Tom Sutcliffe asks whether it's better to lead from the front, or advise from the side-line. The Deputy Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, Richard Hytner celebrates the latter: those who wield influence and authority away from the limelight. Heather Rabbatts has experience of being a Deputy and a Chief Executive in both politics and business. The academic Archie Brown looks back at the history of political leadership and questions whether strong leaders are the most successful and admirable, while Tony Blair's former chief of staff, Jonathan Powell turns to Machiavelli's The Prince for a primer on the art of government. Producer: Katy Hickman.
The Gist - Bankers and Internet Outrage and All These Ands
On this Friday’s Gist, Mike Pesca talks with Felix Salmon, senior editor at Fusion, about why it’s not popular to prosecute bankers. Professor Ben Yagoda teaches us the power of the literary technique polysyndeton as demonstrated everywhere from the King James Bible to Lil Wayne. And for today’s Spiel, Mike’s outraged about the culture of outrage. Get notified as soon as The Gist posts each weekday: http://www.slate.com/gistemail.
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The Gist - Has the U.S. Crowdsourced Foreign Policy?
Slate's The Gist with Mike Pesca: The Telegraph's Tom Rogan speaks with Mike about the wisdom of sending forces to rescue the Nigerian schoolgirls. Later in the show, Mike tries his hand at freestyle hip-hop, and he shares recent news items related to urine.
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The Gist - Slate’s The Gist with Mike Pesca: Why Are Online Quizzes All the Rage?
On today’s episode, Mike Pesca talks with Mark Leibovich about politicians leaving Congress for on-air punditry. He then talks with Maria Konnikova about what personality quizzes really tell us. And today's Spiel centers on whether it’s time for Americans to give Monica Lewinsky a break. Get notified as soon as The Gist posts each weekday: http://www.slate.com/gistemail.
Music:
"Eclosion" by Salmo
“Readers! Do You Read?” By Chris Zabriskie
“Power Glove” by C. Scott
"Kosmiche Slop" by Anenon
"Divider" by Chris Zabriskie
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The Gist - Slate’s The Gist with Mike Pesca: Russian Reality, Colonial Bestiality
May 6, 2014: Mike Pesca talks with Russia expert Strobe Talbott about Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on free speech in Russia. Then, a talk with the author of the book Taming Lust, about “crimes against nature” in colonial America. And why tiny Moldova should be worried about Putin too. Get notified as soon as The Gist posts each weekday: http://www.slate.com/gistemail.
Music:
"Eclosion" by Salmo
“Readers! Do You Read?” By Chris Zabriskie
“The Great” by Broke For Free”
“Power Glove” by C. Scott
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The Gist - Slate’s The Gist With Mike Pesca: Episode the First
Mike talks with Slate's Dahlia Lithwick about today's Supreme Court decision allowing explicitly Christian prayers in public meetings. Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad then turns the tables and interviews Mike about how he came to host his own show. And finally, we end with The Spiel, Mike's daily take on…something. Today's Spiel is about the promise of living forever, thanks to new insights from rat blood. Get notified as soon as The Gist posts each weekday: http://www.slate.com/gistemail.
Music:
"Eclosion" by Salmo
"Enjoyable to Know” by C. Scott
“The Great” by Broke For Free
“Power Glove” by C. Scott
"Against the Wall" by BoxCat Games
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The Gist - Promo: The Gist of the Gist
Mike Pesca gives a little preview of his new daily show, debuting May 5, 2014 on Slate.
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Start the Week - Simon Armitage on Greek Tragedy
Anne McElvoy talks to the poet Simon Armitage about his dramatisation of The Last Days of Troy. His play, based on Homer's epic, reveals how cycles of conflict and revenge, pride and self-deception continue throughout history. Greek myth is at the heart of a new opera, Thebans, in which the playwright and poet Frank McGuinness draws on the tragedy of the mythical monarch Oedipus and his daughter Antigone. Natalie Haynes explores what happens when troubled teenagers become enthralled by Greek tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge in her debut novel, while Kenan Malik goes on a quest for a moral compass. Producer: Katy Hickman.
Start the Week - The Future of Capitalism
Anne McElvoy talks to the social theorist Jeremy Rifkin who foresees the gradual decline of capitalism and the rise of a collaborative economy. As new technology enables greater sharing of goods and services, Rifkin argues that it provides a challenge to the market economy. The sociologist Saskia Sassen warns that the majority of people may not enjoy the fruits of this new world as increasing inequality, land evictions and complex financial systems lead to their expulsion from the economy. The Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng looks back at the history of international finance and how gold and war have shaped the economic order of today.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
Start the Week - James Lovelock
Picture of James Lovelock provided by the Science Museum
Anne McElvoy looks back at the life of the maverick scientist James Lovelock who pioneered the theory of Gaia, of a self-regulating Earth. Lovelock also looks to the future and the next evolution of Gaia which could lead to the extinction of human life, and a rise of Artificial Intelligence, but the writer and ecologist George Monbiot prefers his future world with wolves, wild boars and beavers living alongside humans. The UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change has warned to expect more volatile weather patterns, and the physicist Joanna Haigh explains how scientists from all disciplines are working together to measure the impact of solar activity on the Earth's climate.
Producer: Katy Hickman.