Important, Not Important

You know you're stressed. You know you're anxious. Do you have depression? And do you need to know the latest in the biology of how the brain works and depression works or doesn't work and whether the gut is involved in getting meaningful help? That's today's big question. I promise it's kind of one question, even if there are a ton of different answers, and they're going to be different for everybody.This conversation is a follow-up to our last couple of conversations about the brain, the gut, and depression. My returning guest is Srijan Sen. Srijan is still the Francis and Kenneth Eisenberg Professor of Depression and Neurosciences at the University of Michigan and the Director of the Francis and Kenneth Eisenberg and Family Depression Center. His leading research focuses on the interactions between genes and the environment and their effect on stress, anxiety, and depression. Content WarningThis week we're talking about depression, and stress, and anxiety, and mental health, and suicide.This is a very

This week: There are few problems so simple that a single donation can fix them.Usually, to turn a problem into a realistic opportunity takes many donations. Over time, spread over a large number of donors.But all the work before that is kind of exhausting: you’ve gotta make sure your donation goes to the right place, the right organization, the right people — usually the ones closest to the problem — with the most pragmatic intentions.Here's What You Can Do:Donate to Give Directly and put cash straight into the pockets of the people who need it the most.Volunteer with Overdose Lifeline to support their harm reduction and awareness efforts.Get educated about starting a resilience hub in your community with resources from the USDN.Be heard about making healthy school meals free for students everywhere.Invest in a sustainable future and find a clean bank to move your money into using 

The climate clock is ticking faster and faster. How can we use capitalism to undo the bad stuff that capitalism did and maybe even make things better? That's today's big (loaded) question, and my returning guest is Akshat Rathi. Akshat is a London-based senior reporter, newsletter writer, and podcaster for Bloomberg News.Akshat has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Oxford, and a BTech in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai. Akshat was previously a senior reporter at Quartz and a science editor at The Conversation. He is here today to talk about his first book, Climate Capitalism.This wonderful book tells the stories of people building solutions at scale to tackle one of humanity's greatest challenges. Some solutions we've already built, like solar and batteries, and some we're still working on because they take a lot of work, and money, and politics.In a world where journalism is going bye-bye, and the climate clock is ticking, but we've made so much progre

This week: Are we in the hardest part of the climate transition?Here's What You Can Do:

What are reverse coattails, and how might they slow climate change, prevent the next pandemic, and keep Nazis off of school boards? That's today's big question, and my returning guest is Amanda Litman. Amanda is one of my favorite people. She is the co-founder and co-executive director of Run for Something, which recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot office, state, and local, and all those fun levels. Since launching in 2017, a thousand years ago, Run for Something has elected more than 1000 leaders across nearly all 50 states, mostly women and people of color.Politico named Run for Something and Amanda, one of the 50 ideas driving politics in 2018. Bloomberg called her one of the People to Watch in 2019. Fortune named her to their annual 40 under 40 list in 2020. And in 2022, Amanda was one of the Time Next 100, a list of 100 rising stars from around the world.And look, it's yet another election year in America because it's another year in America, so there is never a bett

This week: How are we supposed to navigate this energy transition, AI, and pandemics, if we cannot agree on the most basic, fundamental shit?We argue about tradeoffs or gently suggest expanding the scope of our moral concern to include other people’s air, water, food, shelter, and health, instead of simply saying some things — like the lives of children — are simply, emphatically, non-negotiable.Here's What You Can Do:Donate to Tobacco-Free Kids to protect kids from e-cigarettes.Volunteer with Everytown to prevent gun violence in schools.

This week: Today’s essay is a bit of a departure — I just wanted to make super clear where I stand vis a vis the next eleven months.A MAGA party don't stop unless we stop it.Here's What You Can Do:Donate to Voters of Tomorrow to defend democracy for the next generation.Volunteer with Run For Something to help young, diverse progressives get elected.

This week: Today’s essay is my version of a 2024 preview. Unlike other previews, though, it’s less, “This is what is going to happen” and more “These are the table stakes as far as I can tell.”I think that approach is much more helpful, but you can be the judge.Here's What You Can Do:Donate to the 19th, an independent newsroom that focuses on gender, politics, and policy. Journalism is being hit hard, and small outlets that do incredible work like the 19th are more essential than ever.Volunteer with the Environmental Voter Project. If there was ever a year to do this, it’s this one.Get educated about multisolving with resources from The Multisolving Institute. As you’ll read in the essay below, the issues are myriad, but we can choose solutions that address many problems at once.Be heard about green transportation by urging your representative to reject cuts to Amtrak.Invest in companies that are

This week: I’m back today to share my 2023 wrap-up. It’s a pretty stream-of-consciousness endeavor, but I think it sums up where I was right in my 2023 preview, where I was very wrong, how the world changed — or didn’t — and most importantly, how we responded.Here's What You Can Do:Donate to CAMFED to help them educate 5 million girls in Africa by 2030 (educating girls is key to building climate resilience!)Volunteer with Action for the Climate Emergency, a network of young people working in key states to register young voters and educate them on climate change and climate justice.Get educated about your country’s GHG emissions to thoroughly understand how and where to prioritize decarbonization resources using the Country Emissions Inventory from Climate Trace. Filter by year, sector, and type of GHG.Be heard about protecting pregnant people at a federal level and urge your representative to support codifying abortion access.Invest in solar and elec

How will the universe end? That's today's big question, and my guest is Sarafina El-Badry Nance. Sarafina is an NSF graduate research fellow, astrophysics Ph.D. candidate, and Forbes 30 Under 30 Science 2022 honoree, specializing in supernova and cosmology. She's also the author of the new, honest, and empowering memoir "Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark".Sarafina and I recorded this conversation back in 2021, and not only is it an all-time listener favorite, well, the universe at large hasn't ended yet, even though it's felt like it was coming sometimes. We've all been through a lot since then, and this conversation is still and will remain, evergreen.Sarafina's goal is to measure the rate of the expansion of the universe as propelled by dark energy. And, I'm sorry if that isn't exciting enough for you, I don't know what to tell you.-----------Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favor

Why does it matter who reviews our video games? That's today's big question, and my guest is Swapna Krishna. Swapna and I recorded this conversation in 2022, and as gaming and the entire media ecosystem changes and evolves and is pulled apart and merged, it's more important than ever to find reputable sources we not only trust, but who we have a connection with, and that's why representation matters so much. Swapna is a writer and journalist covering space, science, tech, and pop culture, and writes some of the most empathetic tech, and pop culture commentary on the web. She writes everywhere from Fast Company to StarWars.com, from StarTrek.com to Business Insider and the LA Times, Bitch Magazine, Bustle, Mental Floss, and more. Swapna has appeared on a bazillion excellent podcasts, she's been at ComicCon, she's the co-host of the Desi Geek Girls Podcast, and the host of PBS's show, Far Out. -----------Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get

How do we get our attention back? That's today's big question. I think about it every day, and my guest is Johann Hari. Johann and I recorded this conversation in 2022, and with the Internet in general and social networks of the past fifteen years being straight-up pulled apart, I think it's more relevant than ever. Johann Hari is the author of three New York Times best-selling books, an executive producer of an Oscar-nominated movie, and an eight-part series starring Samuel L. Jackson. His books have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and his TED Talks have been viewed more than eighty million times.Johann is the author of the new book, from last year called Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again.No matter what you do, we are each and all being pulled in so many different directions. If we can't pay attention to what's going on with our planet and our communities, we're going to have a hard time fixing any of it. Our attention is spread too thin. And where this all

How's your mental health around climate change? That is today's big question, and my guest is Britt Wray. Britt and I recorded this conversation in 2022. It is an all-time favorite of mine and of our listeners.Britt is the author of the fantastic book, Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. She has a passionate generational perspective on how to stay sane amid climate disruption. Britt has a PhD in science communication from the University of Copenhagen. She's the author of The Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction. Britt has a PhD in science communication from the University of Copenhagen. She has hosted several podcasts, radio, and TV programs with the BBC and CBC, and is a TED resident. Britt is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she is researching the mental health impacts of climate change on young people. Britt is also the author of Gen Dread, the first newsletter th

Has there ever been a more important time, a more consequential time, to lead with ethics? That's today's big question, and my guest is Dr. Susan Liautaud. Susan is the author of The Power of Ethics and of the Little Book of Big Ethical Questions. She teaches cutting-edge ethics courses at Stanford University. She is the Chair of the Council Trustees at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She's the Vice Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, and is Chair of the Stanford University Freeman's Spogli Institute for International Studies Advisory Council.She also serves with the Stanford Institute for Human Centered Artificial Intelligence, which is obviously really important, and the AI Ethics Advisory Panel. Other boards include Benevolent AI, the Yale Divinity School Advisory Council, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, among many others.Her work and her frameworks reverberate through so many decision-making apparatuses today. I have been trying to learn from and operate fr

What are the best holiday gifts that aren't privacy nightmares? That's today's big question, and my guest is Jen Caltrider. Jen is the lead researcher for Mozilla's Privacy Not Included program where since 2017 Mozilla has published 15 editions of Privacy Not Included, their Consumer Tech Buyer's Guide.They've reviewed over 500 gadgets, apps, cars now, and more, assessing their security features what data they collect from you and your loved ones, and who they share that data with or sell it to. They have even built the first annual Consumer Creep-o-meter, distilling what's good, what's bad, and what's just plain creepy in the world of consumer tech.While I love new tech and I own quite a bit of it, I have become pretty obsessed with at least understanding what I'm getting myself into and getting my kids into. Part of that's for myself and my family, but obviously, so I can share it with you all as well. -----------Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comN

This week: How the hell does the brain work? And what does it have to do with lemonade stands and school supplies?Here's What You Can Do:Donate to support The Markup’s invaluable work examining the ways technology is being used to change society.Volunteer with your local Surfrider chapter to keep our waterways, oceans, and beaches clean.Get educated about the easiest ways your company can improve sustainability by reading this article from Protocol.Be heard about clean water as a human right by urging your Members of Congress to support the WATER Act.Invest in industries that will measurably move the needle using the IEEFA’s financial research.Get more:Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpSubscribe to our YouTube channelTake a nap you deserve itAdvertise with us: importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors Mentio

I think about time a lot. Some days I feel ancient, some days I can’t believe how old I am.I’ve got kids, too. I can’t believe how fast they’ve grown up already. They love so many things. Swimming. Cooking. Plain pasta. The beach. Vegetables, somehow. Their friends. Their family. Dinosaurs.Man, oh man, do they love dinosaurs.I love to challenge them, to help them think about how long ago it all was, and how long it lasted. How different the world was. How the land under their feet was an ocean, once.And of course, knowing what we know now, how fast it can all change. How an asteroid - or a virus, or a fire, or a flood - can change your life forever.As much progress as we’ve made in these 300,000 years of Homo sapiens, from fire to wheels to meat to agriculture to handwashing – we are in a moment when we are challenged yet again on a global scale, and unlike the dinos, our future is of our own making.In this episode from 2022, our guest is Riley Black.Riley is a science writer and amat

How did the female body drive 200 million years of human evolution? And why the hell are we just finding out about it now? That's today's big question, and my guest is Cat Bohannon. Cat is the author of the incredible new book, “Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution”. Cat is also a researcher and author with a Ph.D. from Columbia University in the evolution of narrative in cognition. Cat's essays and poems have appeared in Scientific American, Mind, Science Magazine, The Best American, Non Required Reading, The Georgia Review, Story Collider, and Poets Against the War. Look, for a very long time, scientists ignored everything about the female body, except for how to have sex with it. And even that, they barely understood (and still don't). They didn't think or care to ask helpful questions like: How did we get here? What else about the female biological body is different from the traditional male body? Why might those differences matter? And how might they have gotten us to where

This week: Will coffee survive climate change?Here's What You Can Do:Donate to support African farmers by increasing incomes and improving food security through the Alliance for a Green Africa.Volunteer to join the Coffee & Climate Network, an organization that connects stakeholders in coffee farming to create a climate-smart future.Get educated about what is in your supplements using Examine’s independent, evidence-based database.Be heard about your eco-anxiety by connecting with others having similar feelings at a Climate Cafe near you.Invest in deforestation-free investment options with Deforestation Free Funds.Get more:Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpSubscribe to our YouTube channelTake a nap you deserve itAdvertise with us: impo

Can your gut composition predict Alzheimer's? That's today's big question and my returning guest is Gautam Dantas. Gautam heads up the Dantas Lab at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. His lab works at the interface of microbiogenomics, ecology, synthetic biology, and systems biology to understand, harness, and engineer the biochemical processing potential of microbial communities.Since our last conversation, Gautam was named a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology for his studies of microbial communities and antibiotic resistance. I wanted to have him back on the show, not just because Gautam is one of my favorite guests of all time, and not just because of this new study we're going to really dig into, but because you have probably been affected by Alzheimer's in some way.Alzheimer's is growing more prevalent throughout the world every day as the U. S., China, and so many other countries get old. We've asked so many questions about dementia, Alzheimer's, and other brain disea