Los Angeles is Hideous

Robby Soave is a senior editor at Reason, and the author of "Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn't Fear Facebook and the Future." He comes to discuss politicians' misplaced anger with large tech companies, and why their fears are unfounded. Find his book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured

30 Sep 202155min

Jason Feifer is the host of "Build for Tomorrow" (formerly "The Pessimist Archives") and joins the show to discuss why we needlessly react to new technologies with fear.   Did you know that society once balked at the dangerous technologies of radios, novels, and teddy bears? We get into all of them on today's show!   SUPPORT THE SHOW: www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

23 Sep 20211h 14min

This week bonus episodes are going on the main feed, past the paywall! Here's a rerun from last year, about Napoleon Bonaparte, and the pitfalls of "liberating" other nations. To support the show, go to www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

15 Sep 202126min

The default position for politics is advocacy—promoting our team and opposing the other. Julia Galef proposes an alternate mindset, where we try to determine the reality of a situation even if it's uncomfortable. She is the author of "The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't." Book at www.mightyheaton.com/featured

14 Sep 20211h 3min

The Khmer Rouge was a brutal communist regime that ruled Cambodia for only four years, but in that brief period entirely destroyed its economy, wiped out its intellectual class, and horribly murdered a quarter of its population. In this history episode we investigate one of the world's worst regimes, the depths of its depravity, and how it explains a specific type of terror present in other countries today.

8 Sep 202158min

Joe Biden's Child Tax Credit sends direct money to families, no strings attached. Is it cutting down on wasteful bureaucracy and reducing hurdles to financial aid, or enabling a culture of joblessness? The World's Smartest Podcast Network rejoins to discuss, as well as: Rich People Island, the future of remote work, and Soviet Space dogs.

31 Aug 20211h 11min

Friday Release Valve (where we kick around the best, underserved headlines of the week) is returning--but moving to its own podcast. New episodes will appear on the new show titled "Friday Release Valve," along with a backlog of old episodes, funny commercials, and sketches. To find the new show, go to www.mightyheaton.com/frv or search for "Friday Release Valve" on your podcast player of choice.

27 Aug 202113min

Housing regulations have resulted in widespread urban sprawl, ethnic redlining, multi-generational poverty, and all manner of other ills.  Jeff Maurer of "I Might Be Wrong" on Substack and Jeremiah Johnson of The Neoliberal Podcast join to discuss how zoning laws have hurt America, and ways to rectify them. This episode is sponsored by Ground News - The world's first news comparison platform. Download Ground News for free here: https://ground.news/orphanage

25 Aug 20211h 2min