Journalist Seamus McGraw joins us to discuss the pattern of American mass gun violence – from the 1966 massacre at the University of Texas at Austin to today.
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This is a show about sex robots
Harper’s Magazine contributor Sam Lipsyte joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his trip to Las Vegas to visit a sex robot and to explore the morals and ethics of what might be the next phase in sexuality.
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The number one killer of creativity is fear
New York Times science reporter Matt Richtel talks about creativity and what awakens it, the conditions where it thrives and what happens when it’s blocked.
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Why we’re all a little afraid of the dark
Harper’s Magazine contributor Suzannah Showler discusses the night sky, how light is polluting it and the effect that has on all animals, and the profound connection humans have to darkness.
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Has the digital world broken American democracy?
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses how tech companies have sowed rifts and how the communication breakdown means we are now being ruled by mob dynamics.
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It’s not just you — starting to exercise is hard
Amanda Mull from The Atlantic talks about the people who want to get fit but not in extreme ways, the trainers who advocate for physical activity without pushing limits, and why they are often left behind.
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How Shakespeare killed off his characters
Kathryn Harkup talks about the many ways Shakespeare killed off his characters, their feasibility in real life and how audiences of the day would’ve reacted to the dramatic demises.
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When we should shame people — and when we shouldn’t
Cathy O’Neil explains the relationship between shame and power and when cancel culture is beneficial and when it goes too far.
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Psychedelic drugs are back — here’s what’s different this time around
Zoe Cormier discusses how Big Pharma has entered the psychedelics game – and these drugs’ new-found champions in Silicon Valley.
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Even the ancient Greeks suffered from addiction
Carl Erik Fisher discusses his own struggle with alcoholism and his search to find answers in the policies, people and treatments of both the recent and distant past.
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A dissident Egyptian comic takes on middle school bullies
Bassem Youssef, the heart surgeon turned political satirist, joins us to talk about the unique experiences of immigrant children and what he learned from observing his own family.
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Why we should all live a little more like Italians
Beppe Severgnini discusses the key takeaways from Italian life and gives insight into the charm that’s known around the world.
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