2 months ago

Sarah Ruhl on Lessons from the Teachers Who Shaped Her

Playwright Sarah Ruhl has collected wisdom from her mentors, from Pulitzer winners to driving instructors, in her new book Lessons from My Teachers. …

1 year, 2 months ago

Peter Moskos on NYC’s Historic Crime Drop and the Lessons for Today

Homicides are down 14% from pre-pandemic levels and other major crimes have followed suit. But what can today’s drop teach us about the last great de…

1 year, 2 months ago

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…

1 year, 2 months 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 …

1 year, 2 months 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…

1 year, 2 months 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 …

1 year, 2 months 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

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1 year, 3 months 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 defen…

1 year, 3 months 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 tra…

1 year, 3 months ago