Leah and Melissa are joined by the first repeat guest on Strict Scrutiny, Elie Mystal, to discuss his recent column about Democratic leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee. They also provide some dramatic readings and reenactments of some of the hearings and filings from the (poorly run) coup attempt.
Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025!
Look into the night sky in the coming days and Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer than they’ve been since the early 17th century, according to the astronomer Stuart Clark. He tells Tom Sutcliffe it’s a beautiful great conjunction that happens once every 20 years, but this year is especially rare. In his book, Beneath the Night, Clark explores how the stars have shaped the history of humankind, inspiring awe and fascination throughout the centuries.
It was the extremity and majesty of whales that inspired the writer Rebecca Giggs. In her latest book, Fathoms: the world in the whale, she fuses natural history, philosophy and science to look at our relationship with this most magnificent of mammals. She asks how far the lives of whales might shed light on the condition of our seas, and the impact of climate change.
Artists have long taken inspiration for their work from the heavens and the natural world around them. In Shaping the World: Sculpture from Pre-History to Now, the world-renowned sculptor Antony Gormley explores this art form, alongside the art critic Martin Gayford. Gormley argues that the desire to make objects can be found in every culture throughout the world, and is a fundamental part of our human journey and need for expression.
Look into the night sky in the coming days and Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer than they’ve been since the early 17th century, according to the astronomer Stuart Clark. He tells Tom Sutcliffe it’s a beautiful great conjunction that happens once every 20 years, but this year is especially rare. In his book, Beneath the Night, Clark explores how the stars have shaped the history of humankind, inspiring awe and fascination throughout the centuries.
It was the extremity and majesty of whales that inspired the writer Rebecca Giggs. In her latest book, Fathoms: the world in the whale, she fuses natural history, philosophy and science to look at our relationship with this most magnificent of mammals. She asks how far the lives of whales might shed light on the condition of our seas, and the impact of climate change.
Artists have long taken inspiration for their work from the heavens and the natural world around them. In Shaping the World: Sculpture from Pre-History to Now, the world-renowned sculptor Antony Gormley explores this art form, alongside the art critic Martin Gayford. Gormley argues that the desire to make objects can be found in every culture throughout the world, and is a fundamental part of our human journey and need for expression.
The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed that governments matter again, that competent leadership is the difference between living and dying. A few governments proved adept at handling the crisis while many others failed. Are Western governments healthy and strong enough to keep their citizens safe from another virulent virus—and protect their economies from collapse? Is global leadership passing from the United States to Asia—and particularly China?
The problems that face us are enormous; as The Wake-Up Call makes clear, governments around the world must re-engineer the way they operate to successfully meet the challenges ahead.
Kirk Meighoo is a TV and podcast host, former university lecturer, author and former Senator in Trinidad and Tobago. He hosts his own podcast, Independent Thought & Freedom, where he interviews some of the most interesting people from around the world who are shaking up politics, economics, society and ideas. You can find it in the iTunes Store or any of your favorite podcast providers. You can also subscribe to his YouTube channel. If you are an academic who wants to get heard nationally, please check out his free training at becomeapublicintellectual.com.
What is flavor? Is it merely what your nose and tongue tell you? For cookbook author and recipe developer Nik Sharma, flavor is a full-body experience. Drawing upon his background in molecular biology, Nik brings scientific inquiry to the kitchen in his new cookbook, The Flavor Equation. In today's episode, Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong and producer Rebecca Ramirez cook two recipes from Nik's book and explore the scientific principles at work. Check out the episode page for photos and other links! Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Frankly, it's a little embarrassing it's taken this long to do this toolkit, but better late than never: In the Bubble answers your questions about bubbles. Andy and Lana enlist the help of epidemiologists Emily Gurley and Saskia Popescu to get a better understanding of what a bubble is (and what it isn't), how to build a safer one, what to do if someone in your bubble gets sick, and more. Plus, why the UK has bad bubbles.
Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.
Follow Saskia Popescu @SaskiaPopescu and Emily Gurley @EmilyGurley3 on Twitter.
In the Bubble is supported in part by listeners like you. Become a member, get exclusive bonus content, ask Andy questions, and get discounted merch at https://www.lemonadamedia.com/inthebubble/
Support the show by checking out our sponsors!
Livinguard masks have the potential to deactivate COVID-19 based on the testing they have conducted from leading universities such as the University of Arizona and the Free University in Berlin, Germany. Go to shop.livinguard.com and use the code BUBBLE10 for 10% off.
Pre-order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response, here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165
Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized by the FDA on Friday evening, and the first shipments went out on Sunday. Most state governments intend to follow CDC recommendations and give the first few batches to health care workers and nursing home residents and staff… members of the Trump White House might also get it early.
Today is the official electoral college vote, after which Biden and Harris will officially become the President-elect and Vice President-elect. Some Republicans may try to raise final objections when Congress counts the electoral votes in January, but… the end is near.
And in headlines: A judge orders the jail population in Orange County, California to be cut in half, pro-Trump protestors demonstrate and commit violence in D.C., and Russian hackers infiltrate the Treasury and Commerce Department.
It is no secret that the mainstream media leans left. From the ways in which they choose to report on critical issues, to the questions they decide to ask political leaders on different sides of the aisle, media bias is undeniable.
CNN contributor Mary Katherine Ham and Fox New contributor and radio host Guy Benson were recently interviewed about media bias during The Heritage Foundation’s annual President’s Club Meeting. Today, we are excited to share their perspectives with you on the podcast.
Plus, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about the ways in which Americans are stepping up to help small businesses as COVID related lockdowns continue.
Matthew W. Johnson is a professor and psychedelics researcher at Johns Hopkins. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(06:31) – Introduction to psychedelics
(22:33) – Psychedelics expand the mind
(25:44) – The priors we bring to the psychedelic experience
(29:40) – Elon Musk and first principles thinking
(40:10) – DMT
(51:32) – Joe Rogan and DMT
(57:40) – The nature of drug addiction
(1:11:29) – The economics of drug pricing
(1:17:44) – Should we legalize all drugs?
(1:29:46) – What is the most dangerous drug?
(1:32:20) – Does drug prohibition work?
(1:36:14) – Cocaine and sex
(1:43:15) – Risky sexual decisions
(1:54:12) – Psilocybin helping people quit smoking
(2:00:30) – Young Jamie
(2:22:38) – Participating in a study
(2:29:57) – Psychedelics and the human mind
(2:37:20) – The future of psychedelics
(2:40:01) – Neuralink
(2:49:33) – Consciousness
(3:02:15) – Panpsychism
(3:12:20) – Aliens and DMT
(3:22:24) – Mortality
(3:32:12) – Meaning of life
