Two students at a small university in Cambridge, MA want to help you get smart! Each week we provide a succinct, humorous overview of some of the most interesting topics of the day including universal basic income, the history of the electoral college and the invention of white people.
Cooper Williams and Mimi Sheng
Ah, the age old question... where do "White people" come from? We interview Professor Marco Tabellini of Harvard Business School to understand how an influx of racial minorities affects our acceptance of who is "White". Plus: a bonus for Lion King fans!
We interview Dr. Fleda Mask Jackson, a public health expert, on racial disparities in maternal health. Dr. Jackson has served as an advisor to the CDC and as Professor of Applied Public Health at Emory University and a Visiting Scholar at Spelman College.
The world is on fire -- for once, we're not talking about politics. Find out more about what causes wildfires, what you can do about them, and what Cooper really thinks about gender reveal parties.
In this episode, we interview Professor Alexander Keyssar of Harvard, author of the new book "Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?" Find out how the electoral college was devised, why it has survived several (bipartisan) efforts for reform, and which Founding Father actually wanted to go with a popular vote.
The USPS is the center of attention these days, but do you know which president started it? In our last episode of the season, find out the truth about mail-in voting, and what happened to names like Ebenezer Hazard.
Influencer tweens, algorithms, and geopolitics -- oh my! Listen to Cooper and Mimi give their personal takes on TikTok and security, and find out why Cooper hates his social credit score.
If the name “Nate Silver” triggers your PTSD, this is the episode for you! Learn about political polling 101, wtf happened with the 2016 polls, and what they have to say about the 2020 election today.
Papa Joe decided he wants to keep Miami above water, and released a new Climate Change plan on how to do it. Learn about his $2 trillion plan, why Biden’s breaking “rules” of campaigning, and why Cooper was traumatized by a campaign website.
Bernie Sanders and Milton Friedman agree? No, it’s not a rupture in the space-time continuum, it’s just universal basic income. Listen to how UBI works, the evidence for and against, and Mimi’s transformation into an angry Siri.
The CDC warns we are creating a ninja-warrior training gym for viruses. Find out why factory farms will kill us all, and why Cooper doesn't want an Ostrich farm.
Harvard, Yale and Stanford have endowments in the 10s of billions...so why can't they afford nice things in a crisis? Find out why universities' endowments are messy, and why $40bn just isn't what it used to be.
Papa Joe wants to give everyone healthcare but doesn't want to do a communism. Find out about Biden's healthcare plan and why he's the perfect candidate to propose something Democrats find...just ok.
Facemasks weren't important...then they were. Find out why some medical professionals say wearing a mask can make things worse, and why you absolutely should wear a mask.
Drag queens, trash fires and cops...oh my! Find out why the Stonewall Riots didn't start the gay rights movement...and why it did.
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