Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchWhat It Takes to Know Everything (Update)
Episode 85
Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, …
1 year, 5 months ago
136. The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist
Episode 136
Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insig…
1 year, 5 months ago
135. How to Grow a White Rhino
Episode 135
Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about th…
1 year, 6 months ago
Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.” (Replay)
Episode 12
She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She al…
1 year, 6 months ago
134. Why Do We Still Teach People to Calculate?
Episode 134
Conrad Wolfram wants to transform the way we teach math — by taking advantage of computers. The creator of Computer-Based Maths convinced the Estonia…
1 year, 6 months ago
133. Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)
Episode 133
Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve…
1 year, 7 months ago
John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride (Update)
Episode 92
Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Ste…
1 year, 7 months ago
132. Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms
Episode 132
Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She a…
1 year, 7 months ago
131. Getting Old, Adventurously
Episode 131
Caroline Paul is a thrill-seeker and writer who is on a quest to encourage women to get outside and embrace adventure as they age. She and Steve talk…
1 year, 8 months ago
What It’s Like to Be Steve Levitt’s Daughters (Update)
Episode 46
Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety …
1 year, 8 months ago