Shows
Uncertain ThingsICE, Klein, Coates (w/ Nancy Rommelmann)Writer, reporter, Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em co-host, and pie baker extraordinaire Nancy Rommelmann returns to Uncertain Things to talk (again) about a topic she knows all too well: Portland. In 2021, she lambasted the way the media was distorting what was happening on the ground by underplaying the violence. Four years later, she’s lamenting the way the President and his cronies are distorting what’s happening on the ground by overplaying the violence. We get into ICE’s antics, Portland’s response (so far), and the “heroes” making headlines. Then we switch tacts to share our thoughts on the (much dis...
2025-10-151h 23
Uncertain ThingsWhen Speech Is Violence, Etc. (w/ Matt Welch)Matt Welch, co-host of The Fifth Column podcast and editor at large for Reason Magazine, joins Adaam to discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. It’s grim. How grim? Very. Get off social media. Turn off your phone. Touch grass. See ya’ll in the gulag.Also:-Matt’s previous visit to Uncertain Things-Adaam on political violence-Adaam and Jonah Goldberg on political violence-Yuval Levin on violenceUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday...
2025-09-151h 23
Uncertain ThingsOne Minute to Paradise (w/ Jonah Goldberg)Jonah Goldberg, host of The Remnant and author of Suicide of the West, joins Adaam for a session of unfettered nerdery and gloom, in which definitions shall be debated, Straussian hats worn, and metaphors unapologetically mixed. They cover the meaning of “utopianism,” the revolutionary force of monotheism, the power of language, the messianic urge from Christ to the Jacobins, the lack of new ideas, the obstinacy of human nature, and the importance of gallows humor.On the agenda:-Jonah’s origin story [2:00] -Monotheism, a radical idea [6:00] -Postmodernism and the charisma of words...
2025-08-231h 57
Uncertain ThingsThou Shalt Not Be a Socialist (Ruth Wisse)It is an extra (((special))) episode on Uncertain Things as Ruth Wisse, senior fellow at the Tikvah Fund and author of Jews and Power, hosts Adaam for Friday afternoon cookies and Talmud. The two discussed the wave of resentment that threatens to consume American culture (or Annihilism, as Adaam stubbornly calls it), the problem (or lack thereof) of inequality, the Jewish rejection of Weakness Worship, and what it means to stand witness to evil.On the (((agenda))):-Neocons love assimilation [1:30]-Accents are genocide [9:00]-The idea that disparity is evil is evil [17:00]
2025-08-131h 05
Uncertain ThingsLower Expectations of Humanity (Yuval Levin)AEI Senior Fellow Yuval Levin rejoins the pod to discuss the enemies of continuity. He and Adaam debate the definition of conservatism and whether it’s the Annihilist urge that dominates the contemporary left or something else entirely. Oh, and if that’s not nerdy enough for you, they also go on a semi-Burkean detour to adjudicate whether beauty in art is related to truth (because someone had to!).On the agenda:-Cultural continuity and the modern conservative [00:10]-The hubris of knowledge [10:19]-Who are the enemies of continuity [17:54]-Solipsism as m...
2025-07-2158 min
Uncertain ThingsWar Is Hell (Dan Senor)Dan Senor, host of the Call Me Back podcast and co-author of The Genius of Israel, is bullish on Israel. Is there anything that could change his mind? He and Adaam discuss what makes Israeli society strong and what might make it turn against itself. They also can’t resist some media naval gazing and debate whether the fall of sense-making gatekeepers is a boon or a curse.On the agenda:-Brave new media-Could anything make Dan go bearish on Israel?-Something bigger than yourself-The abominable dilemma (wh...
2025-07-1455 min
The Dispatch PodcastWhat The People of Gaza Actually Think | Interview: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (RE-AIR)Originally aired on Oct. 16, 2024.
Palestinian-American activist and resident senior fellow at The Atlantic Council Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy to discuss growing up in the Gaza Strip, the challenge of polling public opinion in Gaza, the future of Palestinian self-governance, whether there is a meaningful contingent in support seeking peace with Israel.
The Agenda:
—The story of Gaza
—Hamas vs. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
—October 7
—Breaking down support for Hamas in Gaza
—Palestinian sovereignty and UNRWA
—Do Palestinians want peace?
—The radica...
2025-07-071h 17
Uncertain ThingsThe Law Is How We Deal With Our Mistakes (Alan Dershowitz)Alan Dershowitz is one of the most prolific legal scholars (and civil rights litigators) in this country of ours. In his latest book, The Preventive State, he takes the first step in developing the jurisprudence of what Philip K. Dick called precrime. Dershowitz argues that we need a better — and more transparent — legal system for calculating how many civil liberties we’re willing to sacrifice in order to prevent potential harm. He and Adaam debate what such a system would look like, what’s at stake of being lost, where do rights even come from, and whether the law is a reb...
2025-07-0139 min
Uncertain ThingsThe Mood Music of Anti-Racism (Coleman Hughes)Coleman Hughes, author of The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America and writer for The Free Press, argues that recent progressive theories about antiracism have looped all the way back to racism. He joins Adaam to discuss the power of language to reveal and distort, the moral confusions of revolutionary activism, the aesthetics of social justice, and how this all relates to Israel’s war on Iran.On the agenda:-Coleman’s backstory and the march through the institutions (or at least Columbia)-What do you mean, Neo-racism? (Speak plainly!)
2025-06-251h 20
Uncertain ThingsThe Hope for Gaza (w/ Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib)Is there hope for Palestinians in Gaza after the war? What will happen to Hamas? Does anyone still want a Two State Solution? And will the war with Iran change the game? Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and director of Realign for Palestine, joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy to discuss. Ahmed seeks to refocus the Palestinian mission from armed resistance against Israel to self-governance, independence, and prosperity. He and Adaam debate what this will take, and whether the window for such a vision is closing.Further readings:-On their first conversation...
2025-06-151h 13
Uncertain ThingsThe Enemies of Free Speech (w/ Greg Lukianoff & Nadine Strossen)Former ACLU President Nadine Strossen and FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) President Greg Lukianoff join Adaam to discuss their upcoming book War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech—And Why They Fail. The three dig into what makes liberalism in general and free speech in particular so powerful, so radical, and so rare. Is too much information a danger for free speech? Why are some institutions resilient to ideological capture while others cave? Do generational tensions pose a threat to liberal values? What does it really mean to defend free speech? On the agenda: ...
2025-05-301h 24
Uncertain ThingsVibes of Nihilism (w/ Mike Pesca)Perspicacious podcaster Mike Pesca, host of The Gist and author of Pesca Profundities, joins Adaam to partake in principled, punny, and peppily pugnacious perorations. On the agenda: the creeping nihilism of American society (and should we be worried about it), the comedy of Signalgate, the state of the media, and the revenge of the cancelled.On the agenda:-Podcasting with Pesca [00:00] -Misinformation and media [10:52] -Objectivity [14:55]-Signalgate [27:54]-Nihilism in America [35:37]-Jan 6 and Oct 8 [42:36]-Surviving cancellation [51:19]-Judicial overhauls [56:43]-Constitutionalism...
2025-03-281h 20The Dispatch PodcastNuking the Overton Window on Gaza | Interview: Einat WilfDr. Einat Wilf, a former member of Israel’s Labor Party and co-author of The War of Return, joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy once again to discuss President Donald Trump’s supposed plan to encourage Palestinians to voluntarily self-deport from the Gaza Strip—and what it means for the future of the conflict.The Agenda:—Consequences for aggressors—Where does the money go?—No one knows Gaza’s future—What is Gaza?—The drip, drip, drip of hostagesShow Notes:—Friday’s Dispatch Podcast Roundtable mentioning t...
2025-02-1158 min
Uncertain ThingsSignificant Sans Sex (w/ Rhaina Cohen)To write The Other Significant Others, journalist Rhaina Cohen interviewed couples around the country who have committed to sharing their lives with each other — just not their beds. These pivotal yet hard-to-define relationships have existed throughout history, but we lack the vocabulary to talk about them (let alone a legal framework to protect them). Adaam and Vanessa — platonic partners themselves — talk to Rhaina about the nomenclature that helps/hinders us, the lack of templates for meaningful friendships, and the unspoken-about-elephant in these relationships (yes, sex). Mentioned in this episode:-Rhaina on the Ezra Klein Show-Ou...
2025-01-171h 14The Dispatch PodcastWhat The People of Gaza Actually Think | Interview: Ahmed Fouad AlkhatibPalestinian-American activist and resident senior fellow at The Atlantic Council Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy to discuss growing up in the Gaza Strip, the challenge of polling public opinion in Gaza, the future of Palestinian self-governance, whether there is a meaningful contingent in support seeking peace with Israel.The Agenda:—The story of Gaza—Hamas vs. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)—October 7—Breaking down support for Hamas in Gaza—Palestinian sovereignty and UNRWA—Do Palestinians want peace?—The radicalism of the moderate voiceSho...
2024-10-161h 16
Uncertain ThingsIt's Over (w/ Caitlin Flanagan)Caitlin Flanagan returns! The unapologetic author of On Thinking for Yourself (a selection of her excellent essays for The Atlantic) comes to talk to us about the fall of Western civilization, what happens when you let church-going go, what happened to universities, and why (though a Catholic herself) Caitlin has started wearing a Star of David. Check out (the juicier) part two of this conversation (for paid members only) here.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:
2024-08-201h 26
Urban RootsOhio River to Freedom: New RichmondToday New Richmond is a charming town along the Ohio River with a relatively tiny Black population. But for a moment in time in the 19th century, it was not only a hotspot of abolitionist activity, it was also home to a vibrant Black community. How did that happen? And why are there so few Black families left today?
In this episode, part two of the Ohio River to Freedom series, the Urban Roots podcast team will explain this history. Along the way, they’ll take you on a tour of New Richmond’s abolitionist homes, schools, and...
2024-06-1823 min
Cadaver DogsTHE INNOCENTS / THE HAUNTING: Gothic GhostsHappy Halloween!!
Spooky Season 2023 has ended… which means Spooky Season 2024 is officially underway, and David and Devin are celebrating with two classic ghost stories: THE INNOCENTS (1961), directed by Jack Clayton, and THE HAUNTING (1963), directed by Robert Wise. Adapting two famous works of literature (Henry James’ The Turning of the Screw and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, respectively), the black-and-white films have their female protagonists arrive at gorgeous old Victorian manors… and encounter ghosts?
We have much to talk about: from queer-coding, to second-wave feminism, to ambiguous endings, to the very definition of Gothic h...
2023-11-021h 37
The Remnant with Jonah GoldbergIsrael Goes to WarOn Saturday Hamas militants invaded Israel, gunning down and abducting civilians, firing rockets on city centers, and holding entire villages hostage. In response, Israel has declared war on Gaza and things are only about to get uglier from here. A sleep-deprived Adaam James Levin-Areddy, senior multimedia producer at The Dispatch and host of Uncertain Things, joined Jonah to discuss the past 24 hours in Israel, Hamas' brutal reign in Gaza, Adaam's theory of peace privilege, Bibi's legacy, and what's coming next.By the way: This was also the inauguration of The Dispatch's members-only feed The Skiff, which will...
2023-10-091h 16
Cadaver DogsTAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN / RELIC: Demonic Dementia (ft. Who’s There? Podcast)We’re baaaaaaack!!
The Cadaver Dogs return, joined by Allison Broder of the Who’s There? Podcast, with a brand new episode on the horrors of aging and dementia. We’ll first dive into the popular found footage film THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014), directed by Adam Robitel. College student Mia is making a documentary on Alzheimer’s, and Deborah Logan and her daughter invite Mia to feature them as her main subjects. But what happens when Deborah’s condition takes a turn for the supernatural?
On the other side of the world, three generations of women c...
2023-10-051h 27
Uncertain ThingsLiberals Against Identity, Round 2 (w/ Yascha Mounk)Yascha Mounk returns for round two! If you missed part one of our conversation with the political theorist, writer, and podcaster about his latest book, The Identity Trap, stop now and listen to that episode first. We pick up where we left off last time and get deep into debate about strategic essentialism, the privileging of marginalized voices, and the incoherencies of standpoint theory. We also ask Yascha why he disagrees with John McWhorter’s theory that the proponents of the Identity Synthesis are members of a new religion. Plus, Yascha plays relationship counselor for your sparring hos...
2023-10-0257 min
Uncertain ThingsThe Identity Infection, Round 1 (w/ Yascha Mounk)Political theorist, writer, and podcaster Yascha Mounk returns! Last time, we spoke about Yascha’s last book: The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure. This time, Adaam got to air his personal grievances as we dove into the thorny topic of his latest book: The Identity Trap. Yascha covers a ton: he traces the intellectual history of the postmodern ideas that captured the academy in the 2010s; he explains how these once-fringe ideas subsequently infiltrated the mainstream Left; he puts the tenets of identity-based politics to the philosophical test (analyzing the logi...
2023-09-181h 09
Uncertain ThingsThe Pros and Cons of 'Queer' (w/ Jamie Kirchick)James (Jamie) Kirchick is an author, columnist for Tablet magazine, historian, podcaster, and staunch believer in/defender of liberal values — and he’ll speak up against any party/group currently trampling on them. He began his journalism career writing about domestic and foreign politics; his first book, The End of Europe focused on the rise of populism in the continent (paid subscribers — stay tuned for some bonus content on this topic!). The first part of this conversation is all about Jamie’s second book, The Secret City, which explored the fascinating gay history of Washington D.C. and how the...
2023-08-111h 50
Cadaver DogsRE-RELEASE: Incident in a Ghostland / Identity**SPOILERS AHEAD**
How many times has this happened to you: You pull up to a motel, or visit your mother after publishing your latest best-seller, then some raving lunatic comes along and tries to convince you that everything you’ve experienced is a fabrication. Do you live in your comfortable fiction or do you march forward and brave the truth?
David and Devin dissect James Mangold’s IDENTITY (2003) and Pascal Laugier’s INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND (2018). We’re talking plot twists, Dissociative Identity Disorder, exploitation, and great performances all around.
0:04:38 - Ghostland
0:27:3...
2023-08-031h 00
Urban RootsBONUS: Brent Leggs on Raising Millions for Black HeritageToday on the pod, we have a conversation with one of the biggest contributors to African American Preservation alive today...
Brent Leggs! If you’re in historic preservation – or a similar field– you probably heard of Brent. But for those of you who haven’t — Brent is a Senior Vice President at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. And while Brent has done many amazing things to preserve African American heritage, as the Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, he’s raised over 80 MILLION DOLLARS for Black heritage organizations.
We talked to Brent abou...
2023-04-241h 15
Uncertain ThingsSan Francisco Burning (w/ Nellie Bowles)Nellie Bowles is one of the few journalists who lives and writes in the Venn diagram of both Adaam and Vanessa’s interests. For years she was the tech reporter for The New York Times and her epic 2022 piece on San Francisco’s decline for The Atlantic deservedly kicked up a lot of attention, including from your podcast hosts — for different reasons, of course. In 2021, she left “mainstream” media and started the independent media outlet The Free Press with her wife Bari Weiss (where she writes the TGIF newsletter). In this conversation we talk about SF (following up on our convers...
2023-04-111h 13
Uncertain ThingsThe City and the Citadel (w/ Michael Kimmelman)Vanessa has admired the New York Times’ architecture critic Michael Kimmelman ever since she was a starry-eyed youngster starting her urban journalism career. Now that his latest book The Intimate City is out, it was the perfect excuse to have him on the show. She and Adaam ask Michael what it was like at the Times in the late ‘80s when he started out, continue the conversation they started with Vishaan Chakrabarti about Progressives’ urban failings, discuss the non-profit journalism division that he helped spawn, and contemplate the importance of time when it comes to making (and appreciating) great cities...
2023-01-201h 24
Uncertain ThingsPartisan Poison (w/ Andrew Heaton)Andrew Heaton, host of The Political Orphanage and our favorite “tepid grab bag” of political punditry, returns to the pod to help us understand the big issues at stake before the midterm elections: abortion, inflation, and culture war stuff. Along the way, Heaton explains why having sex on the hood of a car isn’t always a good idea, why dating in our era of partisan politics is exhausting, and why we need electoral reforms (like rank choice voting and multi-party systems) to save us from ourselves. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ blog and ‘Uncertainty’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To s...
2022-11-021h 46
Uncertain ThingsDon't Blame Israel on the Jews (w/ Walter Russell Mead)Foreign policy expert Walter Russell Mead’s new book — The Arc of a Covenant — kept Adaam up at night with its unique insight into the American-Israel relationship and its gripping historical anecdotes (Stalin! Truman! Roosevelt, oh my!). In this conversation, we investigate the culpability of “THE JEWS,” explore why gentiles catalyzed the creation a Jewish nation-state, discuss the ways anti-Semites keep accidentally helping Israel, and break down the specter of Orientalism that keeps haunting American foreign policy. Plus, we get into the Iran deal and some good old-fashioned geo-politics, by way of a Matt Yglesias tweet.Check out our ‘Ins...
2022-09-071h 29
Cadaver DogsITS ALIVE/ THE UNBORN CHILD: Abortions and AbominationsHorror has always been an outlet for political discussions during a time of crisis. This includes the decades-long abortion debate - how has horror covered this controversial topic?
The Cadaver Dogs delve deep inside THE UNBORN CHILD, aka SOP DEK 2002 (2011) where they discuss the true abortion incident that inspired the Thai horror film (and also murdering ghost babies). Fact or propaganda! Only you can tell. Followed by the classic Frankenstein baby flick ITS ALIVE (1974) where the Dogs reflect on the influence of the recently passed Roe V Wade (1973) and the great Thalidomide scandal that changed t...
2022-08-041h 25
Uncertain ThingsBetween Comedy and Pissing People Off (w/ Andrew Heaton)Back from a delicious month-long detachment from the news cycle, Adaam sits down with political vagabond and comedian Andrew Heaton, host of The Political Orphanage podcast, to relearn how to do audio rambling. In a more light-hearted discussion than normal (still need to warm up!), we talk the subtle art of political comedy, the glory (and pains) of arguing, and the implacable hardships of having a euphonious voice like Andrew’s.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive...
2022-06-171h 22
Cadaver DogsIDENTITY / INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND: Stranger Than Reality**SPOILERS AHEAD**
How many times has this happened to you: You pull up to a motel, or visit your mother after publishing your latest best-seller. Then some raving lunatic comes along, while you’re just minding your own business, and tries to convince you that everything you’ve experienced is a fabrication, a mechanism for coping with the terrible tragedy you experienced as a child. Do you break from reality, live in your comfortable fiction, or do you march forward and brave the truth?
While Rob plans his wedding, David and Devin dissect James Mangold’s IDEN...
2022-06-021h 03
Uncertain ThingsYou Are Not Your Ideas (w/ Angel Eduardo)Angel Eduardo, author and co-host of the Fair Perspectives podcast, insists that we can rise above this polarized moment and have real – difficult but vitriol-free – debates with each other. Steelmaning is for beginners. We’re talking starmanning! How to do that is what we try to figure on this episode. Adaam and Angel argue about the merits of compassion versus cognitive dissonance and how best to make people more comfortable about being wrong. Meanwhile, Vanessa worries that too much open-mindedness could lead to inaction – or even apathy. She also gets a good laugh from Angel’s diatribe about the word LatinX...
2022-05-091h 41
Cadaver DogsPLAN 9 / BIRDEMIC: Aliens and AviansIn 1938, Orson Welles directed and narrated an adaptation of “War of the Worlds” for a radio broadcast. However, listeners did not understand what they were hearing, and believed aliens were actually attacking! Panic ensued. For this very special episode of Cadaver Dogs Pod, we will be talking about something else entirely.
From Ed Wood to James Nguyen, it’s time we dig into the deep social and economic commentaries of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1957) and BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR (2010). Though we will of course explain why the filmmaking in these works is so effective, we will primarily be exp...
2022-03-3159 min
Uncertain ThingsThe Free Speech Recession (w/ Jacob Mchangama)Jacob Mchangama — author of Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media, lawyer, and founder and director of the Copenhagen-based think tank Justitia — has uncovered an unfortunate, though not too surprising, historical pattern, across cultures and societies: the second we feel under threat in a society, free speech (that supposedly sacrosanct value) goes swiftly by the wayside. In this conversation, Jacob takes us back in time and traces the history of free speech all the way from Ancient Greece to the EU’s recent banning of Russian propaganda — and we unpack a whole lot of hypocrisy along the way.
2022-03-091h 29
City of the FutureEpisode 19: Next-Gen ManufacturingIn the early 20th century, many U.S. factories were located in urban cores, where workers could easily access their jobs. But the benefit of proximity also meant workers lived near loud, polluting factories. And as we know from the history of zoning in the U.S., low-income people frequently had no option but to live in neighborhoods built around intense industrial use.
The consequences of those land use decisions are felt most severely today by communities of color, who continue to suffer from higher rates of health issues like asthma and cancer. So bringing manufacturing back...
2021-12-1027 min
Cadaver DogsTHE INVISIBLE MAN / THE TINGLER: Mad ScientistsGet your test tubes, beakers, and radioactive chemicals ready, because this week we’re talking about ‘30s and ‘50s science-fiction! Einstein had only just published his theory of relativity, the atom was in the process of being split, and outer space had yet to be explored. Science was scary then, for it was unknown what dangers we’d uncover. Even looking back now, the question remains: Did we make a mistake? Should we continue to venture into infinity, or else when does science go too far?
In Vincent Price-starring THE TINGLER (1959), directed by the master of gimmicks William...
2021-12-021h 08
Uncertain ThingsChillin' With the Philosophers (w/ Anthony Gottlieb)Anthony Gottlieb is a historian of ideas, the former executive editor of The Economist, the author of The Dream of Reason and The Dream of Enlightenment, and the George R.R. Martin of the history of philosophy. He tells us why he kept a poster of Wittgenstein in his dorm, how journalism forced him to unlearn the bad prose of academia, what is the quality that defines a successful philosopher, and why he thinks the liberal foundations of the West remain firm (Adaam is less certain).Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stit...
2021-11-301h 04
Cadaver DogsIT FOLLOWS / TEETH: Sex is SinThe famous horror trope goes like this: you have sex you die (thank you Randy Meeks). But sometimes sex isn’t your choice, and the uncontrollable fear that you experience after the trauma will haunt you for the rest of your life… how doe final girls handle it? This week, the Cadaver Dogs dive into the repercussions of sex and sexual trauma with TEETH (2007) and IT FOLLOWS (2014).
Devin, David, and Rob cover the irresponsibility of victim blaming, the evolution of rape culture, and sexual education in the new millenium. We even jump back in time to th...
2021-11-041h 08
Cadaver DogsNEW NIGHTMARE / IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS: Fear ItselfWhat’s so scary about scary movies? In this special Halloween treat, the Dogs look to finally answer that tricky question, by turning to the ultimate masters of fear: John Carpenter and Wes Craven.
First, the latest novel from a prolific horror writer - akin to Stephen King or H.P. Lovecraft - springs to life, driving fans to insanity and threatening the apocalypse. John Carpenter's IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994), a surrealist cosmic horror starring Sam Neill, explores what would happen if our creations were more than fiction, and where exactly lies that blurry lin...
2021-10-211h 05
Uncertain ThingsGenes, Germs, & Justice (w/ Nicholas Christakis)We live in a society enamored with divisions, but Nicholas Christakis lives by the outlandish idea that humans are fundamentally similar — and has devoted much of his career to uncovering the universals of social experience. (He's a lumper, not a splitter.) The Yale professor and author of many books — including Blueprint and Apollo's Arrow — unpacks his fascinating findings in evolutionary biology, describes the price we pay for the spread of ideas (namely, germs), and reflects on that now infamous moment on the Yale quad six years ago.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our...
2021-10-122h 01
Uncertain ThingsEscaping the Gospel of Guilt (w/ Jacob Siegel)Tablet Magazine senior writer and irresistible baritone Jacob Siegel finds it impossible to be in America and write about America. He gave up on New York, his former haven, and moved to the provinces of the Empire (namely, Israel). What changed? We talk about fancy buzzwords — from gentrification to critical race theory — and how they all played a role in his disillusionment. Adaam and Jake also fly into a tangent argument about parenthood, child-rearing, and anti-natalism. Oh, yeah, and Afghanistan. Plenty of gloom and existential angst to go around.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Sti...
2021-10-011h 42
Cadaver DogsANTICHRIST / THE SCREWFLY SOLUTION: Women and the ApocalypseSin was born in the Garden of Eden. But whether it was Adam or Eve who brought about sin is still an argument we are hearing today. This week, the Cadaver Dogs look at two films that delve into the origins of man versus woman against the backdrop of the apocalypse: THE SCREWFLY SOLUTION (2006), Joe Dante’s Masters of Horror TV movie, and ANTICHRIST (2009), a Lars Von Trier Cannes winner.
Devin, David, and Rob cover the evolution of gender inequality, sexploitation, grief, and their varying understandings of Genesis. Eventually all leading to the most divergent bone...
2021-09-231h 20
Uncertain ThingsF*ck Zeus (w/ Tomer Persico)In honor of our one year anniversary, our first ever guest, religious scholar Tomer Persico, returns to the pod for another intellectually and spiritually satisfying conversation — this time IRL. (Check out our original convo first if you haven't already). This time Tomer, author of Man in God’s Image, dives right into the ancient concept of the self, jumps to the creation of interiority/individuality, expounds on the isolation of America, and comes for a landing on the old, new, and ugly of Israeli politics.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our Patre...
2021-09-141h 41
Cadaver DogsPAN‘S LABYRINTH / UNDER THE SHADOW: Ghosts of WarHistory is horror. Greedy men fight for land, for power. Those who step out of line are often executed. War robs children of their parents. Freedom loses to fascism. What can we do to persevere? What use is our religion but as a tool of our oppressors? Can we fight totalitarianism with disobedience? Can even our fairy tales find light in the darkest of times?
The Cadaver Dogs dive into some of their favorite flicks! First is Academy Award winner Guillermo Del Toro’s dark fantasy, PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006), mistranslated from the original title, “El Laberinto Del Fauno”...
2021-09-091h 07
Cadaver DogsReview: Candyman (‘21)NO SPOILERS!
Halloween comes early this year with Nia DaCosta's (not Jordan Peele's) Candyman!
David, Devin, and Rob discuss the pros and cons of the sequel... remake? reboot? of the classic 90s film. We also cover how the story's messaging has been updated thirty years later to reflect a modern world and the bees. Oh, the bees! Also (BIG ANNOUNCEMENT) we are now officially just a Tony Todd fan-cast.
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2021-08-3119 min
Uncertain ThingsEXTRA: The Journey to Jaded (w/ Adaam and Vanessa)The tables are turned! Kyle Huber of the Adventure Creator Podcast interviews your jaded journo hosts, Adaam and Vanessa, to learn more about our backgrounds, the origins of Uncertain Things, and to pick our brains on (what else) the fall of liberal democracy. Enjoy and, if you want to hear more creatives talking about their passion projects, subscribe to the Adventure Creator Podcast. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Vanessa's back story [7:22] -Adaam's back story [15:55] -Th...
2021-08-301h 26
Cadaver DogsFINAL DESTINATION / THE DEAD ZONE: Controlling FateIf you were given the opportunity to control your fate, would you? Or do humans have that power already? This week’s dive into FINAL DESTINATION (2000) and the Stephen King / David Cronenberg THE DEAD ZONE (1983) explores the ramifications of playing God and taking death into your own hands. Devin, David, and Rob get into heated ethical and moral debates before eventually finding themselves discussing quantum theory and alternate realities. (This is the darkest timeline.) Though the Dogs also revel in the comforts of millennial horror, Tony Todd, and Debra Hill. Join us in episode 9 where the movies tackle big li...
2021-08-261h 06
Uncertain ThingsWhy Hollywood Sucks (w/ Rob Long)Vertigo survivor Rob Long has been writing and producing for the small screen for decades. With some prompting from an entertainment-fatigued Adaam, Rob bemoans the death of truth on TV, the wisdom and folly of Disney, the content catatonia we've slid into, and the strange politics that all this has brought into our private lives.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-We’ve got a Patreon!-What is content?-Content catatonia (or: scrolling through the opi...
2021-08-161h 54
Cadaver DogsDANIEL ISN‘T REAL / THE EVIL WITHIN: Alter Egos and Mental HealthWe all have thoughts that we’d rather not acknowledge, but what if these thoughts were full-blown evil forces with a desire to be real? Enter DANIEL ISN’T REAL (2019) and THE EVIL WITHIN (2017) - two bizarre and surreal psychological horrors, tackling these questions and more.
Throughout this week’s episode, Devin, David, and Rob will ask what it means when a movie asks us to sympathize with toxic and violent protagonists. We’ll also examine how these films use their characters’ mental health, discussing schizophrenia, dissociative identity, and intellectual disability. Do filmmakers have an added responsibility when depic...
2021-08-121h 06
Uncertain ThingsThe Reality Rift (w/ Rep. Peter Meijer)U.S. Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI) was three days into the job when rioters broke into the Capitol building. A week later, he was one of the few members of the Republican party to vote to impeach Trump for his role in inciting the riot. Seven months later, Meijer would love to focus on policy — but in his day-to-day life and work he's still dealing with the fallout from the "original sin" of election denialism and the dual realities dividing our country.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of...
2021-08-0141 min
Cadaver DogsReview: OldNO SPOILERS!
We're celebrating our summer at the beach that makes you old, with M. Night Shyamalan's new release, OLD! This is a spoiler-free review, but be warned: our opinions are split (no pun intended).
David, Devin, and Rob will talk about existential dread and body horror, and what makes them interesting. We also discuss where Old stands among Shyamalan's other films, and which ones are our favorites. Here's a plot twist: one of us actually likes The Happening!
Let us know what you think of this format! Do you prefer our reviews...
2021-07-2717 min
Cadaver DogsMinisode: Top 3 Frankenstein Movies w/ Nora UnkelWhat is a Frankenstein movie? Is it only those with “Frankenstein” in the title, Boris Karloff in the cast? Is it anything with a mad scientist and a monster of their own creation? But what even is a monster?
Devin and Rob are joined by guest star Nora Unkel, director of the surreal Mary Shelley film A Nightmare Wakes (now streaming on Shudder and VOD), to countdown their Top 3 movies of the genre! We’ll also go over the themes of the novel to see how these relate to the adaptations and reinterpretations of the material. What do the...
2021-07-2232 min
Uncertain ThingsCan the Supreme Court Survive the Culture War? (w/ Sarah Isgur)Sorkin-character-come-to-life Sarah Isgur joins us to talk courts, law, and culture war. Sarah co-hosts the (much beloved) Advisory Opinions podcast, has managed multiple political campaigns and worked as DOJ spokesperson during the early days of the Trump administration. We talk about political bravery and cowardice; about the illusion of progress and the “vanity of the present”; and about Sarah’s second-guessing her logic for joining the Trump administration. Then at last we get good and wonky, exploring the Supreme Court's 3:3:3 make-up, what it means for the court’s legitimacy, and how everything is made dumber by the culture war.Fin...
2021-07-191h 34
Urban RootsSouth Cumminsville: For the Love of the NeighborhoodIn this episode, the final of our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series*, we’re exploring the history of South Cumminsville, a neighborhood that, like many Black neighborhoods in Cincinnati, has been divided and diminished by top-down urban planning decisions and years of disinvestment. But it’s also a place with a long history of Black entrepreneurship, ownership, and activism — going back to the late 1800s, when unsung Cincinnati hero Sarah Fossett helped make South Cumminsville a vibrant community for African Americans. Today, it remains a place where residents support each other and fight every day to improve their community. *If you...
2021-07-1729 min
Cadaver DogsFRIGHT NIGHT / THE LOST BOYS: Queer Vamps of the 80sWhen society silenced voices out of fear, horror films became a vessel for the queer community to speak out. This week, Cadaver Dogs look at FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) and THE LOST BOYS (1987) through the lens of queer culture in the 80s and the effects the AIDS epidemic.
How do these films rebel against the typical nuclear family? Why was queerness suddenly pushed to subtext? And how were vampires the perfect monster to personify LGBTQIA+ people during a time when they were threatened and powerless against the socio-political agenda? Of course, we get sidetracked with fanning over SFX makeup, v...
2021-07-151h 04
Urban RootsAvondale: It Takes a VillageIn this episode, the third of our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series*, we’re exploring the history of Avondale, a neighborhood that experienced a different kind of white flight and is still recovering from transformative events that occurred during the mid-century such as race riots and housing discrimination. We will discuss how these trends triggered decades of disinvestment and explain important historical terms like blockbusting and redlining. And we talk to the people who are fighting hard to preserve the neighborhood’s housing stock, promote local businesses — and bring the community back together.*If you missed our prelude episode, then take...
2021-07-0333 min
Uncertain ThingsSpeak No Evil, See No Cancel Culture (Freestyle Theodicy)It’s time for some freestyle theodicy: programmer, voting nerd, flatmate, and domestic spouse Zev Goldstein joins us to put some of our household debates on the record. On the agenda: the word evil (and whether it does more harm or good), cancel culture (is it as bad as Adaam claims?), and voting theory (including an explainer on why the way we vote now is by far the worst voting system there is).Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.Uncertain Things is hosted and pro...
2021-06-271h 19
Cadaver DogsMinisode: Cadaver Trivia w/ Jeremiah KippI want to play a game.
For the past month, you’ve been programming heavy content pondering themes of abuse and the ethics of filmmaking. Now we’ll see if you have the knowledge it takes to compete in a fun trivia competition instead! Because game shows don’t have enough horror.
We’ll be covering everything from Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street to It Follows and Get Out; from Stephen King to John Carpenter; from Dracula and Frankenstein to Re-Animator.
David leads this contest as co-hosts Devin and Rob pit t...
2021-06-2434 min
Cadaver DogsCAM / PULSE: The World Wide DisconnectionWe know you’re listening to this episode through some sort of device, and, in a way, is that not a vicarious means of entering our conversation, a voyeuristic connection to other humans?
Devin, David and Rob discuss the nature of technology and human connection through the lens of two technohorror films this week in Episode 5 of Cadaver Dogs. First, the hounds explore the dark underbelly of webcam lifestyle in the doppelganger fueled thriller Cam. Released in 2018, directed by Daniel Goldhaber and partially based on the real-life experiences of screenwriter Isa Mazzei, a working cam-girl disc...
2021-06-171h 06
Uncertain ThingsBig Tech Panic (w/ Shoshana Weissmann)R-Street Institute fellow and head of digital media Shoshana Weissmann joins us to talk big tech, monopolies, and regulation. Yes, we get wonky discussing Section 230 and trust busting, but we also carved out time for Shoshana and Adaam to nerd out about Torah law. She also explains why she's so passionate about unenumerated rights and even reminds us that online living has an upside.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda: -Only intro and already off-the-rails [00:00-9:00]-Regu...
2021-06-101h 39
Cadaver DogsReview: The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do ItIn 1981, Arne Cheyenne Johnson was tried for murder. He entered a plea of “Not Guilty,” on the basis of demonic possession. Ed and Lorraine Warren claimed to have proof.
David and Rob chat the new Conjuring movie (directed by Michael Chaves, starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson), in this bonus minisode! The first section is NON-SPOILER, and we’ll give our bone reviews before moving onto more in-depth spoiler discussion and analysis. Stick around till the end, and Devin will announce our films for next week!
How does Chaves’ direction hold up against James Wan’s first tw...
2021-06-1034 min
Urban RootsCincinnati History is Black HistoryWe are so excited to kick off our Lost Voices of Cincinnati series which explores the rich African American history of Cincinnati. You can think of this episode as a kind of prelude of sorts. We go back, way back, to Cincinnati’s beginnings, and tell stories you’ve probably never heard — like how a Cincinnati barber helped execute the biggest North American escape of enslaved people, ever; how and why a mob attacked Cincinnati’s African American community (with cannons, no less) in 1841; and how the West End became one of the most happening Black communities of the 1920s. We sho...
2021-06-0522 min
Cadaver DogsTHE AMITYVILLE HORROR / THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN: Based on True CrimeFilmmakers are often inspired by true events, but THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) and THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN (1976) are advertised to be dreadfully close to the gruesome tales they’re based on. What ethical obligation does the storyteller have when adapting real life horror? What justifies the art? And is any of this even moral?
We go deep into the paranormal conspiracy of the Lutz family with The Amityville Horror directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Margot Kidder and James Brolin. Then chat the sensationalized The Town That Dreaded Sundown, directed by Charles B. Pierce, which is b...
2021-06-031h 01
Uncertain ThingsThe Apocalypse We Deserve (w/ Niall Ferguson)Self-described "classic Scottish enlightenment liberal" and prolific historian Niall Ferguson — author of The Square and the Tower, The Great Degeneration, and, most recently, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe — graced the pod with his keen mind and sexy Scottish tones. Niall explained why we are so fixated on the end times, and yet so woefully unprepared for catastrophe when it strikes. He also shared his theory on why historical thinking (beyond your go-to Hitler comparisons, thank you very much) would actually better prepare us for disasters. And by the end of the conversation, we even got his takes on a few ho...
2021-05-261h 41
Cadaver DogsTHE THING (‘51 / ‘82 / ‘11): Who Goes There?There have been three adaptations of John Campbell’s short story: THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951), THE THING (1982), and THE THING (2011). Just like their monster, these movies shapeshift with their era: Is the alien a metaphor for the atom bomb, or Communism? Masculinity or feminism?
Across these decades, each movie showcases wildly different special and visual effects, while tackling the themes of their era. We discuss how the classic 50s sci-fi, directed by Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks, pits scientists against the military, while John Carpenter’s remake, starring Kurt Russell, Keith David, and Donald Moffa...
2021-05-2053 min
Cadaver DogsLEPRECHAUN / THE HALLOW: Irish FolkloreIreland’s rich history has spawned an expansive mythology, inspiring both THE HALLOW (2015) and LEPRECHAUN (1993). Devin, David, and Rob want to know how these films incorporate their fairy tale origins: Aren’t these stories meant for children? Or was there always something dark and terrifying lurking behind the magic?
We discuss how director Corin Hardy uses fairies and changelings as a parallel for British imperialism and nature’s battle against technology in his indie starring Joseph Mawle and Bojana Novakovic,. Then we come back to the United States, and dig into how Americans appropriated the image of the le...
2021-05-2043 min
Cadaver DogsREADY OR NOT / SOCIETY: Eat the RichIn our first episode, the Cadaver Dogs (Devin, David, and Rob) compare the classist themes in READY OR NOT (2019) and SOCIETY (1989). Demonic devotion or trans-species relation: what is the source of our class struggles? Do the rich really feed upon the poor? And how does our political era affect the horror genre?
We explore the flawed belief systems of the wealthy and the fear of Trumpism when digging into Radio Silence’s film starring Samara Weaving, Adam Brody and Andie MacDowell. Then, we go back to the Saved by The Bell surf 80s, Reaganomics era and...
2021-05-2051 min
Uncertain ThingsSaving Capitalism From Itself (w/ Rebecca Henderson)Stark inequality. A planet on the brink of destruction. Communities decimated. For many in 2021, capitalism is not looking so hot. But Professor Rebecca Henderson thinks all is not lost. In her book, Reimagining Capitalism In A World On Fire, Rebecca makes the case that capitalism can indeed address the challenges we face — and that companies are already making the switch to a new, more conscientious way of working.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:* -What capitalism hath wrought and not...
2021-05-181h 11
Uncertain ThingsOur Temples of Tragedy (w/ Justin Davidson)One of Justin Davidson's first gigs as New York Magazine's architecture critic was covering the development of the 9/11 memorial — an incredibly complex and controversial project that shaped the city's future. The experience influenced the way he thinks about the role of architecture and urbanism in the ways we process our societal traumas. We talk to Justin about the role of the architecture critics, the 21st century task of creating memorials to shame, and why it's too soon to truly memorialize Covid. And then, for fun, we put him in the urbanist hot seat for questions ranging from: "how do we...
2021-05-071h 38
Uncertain ThingsBlackness and the Other Side of Trauma (w/ Misha Thomas)Our friend Misha Thomas, ex-evangelical and psychologist, returns to the show to discuss his recent revelation around race, spurred on by the PBS documentary, The Black Church. Along the way, we discuss a bevy of unanswerable questions surrounding this idea of racial trauma: Is it good for us keep to re-visiting, even valorizing, our past traumas? Are trauma narratives too reductionist for our own good? What good can acknowledging and discussing trauma bring? And is there really an "other side" we'll ever reach?Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your socia...
2021-04-251h 45
Uncertain ThingsWelcome to Cold War II (w/ Eyck Freymann)Back in 2015, when Eyck Freymann began studying China, he kept coming across this phrase in Chinese media: “One Belt, One Road.” No one in the West was talking about it, but, for anyone paying attention, it was the initiative that would define Xi Jinping’s reign. Eyck joins us to explain the significance of these four words, the imperial mantle Xi Jinping has donned (and why many countries are loving it), and the tricky geo-political landscape the U.S. must navigate if we’re to avoid another Cold War. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher...
2021-04-141h 32
Uncertain ThingsMarxism vs. The Media (w/ Batya Ungar-Sargon)Batya Ungar-Sargon, deputy opinion editor for Newsweek and self-proclaimed "vulgar Marxist," is still a lefty — even if the left no longer wants her. We talk to Batya about her upcoming book (Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy), debate the liberal media's criminal avoidance of class inequality (which, to her, explains the underpinnings of its current obsession with race), and even get into the differences between Israeli and diaspora Jews.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:* -Into the icki...
2021-03-311h 40
Uncertain ThingsWhat We Lose When We Break Free (w/ Yuval Levin)Yuval Levin is a leading conservative thinker and political scientist who has, for quite some time, been contemplating the question: what’s gone wrong in America? We dive into his most recent book, A Time to Build, where he traces the long-term shriveling of our social institutions — from political parties to journalism to the academy — a process which, according to Yuval, supercharged the current trends of inequality, division, and political opportunism. Later on, we dare to get even nerdier than that and revisit Yuval’s historical study of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine, and the lessons they still teach us.
2021-03-221h 36
Uncertain ThingsSex, Feminism, and the Madding Crowd (w/ Caitlin Flanagan)Caitlin Flanagan has a taste for controversy. Over her decades writing for The Atlantic, she's covered everything from feminism (and the ways it lets women down) to porn to self-censoring in comedy to her own struggle with cancer to the darkest depths of the culture war. But are there any subjects she wouldn’t write about?Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:* -Introducing Caitlin [3:53]* -On writing and being dour [11:00]* -The censorship and self-censorship of the you...
2021-03-151h 17
Uncertain ThingsA Thousand Narratives: America Rewrites Its History (w/ Moshe Sluhovsky)Professor Moshe Sluhovsky, who teaches history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, taught a young Adaam to appreciate the nuance, contradictions, and blind spots of the past. In this episode, he breaks down conflicting historical narratives that have pervaded the academe, gives his perspective on America's newfound historicism, and rants with us about the inaccurate historical movies he loves and we hate.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:* -Intro to Sluhovsky, the professor who taught Adaam why history matte...
2021-03-071h 15
Uncertain ThingsFinding The Angels of Capitalism (w/ Dr. Dawn Carpenter)Back when Dr. Dawn Carpenter was starting out in the finance world in the '90s, she sought out the organizations trying to do some good in the world. It was an unusual decision back then — and one that allowed her to carve out a niche for herself. Now, the conscious capitalism movement is becoming far more mainstream, and as the host of the "What Does It Profit?" podcast, Dawn has a front row seat. We talk to Dawn about the morality of capitalism, her theological studies and how it applies to her work, and the mystical Oz-like machinations of...
2021-02-2443 min
Uncertain ThingsThe CIA Analyst Who Saw It Coming (w/ Martin Gurri)Perched from his position as a media analyst at the CIA, Martin Gurri noticed — way before most of us — that change was afoot. Starting in the early 2000s, he noticed the new "tsunami" of information coming our way, and he began to see how it was changing, and would forever change, not just our means of communication, but our concepts of authority and power, and even our societies themselves. In 2014, he put down his reflections in a book — The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium — which might as well be the Uncertain Things bibl...
2021-02-151h 27
Uncertain ThingsThe Post-Trump Tipping Point (w/ Nadav Eyal)Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal returns to the pod in celebration of the release of the English translation of his book, Revolt: The Worldwide Uprising Against Globalization. We pick up where we left off last time, beginning with the role of the journalist, especially in this new vaccine-starved world, meander into Facebook's many failings, and then take a final, chilling turn to the state of the American empire post-Trump.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:* Journalists, vaccines, and the "toile...
2021-02-021h 05
Uncertain ThingsPerestroika Begins at Home (w/ Matt Welch)On Inauguration Day, with J.Lo's oddball rendition of America's favorite commie song still ringing in our ears, Matt Welch graced our uncertain pod with his virtual presence and cathartic rants. Matt — author, Reason Magazine’s editor-at-large, co-host of The Fifth Column podcast, master of "atrocious analogies," and Adaam's touchstone of sanity (among other roles) — joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about Biden, the truth, free speech, podcasts, and the consequences of so-called cancel culture.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:
2021-01-251h 31
Uncertain ThingsAmerica, Inc. (w/ Adam Winkler)Adam Winkler, constitutional law professor at UCLA School of Law, joined us mere hours after Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol. We talk (fittingly) about our history of law and disorder, dive deep into his book We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights (Adam even spins some delightful yarns about Supreme Court high jinks of yore), and unpack all the ways in which corporations have consistently won (and in all likelihood will continue to win) more rights than the rest of us. At least America's future is bright for somebody...Find us on Apple Podcasts, Sp...
2021-01-191h 17
Uncertain ThingsOn Honor and Justice (w/ Tamler Sommers)Tamler Sommers, philosopher and co-host of Very Bad Wizards, joins us just a few days after the insurrection on the Capitol to explain how we got here (spoiler alert: liberalism's over-emphasis on individualism and dignity seriously failed us). He also walks us through some of the controversial arguments in his book — Why Honor Matters — and describes the ways in which honor cultures actually have a lot to teach us (especially in these crazy Covid times) about courage, community, and responsibility.On the agenda:* Diagnosing Trump's army* Honor: What is it? * Honor v. Rel...
2021-01-121h 42
Uncertain ThingsPost-Colonial Absurdities, Post-Caste Delusions (w/ Yashica Dutt)Indian journalist Yashica Dutt joins us to talk about her memoir, Coming out as Dalit, where she details her journey from rejecting and hiding her "lower-caste" status to embracing it and advocating for Dalit rights. Weaving between Yashica's personal story and India's political history, we cover everything from pre-colonial inequalities, colonial atrocities, post-colonial absurdities, and current-day injustices (from India to Silicon Valley). Oh, and we get Yashica's not-hot take on Isabel Wilkerson's book, too.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:...
2020-12-201h 42
Uncertain ThingsWhy Anti-Racism Trainings Fail (w/ Chloé Valdary)Chloé Valdary is a paragon of paradox — an identity she relishes in. She gained notoriety for creating The Theory of Enchantment (originally a curriculum for young students, now an alternative to corporate Anti-Racism trainings) and for her heroic (yes, heroic!) ability to maintain nuance and compassion on Twitter (yes, it is possible). Chloé tells Adaam and Vanessa how she pivoted her company in the wake of George Floyd's murder this summer, describes her complicated relationship to critical race theory, and tries to convince Adaam that the human spirit will, indeed, endure this dumpster fire of a moment.Find...
2020-12-141h 37
Uncertain ThingsWhy Empathy's Bad — And Suffering Hurts So Good (w/ Paul Bloom)Nothing says Christmas is coming like a conversation about dehumanization, moral fuzziness, and the evils of empathy! Moral psychologist Paul Bloom joins us for a fascinating conversation on the above — and even gives us a sneak peek of his new book (coming out next year). And, because this is Uncertain Things after all, there are some fun tangents on Trump, Hitler, and atheism, too.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:* Suffering — and why we like it [6:12]* On morals...
2020-12-071h 37City of the FutureFlexible StreetsThe pandemic has forced us to reexamine and reimagine how we use one of our most precious public spaces: our streets. From outdoor dining to expanded bike lanes, cities have been re-designing streets so they can be better shared by all — drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. But could we take this idea even further? What if we could use design and technology to make our streets more flexible? So they could change use according to the season, the week, or even the hour? In our season finale, we explore a future where city streets can do just that — and bette...
2020-12-0425 min
Uncertain ThingsArt: WTF Happened? (w/ Ken Goshen)To celebrate Thanksgiving weekend, we talk to classical artist, art educator, and friend of the pod Ken Goshen. We go deep into art history, tracing where it all started to go so terribly wrong, spend too much time hating on Koontz (but loving on Warhol), and discuss how Instagram and social media is changing the art world — potentially for the better. Oh! And because our word pictures can only do so much, follow @KenGoshen and see his incredible art for yourself — and get more Ken rants on his pod, Art’s Cool.Find us on Apple Podc...
2020-11-301h 50City of the FutureFactory-based ConstructionFor about a century, architects and developers have dreamed of the promise of factory-based construction — after all, if Henry Ford revolutionized the auto industry with assembly lines, why shouldn’t we be able to make buildings in factories, too? But, in North America at least, almost every attempt to revolutionize this industry has failed. But now, thanks to innovations in design, materials, and machinery — and a green wave taking over the industry — factory-based construction could be an idea whose time has finally come.
In this episode:
[0:01 - 3:11] We take a fun trip back in time to Expo 67 an...
2020-11-2024 min
Uncertain ThingsChomsky, Katy Perry, and the Algorithm God (w/ Adam Neely)YouTube music educator Adam Neely joins us for an oh so welcome respite from politics (sorta). We talk about the importance of storytelling (and click-bait) in YouTube creation; music theory's relationship to white supremacy; the relationship between music, language, and culture; and the absurdity of copyright. And make sure to listen to the end, when Adam takes us along on a mini journey of music creation.If you haven’t already, please subscribe to Uncertain Things wherever you get your podcasts.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Follow @UncertainPod on your social me...
2020-11-181h 43
Uncertain ThingsTime to Talk About Secession? (w/ David French)David French — senior editor of The Dispatch, conservative evangelical, never Trumper, and really nice guy — joins us the day after the election to discuss his new book "Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation." We discuss the reasons why we're so painfully divided, unpack how secessions of yore unfolded, and speculate on the chilling scenarios that could lead to secessions in the not-so-distant future. And as a bonus (because we’ve all be through a lot this week) we check in on a few past guests — Katie Herzog, Robby Soave, Tomer Persico, and Misha...
2020-11-051h 07City of the FutureRemote WorkIn an era of remote work, when people can work from anywhere, where will they choose to live? And what can cities do to set themselves apart from the competition? In this episode, we look at the ways remote work could change not just the way we live in cities — but which cities we live in, too.
In this episode:
[0:01 - 4:47] Tulsa Remote community manager Taylor Allen tells her story of moving from Florida to Tulsa, Oklahoma, sight unseen
[7:09 - 11:00] Professor of Urban Economics Richard Florida on why the future of economic development is about talent
[12:02 - 14...
2020-10-3024 minCity of the FutureGenerative DesignGenerative design is the process of automatically producing thousands of designs based on goals and constraints you feed into a computer. In this episode, we ask: could you apply generative design to something as complex as the urban planning process? Could it reveal better designs for buildings, neighborhoods, districts — showing us options we didn’t even know were possible? And, in the future, could this new emerging field even empower urban development teams to create better, more human cities?
In this episode:
[0:06 - 4:13] Hosts Vanessa Quirk and Eric Jaffe on the unintended consequences of the 1915 Equitable Buil...
2020-10-1624 min
Uncertain ThingsThe Revolt Is Justified (w/ Nadav Eyal)Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal brings an outsider’s eye to American politics (or as he puts it, a perspective from” an outpost of the empire”). Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa Quirk ask about his new book, Revolt (out in Hebrew here, out in English soon); about what Trump got right and the media got wrong; and what it means to live in a radical moment.If you haven’t already — please subscribe here (or wherever you get your podcast).[0:40] An unsolicited window into Adaam & Vanessa’s domestic life[3:30] Nadav’s career in a nutshell
2020-10-101h 12City of the FutureEnergy-Efficient BuildingsTo save our planet, we’ll need to reduce emissions — fast. And if we’re serious about addressing climate change, we’ll need to address one of our biggest carbon emitters: buildings. That doesn’t just go for the new, shiny skyscrapers with access to lots of resources, but all buildings: old and new, big and small. We’re kicking off season 3 with an episode exploring an idea that could make our cities more sustainable and even more just. Energy-efficient buildings.
In this episode:
[0:02 - 2:58] Architect Wanda Dalla Costa on her work creating an energy-efficient and environmental...
2020-10-0219 min
Uncertain ThingsHow The Image of God Made Us All Atheists (w/ Tomer Persico)Tomer Persico, religious scholar and Israeli intellectual, talks to us (in our inaugural podcast — woohoo!) about what he considers to be one of the most impactful ideas in the modern world: The Image of God.On the agenda:* How Tomer found religion [5:16]* What is “The Image of God”? [14:38]* How St. Paul broke Judaism. [29:27]* Let there be atheism. [48:30]* The cult of authenticity and Donald Trump. [56:20]* Identity politics is just another strand of Christianity. [1:14:46]* What’s going on in Israel? [1:31:10]Uncertain Things is hosted a...
2020-09-011h 42City of the Future10: Responsive ArchitectureIn the last century, we started to design our buildings in a way that was divorced from the environment. We made sealed, hermetic structures that never moved and never changed. But now, technologies and materials are allowing our buildings to move, evolve, and even respond — not only to their environments, but to us, too.
In this episode, hosts Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk discuss the past, present, and future of responsive architecture with Sidewalk Labs' director of public realm Jesse Shapins, engineer and microclimate expert Goncalo Pedro, "Bubbletecture" author Sharon Francis, and renowned architect Liz Diller of Di...
2019-11-0828 minCity of the Future9: Affordable electrificationFor a sustainable future, we need to turn away from fossil fuels and turn towards electricity. But to electrify everything — our cars, our buildings, our entire neighborhoods — we'll need to make some big changes first.
In this episode, hosts Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk explore the future of electrification with Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, and Sidewalk Labs' director of sustainability Charlotte Matthews. For a link-rich transcript of this episode, click here.
City of the Future is produced by Benjamen Walker and Andrew Callaway. Mix is by Z...
2019-10-2523 minCity of the Future8: Mobility on DemandGetting around cities today can be challenging. Streets are congested and chaotic, and new modes seem to be popping up daily, adding to the confusion. Cities won't just need physical infrastructure to prepare for these growing mobility options, but the digital infrastructure to help coordinate them all.
In this episode, hosts Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk explore the future of mobility: author Horace Dediu talks about micro-mobility; TriMet's Bibiana McHugh tells the story behind GTFS and the OpenTrip Planner; MaaS Global CEO Sampo Hietanen explains the concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS); and Sidewalk Labs' Corinna...
2019-10-1125 minCity of the Future7: StoaVacant storefronts have become pervasive on our city streets. How did we get here? And how can we help retailers, and community spaces, thrive? In this episode, we explore innovations that could help address the retail crisis — and embed flexibility and vibrancy into our cities' ground floors.
Special thanks to Abigail Ellman, Isaiah Michael, Parul Patel, Mark Pilkington, Mark Bauernhuber, Sarah Filley, Chase Clark, Regina Evans, and Carrie Denning Jackson. For a link-rich transcript of this episode, click here. And if you're a Boston-based listener who would like to hear more from Vanessa and Carrie on this topic...
2019-09-2729 minCity of the Future6: Affordability by DesignWe're in a housing crisis. Could affordability by design be part of the solution? In this episode hosts Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk look at trends in housing — from unit design to co-living — and ask how the private sector can do more to support the public sector in creating more choice and affordability in cities.
Special thanks to Ori CEO Hasier Larrea, nArchitects' Eric Bunge, Starcity CEO Jon Dishotsky, Sidewalk Labs' Associate Director of Development Annie Koo, Don Row, and Johanna Greenbaum. For a transcript of this episode — including links to the research and clips we feature — click her...
2019-09-1326 min