In just a few years, the Chinese government has wiped out the political freedoms once promised to Hong Kong. How did this happen, and what is next for the city? On the show this week to help answer these questions is Notre Dame professor and Hong Kong native Victoria Hui. Check out her twitter @victoriatinbor and learn more about Hong Kong's fight to keep its autonomy at https://hkdc.us/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Ever since he was diagnosed as a kid, Adam has wondered if ADHD is a serious psychological condition, or a false diagnosis pushed by an overzealous industry. This week Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley is on the show to help answer these questions. You can check out his book The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medication, Money, and Today's Push for Performance at factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Se...
Aug 04, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Everywhere you look, some pundit is claiming that AI is soon to replace humanity. But is that really inevitable - or are we choosing to make it happen? Technologist Glen Weyl joins Adam to discuss why he believes AI isn’t really a technology - it’s an ideology. 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 28, 2021•58 min
Journalist Jesse Eisinger joins Adam to explain how he and his colleagues at ProPublica exposed how little billionaires pay in taxes – often, nothing at all – and the underhanded techniques they use to do it. 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 21, 2021•1 hr 5 min
LA Times reporter Johana Bhuiyan joins Adam to explain how Ring built a private surveillance empire by promising kickbacks to an unlikely accomplice: the cops. 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 14, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Seashells may seem like a small topic for a book, or a podcast. But when we look into them deeply, we find that they reveal startling truths about our oceans, our planet, and ourselves. This week Cynthia Barnett joins Adam to talk about the surprising history of seashells and her new book The Sound of The Sea. You can check out her book at factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy ...
Jul 07, 2021•52 min
What are our moral obligations to nature, and the wild animals that live in it? Should we vaccinate them? Should we feed them when they're starving? Should we kill so called "invasive" species? Emma Marris is back this week to discuss her new book Wild Souls and the complex ethical dilemmas surrounding our relationship with wild animals. You can check out her book at factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...
Jun 30, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Tesla and other automakers have convinced the public that fully automated vehicles are just around the corner. But what if … they aren’t? Dr. Missy Cummings, AI researcher and director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke, joins Adam to detail the massive gap between Silicon Valley's promises and the technology’s limitations, and explain the real benefits that might come when we use AI to enhance human capability rather than replace us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 10 min
As nature lovers, we prize the idea of places untouched by human influence. But new research shows that such places were few and far between as long as 12,000 years ago. This week paleo-ecologist Dr. Jacquelyn Gill is on the show to talk about the surprisingly strong effect humans have had on nature for thousands and thousands of years, and how knowing this changes our relationship with the natural world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https:...
Jun 16, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Despite their limited representation in the media, Native Americans have had a profound influence on American comedy. So why isn't Charlie Hill a household name? This week historian Kliph Nesteroff and comic Adrianne Chalepah chat with Adam about their new book We Had A Little Real Estate Problem, which tells the fascinating story of Native American comedy. Check it out at factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 14 min
Quantum mechanics is over a century old, yet most of us still struggle to truly understand it. This week theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli is on the show to discuss his new book Helgoland and help Adam begin to truly understand how quantum physics can fit into a broader picture of reality. Check out Carlo's book at factuallypod.com/books. 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...
Jun 02, 2021•1 hr 7 min
We know that not all American trust science. But why, exactly, should they, when scientists are fallible humans, just like the rest of us? Acclaimed science historian and author Naomi Oreskes is on the show this week to answer exactly that. Check out her new book, Why Trust Science?, at factuallypod.com/books. 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-inf...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Today we're bringing you a FREE episode of Adam's STITCHER PREMIUM show, Questions & Adam. In it, Adam chats and answers questions with comedian friends. Listen to the rest of the bonus episodes exclusively on Stitcher Premium. For a free month, go to stitcher.com/premium, select a monthly plan, and enter the code FACT. 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-s...
May 21, 2021•33 min
This week Adam welcomes an author whose book blew his mind more than perhaps any other. Americans are typically taught that prior to the arrival of European settlers, indigenous communities were sparsely populated, lacked technology, and did little to shape the natural landscape. But as this week’s guest Charles C. Mann’s 1491 tells Adam, the most recent research reveals that the American indigenous civilizations were sophisticated, dynamic, and massively populated. Purchase his books 1491 and 1...
May 19, 2021•1 hr 23 min
If you love video games, working in game development sounds like a dream job — especially since the industry now grosses more than movies and sports combined. But the reality is a lot less… fun than you might think. This week journalist Jason Schreier joins Adam to discuss his latest book Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry. In it, Jason sheds new light on the strenuous, sometimes-abusive work environments behind some of the world's most popular and beloved games. Purchase ...
May 12, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Voting rights are under assault around the country. And while we tend to see “democracy" as a big, abstract noun, it’s the smallest, most mundane details that determine whether or not people actually have the right to vote. This week Adam sits down with Tomas Lopez, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, a non-partisan organization that works to expand ballot access and protect voting rights in one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. Learn more by visiting https://democracy...
May 05, 2021•1 hr 15 min
It had to happen eventually: We’re doing an episode about crypto. This week artist and technologist Everest Pipkin joins Adam to discuss Bitcoin, the blockchain, and the dire costs of crypto art, not only on our environment, but on the art community itself. Find Everest Pipkin’s art at https://everest-pipkin.com. 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-...
Apr 28, 2021•1 hr 22 min
Facebook pushes dangerous misinformation to billions of people every day. So why can’t it… stop? This week, MIT Technology Review’s Senior AI Reporter, Karen Hao, joins Adam to detail her blockbuster report on how Facebook’s internal AI teams were instructed to stop fighting misinformation because doing so interfered with Facebook’s growth. Read her reporting at: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/11/1020600/facebook-responsible-ai-misinformation/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Apr 21, 2021•1 hr 10 min
It's Factually's 100th episode! To celebrate, Adam is joined by Full Frontal host Sam Bee to discuss the art of combining fact with farce. They talk the importance (or total unimportance) of informational comedy, consider what lies ahead in their careers, and dunk on sitcoms. Sam Bee's podcast "Full Release" launches May 4th. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr 10 min
There are a lot of causes of the declining global birth rate – education, freedom, and even the decline of subsistence agriculture. But what if one of the biggest factors was … plastic? Epidemiologist and author Dr. Shanna Swan joins Adam this week to break down why phthalates affect our fertility as well as our overall health. They cover her scientific research into phthalates, how they get into our systems, how they disrupt the development of reproductive organs, and what this means for the co...
Apr 07, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Clothes today cost a fraction of what they cost our grandparents — but why, and at what cost? Journalist and author Dana Thomas joins Adam to break down how fast fashion has made the industry explode into a one-trillion dollar industry, how dismal the working conditions are in many overseas factories, and how to shop and dress more sustainably. To check out Dana’s newest book Fashionopolis, visit http://factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Pr...
Mar 31, 2021•1 hr 6 min
We’re flooded with misinformation, and new research shows that cliches about “thinking critically” and “doing your own research” are counterproductive at best. Writer and educator Michael Caulfield joins Adam this week to explain his SIFT method for evaluating misinformation, why expertise is so important, and how we should approach unclear ideas like COVID-19 “lab leak” hypothesis. Learn more about SIFT at https://infodemic.blog/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Se...
Mar 24, 2021•2 hr 36 min
Why is America's health care system so effed up, and what can be done to fix it? Author, physician, and civil servant Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joins Adam to discuss how we got here, his belief in single-payer healthcare, and why he's hopeful for the road ahead. His book Medicare For All: A Citizen’s Guide is available wherever books are sold. 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...
Mar 17, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Journalist and author of "Fulfillment", Alec MacGillis, joins Adam this week to discuss how Amazon’s unprecedented and wide-spread growth has reshaped our economy and society. They cover the economic changes that created a vacuum for Amazon to fill; how economic concentration hurts both "winners" and losers; the lack of community and dignity Amazon jobs create, and why Alec is still hopeful for change. Check out Alec MacGillis’ book FULFILLMENT: Winning & Losing in One-Click America wherever you...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Adam is thrilled to introduce one of his absolute favorite journalists and authors to the show: Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert. They discuss how humans have transformed the planet even more profoundly than we imagine; the dirty work of eliminating invasive species; how even getting to net zero emissions only stabilizes, rather than reverses, climate change, and how to carry the psychic weight of knowing we are destroying the things we love. Look f...
Mar 03, 2021•1 hr 12 min
No feature of the American landscape is more absurd than the border. It cuts across natural landscapes, is highly militarized, and possesses the largest law enforcement agency in America. Why? Journalist and Author Todd Miller joins Adam to explain why the heck Border Patrol got involved with the BLM protests last June, what “check point trauma” means, and why we need to build solidarity, rather than division with the people who share the continent with us. Todd Miller’s book - Build Bridges Not...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 16 min
We often frame the fight against climate change as one of endless sacrifice. But the truth is, the real solutions to climate change would both save money and make our lives better. Scientist, inventor, and energy expert Saul Griffith joins Adam to walk us through why electric power is more efficient, powerful, and affordable long-term; how the “scarcity mentality” is a flawed way to view fighting climate change; and how a “wartime mobilization” to electrify our society would both fight the COVID...
Feb 17, 2021•2 hr 30 min
Where do cities… come from? Are they created by committee? Or do they just spring up out of the earth? Adam explores this question with journalist Annalee Newitz, author of the new book Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age. They take an audio tour from Cahokia, an indigenous city near St. Louis that somehow got left out of American textbook; the Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük, where people buried their ancestors under their living room floors; Angkor, which declined due to lack of g...
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 20 min
Is humanity innately good or bad? Historian and author Rutger Bregman joins Adam to discuss his decidedly optimistic answer to this question. They discuss research showing that people are more likely to help each other during national disasters, the true story behind Kitty Genovese, and how the real-life Lord of The Flies had a very different ending. You can find Rutger Bregman’s book, Humankind: A Hopeful History, wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Feb 03, 2021•1 hr 26 min
This week, Dr. Carl Hart - professor of neuroscience and psychology at Columbia - joins Adam to argue that we’ve been approaching recreational drugs all wrong. Together they discuss how we have historically exaggerated the harmful effects of drugs on the brain, how stigma and criminalization create greater adverse effects than the drugs themselves, and more. Dr. Hart’s new book, Drug Use for Grown Ups, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy ...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 20 min
