Tweaked Podcast

Featured Coffee: Fire Dept. Coffee - Bourbon-InfusedTo celebrate the 20 episode milestone, Ben and Aaron revisit a fan-favorite topic to close out this month’s theme: our relationship with technology. From simulation theory to life on other planets to focusing on what matters as we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, this is a down to earth episode that has a little something for everyone. Stay tuned for more as we introduce our new theme next month!

Featured Coffee: Larry’s Coffee - Fire in the Belly RoastWhen DNA was discovered in 1869 by Friedrich Miescher, the idea that we would be able to alter our genetic code was mere fantasy. 150 years later, that fantasy is now reality with the introduction of CRISPR-Cas9, a genome editing tool capable of removing, adding, or altering specific sections of DNA with unprecedented accuracy. Thoughts of designer babies and the ethical questions that ensue immediately come to mind, but in a more practical sense CRISPR is a powerful tool with the potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues from cancer to world hunger. Nevertheless, whether that potential is realized will depend on effective governance of this ground-breaking technology to ensure its benefits span the globe rather than being concentrated within the hands of a select few. Join us this week as we discuss the ins and outs of CRISPR technology, its impact on on a host industries, and the implications for the evolution of the human race. As always, feel free to reach out with questions or comments at benandaaron@tweakedpodcast.com or through our contact form.Resources for ListenersDIY Bacterial Gene Engineering CRISPR KitKurzgesagt: Genetic Engineering Will Change Everything Forever—CRISPRSourcesHuman Nature: CRISPR Documentary directed by Adam BoltASME: 8 Ways CRISPR-Cas9 Can Change the WorldWired: Crispr Babies, IVF, and the Ethics of Genetic Class WarfareThe New York Times: These Foods Aren’t Genetically Modified but They Are ‘Edited’National Geographic: Why Gene Editing Is the Next Food RevolutionWired: Crispr Can Speed Up Nature—and Change How We Grow FoodScience Magazine: China’s CRISPR push in animals promises better meat, novel therapies, and pig organs for peopleNature: How CRISPR is transforming drug discoveryMIT Technology Review: Designer babies aren’t futuristic. They’re already here.Columbia University: The Future of Gene Editing

Featured Coffee: Julian Coffee Roasters - Organic BaliAs 5G dominates commercials and national headlines, data from Deloitte shows that the vast majority of citizens in Europe and the United States say they do not know enough about 5G. Meanwhile, there are mixed reports about the health effects of 5G technology. Conspiracy theorists have even linked 5G to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading arsonists to light new cell towers aflame. While all of this goes on, playing out in the background is somewhat of an arms race for technological supremacy between the West and China, with Beijing strides ahead of its Western counterparts. The fact of the matter is that 5G is more than just faster speeds (over 100x faster to be specific), rather it is the foundation of a technological revolution that will open the door to major advancements in sophisticated networks and real-time data that will drive innovation across a myriad of industries including the life sciences, sustainability, and transportation. For this reason, 5G presents serious national security implications not only for the intelligence community, but because of the economic and political challenges that arise from a communications infrastructure possibly dominated by China. Despite the health and national security concerns, 5G has the potential to change our world for the better—democratizing knowledge, connectivity, and access to critical services while making our built environment smarter, more agile, and sustainable. We are just in the infancy of 5G implementation, but if world leaders can be more collaborative and inclusive, then we can usher in a brighter future for the human race and enhance the human experience in ways not previously possible. SourcesCouncil On Foreign Relations: What Is 5G?C-SPAN: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on 5G Wireless DevelopmentC-NET: Not just speed - 7 incredible things you can do with 5GForbes: How 5G Will Unleash AIBrookings Institution: Achieving sustainability in a 5G worldScientific American: 5G Is Coming - How Worried Should We Be About the Health Risks?Deloitte Insights: 5G is not hazardous to your health: Busting the radiation risk mythCongressional Research Service: National Security Implications of 5G Mobile TechnologiesThe Economist: The geopolitics of 5G - America’s war on Huawei nears its endgameAtlantic Council: The battle for 5G leadership is global and the US is behind

Featured Coffee: Coda Coffee - Costa Rica, Santa Cruz, Micro LotTo kick off the month of February, Ben and Aaron are diving into a new thematic area: artificial intelligence and the frontiers of technology. As computing power has increased exponentially over the past few decades, the power and potential of AI has expanded rapidly. The advent of big data has quite literally given artificial intelligence the fuel it needs for processes like deep learning and the ability to make superhuman decisions. Whether science fiction or science fact, the arrival of AI is a double-edged sword—equipping humans with a formidable tool the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the same time, new developments bring new fears, a healthy amount of skepticism, and serious ethical concerns that warrant our attention before it is too late. In the episode, Ben and Aaron dive into the history of artificial intelligence before discussing the major fears and ethical questions surrounding this rapidly developing technology. To quell those fears, the hosts explore the immense benefits of AI, the various problems being solved with the help of these thinking computers, and what listeners should expect in this brave new world. SourcesThe Age of A.I.: YouTube Original Docuseries hosted by Robert Downey Jr. In the Age of AI: PBS Frontline DocumentaryTED Talk by Janelle Shane: The danger of AI is weirder than you thinkTED Talk by Kai-Fu Lee: How AI can save our humanityHarvard: The History of Artificial IntelligenceMIT Technology Review: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and CyberneticsBBC Future: Why the biggest challenge facing AI is an ethical one

Featured Coffee: Sight Glass Coffee - Colombia, Finca Las FlorestalesAfter covering two of the most pressing issues facing the food industry—food waste and factory farming—Ben and Aaron turn their attention toward the future. As the maxim of the show goes, “Our present reality is not definitive,” and that could not be more true of the food we eat today. Humans have been tampering with and altering the natural processes that produce the food we put on our plates for millennia. Well before the advent of genetic modification, processes like selective breeding, large-scale agriculture, and industrialization have dramatically changed the composition of the food ecosystem. Despite advances in technology, modern food production must contend with two major issues: obesity and malnutrition. Although a reflection of the rampant inequality plaguing humanity, the fact that half the world is fat while the other half is starving indicates that the future of food must not only be healthy and sustainable, but inclusive as well. Current developments in technology once again are poising the food industry for a sea change not only in the food we are eating, but how we are eating it. From food scanners to 3D food printing to nutrigenomics, these recent innovations are going to fundamentally change our relationship with food over the next few decades. In the near future, we may be looking back on our current eating habits and think of them as outmoded and rudimentary. Either way, it is an exciting time to be alive and we will see rapid advancements both in food production and consumption that will hopefully lead us to a more sustainable and inclusive world. Resources for ListenersHuelSoylentNima (Food Scanner)Foodini (3D Food Printer)SourcesNever Out of Season: Book by Rob DunnNational Geographic: The Evolution of DietFDA: Science and History of GMOs and Other Food Modification ProcessesMashed: Foods You Had No Idea Were Not NaturalWired: Humans Made the Banana Perfect—But Soon, It’ll Be GoneSociety for Science: Explainer - How CRISPR WorksThe Medical Futurist: The Future of Food and EatingThe New Yorker: The End of FoodDiscover Magazine: How Scientists Are Planning to Grow Food on Other Planets

Featured Coffee: Imeztli CoffeeOver the last half century, factory farms, or concentrated animal feeding operations otherwise known as CAFOs, have become the predominant model for meat production globally. Today, 90% of all meat produced across the world comes from a factory farm. For the United States, that number jumps to 99%. Big Agriculture has aggressively lobbied to hide the truth of factory farming, but the fact of the matter is that large-scale meat production is terrible both for the planet and our health. As much as factory farming raises pressing ethical concerns in regards to how we treat intelligent beings capable of feeling complex sensations and emotions, industrial meat production also has serious ramifications when it comes to climate change, pollution, and even public health. In fact, factory farms are prime breeding grounds for pathogens, allowing bacteria and viruses to mutate and evolve at unprecedented rates.To unpack this beefy topic, Ben and Aaron briefly discuss the recent history of factory farming before diving into why it is such a pressing issue for the modern world. The hosts also explore potential solutions and alternatives to factory-farmed meat, including insects, cultured meat, and how consumers can reduce the amount of meat consumed on a daily basis. Resources for ListenersLess AppThe Planetary Health Diet Certified HumanePreventing Future Pandemics ActSourcesThe Guardian: Industrial farming is one of the worst crimes in historyThe Guardian: Global food system is broken, say world’s science academiesPETA: 35 Mind-Shattering Facts Linking Factory Farming to Climate ChangeVox: The meat we eat is a pandemic risk, tooEcoWatch: The Scary New Math of Factory Farm WasteForbes: Big Agriculture Bullies and Lobbies to Keep Americans In the DarkThe Guardian: Bug grub - Sainsbury’s to stock edible insects on shelves in a UK firstThe Guardian: No-kill, lab-grown meat to go on sale for first time For complete source list and other content visit www.tweakedpodcast.com

Featured Coffee: Bee Coffee Roasters - Sweet Blue (Brazil)One-third of all food produced globally for human consumption is wasted. Meanwhile, over 820 million people across the world are suffering from hunger. To add fuel to the fire, organic waste rotting in landfills releases copious amounts of methane accounting for 11% of all green house gas emissions coming from the food system. The United States leads the world—and not in a good way—wasting more food per capita than any other wealthy nation. It is time that food waste is taken more seriously both here in the U.S. and throughout the rest of world as we simultaneously work to end hunger and combat climate change.To explore food waste, Ben and Aaron discuss why it is such a pressing issue, the history behind food waste in the U.S., and what other countries are doing to drastically reduce the amount of food they are wasting. The hosts conclude the episode by sharing with listeners what they can do on an individual level to cut down on how much food we are wasting on a daily basis. Resources for ListenersOlio AppLove Your Leftovers AppHow To Compost At HomeFind Your Local Food BankSourcesNew York Times: Food Waste of the PandemicCBPP: Tracking the COVID-19 Recession’s Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment HardshipsWWF: Fight climate change by preventing food wasteRESET: Global Food Waste and its Environmental ImpactUN Food and Agriculture Organization: Food wastage - Key facts and figuresNRDC: Food WasteNYC Food Policy Center: Food and Tech - Solutions to Recover and Redistribute Food WasteU.S. News: U.S. Tops Rankings in Food WasteRecycle Track Systems (RTS): Food Waste in America in 2020EPA: Winning on Reducing Food Waste Federal Interagency StrategyUtah State University: Digital Exhibits - History of Food WasteFor full source list and other content visit www.tweakedpodcast.com

Featured Coffee: Wonderstate - Organic Winter Solstice BlendTo ring in the New Year, Ben and Aaron recap a tumultuous 2020 before discussing what to expect in 2021 both for the world and the podcast itself. In this new year, Ben and Aaron plan to be more deliberate and intentional in the flow of episode topics by dedicating each month to a given overarching theme. Such themes will include subject areas such as the food industry, sustainability and climate change, artificial intelligence, the military industrial complex, and the frontiers of space exploration. If you, the audience, have suggestions for possible themes or episode topics, we would love to hear them! Feel free to fill out our contact form here or email us directly at benandaaron@tweakedpodcast.com. Sources and Further ReadingThe Atlantic: Where Year Two of the Pandemic Will Take UsInstitute for Policy Studies: Billionaires Data ReportInequality.org: Billionaire Wealth, Job Losses, and Pandemic ProfiteersNPR: Here Is What to Expect in Biden’s First 100 DaysNPR: What President-Elect Biden’s Election Means for U.S. Health Care and Public HealthInc.: Top Business and Technology Trends in 2021

Featured Coffee: Copper Moon Coffee - Dark Sky RoastIn the holiday spirit, Ben and Aaron decided it would be fun to explore the history of Christmas, how materialism and big business have infiltrated the holidays, and what we can do to make the holiday season more meaningful both for ourselves and for others. SourcesPew Research Center: Celebrating Christmas and the Holidays, Then and NowPew Research Center: 5 Facts About Christmas in AmericaHistory Channel: The History of ChristmasMuseum Center: 5 Ways Christmas Has Changed In AmericaJSTOR Daily: How Victorians’ Fear of Starvation Created Our Christmas LoreJSTOR Daily: Shakespeare, Rembrandt, and the Real “Twelfth Night” CBS: The unexpected origins of popular Christmas traditionsLive Science: The Surprising Truth - Christians Once Banned ChristmasThe Christian Science Monitor: Christmas - How did gift-giving and caroling get started?The Conversation: Has consumerism taken over Christmas? The Columbia Chronicle: Christmas and Consumerism Cannot Go Hand-In-HandSkyword: How Holiday Marketing Built the Holidays - The Story of Our Commercial ChristmasDaily Mail: Why we can’t help overspending over Christmas - Psychologist reveals the three tricks shops use to nudge us to buyInvestopedia: Average Cost of American Holiday Spending

Featured Coffee: Tinker Coffee Co. - ShantaweneAmericans spend more than any other country on prescription medication. Not only do we spend more, but we also pay more for the exact same medication that is sold at a fraction of the cost in other countries. In addition to the high drug prices, prescription drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. According to Consumer Reports, the U.S. spends over $200 billion on unnecessary and improper use of medication. Between 1999 and 2010 over 750,000 people died from prescription drug overdoses. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies have consistently and unabashedly lied both to the American public and to doctors about the efficacy and safety of their medications. Most notably, the U.S. government itself has pointed the finger at Big Pharma for the disastrous impact of the opioid crisis. Nevertheless, drug companies, including Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Pfizer, store away billions of dollars a year in off-shore tax havens instead of investing that money back into R&D or lowering the price of drugs. As always, Ben and Aaron explore the reasons why drugs cost so much more in the U.S., how pharma companies have hurt the American people, the problems with the FDA, and what needs to be done to fix America’s toxic relationship both with prescription drugs and the companies who oversee their development. SourcesConsumer Reports: America’s Love Affair with Prescription MedicationCDC: America’s Drug Overdose EpidemicNational Institute on Drug Abuse: Opioid Overdose CrisisAmerican Journal of Public Health: The Promotion and Marketing of OxyContinJAMA: Profitability of Large Pharmaceutical CompaniesJAMA: FDA Approval and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals, 1983-2018NPR: One-Third Of New Drugs Had Safety Problems After FDA ApprovalNPR: FDA Approves Drugs Faster Than Ever Oxfam: Prescription for PovertyThe Atlantic: Big Pharma’s Go-To Defense of Soaring Drug Prices Doesn’t Add UpVox: The true story of America’s sky-high prescription drug pricesJAMA: Lobbying Expenditures and Campaign Contributions by the Pharmaceutical and Health Product Industry in the United States

Featured Coffee: Colectivo - Peacemaker The United States spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation and touts the superiority of its privatized system over the universal health care commonplace in other countries. The vast majority of American citizens have bought into this narrative with 80% saying they perceive quality of care to be good or excellent, and the majority of U.S. citizens believing American health care is the best in the world. Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. health care system is home to some of the worst health outcomes relative to other developed nations. The U.S. has the lowest life expectancy, highest rate of chronic disease burden, highest rate of obesity, highest rate of avoidable deaths due to preventable conditions, and one of the highest rates of hospitalizations from preventable causes such as diabetes and hypertension. To top of it off, medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. and Americans visit the doctor less frequently than their peers in other countries largely due to the fact that the U.S. has the fewest physicians per 1,000 people. So, how can it be that the U.S. has the wealthiest health care system, yet quality of care is among the worst in the developed world? Moreover, American citizens pay far more out-of-pocket than their peers in other countries even though the government uses invaluable taxpayer dollars to fund the system. In this hard-hitting episode Ben and Aaron answer why the U.S. health care system is so expensive while achieving worse health outcomes, and why more has not been done to tweak the system for the better. To close out the episode, the hosts discuss what needs to be done to improve health care in America and get more people the quality of care they deserve.SourcesEscape Fire: 2012 Documentary on U.S. Healthcare SystemBrookings Institution: A dozen facts about the economics of the US health-care systemInvestopedia: 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S. The Commonwealth Fund: U.S. Health Care From a Global Perspective, 2019Mayo Clinic: Nearly 7 in 10 Americans Take Prescription Drugs Politico: The Army Built to Fight ‘Medicare For All’Partnership for America’s Health Care Future: About UsVox (Ezra Klein): The real reason American health care is so expensive The Hill: Our diets are killing us and doctors aren’t trained to helpThe Guardian: Fat to fit - how Finland did itCleveland Clinic: 80% of Americans Don’t Get Enough ExerciseFor complete source list visit tweakedpodcast.com

Featured Coffee: La Colombe - R.I.P. Medium RoastAfter trying to steer clear of talking about the COVID-19 pandemic, the current crisis is simply too large to ignore. COVID-19 has taken the lives of over 250,000 people in the U.S. alone, and is fast approaching 1.5 million globally. Nevertheless, cases of the virus are surging at unprecedented rates across the world. At the time of recording, the U.S. had just set a new record for cases reported in a single day: 195,000. Both the current state and the ensuing aftermath of the pandemic have serious ramifications for our human experience. For this reason, Ben and Aaron sit down to process the implications of COVID-19, the impact of emerging vaccinations, and the irreversible damage that has been done to our information infrastructure. The hosts also discuss what it will take as a collective to not only overcome COVID-19, but also tackle the many issues that plagued humanity prior to the pandemic, and that will continue to hamper the human race long after COVID-19 if we cannot set aside our differences and learn to fight for the greater good. SourcesApollo’s Arrow: Book on COVID-19 Pandemic by Nicholas Christakis CBS News: U.S. Reports 195,000 New COVID-19 Cases in One Day, A RecordSAMHSA: Phases of DisasterUC Davis Health: “COVID Fatigue” Is Hitting HardThe New Republic: The American Obsession With Conspiracy Theories, ExplainedThe New Yorker: How America Escapes Its Conspiracy-Theory CrisisThe Associated Press: Pfizer - COVID-19 Shot 95% Effective, Seeking Clearance Soon

Featured Coffee: Just Coffee Coop - WTF RoastLobbying is a $3.5 billion industry. By comparison, the U.S. government only spends $2 billion to fund Congress—the very target of the most aggressive lobbying efforts. In theory, lobbying is an important part of the democratic process, allowing a myriad of interest groups to make their voices heard across a wide array of public policies and government decisions. In practice, however, the lobbying industry has been hijacked by corporations and industry groups who win their lobbying efforts at an 89% clip. In contrast, citizen groups and foundations struggle to win at only a 40% rate. This disparity in policy outcomes exacerbates the already prevalent inequities in our political system, giving more power not to the people, but to the will of the almighty dollar. To unpack the incredible complexity of lobbying, Ben and Aaron cover the history of how corporations came to dominate Washington, why corporate lobbying is fundamentally unjust, and how this perverse practice undermines the very state of our democracy.SourcesOpensecrets.org: Lobbying Data SummaryOpensecrets.org: Sen. Kay Bailey HutchisonOpensecrets.org: Freedom Partners Chamber of CommerceLumen: Interest Groups: Who or what are they?National Conference of State Legislatures: How States Define Lobbying and LobbyistThe Atlantic: How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American DemocracyPolitico: Why Lobbying in America is DifferentThe Business of America is Lobbying: Book by Lee DrutnamOpensecrets.org: Short, MarcNPR: Pence Chief Of Staff Owns Stocks That Could Conflict With Coronavirus ResponseInvestopedia: Why Lobbying is Legal and Important in the U.S.Brookings Institution: A Better Way to Fix LobbyingVox: Capitol Hill’s Revolving Door, In One ChartPublic Citizen: Revolving Congress: The Revolving Door Class of 2019 Flocks to K-StreetPublic Citizen: Lobbying ReformCenter for American Progress: 10 Far-Reaching Congressional Ethics Reforms to Strengthen U.S. Democracy

Featured Coffee: Stumptown Roasters - El Injerto BourbonOver the last decade, mental health issues have risen drastically. The finger has been pointed at technology and social media, which have dominated the experience of younger generations. It is not just that social media is impacting our sense of self-worth, but it is also driving us farther apart.In this vulnerable episode, Ben and Aaron open up about the mental health challenges they each have faced before discussing why mental health has become such an issue in recent years. The hosts specifically delve into the impact of Covid-19, the influence of technology, and the erosion of our social fabric.Mental Health ResourcesNational Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357Mental Health America: Information on mental health, getting help, and taking actionPsychology Today: Therapy search engine filters by location and insurance providerTalkspace: Leading online therapy platformSourcesThe Social Dilemma: NetflixBowling Alone: Robert D. PutnamMental Health America: The State of Mental Health in AmericaScience Daily: Mental Health Issues Increased Significantly In Young Adults Over Last DecadeCenter for American Progress: Mental Health Care Was Severely Inequitable, Then Came the Coronavirus CrisisThe Washington Post: The Coronavirus Pandemic is Pushing America into a Mental Health CrisisNCBH: New Study Reveals Lack of Access as Root Cause for Mental Health Crisis in AmericaHealth Services Research: Delays in Initial Treatment Contact After First Onset of a Mental DisorderMind Share Partners: How Much Do We Actually Know About Workplace Mental Health?McKinsey: A Holistic Approach for the U.S. Behavioral Health Crisis During the Covid-19 PandemicMental Health Foundation: How to Look After Your Mental HealthHarvard Health: Nutritional Psychiatry - Your Brain on Food

Featured Coffee: Peet’s - Las Hermanas Seventy percent of American workers say they do not feel satisfied with their job. Early mornings, long commutes, and afternoon slumps dominate our perception of a typical work day. Not to mention the grueling meetings and monotonous tasks that sabotage our creativity and take away from our ability to do deep work. It doesn’t have to be this way. In this episode, Ben and Aaron touch on the history of the 9 to 5 work day, why it exists, and how it is becoming more and more outdated with the transition from physical labor to the knowledge economy as well as the shifting values of younger generations. Like always, the hosts explore alternative approaches to work, including the 4-day work week and the 5-hour work day. The overwhelming efficacy of these alternative models demonstrates that the traditional 9 to 5 is long overdue for a much-needed tweak. SourcesWired: The 8-Hour Workday Is a Counterproductive LieMental Health America: 2017 Workplace Health SurveyCision: Over Half of U.S. Workers Think They Are Overweight and Blame Their Sedentary CareersHarvard Business Review: Stop the Meeting MadnessForbes: 10 Shocking Workplace Stats You Need To KnowTED: Jason Fried - Why Work Doesn’t Happen At WorkDeloitte: 2016 Millennial SurveyDeep Work: Book by Cal NewportNPR: 4-Day Workweek Boosted Workers’ Productivity by 40%, Microsoft Japan SaysNBC: A Four-Day Workweek Might Be Exactly What the U.S.—and its Economy—Needs Right NowStartUs Magazine: European Countries That Defy the 9 to 5 Work ParadigmThe New York Times: France Lets Workers Turn Off, Tune Out, and Live LifeThe New York Times: 5-Hour Workdays, 4-Day Workweeks? Yes, PleaseBehavioral Economics: Status Quo Bias

Featured Coffee: Indie Coffee Roasters - Kochere BiloyaThere is no better word to describe the state of our democracy than dysfunctional. Increasingly toxic division between the two sides has not only created a political climate filled with hate, but it has also stymied meaningful progress toward a more prosperous future for all. Like two babies fighting over a crayon, the two-party system has devolved into primitive warfare with American citizens trapped in the crossfire. It doesn’t have to be this way.In light of the election, Ben and Aaron wanted to take a step back, set political ideology aside, and examine the workings of the system responsible for the ever-widening schism in American politics. Why does the two-party system exist? What has led to the heightened division between the two sides? Why is there no more civil discourse? How do American elections compare to those of other countries? And finally, what can be done to tweak the system in order to restore the thriving democracy upon which this country was founded? Regardless of political leaning, this is a pertinent episode no matter the outcome of the election. SourcesThe Atlantic: America Is Now the Divided Republic the Framers FearedThe Atlantic: America is Living James Madison’s NightmarePBS - Independent Lens: Two-Party SystemPBS - Independent Lens: PoliticianCNBC: The 10.8 billion dollar election: 2020 campaign spending is smashing recordsWashington Post: Gerrymandering, explainedWashington Post: The U.S. could be free from Gerrymandering. Here’s how other countries do redistrictingJohns Hopkins University: Politics and Populism with Yascha MounkFoa and Mounk: The Danger of Deconsolidation: The Democratic DisconnectThe Atlantic: Populism is Morphing in Insidious WaysYouth Reporter: 16 years of Merkel: Is that still a democracy?London School of Economics: Adopting proportional representation would unskew U.S. electionsNPR: Why Are U.S. Elections So Much Longer Than Other Countries?The Atlantic: American Elections: How Long is Too Long?Politico: Ten Ways to Strengthen American Democracy

Featured Coffee: Compass Coffee - Cardinal BlendAmerican capitalism is in crisis. The U.S. has the most people living in poverty of any developed nation. Meanwhile, the top 1% grows ever-richer as the inequality gap continues to widen. Join Ben and Aaron as they debunk the myth of the free market, explore how big business has exacerbated inequality, and discuss the responsibility companies should have for their social impact.SourcesCapital in the 21st Century: Book by Thomas PikettyEconomic Policy Institute: Top 1.0% of Earners See Wages Up 157.8% Since 1979Pew Research: 6 Facts About Economic Inequality in the U.S.U.S. Census Bureau: Income and Poverty in the United States - 2018MarketWatch: Millions of Americans Are Just One Paycheck Away from ‘Financial Disaster’Brookings Institution: Low Wage Work is More Pervasive Than You ThinkCornell: The U.S. Private Sector Job Quality IndexInternational Monetary Fund: Tackling Tax HavensForeign Policy: To Pay for the Pandemic, Dry Out the Tax HavensBusiness Insider: How AT&T Conquered All Forms of CommunicationITEP: 60 Fortune 500 Companies Avoided All Federal Income Tax in 2018The Guardian: European Commission to Appeal Against €13bn Apple Tax RulingBusiness Ethics Workshop: Should Corporations Have Social Responsibilities?The New York Times: BP to Take $1.7 Billion Charge Over Deep Water Horizon SpillFeeding America: From Paycheck to PantryNPR: Amazon Sets $15 Minimum Wage for U.S. EmployeesReinventing Organizations: Book by Frederic LalouxCentre For Public Impact: Buurtzorg - Revolutionising Home Care in the Netherlands

Featured Coffee: JBC Rock the House BlendAn off the cuff episode, Ben and Aaron discuss how technology has become increasingly intrusive in our lives. Relying on personal anecdotes and observations, the hosts question whether our mounting dependency on technology is doing more harm than good. Whether it is the predatory advertising model taking over social media or simply our addiction to the dopamine hit doled out by our phones, it is time for a much-needed pushback against these trends and a concerted effort to rethink the role technology plays in our lives. For now, the hosts advocate for a healthier and more balanced relationship with technology. Instead of always consuming myriad forms of media, we need to take a step back and focus on being active rather than passive. Ultimately, the purpose of life is to live, but succumbing to the thrall of consumption culture poses a direct threat to that which makes us human. SourcesHarvard Business Review: How to Spend Way Less Time On Email Every DayThe Atlantic: Facebook’s Early Days at HarvardSarah Frier: No Filter - The Inside Story of InstagramThe New York Times: Cambridge Analytica and FacebookCSIS: Cold War Lessons for Countering Covert ActionVox: This is Exactly How a Nuclear War Would Kill YouThe New York Times: How TikTok is Rewriting the WorldTime: You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a GoldfishThe Art of Manliness: Modern Maturity - Create More, Consume Less

Featured Coffee: Counter Culture - ApolloTo honor the presence of coffee on the show, Ben and Aaron figured what better topic to tackle first than the inequities of the coffee trade. Challenging conventional wisdom around fair trade and what it means to source equitable and sustainable coffee, the hosts paint a dire picture of the coffee industry that leaves many farming communities across the Global South mired in poverty. Despite the gross inequality that dominates the coffee trade, the hosts discuss multiple alternative models to fair trade, including the Direct Trade and Revenue-Sharing models as well as the potential for an intergovernmental coffee organization like oil has with OPEC. The hope for this episode is for listeners to become more conscious consumers of coffee so people can make better purchasing decisions that support transparent, equitable, and just coffee roasters. SourcesNational Coffee Association: The Economic Impact of the Coffee IndustryHollins University: A Cup of Colonialism - A Qualitative Analysis of Starbucks and Fair Trade CoffeeGGC Coffee: How Much Money Coffee Farmers MakePerfect Daily Grind: Many Fair Trade Coffee Farmers Don’t Earn Enough To Live OnStanford Social Innovation Review: The Problem With Fair Trade CoffeeStanford Social Innovation Review: The Paradox of Fair TradeGlobal Post: Low Coffee Prices Are Starving Farmers. Can a Cartel Fix It?BBC News: How the 2019 Coffee Crisis Might Affect YouCounter Culture: 2018 Sustainability ReportTransparent Trade Coffee: Featured RoastersCNN: OPEC Fast FactsPerfect Daily Grind: Cold War Coffeenomics - Combating Communism with CoffeeInternational Coffee Organization: MissionSustainable Brands: How Thrive Farmers Is Collaborating To Create Sea Change in the Coffee IndustryThrive Farmers: Meet the FarmersSCS Global: Starbucks C.A.F.E. PracticesReuters: Picked by Slaves - Coffee Crisis Brews in BrazilForbes: Study Links Nike, Adidas, and Apple to Forced Uighur Labor

Featured Coffee: Death Wish Coffee Co.In this introductory episode, Ben and Aaron ask the age-old question: Why are things the way they are? From our economy to our public schools, the hosts take a cursory glance at the flawed system governing our lives. This inquisitive approach to looking at the way we live, work, and thrive as humans is what underpins the thesis of the show: our present reality is not definitive. Even though things are the way they are today, does not mean they have to be that way tomorrow. SourcesUniversity of Washington: The Cycle of SocializationBrookings Institution: Student Loan DebtThe College Investor: The Average Net Worth of Millennials by AgeHarvard Business Review: Data Was Supposed to Fix the U.S. Education SystemYale Climate Connections: Fossil Fuel Political Giving Outdistances Renewables 13 to 1Defense News: Despite Push For Newer Tech, Munitions Remain Major Wedge in BudgetGuinness World Records: International Space Station Most Expensive Man-Made ObjectThe Atlantic: The True Price of Privatizing Space TravelHarvard Health: Blue Light Has a Dark SideScience Daily: Light Pollution Can Suppress Melatonin Production in Humans and AnimalsBusiness Insider: The Current Democratic Field Would Produce the Oldest President EverThe New York Times: Joe Biden’s First Run for President was a Calamity