Factually! with Adam Conover - podcast cover

Factually! with Adam Conover

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Comedian Adam Conover talks to exceptional experts, revealing shocking truths and thought-provoking new perspectives. It’s an investigative comedy podcast for curious people who never stop asking questions.

Episodes

Medical Myths and How to Fight Them with Dr. Seema Yasmin

To stop a deadly disease, you need more than medicine -- you need to change people’s minds. Journalist and doctor Seema Yasmin joins Adam this week to discuss how to combat harmful medical myths. They discuss how much more powerful narratives are than statistics, the difference between being anti-vaxx and being vaccine-hesitant, and why you shouldn’t eat your placenta after giving birth no matter what the celebrities tell you. Dr. Seema Yasmin's book - Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall For...

Jan 20, 20211 hr 1 min

Keeping Native Languages Alive with Anton Treuer

Aaniin - which is hello in the Algonquin language of Ojibwe! This week, Adam speaks with Anton Treuer, the professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University. He walks us through where Ojibwe language has historically been spoken - as well as where it is spoken now, why we should keep this and other indiginous languages alive, how native culture is both historical and modern, what we AREN’T taught about native communities, how stereotypes aren’t always incorrect, but are often incomplete, and why A...

Jan 13, 20211 hr 16 min

What is Weight Stigma? with Dr. Rebecca Puhl

Dr. Rebecca Puhl, Deputy Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, joins Adam to deep dive into the concept of weight stigma and how often we misunderstand the science of weight gain. Rebecca covers the relationship between weight stigma and eating disorders, the role personal behavior does and does not play into weight gain, how “genes load the gun but environment pulls the trigger,” weight bias in the medical field, what to say to yourself when you look in the mirror, and more. Le...

Jan 06, 20211 hr 2 min

The History of Civilization (the Game) with Sid Meier

Just in time for the lazy holiday break, legendary game designer Sid Meier joins Adam to discuss the genesis of his seminal game series “Civilization.” Sid and Adam explore how the early years of game design were driven by programmers following their passions, how good games need “interested decisions,” and the advice he gives budding young game designers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice ...

Dec 30, 20201 hr 2 min

“Crime-Free Housing” and Modern-Day Redlining with Liam Dillon

LA Times reporter Liam Dillon joins Adam to discuss his recent exposé on how “crime-free housing” policies discriminate against black renters and deepen the housing crisis. They also break down the coming Covid-caused eviction wave, and how we might finally dig our way out of the housing crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info....

Dec 23, 20201 hr 14 min

Prop 22 and Tech Companies that Write Their Own Laws with Meredith Whittaker

Distinguished research scientist at NYU’s AI Now Institute and former Google employee/organizer Meredith Whittaker joins Adam to break down Prop 22. They cover workers’ rights for tech companies like Uber and Doordash, why Uber and others spent 200 million dollars on Prop 22’s ad campaign, Meredith’s experience organizing at Google and pushing back at their foray into military tech, and the dangerous myths around artificial intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

Dec 16, 20201 hr 20 min

Understanding Asexuality with Angela Chen

This week, journalist and author Angela Chen answers every question you have about asexuality. She and Adam discuss the difference between asexuality and aromanticism, explore how aces fit into the LGBTQ+ spectrum, share how pop-culture has influenced the growth of the ace community, and differentiate between asexuality and sexual dysfunction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://ar...

Dec 09, 20201 hr 1 min

Why Is America’s Internet So Slow? with Susan Crawford

Harvard law professor Susan Crawford joins Adam this week to discuss why America - the country that invented the internet - struggles to provide access to affordable, high-speed internet. She explains why just a few telecom companies monopolize the industry, fiber vs. wireless, the real deal with 5G, and why the internet should become a public utility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...

Dec 02, 20201 hr 1 min

The Psychology Behind Conspiracy Theories with Rob Brotherton

Adam brings on author and academic psychologist Rob Brotherton to discuss why our brains are wired for conspiracy. They how classism and elitism shape our opinions about conspiracy theorists, how the word “fact,” and how humility is the key to meaningful conversations about truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 25, 20201 hr 14 min

A Coronavirus Update with Dr. Ashish Jha

The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening across the country, so past guest Dr. Ashish Jha is returning with more answers to Adam’s questions. They discuss what the scientific community has learned about Covid-19 since March, what we now understand to be safe and unsafe, the government’s failures, why certain activities are safer than you may think, and the light at the end of the tunnel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and ...

Nov 18, 202045 min

The Myth of the Supreme Court

Author and professor Eric J. Segall joins Adam to explode the myth that the Supreme Court makes decisions by a dispassionate evaluation of the law. In reality, he argues, the Justices actually just “make shit up.” Adam and Eric dig into the real history of Brown vs. Board of Education, the ways "originalism" mirrors religion, and why Segall believes the Court should ultimately be weaker than it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19...

Nov 11, 20201 hr 13 min

The Shocking Decline in Child Mortality with Dr. Perri Klass

Just a century and change ago, it wasn’t a given that children would actually survive childhood. Dr. Perri Klass and Adam discuss the shocking decline in child mortality since, what life was like in a time when the deaths of children were routine, and the pressures still facing parents in a now child-friendlier world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel...

Nov 04, 20201 hr 1 min

Everything Boomers Told You about the 60s Was Wrong with Rick Perlstein

In the final episode before the American election, Adam explores the history of conservative reactionary politics in America with acclaimed historian Rick Perlstein, who explains where the false narrative of the hippies “winning” the 60s came from, the historical “hinge” moments which bring progress, and how progressive and reactionary politics have evolved through the decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali...

Oct 28, 20201 hr 9 min

The Fight for the Right to Vote with Daryl Atkinson

Daryl Atkinson joins Adam to break down a recent partial-victory in voter rights in North Carolina, the historic disenfranchisement of black voters, why it is unconstitutional to connect someone’s right to vote with their ability to pay off fines, the set precedents for allowing felons the right to vote, and the work Atkinson’s group Forward Justice is currently doing in voter rights advocacy. To learn more about Forward Justice and support the work they do, visit forwardjustice.org. Learn more ...

Oct 21, 202054 min

How to Think Like A Feminist with Carol Hay

Philosopher and author, Carol Hay, joins Adam to discuss the intellectual history of feminism, its challenges (including what she calls its historic “PR problem”), and how it’s evolved as a system of thought in the 21st century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 14, 20202 hr 30 min

America’s Other Epidemic with Vikram Krishnasamy, M.D.

Physician Vikram Krishnasamy joins Adam to discuss his work fighting the opioid epidemic at the CDC, for which he won the 2020 Service to America Medal, and why he decided to devote himself to public service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 07, 20201 hr 4 min

Why Local Elections Really, Really Matter with Nithya Raman

While the national election hogs the spotlight, the low-turnout, little-covered local election in your city or county can have just as big an impact on your life. Nithya Raman, candidate for Los Angeles City Council joins Adam this week to explain why the best way to make a difference is to focus on the candidates right in your own backyard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...

Sep 30, 20201 hr 7 min

The Economic Fallout of COVID-19

What’s worse than a pandemic? The economic consequences on the poorest Americans. Indi Dutta-Gupta of the Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality talks with Adam this week about how the pandemic has affected those already struggling with poverty, and how things look moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 23, 20201 hr 2 min

Where Oh Where is the COVID-19 Vaccine? with Derek Lowe

Drug discovery chemist Derek Lowe joins Adam to break down why producing an effective COVID-19 vaccine is so challenging, the science of how vaccines work, and the issues that arise when pharmaceutical research is conducted for profit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 16, 20201 hr 9 min

How Can Musicians Make a Living? with Open Mike Eagle

Hip-hop artist Open Mike Eagle joins Adam this week to speak candidly on what it's really like to be a musician in the midst of a pandemic, how rapidly the industry has changed and if you can really have a career in music in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 09, 20201 hr 7 min

Technology and Race with Ruha Benjamin

Princeton University professor Ruha Benjamin joins Adam to reveal the issues at play at the intersection of technology and race, her concept of the “New Jim Code", digital redlining and and how the technology can’t be relied on to solve what are ultimately social problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 02, 20201 hr 2 min

Philosophize Your Life with Stephen West

Philosophy has the reputation for being dry and technical, but this week Stephen West, the host of Philosophize This! and self-taught philosophy expert joins Adam to explain how discovering philosophy transformed his life, and how it can improve yours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 26, 20201 hr 11 min

The Problem with Mind-Uploading and Transhumanism with Susan Schneider

Is it really possible to upload your mind to the cloud, or is the entire idea fatally confused? Philosopher Susan Schneider joins Adam to explain how your brain differs from a computer, the limits of AI, and why philosophy must be an essential part of the study and development of artificial minds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info....

Aug 19, 20201 hr 15 min

How the Internet is Transforming Language with Gretchen McCulloch

Internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch joins Adam to break down how technology has changed the way we write, reveal the hidden truth about what your texting style says about you, and finally solve the mystery of why boomers can’t stop using… ellipses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 12, 20201 hr 23 min

The Surprising Path to Women's Suffrage with Ellen Carol DuBois

Just in time for the 100 year anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, author and professor Ellen Carol DuBois joins Adam to discuss the history of the women's suffrage, the movement’s difficult history with the issue of race, how the temperance movement helped the cause, and the winding path America took to win women the power to vote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...

Aug 05, 202059 min

Why Giving Cash Works with GiveDirectly’s Michael Faye

So many charities try to fix poverty by giving away goods, services, and training. But why not address the actual problem and give away… money? Michael Faye, President and co-founder of the charity GiveDirectly, joins Adam to explain the evidence behind direct cash giving, and wrestles with the question of whether philanthropy can ever create systemic change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti...

Jul 29, 20201 hr 12 min

Why Philosophy is like Comedy with Quill Kukla

Philosophy isn't exactly a science; so what is it? In this fascinating interview, Georgetown philosopher Quill Rebecca Kukla argues that it's more like comedy than you might think, and explains what being an amateur competitive boxing has taught them about how to think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 22, 20201 hr 18 min

Immersion Journalism with Ted Conover

Journalist Ted Conover joins Adam to talk about his experience becoming a prison guard to report on Sing Sing Prison, and how his unique form of immersion can help develop empathy in his audience and encourage real change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 15, 20201 hr 12 min

The Science of How COVID-19 Affects Us Differently with Sabra Klein

How does COVID-19 affect men and women differently — and what the heck is a virus in the first place? Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health microbiologist Sabra Klein joins Adam this week to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 08, 20201 hr 4 min

The Cult of Policing and What Defunding Means with Larry Smith

Former Baltimore City police officer Larry Smith joins Adam to dig deep on the causes of police violence and racism, what stops fellow cops from speaking up about it and what needs to change about policing in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 01, 20201 hr 21 min