The Gist
For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.
2176
The Heavily Guarded Facebook Algorithm
On The Gist, Slate’s Will Oremus explains who’s really controlling your Facebook feed. He recently wrote a cover story based on a visit to Menlo Park, California, where even his trips to the bathroom were supervised. For the Spiel, Mike...
23 min
2177
Exercise Fad B.S.
On The Gist, a gift for your New Year’s resolutions. Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker tells us what research has been done into various popular exercise methods. She’s the author of The Confidence Game, now available for...
22 min
2178
Near-Death Winter Tales with Matthew Dicks
On The Gist, professional storyteller Matthew Dicks tells a story to demonstrate how to tell better stories. We’ll learn why it’s important to give your story a setting in the physical world. He’s the author of The Perfect Comeback...
28 min
2179
Terrorists or Nudniks?
On The Gist, how significant is the impact of the shale revolution on the international oil markets? We ask Robert Weiner, professor of international business at George Washington University. For the Spiel, Mike wonders what we should call the armed...
20 min
2180
The 8 New Billboard Hits of 2015
This year, many of us were consuming the same big songs at the same time. On The Gist, music writer Chris Molanphy explains how 2015 continues a modern trend toward a shared pop music monoculture. Chris writes Slate’s Why Is This Song No. 1...
25 min
2181
The Questioner
On The Gist, Gretchen Rubin explains what self-knowledge has to do with forming lasting habits. To identify your core tendency, try filling out her quiz here. She’s the author of Better Than Before and hosts the Happier Podcast, a...
28 min
2182
Bloody Merry
On The Gist, Dan Pashman from The Sporkful podcast explains the food science behind why we’re more in the mood for a lemony Blood Mary this week instead of a creamy glass of eggnog. If you’re going to serve eggnog anyway, there’s a...
21 min
2183
The 12 Days of Trumpmas
On The Gist, the big news from Zimbabwe. Then, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker what can be done to fight off a common cold. Maria’s new book The Confidence Game is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, we welcome friendly...
20 min
2184
Presidential Candidates on Half-Speed
On The Gist, a look back at major news stories made possible by data leaks and analysis. Too bad there’s no award for data … or is there? Jody Avirgan from the FiveThirtyEight podcast What’s the Point joins us to share the winners...
26 min
2185
The Ultimate Star Wars Spoiler Is Star Wars
On The Gist, Mike has a song in his heart about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Listeners sensitive to Mike’s singing should tune out around 25:40. But first, has conceal-and-carry helped armed civilians defend themselves against criminals with...
31 min
2186
What Is It About Adele’s Voice?
On The Gist, music writer Chris Molanphy explains what’s made Adele’s new album 25 an epic success. It is her voice or the cult of Adele? Chris writes Slate’s Why Is This Song No. 1 column. For the Spiel, a Bruce Springsteen bootleg...
19 min
2187
Fusilli, You Crazy Bastard!
On The Gist, a few glib chortles are exchanged about the venerable institution of New Yorker cartoons. Director Leah Wolchok joins us to discuss her film Very Semi-Serious. For the Spiel, wouldn’t it be great to live in the world that the...
24 min
2188
Gihad for the Calif8
On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker explains how our birth order influences personality and intelligence for a game we call “Is That Bulls--t?” Does IQ go down after the firstborn? Her new book, The...
25 min
2189
May the Pastiche Be With You
On The Gist, Slate’s Forrest Wickman explains the many layers that a casual visitor to the Star Wars universe might miss. He recently wrote the cover story “Star Wars Is a Postmodern Masterpiece” for Slate....
26 min
2190
Do We Get the Government We Deserve?
On The Gist, we talk about the weather. Then, Mary Lane from the Wall Street Journal will discuss the new show at the Detroit Institute of Arts called “30 Americans” on display through Jan. 18. Plus, author Amy Koppelman joins us to...
32 min
2191
Dollar Strong, Euro Weak
On The Gist, we call in Adam Davidson to explain the frustratingly tepid action of the European Central Bank amid Europe’s economic crises. Davidson is a contributor to the New York Times Magazine and host of a new podcast with...
36 min
2192
How Stand-Up Got Its Name
On The Gist, historian Kliph Nesteroff shares a few favorite tales from comedy’s mobster past. He’s the author of The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy. For the Spiel, the ordinary American focus...
29 min
2193
Is Cryotherapy BS?
On The Gist, the incredibly cool Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker looks into the dearth of research into cryotherapy for a game we call “Is That Bulls--t?” Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for...
23 min
2194
Woodrow Wilson’s Racist Legacy
On The Gist, professor Julian Zelizer joins us to discuss how to understand Woodrow Wilson in the context of his time, and how Princeton is grappling with that legacy today. He’s the author of The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress,...
26 min
2195
Jon Glaser as Neon Joe
On The Gist, actor Jon Glaser explains how a one-off joke on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon led to his new miniseries Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter. The new show premiers Monday, Dec. 7 at midnight on Adult Swim. For the Spiel, a look into the...
25 min
2196
The Amazing Self-Restraint of the Pro-Life Move...
On The Gist, we welcome back past guest and Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer to discuss the likelihood of new gun control legislation. Then, Slate’s Will Saletan joins us to assess the current state of the abortion debate, a decade...
28 min
2197
"If Syed Leaves the Party, Call the Cops"
On The Gist, Mike discusses the fast-moving field of cancer research with doctor Vincent T. DeVita, and his daughter, science writer Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn. Together they wrote The Death of Cancer. For the Spiel, a rhyming response to Keith...
29 min
2198
Unwrapping Holiday BS
On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker rounds up the holiday season’s most tedious myths for a game we call “Is That Bulls--t?” Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder....
19 min
2199
Thank God This Guy’s President
On The Gist, Slate’s Fred Kaplan explains how recent GOP rhetoric plays perfectly into the bad guys’ plans. He’s the author of The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War and 1959: The Year...
24 min
2200
Is Income Inequality Our Biggest Problem?
On The Gist, the real reason why government programs like Medicaid and food stamps show little to no impact on the poverty rate. We get into the specifics with Vox editor Ezra Klein. Check out his new podcast The Weeds, from Panoply. For the Spiel,...
24 min