Social Distance
Journalists from The Atlantic document the first 15 months of the coronavirus pandemic through regular phone calls. Listen in as Dr. Jim Hamblin, the producer Katherine Wells, and the comedian and the writer Maeve Higgins ask journalists, experts, and friends about the news and science behind the pandemic, get some advice, and learn how to apply it.
26
The Vaccine is Here! What Now?
We're very relieved, but now entering the strange time of vaccine purgatory.
36 min
27
Americans Are Going Hungry
How could we have let people go so long without help?
32 min
28
Misinformation Mailbag
Jim and Katherine answer listener questions about pandemic misinformation.
33 min
29
How to Cancel Thanksgiving (Because You Should)
Jim and Katherine answer listener questions about the holidays, and explain how to say no.
36 min
30
A 90% Effective Vaccine
Jim and Katherine get sent to the principal (the lead principal investigator of the Pfizer vaccine trial).
33 min
31
‘A Long Misunderstood Region’
America hit 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time today. Unlike the wave in the spring, this one is spread across the country and especially hitting rural communities.
25 min
32
After the Vote
Could the election shape the course of the pandemic?
28 min
33
People Need Help
Americans now face a third wave of the coronavirus. New lockdowns may soon follow—this time, without economic support.
35 min
34
Is COVID-19 a Pre-Existing Condition?
What happens if we lose the Affordable Care Act during a pandemic?
40 min
35
So Trump Has COVID
What happened? What now?
30 min
36
What Does COVID Do to the Heart?
As colleges send student-athletes back on the field, we’re learning more about how COVID could have serious and long-lasting impacts on hearts in even the healthiest among us.
42 min
37
How Bad Will Winter Get?
Your cold-month questions answered.
33 min
38
Fires Outside, Virus Inside
How wildfires make the virus more dangerous
35 min
39
Is Faster Better?
We want vaccines. We want rapid tests. But when is fast too fast?
38 min
40
Herd Immunity is Not a Strategy
With news that a White House pandemic adviser reportedly pushed a “herd immunity strategy,” Katherine and Jim ask an expert about what that would mean. Dr. Howard Forman, a Yale professor and emergency radiologist, explains why Sweden isn’t the example people think it is—and why many people are talking about “herd immunity” all wrong.
42 min
41
Plasma and Immunity
Writer F.T. Kola had COVID-19 in March, and she’s still dealing with the aftermath. She calls to ask about whether she should donate plasma, and if she should worry about “reinfection.” Then, senior editor John Hendrickson talks about disability at the DNC.
47 min
42
The Comedy and Tragedy of Virtual Live Events
When live events went online, they lost something indescribable. But did some gain something new? Maeve Higgins explains why comedy needs a crowd. James Fallows argues that politics might be better on Zoom.
38 min
43
Millennials Are Buying COVID Cars
How the pandemic is changing how we move—and could alter cities permanently
41 min
44
This Episode Has Not Been Peer-Reviewed
Jim explains the terms Katherine hears in news about scientific studies — and why the pandemic may be changing science. And Ed Yong joins to discuss how American healthcare needs to change to beat the coronavirus.
37 min
45
Birding Outside the Home
A cheap, easy excuse to be in nature
26 min
46
The Tree Army
A Civilian Conservation Corps for the pandemic
16 min
47
'The Most Magical Place on Earth'
Inside the quasi-authoritarian city-state in Florida where people are happily complying with the rules
21 min
48
How Immunity Works
Zombies, villagers, and Navy SEALs. An expert explains the immune system.
28 min
49
$600 a Week
In a few days, 30 million Americans will lose the $600 in unemployment insurance they’ve depended on every week. What happens next?
22 min
50
A New Definition of “Clean”
The upsides and downsides of sterilizing ourselves
23 min