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.
2301
1990: The Year Before Music Changed Forever
Today on The Gist, Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick explains the vulnerability of Friday’s SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage, and a favorite Scalia moment from the arguments. She’s the host of the Slate podcast Amicus. Plus, our regular...
33 min
2302
Is the "Five-Second Rule" Baloney?
Today on The Gist, you will either be happily relieved or totally devastated by what we’ve learned about the “five-second rule.” Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker if she’d eat what we’ve...
24 min
2303
Why Humankind Needs Kardashians
Is there a relationship between celebrity worship and a lack of social mobility? Today on The Gist, we explore the allure of celebrity with professor Timothy Caulfield. He’s the author of Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: How the...
29 min
2304
What’s Fair for Fatherhood
Mike took three months off after each of his sons were born. He considers that time to be the most important bonding he’s ever done, but when it comes to family leave, some new dads aren’t so lucky. CNN’s Josh Levs makes a...
23 min
2305
Four Essential Lies
On this weekend’s Meet the Press, Mike Huckabee asked, “Is South Carolina a racist state because of the flag that flies on their Capitol grounds?” On The Gist, Mike Pesca answers, “No, the flag flies over the Capitol because...
29 min
2306
The Creator of Doc McStuffins
What kind of person is drawn to write for children’s television? And why does that person always seem to sneak in adult jokes and pop culture references? The creator and executive producer of Doc McStuffins, Chris Nee, shares the wide...
27 min
2307
Why Dylann Roof Picked Those Two Flags
Today on The Gist, a closer look at the apartheid-era South African and Rhodesian flags worn by the Charleston suspect, Dylann Roof, with vexillologist Ted Kaye. Plus, Richard Thaler offers common-sense ideas found in behavioral economics. He’s...
27 min
2308
Go-Go Wearable Gadgets
Does Congress care about the political interests of regular American citizens as much as those of their affluent donors? Today on The Gist, we speak with Princeton politics professor Martin Gilens about a study in Perspectives on...
31 min
2309
Deep Dive Into a Defining Institution
Was racism the progeny of the decision to enslave black people? Today on The Gist, the duo behind a new Slate Academy tell us what they’ve learned so far in a summerlong inquiry into a vast and complex aspect of American history. Mike...
21 min
2310
Google’s Loony Balloons
Today on The Gist, an improbable Google experiment is still afloat. Will this “loony” idea help expand Internet access around the world, or just be a boon to fuzzy sock manufacturers? Slate’s Will Oremus explains. For The Spiel, we...
19 min
2311
My Friend Became a Staunch Anti-Vaxxer. Now What?
Today on The Gist, we dig some of our favorite segments out of the vault. Mike Pesca is still away taping Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me, which you can hear this coming weekend online or on NPR stations across the country.
First up, Mary...
26 min
2312
Tour Guide for The Memory Palace
James Holmes is mounting an insanity defense for his trial in the 2012 movie-theater killings in Aurora, Colorado. But what connection does that tactic have with the actual medical understanding of mental illness? Today on The Gist, Fordham’s...
29 min
2313
Sleeping: You’re Doing It Wrong
Today on The Gist, how common is the phenomenon of the historic genius or eccentric CEO who needs less sleep than the rest of us? Could more of us benefit from less sleep? Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to open our...
23 min
2314
Grasping for the Ferguson Effect
In the Wall Street Journal editorial “The New Nationwide Crime Wave,” Heather Mac Donald argues that spikes in inner city crime are the consequence of “The Ferguson Effect” on police. Today on The Gist, Mike Pesca disagrees....
26 min
2315
Sharon Van Etten, Banter Mentor
Today on The Gist, listener Dillon Kondor explains why he finds himself consistently embarrassed by his own stage banter. Can indie rock singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten save the day? They’ll join us in studio for a thoughtful conversation...
31 min
2316
His Dunkological Clock Was Ticking
When Asher Price reached his mid-30s, he realized it was his last chance to learn how to dunk a basketball. Today on The Gist, we’ll visit the West 4th Street Courts to learn about his training regimen and the symbolism behind a slam dunk....
28 min
2317
Mac McCaughan: Solochunk
Today on The Gist, a new album from Mac McCaughan captures the feeling of being fifteen in 1982. His new album Non-Believers is available from the label he co-founded, Merge Records. In our segment, you’ll hear the tracks “Box...
34 min
2318
Nothing Up Their Sleeves?
A look at the benefits offered, if any, from compression sleeves worn by LeBron James, alpine skiers, and ailing senior citizens.
33 min
2319
What a Cherokee Chief Can Tell Us About Andrew ...
NPR host Steve Inskeep examines the complicated story of America’s seventh president through a new lens.
29 min
2320
Ross Ulbricht and the Silk Road Story
Alex Winter went from co-starring with Keanu Reeves in the Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure franchise to creating tech-centric documentaries. Today, Winter talks about directing Deep Web, about the online black market Silk Road and its founder Ross...
30 min
2321
Talking About Talking About Race
Today on The Gist, a brief history of beer with William Glenn and Trish Parry. Their show A Brief History of Beer is at the Under St. Marks Theater in New York the last Sunday of every month.
Plus, author Baratunde Thurston joins us from the new...
26 min
2322
Living in the Post-Material World
The other day in the Wall Street Journal, Mike Pesca saw a headline that he adored: World Awash in Too Much of Almost Everything. It wasn’t a pun, just that stark truth, and it reminded Pesca of a book he read years ago called The Progress...
23 min
2323
Hoist Up the Liberland Flag
Today on The Gist, our resident vexillologist Ted Kaye explains why it’s so much fun to visit micronation.org and size up the baby flags. For more flag news, we strongly recommend subscribing to the Vexilloid Tabloid, the...
28 min
2324
Why Karaoke Carries a Torch for 1984
Today on The Gist, we listen back to Billboard hits from 1984. Our regular guest Chris Molanphy explains why the year inspired so many go-to karaoke jams. He writes Slate’s Why Is That Song No. 1 column. For the Spiel, it’s time to name...
30 min
2325
The Present Tense (and Other Storytelling Secrets)
Today on The Gist, professional storyteller Matthew Dicks is here to coach our winning listener Frank Kennedy. We’ll hear stories from Frank’s life raising an autistic son, and hear ideas for how to better integrate them into a larger...
23 min