Keza MacDonald, the video games editor at The Guardian and author of the new book “Super Nintendo: The Game-Changing Company That Unlocked the Power of Play,” chose to write her first book about Nintendo because it has been so central for so long to the culture of games. “It was the company that got me into video games,” she says. “I know that’s the same story that millions of other people have had as well." She speaks with host Gilbert Cruz about the iconic Japanese company as well as how the perception of gaming has changed over the decades.
CrowdScience listener Griffith in Ghana, isn’t JUST a CrowdScience listener. He’s also a listener to our sister show on the World Service, Unexpected Elements. But he’s noticed something funny.
In the weekly Unexpected Elements multiple-choice quiz, the answer is almost NEVER ‘a’. It’s nearly always ‘b’, or ‘c’. Why is this? When we set the quiz, why are we so reluctant to choose option ‘a’?
His question leads presenter Alex Lathbridge on a journey into the murky depths of our brain, where he discovers the cognitive biases which so often trip us up in games of chance, or probability. Your brain might be a marvellous machine when it comes to figuring out how to understand the world, but sometimes, in the name of efficiency, it takes clever little short-cuts to the answer.
This pragmatic approach to problem solving helps us manage an incredibly complicated world. But occasionally, especially when it comes to mathematics, chance, and probability, it leads us in the wrong direction. With the help of mathematician Kit Yates from the University of Bath in the UK, and some rather stale sweets, Alex will be finding out how to win at games of chance.
Alex also explores the world of gaming, and gambling. Games of chance in which our intuition sometimes lets us down, and makes us choose unwisely. Rachel Croson, Professor of Economics at the University of Minnesota, USA, talks us through how the human brain can work against us.
But can knowledge of those human pitfalls help us to win? Alex hears from Maria Konnikova, who turned her research on the psychology of poker into a successful gambling career. Can we really use maths to beat our brains, and learn how to win more often?
Presenter Alex Lathbridge
Producer Emily Knight
Editor Ben Motley
(Photo: Close up image of multiple choice question. Credit: BBC)
Trump casually posted a racist video and the White House essentially told Americans to calm down. Convicted felons are being treated better than rounded-up immigrants in detention centers. And the evangelicals' favorite president doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word, prayer. Still, Republicans on The Hill are seeing the broad unpopularity of ICE's behavior in Minnesota and may be starting to distance themselves from the policies they funded. Plus, a simple measure beyond masks that could really rein in ICE, the extensive structural damage at the DOJ, trads keep rationalizing cruelty, and why is SCOTUS taking so long on the tariffs case? Also, Tim puts David in the squirm chair with a Kid Rock v. Bad Bunny lyrics quiz.
David French joins Tim Miller for the Super Bowl weekend pod.
Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, a small number of seats are still available for our second show in Minneapolis on February 18. https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bulwark-events
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defends an executive order that requires Chicago police to help hold ICE agents accountable for alleged abuses. Marimar Martinez, a Chicago woman shot by Border Patrol, speaks out in an exclusive WBEZ-Sun-Times interview and on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, Reshona Landfair, the Jane Doe in R. Kelly’s infamous tape, is out with a memoir, Who’s Watching Shorty?, where she tells her story and “reclaims her name.”
In the Loop goes behind the headlines of those and other state and local stories Better Government Association president David Greising, Axios Chicago reporter Monica Eng and Chicago Sun-Times reporter Violet Miller.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
Hey Smarties! There won’t be a livestream for “Economics on Tap” today. But don’t worry! “Economics on Tap” will return soon on Feb. 20. For now, we’re sharing a new episode from our friends over at “This Is Uncomfortable.” Enjoy!
“Work Drama” is the “This Is Uncomfortable” advice column, answering your questions about sticky work situations. This week, Reema tackles your questions about workplace tension, co-worker cliques, bosses behaving badly, and some bizarre office policies. And she’s joined by one of our favorite culture writers and podcasters, Sarah Hagi, who hosts “Scamfluencers.”
If you have any work drama going on, we want to hear about it! You can send it to us at uncomfortable@marketplace.org, leave a message at 347-RING-TIU, or fill out the form at the bottom of the page.
On this episode of The Federalist Radio Hour, Katy Faust, founder and president of children's rights organization Them Before Us, joins Federalist Senior Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle to discuss the devastating consequences the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision had on children and deliberate on the best way to recenter marriage and family to prioritize kids' rights.
Read more from Faust here: https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/29/obergefell-has-harmed-children-for-far-too-long/
The Federalist Foundation is a nonprofit, and we depend entirely on our listeners and readers — not corporations. If you value fearless, independent journalism, please consider a tax-deductible gift today at TheFederalist.com/donate. Your support keeps us going.
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate.
Music
Unseen Forces by Justin Walter
Peperomia Seedling by Green-House
Ebb Tide by Houston & Dorsey
Little Miss Echo by Raymond Scott
Stellify by Francesco Albanese
Chain Home by Rogerson and Eno
Luna by Digitonal
Caroline Shaw plays The Orangery from Plan & Elevation
Notes
The place to start with all of this is here. It'll lead you out to the Bishop Museum's work, the lovely documentary produced by Hawai'ian Public Television, everywhere where you'd want to go.
"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." —Alexis de Tocqueville
When Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to a freshly-minted America, he found a people gathering and talking and deciding on things—they were building, and they were repairing. That's a 250-year-old spirit we're going to need to rediscover, so we're bringing together two young leaders of this very old idea—John Wood and Manu Meel. Of the people, by the people and for the people is how these two have been getting it done.
John Wood is the National Ambassador and Director of Public Engagement at Braver Angels, an effort we at The Village Square have been fans and supporters of since it was still a glimmer in its founder's eye. John is also a columnist at USA Today. Manu Meel is the founding CEO of BridgeUSA, an organization on campuses across America. He's also been named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in education. And (here's the bonus): they are dear friends.
This program is part of the series in partnership with Florida Humanities — "UNUM: Democracy Reignited," a multi-year digital offering exploring the past, present and future of the American idea — as it exists on paper, in the hearts of our people, and as it manifests (or sometimes fails to manifest) in our lives.
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The Village Square is a proud member of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.
UNUM: Democracy Reignited is made possible in partnership with Florida Humanities (Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities.)
Plus: The University of Michigan's measure of consumer sentiment ticks higher. And in talks with the U.S., Iran refuses to end its enrichment of nuclear fuel. Pierre Bienaimé hosts.
An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.
