The Optimism of Jefferson DeBlanc
When fighter pilot Jefferson DeBlanc survived being shot at in a crazy dogfight over the Solomon Islands in World War Two, his adventure was only beginning. What happened after he…
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Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson rose to ’90s fame as the magnetic front woman of Garbage, but she was already a seasoned singer when guitarist Steve Marker spotted her in a music video…
Episode 5: The Wife
One overlooked detail in Sarah’s story: she was married. Her wife, Nicole, never spoke to the press or the feds. She remained a mystery—until now. Get early, ad-free access to…
How Smartphones Changed Childhood (And What to do About it)
The happiness of young people has taken a big hit since the advent of the smartphone – and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that there is a direct link. He…
Give Politicians a Raise, Smuggle Smartphones into School, and go Full Donk! Cautionary Questions with Risky Business
Can game theory be used to win a world cup? Can you pay the way out of political corruption? And are there winning strategies in life we don’t use because…
The Formula
In our season finale, we team up with the Culinary Institute of America to reverse engineer the secret recipe for Thomas’s English Muffins. You can read our top secret muffin…
Making a Universal Flu Vaccine
Jacob Glanville is the founder and CEO of Centivax. Jacob’s problem is this: Can you create a vaccine that protects people against almost all strains of flu – even strains…
Heavyweight Short: A Sobering Thought
For the better part of his adult life, drinking was Jonathan’s great comfort. But after getting laid off, something changed.
Why ChatGPT Sucks at Poker
ChatGPT is amazing at many things…but it can’t seem to figure out poker. Nate and Maria explain why, and talk about the implications for artificial general intelligence. Plus, they discuss…
Episode 4: The Suspect
A former Marine and media personality asks questions and publicly challenges Sarah Cavanaugh’s credentials. Behind the scenes, law enforcement is already investigating Sarah; but the surge of media attention forces…
Ben Kweller
For close to three decades, Ben Kweller’s been crafting deeply personal indie rock that’s both intimate and expansive. From his early days fronting the band Radish as a teenager in…
