The Most Important Question

Latest Episodes:

#18: A new science foundation in America May 22, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 18, Quinn & Brian try to build a more flexible, approachable, and fun new science foundation in America. But they don't know where to start.

Enter the legendary Phil Plait, the “Bad Astronomer”. He's an astronomer (obviously), author, and science communicator extraordinaire and we chat about rebuilding the foundations of American science.

And that, friends, starts with enthusiasm. Science — fuck yeah!

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Links:

Phil Plait on Twitter

Phil’s blog

Phil’s newsletter

The Science and Entertainment Exchange

Global Weirding

Crash Course

314 Action

Trump’s Book Club: The Madhouse Effect by Michael E. Mann and Tom Toles

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#17: What’s the future of emergency medical systems in the age of climate change? May 15, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 17, Quinn & Brian ask: What’s the future of emergency medical systems in the age of climate change?

Joining us: Jason Friesen, the founder and executive director of Trek Medics, a 501 c3 registered NGO dedicated to creating or improving emergency medical systems in communities without reliable access to emergency care through innovative mobile phone technologies.

We talk about the current and future state of emergency medical systems in the age of climate change. Because the big one's coming.

Jason would like you to know that they make their services available to all communities, regardless of race, religion, or creed. He's saved six lives since Brian woke up.

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Links:

TrekMedics.org

Trek Medics on Instagram

Disaster Preparedness

Team Rubicon

Charity Navigator

Zello

5 steps to emergency response:

Can you help?

Did you find the patient?

Do you need additional resources?

Are you able to transport the patient?

Did you get to your destination?

Jason’s pick for Trump’s Book Club: The Little Prince, by Antoine Saint Exupery

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#16: Clouds ruin EVERYTHING May 08, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 16, Quinn & Brian ask: what's the future of climate modeling? Also, what's a climate model?

Enter Dr. Kate Marvel. She's a climate scientist and a writer. A theoretical physicist by training, she is now an associate research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University’s Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics. Because, sure.

Dr. Marvel's research focuses on how human activities affect the climate and what we can expect in the future, using satellite observations, computer models, and basic physics to study the human impact on variables from rainfall patterns to cloud cover.

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Links:

Dr. Kate Marvel on Twitter

Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity

The Earth System Grid

Marvel Climate

We Need Courage, Not Hope - OnBeing

Her pick for Trump’s Book Club: The Constitution of the United States of America

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#15: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action, Part II? May 01, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 15, Quinn and Brian dig deeper and ask: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action, part II?

On the mic: Akshat Rathi, a reporter for Quartz in London. He wrote a series last year called The Race to Zero Emissions about carbon capture, and we dig into that, and the next 10 years of CCS, today.

Akshat’s resume: he’s previously worked at The Economist and The Conversation. His writing has appeared in Nature, The Guardian and The Hindu. He has a PhD in chemistry from Oxford University and a BTech in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, and if that isn’t enough to convince you, well I’m sorry.

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Links:

Akshat Rathi on Twitter

“The Race to Zero Emissions” series

Carbon Engineering

Canada’s first carbon capture power plant

Illinois carbon capture plant

The Clean Air Task Force

Carbon Capture Coalition

The Social Cost of Carbon

Trump’s Book Club: Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#14: How do we improve America’s agriculture system? Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 14, Quinn (Brian abandoned him) asks himself: How do we improve America’s agriculture system?

On the mic, Emily Cassidy, the Sustainability Science Manager at the illustrious and beautiful California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and a leading member of their new climate action initiative, Planet Vision.

Emily's the co-author of a highly cited paper called “Solutions for a Cultivated Planet”, investigating how to sustainably feed 9 billion people.

Today we put Emily’s long background in natural resources science to use and discuss the steps America, and Americans, need to take to improve our food system, and make it healthier. For the air, for the land, for the water, and for each of us, inside our bodies.

Also: Jane Goodall, and cow farts vs. cow burps.

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Links:

Emily Cassidy on Twitter

PlanetVision on Twitter

California Academy of Sciences

PlanetVision

JANE documentary

Netherlands greenhouses

Added Sugars on the new nutrition label

Michael Pollan on how to eat: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

BBC: Most nutritious foods

Trump’s Book Club: A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#13: A blueprint for suing the pants off fossil fuel companies Apr 17, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 13, Quinn and Brian plot a blueprint for suing the pants off fossil fuel companies. Of course we don't know where to start, so we asked for help.

Meet the mastermind: Mayor Serge Dedina of tiny Imperial Beach, California, one of the first cities to sue fossil fuel companies for climate change damages.

We discuss what led to their suit, but more importantly, actions other cities should be taking to plan for the future, including their own legal action. Also: surfing, Nazis, and grandmas.

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Links:

Mayor Serge Dedina on Twitter

Wild Coast

Serge’s book choice: Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari

Blue Carbon Australia

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#12: Can algorithms predict the next major pandemic? Apr 10, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 12, Quinn and Brian ask: Can algorithms predict the next major pandemic? Pretty please?

Joining us: Dr. Sam Scarpino, Assistant Professor of Marine & Environmental Sciences and Physics and a core faculty member in the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University.

We discuss whether, and if so, how advanced algorithms and data science can help predict and prevent the next major pandemic.

Also, the importance of a liberal arts education, bad wifi in 2018, and my wife’s iPhone.

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Links:

Dr. Sam Scarpino on Twitter

Sam’s book selection: On Immunity: An Inoculation

Dharma.ai

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#11: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action? Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 11, Quinn & Brian ask with fingers crossed: Can carbon capture be a building block in climate action?

On the mic: David Hawkins, director of the climate program at the National Resources Defense Council, and the man basically responsible for you breathing clean air most days. So, you’re welcome.

We discuss David’s history of working to safeguard the planet, but more specifically, his thoughts on the futuristic but necessary technology that is carbon capture, and whether we can pin our hopes on it. Stay tuned for his thoughts on using your voice and vote to move the needle.

Also: yodeling.

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Links:

David Hawkins on Twitter

NRDC.org

https://echo.epa.gov

Enter a city or state name or zip code and it will crank out a facilities list.

For example, put in Houston, TX and hit the search icon.

On the right hand side there will be a count of facilities with violation info (eg, 154 with significant violations).

You can select one of those items and a list of individual facilities will be retrieved.

Next, click on a facility of interest to get more detail.

Next, vote your representative out of office.

Have a nice day!

The Invention of Nature by Alexander Humboldts

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#10: The Tantrum That Saved The World Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 10 (we made it!), Quinn & Brian read a picture book. And a damn good one. Introducing The Tantrum That Saved The World.

On the mic: Megan Herbert, Aussie co-author and illustrator of the popular new children’s book about climate change activism. We talk about the book, her co-author, esteemed climate scientist and science communicator Michael E, Mann, as well as modeling behavior for our kids, providing them with tools now and in the future to become agents of change, and also drinking.

Order Megan and Michael’s book right now at WorldSavingBooks.com!

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Links:

Megan Herbert on Twitter

Michael E. Mann on Twitter

MeganHerbert.com

WorldSavingBooks.com

Earth 101

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter

Intro/outro by Tim Blane

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Ok that’s enough good lord

#9: How do we stay safe from infectious disease (zombies)? Mar 20, 2018

Show notes

In Episode 9, Quinn and Brian cower under the desk and ask: How do we stay safe from infectious disease (zombies)?

Please meet Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician, Assistant Professor at Boston University, and the Director of Infection Control and Medical Response at National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory. Yeah. Exactly what you imagine. That's her job. You're welcome.

We discuss historical pandemics, modern-day factors in the growth of new and return of old infectious diseases, our current level of preparedness, zombies, Minority Report, hand washing, and of course, anti-vaxxers.

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Links:

Dr. Nahid Bhadelia on Twitter

Interview with Dr. Bhadelia on interconnectedness

GHSA

Her book for Trump: Spillover

The Coming Plague

The Sixth Extinction

CDC's One Health Program

Her award-winning photo in Nat Geo

Quinn Emmett on Twitter

Brian Colbert Kennedy on Twitter