Would leaving your freezer door open help climate change? What would happen if you slid down a fire pole from the Moon down to Earth? And how has creativity on the Internet changed over the past few decades? Legendary XKCD cartoonist and author Randall Munroe joins Adam today to ask and answer some of the most mind-blowing questions you’ve ever heard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...
Oct 05, 2022•1 hr 22 min
Iran is currently being rocked by protests against the oppressive theocratic regime that rules the country. What is happening there, and what brought us to this point? Writer and scholar Reza Aslan joins Adam to explain how decades of bad American foreign policy created the Iran we know today, dispel media myths about the country and its people, and tell us the amazing story of martyr Howard Baskerville, an American missionary who joined the fight for freedom in Iran. Learn more about your ad ch...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 11 min
The housing crisis seems like one of the most intractable problems threatening America. But slowly and surely, we’re solving it, and you can be a part of the solution. President of California YIMBY, Brian Hanlon, joins Adam to explain how his group is building a movement for fair housing, how to organize for your rights as a renter, and the two pieces of legislation that could dramatically expand housing in California. Check out welcomingneighbors.us to learn more. Learn more about your ad choic...
Sep 21, 2022•1 hr 13 min
Climate change is the biggest disaster facing humanity. And yet so often, our solutions seems to be limited to buying slightly better grocery bags and cars. How do we ACTUALLY fight back against climate change — and are our solutions working? One of America’s foremost climate experts and activists, Bill McKibben, joins Adam to explain what is being done, and more importantly what YOU can do, to protect our planet. factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
Sep 14, 2022•59 min
How do we fight back against those who are trying to take away Americans’ civil rights? Scholar and organizer Mie Inouye joins Adam to explain how American civil rights movements built political power, and how we can do the same by following their example. She gives practical tips for organizing in our daily lives, and explains how each of us can be part of the movement to restore rights in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art1...
Sep 07, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Comedy is one of world’s oldest, most popular art forms, but almost no one thinks seriously about what comedy is or what it’s for. Is comedy inherently liberal? Does it actually convey truth, or is it just for entertainment? And what do we make of the rise of right-wing comedy in America? Researchers Nick Marx and Matt Sienkiewicz, authors of the new book That's Not Funny join Adam to discuss these topics and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy...
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Americans are trapped in two competing narratives about immigration: That we’re a nation of immigrants, and that outsiders are invading to steal our jobs. But if we set ideology and narrative aside, what’s the truth? Leah Boustan joins Adam on this weeks episode to discuss her research into why and how people come to the United States, and what actually happens to them and their descendants after they do. You can buy Leah’s book, Streets of Gold, at http://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Climate change, racial inequality, and the anti-rights revolution all feel like comets heading towards our inevitable destruction. If you’re depressed about these challenges, you’re not alone. So how do we fight back? In this episode, author and journalist Chris Hayes joins Adam to discuss whether we’re as fucked as we think, and to offer solutions to the interlocking predicaments we find ourselves in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://a...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Why is it so hard to get around in America? Why is it so much more expensive to build a mile of transit here than it is in any country? And will we ever be able to break America of its car addiction? United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joins Adam to answer these questions. They cover how countries in Europe laid the foundation for fast and efficient public transportation after World War II while America failed to, how apps like Uber and Lyft are hurting public transportation...
Aug 10, 2022•46 min
In honor of our move to Starburns Audio, we’re taking a week off and running a Factually classic. In this interview from 2019, Adam speaks with Jenny Odell, artist, writer, and author of the wonderful book "How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy.” Jenny’s message about how to reclaim your attention and the value of seemingly purposeless activity is exactly what we need in our all-too-frantic world. Enjoy, and we’ll be back with a new episode next week! Learn more about your ad choice...
Aug 03, 2022•1 hr 24 min
How can we best help animals, when it’s we humans who cause their suffering? Animal Crisis authors Alice Crary and Lori Gruen join Adam to explain how the same systems that hurt and kill animals also harm humans. They discuss the human rights abuses that happen in industrial slaughterhouses and how palm oil monocrops are devastating the world’s rainforests. They also share how we can have solidarity with animals in our daily lives. You can purchase their book at http://factuallypod.com/books Lea...
Jul 27, 2022•1 hr 11 min
In times of turmoil, it can be useful to take a longer view of history. Like, a LOT longer. Paleontologist and author of “The Rise and Reign of the Mammals” Stephen Brusatte joins Adam to explain how mammals took over the Earth hundreds of millions of years ago, and why we survived and achieve sentience when dinosaurs died out. Stephen goes on to discuss why taking a deep look at our history can help prepare us for the crises of the near future. You can purchase Stephen’s book at http://factuall...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Trans people have existed as long as, you know, people have. But the barriers to legal inclusion and equality are still higher than most people realize. “Sex is as Sex Does” author Paisley Currah joins Adam to discuss why institutions have been slow to give legal recognition to trans identities, why Republicans have shifted their attacks from bathroom policies to trans youth in sports, and why the struggle for trans equality is tied to feminism and women’s liberation. You can purchase Paisley’s ...
Jul 13, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Asian Americans are an essential part of the history of this country, but the true story is all too little told, especially in a time of rising anti-Asian sentiment and violence. Historian and author of “Asian American Histories of the United States” Catherine Choy joins Adam to discuss the origin of racist ideas such as the “model minority myth,” and dive into the history. You can purchase Catherine’s book at http://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Crypto is crashing, which makes it the perfect time to ask whether blockchain technology is actually — you know — useful for anything. Computer scientist Nicholas Weaver joins Adam to discuss the inherent flaws in the technology, the shockingly slow state of innovation considering that the technology has been around for a decade, and what a better system for digital money might be. You can follow Nicholas on Twitter at @ncweaver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See...
Jun 29, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Is artificial intelligence a problem, or is the real problem how we’re using the term in the first place? Linguistics professor Emily Bender joins Adam to discuss why we should resist the urge to be impressed when it comes to big tech’s AI promises, and how our belief in the fantasy of A.I. could be worse than the reality. You can follow Emily on Twitter at @emilymbender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Despite our efforts, we seem to be no better at treating mental illness than we were hundreds of years ago. Desperate Remedies author Andrew Scull joins Adam to explain why, on the way touching on the history of lobotomization, the collapse of psychoanalysis, and why our current regime of pharmaceutical intervention might not be all it’s cracked up to be. You can purchase Andrew's book here: https://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 18 min
In 2020, America went through a national reckoning about our racist criminal justice system. Just under two years later, has all that progress evaporated? Pulitzer winner, professor, and author of Locking Up Our Own, James Forman Jr., joins Adam to discuss the return of “tough on crime” politics and how building a movement for criminal justice reform locally can lead to progress nationally, as well as how community organizers and “violence interrupters” are a key part of the restorative justice ...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 14 min
When we picture robots, we normally think of an artificial being created in our own image. But what if this were deeply misleading? Author ofThe New Breed, Kate Darling, joins Adam to separate fact from science fiction and discuss the potentials and perils of real life robots. They get into the ethical issues involved with autonomous weapons systems and vehicles, why robots don’t need to look like people, and why robots might be better thought of as animal companions, rather than human replaceme...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Our criminal justice system gives the impression of being impartial and fact-based, but in reality, it’s anything but. Innocence Project lawyer and author of Junk Science Chris Fabricant joins Adam to break down why pseudoscience is allowed into the court room, the influence of the Ted Bundy trial on mainstream forensics and the impact of the criminal justice system on marginalized people. You can purchase Chris’ book here: https://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
May 25, 2022•1 hr 23 min
Adam’s new series The G Word is out this Thursday on Netflix! To commemorate the premiere, this week The Fifth Risk author Michael Lewis turns the tables on Adam, interviewing him about how made the show. In the second half, they explore Michael's own reporting on how the CDC bungled COVID-19, and how Michael goes about writing his best-selling works of journalism. You can purchase The Fifth Risk at http://factuallypod.com/books, and watch The G Word on Netflix starting May 19th! Learn more abou...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Do we really own the devices we buy? ‘The Right to Repair’ author Aaron Perzanowki joins Adam to explain how companies are using their power to control the products we buy from them, even after they’ve left the store, and prevent us from repairing them ourselves. They discuss how this affects the environment, the livelihood of farmers, and the longevity of AirPods, and Aaron shares resources on how we can take power back and do our own repairs. You can purchase Aaron’s book at http://factuallypo...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Instead of debunking religious beliefs, what if we investigated where religion comes from, and why it’s virtually universal across human cultures? Anthropologist and “How Religion Evolved And Why It Endures” author Robin Dunbar joins Adam to discuss the origins of religion. He describes how touch, laughter, and song bonded people together, and the social role of religious rituals such as sin-eating. You can purchase Robin’s book here: http://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choice...
May 04, 2022•2 hr 32 min
The IPCC Report is one of the biggest, most important scientific projects ever undertaken by humankind, bringing together thousands of scientists from around the world to collect and evaluate our most up-to-date knowledge on climate change. Today on the show, Adam speaks with one of the lead authors of that report, Sarah Burch. Sarah explains where we are, where we’re headed, and what we can do to stop it, straight from the horse’s mouth; and she shares why she is optimistic about humanity’s fut...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr 14 min
We’ve known about climate chance since the 80s. So why has action been so slow? Journalist and author of Fire and Flood, Eugene Linden, joins Adam to discuss how climate change went from an issue of non-partisan agreement to one that is highly politicized. They explore 30+ years of climate inaction, and how the novel idea of “going core-ward” could be one solution to carbon emissions. You can order his book here: http://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min
The 1960’s are often depicted as the the golden age of air travel, but the reality for the stewardesses who worked the skies was far from gilded. “The Great Stewardess Rebellion” author Nell McShane Wulfhart joins Adam to explain the ludicrous conditions that flight attendants worked under, and how their effort to unionize and fight back sparked changes that still benefit working women today. You can pre-order her book here: https://bit.ly/3vgyjaM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 1 min
The early Internet was open, exciting, and deeply optimistic. So how did we end up, just a few decades later, with one that’s closed, exploitative, and makes most of us incredibly depressed? Longtime Internet gadfly and author of How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, Cory Doctorow, joins Adam to break down how the Internet has changed for the worse, and what we can do about it. Check out his book at https://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices S...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Why do we have such a cultural aversion to human poop, when it’s so fascinating and useful? Stay with us: in this episode, science journalist Lina Zeldovich and author of the new book The Other Dark Matter educates Adam on why poop is an awesome substance, the history of sewage and how we should rethink poop’s role in our lives. Check out her book at http://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Ca...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr
Around the world and for most of history, human societies have been dominated by men. Why? Professor and author of the forthcoming “The Great Gender Divergence”, Dr. Alice Evans, joins Adam to explain how male governance springs from systems of inheritance, why matrilineal systems tend to convert to patrilineal ones, and why we’re seeing progress on gender equality around the world. You can follow Alice's work on Twitter at @_alice_evans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 19 min
China is now one of the world’s most powerful nations. But how did its unique and formidable language shape its rise? Jing Tsu, the author of Kingdom of Characters, joins Adam to explain the history of the Chinese language, and the amazing innovations that brought it into the modern world. Check out her book at http://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...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 3 min
