Important, Not Important

The Most Important Question

Science EN ↓ 462 episodes

You already know things are broken. You read the news, you listen to the analysis, you've got the outrage. What you don't have is a plan. The Most Important Question — 6x Webby-nominated, 2x Signal Award-nominated — is a weekly conversation with one person who stopped asking "what can I do?" and went and found out. Not pundits. Not commentators. The scientists, doctors, nurses, journalists, farmers, activists, and policymakers who are doing the actual work on the frontlines of climate, public health, democracy, AI, food, water, medicine, and justice. Host Quinn Emmett goes deep with each of th...

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Important, Not Important

Episodes

#104: Global.Health: Big Data for Good 15.03.2021 1:21:42

In Episode 104, Quinn & Brian discuss: the future of data and medicine. Our guests are: Robel Kassa & Dr. Sam Scarpino, two of the brilliant minds behind Global. Health, which is setting a new standard for epidemiological data. Global. Health is the firs...

Issue #221: Lab Trial & Error, Finding a Pain-Free Way to Treat Pain, How to Lose a Crop in 10 Days 12.03.2021 10:54

In brief: Batteries are cheaper and increasingly everywhere; the best COVID treatments; a possible opioid alternative; cabbage is off the menu Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at qu...

#103: Black Hearts Matter 08.03.2021 1:26:13

In Episode 103, Quinn & Brian ask: Why do so many more Black people die after heart transplants than everybody else? Our guests are: Dr. Hasina Maredia and Dr. Errol Bush, who recently published a paper in the American Heart Association’s journal, “Cir...

Issue #220: Sunk Costs are Sinking Cities, Finally the Food Chain is Essential, & Putting the “AI” in “Racist” 05.03.2021 11:28

This week: Miami kicks the can down the road, relief for farmworkers, poor Twitter, how not to waste food, how not to do ethical A.I. Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at funtalk@imp...

#102: Put Your Money Where Your Future Is 01.03.2021 1:26:15

In Episode 102, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to invest in defeating climate change. Our guest is: Boris Khentov, SVP of Operations & Legal Counsel at Betterment. If you’ve been reading or listening to our newsletter, you’ve already heard of Betterment, a...

Issue #219: The Social Cost of Carbon, Not Enough Nurses, & Even Trump’s Corporate Bailouts Were Racist 26.02.2021 10:31

This week: the price of climate change, how to re-open your office, a new wave of nurses, bailing out Black farmers. Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at funtalk@importantnotimportan...

Do Better Better #16: The Hard Work Starts Yesterday 23.02.2021 10:51

Synopsis: Where does America keep paying clean up costs, instead of doubling down on prevention? Do Better Better essays help you build mental models and ask questions about our changing world — for yourself, your family, and your business. These essay...

Issue #218: How to Help Texas, Catching Our Breath, & Creating Equitable Education 19.02.2021 10:10

This week: How to help Texas. Air pollution and infertility. A drastic life expectancy gap. A big test for higher education. And AI rethinks pesticides. Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Emai...

Issue #217: Capitalism Gonna Capitalism, Vaccines Are Working, & The Secrets Hidden in Your Poop 12.02.2021 10:25

This week: Your gas stove and water heater are hiding a dirty secret; where COVID goes from here; and all the good your poop can do. Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at funtalk@impo...

Issue #216: Downsides of Living in the Future, Sustainable and Enjoyable Retirements, & Why You Should Upgrade Your Mask 05.02.2021 10:20

This week: The economic choices that have led us to a climate breaking point (and why the last year has prepared us to do something about it better than before, if we take action); what it will take to live a sustainable AND actually enjoyable retireme...

Do Better Better #15: Overwhelm The System 02.02.2021 11:27

Synopsis: If we're going to defeat the systemic issues of today, we need to Overwhelm The System. Here's how. Do Better Better essays help you build mental models and ask questions about our changing world — for yourself, your family, and your business...

Issue #215: Biden isn’t Throwing Away His Shot, COVID-19 Version Control, & Climate Change Christmas 29.01.2021 12:03

This week: Joe Biden has been president for about eight and a half days and the man’s not throwing away his shot when it comes to climate, environmental justice, COVID, or science in general; Santa’s packing EO’s and budget reconciliation; Biden’s seve...

Do Better Better #14: A Safety Net for America 28.01.2021 11:28

Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn how to ask questions and think about our changing world, for yourself, your family, and your ...

Issue #214: Some Honest-to-Goodness Optimism, Keeping Up With COVID, Giving Up the Vape 22.01.2021 10:25

This week: Giving it all we got; 25 doses; Tobacco is the new tobacco; Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at funtalk@importantnotimportant.com Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp...

Issue #213: Our COVID predictions for 2021 15.01.2021 10:21

This week: Why’s COVID so bad in Los Angeles?; How the next few months will go; Go deeper on clean tech; IVF might get a lot more effective thanks to AI; All the way down the food chain; Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant...

Do Better Better #13: Flailing, Perfected 13.01.2021 7:23

Issue #212: How Ossoff and Warnock will help fight climate change 08.01.2021 12:52

This week: Context is everything; Back to your regularly scheduled pandemic; COVID has rightfully distracted a lot of science funding, but the train hasn’t stopped entirely; Beef: It’s what’s destroying the Amazon; Read: "The Plague Year" by Lawrence W...

Do Better Better #12: 20% For the Future 31.12.2020 16:45

This episode was originally published in print on December 14, 2020. For more information on 20% For The Future or to get involved, email us a questions@importantnotimportant.com. This is an open-source community-driven effort, and we're excited to hav...

Do Better Better #11: The Trick to Unlocking Every Problem 30.12.2020 12:09

This episode was originally published in print on December 7, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn how to ask questions and ...

Do Better Better #10: “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future” 29.12.2020 13:09

This episode was originally published in print on November 22, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn how to ask questions and...

Do Better Better #9: Georgia On My Mind 28.12.2020 9:38

This episode was originally published in print on November 9, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn how to ask questions and ...

Issue #211: The 80/20 Problem of Our Time 25.12.2020 5:17

Happy Holidays! In brief, this week: how to breathe in India. "Who Gets to Breathe Clean Air in New Delhi?" Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got feedback? Email us at funtalk@importantnotimportant.com Fol...

Do Better Better #8: One Choice Determined the Last 400 Years 24.12.2020 11:06

This episode was originally published in print on October 11, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn how to ask questions and ...

Do Better Better #7: Let's Measure How Exposed You Are, Shall We? 23.12.2020 16:16

This episode was originally published in print on September 20, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn how to ask questions an...

Do Better Better #6: How to Spend The Next 10 Years 22.12.2020 11:34

This episode was originally published in print on September 7, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn how to ask questions and...