The Most Important Question

Important, Not Important
  • 4.7 (118)
  • SCIENCE
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Science for people who give a sh*t. Want to feel better AND unf*ck the world? The 6-time Webby nominee delivers deep conversations with the world's smartest people (scientists, doctors, CEO's, farmers, and more!), and digestible news updates every single week, to help you answer the world's most important question: What can I do? We're talkin' clean energy and coral reefs, COVID vaccines and pediatric cancer research, clean water and carbon capture tech, asteroid deflection and artificial intelligence ethics. "A vital service in an era where important truths, outright fiction and mere trivia all compete for your attention.” - Craig Mazin, creator, writer, and executive producer of HBO's Chernobyl Hosted by Quinn Emmett

  1. 4D AGO

    We need your help

    Hi! It's Quinn. We have huge plans for 2026, and we need your help. So we're running the biggest discount on an Important Membership that we've ever run, and will ever run, probably. Right now it's $30/year. On January 1st, it'll be $50/year, and it's never going back. So right now you can go to ImportantMembership.com and lock in $30/year forever, and we'll all be in a better place. You even get a free 30 day trial. Huzzah. Here's a fun fact: 95% of people who joined are still Members. That's crazy. You will not regret it, and you even get stickers. Members pay -- directly -- for our people, our software, our data, and when we can afford it -- which we really need to be able to afford more often -- marketing and advertising to get our work and the app in front of like 100 times more people. You get bonus episodes from both of our podcasts, everything we make, like Life Finds A Way and The Science of Fiction, and all of it ad-free, and a place to track and share your actions with thousands of other people in What Can I Do? It's so great. So that's it -- the price is going to basically double on January 1st, but you can lock in a Membership right now at $30/year, with a 30 day free trial. Go to ImportantMembership.com right now, we take Apple Pay, it takes 10 seconds. Thank you.

    3 min
  2. Pods Fight Poverty: What Really Happens When You Just Give People Money?

    DEC 15

    Pods Fight Poverty: What Really Happens When You Just Give People Money?

    Hey friends, I want to talk about something big. Change the actual world big, because the world won't unfuck itself, as we all know. We are joining podcasts across the planet for Pods Fight Poverty, a campaign directly supporting our good friends at Give Directly. Now, if you've been with us since episode 116, which feels like a thousand years ago, you'll remember when we asked one of the most deceptively simple, world altering questions ever. Why is just giving people money the most effective way to help them change their lives and maybe even end global poverty altogether? To crack that open I had Caroline Teti and Michael Faye on the show, two people who've spent years with Give Directly, knee deep in data and logistics and lived experience, my favorite combination of things, and guess what the answer turned out to be? People are the experts on their own lives. You are. So why aren't they? Different people need different things on different days. So if you want them to get exactly what they need, you give them the resources to choose cash directly, and that's what Give Directly does. No middlemen, no guessing, just trusting other humans with the dignity and agency we would expect and that they deserve. Yeah, wild idea. It works. It works better than almost anything else we've tried. So here's the part where you come in. None of us can erase global poverty by ourselves. Again, that's our whole tagline. But literally, any one of us can lift one person out of poverty, today, right now. So for Pods Fight Poverty, if you can head to givedirectly.org/important and chip in. That's givedirectly.org/important. And look to take it even further, my wife and I already personally contribute to Give Directly every year, every month actually, which is the best way to support a group like this, by the way. And thousands of you all do too. I'm gonna step it up and will personally match the next $5,000 in donations when you use our link, which again is givedirectly.org/important. So let's do it. And to get you in the spirit, we're gonna revisit our conversation right now with Teti and Michael. It's funny, it's hopeful, it's deeply nerdy, and it'll remind you why this work matters every single day. Thanks as always for giving a shit. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth ----------- INI Book Club: “The Biggest Bluff” by Maria Konnikova“The Art of Reading Minds” by Henrik FexeusFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club" rel="noopener...

    1h 24m
  3. Let's Talk About Menopause

    DEC 1

    Let's Talk About Menopause

    What if talking about menopause out loud was as normal as talking about sports scores or school pickup? Imagine it in movie plots, in your group chat, at the clinic, and on the campaign trail because when we name what's happening in our bodies, three things can follow: better care, better research, and better policy. Normalizing the conversation around something that's gonna happen to half the population isn't oversharing. It's infrastructure. This is how we're gonna get appointments that move the needle for people. This is how we're gonna get workplace benefits that actually matter and research dollars that finally match the need, especially for those most impacted and least studied. So what can I do to make menopause a public everyday conversation? My guest today is Jennifer Gerson.  She's a journalist at the 19th, one of my favorite publications, and the author of their new menopause newsletter. Jennifer blends sharp reporting with practical scripts, and memes, how to talk to your doctor or your partner or your teen or someone in HR, and maybe your elected representatives too, because you know we love that. So that this thing that's been so intensely private and understudied, on purpose, becomes public. And so progress compounds. This one can definitely change the conversation in your home and far, far beyond it. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth ----------- INI Book Club: The Day The Crayons Made Friends by Drew DaywaltFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club Links: Jennifer is listening to: the new Snocaps album, and all the Zombies soundtracksFind a healthcare provider specializing in midlife women's health using resources at The Menopause SocietySubscribe to Jennifer's menopause newsletter at the 19th Follow us: Subscribe to our newsletter at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGet our merchFollow us on Twitter: a href="http://twitter.com/ImportantNotImp" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    1h 4m
  4. The American Revolution's Unfinished Promise

    NOV 24

    The American Revolution's Unfinished Promise

    If the American Revolution was, as Ken Burns put it, the biggest event since the birth of Christ, then there's probably never been a better time to explore and drastically expand on why it happened, who was involved, and what it set us up for than right now. My guest today again is David Schmidt. David is the producer and co-director, along with Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, of American Revolution, a six-part, 12-hour series premiering on PBS this November. David is a childhood friend, but two decades after he and I played Nintendo in his basement, he began working with Florentine Films as a researcher and apprentice editor, beginning with The Roosevelts in 2014, where he also supervised the documentary's seven-episode script. David's research on the Vietnam War in 2017 won him the Jane Mercer Footage Researcher of the Year Award, and he also worked closely on that project with writer Geoffrey C. Ward and helped coordinate post-production. With Burns, Schmidt also produced the two-part biography Benjamin Franklin in 2022 for PBS. I can't wait for you to hear this discussion. I think it pairs really nicely with our conversation with Clint Smith and can't wait for you to see this piece. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth ----------- INI Book Club: This Here Is Love by Princess Joy L. PerryThe Sellout by Paul BeattyFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club Links: Watch the 12-part series, The American Revolution, on PBS https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-revolutionRead The American Revolution book by Ken Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward https://bookshop.org/a/8952/9780525658672David is listening to: The American Revolution playlist, Hammond Song by The Roches, and The Shape of Water soundtrack Follow us: Subscribe to our newsletter at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGet our a...

    1 hr
  5. History vs Nostalgia

    NOV 17

    History vs Nostalgia

    I've recorded hundreds of conversations with incredible people working on the front lines of the future. People who've asked the most important question: what can I do? Who found their answer and followed it. But for today's conversation, we're going back to the front lines of the past because the past can tell us a whole hell of a lot about today and how tomorrow might go. But only if we tell the full story of how we got here, about who got us here, about how my great-great-grandparents got here. And how my grandma got here fleeing the Nazis, and how millions of Africans were forcibly brought here, over 35,000 trips across the middle passage over almost 300 years. The full story of the choices we made then, which was not so long ago, and continue to make now about wars and heritage and bondage and family and land and more. And how, if we can break from the stories we've been told and continue to tell ourselves to choose history over nostalgia, to choose facts over memory and infinite disinformation on demand, we can make different choices. My guest today is Clint Smith. Clint is the number one New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, he's the winner of the National Book Critic Circle Award for nonfiction, the Hillman Prize for book journalism, the Stowe Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and was selected by the New York Times as one of the 10 best books of 2021. And now in 2025, the Young Reader's Edition has just come out and it is wonderful. Clint is also the author two books of poetry, the New York Times bestselling collection Above Ground, as well as Counting Dissent. Both poetry collections were winners of the Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and both were finalists for NAACP Image Awards. Clint is a staff writer at The Atlantic and he has received fellowships for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New America, the Emerson Collective, the Art for Justice Fund, Cave Canum, and the National Science Foundation. His essays, poems, and scholarly writing have been published in The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, the New Republic, Poetry Magazine, the Paris Review, the Harvard Educational Review, and elsewhere. Clint is a former National Poetry Slam Champion, and the recipient of the Jerome Jay Shestack Prize from the American Poetry Review. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth ----------- INI Book Club: How The Word Is Passed by Clint SmithHow The Word Is Passed Young Readers Edition by Clint Smith, Adapted by Sonja Cherry-PaulFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: a...

    1h 4m
  6. Running for Water (Because Shutoffs Are Immoral)

    NOV 3

    Running for Water (Because Shutoffs Are Immoral)

    Chronically parched is not something anyone in this country or anywhere should ever have to feel, but here we are. So how are towns and states making clean water more affordable, reliable, and less controversial? 'cause remember, it's f*****g water. Look, you might feel like you're giving it all you got but when you look around things are a little dark out there. So you, our listeners and readers and viewers and users, whatever, across the world, want and demand more examples of fight and progress you can see and touch and feel, taste, and in these conversations, in this special series, in our partnership with our best friends that Run For Something, we're gonna do that. Each of these episodes features two guests both sourced from the Run For Something pipeline and graduating classes. First, I'll introduce one young elected official at the state or local level who has actually made real measurable progress on an issue facing more Americans than ever before, something that you'll notice. And then in the same episode, I'll introduce a bright-eyed candidate who's currently running for a state legislature for mayor, for city council, or for school board, who is similarly hellbent on attacking the same issue in their own hometown or their state. And for all you know, one of these could be in yours or near yours, or just have lessons that apply to yours. Today our topic: drinking water. You'd think it wouldn't be complicated or controversial, but remember folks, bad guys are real. Introducing our incumbent, State Rep Laurie Pohutsky is a Michigan born millennial microbiologist serving her fourth term in the Michigan House of Representatives where she serves on the Oversight Committee and is the Chair of the Progressive Women's Coalition. Laurie sponsored legislation that became Michigan's Clean Energy and Jobs Act of 2023. She's the co-sponsor of legislation to make polluters pay, which is always great, and to amend Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, which focuses on environmental cleanup standards and procedures, which would be stellar since, as you know, the EPA has, basically been abolished. Our candidate, Denzel McCampbell is a fine, young community advocate and native Detroiter, living and running for Detroit City Council District Seven. Denzel was born and raised in the east side and is a graduate of Michigan State University. He is dedicated to public service, to fighting day in and day out to increase access to democracy and representation for marginalized groups. He believes the Detroit city government should be a responsive government that uses its resources to ensure that every neighborhood is well resourced and that every resident is able to have the fundamentals. Two amazing humans fighting for water, and fighting for everything else. Let's find out what it means for their hometowns, for Michigan, and for yours. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth ----------- INI Book Club: a href="https://bookshop.org/a/8952/9781668054628" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    1h 2m
  7. Running for School Meals (Because Learning Requires Eating)

    OCT 31

    Running for School Meals (Because Learning Requires Eating)

    I think we can all agree that kids shouldn't go hungry ever really, but especially at school. You might feel right now like you are giving it everything you got, but when you look around, things feel kind of dark out there. So you, our listeners and readers and viewers across the country and across the world want, demand, need more examples of fight and real progress you can actually see and touch and feel and taste. And in these conversations, in partnership with our best friends at Run For Something, we're giving you exactly that. Each of these episodes features two guests both sourced from the Run For Something pipeline and graduating classes. They are the next generation of American leaders. First, I'll introduce one young elected official at the state or local level who's made real measurable progress on an issue facing more Americans than ever before, like food, and then in the same episode, I'll introduce a bright-eyed candidate currently running for state legislature, mayor, city council, or like today's guest, school board, who's similarly hellbent on attacking the same issue in their own hometown or state. And it matters because for all you know, it could be yours next. So first up again, today, our topic: school lunches. School breakfasts, after school meals for students and teachers and parents and caregivers and whoever needs it. Because without food teachers can't work. None of us can learn. Our incumbent, Jessica Spillers is a mom, a social worker, and an advocate with 12 years of experience in community mental health, the criminal justice system, and the government sector. She currently serves on the school board in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was named the New Hampshire Young Democrat of the Year in May, 2024. Jessica recently announced enough is enough and decided to run for Mayor of Manchester.  Our candidate, Talia Rodriguez is running for the Buffalo Board of Education West District to be the first Latina on the board. She's a mom, a nonprofit development professional, and community advocate. She holds a law degree from the University of Buffalo and a Master's in Public Policy. She has extensive experience advancing educational equity, food justice, and bilingual programs. Talia is committed to uplifting diverse families, supporting student-centered policies and creating safe inclusive schools that meet the needs of all children. I'm so excited to introduce you to these two amazing humans who are fighting for kids to have food. Let's find out what it means for their hometowns and for yours. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth ----------- INI Book Club: Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron ReynoldsThe Bible and The Complete Poems of Anna AkhmatovaFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: a...

    1h 9m
  8. Running for Gun Control (In The Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens)

    OCT 30

    Running for Gun Control (In The Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens)

    Maybe you feel like you're already giving it all you've got. You look around, and things are tough out there. You, our listeners and readers and viewers and users across the country and across the world, you're demanding more examples of fight and progress you can actually see and touch and feel, and in these conversations, in this series, in partnership with our very best friends at Run For Something, we're gonna give you exactly what you asked for. Each of these episodes features two guests, both sourced from the Run For Something pipeline and graduating classes, the next generation of leaders. In each episode, first, I'll introduce one young elected official at the state or local level who's made real measurable progress on an issue facing more Americans than ever before. And then in the same episode, I'll introduce a bright-eyed candidate currently running for a state legislature or Senate, governor, mayor, city council, or school board, who is similarly hellbent on attacking the same issue in their own hometown or state. First up today, our topic: gun control. As The Onion posts once a month, there's no way to prevent this, says the only nation where this regularly happens. But there are ways to prevent it. Not just school shootings or homicides or suicides or even accidental shootings in the home when a gun and ammo aren't stored safely or even fucking stored at all. We just need people in office who aren't cowards because we know what works. Our incumbent is Missouri State legislator, Ray Reed, endorsed by Run For Something in 2024. Ray was just in the news for a bold sit-in protest, refusing to leave the floor of the Missouri house for over a hundred hours after Republicans there attempted to convene a special session and push through redrawn legislative maps at the behest of Donald Trump. Ray is a St. Louis native, and he brings a wealth of experience in Missouri politics, having collaborated with notable democratic leaders like former Governor Jay Nixon and Senator Claire McCaskill. Next I'll talk to our candidate, Jazz Hampton. Jazz is running for Mayor of Minneapolis because he loves the city. It's not just where he lives. It is who he is. He is not only a lifelong Twin Cities resident, and a husband there, he's the father of three Minneapolis public school students. He has been an attorney there, an educator there, and a social justice entrepreneur. He has freed the wrongfully convicted. He has worked on advanced, affordable housing, protected civil rights, and created safer communities. Now he's ready to bring fresh leadership and unite Minneapolis after a hell of a decade. Two amazing humans fighting for gun control in very different places, in the only nation where this regularly happens. Let's find out what it means for their hometowns and yours. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com. Take Action at www.whatcanido.earth ----------- INI Book Club: 107 Days by Kamala HarrisDie With...

    1h 5m
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Science for people who give a sh*t. Want to feel better AND unf*ck the world? The 6-time Webby nominee delivers deep conversations with the world's smartest people (scientists, doctors, CEO's, farmers, and more!), and digestible news updates every single week, to help you answer the world's most important question: What can I do? We're talkin' clean energy and coral reefs, COVID vaccines and pediatric cancer research, clean water and carbon capture tech, asteroid deflection and artificial intelligence ethics. "A vital service in an era where important truths, outright fiction and mere trivia all compete for your attention.” - Craig Mazin, creator, writer, and executive producer of HBO's Chernobyl Hosted by Quinn Emmett

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