EP 162: Theoretical Physicist Lawrence Krauss Answers "Why Are We Here?"
Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss (A Universe from Nothing) is at the forefront of the quest to discover the origins of the universe and human existence. He says human beings need to get past our need to believe that we’re “the center of the universe” and to start focusing on how we’re here instead of why we’re here. Today he talks about that and his new book The Greatest Story Ever Told--So Far: Why Are We Here? He gives a sweeping narrative of the history of science, w
EP 161: P.J. O'Rourke on Election 2016 - How the Hell Did This Happen?
Best-selling political satirist P.J. O'Rourke (Parliament of Whores) discusses his new book How the Hell Did This Happen?: The Election of 2016. The hilarious pundit shares his thoughts on a better way to choose the President, a tax on the Kardashians, and rates the candidates fashion. He ponders what happened to the Libertarians' "big moment" in 2016, reminisces about his days as editor at National Lampoon, and offers some tips on how to talk like a pundit. Order How the H
EP 160: Professor Tom Nichols on the Death of Expertise and the Rise of American Ignorance
Tom Nichols is a professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, an adjunct professor in the Harvard Extension School, and a 5 time Jeopardy! champion. He’s a respected expert on national security, Russia, and nuclear proliferation, and he’s alarmed by Americans sudden rebuke of experts like himself, and the elevation of ignorance to some sort of virtue. He writes about it in a new book called The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Know
EP 159: Henry Winkler on the Fonz, Fonts, & Helping Dyslexic Kids
Actor, producer, and author Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Arrested Development) talks about his best-selling series of Hank Zipzer books for children with dyslexia inspired by his own childhood struggles with the learning disability. He shares how his reading disorder led to some creative auditioning when he tried out for Happy Days, his fondest memories of the show’s creator Gary Marshall, and why the network tried to shoot down the Fonz’s famous leather jacket. He discusses ho
EP 158: Making a Murderer - Jerome Buting vs. Ken Kratz
Making a Murderer received over 16 million viewers in its first two months on Netflix, and the docu-series made convicted murderer Steven Avery a household name. Many people now believe Avery was framed and over 500,000 Americans have petitioned the President for a pardon for Avery. Today, the prosecutor Ken Kratz and Jerome Buting, the defense attorney for Steven Avery, will argue their cases and discuss what Making a Murderer did and didn’t show you. They’ll both share thei
EP 157: Evgeny Afineevsky Discusses His Documentary "Cries from Syria"
Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) returns to the podcast to talk about his new HBO documentary Cries from Syria. Evegny details how Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad helped fuel radical groups like ISIS to force the Free Syrian Army to fight a war on two fronts and misdirect media attention toward ISIS instead of Assad’s own crimes. He shares evidence that Assad continues to use chemical weapons on his own peop
EP 156: Man of 1000 Voices Rich Little
“The man of 1000 voices” celebrity impersonator Rich Little talks about his 50 years in showbiz and his memoir Little by Little: People I’ve Known and Been. He discusses the time he stood in for Ronald Reagan at a White House press conference, the time Jack Benny led him on a ridiculous quest for the perfect chicken noodle soup, an embarrassing cocktail party at Richard Nixon’s house, and how a trip to the San Diego Zoo helped him perfect his Johnny Carson impersonation. He s
EP 155: Author Patricia Cornwell Solves the Jack the Ripper Case
Best-selling crime writer Patricia Cornwell discusses her investigation into the true identity of the most infamous serial killer of all time. She claims that a famous artist led a double life as Jack the Ripper, and she shares the clues in his paintings, letters, and conversations as well as forensic evidence that implicate him as the Whitechapel killer. She debunks the accepted Ripper timeline and body count, she talks about the frustrating incompetence of the original Scot
EP 154: The Most Famous Hacker Gives Tips For Personal Cyber-Security
Kevin Mitnick is the world's most famous hacker and a leading cyber security expert. Today he’ll reveal how vulnerable you might be to a security hack, and he’ll share some fairly simple steps you can take to protect yourself. He’ll discuss what kind of information companies like Uber and Facebook are gathering from you (even when you’re not using their apps), how your digital photos show more than you may think, and whether your computer, your phone, and even your televisi
