Two Percent with Michael Easter

Latest Episodes:

#59: Your Love of True Crime Is a Survival Instinct | Coltan Scrivner Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

If you love grisly true crime and horror shows, you might wonder if something is wrong with you. Michael speaks with Coltan Scrivner to answer that question. Scrivner, a psychologist at Arizona State University and author of Morbidly Curious, unpacks why humans are drawn to danger, the four kinds of morbid curiosity, why horror fans held up better in the pandemic, the sweet spot of fear, and when too much true crime starts to warp how dangerous the world feels. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(01:03) Why we can't look away from crime and danger
(06:59) The four kinds of morbid curiosity
(12:44) Why everyone slows down for car wrecks
(15:41) When true crime warps your world
(20:53) Are horror fans less empathetic?
(27:45) Why people root for killers
(31:33) Why women love true crime
(34:34) Michael's morbid curiosity score
(37:04) The sweet spot of fear
(40:04) Kids and scary movies
(43:44) Is Dateline before bed bad?
(46:07) Why clowns and creepy old women get us
(50:37) Horror fans and the pandemic
(53:08) The woman who can't feel fear
(57:32) His scariest ghost hunt
(1:02:33) Rapid fire: Best horror movies and villains

Get Coltan's book, Morbidly Curious: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705578/morbidly-curious-by-coltan-scrivner-phd/
Take Coltan's Morbid Curiosity Test: https://www.coltanscrivner.com/morbid-curiosity-test

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Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#58: Why You Should Hike Right Now | Robert Moor Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

Michael speaks with Robert Moor, author of On Trails and the new book In Trees, about what five months on the Appalachian Trail taught him about quitting and comfort, why going off trail sharpens your mind, how to get off what his tree climbing instructor calls the neurotic merry-go-round, and what old, wounded trees know about aging well. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(00:42) Why he walked from Georgia to Maine
(03:56) What a thru-hike does to your mind
(08:53) Why most thru-hikers quit
(12:39) Learning to love discomfort
(17:51) What every trail has in common
(24:00) Why go off trail
(28:09) Getting outdoors in a city
(30:14) His outdoor routine and thru-hike advice
(35:55) The power of trees
(42:07) A case for climbing trees
(47:20) David Attenborough, bonsai and growing around wounds
(56:33) What trees teach about aging

Get Robert's book, In Trees: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/In-Trees/Robert-Moor/9781476739250

Sponsors:
Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.
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Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#57: Stop Trying to Sleep Perfectly | David Samson Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Up to half of Americans say their sleep is bad, and the rules for fixing it keep piling up. Michael speaks with David Samson, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Toronto and author of The Sleepless Ape, about why modern people sleep longer and better than hunter-gatherers yet worry about it far more, why our body clocks are the real mismatch, top sleep myths, and which sleep advice is worth following. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(01:19) What is sleep?
(08:30) Is there an epidemic of bad sleep?
(15:50) Why study hunter-gatherer sleep
(18:40) How the Hadza tribe sleeps
(25:45) Bad sleep, happy sleepers
(28:44) Evolutionary mismatch of sleep
(32:40) Sleep is fine, the clock isn't
(38:49) Does sleep anxiety matter?
(43:02) Rapid fire: melatonin to curtains
(47:08) What he does to sleep better

Get David's book, The Sleepless Ape: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691259734/the-sleepless-ape

Sponsors:
Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.
MacroFactor: Download the MacroFactor app and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#56: Misogi Is a Challenge You're Supposed to Fail Half the Time | Marcus Elliott Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Most of us avoid anything we might fail at. Michael speaks with Dr. Marcus Elliott about Misogi, his yearly challenge with about a 50 percent chance of failure, and why we overestimate the cost of failing, the benefits of Misogi, and what the data on elite athletes still can't measure. In addition to creating the modern Misogi, Marcus founded P3, the world's top sports science lab. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(00:41) The Comfort Crisis introduction
(02:20) What a Misogi is
(05:37) The 50/50 rule
(17:08) No training required
(21:14) One perfect stroke
(23:23) Why Misogi should be kooky
(34:33) A modern rite of passage
(37:51) The Misogi with his son
(45:00) What the data can't see
(56:42) Hundreds of reader Misogis
(60:01) Not an Instagram moment
(64:18) Don't let your life shrink

Sponsors:
Base44: Get 30% off the Builder plan for your first year at base44.com/TWOPCT.
Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.
MacroFactor: Download the MacroFactor app and use it free for two weeks with code TWOPCT.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#55: The Accidental FBI Director on Moral Courage | Brian Driscoll Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Brian Driscoll became acting director of the FBI through what he believes was a clerical error in 2025. He was then asked to hand over the names of thousands of FBI employees who worked the January 6 investigations, which would have placed their careers and safety in jeopardy. He resisted and became a legend in the bureau. Brian told Michael what pushing back cost him, and why he calls "it is what it is" the most accepted form of surrender. They discussed:

(00:00) Cold open
(00:51) Becoming accidental FBI director
(04:37) The illegal vetting call he failed
(09:43) The request for the names of thousands of agents
(18:04) From 9/11 to investigating the mob in NYC
(32:22) Inside the elite Hostage Rescue Team
(39:48) Lessons from elite teams: Be brilliant at the basics
(49:05) How he protected the FBI
(55:35) Fired with no reason given
(59:44) How he led the FBI through crisis
(66:48) Why standing up was worth being fired
(71:41) The motorcycle journey afterward
(76:56) Starting over

Sponsors:
Vuori: Get 20% off your first purchase at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.
MacroFactor: Try MacroFactor free for 14 days in the Apple or Android app store with code TWOPCT.
Lagoon: Go to lagoonsleep.com/TWOPCT and take the 60-second sleep quiz to find your perfect pillow.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#54: A Harvard Professor Tested Popular Diets on Himself | Dan Lieberman Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Michael speaks with Harvard evolutionary biologist Dan Lieberman, author of Fed Up. They talked about how humans didn't evolve to think about what to eat, the history of food and humans, what Dan learned trying popular diets for the book, biggest diet myths, and where Dan lands on exercise and weight loss. They covered:

(00:00) Cold open
(01:15) Humans never evolved to choose food
(09:59) What the paleo diet gets wrong
(14:32) Why we overeat
(24:22) The hardest diet Dan tried
(26:47) The case against the carnivore diet
(33:40) How diets become like a religion
(38:18) The protein craze: facts and myths
(43:19) A sustainable approach to eating
(50:03) Why nutrition headlines constantly change
(54:44) Eat like a fox: A rule for nutrition
(58:40) Does exercise help us lose weight?

Get Dan's book, Fed Up: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737466/fed-up-by-daniel-e-lieberman/

Sponsors:
MacroFactor: Download the MacroFactor app and use it free for two weeks with code TWOPCT.
Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#53: Your Mind Lies About How Much You Can Take | Lindsay Crouse Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

A lot of us think of quitting as a path to failure. Michael speaks with Lindsay Crouse, the former New York Times writer, editor and producer, lifelong distance runner and author of The Case for Quitting, about when perseverance backfires, how to tell meaningful suffering from the pointless kind, and the signs it's time to walk away. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(00:54) Good sisu and bad sisu
(06:30) The Olympic Trials goal she missed
(13:12) When perseverance backfires
(20:54) Where quitting pays off
(24:22) Should you quit your job?
(27:24) Type A minds and never enough
(32:05) Where we quit too much
(35:08) Who pays when you quit?
(37:09) Bill Withers' golden toilet seat
(42:23) Do we all need a rumspringa?
(46:55) Why Lindsay left the Times
(49:25) Signs it's time to quit

Get Lindsay's book, The Case for Quitting: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-case-for-quitting-the-surprising-benefits-of-opting-out-lindsay-crouse/5d08b49f272f6816
Find Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaycrouse/

Sponsors:
Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.
MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

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#52: What Convenience and Your Phone Are Costing You | Tim Wu Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Michael speaks with Tim Wu, the Columbia law professor and author of The Age of Extraction, about how media and tech platforms learned to harvest our attention, why convenience is among the most powerful forces of our time, and what the easy option can take from us. They discuss:

(00:00) Cold open
(01:12) Selling attention, from 1833 to now
(07:46) Why phones are changing human evolution
(16:20) Why ads adapt to every backlash
(18:00) Attention merchants vs. extractors
(25:48) Easiest wins: the power of convenience
(28:01) What convenience takes from us
(34:17) Can tech serve more than profit?
(39:45) What makes a good life
(44:42) Is there an ethical way to fund media?
(48:51) Social media, kids and age limits
(53:51) Why reality TV casts difficult people
(57:17) Tim's own media diet

Get Tim's book, The Age of Extraction: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/
Find Tim: https://x.com/superwuster

Sponsors:
MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.
Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#51: Creatine, Wearables, Carbs: What's Hype and What's Real | Brady Holmer Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Michael speaks with Brady Holmer, the exercise scientist and 2:24 marathoner behind the Substack Physiologically Speaking, about which fitness trends hold up. Brady explains why he stopped taking creatine, which numbers on your wearable to ignore, and why endurance athletes now eat the carbs of three Cokes an hour. They discuss:

(00:00) Preview
(00:35) Why Brady stopped taking creatine
(03:26) Creatine is oversold for the brain
(09:14) The wearable numbers to ignore
(12:47) The problem with HRV
(16:14) What wearables get right
(18:49) Carb maxing: three Cokes an hour
(24:56) What Lance Armstrong said about carbs
(28:11) Race weight and eating enough
(32:57) Why carb timing matters
(36:33) Why Brady is eating less protein
(38:57) Mile record or two-hour marathon?
(41:35) The second running boom
(45:58) More strength or more cardio?
(48:15) Training with a newborn

Subscribe to Brady's Substack, Physiologically Speaking: https://www.physiologicallyspeaking.com
Find Brady: https://www.instagram.com/brady.j.holmer/

Sponsors:
Lagoon: Go to lagoonsleep.com/TWOPCT and take the 60-second sleep quiz to find your perfect pillow. Use code TWOPCT for 15% off any pillow.
MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.
Vuori: Get 20% off your first purchase at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#50: The Mormon Missionary Who Became a Real Housewife | Heather Gay Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Heather Gay, star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and author of Bad Mormon, tells Michael why she left the Mormon faith, what that decision cost, and how she rebuilt a sense of self and community. They also discussed her role on the show, and:

(00:00) Preview
(00:46) Why Heather left her faith
(03:01) The choice that changed her life
(05:35) Why she stayed Mormon for so long
(11:15) The cost of trying to be perfect
(15:52) Finding belonging after leaving a faith
(22:00) Why most people live a double life
(24:30) When reinvention works and when it fails
(30:20) The stages of leaving a high-demand group
(33:41) Finding a new community
(38:36) Sales lessons from her Mormon mission
(43:48) Choosing to be on Real Housewives despite pushback
(50:10) Writing fiction: Eternal Glow
(52:28) A Housewives rapid fire: takes on Jen, Lisa, and Meredith
(57:47) Why the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City resonates

Get Heather's book, Bad Mormon: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bad-Mormon/Heather-Gay/9781982199548

Sponsors:
MacroFactor: Try MacroFactor free for 14 days in the Apple or Android app store with code TWOPCT.

Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com

Host: Michael Easter
Executive Producer: Robbie Hiser
Music: The Heater Manager
Graphics: Jackie Philips

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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