EP 179: Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Gives a Lesson in Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson is an acclaimed astrophysicist, author, and a highly popular science communicator who serves as director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Today Dr. Tyson talks about his new #1 New York Times Bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and why he wants to make science accessible and understandable for all. He shares his thoughts on how movies and television portray science. He reveals just how rapidly the
EP 178: WAR MACHINE Director David Michod
Filmmaker David Michod discusses his new film WAR MACHINE starring Brad Pitt. He talks about adapting Michael Hasting's book The Operators for film and his decision to fictionalize the character based on General Stanley McChrystal. He discusses the flawed thinking behind counter-insurgency and the danger of leaders making decisions within a bubble. Plus we talk about about Sir Ben Kingsley’s fopish portrayal of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Brad Pitt’s power walk,
EP 177: Ocean Explorer Dr. Robert Ballard on Finding Titanic, What Sank the Lusitania, & Searchi
Dr. Robert Ballard is the famed ocean explorer responsible for some of the greatest undersea discoveries including the RMS Titanic, the German battleship Bismarck, and John F. Kennedy's WW II boat PT-109. Today Dr. Ballard reveals that he was actually on a top secret government mission when he found the Titanic, what it was like the first time he physically went down to visit Titanic, and his outrage at those who are looting this sacred burial ground for profit. We also dis
EP 176: Dave Anthony & Gareth Reynolds of "The Dollop" Tell Weird Tales from America&#
Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, hosts of The Dollop podcast share some of the stranger tales in their new book The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories in America's History. They discuss quack medicine, meat showers, and straw hat riots. We talk about the excruciating death of America’s founding father, and how another U.S. president left a 1400 lb wheel of cheese sitting in the White House hallway for over year. We talk about Congress’s plan to bring hippo
EP 175: Governor John Kasich/Dr. Richard Haass
It's a double bill today w/ Ohio Governor John Kasich and Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations. In Part 1, Governor John Kasich discusses his book Two Paths: America United or Divided, the contentious 2016 GOP primary, and how to heal the country. He talks about valuing truth in the age of alternative facts, he shares why he’s opposed to the current version of the Republican healthcare bill, and why he’s tired some in his own party telling him to
EP 174: Anne-Marie Slaughter on Strategies of Connection in a Networked World
Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter, president of the New America Foundation and former director of the State Department Office of Policy Planning discusses her new book The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World. She talks about the old model of Cold War era game theory and how the US needs to employ more inclusive strategies to deal with an increasingly more complex and decentralized world. She discusses how criminal and terrorist networks are using this
EP 173: Making Trouble w/ Director John Waters
The king of bad taste director John Waters discusses his new book Make Trouble. We talk about his career in film, some of his inspirations, and why he considers his biggest commercial success to be his most subversive film. John Waters throws cold water on the romanticization of the tortured artist, extols the virtues a healthy work ethic, and suggests that in an age when everyone seems to want to be an outsider, maybe it’s more daring to be an insider. Plus we talk about
EP 172: Prof. Allan J. Lichtman Predicts Impeachment for President Donald Trump
Professor Allan J. Lichtman has successfully predicted every US Presidential election since 1984, and now he predicts a bumpy road ahead for President Donald Trump in his new book The Case for Impeachment. He talks about what he sees as the 8 most likely paths to impeaching Donald Trump including the possibility of removing Trump from office on the grounds that he is mentally unfit to hold office. He discusses the surprising likehood of Republicans in Congress abandoning Tr
EP 171: Inside Hillary Clinton's Shattered Campaign w/ Jonathan Allen
Political writer Jonathan Allen discusses his new book Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign. He talks about the various warring factions in the Clinton camp including Huma Abedin, John Podesta, and Robby Mook, and organizational disfunction and “too many cooks in the kitchen” undermined Hillary’s campaign. We discuss some of the fundamental flaws with Hillary Clinton as a candidate including her inability to articulate why she was running, her tone deaf respon
