The Gist

On The Gist, what political ad men might have picked up from Caravaggio. Adam Levine, associate director of the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, explains the thinking behind the upcoming exhibition, “I Approve This Message: Decoding Political Ads.” For the Spiel, screwing around with Zika funding.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, why it’s better to crash our spacecrafts than to litter the solar system with our earthly microbes. Summer Ash explains everything you didn’t know you wanted to know about the Juno space probe orbiting Jupiter. Ash is the Director of Outreach for Columbia University’s Department of Astronomy.  For the Spiel, discord will always be with us.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Slate correspondentJustin Peters on the life and death of free-culture crusader Aaron Swartz and the history of copyright in the United States. Peters wrote The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet. In the Spiel, reflecting on recent shootings of black men by police and of police by a black man.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, a case for the modern office as a subject of high literature. J. Bradford Hipps discusses finding more than mockery in the anonymous office park where he set his novel, The Adventurist.  For the Spiel, an economical five minutes on the five hours the FBI director spent testifying at a congressional hearing.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Devin Leonard returns with the last installment of our postcard series to discuss the evolving economics of the U.S. Postal Service. Leonard’s book is Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service. Plus, Bruce Shapiro ponders the best way to cover mass shootings if the goal is to limit future massacres. Shapiro is executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia Journalism School.  For the first-ever, midshow Spiel: Twinkies. For the traditional closing Spiel: dying in vain.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, are you really saving the planet with your recycling? New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova, takes on what may be our most controversial round of “Is That Bulls--t?” Konnikova is the author of The Confidence Game. On the Spiel, porn on the Juno spacecraft’s hard drive.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Xavier Dphrepaulezz, aka the Fantastic Negrito, returns to reflect on his second career in music, Prince’s influence, and the gentrification of America’s greatest cities. His new album is The Last Days of Oakland. For the Spiel, it’s time for another Lobstar of the Antentwig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Wyatt Cenac explains the thinking behind his comedy showcase series Night Train With Wyatt Cenac, premiering on NBC’s comedy streaming service Seeso on Thursday. For the Spiel, Borisexit: the fanfare and drama of Boris Johnson’s thanks-but-no-thanks speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, senior political writer and analyst Harry Enten explains FiveThirtyEight’s 2016 Election Forecast.  For the Spiel, a forewarning about forearms: Are we ready for our Army men and women to roll up their sleeves?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, author Sloane Crosley on writing characters who are smarter than you, literary witch hunts, and borrowing Spider-Man’s ethos when writing. Her novel, The Clasp, is now out in paperback.  For the Spiel, will we remember the Brexit as an argument against direct democracy?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Financial Times journalist Edward Luce returns to discuss the Brexit vote and its imminent consequences. Luce’s latest book is Time to Start Thinking: America and the Spectre of Decline (though the American title is the more pointed Time to Start Thinking:America in the Age of Descent).  For the Spiel, what’s the value of a cri de coeur? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Seems as good a day as any to talk about the British Invasion. On The Gist, we listen back to the Billboard hits of 1964, the beginning of Beatlemania in the states. Regular guest Chris Molanphy explains how other groups rode the Beatles’ coattails to the top of the pop charts. Molanphy writes Slate’s “Why Is This Song No. 1?” column.  Plus, Chad Millman’s big lesson after the betting markets got the Brexit vote wrong. Millman is the host of ESPN’s Behind the Bets podcast.  For the Spiel, we have just witnessed the triumph of gut over brains.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, René Auberjonois shares his tips for defying typecasters and enjoying a varied acting career. He plays a minister in Blood Stripe, the psychological thriller about a female Marine adjusting to life after the military.  In the Spiel, one unifying theory for all the day’s news.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why don’t we all have jetpacks? Who’s the weirdest docent at your local natural history museum? On The Gist, comedian (and former airplane mechanic) Alonzo Bodden and science communicator Alie Ward explain. Their new show, How to Build … Everything, airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Eastern on the Science Channel. For the Spiel, trying to summon up some concern for the Donald Trump of North Korea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would Donald Trump by any other name be Boris Johnson? On The Gist, Financial Timescolumnist Ed Luce, author of Time to Start Thinking: America and the Spectre of Decline, traces the parallels between Brexit supporters and Trump fans. For the Spiel, how gun laws are like insulin.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, teetering on the brink of a Brexit, a scrutiny of Team Leave’s propaganda. And a futile attempt to find out if Big Freedia goes through with her wedding. The answer lies in Season 5 of her Fuse TV show, Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce. For the Spiel, editing the transcript of the Orlando shooter’s 911 calls.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, performer, musician, and comedian Dave Hill reflects on his contribution to the Donald Trump empire: ringtones. His new book is Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.  For the Spiel, all dogs go to heaven—copycats, however, take the “Stairway to Heaven.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins talks about being more than the guy from the band. His latest movie is The Last Heist. Jesse Armstrong explains satirical string-pulling in his book, Love, Sex, and Other Foreign Policy Goals.  For the Spiel, lovers of quail, unite!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova takes a gimlet eye to explanations for sleepy eyes: Are owls and larks bulls--t? Konnikova is the author of The Confidence Game.  For the Spiel, Donald Trump’s sanest line is crazier than Mitt Romney’s biggest gaffe.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, impressionist John Di Domenico discusses embodying The Donald. Plus, another installment of our “postcard” series: Devin Leonard talks about the U.S. postal service and how early visionaries thought it might topple slavery. Leonard is the author of Neither Snow Nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service.   For the Spiel, have you noticed something different at Mets games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices