The Indicator from Planet Money - Should colleges accept money from bad people?

At a dinner in 2010, physicist Sean Carroll is handed a phone. On the other end: A wealthy patron looking to potentially fund his research. Months later came an invite to a conference. It would take place on an island. The caller was Jeffrey Epstein. Sean declined. Many others didn’t.

On today’s show, why did so many academics say yes to Epstein’s invites and money? And what Epstein’s ability to ingratiate himself with them reveals about how science research is funded.  

Come see Planet Money live on stage in April! Twelve cities. Details and tix here: https://tix.to/pm-book-tour

Related episodes: 
What an Epstein recording reveals about how elites get jobs
American science brain drain

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter 

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Chapo Trap House - BONUS: Neighbors ft. Harrison Fishman & Dylan Redford

We’re joined by filmmakers Harrison Fishman & Dylan Redford to discuss their new docuseries “Neighbors”. The series chronicles neighbor disputes throughout the USA, and offers a near-psychedlic glimpse into how private property induces unbearable levels of psychosis in a variety of everyday Americans. We discuss how interpersonal surveillance, social media reinforcement, conspiratorial paranoia, completely useless civil institutions, bad pet ownership, guns Guns GUNS, and good old fashioned being a jackass render the very idea of living next to someone a psychic and emotional battlefield in this country, and how Harrison and Dylan went about capturing it on camera. Neighbors airs Fridays on HBO and is streaming now on HBOmax.

60 Songs That Explain the '90s - Paramore — “Misery Business”

Imagine the angstiest, cringiest art you made as a teenager. Now imagine the entire world singing to it in their cars and at karaoke forever. Today, Rob is breaking down the emotionally turbulent emo-bop factory machine that is Paramore. He applauds the incredible and messy lyrics of ‘Riot!,’ which differentiate the album from those of similar bands of the time. Later, he talks to The Ringer’s Rob Mahoney, Paramore’s OG fan, to discuss the exponential improvement between ‘All We Know Is Falling’ and ‘Riot!’ and Hayley Williams’s incredible vocals on “Misery Business.”


Host: Rob Harvilla

Producers: Justin Sayles and Olivia Crerie

Additional Video Editing: Kevin Pooler and Chris Sutton

Guest: Rob Mahoney

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The Commentary Magazine Podcast - Wishcasting Failure

The indelible Chris Stirewalt joins us to discuss the overwhelming power disparity in the Iran war in contrast to its negative coverage in the media, and how the perverse incentives for partisan nastiness prevent progress on broadly popular policy measures. Plus, what Zohran Mamdani hosting Mahmoud Khalil says about the real intentions of those claiming to merely be "pro-Palestine," and the modern relevance of the 1933 novel The Oppermanns.

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NPR's Book of the Day - To understand consciousness, Michael Pollan looked at plants, AI and himself

While researching a previous book, a mushroom trip in Michael Pollan’s garden left him curious about the boundaries of consciousness. His latest project A World Appears explores the mystery of human consciousness through scientific, philosophical and psychedelic frameworks. In today’s episode, Pollan talks with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan about the sentience of plants and animals vs. our own. They also discuss “lantern” vs. “spotlight” consciousness, AI and why Pollan sees the computer as a faulty metaphor for the human brain.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - The shadowy world of merchant cash advances

During the pandemic, mostly unregulated lenders went after struggling restaurants and music venues, charging at times sky high rates. Now, they’ve found a new market: small businesses that desperately need cash to pay tariffs.

Today on the show, the story of a financial lifeline that can turn into a financial choke hold.

Come see Planet Money live on stage in April! 12 cities. Details and tix here: https://tix.to/pm-book-tour

Related episodes: 
Can I get my tariff money back now? 
Three ways companies are getting around tariffs 

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter 

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See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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