Shows
MansplainingEpisode 112: We’re Dawdling on High-Speed RailSend us a textBullet trains have been a major component of transit systems in places like Japan, China, and Europe for decades. Why hasn’t high-speed rail taken root in the supposedly forward-thinking United States? Mark and Joe set off on a journey of discovery through issues like inadequate infrastructure, population density, and the usual economic and political obstacles before reaching its terminus in America’s ongoing, dysfunctional love affair with cars. Daunting as these challenges are, there’s still a way forward, if we have the will to get there (a big if). (Recorded May 30, 2025.)2025-05-3136 minMansplainingEpisode 110: Housing and the Land-Value TaxSend us a textRecent estimates are that the United States has a shortage of housing volume of 4-7 million homes. A problem of that scale doesn’t happen overnight and involves decades of neglect and inaction. With the chronic lack of housing likely to be a major issue for the foreseeable future, public policy experts have been brainstorming about potential solutions, and a few have dusted off an idea that’s older than the Republic: a tax on the value of land without regard to the buildings and other property improvements on it. Mark and Joe trace...2025-04-2039 minMansplainingEpisode 108: There’s No Dressing Up Dress CodesSend us a textThe New York Yankees’ recent relaxation of half-century-old rules about facial hair got Joe to thinking about dress and codes generally. Why do they exist? Where do they come from? Mark takes Joe on a historical tour of dress codes, from ancient Rome and China through medieval Europe and Tudor England, ending in the modern era of school uniforms and casual Fridays. As our heroes discover, attire-related restrictions are less about affirming people than about keeping them in place, serving as effective instruments of social or class control—and sometimes symbols of resistance. (Recorded...2025-03-1644 min
The Digital Accessibility PodcastMark Lapole - Director, Accessibility - eBayJoin us in this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast as we sit down with Mark Lapole, Director of Accessibility at eBay. With over 15 years at eBay and a career spanning roles at Google and Thomson Reuters, Mark shares his insights into fostering an accessibility-first culture within a global organization.We explore:Mark’s journey into accessibility, from early web development to shaping eBay’s digital inclusion strategy.eBay’s approach to accessibility – from their open-source Mind Patterns & UI Core Components to their INCLUDE Figma plugin for designers.The challenges of building an accessibility champions program and why...2025-02-1854 minMansplainingEpisode 106: Are Lotteries Justifiable?Send us a textState lotteries are a 12-figure business in the US of A. Americans spend more money on lottery tickets than on books, video games, recorded music, movie and sports tickets combined. Of course, lottery revenue is allocated to public goods like schools and parks, but it’s a double-edged sword, as lotteries are disproportionately funded by the poorest third of households, i.e., the people who can least afford them. Mark takes Joe through the checkered history of lotteries, their pros and cons, and the role they might play in the lives of all th...2025-02-1637 minMansplainingEpisode 104: The Rap on Map AppsSend us a textYou’ve probably used a map app like Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze to help you get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. But did you ever wonder how they work? Did you ever wonder whether we should slavishly follow their directions or be skeptical and consider external factors like our own prior driving experience? Well, wonder no more. Mark and Joe take the fastest route that starts with paper maps, brings them past an obscure mathematician’s brilliant idea, stops for gas to consider the wonders of GPS and c...2025-01-1942 minMansplainingEpisode 103: Things Are Looking Up (We Hope)Send us a textThe year 2024 brought more than its share of misfortune to your Mansplaining co-hosts, what with the double whammy of layoffs and a terrible election result. But in the spirit of turning the page to the New Year, Mark asked Joe what he’s feeling good about in 2025 and beyond, from multiple perspectives (personally, locally, nationally, and internationally). With hopefulness in short supply, Joe soldiered on with some reasons to be cheerful, but it soon became apparent that a more expansive, proactive definition of "hope" was in order. (Recorded January 3, 2025.)2025-01-0445 minMansplainingEpisode 102: In Search of Peace and HealingSend us a textIn continuation of a Mansplaining tradition of holiday-themed conversations, Mark and Joe consider how we might heal our deepening political rupture and bring peace to a divided nation. It’s a daunting task that may take years, if it happens at all. Making it happen involves redressing the loneliness and isolation wrought by a decades-long breakdown in civic trust. Government has a role to play, but mostly it requires individuals to turn away from the purveyors of fear and disunion, listen to our fellow citizens, and plant the seeds of hope in a jaded...2024-12-2146 minMansplainingEpisode 100: What Makes Pop Music Artists Run Out of Ideas?Send us a textAfter considering why companies run out of ideas in our last episode, Joe put the same question to Mark about why so many of our favorite pop and rock music artists seem to run out of ideas. Mark and Joe ponder whether this is a real phenomenon, and if so, what might cause it. Turns out that early-career creativity is a complicated amalgam of neural plasticity, free time, and the commercial imperatives of a pop music industry that skews young. And yes, Clayton Christensen’s ideas about the innovator’s dilemma might also apply t...2024-11-1737 minMansplainingEpisode 98: The Checkered Legacy of Legacy AdmissionsSend us a textWhen the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious affirmative action programs, it conveniently left standing the legacy preferences employed by colleges and universities that are described by some as affirmative action for rich, white people. Is it fair that schools are now forced to ignore the race of their applicants but are still allowed to favor the children of wealthy alumni and donors? Mark and Joe examine the history and impact of legacy admissions policies in American colleges and universities and consider the arguments that there are good reasons for retaining them. (Recorded October 4, 2024.)2024-10-0538 minMansplainingEpisode 96: All the Lonely PeopleSend us a textThe CDC and Surgeon General recently released reports highlighting twin epidemics that are plaguing young people in our country. For boys, it’s loneliness and social isolation; for girls, it’s persistent sadness and hopelessness. Why are young people so sad and lonely? Mark and Joe discuss whether loneliness is inheritable, how much of the blame we can pin on the distorted view social media provides of reality, and how, in the land of plenty, we can help our kids get the one thing they need the most: human connection. (Recorded September 6, 2024.)2024-09-0839 min