Why is it so hard to feel the difference between 400,000 and 500,000 COVID-19 deaths—and how might that impact our decision making during the pandemic? Psychologist Paul Slovic explains the concept of psychic numbing and how humans can often use emotion, rather than statistics to make decisions about risk.
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NBN Book of the Day - Anthony Warner, “Ending Hunger: The Quest to Feed the World Without Destroying It” (Simon and Schuster, 2021)
Nutritionists tell you to eat more fish. Environmentalists tell you to eat less fish. Apparently they are both right. It's the same thing with almonds, or quinoa, or a hundred other foods. But is it really incumbent on us as individuals to resolve this looming global catastrophe? From plastic packaging to soil depletion to flatulent cows, we are bombarded with information about the perils of our food system.
Drawing on years of experience within the food industry, Anthony Warner invites us to reconsider what we think we know. In Ending Hunger: The Quest to Feed the World without Destroying It (Simon and Schuster, 2021), he uncovers the parallels between eating locally and 1930s fascism, promotes the potential for good in genetic modification and dispels the assumption that population growth is at the heart of our planetary woes.
Stephen Pimpare is director of the Public Service & Nonprofit Leadership program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People's History of Poverty (New Press, 2008), Ghettos, Tramps & Welfare Queens (Oxford, 2017), and Politics for Social Workers (Columbia, forthcoming 2021).
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Land of the Giants - The Google Empire
In Land of the Giants: The Google Empire, Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary and Big Technology's Alex Kantrowitz explore how a company that began with idealistic goals of creative experimentation and making useful products has turned into a worldwide power with enormous impact on the way we live. New episodes begin Tuesday, February 16th.
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What A Day - There Goes My Hero Pay
Trump’s Senate impeachment trial begins today. Trump’s team continues to argue that the trial itself is unconstitutional… that’s what they’ll be debating with House managers today.
Many of the country’s largest retail and grocery chains have suspended “hero pay” to essential workers, despite having a profitable 2020. Now cities and counties are trying to increase wages with local ordinances, but the businesses are fighting back.
And in headlines: rescuers in India are working to find people after a Himalayan glacier disaster, inmates in a St. Louis prison call for better protections against COVID, and Facebook to remove vaccine misinfo.
Show Links:
"Local COVID-19 hazard pay mandates are doing what Congress and most corporations aren’t for essential workers"
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/01/27/local-covid-19-hazard-pay-mandates-are-doing-what-congress-and-most-corporations-arent-for-essential-workers/amp/
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday
The Daily Signal - This Simple Solution Could Sharply Lower COVID-19 Infections, Harvard Medical Doctor Says
Dr. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology and immunology at the Harvard School of Public Health, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss how rapid-result tests could dramatically decrease COVID-19 cases and allow much of the economy to reopen.
And Mina, who also is associate medical director of microbiology at Harvard Medical School, breaks down why these tests haven't been made widely available, but should be now.
We also cover these stories:
- Lawyers for former President Donald Trump demand that his impeachment be dismissed, as the Senate impeachment trial is set to begin Tuesday.
- House impeachment managers release a fiery brief of their own, saying that “even after he incited insurrection, President Trump took numerous steps on January 6 that further incited the insurgents to escalate their violence and siege of the Capitol."
- Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, just reelected to a second term, dies after contracting COVID-19. He also had battled lung cancer.
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The Stack Overflow Podcast - How to think in React
You can check out Cassidy's course on React here. It will teach you how to "build a reusable and declarative React component library. It's perfect for developers who are looking to build a scalable design system for their team and product." If you're not in the mood to subscribe, Cassidy would recommend Free Code Camp.
There's lots of info about Cassidy's various projects at cassidoo.co. You can catch her coding live at twitter.com/cassidoo, Thursdays at 12:30 PT/2:30 Central/3:30 Eastern.
Sara made it to the ending credits of Hades, so you know she's a fan. Cassidy is excited for the latest version of Stardew Valley and has been impressed with Half Life Alyx and the Valve Index VR headset.
Read Me a Poem - “Love at First Sight” by Wislawa Szymborska
Amanda Holmes reads Wislawa Szymborska’s poem, “Love at First Sight,” translated from the Polish by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh. Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
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Opening Arguments - OA463: Why Cases Against Robinhood Will Fail
Ace Associate Morgan Stringer is here to throw some cold water on the cases against Robinhood in the GameStop fiasco. Why are they doomed? Find out!
Before that we cover a grab bag of good news items including the DOJ dropping the Yale lawsuit, federal student debt cancelation, and Virginia abolishing the death penalty. Are you tired of positivity yet?
Links: OA219: Harvard and Affirmative Action, Warren and Schumer Resolution, 20 US Code § 1082, Virginia Senate passes death penalty abolition bill
Chapo Trap House - 496 – Wassup (2/8/21)
A sampler platter of an ep as we talk about the Super Bowl, China’s “totalitarian” COVID response, the proudboy to Fed pipeline, and Nevada’s new proposal to allow blockchain companies to form municipal governments. Finally, we do our quarterly check-up on Rod Dreher to learn how he’s definitely NOT being blackmailed over pornography but definitely IS a stoolie.
ALSO:
We’re going to watch and do a live commentary on Mike Lindell’s “Absolute Proof” tomorrow night (Tues. 2/9), starting at 10 pm EST over on twitch.tv/chapotraphouse!
The Gist - Comparing COVID-19 vaccines and Climate Change with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
On the Gist, ads for “The Big Game” are given the Pesca treatment.
In the Interview, it’s vaccine talk. Mike sits down remotely with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a former Detroit health director and epidemiologist about the COVID-19 vaccine. They talk about how social media has spread both information and misinformation, how the response to the coronavirus is eerily similar to climate change, and how Canadians have managed to get things right. Plus, when politics and health collide: El-Sayed’s new book Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide is out now. He’s also the host of America Dissected from Crooked Media, among many other projects.
In the spiel, George Shultz’ legacy as a public servant.
Email us at thegist@slate.com
Podcast production by Margaret Kelley and Cheyna Roth.
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