The Most Important Question

This episode was originally published in print on August 29, 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 t...

This week: Justice for Ella Kissi-Debrah; fighting COVID misinformation on Facebook; how often should your kids be on antibiotics?; and what hunger does to a nation (during a pandemic (during a climate crisis)). Applying to the Galactic Federation does...

This episode was originally published in print on August 29, 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 t...

This essay was originally published in print August 2, 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 think ab...

This essay was originally published in print July 26, 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 think abo...

This essay was originally published in print July 19, 2020 This week, we’re introducing Do Better Better: essays to plan for the future, today. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, now available in audio for the first ...

This week: The 80-20 Rule works both ways; The incredibly timely importance of probably; We can learn a lot on how to think from a survey of 700 epidemiologists by the New York Times; The second-order effects of everything; And water is getting scarce;...

We’re moving the audio version of our Webby and Shorty-nominated newsletter into our main podcast feed and we can’t wait to share it with you today. If you’re new to our community, welcome! This newsletter pairs the most vital science news of the week ...

In Episode 101, Quinn & Brian ask: How did all of America end up in the emergency room? Our guest is: Dr. Hiral Tipirneni. She is an emergency room physician, mom, immigrant, cancer research advocate, and congressional candidate in Arizona’s 6th distri...

In Episode 100, Quinn & Brian discuss: Why state elections matter not just for your state but for the future of our planet. Our guests are: Aimy Steele & Amanda Litman. Aimy is a candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 82,...

In Episode 99, Quinn & Brian, with help from Inverse.com, ask: how are YOU feeling? Our guest is: Ali Pattillo, a health and science reporter at Inverse.com and co-producer of The Abstract podcast. Supplements, metabolism boosters, miracle cures: Ali c...

In Episode 98, Quinn & Brian discuss: common sense solutions to prevent gun deaths and destroy the gun lobby. Our guest is: Fred Guttenberg, a gun safety activist and political troublemaker. 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg was killed in her high school on...

In Episode #97, Quinn digs into how we can rebuild capitalism for the world, for your company, and for yourself. Our guest is: Rebecca Henderson, Harvard professor behind the wildly popular class Reimagining Capitalism. Rebecca's research explores the ...

In Episode 96, Quinn & Brian ask: How do we orchestrate a just energy transition for frontline low- and middle-income communities — from the inside out? Our guest is: Daphany Rose Sanchez, Executive Director of Kinetic Communities Consulting and fourth...

In Episode 95, Quinn & Brian ask: how can we upgrade our microbiome (also, what’s a microbiome (also, why does it need upgrading))? Our guest is: Raja Dhir, Co-Founder of Seed Health a microbiome company pioneering the application of bacteria for both ...

In Episode 94, Quinn & Brian discuss: the most comfortable and sustainable shoes on the planet. Our guest is: Hana Kajimura, who leads the development and execution of the Allbirds sustainability program and strategy and is on a personal mission to mak...

In Episode 93, Quinn & Brian ask: What can we do about all of this not-water in our water? Our guest is: Imari Walker, who is quite possibly the world’s preeminent Microplastics Bae. Imari is an Environmental Engineer, a Microplastics Researcher, a Sci...

In Episode 92, we're headed off to climate school! Our guest is Anshuman Bapna, the creator (and headmaster) of Terra.do, which is like Hogwarts but for fixing the broken Earth. Of course, unlike Dumbledore, you can trust this headmaster won’t abandon ...

We’re back! In Episode 91, Quinn & Brian ask: Why is drinking water so unaffordable, or unavailable, or just filthy for so many people? Our guests are: Nina Lakhani & Mary Grant. Nina is environmental justice reporter for The Guardian US and Mary Grant...

Back in Episode 51, Quinn & Brian asked: Are we thinking about CRISPR all wrong (and what the hell is it)? This is one of our most popular episodes, probably because it features one of our coolest guests: C. Brandon Ogbunu, an evolutionary systems biol...

We published our company statement on the Black Lives Matter protests on June 8th. This is an audio version of that statement, titled "A Letter to My Fellow White Men." You can read the original at https://www.importantnotimportant.com/blog/a-letter-to...

Please enjoy this preview of our weekly premium audio newsletter. Find out more at https://important.supportingcast.fm. This week: Racism is distracting us from the climate fight; if you’re black, you probably live near a coal plant; protests will wors...

Back in Episode 42, Quinn & Brian asked: What happens when you’re almost an astronaut... and what comes next? Our guest is Dr. Sian Proctor, an explorer, scientist, full-time professor, STEM communicator, and almost an astronaut. She joins the show to ...

In Episode 44, Quinn & Brian discussed: Why food waste is the stupidest thing we do and how can we cut it in half. Our guest was Dr. James Rogers, founder and CEO of Apeel Sciences and one of our most mind-blowing guests yet. You may think you know abo...

To continue our Good News series, we’re looking back to Episode 78, when Quinn & Brian discussed: Planning for chaos. (Cheery, right?) For real, though. This episode offers an actionable, helpful, revealing, and — dare we say it? — PLEASURABLE way of l...