Factually! with Adam Conover

Writer and reporter Adam Serwer joins Adam to talk about why the protests of the past two weeks go way beyond Trump, why the system behind racist police abuse is the problem and how recent events could affect the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special edition of Factually!, UPenn political scientist Daniel Gillion joins Adam to discuss the role that violence plays in protest movements both historical and present-day, the truth about what “the right way to protest” is, and gives an optimistic analysis of what’s going on in America right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James Forman Jr., Professor of Law at Yale Law School and author of the book Locking Up Our Own, joins Adam this week to discuss the history of how mass incarceration became so distorted, juvenile court, confronting problems in the criminal justice system, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

American economist, professor and chief economist during the Obama administration, Michael Greenstone, joins Adam this week to discuss transitioning our economy during a pandemic, balancing safety with the economy and what the costs and benefits truly are, and how economics can clarify policy disputes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All of us care about equality. (At least, most of us do.) But how do we achieve equality, when the nation is so divided? And how can advocates for equality best make their case in the courts? American University law professor Robert L. Tsai joins Adam to discuss his book “Practical Equality” and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're two months in to the pandemic, and some states are starting to reopen. Are we anywhere close to where we need to be to do so safely? Dr. Josh Sharfstein, current Vice Dean for Public Health Practice at Johns Hopkins and former principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, joins Adam to discuss the state of our fight against the pandemic, the importance of public health to our communities, and reinventing the world we used to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Grey Lady is the success story of the digital media age, but is it coming at the expense of other publications around the country? Veteran of online media, founding Editor-in-Chief of BuzzFeed News and now New York Times media columnist Ben Smith joins Adam this week to discuss the shockwaves that have rocked the media industry, and future prospects for the local journalism we desperately need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For generations, American life expectancy has only improved. Then two economists discovered that for one group in particular, it’s actually falling: White Americans without a college degree. Nobel Prize winning economists Sir Angus Deaton and Anne Case join Adam this week to explain the causes of what they call “deaths of despair", and why capitalism is at the root of the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Delivery workers are more important than ever - so why are they getting screwed? Business and tech reporter for the LA Times, Johana Bhuiyan, joins Adam to how tech companies are bungling the pandemic, the importance of gig workers to our economy and what will happen to these employees if it tanks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Political scientist and election forecaster Rachel Bitecofer joins Adam this week to discuss why “swing voters” don’t really exist, the dynamics that truly drive political trends, and how COVID-19 will affect the 2020 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Entomologist and professor, Akito Kawahara joins Adam to discuss why insects are disappearing at an alarming rate, how humans must play a critical role in their survival, and how incredible insects truly are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Bard Prison Initiative is a revolutionary program that provides a rigorous college education to men and women in prison. In one of our most power episodes ever, BPI’s founder Max Kenner and recent graduate Sebastian Yoon join Adam this week to discuss how lifechanging the program is, and how it proves that every person deserves an education, no matter the circumstances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UCLA Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Undocumented Migration Project, Jason De León, joins Adam to uncover the truth about immigration across our southern border, how border militarization has been counterproductive and why it’s so critical to develop a full understanding who the people crossing the border truly are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode, Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, Dr. Ashish Jha, joins Adam to explain the reality and dispel myths about the coronavirus pandemic, what must be done to combat the illness, and how long the road ahead truly is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Online security expert, Bruce Schneier, joins Adam this week to discuss the concept of "security theater", how the surveillance state makes us less secure, if we can change anything to help our vulnerability and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sex expert and scientist Nicole Prause joins Adam this week to reveal the truth about sex "addiction", debunk popular misconceptions about the science of sex, and explain how difficult it is to measure whether or not a test subject has *really* had an orgasm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, the forces behind the hit podcast Ear Hustle, join Adam this week to explain what it's like producing audio from inside San Quentin, shed light on misconceptions and myths about prison life, and how incarceration truly affects a human being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Comedy writer and WGA West President David Goodman joins Adam for a deep dive into one of the most interesting labor unions in the country - the Writers Guild of America. They also cover what it's like when your boss is Seth MacFarlane and a member of your union, how solidarity powers the Guild's negotiations, and how the Guild is fighting back against the corporate consolidation that's transforming the entertainment industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MacArthur fellow and UCLA professor, Kelly Lytle Hernández, joins Adam to explain how explictly racist policies of the past created the incarceration and immigration systems we still have today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adam sits down with Celeste Kidd, Professor of Psychology and head of the Kidd Lab at UC Berkeley to discuss how humans form beliefs and knowledge, and how easily that process can be corrupted by outside forces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, Scott Soames, joins Adam this week to for a deep dive into how philosophy shaped the modern world, the relationship between philosophy and physics, and the age old question: “What are numbers?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain joins Adam this week to shed light on how climate change affects the chances of more extreme weather events, the main misconceptions surrounding weather and climate and the importance of weather science as climate change thunders forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UCLA Professor Safiya Noble joins Adam this week to discuss how racism is expressed through supposedly neutral algorithms, the real-life “Minority Report” technology that’s being used today in our cities, and why we all need to stop implicitly trusting technology just because it uses a lot of math. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On a very special FACTUALLY! Adam sits down with political satirist, puppeteer, former children's show host and personal hero, Paul Zaloom aka Beakman of Beakman's World. Adam and Paul talk about the inspiration and development behind the show, the Children's Television Act, the environment today for comedic educational programming and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Think the housing crisis is intractable? Heather Worthington, Director of Long Range Planning for the City of Minneapolis, is here to prove to you that it’s not. She joins Adam to tell us how she helped pass the revolutionary Minneapolis 2040 Plan, how it will make her city more equitable and affordable, and the rest of us can make change in our own communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neuropathologist and Director of Boston University's CTE Center, Dr. Ann McKee, joins Adam to discuss CTE or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries that affects the NFL and other sports. Dr. McKee explains just how common and devastating CTE is, why we can't yet identify CTE in living patients, and the origins of her "Brain Bank." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

NYU professor Cailtin Zaloom joins Adam discuss the student debt industry, why we shouldn't force students to think about finances when pursuing their education, and what steps we can take to change higher education for the better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you feel like you live in a world that’s more chaotic and unequal, than the one your parents did: You’re right. Political scientist Mark Blyth joins Adam to explain the how we got here and why, the true mistakes of the 2008 financial crisis, and the effects that climate change will have on the global economic and political system going forward. This episode is brought to you by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Atlas Coffee Club (www.atlascoffeclub.com/factually), Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Factually!, author Matt Stoller joins Adam to discuss corporate monopolies in entertainment, why we should be breaking up Disney and how concentrated power is so problematic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Technology expert and UCLA professor of information studies Sarah T. Roberts joins Adam to discuss the oversold fantasy of artificial intelligence, the real humans who labor behind the scenes to moderate your social media feeds, and the psychological effects the work takes on them. This episode is sponsored by Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually), KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY), and Parcast - Natural Disasters (www.parcast.com/NATURALDISASTERS). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Labor and workplace journalist, Steven Greenhouse, joins Adam this week to explain the comeback of labor unions in recent times, the disconnect between politicians and common workers, the advantages of unionizing and much more. This episode is sponsored by Atlas Coffee Club (www.atlascoffeeclub.com/factually) and Exploding Kittens (www.ExplodingKittens.com/factually code: FACTUALLY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Disability rights activist, Judy Heumann, joins Adam this week to discuss the mentality shift and history of disability rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act, acts of protest and the Ugly Laws. This episode is sponsored by Atlas Coffee Club (www.atlascoffeeclub.com/factually), KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY), and Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, Greg Shill, sits down with Adam to explain about why our legal system prioritizes car travel and punishes those who don’t or aren’t able to drive. This episode is sponsored by Exploding Kittens (www.explodingkittens.com/factually code: FACTUALLY) and Dashlane (www.dashlane.com/factually code: FACTUALLY) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Author and extremism researcher J.M. Berger joins Adam this week to discuss the surprising similarities between white supremacist and Islamist extremists, the ways extremist groups frame their hatred to seem more appealing and what social media services need to do to stop its spread. This episode is sponsored by KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

History professor and director of Asian Studies at Indiana University Ellen Wu joins Adam this week to discuss the model minority myth, how the stereotype has shifted over history and why it still exists today. This episode is brought to you by Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually) and The Next Big Idea podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Eminent climatologist and geophysicist Michael Mann joins Adam to explain the science behind climate change, how to fight denialism, and much more! This episode is brought to you by The Next Big Idea podcast, Kiwi Co (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY), and Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Experimental social psychologist, former Cornell University professor and current professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, David Dunning, joins Adam this week to discuss our brain's incredible power to be unaware of being wrong, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and why the first rule of "Dunning-Kruger Club" is you don't know you're in the "Dunning-Kruger Club"! This episode is brought to you by Dashlane (www.dashlane.com/factually), Bombas (www.bombas.com/factually), and No Such Thing as a Fish Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hematologist-oncologist, author and evidence-based medicine expert Vinay Prasad MD MPH, joins Adam this week to talk about medical reversals, the addiction of helping someone while making money, decision-making with suboptimal evidence, what questions to ask your doctor, and much more. This episode is brought to you by Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Founder and executive director of Pathways to Housing, a Housing First program, Dr. Sam Tsemberis joins Adam this week to discuss the misconceptions about how to address the homelessness crisis, the economics of homelesness and why there are people on the street when we know how to fix it. This episode is brought to you by Kiwi Co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT, Prof. Sara Seager, joins Adam on earth this week to discuss the process of finding and looking for Earth cousins, the chance of discovering life on other planets, liquid lava lakes, "Star Shade" and so much more! This episode is brought to you by Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Renowned behavioral neuroscientist, recovering addict and author of the NY Times Bestseller Never Enough, Judith Grisel joins Adam to discuss her early battle with addiction, the neuroscience on how the brain adapts negatively to substance abuse, ending up in treatment by mistake and how life can be wonderful after recovery. This episode is brought to you by Kiwi Co (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY), Bombas (www.bombas.com/FACTUALLY), and Invitae (www.invitae.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Science journalist and author of the book The Intelligence Trap – Why Smart People Make Stupid Mistakes, David Robson joins Adam this week to discuss how being intelligent can actually amplify your errors, the definition of disrationalia, how to stay intellectually humble, and more! This episode is brought to you by Super Size Me 2, Invitae (www.invitae.com), Acuity (www.acuityscheduling.com/factually), and Dashlane (www.dashlane.com/factually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Historian and author of the book "Are We There Yet?: The American Automobile Past, Present, and Driverless", Dan Albert joins Adam this week to talk about what led to the universal car, the 1890's bike craze, selling more than just a mode of transportation, and more! This episode is brought to you by Kiwi Co (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Political scientist, Occidental College professor and former Cambodian refugee, Sophal Ear, joins Adam this week to discuss his journey escaping Cambodia with his family, the price people are willing to pay to find freedom, the immigration system after WWII, and what it means when you turn people away. This episode is brought to you by Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet Podcast, The Great Courses Plus (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/FACTUALLY), and Bombas (www.bombas.com/FACTUALLY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Artist, writer and author of the book "How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" Jenny Odell, joins Adam this week to discuss different types of attention, art and contemplation being challenged, how doing nothing is doing something, and the mysterious bowerbird! This episode is brought to you by Blinkist (www.blinkist.com/FACTUALLY), The Great Courses Plus (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/FACTUALLY), Hawthorne (www.hawthorne.co code: FACTUALLY), and Kiwi Co (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Political scientist, professor at Boston College and author of Red Fighting Blue: How Geography and Electoral Rules Polarize American Politics Dave Hopkins, joins Adam this week to discuss the structure of America's political parties, partisanship and party loyalty, how conservatism has changed, and more! This episode is brought to you by KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Professor of Psychology at Villanova University and author, Dr. Patrick Markey, joins Adam this week to discuss the real science and research behind violent video games and violent behavior, how correlation doesn't mean causation, and whether or not video games are "release valves" for violent behavior. This episode is brought to you by Kiwi Co (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY) and The Great Courses (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/FACTUALLY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Public historian and CEO of the American Civil War Museum, Christy Coleman, joins Adam this week to discuss skewed stories from the Civil War and their influence in history, the real success story of reconstruction and what else we’re missing in history. This episode is sponsored by KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/FACTUALLY), Blinkist (www.blinkist.com/FACTUALLY), and The Great Courses Plus (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/FACTUALLY). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Judith Owens, the Director for the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Boston Children's Hospital, joins Adam this week to discuss sleep deprivation and mortality, the circadian clock of cells, jet lag tips and more. Plus, Judith answers burning sleep questions from the Factually! crew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Environmental journalist and thinker, Emma Marris, joins Adam this week to discuss how drastic our impact is on the natural environment, being a "reducetarian", the issues with purism in conservation, and herons! This episode is brought to you by Away (www.awaytravel.com/factually code: FACTUALLY), Blinkist (www.blinkist.com/FACTUALLY), and The Great Courses Plus (www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/factually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.