Give and Take artwork

Give and Take

263 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★★ - 94 ratings

Someone once observed that if Howard Stern and Krista Tippett had a love child, it would be Scott Jones. Scott liked that.
At "Give and Take,” Scott Jones talks with artists, authors, theologians, and political pundits about the lens through which they experience life. With empathy, humor, and a deep knowledge of religion, current events, and pop culture, Scott engages his guests in a free-flowing conversation that's entertaining, unexpected, occasionally bizarre, and oftentimes enlightening. He likes people, and it shows.
Past interviewees include Mark Oppenheimer, Melissa Febos, David French, Miroslav Volf, Dan Savage, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Rob Bell, and (yes) Krista Tippett.
Scott is the former host and producer of the popular Mockingcast podcast (https://themockingcast.fireside.fm) and an in-demand consultant on all things “pod.” He’s also the co-host, with Bill Borror, of New Persuasive Words (https://npw.fireside.fm). Scott is also a prolific writer, a frequent conference speaker, a PhD candidate in Theology, and an ordained minister.

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Episodes

Episode 261: Being a Wartime Rabbi, with Rabbi Raphael Davidovich

February 28, 2024 21:00 - 1 hour - 46 MB

In this episode we are joined by Raphael Davidovich. He is the Rabbi of Cleveland's friendliest Orthodox schule. We touch on a host of issues including and especially what it means to be an American Rabbi when Israel is at war. You can find Rabbi Davidovich's podcast here: https://anchor.fm/raphael-davidovich Special Guest: Raphael Davidovich.

Episode 260: Doing Faith Holistically, with Rabbi Uri Allen

October 15, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 70.4 MB

My guest is Rabbi Uri Allen. Rabbi Uri Allen is a guitar-playing Abba of three who loves cooking, traveling around the country to see his favorite band Phish and learning Torah. His passions in the rabbinate are in educating and teaching learners of all ages, working with young families like his own, and using music to add contour and depth to Jewish rituals and life. We had a great interfaith conversation that touched everything under the sun.

Episode 259: The Einstein Effect: How the World's Favorite Genius Got into Our Cars, Our Bathrooms, and Our Minds, with Benyamin Cohen

October 06, 2023 16:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MB

My guest is Benyamin Cohen. Benyamin Cohen manages the official social media accounts of Albert Einstein. He is the News Director of the Forward and was the founding editor of both Jewsweek and American Jewish Life magazine. His newest book is The Einstein Effect: How the World's Favorite Genius Got into Our Cars, Our Bathrooms, and Our Minds. (https://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Effect-Favorite-Bathrooms-Fascinating/dp/1728248388) It's a fascinating look into how Einstein's genius and science co...

Episode 258: Humanism, Healing and Hope, with Jane Rosenzweig

October 04, 2023 23:00 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MB

My guest is Jane Rosenzweig. Jane has spent a career working in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion field in corporate America. She and I also spend entirely too much time on an app called Clubhouse, which is where we met. Special Guest: Jane Rosenzweig.

Episode 257: You're Only Human, with Kelly Kapic

December 16, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 74.8 MB

Work. Family. Church. Exercise. Sleep. The list of demands on our time seems to be never ending. It can leave you feeling a little guilty--like you should always be doing one more thing. Rather than sharing better time-management tips to squeeze more hours out of the day, Kelly Kapic takes a different approach in You're Only Human. He offers a better way to make peace with the fact that God didn't create us to do it all. Kapic explores the theology behind seeing our human limitations as a gif...

Episode 256: Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts, with Kirsten Powers

October 13, 2021 17:00 - 58 minutes - 67.2 MB

My guest is Kirsten Powers. Her new book is Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V4XDPZQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) In it this CNN senior political analyst and USA Today columnist offers a path to navigating the toxic division in our culture without compromising our convictions and emotional well-being, based on her experience as a journalist during the Trump era, interviews with ex...

Episode 255: The Rise of Post-Liberal Man

July 29, 2021 20:15 - 54 minutes - 43.8 MB

My guest is Mathis Bitton. He is a student of political theory at Yale University. His writing focuses on liberalism and its discontents, Confucian and Islamic thought, city-states, and institution-building. You can follow him on Twitter at @mlbitton. His recent piece, The Rise of Post-Liberal Man, sparked the conversation. You can read it here: https://quillette.com/2021/07/22/the-rise-of-post-liberal-man/

Episode 254: The 40 Day Challenge, with Rabbi Mark Wildes

July 26, 2021 16:45 - 46 minutes - 52.9 MB

My guest is Mark Wildes. His newest book is The 40 Day Challenge. (https://www.amazon.com/40-Day-Challenge-Mark-Wildes/dp/1947857673/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=40+day+challenge+wildes&qid=1627318296&sr=8-1) Sometimes we are spiritually frozen. This book will thaw you out and heat you up - Nissim Black, Rapper and Businessman Written in an approachable, uplifting, and accessible style, The 40 Day Challenge is an invitation for people who believe there is more to life than the daily grind. I...

Episode 253: Supreme Court Recap, with Steve Krone

June 19, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 81.3 MB

My guest is Steve Krone. In addition to being an entertainment lawyer and a prolific film producer, he also was a Supreme Court clerk for Justices William J. Brennan, Jr. and David H. Souter. We talked about the two significant decisions the Supreme Court handed down this week. We also chatted a bit about film. Special Guest: Steve Krone.

Episode 252: Talking Politics, Pop-Culture, and Podcasting, with Roifield Brown

May 20, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 78.2 MB

In this episode I talk with Roifield Brown. Roifield Brown is an experienced podcaster and media strategist, with an impressive track record of helping companies enhance and grow their media properties to diverse audiences across a wide range of categories, including politics, history, culture and entertainment. Special Guest: Roifield Brown.

Episode 251: Candles in the Dark, with Rowan Williams

March 09, 2021 23:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MB

My guest is Rowan Williams. ‘As we contemplate the coming months, not knowing when we can breathe again, it’s worth thinking about how already the foundations have been laid for whatever new opportunities God has for us on the far side of this crisis.’ Rowan Williams offers these words of wisdom and many more in his new book Candles in the Dark (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NSRB4V5/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1). This powerful and timely book brings together the 26 weekly Chris...

Episode 250: Everybody Prays, with James Martin

February 12, 2021 01:00 - 58 minutes - 66.5 MB

My guest is James Martin, SJ. His newest book is Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0881RR2QZ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1). He is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communications, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" and "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything." Among his other books, "My Life with the Saints" and "Between Hea...

Episode 249: To Reach the Spring: From Complicity to Consciousness in the Age of Eco-Crisis, with Nathaniel Popkin

February 02, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 88.7 MB

My guest is Nathaniel Popkin. His newest book is To Reach the Spring: From Complicity to Consciousness in the Age of Eco-Crisis. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHKXQSW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) In the shadow of an escalating eco-crisis—a looming catastrophe that will dwarf the fallout from COVID-19—how can we explain our society’s failure to act? What will we tell future generations? Are we paralyzed because the problem is so vast in scope, or are there deeper reasons for t...

Episode 248: Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines, with Jamie Merisotis

January 14, 2021 23:00 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MB

As computer technology advances with dizzying speed, human workers face an ever-increasing threat of obsolescence. In Human Work In the Age of Smart Machines, Jamie Merisotis argues that we can—and must—rise to this challenge by preparing to work alongside smart machines doing that which only humans can: thinking critically, reasoning ethically, interacting interpersonally, and serving others with empathy. The president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, Merisotis offers a roadmap for the large-sc...

Episode 247: The Very Last Interview: with David Shields, Nick Toti, and Rachel Kempf

January 03, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 83.3 MB

My guests are David Shields, Nick Toti, and Rachel Kempf. We talk about The Very Last Interview (Shields' forthcoming book), film-adapted by Toti and Kempf and released this month. Shields is the author of over twenty books including Reality Hunger, Other People, How Literature Saved My Life, The Trouble with Men, That Thing You Do With Your Mouth, etc. While The Very Last Interview will not be released until early 2022 by New York Review Books, Toti released the 30 minute short earlier this ...

Episode 246: 6 Spiritual Truths that Won’t Change with the Election, with Frederick Schmidt

October 31, 2020 17:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MB

My guest if Frederick Schmidt. He holds the Rueben P. Job Chair in Spiritual Formation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. He's also an Episcopal Priest. He recently wrote a piece entitled "6 Spiritual Truths that Won’t Change with the Election." It's a timely piece for reflection and discussion. Special Guest: Frederick W. Schmidt .

Episode 245: Presidential Playbook 2020: 16 Nonpartisan Solutions to Save America, with John Burke

October 14, 2020 00:00 - 45 minutes - 42 MB

My guest is John Burke. His newest book is Presidential Playbook 2020: 16 Nonpartisan Solutions to Save America. (https://www.amazon.com/Presidential-Playbook-2020-Nonpartisan-Solutions/dp/1942586744/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=John+Burke+2020&qid=1602635276&sr=8-1) “And sometime, at some point, do something for your country.” That quote from Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough resonated so deeply with Trek Bicycle President John Burke that he set out to write a book laying out...

Episode 244: Healing Politics: A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic, Abdul El-Sayed

September 26, 2020 19:00 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB

My guest is Abdul El-Sayed. His new book is Healing Politics: A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic. (https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Politics-Doctors-Political-Epidemic/dp/1419743023) From a rising voice in progressive politics, a combination of memoir, science, and public policy, diagnosing the challenges facing America and laying out a way forward A child of immigrants, Abdul El-Sayed grew up feeling a responsibility to help others. He threw himself into the study of m...

Episode 243: Breaking Bread With The Dead, with Alan Jacobs

September 23, 2020 19:00 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MB

My guest is Alan Jacobs. His newest book is Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader's Guide to a More Tranquil Mind (https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Bread-Dead-Readers-Tranquil/dp/1984878409/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1600890885&sr=8-1). W. H. Auden once wrote that "art is our chief means of breaking bread with the dead." In his brilliant and compulsively readable new treatise, Breaking Bread with the Dead, Alan Jacobs shows us that engaging with the strange and wonderful writings...

Episode 242: Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, with Ariel Sabar

September 22, 2020 19:00 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MB

My guest is Ariel Sabar. His newest book is Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385542585/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385542585&linkCode=as2&tag=arisab-20&linkId=9774cdc46b1a1eeccba87f6d0165a07c). In 2012, Dr. Karen King, a star professor at Harvard Divinity School, announced a blockbuster discovery at a scholarly conference just steps from the Vatican: She had found an ancient fragment of pa...

Episode 241: Spiritual Directions and Spiritual Direction, with David Norling

September 22, 2020 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MB

My guest is David Norling. He is a California native, an evangelical refugee, and has a deep interest in spirituality, spiritual direction, and human flourishing. We spend time talking about his own spiritual biography and journey. We also talk narrative therapy and spiritual direction. Special Guest: David Norling .

Episode 240: You're a Miracle (and a Pain in the Ass), with Mike McHargue

September 03, 2020 03:00 - 1 hour - 72.2 MB

My guest is Mike McHargue. His newest book is You're a Miracle (and a Pain in the Ass) (https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Miracle-Pain-Ass-Understanding/dp/1984823248). Why is there such a gap between what you want to do and what you actually do? The host of Ask Science Mike explains why our desires and our real lives are so wildly different—and what you can do to close the gap, in this his newest book. For thousands of years, scientists, philosophers, and self-help gurus have wrestled with one o...

Episode 239: The Campaign of Miner Bo, with Todd Drezner

September 02, 2020 18:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MB

My guest is Todd Drezner. His newest film is The Campaign of Miner Bo (https://www.minerbofilm.com). It’s probably safe to say that Bo Copley never expected to run for U.S. Senate. A lifelong resident of Mingo County, West Virginia, Copley worked in the coal industry for 11 years until he was laid off on September 18, 2015. In May of 2016, Copley was invited to join a roundtable discussion with Hillary Clinton, who was campaigning in West Virginia before the state’s presidential primary. Copl...

Episode 238: Break It Up, with Richard Kreitner

August 28, 2020 00:00 - 1 hour - 62.9 MB

My guest is Richard Kreitner. His new book is Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union. The novel and fiery thesis of Break It Up is simple: The United States has never lived up to its name—and never will. The disunionist impulse may have found its greatest expression in the Civil War, but as Break It Up shows, the seduction of secession wasn’t limited to the South or the nineteenth century. It was there at our founding and has never gone away. Wit...

Episode 237: Nobody Hates Trump More Than Trump Revisited, with David Shields

August 06, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MB

My guest is David Shields. He's the author of numerous books including Nobody Hates Trump More Than Trump: An Intervention (https://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Hates-Trump-More-Than/dp/1945796995). It can be read in a variety of ways: as a psychological investigation of Trump, as a philosophical meditation on the relationship between language and power, as a satirical compilation of the “collected wit and wisdom of Donald Trump,” and above all as a dagger into the rhetoric of American political dis...

Episode 236: Leave It As It Is, with David Gessner

August 02, 2020 14:00 - 44 minutes - 40.3 MB

My guest is David Gessner. His newest book is Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt's American Wilderness (https://www.amazon.com/Leave-As-Theodore-Roosevelts-Wilderness/dp/1982105046). “Leave it as it is,” Theodore Roosevelt announced while viewing the Grand Canyon for the first time. “The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.” Roosevelt’s rallying cry signaled the beginning of an environmental fight that still wages today. To reconnect with the American wil...

Episode 235: How to Watch Porn, with Alice Vaughn

July 21, 2020 19:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MB

My guest is Alice Vaughn. She's the co-host of Two Girls One Mic: The Porncast (https://www.twogirlsonemic.com//). They review the holes and plot holes of your favorite porn. She also founded Offensive Crayons, a wildly successful company... https://www.offensivecrayons.com. We talk porn, politics, psychology and the pandemic's effect on the porn industry and the wider culture. Special Guest: Alice Vaughn .

Episode 234: The Character Gap, with Christian Miller

July 17, 2020 00:00 - 44 minutes - 25.6 MB

My guest is Christian Miller. Have you ever wondered if you're a good person? Have you asked how you good be a better one? Do your moral failings bug you? Christian Miller has spent his whole life studying these questions. He's a moral philosopher and the author of The Character Gap (https://www.amazon.com/Character-Gap-Good-Philosophy-Action/dp/0190264225). If you are thinking about what it means to live the good life than this is the episode for you.

Episode 233: Life At The End Of Us Vs Them, with Marcus Rempel

July 08, 2020 22:00 - 47 minutes - 43 MB

My guest is Marcus Rempel. He's the author of Life At The End Of Us Vs Them (https://www.amazon.com/Life-End-Us-Versus-Them/dp/152551024X). critics of both Christianity and culture. The end of us versus them can deteriorate into the chaos of each against each or it can open outward into freely chosen communion. It is an expectant - and apocalyptic - time. How does one live in this strange, endtime world? As a wanderer in the odd, cross-culture country Girard and Illich have mapped, the author...

Episode 232: Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk, with Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke

July 03, 2020 15:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MB

My guests are Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke. Their new book is Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk (https://www.amazon.com/Grandstanding-Use-Abuse-Moral-Talk/dp/0190900156). We are all guilty of it. We call people terrible names in conversation or online. We vilify those with whom we disagree, and make bolder claims than we could defend. We want to be seen as taking the moral high ground not just to make a point, or move a debate forward, but to look a certain way--incensed, or co...

Episode 231: In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism, with Scott Shay

June 24, 2020 17:00 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MB

My guest is Scott Shay. Scott's second book, In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism (https://www.amazon.com/Good-Faith-Questioning-Religion-Atheism/dp/1682617920), has been recognized as one of the best books of 2018 by Mosaic Authors and earned a finalist award from National Jewish Books. Scott gives talks around the country and is interviewed on TV, radio, and podcasts many times throughout the year. Special Guest: Scott Shay.

Episode 230: Corona Means Kissing Sports Goodbye...For Now, with Bradley Klein

June 21, 2020 23:00 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MB

My guest is Bradley Klein. He's a political scientist turned renowned sports writer and golf consultant. We talk about a piece he recently wrote about the future of sports in the age of Corona. You can read Brad's piece here: https://kleincoronadiary.com/2020/06/20/arena/. Special Guest: Bradley S. Klein .

Episode 229: Taking Children, with Laura Briggs

June 10, 2020 20:00 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MB

My guest is Laura Briggs. Her new book is Taking Children: A History of American Terror (https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Children-History-American-Terror/dp/0520343670). In these unprecedented times, one thing remains true--those who wish to enact racist and discriminatory practices will find a way to do so, often taking advantage of crises to make horrific changes more swiftly. As Laura Briggs shows in TAKING CHILDREN, America has a long history of using racist policies to disband and explicit...

Episode 228: The Way Up Is Down, with Marlena Graves

June 09, 2020 21:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MB

My guest is Marlena Graves. Her newest book is The Way Down Is Up (https://www.amazon.com/Way-Up-Down-Becoming-Forgetting/dp/0830846743). "Now, with God's help, I shall become myself." These words from Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard resonate deeply with Marlena Graves, a Puerto Rican writer, professor, and activist. In these pages she describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to. Drawing on the rich tr...

Episode 227: Lost In Thought, with Zena Hitz

June 07, 2020 04:15 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MB

My guest is Zena Hitz. She's the author of The Intellectual Life (https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Thought-Hidden-Pleasures-Intellectual/dp/0691178712). In an overloaded, superficial, technological world, in which almost everything and everybody is judged by its usefulness, where can we turn for escape, lasting pleasure, contemplation, or connection to others? While many forms of leisure meet these needs, Zena Hitz writes, few experiences are so fulfilling as the inner life, whether that of a book...

Episode 226: Monetizing Your Podcast, with Satish Gaire

June 07, 2020 01:00 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MB

My guest is Satish Gaire. Satish has also started many companies to help businesses. This includes DirectPay, WooAgents, myDentalWebsite, BookSmartr and many more. Satish’s mission is to help humanity by spreading the knowledge that he has gained from his many years of doing internet marketing and running his own business. He wants to help others to achieve the same level of success. His ultimate goal is to put a smile on your face, through his podcasts, videos, speeches and courses. Special ...

Episode 225: Not Forsaken, with Jennifer Michelle Greenberg

June 05, 2020 00:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MB

My guest is Jennifer Michelle Greenberg. She's the author of Not Forsaken (https://www.amazon.com/Not-Forsaken-Jennifer-Michelle-Greenberg/dp/1784984388/). Jenn Greenberg was abused by her church-going father. Yet she is still a Christian. In this courageous, compelling book, she reflects on how God brought life and hope in the darkest of situations. Jenn shows how the gospel enables survivors to navigate issues of guilt, forgiveness, love, and value. And she challenges church leaders to prot...

Episode 224: The Economics of Health Care in the midst of a Pandemic, with Jordan Al-Zu’Bi

May 31, 2020 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MB

My guest is Jordan Al-Zu’Bi. He's an economist who focuses on the health insurance industry. We talk about the health insurance industry and how the pandemic will impact it. Special Guest: Jordan Al-Zu’Bi.

Episode 223: Pre and Post President Trump, with Bradley S. Klein and David Shields

May 30, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 70.5 MB

My guests are Bradley S. Klein and David Shields. Klein has played golf with Trump, written about him as a sports journalist and consulted on his golf courses. David Shields has written one of the most provocative and revealing books about Trump, Nobody Hates Trump More Than Trump. If you're looking for an interesting Trump conversation in the midst of Corona, this is it. Special Guests: Bradley S. Klein and David Shields.

Episode 222: Tanking To The Top, with Yaron Weitzman

May 21, 2020 15:00 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MB

My guest is Yaron Weitzman. He's the author of Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports. (https://www.amazon.com/Tanking-Top-Philadelphia-Audacious-Professional/dp/1538749726) When a group of private equity bigwigs purchased the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011, the team was both bad and boring. Attendance was down. So were ratings. The Sixers had an aging coach, an antiquated front office, and a group of players that could best...

Episode 221: A Poet Talks Pandemics, with Bob Holman

May 18, 2020 17:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MB

My guest is Bob Holman. On December 3, 2019, Bowery Books simultaneously released two new books of poetry by Bob Holman—written 50 years apart. LIFE POEM and THE UNSPOKEN serve not only as bookends to a lifetime immersed in words, performance, and the avant garde, but they also show the evolution of an artist, an art form, and a downtown art scene that’s gone from Allen Ginsberg to Lou Reed to Eileen Myles to Mahogany L. Browne. He's also a New Yorker in the midst of the epicenter of the Coro...

Episode 220: Critical Thinking, with Jonathan Haber

May 18, 2020 11:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MB

My guest is Jonathan Haber. He's the author of Critical Thinking (https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Thinking-Press-Essential-Knowledge/dp/0262538288). Critical thinking is regularly cited as an essential twenty-first century skill, the key to success in school and work. Given our propensity to believe fake news, draw incorrect conclusions, and make decisions based on emotion rather than reason, it might even be said that critical thinking is vital to the survival of a democratic society. But wh...

Episode 219: The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science from Denial, Fraud, and Pseudoscience in the midst of Corona, with Lee McIntyre

May 18, 2020 02:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB

My guest is Lee McIntyre. He's the author of The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science from Denial, Fraud, and Pseudoscience (https://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Attitude-Defending-Science-Pseudoscience/dp/0262039834). Attacks on science have become commonplace. Claims that climate change isn't settled science, that evolution is “only a theory,” and that scientists are conspiring to keep the truth about vaccines from the public are staples of some politicians' rhetorical repertoire. Defenders ...

Episode 218: The Hot Hand, with Ben Cohen

May 17, 2020 16:00 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MB

For decades, statisticians, social scientists, psychologists, and economists (among them Nobel Prize winners) have spent massive amounts of precious time thinking about whether streaks actually exist. After all, a substantial number of decisions that we make in our everyday lives are quietly rooted in this one question: If something happened before, will it happen again? Is there such a thing as being in the zone? Can someone have a “hot hand”? Or is it simply a case of seeing patterns in ran...

Episode 217: Pandemics and Polling, with Patrick Murray

May 12, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB

My guest is Patrick Murrary. He was named the Monmouth University Polling Institute’s founding director in 2005. He is frequently called upon by the media to provide commentary on polling and the political world, including appearances on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, PBS, and National Public Radio. During federal election years, Murray also serves as a national exit poll analyst for major networks. In the institute’s home state, Murray has appeared on numerous Power Lists of the most influential peop...

Episode 217: Pandemics and Polling, with Patrcick Murray

May 12, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB

My guest is Patrick Murrary. He was named the Monmouth University Polling Institute’s founding director in 2005. He is frequently called upon by the media to provide commentary on polling and the political world, including appearances on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, PBS, and National Public Radio. During federal election years, Murray also serves as a national exit poll analyst for major networks. In the institute’s home state, Murray has appeared on numerous Power Lists of the most influential peop...

Episode 216: The Nail in the Tree: Essays on Art, Violence, and Childhood, with Carol Ann Davis

May 10, 2020 16:00 - 39 minutes - 45.6 MB

My guest is Carol Ann Davis. Her new book The Nail in the Tree (https://www.amazon.com/Nail-Tree-Essays-Violence-Childhood/dp/1946482269) narrates her experience of raising two sons in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, on the day of and during the aftermath of the shooting there. Part memoir, part art-historical treatise, these meditations lead her to explore crucial subjects, including whether childhood can itself be both violent and generative, the possibility of the integration of trauma into daily...

Episode 215: The Reverend Hunter, with Tony Jones

May 10, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MB

My guest is Tony Jones. He's the author of numerous books, including Did God Kill Jesus? (https://www.amazon.com/Did-God-Kill-Jesus-Searching/dp/006229797X) He also is the host of the Reverend Hunter podcast (https://reverendhunter.com/podcastepisodes) and the co-host of the Killer Serials podcast. (https://killerserials.podbean.com) Special Guest: Tony Jones.

Episode 214: Industrial-Strength Denial: Eight Stories of Corporations Defending the Indefensible, from the Slave Trade to Climate Change, with Barbara Freese

May 10, 2020 00:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MB

My guest is Barbara Freese. Her newest book is Industrial-Strength Denial: Eight Stories of Corporations Defending the Indefensible, from the Slave Trade to Climate Change. (https://www.amazon.com/Industrial-Strength-Denial-Corporations-Defending-Indefensible/dp/0520296281) In it she argues that corporations faced with proof that they are hurting people or the planet have a long history of denying evidence, blaming victims, complaining of witch hunts, attacking their critics’ motives, and oth...

Episode 213: Why Conservatives and Liberals Are Not Experiencing the Same Pandemic, with Luke Conway

May 09, 2020 21:00 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MB

My guest is Luke Conway. He is a professor of psychology at the University of Montana. He just wrote a piece summarizing his research on conservative and liberal experiences of the pandemic. You can find the piece here. (https://heterodoxacademy.org/social-science-liberals-conservatives-covid-19/) Special Guest: Luke Conway.

Guests

Jennifer Briney
3 Episodes
A.J. Jacobs
1 Episode
Alberto Cairo
1 Episode
Alice Vaughn
1 Episode
Ari Meisel
1 Episode
Billy Graham
1 Episode
Carl Zimmer
1 Episode
Edith Hall
1 Episode
Elie Wiesel
1 Episode
Jonathan Merritt
1 Episode
Laura Vanderkam
1 Episode
Martin Luther
1 Episode
Nadine Epstein
1 Episode
Perry Marshall
1 Episode
Stanley Corngold
1 Episode
Tom Nichols
1 Episode
Walter Kaufmann
1 Episode

Books

World of Wonders
1 Episode