The Gist

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 track the use of "the" before "Magna Carta." Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Pilon shares the real history of the board game your family never finishes. She’s the author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game. Then, should you ever attend a child’s birthday party in a hazmat suit? Slate’s Emily Yoffe joins us for a Post-Prudence Impact Statement with past letter writer “The Shot Is Safe.” For the Spiel, impassioned nominations for the Toy Hall of Fame. This segment was taped in 2014, and since then the Rubik’s Cube, bubbles, and little green army men have all been inducted. Today’s sponsor: Volvo. Have a month’s payment on Volvo, and spend your summer doing the things that matter to you. Plus get up to five years full coverage, including wear and tear. Go to volvocars.com/us. Join Slate Plus! Members get

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 Barry Rosenfeld explains the challenge of diagnosing a “guilty mind.” For the Spiel, we ask Nate DiMeo to share an episode of his podcast The Memory Palace about Coney Island’s Dreamland amusement park, and his approach to revisiting history. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 eyes about sleep deprivation, the latest in a series we call “Is That Bulls--t?” For the Spiel, Burwell or not so well. Today’s sponsors: Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the “try it free” button. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Mac Donald is the author of Are Cops Racist, and at the Manhattan Institute scholar.  For the Spiel, is edible normcore taking it on the chin? Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 about what’s involved in being a frontman who’s confident in their vulnerability. For the Spiel, the latest Duggar-based revelation. Today’s sponsor: Squarespace, the easiest way to create a beautiful website, blog, or online store. Use the offer code GIST at checkout to get 10 percent off. Squarespace. Build it Beautiful. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. He’s the author of Year of the Dunk: A Modest Defiance of Gravity. For the Spiel, debating about debates. Today’s sponsor: Squarespace, the easiest way to create a beautiful website, blog, or online store. Use the offer code GIST at checkout to get 10 percent off. Squarespace. Build it Beautiful. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Batteries” from the new album, and at the end of the show, “Noisy Night” by Portastatic. For the Spiel, (the) Magna Carta explained. Plus, be sure to come see Mac live in Durham, NC for Mom and Dad Are Fighting LIVE!: The Indie Rock Parenting Edition at Mororco on Sunday, June 7, 2015. Today’s sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. And, Squarespace, the easiest way to create a beautiful website, blog, or online store. Use the offer code GIST at checkout to get 10 percent off. Squarespace. Build it Beautiful. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today

Today on The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker returns for another installment of “Is That Bullshit?” Maria and Mike take a closer look at compression sleeves used by elite athletes, senior citizens, and injured folks alike.  Plus, we talk about the U.S. military’s Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb and Russia’s Armata supertank with Rebecca Grant, the president of IRIS Independent Research and a contributor to Air Force magazine. For the Spiel, Mike raises an eyebrow at the body count in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Today’s sponsor: Squarespace, the easiest way to create a beautiful website, blog, or online store. Use the offer code GIST at checkout to get 10 percent off. Squarespace. Build it Beautiful. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Email: thegist@slate.com Twitter: @slategist   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on The Gist, Steve Inskeep of NPR's Morning Edition talks about the story of two complicated political leaders he chronicles in a new book, Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab. In the Spiel, a candid question: "What will you do now that the Patriot Act has been temporarily suspended?" Today's sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. And, Squarespace, the easiest way to create a beautiful website, blog, or online store. Use the offer code GIST at checkout to get 10 percent off. Squarespace. Build it Beautiful. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook. Email: thegist@slate.com Twitter: @slategist   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod

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 Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. The show premieres on Epix this weekend. Also, Slate’s Joel Meyer joins us to answer one question, and one question only, about Minneapolis. For the Spiel, should we give so much credit to the sage grouse? Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Panoply podcast About Race. He’s the author of How to Be Black. Guidelines for talking about race include: 1. Assume good intentions, especially online. 2. Shut up. Listen. 3. Try to make it not just about yourself. “But I’ve never” isn’t a good argument. It’s about a bigger system. For the Spiel, does it matter if our politicians are out of touch? Today’s sponsor: The Netflix original documentary series Chef’s Table. Go inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world’s most renowned international culinary talents. All episodes now streaming on Netflix. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Paradox by Gregg Easterbrook. They discuss what the rising of material abundance means for the word and the possibility of a post-scarcity economy. For the Spiel, is this our last chance for a President Bernie? Every wonder how we make The Gist? Check out a special Slate Plus feature about the making of our show in this video. Today’s sponsor: The Great Courses, offering engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like Masters of War: History’s Greatest Strategic Thinkers. Right now, get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/gist.   Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod

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 bimonthly newsletter of the Portland Flag Association. Then, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to open our eyes about insomnia, the latest in a series we call “Is That Bulls--t?” In the Spiel, Mike finds himself defending Lindsey Graham. Today’s sponsor: QuickBooks. If you work for yourself, try QuickBooks Self-Employed. See what QuickBooks Self-Employed can do for you with a free 30-day trial at tryselfemployed.com/thegist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 our lobstar of the antentwig. Today’s sponsor: The Great Courses, offering engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like Masters of War: History’s Greatest Strategic Thinkers. Right now, get up to 80% off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 story. For the Spiel, a story of Kansas punishing people on welfare leads to an amazing stat. Today’s sponsor: QuickBooks. If you work for yourself, try QuickBooks Self-Employed. See what QuickBooks Self-Employed can do for you with a free 30-day trial at tryselfemployed.com/thegist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a span of just 14 months, Bob Dylan wrote, recorded, and released three of the greatest albums of all time. Today on The Gist, David Kinney explains how it happened. He’s the author of The Dylanologists: Adventures in the Land of Bob. For the Spiel, you can’t find a better man than David Letterman. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com. Buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Right now, get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer by going to Stamps.com and using the promo code THEGIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on The Gist, what does the looong campaign mean for 2016’s candidates? Annie Lowrey from New York magazine joins us for a reasonable amount of time. She’s part of a new Panoply podcast called Podcast for America, which debuts Tuesday on Soundcloud and iTunes.  Then, in another installment of “Is That Bulls--t?” Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker if hand sanitizer is a reasonable use of purse space. Her new book The Confidence Game is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, Mike explores the growing popularity of the breastaurant—and does it partly in rhyme. Today’s sponsor: Harry’s, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on The Gist, we remind you of what’s in that crate in the back corner of your basement. Author Zac Bissonnette tells the tale of Ty Warner and the craze that launched e-commerce. He’s the author of The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute. For the Spiel, a Gist-vestigation into college diploma mills. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com. Buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Right now, get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer by going to Stamps.com and using the promo code THEGIST. And: QuickBooks. If you work for yourself, try QuickBooks Self-Employed. See what QuickBooks Self-Employed can do for you with a free thirty-day trial at tryselfemployed.com/thegist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on The Gist, Mike Pesca and Slate senior editor Laura Bennett reflect on the unique career of David Letterman, and the new breed of late-night hosts. His last show will be on May 20th, and Slate’s Last Laugh features include many looks at the end of an era in late-night TV.  For the Spiel, lots of death. Sorry. But, the middle part has fun, great blues names! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices