Whatever Happened to Serial Killers?
In the first five decades of the 20th century, the number of serial killers in the U.S. remained at a very low level. But between the 1950s and 1960s, the number of serial killers tripled. Between the...
28 Jun 202444min
The Radical Cultural Shift Behind America's Declining Birth Rate
We've done several podcasts on America's declining fertility rate, and why South Korea has the lowest birthrate in the world. But we've never done an episode on the subject quite like this one. Today ...
21 Jun 202453min
Breathing Is Easy. But We’re Doing It Wrong.
Today’s episode is about the science of breathing—from the evolution of our sinuses and palate, to the downsides of mouth breathing and the upsides of nasal breathing, to specific breath techniques th...
14 Jun 202454min
The News Media’s Dangerous Addiction to ‘Fake Facts’
What do most people not understand about the news media? I would say two things. First: The most important bias in news media is not left or right. It’s a bias toward negativity and catastrophe. Secon...
7 Jun 202447min
Microplastics Are Everywhere. How Dangerous Are They?
Plastic is a life-saving technology. Plastic medical equipment like disposable syringes and IV bags reduce deaths in hospitals. Plastic packaging keeps food fresh longer. Plastic parts in cars make ca...
31 Mai 202446min
Why the New NBA Deal Is So Weird. Plus, How Sports Rights Actually Work.
In an age of cults, sports are the last gasp of the monoculture—the last remnant of the 20th century mainstream still standing. Even so, the new NBA media rights deal is astonishing. At a time when ba...
28 Mai 202448min
What America’s Bold New Economic Experiment Is Missing
The news media is very good at focusing on points of disagreement in our politics. Wherever Democrats and Republicans are butting heads, that's where we reliably find news coverage. When right and lef...
24 Mai 202459min
The Five Superstars Who Invented the Modern NBA
The game of basketball has changed dramatically in the last 40 years. In the early 1990s, Michael Jordan said that 3-point shooting was "something I don’t want to excel at," because he thought it migh...
21 Mai 202449min
