The Most Important Question

Latest Episodes:

Issue #229: Fossil Fuel Funding, MDMA Magic, Leaky Legislation May 07, 2021

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This week: fossil fuel financing under the microscope, India’s COVID summer, MDMA to the rescue, how to fix our water pipes.

Psychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More – The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
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Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

110. The End of the Universe May 03, 2021

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In Episode 110, Quinn’s talking about the end of the universe.

His guest is Sarafina Nance, Ph.D. candidate at Berkeley, astrophysicist, author, and women’s health advocate. She also hosts Constellation, a TV show by Seeker.

How the hell is the universe gonna end? Is it soon? What does it mean for each of us? What if it only feeeeeels like the universe is ending? What does that moment teach you?

Sarafina’s dedicated her life to studying and understanding the farthest reaches of space -- and our very (very) tiny place in it. And she’s taken that understanding to heart, fighting and surviving in a field of study that doesn’t make a lot of room for women of color, and a personal health battle that couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Learn Sarafina’s story, the mental tools she’s used to not only persevere, but flourish, and how to take on the end of the universe, in this incredible conversation.

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Important, Not Important Book Club:

Links:

starafina.com
Instagram: @starstrickensf
Twitter: @starstrickenSF
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarafina-nance-7a5888a0
Watch: Constellations
girlswhocode.com
thebreasties.org

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Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Issue #228: Carbon Offset Upset, the COVID Baby Bust, Man vs. Mosquito Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

This week: AI is going backwards; carbon offsets are a mirage; falling birthrates and COVID; the end of malaria?; Jordan’s out of water.

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Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

109. Introducing “What Can I Do?” Apr 26, 2021

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In Episode 109, Quinn & Brian try to help answer the eternal question: What can I do?

Our guest is Frank Buncom IV, Head of Product Management at AIRx Health, a ground-breaking digital health and remote monitoring service for patients with chronic conditions and COVID-19.

This episode is the first in a series of organic conversations with up-and-coming world changers. Frank is just 24 years old — barely out of college — and already has a passion for solving challenging problems that the world needs solving.

As if revolutionizing healthcare wasn’t enough, Frank’s also working on prison reform, sustainability, and climate change. And he meditates! Jesus, Frank. It’s enough.

We talk about what drew him to the healthcare industry, adjusting the systems we build as we collect more data on how they work, and how identifying what you care about is the first step to creating lasting change.

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Important, Not Important Book Club:

"Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture" by Roxane Gay
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Links:

frankbun.com
airxhealth.com
Instagram: @BeastNamedFrank
Twitter: @BeastNamedFrank
Read: "The Optimist's Telescope" by Bina Venkataraman

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Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Issue #227: Building a Better Battery, It’s Covid Crunch Time, I Was Promised Waterworld Wouldn’t Suck Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

This week: Batteries 101; too many vaccines, not enough takers; new antibiotics, but are they the right ones?; water disputes grow; AI gets the crack down

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Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

108. Data for Progress Apr 19, 2021

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In Episode 108, Quinn & Brian discuss: Data for progress.

Our guest is Julian Brave NoiseCat, the Vice President of Policy & Strategy at Data for Progress, a progressive think tank that uses data science, public opinion research, policy analysis, and other research to develop and advocate for progressive policies.

Julian’s also a writer, artist, activist, and a proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq'escen and a descendant of the Lil'Wat Nation of Mount Currie.

The name Data for Progress really says it all. It’s a group with a mission for making progress founded on a belief of data. Julian would describe himself as a progressive realist focused on addressing the biggest and broadest challenges of our lifetime with the tool he knows best.

Our conversation delves into the ways in which we can add credibility to the data we collect, how to use it to create informed decisions that affect real change, and how data is wholly dependent on the questions that you ask of it. We also discuss the political and voting power of native people in the US and the importance of highlighting native voices in the media.

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Important, Not Important Book Club:

“Lenin’s Tomb” by David Remnick

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Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Issue #226: Show Me Receipts, I Like Those Odds, The Next Frontier in Your Fleshbag Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

This week: Biden’s climate disclosures; Johnson & Johnson on pause; Odds of being infected post-vaccination; Biotech’s next decade; The EU draws up AI rules… and just in time

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Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

107. Start a Sustainable Fashion Revolution Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

In Episode 107, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to buy clothing that lasts while not polluting the oceans or exploiting low-income workers.

Our guest is Orsola de Castro, a fashion icon and the founder of Fashion Revolution, a collection of designers, producers, and consumers looking to heighten awareness of sustainability in the fashion industry -- from supporting the people who make our garments, to eliminating the microplastics destroying our oceans, bloodstreams, and hormones.

The organization’s hashtag, #WhoMadeMyClothes, has been shared millions of times, and its response, #IMadeYourClothes, has provided invaluable visibility to supply chain workers worldwide.

In this inspiring conversation, we talk about the people who make our clothes, what happens once we have them, and where they go when we’re done with them.

Orsola also shares why she focuses on changing the world starting with the clothes that we wear, and the actionable questions you can ask your representatives to support this cause.

Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com

Important, Not Important Book Club:

"Girl, Woman, Other" by Bernadine Evaristo
"Loved Clothes Last" by Orsola de Castro

Links:

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Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Issue #225: The Cost of Climate Change, Skeptical Evangelists, Algorithms for the Win Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

This week: Climate finance remains unregulated; God vs Vaccines; AI antibiotics are coming; New data on food waste since the 1960s

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Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Do Better Better #17: Start Over Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

Synopsis: Starting over sucks. But, like in Contra, maybe starting over is just the thing that’ll save the world.

Do Better Better essays help you build mental models and ask questions about our changing world — for yourself, your family, and your business.

These essays compliment the audio version of our weekly newsletter, and of course, our ground-breaking conversations with diverse, interdisciplinary humans working on the frontlines of the future.

Get these essays, our newsletter, and more science that makes you feel good right in your inbox at importantnotimportant.com
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Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

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