Listener Piper called us up with this question, “Why do some people have a harder time than others distinguishing their left and right?”
When our friends at the Vox podcast Unexplainable heard it they were so intrigued that they created a whole game show around it and invited our very own Explain It to Me host Jonquilyn Hill to play along.
Why do some people ... Show More
Nov 16
The case for renting forever
Housing prices aren't coming down, and that's challenging us to redefine the American dream. Maybe renting isn't so bad?
This story was supported by a grant from Arnold Ventures. The episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by ... Show More
29m 18s
Nov 9
Why your health insurance is so expensive
It’s open enrollment season, and new health insurance premiums are causing sticker shock around the country. So how do you pick a health care plan that won’t break the bank? This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Danielle Hewitt, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Me ... Show More
30m 24s
Aug 18
So, what exactly is the “New Right?”
A loose movement of radical intellectuals is driving American politics. They’re called the “New Right,” and they share a basic hostility to American liberal democracy, a real desire to fundamentally overhaul it, and real influence in the White House. But why do they think that? H ... Show More
51m 36s
Oct 1
Lefties, righties and mixed-handers: The psychology of brain asymmetry, with Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD
Left-handers make up about 10.6 percent of the world’s population. Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD, talks about why handedness and other brain asymmetries exist; the genetic and environmental factors that influence handedness; whether there’s any truth to the stereotype that lefties ar ... Show More
36m 46s
Aug 2024
#381 — Delusions, Right and Left
<p>Sam Harris speaks with "Destiny" (Steven Bonnell) about politics and public debate. They discuss how he approaches debate, "Trump derangement syndrome," January 6th, why Trump's norm violations don't matter to many people, misadventures on the information landscape, social med ... Show More
46m 47s
Aug 11
How common knowledge shapes the world | Steven Pinker
<p>Common knowledge is the secret engine of social life, letting us coordinate everything from meet-ups to markets to international diplomacy. In this fascinating talk, experimental cognitive scientist Steven Pinker explores its momentous impact, threading together stories of why ... Show More
15m 20s