Uncertain Things

Perspicacious podcaster Mike Pesca, host of The Gist and author of Pesca Profundities, joins Adaam to partake in principled, punny, and peppily pugnacious perorations. On the agenda: the creeping nihilism of American society (and should we be worried about it), the comedy of Signalgate, the state of the media, and the revenge of the cancelled.On the agenda:-Podcasting with Pesca [00:00] -Misinformation and media [10:52] -Objectivity [14:55]-Signalgate [27:54]-Nihilism in America [35:37]-Jan 6 and Oct 8 [42:36]-Surviving cancellation [51:19]-Judicial overhauls [56:43]-Constitutionalism and its discontent [01:00:05]-Blindspots [01:04:19]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Former Democratic organizer Brianna Wu joins Adaam James Levin-Areddy for a conversation about her journey from leftist activism to clashing with leftists about antisemitism and the recklessness of transgender politics. Wu opens up on the challenges that come with standing up to one's own tribe, the importance of defending liberal values, and how to think responsibly—and compassionately—about sex and gender.On the Agenda:—How Gamergate changed everything—The (de)evolution of progressive politics—October 7 and Jewish mothers—Can normie liberalism bridge the partisan divide?—Transgender health care vs. transgender politicsShow Notes:—The Pros and Cons of ‘Queer' (w/ Jamie Kirchick)—Jesse Singal for The Dispatch: How The American Media Distorted the Transgender Debate Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Religious scholar Tomer Persico, now a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, returns to help us unpack why liberalism is special — and why it's now in crisis. Mentioned in this episode:-Our first conversation with Tomer, about the implications of seeing ourselves as made in the image of God -Yascha Mounk, who talked to us about how identity politics is straining liberalism-Tom Holland, the Liberal who lost his faith-Sarah Isgur, who survived Trump's DOJFind us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Why Liberalism [3:10-13:30]-Defining Liberalism & Individual Rights [13:31-18:23]-The Government's New Responsibility: Protect Individual Rights [18:24-29:43]-The Importance of Unprescribed, Artful Negotiations of Power [29:44-48:05]-Nationalism & Mass Conscription [48:06-1:02:32]-The Problem Liberalism is facing now [1:02:33-1:18:20]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

To write The Other Significant Others, journalist Rhaina Cohen interviewed couples around the country who have committed to sharing their lives with each other — just not their beds. These pivotal yet hard-to-define relationships have existed throughout history, but we lack the vocabulary to talk about them (let alone a legal framework to protect them). Adaam and Vanessa — platonic partners themselves — talk to Rhaina about the nomenclature that helps/hinders us, the lack of templates for meaningful friendships, and the unspoken-about-elephant in these relationships (yes, sex). Mentioned in this episode:-Rhaina on the Ezra Klein Show-Our conversation about friendship infrastructure with David French-Our conversation about solitude with Bill Deresiewicz Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-On words, romance, and indefinable friendships [0:00-33:06]-The legal difficulties platonic partners face [33:07-40:24]-Putting marriage on/off its pedestal [40:25-47:28]-On polyamory [47:29-53:49]-The challenges of relationships with no defaults or templates [53:50-1:03:36]-Friendship & solitude [1:03:37-]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Podcaster/journalist Andy Mills shares the unusual trajectory of his life and career: from small town boy; to God-loving member of a close-knit group of friends; to rebellious drop-out of a Christian college; to curious outsider in Southern Sudan; to hard-working, some-time inappropriate young media professional; to a more self-aware, award-winning podcast producer; to New York Times outcast; to independent media professional (with a Substack, of course). [Break for breath.] Along the way, we discuss the merits/drawbacks of faith, unpack the pivotal year that was 2015, debate the limitations of forgiveness, and dissect the difference between being canceled for your beliefs versus what others believe of you.Mentioned in this episode:-Reflector podcast -Mills Spills (BAR pod) -The Witch Trials of JK Rowling (Free Press)Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:- Growing up in small town Christian America [0:00-14:53]-What happened to the Church - a.k.a When God died in 2015 [14:54-22:00]-Winning, and then losing, the friendship lottery [22:01-47:39]-The tension of uncertainty in community [47:40-52:52]-Online conversations and communities (back to 2015) [52:53-1:01:59]-Entering journalism by way of Sudan [1:02:00-1:11:57]-Identity, narrative, and bias [1:11:58-1:30:30]-The tribe of media and the danger of ideas (2015 reprise) 1:30:31-1:42:30-Andy's second cancelation story [1:42:31-1:59:26]-Comparing the cancellations [1:59:27-2:05:36]-What happened at the New York Times [2:05:37-2:19:15]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

The indispensable Eli Lake — contributing editor at Commentary Magazine and staff writer and podcaster at The Free Press — returns to the pod to mark the destruction of mass murderer and DSA heartthrob Hasan Nasrallah along with the top brass of his terror gang in Beirut this weekend. This leads to a discussion about the nature of warfare and the importance of escalation, the inanity of American media, and also what the decline of norms in the Roman Republic portends for the future of the American experiment. Si vult pacem, face bellum?Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Bad week for the axis of a******s-The deescalation trap-Eli and Mehdi Hasan-Muh normsUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Caitlin Flanagan returns! The unapologetic author of On Thinking for Yourself (a selection of her excellent essays for The Atlantic) comes to talk to us about the fall of Western civilization, what happens when you let church-going go, what happened to universities, and why (though a Catholic herself) Caitlin has started wearing a Star of David. Check out (the juicier) part two of this conversation (for paid members only) here.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Praising our AI overlords [0:00-1:59]-A post-apocalyptic, post-church West [2:00-19:12]-Dangerously under-educated [19:13--Why Caitlin wears the Star of David [ ]-When/how universities went wrong [ -On parenting and Ballerina Farm [Mentioned in this episode: -Our previous episode with Caitlin (Uncertain Things)-On Thinking for Yourself (Caitlin Flanagan)-Calvin Coolidge's Address at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (UCSB)-Overtime: Bob Costas, Coleman Hughes, Caitlin Flanagan | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)-From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life (Jacques Barzun)-Part two of this conversation (Uncertain Things LOCKED)Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Nick Gillespie — editor at large at the libertarian institution that is Reason Magazine (and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie) — comes on the pod for an IRL conversation about 'The Agony of Abundance,' the paradoxical state in which we're more prosperous, yet more dissatisfied, than ever. We discuss the negative narratives peddled by the media — a misdirection that's untethering us from reality — and debate the limitations libertarianism and liberal thinking in an ever-more tribal world. And, before we go, we dive into psychedelics and whether they're really worth all the fuss.Uncertain Things is a reader-supported publication. To support this rag-tag podcast crew of two, consider becoming a paid member.On the agenda:-00:00 Housing Preamble-04:12 Welcome to Uncertain Things-06:01 Our Negative Perceptions vs. Reality-23:39 Mass Misdirection-33:28 Trust and the U.S. and Israeli Governments-41:05 Liberalism vs. Tribalism-01:08:57 On Generating a Liberal Revival-01:24:08 Debating PsychedelicsMentioned in this episode:-The Economic Theory That Explains Why Americans Are So Mad - Ezra Klein Show-The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture - Amazon -Big Tech Panic (w/ Shoshana Weissmann) - Uncertain Things -What to Expect When No One's Expecting: America's Coming Demographic Disaster - Amazon-‘They Aren't Who You Think They Are': The inside story of how Kanakuk—one of America's largest Christian camps—enabled horrific abuse. - The Dispatch-In Praise of Privilege - Uncertain-Psychedelic Libertarianism with Nick Gillespie - Coleman's Corner-The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less - AmazonUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

PLEASE NOTE: We are releasing this episode in the immediate aftermath of the alleged assassination attempt on President Trump. Details and facts presented in this conversation are still being corroborated and are subject to be updated/corrected. Recurrent guest Misha Thomas (“The Liberal Who Voted for Trump” / “Blackness and the Other Side of Trauma”) was visiting family in Pittsburgh yesterday when he decided to check out his first ever Trump Rally with his partner. After waiting for hours under the hot sun, they saw Trump take to the stage — and minutes later, heard rounds of bullets going back and forth. Misha shares his first-person account of what seems to have been an attempt to assassinate the former president.To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Check out our free ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Nellie Bowles is back! The journalist, writer of the TGIF newsletter, and co-founder of The Free Press (along with her wife Bari Weiss) returns to discuss her new book, Morning After the Revolution. In it, she chronicles the unfortunate series of events that led her to leave The New York Times in 2021. We get into that in this conversation, too (diving into the backlash she received for covering the more violent 2020 protests in Portland and Seattle) — as well as the stories of Progressive absurdism that pepper the book. And before we wrap, we get into Nellie's thoughts on being a newly converted Jew in the wake of October 8th.  Uncertain Things is a reader-supported publication. To support this rag-tag podcast crew of two, consider becoming a paid member. On the agenda:-Surviving the NYT in 2020 [1:40-23:41]-Absurdity and anarchy [23:42-37:18]-The joys and pains of becoming Jewish [37:19-51:06]Mentioned in this episode:-Our previous conversation on San Francisco's lunacyUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

William Deresiewicz — author of (the newly updated) Excellent Sheep, The Death of the Artist, and The End of Solitude — returns to the pod! This time we dive into one of the institutions we love to hate: elite universities. We dwell on and debate the protests at Columbia (et al.), the reasons why it's all gone so wrong, and whether or not the solution is just to raze them to the ground. Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-The context for Excellent Sheep, c. 2014 [2:39-12:21]-The student as customer / PC police officer [12:22-27:32]- The emptiness inside [27:33-40:02]-To fix or ruin the elite reputation? [40:03-49:54]-Getting into the protests & elite failure [49:55-58:58]- What exactly went wrong [58:59-1:08:08]-The answer isn't yoga [1:08:09-1:29:36]Mentioned in this conversation: -Our last conversation with Bill -Vanessa's newsletter on solitude/friendshipUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, author, and former Columbia Journalism School dean (to us!), Steve Coll, takes us deep into the conspiracy-plagued mind of Saddam Hussein, the subject of his latest book The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq. We go deep into the wonky journalism weeds — including what it took for Coll to get his hands on the Saddam tapes. And we ask our former dean the eternal question: Is J-School worth it?-What it takes to put a book like this together [0:00-19:15]-The Saddam tapes [19:16 -23:46]-Inside the conspiracy rabbit hole [23:47-29:52-Behind the conflicting perceptions [29:53-41:12]-Oil, Israel, and failed policies [41:13-49:46]-The U.S.-Israel relationship [49:47--53:32]-How the media is covering the conflict [53:33-57:43]-Objectivity and the rifts in journalism today [57:44-1:06:44]Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

With Vanessa off for the weekend to explore the world of psychedelics, the podcast has been hijacked by a cabal of furious, loud, and lubricated Jews. Adaam, 3 martinis and a Laphroaig in, is joined by Newsweek opinion editor and author of Second Class Batya Ungar-Sargon, and Free Press reporter and host of The Re-Education podcast Eli Lake. The three have gathered to refute Jonathan Glazer's Jewishness being worth hijacking by anyone. In proper Talmudic engagement, Batya spits fire, Eli plays devil's advocate, and Adaam speaks up for the grammar Nazis. Be warned, this may be our most petty, potted, parochial, and problematic episode yet.Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Authors and co-hosts of the Cut the Bull podcast, Charles Love (Race Crazy) and Wilfred Reilly (Taboo, Hate Crime Hoax) join us for a lively conversation/debate about race, history, and K-12 education — and Vanessa gets put in the hot seat. Questions covered include: Should Black history be separate from American history? Are we over-indexing on sex and gender in the classroom? Is social media an “environmental toxin” — or just another misdirection from the left? And, of course, what are the biggest blindspots on the left and the right?  -Where we've been [0:00-4:47]-Eric Adams, “environmental toxins,” and the Left [4:48-10:43] -1619 and documenting history [10:44-30:54] -Black history vs. American history [30:55-42:43] -Sex and gender in the classroom [42:44-59:29] -Diagnosing the misdirection [59:30-1:03:36] -The failings of integration [1:03:37-1:09:20] -How to fix education [1:09:50-1:13:18] -Blindspots on the Left and the Right [1:13:19-1:18:39]Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Einat Wilf is an Israeli writer, speaker, former (and future?) politician, podcaster (We Should All be Zionisists), and co-author of The War of Return. In this episode, we dive into some historical context for the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Vanessa asking all the ignorant questions you were too afraid to ask: What/who was there in Israel before 1948? Was displacement a part of the Zionist vision? Why did displacement happen? Then we pivot to the subject of Dr. Wilf's book: The right of return, and the fundamental reason why peace, until this day, has been impossible. We conclude with a deep dive into UNRWA — the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees — and explain the role it's played in perpetuating the conflict, to this day. On the agenda: -Zionism's Parents and the Land of Israel [3:22-11:33]-The Disappointment of Emancipation/The Possibility of Self-Determination [11:34-21:21]-On Sovereignty and Displacement [21:22-53:29]-The Refugee Question [53:30-1:02:37]-UNRWA & Palestinian Identity [1:02:38-1:33:58]-Where do we go from here? [1:33:59-1:42:30]Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Iranian historian and writer Arash Azizi comes on the pod to share his perspective on the Israel-Hamas conflict today — and why he believes ceasefire is the only viable path forward for Israel's war with Hamas. Along the way, Azizi gives us on an overview of Iran's politics since the Revolution of 1979 (i.e. how Soleimani became The Shadow Commander) and explains the country's current stance toward Israel (which stands in contrast to the position of many Iranians). His second book about the country's recent protest movements — What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom — will be out next year. On the Agenda: -Unpacking the Iranian Revolution (and the Left's participation)-Arash's background-Soleimani's appeal (How we consolidated supreme power)-Iran's stance on Israel vs. Iranians' sentiments-Debating ceasefire Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

John Aziz is a British Palestinian musician who has come into the public spotlight since October 7th for tweeting out for peace and against Hamas. In this conversation, we unpack why it's so controversial for a Palestinian like John to be pro-peace, the trauma both sides aren't acknowledging or addressing, and the overly-simplified, ironic, Star Wars narratives of the Western Left. Follow him on X and read John's article in The Atlantic here. On the agenda:- John's Background  [0:00-08:37]-The Challenge of Advocating for Peace [08:38-18:34]- The Trauma on Both Sides [18:35-24:51]-Why is so hard to speak out against Hamas? [24:52-29:59]-New Ideology, New Leaders [30:00-38:36]-The Star Wars Ideology of the Western Left [38:37-54:33]- LGBT+ in Gaza [54:34-1:01:03]- "I'll Debate Anyone" [1:01:04-1:02:51]Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Friend of the pod Batya Ungar-Sargon, deputy opinion editor for Newsweek and author of Bad News, returns for a deep, contentious conversation about the responsibility of journalists covering the Israel-Hamas war, the people worth expending energy on (versus relegating as enemies), and the uncomfortable embrace of moral certainty. While much vitriol is expended on the “journalists” bringing shame to the (let's face it, already pretty scumbag) profession, we also shout out the reporters doing good, honest analysis, even if we don't always agree with their positions: Zaid Jelani, Lee Fang, and Arash Azizi. On the agenda:-The Moral Imperative of Remembering [1:55-9:11]-On Emotions and Moral Certainty [9:12-16:54]-Disgusting "Journalists" [16:55-20:39]-On Journalistic Responsibility / Objectivity [20:40-26:36]-Debating How - and Who - to Trust [26:37-38:39]-Liberal vs. Jewish Values [38:40-52:14]-On Moral Equivalence and Retaliation [52:15-58:24]-Who is reachable? [58:25-1:07:22]-The battle continues [1:07:23-1:12:40]Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Note: This episode is far more explicit — and way more rage-ful — than your average. As you have likely read by now in the news, last Saturday, a group of Hamas combatants infiltrated Israel and massacred about 1300 people, mostly civilians.Usually, Uncertain Things is all about embracing epistemological uncertainty. This conversation is not about that. To help Adaam process his rage and achieve some much-needed catharsis, he turned to returning guest, Eli Lake. Eli — host of The Re-Education Podcast, contributing editor to Commentary, and columnist for the New York Sun — did not disappoint, bringing some awesome, righteous outrage toward the American Left.On the agenda:- Hamas and their attack on Israel [0:00-7:15]- Contextualizing the catharsis to come [7:16-17:04]- Eli's moral outrage [17:05-25:17]- On policy: blockades and Iran [25:18-29:22]- Back to our previously scheduled outrage [29:23-35:19]- Predicting the fallout [35:20-43:54]- Debating the culture of life, the culture of death [43:55-1:01:58]- Coexisting with evil [1:01:59-1:05:29]- The Left IRL [1:05:30-1:07:46]- The rage returns [1:07:47-1:13:51]- Outro: On moral relativism and forgiveness [1:14:10-22:58]We also recommend: -Adaam's first impressions, on Jonah Goldberg's The Remnant-Adaam's bleaker thoughts, on the Dispatch Live -David French and Sarah Isgur's conversation on the Law of War and Anti-Semitism on Advisory OpinionsCheck out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Yascha Mounk returns for round two! If you missed part one of our conversation with the political theorist, writer, and podcaster about his latest book, The Identity Trap, stop now and listen to that episode first. We pick up where we left off last time and get deep into debate about strategic essentialism, the privileging of marginalized voices, and the incoherencies of standpoint theory. We also ask Yascha why he disagrees with John McWhorter's theory that the proponents of the Identity Synthesis are members of a new religion. Plus, Yascha plays relationship counselor for your sparring hosts and his dog finally gets outside. Follow Uncertain Things on uncertain.substack.com or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.On another note, we will be attending Yascha's Oct 4 talk at the Streiker Center in NYC. See you there?Also check out:-Our talk with James Kirchick about the contradictions of our current gender debates.-Our talk with Yuval Levin on the moral failure of civic institutions in the age of narcissism.-Our talk with Tom Holland about his lost faith in liberalism.On the agenda:-Re-capping Round 1 [0:00-3:03]-On Justice, essentialism, and race (the implications of standpoint theory) [3:04-15:12]-Who Gets to Speak for their Race? [15:13-23:49] -The Catastrophes of Unsalvageable Liberalism [23:50-32:15]-On intention and persuasion [32:16-42:03]-The woke religion? [42:04-50:31]-The Identity Synthesis [50:32-54:43] -Outtake: Against Monocausal Explanations [55:00-57:25]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Political theorist, writer, and podcaster Yascha Mounk returns! Last time, we spoke about Yascha's last book: The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure. This time, Adaam got to air his personal grievances as we dove into the thorny topic of his latest book: The Identity Trap. Yascha covers a ton: he traces the intellectual history of the postmodern ideas that captured the academy in the 2010s; he explains how these once-fringe ideas subsequently infiltrated the mainstream Left; he puts the tenets of identity-based politics to the philosophical test (analyzing the logical strengths and weaknesses of ideas like standpoint theory and cultural appropriation); and he defends liberalism as the best political framework we have to dismantle the injustices of our current world order (the very thing lefties, with their identitarian tendencies, are supposedly trying to do). Of course, dear listener, we barely scratched the surface of all that in one hour. Instead, we got deep into Said, Spivak, and Foucault, panopticons and all — and so this conversation with Yascha continues soon, in part two.Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:- Cannibalism & grievances [0:00-6:05]- Who are you trying to persuade? [6:06-22:28]- The children of Foucault [22:29-38:11]- The Said/Spivak Pivot [38:12-47:13]- Strategic Essentialism [47:14-1:02:14]- The Woman Question [1:02:15-1:09:50]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

We bring in the fall with a big conversation about big tech, with the authors of System Error: Stanford professors Rob Reich (expertise in: political science, philosophy, ethics, democracy, digital technology), Mehran Sahami (software engineering, in particular machine learning and AI, and VC funding), and Jeremy Weinstein (political science, government, social impact). We cover the systemic drivers in tech (VC-capital, utopianism, and the “optimization mindset”), bemoan the resulting decline in our democratic values, get into our classic “can politicians really be trusted to regulate this sh*t?” debate, enter into our novel “does any one care about privacy really” debate, and, of course, consider the moral implications of soylent. If you didn't get enough after this conversation, you're in luck – we have another tech-focused episode coming soon. Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:- Riding the emotional rollercoaster of life [0:00-6:22]- The Optimization Mindset [6:23-22:37]- Utopianism [22:38-28:58]- Systemic Drivers & the VC problem [28:59-40:31]- Non-regulatory Solutions [40:32-46:56]- Privacy: Who cares? [46:57-51:30]- The great regulation debate [51:31-1:04:39]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

James (Jamie) Kirchick is an author, columnist for Tablet magazine, historian, podcaster, and staunch believer in/defender of liberal values — and he'll speak up against any party/group currently trampling on them. He began his journalism career writing about domestic and foreign politics; his first book, The End of Europe focused on the rise of populism in the continent (paid subscribers — stay tuned for some bonus content on this topic!). The first part of this conversation is all about Jamie's second book, The Secret City, which explored the fascinating gay history of Washington D.C. and how the extreme homophobia of our country gave way, rather rapidly over the course of the 20th century, towards cultural acceptance and legal equality. The second half of this conversation we debate the pros and cons of the word “queer” and the “queer movement” — which Jamie discussed at length in his thought-provoking Liberties article “From Queer to Gay to Queer” (you can find a truncated version of his argument in his article for The Atlantic, “The Struggle for Gay Rights Is Over”). If you want to hear the preamble that precipitated this conversation, check out our episode with Eli Lake about art and offense. Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:[0:00-12:31] Introducing Jamie[12:32-38:22] Our history of homophobia [38:23-44:27] Male homosexuality vs. Female [44:28-49:09] The success of gay civil rights [49:10-56:10] Revising history and coercing expression [56:11-1:00:24] Assimilation vs. radicalism[1:00:25-1:16:42] The excesses of the Queer liberation movement [1:16:43-1:27:38] On pronouns and terminology [1:27:39-1:37:49] Social contagion, gender nonconformity, and kids [1:37:50-1:45:04] Political scandal and revolution [1:45:05-1:48:40] BlindspotsUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Scientist-turned-historian Peter Turchin returns! Peter first came on the pod a few months ago to discuss the famous prediction he made in 2010 that we were headed for crisis, circa 2020. Last time, we covered the controversy he's stirred up within the historical discipline, the methodologies behind cliodynamics/his data-based predictions, and the drivers of social unrest (in particular, elite overproduction). This conversation — recorded on the heels of the publication of his new book End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration — we pick up where we left off. Peter explains it all: how do we prevent all-out civil war? What's the most likely outcome if we keep on the path we're currently on? And is he more of a Harry Seldon or a Leto II?Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-L'intro [0:00-3:30]-A quick re-cap [3:30-7:29]-Breaking the rules [7:30-15:04]-Clearly in crisis [15:05-19:28]-The British Empire circa 1848 (the Chartist Period) [19:29-26:57]-A huge outpouring of human misery [26:58-33:46]-Culture as a prerequisite for reform [33:47-40:57]-The social psychology of the New Deal [40:58-45:22]-A new generation of elites without a culture of reform [45:23-53:48]-Designing a science of history [53:49-58:05]-Charismatic Jesus Types [58:06-1:10:48]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

David Krakauer is the President of the Santa Fe Institute — an academic institution that conscientiously bucks the overly-siloed and ideological bents of most universities these days. Krakauer is an evolutionary biologist who studies “​​the evolution of intelligence and stupidity on Earth.” He joined us on the pod for a wide-ranging conversation covering the history of complexity science, the inadequacies of the academe, the aesthetic “third way” between maximalism and minimalism, and the artifacts that make us smarter (like pianos) versus the ones that really don't (GPS, for one).Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Intro to David [0:00-03:24]-The history of complexity science [03:25-12:36]-The folly of disciplines [12:37-18:11]-The limitations of language [18:12-31:11]-Judgment vs. impact [31:12-37:05]-Complexity as dialectical exercise [37:06-40:25]-Complexity as the third aesthetic option [40:26-44:13]-Why we need narrative [44:14-51:33]-The problem(s) with the academy (i.e. the morgue of dead ideas) [51:34-1:04:19]-SFI projects that disrupted institutional thinking [1:04:20-1:11:44]-Machine learning and the drawbacks of supercomputing [1:11:45-1:16:34]-Testing the limits of our cognitive understanding (complementary vs. competitive cognitive artifacts) [1:16:35-1:24:37]-On curation, control, and complacency [1:24:38-1:34:29]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

William Deresiewicz — author of Excellent Sheep, The Death of the Artist, and The End of Solitude — has lived many lives. He's been an orthodox Jewish boy who lost his faith; a journalism school student unimpressed by the pretensions of the profession; a literature professor who (blasphemously) loved books and teaching. Today, he's an author, essayist, and nostalgic ex-New Yorker. No matter where he's been in life, Deresiewicz has often been on the outside looking in, which is maybe why he's able to see and analyze our culture so clearly. We start off this conversation diving into The Death of the Artist, and how the concept/role of the artist has evolved and changed throughout history; we then meander into a discussion on community, solitude, and cities; and conclude by diving into his two definitions of the word “culture,” while unpacking the techno-solutionism of America.Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Phantasms, Batman, and Bill [0:00-6:00]-The first paradigm - artist as artisan [6:01-17:04]-The second paradigm - artist as bohemian  [17:05-27:55]-The third paradigm - artist as professional  [27:56-33:40]-To the fourth paradigm [33:41-39:41]-Artist as producer vs. truth teller [39:42-57:53]-Art and community [57:54-1:01:59]-Solitude and cities [1:02:00-1:19:25]-Culture vs culture [1:19:26-1:40:06]Mentioned in this conversation: -Washington Post's Leonard Downie Jr. on moving beyond “objectivity”-The Herd of Independent MindsThe Two Cultures and the Scientific RevolutionUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Nellie Bowles is one of the few journalists who lives and writes in the Venn diagram of both Adaam and Vanessa's interests. For years she was the tech reporter for The New York Times and her epic 2022 piece on San Francisco's decline for The Atlantic deservedly kicked up a lot of attention, including from your podcast hosts  — for different reasons, of course. In 2021, she left “mainstream” media and started the independent media outlet The Free Press with her wife Bari Weiss (where she writes the TGIF newsletter). In this conversation we talk about SF (following up on our conversation with Vishaan Chakrabarti), tech culture, ideological capture, media mediocrity, and the joys (really) of parenthood.Check out our ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for updates and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Nellie, great writer, enthusiastic new parent [0:00-7:24]-The s**t show that is San Francisco [7:25-17:56]-Preserving painted ladies vs. laundromats [17:57-29:18]-The saga of Chesa Boudin [29:19-44:15]-Covering tech's heart, mind, and scams [44:16-1:09:19]-Wrapping Up and Being Kind [1:09:20-1:13:52]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Behold! The recording of our first ever live event! We were graced by the thoughts, arguments, and non-English accents of Niall Ferguson — economic historian, fellow at Stanford, and author of many books, including Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe — and Martin Gurri — a former media analyst for the CIA and author of The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium (a.k.a the Uncertain Things bible). We dug into all manner of apocalyptica: the collapse of our media institutions (so long credibility), the increasing tensions with China (hello Cold War II), and the despair that has engulfed our minds. Plus, we learn the answer to all our woes: Thomas Hardy.Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Great Debate, Real Humans, and Computer Failure [0:00-7:53]-Vietnam War vs. Today [7:54-20:56] -Trump Derangement Syndrome [20:57-27:54] -Cold War II in the Internet Age [27:55-44:07] -If Our Cold War Turns Hot [44:08-49:09]-Pathologies, Ideologies, and Despair [49:10-58:58]-Crisis of American Education [58:59-1:02:20] -What Keeps Our Guests Up at Night [1:02:21-1:06:33]-The tradeoffs of Cold War II [!;06:34-1:11:19]-Peak humanity [1:11:20-1:14:55]-Ukraine/Taiwan Scenarios [1:14:56-1:16:19]-Human Agency and Thomas Hardy [1:16:20-1:19:21]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com.Special thanks to Niall, Martin, and Connor Lynch for making this event possible.Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/turatti/6726041123 Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Journalist Helen Lewis spent much of last year knee-deep in gurus — the Steve Jobs, Russell Brands, and Jordan Petersons who captivate (and capture) audiences with their spiritual aura and (increasingly) podcasts  — while reporting The New Gurus. She postulates that they derive their popularity, in part, to the decline of religion in our societies, a topic she explored in her reporting for The Church of Social Justice and The Roots of Woke Culture. In this convo, we cover religion, gurus, genius, feminism, and her infamous interview with Jordan Peterson.Find more of Helen's work at The Atlantic or on her Substack. Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-The first Uncertain Things event! [0:00-3:21]-Setting up Helen [03:22-6:50]-The decline of religion [06:51-20:38]-Words, names, and language [20:39-29:26]-The Joe Rogan test [29:27-43:23]-Gurus, genius, and the content economy [43:24-51:33]-Journalists, human-sized narratives, and strong men [51:34-1:09:32]-How to Interview Jordan Peterson(s) [1:09:33]-Religion replacements [1:22:04-1:26:36]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Vanessa has admired the New York Times' architecture critic Michael Kimmelman ever since she was a starry-eyed youngster starting her urban journalism career. Now that his latest book The Intimate City is out, it was the perfect excuse to have him on the show. She and Adaam ask Michael what it was like at the Times in the late ‘80s when he started out, continue the conversation they started with Vishaan Chakrabarti about Progressives' urban failings, discuss the non-profit journalism division that he helped spawn, and contemplate the importance of time when it comes to making (and appreciating) great cities.   Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Criticism, Community, and other Pet Topics [0:00-10:05]-The New York Times, from Shabby Palace to Citadel [10:06-26:12]-Anacostia, the High Line, and Gentrification [26:13-36:07]-What's Community (and Preservation) Anyway? [36:08-47:56]-A Culture of Fear of Change [47:57-56:20]-The Role of the Critic [56:21-1:09:59]-The Pragmatism of Houston [1:10:00-1:18:51]-Walking Through the City [1:18:52-1:23:50]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

The Personal, The Political, and The Urban. Adaam and Vanessa discuss the episodes from the year that stuck with them most — and reflect on the unexpected ways these conversations are thematically linked together. With Mark Lilla, they continued mulling on the questions they began considering back in season one with Tom Holland and Tomer Persico — i.e. where do we derive morality in a post-religious age? What are the socio-cultural and religious undercurrents that can help explain our current malaise? Perhaps most pointedly, “how much morality is enough?” And to what extent should we disentangle the political from the personal (at this point, Adaam — with an assist from his mother — brings Christopher Hitchens into the conversation.)They then revisit their conversation with Yascha Mounk, in which Adaam and Yascha debated the extent to which oppression gives groups meaning — and, thus, the extent to which liberal democracy (as much as we love it) can actually undermine group cohesion. Adaam and Vanessa also reflect on diversity and nationalism, and their (inverse?) relationships to democracy. From the rise of fervent nationalists, they veer into a conversation about apathetic urbanites — and revisit their interview with Vishaan Chakrabarti. They reflect on Americans' seeming inability to demand better urbanism, and ask: will we ever get the locally-rich cities we need?They close with a quick reflection on their varied, lively conversation with Christene Rosen, in which we (ironically enough) weaved the political with the personal (what can we say, internal consistency is just not one of our values - #cognitivedissonance). Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.If you haven't already, make sure to check out these great episodes: -Philosopher Mark Lilla-Urbanist Vishaan Chakrabarti-Political Theorist Yascha Mounk-Commentator Christene Rosen On the agenda:-[0:00-8:15] End of year preamble and predictions -[8:16-14:16] Musing on Mark Lilla -[14:17-21:56] Must the personal always be political?-[21:57-32:17] Noodling on Yascha Mounk -[32:18-37:29] Considering Vishaan Chakrabarti-[37:30-41:12] Christene Rosen reflections and our year-end conclusions Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Robin Hanson is an economics professor who kept running across conundrums of human behavior in his research. Why do we spend so much of our GDP on medicine —  even when studies show that more medicine does not lead to better health outcomes? Why have we spent years perfecting methods of instruction — yet educational institutions keep resisting the very reforms that would help us learn better? Along with his colleague, Kevin Simler, Hanson went to evolutionary biology to find a theory that helps explain all the contradictions, which he describes in their book The Elephant in the Brain. In this conversation, we dive deep into his findings and dwell in the not-so-flattering corners of human psychology. Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:* Clothing Emperors, Dropping Schmeckles [0:00-12:52]* Inefficient Evolution, Inspirational Speakers [12:53-20:04]* Medicine: WTF? Part 1 [20:05-31:44]* Evolutionary Psychology, Motives, and Norms [31:45-45:46] * Medicine: WTF? Part 2 [45:47-50:39]* Marriage, Parenting, and Education [50:40-56:56]* Institutions and Mobs [56:57-1:04:17]* Comedic Statutes of Limitations [1:04:18-1:12:54]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Eli Lake — host of The Re-Education Podcast, contributing editor to Commentary, and columnist for the New York Sun — is a Neo-Conservative, Neither-Trumper as comfortable talking about the FBI  as the musical genius of Ye. Eli was game to debate ideas, have his opinions challenged, and cover a wide-range of topics — from the Israeli elections and American midterms, to the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of artist's political opinions, to the merits of Love in the Time of Cholera, to the importance of letting cultural norms settle over time. Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Israel's Red Wave - What is it and why is it here? [05:39-27:25]-The Genius and Folly of Ye [27:26-46:14]-The Moral Dimension of Art [46:15-50:39]-KANtreversYE [53:04-1:04:32]-Short-Circuiting Norms and Influencing Elections [1:04:33-1:13:29]-On being offended and partisan soul-searching [1:13:30-1:21:32]-Ode to Robert Caro [1:21:33-1:23:55]-On Neo-Conservatives and the FBI [1:23:56-1:31:07]-Blindspots & talking about sexuality [1:31:08-[1:39:30] -Midterms Post-Script [1:39:31-1:53:55]Go deeper:-Bibi's Back, Baby (Dispatch) -Red Wave Over Israel (Re-Education)-In for a Kanye. In for a Pound.(Re-Education)-The Feminist Critique (Re-Education)Artwork by Kasiq Fashion.Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Andrew Heaton, host of The Political Orphanage and our favorite “tepid grab bag” of political punditry, returns to the pod to help us understand the big issues at stake before the midterm elections: abortion, inflation, and culture war stuff. Along the way, Heaton explains why having sex on the hood of a car isn't always a good idea, why dating in our era of partisan politics is exhausting, and why we need electoral reforms (like rank choice voting and multi-party systems) to save us from ourselves. Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Heaton and housekeeping [00:00-7:35]-The arts of engaging celebrities and podcasting [7:36-14:07]-Tribalism Games [14:08-25:13]-Two party vs. Multi-party systems [25:14-38:03]-Punditry part 1A: Abortion and Inflation [38:04-48:19]-A tangent on expertise and authority [48:20-58:16]-Punditry part 1B: Abortion, continued [58:17-1:09:25]-Punditry part 2: Partisanship and Ron DeSantis [1:09:26-1:21:14]Go deeper:-Adaam's newsletter about why everything feels so broken-Andrew's Uncertain Things debut-Adaam on The Political Orphanage: cognitive dissonance FTWUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Scientist-turned-historian Peter Turchin is best known for a dire prediction he made in 2010: we were headed for serious unrest, circa 2020. Peter came to this (as-so-happened) accurate prediction by treating the soft science of history like a hard one — what he calls cliodynamics. He and his team quantified indicators of social unrest in previous historical periods, generating a database of information, and then created a structural-dynamic model that could determine the biggest drivers of social violence and societal collapse. Peter, who's currently serving as the Project Leader at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna, talks to us about his approach to history, the factors that are most responsible for our current period of unrest, and the actions that could, just maybe, divert us from Civil War II.  Check out our ‘Inscrutable' blog and ‘Uncertainty' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Peter pre-amble and Vishaan post-script (0:00-7:01)-How cliodynamics work? (07:02-17:21)-Quantifying instability, locating gaps, and making predictions (17:22-28:33-The state of our present-day empire (28:34-38:28)-The trouble with too many elites (38:29-51:34)-How to stop an unfolding trainwreck (51:35-1:02:44)Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Urbanist, architect, and professor Vishaan Chakrabarti joins us to explain how the f*** cities got so expensive — and, while we're at it, ugly. Vishaan is both a doer and a thinker — he's the founder and creative director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism as well as a writer of books, talker of TEDs, and a collaborator of journalists (see: "Not Your Car"). In this conversation, we dig into the affordability crisis, why Progressives keep running cities into the ground, and what we need to do to have better cities — and lives. Check out our ‘Inscrutable' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Prelude [0:00-7:05]-The Uncertainty Newsletter! [7:06-8:29]-A History of Housing: The Arms Race and Race [8:30-22:27]-Bubblegum, shoestring, and vicious circles [22:28-27:31]-The many ramifications of Reagan [27:32-34:28]-When cities became safe and sexy [34:29-43:48]-Progressive cities' misguided policies [43:49-47:49]-The absurdity and cruelty of San Francisco [47:50-52:53]-The aftermath of Jane Jacobs [52:54-1:00:40]-Community engagement conundrums [1:00:41-1:11:48]-On gentrification, cars, and future urbanites [1:11:49-1:20:37]-The national vs. the urbanist conversation [1:20:38-1:26:14]-NYC vs. SF [1:26:15-1:36:01]-Why are cities so depressing? [1:36:02-1:44:34]-Blindspots [1:44:35-1:47:22]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Foreign policy expert Walter Russell Mead's new book — The Arc of a Covenant — kept Adaam up at night with its unique insight into the American-Israel relationship and its gripping historical anecdotes (Stalin! Truman! Roosevelt, oh my!). In this conversation, we investigate the culpability of “THE JEWS,” explore why gentiles catalyzed the creation a Jewish nation-state, discuss the ways anti-Semites keep accidentally helping Israel, and break down the specter of Orientalism that keeps haunting American foreign policy. Plus, we get into the Iran deal and some good old-fashioned geo-politics, by way of a Matt Yglesias tweet.Check out our ‘Inscrutable' newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Debunking the Israel myth [7:57-15:00]-Antisemitism: long-rooted and occasionally helpful [15:01-29:44]-Orientalism [29:45-36:16]-Shaping the world in America's image [36:17-49:58]-The Cold War, Stalin, and Truman (or The Randomness of History) [49:59-1:07:28]-The history of the craziest, most practical, idea [1:07:29-1:15:57]-Matt Yglesias, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and geopolitics today [1:15:58-1:26:49]-Liberal Democracy: Nothing's set in stone [1:26:50-1:29:47]Follow WRM at @WRMead.Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Christine Rosen is the best kind of opinion writer — one we love to disagree with. Senior fellow at AEI, senior writer at Commentary magazine, and co-host of the Commentary podcast, Christine joined us for a conversation ostensibly about trauma, a word/concept that is proliferating in art and life (and getting dangerously diluted in the process). However, this fun conversation sprawled over much contentious ground: history in public discourse, eugenics, human nature, the doomsaying of liberal media, the arrested development of conservative media, Mar-a-Lago, and the mutually assured destruction of marriage.Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-On history, humility, and human nature [4:45-12:56]-The Atlantic, panic porn, and conservative media [12:57-34:15]-Mar a Lago raid and our eroding trust [34:16-40:52]-Defining trauma down [40:53-1:11:12]-Losing the trauma plot [1:11:13-1:21:16]-On marriage, kids, and mutually assured destruction [1:21:17-1:30:18]-Blindspots [1:30:19-1:32:12]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

In his latest book, Matthew Continetti — the right’s pre-eminent intellectual historian — traces the rich history of America’s 20th century conservative moment. In this conversation, we don’t dive into the details of history itself (for that, pick up a copy of The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism), but rather discuss the origins and repercussions of some of the right’s more unsettling trends — from post-liberalism to populism to religious authoritarianism. As is our wont, we debate, disagree, and dunk on Biden, too.Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Analyzing the Right from the Right [0:00-7:26]-The Post-Liberals of the New Right [7:27-18:38]-Culture vs. Capitalism [18:39-32:46] -Rediscovering The American-ness of Conservatism [32:47-42:06] -Turning back the clock, but to when? [42:07-45:31] -Discussing Dobbs v. Jackson [45:32-52:11] -The Monster Within [52:12-1:05:49] -Blindspots on the Left & Right [1:05:50-1:07:34] Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

The yin to David French’s yang, lawyer and pro-choice activist Kreesa Lancaster gives us her perspective on how and why the Supreme Court came to the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling. Along the way, Kreesa breaks down the legalese, explaining such terms as substantive due process, stare decisis, and strict constructionism / originalism, for good measure. But we also discuss why all the legal wonkery can be a distraction from what’s really at play here — and what Americans need to be paying attention to. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Why we’re having this conversation now [0:00-4:07}-On leaks and legal disclaimers [4:08-7:09]-Substantive due process. What the f**k? [7:10-11:03]-Privacy: an unenumerated right [11:04-14:28] -Understanding originalism / strict constructionism [14:29-25:24]-Stare decisis and Roe’s impact [25:25-30:43] -Silver (or grayish?) linings [30:44-36:06] -Dissecting Dobbs v. Jackson [36:07-38:57] -The Supreme Court's five-prong test [38:58-50:29] -The veneer of legitimacy [50:30-1:01:43] -In Alito's shoes [1:01:44-1:09:50] -Deciding to come on the podcast [1:09:51-1:13:26]-What Dobbs means in practice [1:13:27-1:25:46]-Creating a culture of choice [1:25:47-1:41:35] -Other rulings in peril [1:41:36-1:50:02]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

David French, conservative thinker, podcaster, and author of Divided We Fall, returns to the pod to talk about friendship, or the lack thereof, and why Americans are so goddamn lonely. David unpacks the link between loneliness and the rise of radical and authoritarian groups, and we ponder why Americans just don’t seem to prioritize friendship and connection (including in the built environment — bars that blare music, we’re looking at you). Stick to the end, and listen as we put our cross-partisan friendship to the test, throwing David some soft balls on topics as warm and fuzzzy as guns and abortion.Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:- Vanessa’s baaaaaccckk [0:00-4:54]- The rise of factional friendship [4:55-14:16]- Friendship infrastructure [14:17-32:33] - Accountability & social cohesion  [32:34-41:15] - Gendered approaches to intimacy [41:16-48:41] - The ways we wall ourselves off [48:42-53:11] - Polarizing topic: Abortion [53:12-1:19:11]- Polarizing topic: Guns [1:19:12-1:27:49] - Friendships Lost [1:27:50-1:31:00]- Blindspots [1:31:01-1:32:51]Reading list:Divided We Fall (duh!)Bowling Alone (Robert Putnam)Alienated America (Timothy P. Carney)The Great Experiment (Yascha Mounk)Fourth of July bonus:Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Back from a delicious month-long detachment from the news cycle, Adaam sits down with political vagabond and comedian Andrew Heaton, host of The Political Orphanage podcast, to relearn how to do audio rambling. In a more light-hearted discussion than normal (still need to warm up!), we talk the subtle art of political comedy, the glory (and pains) of arguing, and the implacable hardships of having a euphonious voice like Andrew’s.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-The fundamentals of Uncertain Things-Marriage, an atavism-The guy who may own a blimp-Drawing the line between stand up and shouting at each other-Having debates like a human-Something about the JewsUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Angel Eduardo, author and co-host of the Fair Perspectives podcast, insists that we can rise above this polarized moment and have real – difficult but vitriol-free – debates with each other. Steelmaning is for beginners. We’re talking starmanning! How to do that is what we try to figure on this episode. Adaam and Angel argue about the merits of compassion versus cognitive dissonance and how best to make people more comfortable about being wrong. Meanwhile, Vanessa worries that too much open-mindedness could lead to inaction – or even apathy. She also gets a good laugh from Angel’s diatribe about the word LatinX.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Seeing through the Matrix-Compassion and humility or just cognitive dissonance?-Censorship is in the air and the Harper’s Letter-The art of being wrong (or: it’s ok to fight… verbally)-Who’s this ‘We’ we keep talking about?-Engineering language and Stalin’s hyphenation fascinationUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

We’ve been wanting to have political theorist, writer, and podcaster Yascha Mounk on the show for a while now, and the wait was so worth it: his new book, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, is not only timely, it’s quite Uncertain Thingsy. He explains the three main ways that diverse democracies fall apart — and to what extent the U.S. is already under their influence. Plus, we dunk on elites, bemoan our political status quo, and ask: could oppression be good for us?Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda: - Intro to Yascha [0:00-9:56]- Shout out to IRL pod encounters [9:57-11:38]- Humans: Naturally predisposed to difference [11:39-25:50]- How to Make Diverse Democracies Work [25:51-33:12]- The Problem of Fragmentation [33:13-45:29]- The Danger of Elites [45:30-54:30] - The Gerrymandering Arms Race [54:31-1:01:51]- The Secret Sauce of Oppression [1:01:52-1:19:41]- On Patriotism & Blindspots [1:19:42-1:25:18]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

When writer and podcaster Meghan Daum released her book The Problem with Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars in 2019, she didn’t get canceled, per se. But its reception among her liberal friends was… frosty. Readers charged that Meghan had been captured by the IDW; reviewers painted her as out of touch; event organizers sent nary an email. Meghan has since made a new media home for herself, interviewing people and broaching topics on her “Unspeakable” podcast. Her fellow “heterodox” listeners love her for it. And we loved chatting with Meghan about some of her (and our!) favorite topics: what the left and right won’t talk about, feminism, book clubs, podcasts, humor, self-censorship, and more.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Feminism and the problem with everything [7:25-14:44]-Victim narratives and the “injustice” of biology [14:45-24:12]-“The most miserable writing experience of my life” [24:13-31:17]-Not canceled [31:18-39:07]-Unspeakable topics [39:08-43:57]-What the left and right control [43:58-48:40]-Media Divides [48:41-53:19]-Closing ranks around ideologies [53:20-59:46]-Loneliness, book clubs, and the women of the IDW [59:47-1:12:40]-A tangent on peace privilege [1:12:41-1:16:03]-Meghan’s journey into the heterodox universe [1:16:04-1:25:51]-Funny in the backchannels [1:25:52-1:34:15]-Blindspots. Stereotypes, and self-censorship [1:34:16-1:42:10]-Heterodoxy 2.0 [1:42:11-1:45:50]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

After covering the 2016 elections, podcaster and journalist Jody Avirgan (FiveThirtyEight, 30 for 30) was tired. Damn tired. Of the news cycle, the click bait, the politics. He felt pulled to history as a way of making sense of the present in a more complex, thoughtful way — and so he reached out to Nicole Hemmer, a historian who studies right wing media and occasional opinion writer/cable. The two created the podcast “This Esoteric Day in History,” and eventually recruited Kellie Carter Jackson, a historian who studies the abolitionist era and the theme of violence, to round out their trio. We invited all three on the pod (an Uncertain Things record) to dig into the upsides of bringing history into public discourse, the perils of pushing historians onto social media, and the possibility that podcasts could save us all. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our Patreon for behind-the-pod updates. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Three journos and two historians walk into a pod [0:00-9:35]-How the podcast came to be [9:36 -12:05]-Intellectual first responders [12:06 - 18:56]-Progress isn’t Inevitable [18:57-22:44]-How progressives and conservatives use history [22:45-29:59]-Out of the ivory tower, into the tweet storms [30:00-52:04]-Media: making the world worse, every day (podcasts exempted) [52:05-1:00:35]-The CRT Monkey’s paw [1:00:36-1:05:16]-An honest conversation about violence [1:05:17-1:24:00]-On democracy and our fundamental values [1:24:01-1:34:47]By the way… We, Jody, Kellie, Nicole, and a bunch of other podcasters have joined the Pro-Democracy Podcast Coalition, in partnership with a nonpartisan organization called RepresentUs, to raise awareness and preserve, bolster, and protect democracy. Get informed and get active at represent.us/podcastUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Jacob Mchangama — author of Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media, lawyer, and founder and director of the Copenhagen-based think tank Justitia — has uncovered an unfortunate, though not too surprising, historical pattern, across cultures and societies: the second we feel under threat in a society, free speech (that supposedly sacrosanct value) goes swiftly by the wayside. In this conversation, Jacob takes us back in time and traces the history of free speech all the way from Ancient Greece to the EU’s recent banning of Russian propaganda — and we unpack a whole lot of hypocrisy along the way. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our Patreon for behind-the-pod updates. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Adaam’s big mistake [0:00-7:44]-Self-censorship and its consequences [7:45-14:51]-The pro-democracy podcast coalition [14:52-20:15]-On cartoons and Milton’s curse [20:16-25:13]-Free speech through the ages: Greece & Rome [25:14-37:51]-Free speech through the ages: the Middle Ages [37:52-44:18]-Free speech through the ages: from Reformation to Revolution (stopping on Spinoza along the way) [44:19-55:47]-American culture vs. American law [55:48-1:09:21]-A golden age or a free speech recession? [1:09:22-1:13:26]-Banning Russian propaganda [1:13:27-1:22:22]-Liberal democracy: why does it matter? [1:22:23-1:29:30]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

After studying neurobiology in college, Daniel Roy became a professional sleight-of-hand artist slash YouTube magician. He joined us to explore how illusionists exploit our innate psychological and social tendencies in order to make us unwillingly suspend our disbelief. In this in-person conversation, we dive into the topics of misdirection, deception, and illusion — and the ways they resonate with politics, tech, and media today. But it wasn’t all intellectual debate: Daniel also graced us with some real life magic, which you can visually enjoy on our YouTube page.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our Patreon for behind-the-pod updates. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Getting seriously into magic [5:20-14:12]-Inattentional blindness and the illusion of impossibility [14:13- 27:21]-The magician as social manipulator [27:22-40:56]-When mistakes (and hecklers) happen [40:57-47:10]-The conflict of psychological surrender [47:11-54:44]-Attention capture and the media parallel [54:45-1:05:38]-Magic in the YouTube era [1:05:39-1:24:01]-The mental and ethical challenges of magic [1:24:02-1:53:33]-An audio magic trick! [1:55:29-2:15:31]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

Author and political philosophy professor Mark Lilla joined us to debate morality (what makes something good, and how much of it is enough?), innocence vs. ignorance, reactionary passions and nostalgia, the importance of maintaining a private sphere of moral inquiry, and the psychoses of current American politics. We usually ask our “blindspots” question at the end. This time, it captured the entire talk.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our Patreon for behind-the-pod updates. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Wisely choosing Vico [5:06-6:49]-Losing faith, gaining skepticism, and seeking the goodness of knowledge [6:50-7:56]-Ignorance and bliss [11:59-17:32]-The pros and cons of American populism and dogmatism [17:33-29:12]-How much morality is enough? [29:13-30:06] -Why our government's so dysfunctional [30:07-37:58]-Elitism and activism in the academe [37:59-46:09]-The productive anxieties of American life [46:10-49:36]-The nostalgia party of the right [49:37-1:01:39]-The unserious, crusading left [1:01:40-1:10:54]-The case for indifference [1:10:55-1:15:24]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

You’d think author and speaker Helen Russell — whose professional obsession for the past few years has been happiness — would be loathe to discuss the topic of sadness. Au contraire. As she’s learned more about what it takes to be happy, she’s discovered it relies on perfecting the lost (at least in America) art of being sad. We talk with Helen about her book How to be Sad, discuss why American culture is particularly bad at embracing melancholy, and discover what we could all learn from those strapping Danes.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our Patreon for behind-the-pod updates. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Making Space for Sadness, in all its flavors [3:51-9:14]-Cross-Cultural Comparisons [9:15-12:54]-Gender and the emotions we're allowed to access [12:55-17:54]-The emotional burden of an artless life [17:55-23:48]-Our atrophied social connections [23:49-29:24]-Inequality, addiction, and social media [29:25-36:54]-Raising kids and deciding to have them in the first place [36:55-44:21]-Sadness taboos and rituals [44:22-48:33]-Diagnosing Brexit (and other dark times) [48:34-53:58]-Sadness Post-Script [54:28-1:24:32]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe

People Love Dead Jews. That's the title of novelist and literary scholar Dara Horn's provocative book, which explores the ways in which non-Jewish societies exploit Jewish histories and atrocities to "flatter" themselves and erase Jewish realities. In an episode filled with more ghoulish humor than usual, we follow Dara’s journey of uncovering a troubling (and often truly absurd) history. We also can’t help ourselves and go meta: not only raking on the media (as we’re wont to do) but also nerding out about the difference between Jewish and Western literary narratives.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our Patreon for behind-the-pod updates. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Memorializing dead Jews, erasing living Jews [9:44-26:35]-Why does empathy require similarity? [26:36-30:33] -Jews disrupting historical narratives [30:34-34:54] -Anti-semitism, assimilation, and Jewish agents of erasure [34:55-42:38] -"I spent 20 years not writing this book" [42:39-49:29] -How I'm Supposed to Respond to Anti-Semitism [49:30-53:23] -Victim Blaming to Feel Good [53:24-58:46]-Holocaust museums have failed [58:47- 1:05:56]-What Readers Want (Resolution not Ambiguity) [1:05:57-1:20:00]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe