Revisionist History

In the podcast episode titled "Malcolm on No Small Endeavor," Malcolm Gladwell shares insights into his personal and professional life during a conversation with Lee Camp, the host of the podcast "No Small Endeavor." Gladwell discusses his early life experiences, including his time spent in Freudian therapy and the influence of his father's curiosity and lack of insecurity about admitting ignorance. These formative experiences shaped Gladwell into a person who is adept at explaining complex ideas clearly and engagingly. Gladwell also reflects on his approach to storytelling, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and humility. He believes that these traits allow individuals to learn from others and admit when they do not know something, which can lead to richer, more informed perspectives. His discussion extends to his views on higher education, particularly Ivy League schools, which he criticizes for their financial models and limited accessibility. The episode also delves into Gladwell's thoughts on work and effort. He expresses a growing intolerance for idleness as he ages, emphasizing the importance of caring deeply about something and making sacrifices for it. This personal standard reflects his broader values and the way he evaluates both his efforts and those of the people around him. Throughout the conversation, Gladwell's anecdotes and reflections reveal a deep-seated belief in the power of stories to shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. He advocates for storytelling that moves people emotionally and intellectually, pushing them to consider their own lives and actions in a new light.

In the final episode of the Development Hell series on Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell delves into the story of "Blue Seattle," a movie that never came to fruition, with Cameron Crowe. Crowe, known for his work on films like "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous," and his then-wife, Nancy Wilson of the band Heart, conceived the idea during their honeymoon in 1986. The film was envisioned as a loving romp about two songwriters attempting to write a movie for Elvis Presley, encapsulating a meta-narrative that mirrored Crowe and Wilson's own creative partnership. The project, deeply influenced by Crowe's fascination with Elvis Presley and his films, aimed to capture the essence of Presley's movie formula while adding a unique twist. Crowe and Wilson, along with Wilson's sister Ann, spent their honeymoon creating songs for the fictional movie, immersing themselves in the project with enthusiasm and creativity. These songs, intended to be part of the Elvis movie that never was, were shared with Gladwell, showcasing a blend of homage and originality that characterized Crowe's vision for "Blue Seattle." The narrative of "Blue Seattle" centered around a songwriting duo, inspired by the real-life partnership of Goffin and King, who dream of writing a movie for Elvis Presley. The screenplay Crowe wrote explored themes of ambition, creativity, and the bittersweet nature of artistic endeavors. It culminated in a poignant moment where the songwriters present their work to Elvis, only to realize that their dream project might never materialize. This encounter with Elvis, portrayed as a reflective and somewhat disillusioned figure, offered a glimpse into the complexities of Presley's own career and the challenges of reconciling artistic aspirations with reality. Gladwell's discussion with Crowe reveals the depth and emotional resonance of the "Blue Seattle" project, highlighting the happy-sad feeling that permeates much of Crowe's work. The episode serves as a meditation on the nature of development hell, suggesting that some ideas, in their unfulfilled state, possess a perfection that realization on screen might compromise. "Blue Seattle," in its unrealized form, stands as a testament to the power of imagination and the enduring allure of what could have been, encapsulating the spirit of creativity and the fleeting nature of artistic dreams.

In the episode titled "Labor of Love with M. Night Shyamalan" from the mini-series "Development Hell," the renowned filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan shares the story of a screenplay that has haunted him throughout his career. The script, titled "Labor of Love," was written when Shyamalan was just 22 years old, newly married, and filled with inspiration. It tells the poignant tale of an older couple, focusing on the husband's journey across the United States on foot after his wife's unexpected death, as a grand gesture of his love and devotion. This screenplay, despite its emotional depth and the personal significance it holds for Shyamalan, has never been made into a movie. Shyamalan recounts the journey of "Labor of Love" from its inception to the present day. Initially, the script sparked a bidding war and was sold to 20th Century Fox, with Shyamalan attached to direct. However, he was subsequently removed from the project due to his lack of experience at the time. Over the years, the screenplay has resurfaced multiple times, with opportunities to bring it to the screen, including a chance to work with an actor Shyamalan greatly admires. Despite these opportunities, the film has remained unproduced, partly due to Shyamalan's own decisions and the timing of other projects. Throughout the episode, Shyamalan reflects on the themes of love, loss, and the passage of time, both in the context of the screenplay and his own life. He discusses the evolution of his career, the role of genre in his filmmaking, and the balance between light and dark themes in his work. The conversation also touches on the changing landscape of storytelling and the impact of technology on human connections. "Labor of Love" remains a deeply personal project for Shyamalan, symbolizing the purest expression of his creativity and emotional depth. Despite the screenplay's unrealized status, it continues to influence Shyamalan's work and serves as a reminder of the enduring power of love and the importance of pursuing one's passions. The episode concludes with Shyamalan contemplating the possibility of finally bringing "Labor of Love" to the screen, acknowledging the screenplay's significance in his life and career.

The podcast episode "I Am Superman with Patty Jenkins Development Hell" delves into the story of a film project that never came to fruition, despite the passion and vision of its creator, Patty Jenkins. Jenkins, known for her work on "Monster" and the 2017 version of "Wonder Woman," had envisioned a unique and challenging film centered around a misunderstood pit bull named Bandit and a prison inmate. The narrative was inspired by dog prison programs, where inmates are tasked with rehabilitating unadoptable dogs. Jenkins aimed to create a rated R dog movie that would challenge the audience's perceptions and evoke deep emotional responses, even hoping for a performance from the dog that could be Oscar-worthy. The film, titled "I Am Superman," was to explore themes of redemption, the impact of abuse, and the potential for change both in humans and animals. Jenkins faced significant obstacles in bringing her vision to life, including industry skepticism and the inherent challenges of working with animals in a complex narrative. Despite her proven track record, Jenkins encountered resistance from studios and potential collaborators, who struggled to see the potential in a story that deviated so significantly from conventional narratives, especially those involving prison and redemption. Jenkins's experience with "I Am Superman" sheds light on broader issues within Hollywood, including the difficulties women face in getting unconventional projects off the ground and the industry's reluctance to embrace stories that challenge established norms. The episode also touches on Jenkins's personal motivations and the experiences that have shaped her as a filmmaker, including the profound impact of her father's death during her childhood. Jenkins's commitment to telling stories that explore the depths of human (and animal) emotion and resilience remains undiminished, and she continues to seek ways to bring her unique visions to the screen, potentially outside the traditional studio system.

In the special episode titled "Pushkin Hosts Celebrate World Happiness Day," hosts from Pushkin Industries delve into various aspects of happiness, drawing from personal experiences, scientific research, and philosophical musings. The episode begins with a discussion on the sensory experiences that enhance well-being, highlighting the importance of smell and the role of products like Mrs. Meyers in creating a pleasant home environment. The conversation then shifts to the innovative ways companies like T-Mobile for Business are using technology to improve experiences in various fields, from sports to transportation. The core of the episode revolves around the celebration of World Happiness Day and the insights from the World Happiness Report. The report, issued by the United Nations, aims to raise awareness about the factors that contribute to well-being and how government policies can help achieve happiness. The hosts discuss past reports' themes, such as the impact of COVID-19 on well-being and the relationship between happiness and parenting. The episode promises upcoming discussions with experts behind the current year's report, focusing on the science of happiness. The hosts from Pushkin Industries share their perspectives on what could enhance happiness. Maya Shankar talks about the concept of mental chatter and its impact on happiness, emphasizing the importance of managing our inner dialogue. Strategies like distance self-talk and temporal distancing are discussed as ways to mitigate negative self-talk and improve well-being. Tim Harford, another guest, explores the difference between experienced happiness and remembered happiness, using examples from medical procedures and personal experiences to illustrate how our memories can influence our perception of happiness. He suggests that the way we frame and remember our experiences can significantly affect our overall happiness. Malcolm Gladwell challenges the notion that the journey is more important than the destination. He argues that certain types of happiness are derived from achieving goals, despite the journey being difficult or unpleasant. Gladwell shares his experiences with running to illustrate how overcoming initial resistance and discomfort can lead to a profound sense of achievement and happiness. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of balancing the journey and the destination in our pursuit of happiness. The hosts reflect on how setting the right expectations and appreciating both the process and the outcome can lead to a more fulfilling life.

In the episode titled "The Birthday Party with Charles Randolph Development Hell," Malcolm Gladwell delves into the complex world of screenplay adaptation through the lens of Charles Randolph's experience with his unproduced script, "The Birthday Party." Randolph, an Oscar-winning screenwriter known for works like "The Big Short," shares the story behind a screenplay that never made it to the big screen, despite its promising premise and the involvement of high-profile figures like Tom Cruise and Milos Forman. The script is based on the true story of Stanley Alpert, a lawyer kidnapped on his birthday by a group of young men in New York City. Over the course of his captivity, Alpert forms an unexpected bond with his captors, leading to a narrative that explores themes of race, privilege, and the complexity of human relationships. Randolph's screenplay aimed to delve into the racial and societal tensions inherent in Alpert's story, attempting to present a nuanced portrayal of both the victim and his young captors. However, the project encountered significant challenges, primarily due to its sensitive racial themes and the portrayal of its characters. Despite Randolph's efforts to adapt the story in a way that would resonate with audiences and critics alike, the screenplay was met with resistance from potential directors and was ultimately shelved. The episode highlights the difficulties of navigating the "development hell" of Hollywood, where even the most compelling stories can struggle to find a path to production. The conversation between Gladwell and Randolph also touches on broader issues within the film industry, such as the responsibility of storytellers to their subjects and the audience, the role of race in storytelling, and the challenges of adapting true stories for the screen. Randolph's experience with "The Birthday Party" serves as a case study in the complexities of film development, illustrating how external factors like societal attitudes and industry dynamics can influence the creative process. Despite the project's failure to materialize, Randolph's journey offers valuable insights into the art of screenwriting and the unpredictable nature of the film industry.

In the episode titled "Bubbles with Isaac Adamson" from the podcast series Development Hell, the focus is on a unique and highly praised screenplay that never made it to the big screen. The screenplay, named "Bubbles," is a narrative told from the perspective of Michael Jackson's pet chimpanzee, Bubbles. It was recognized for its originality and creativity, topping the Hollywood Blacklist, an annual listing of the most liked unproduced screenplays, in 2015. Despite the acclaim, the project encountered numerous obstacles that prevented its adaptation into a film. Isaac Adamson, the screenwriter behind "Bubbles," shares the journey of his screenplay, from its conception to its stagnation in Hollywood's development hell. The script offers a whimsical yet tragic look at Michael Jackson's life through the eyes of Bubbles, who, despite being a chimpanzee, is portrayed with a rich inner world and a complex understanding of his surroundings. The screenplay blends comedy with tragedy, exploring themes of fame, loyalty, and the loss of innocence. Adamson's portrayal of Bubbles as a dignified, almost Shakespearean character, adds depth to the narrative, making it more than just a tale about a celebrity's pet. The podcast delves into the challenges Adamson faced in bringing "Bubbles" to the screen. Despite initial interest from Netflix and attachment of notable talents like Taika Waititi, the project was ultimately shelved. The release of the documentary "Leaving Neverland," which brought renewed attention to the allegations of pedophilia against Michael Jackson, significantly impacted the project's viability. The documentary's revelations made the subject matter too controversial for Hollywood to tackle, leading to the project's cancellation. The episode also explores the broader implications of Hollywood's reluctance to engage with complex and controversial topics. It raises questions about the industry's role as a cultural authority and its willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. Through the story of "Bubbles," the podcast highlights the challenges of creative expression in an industry often governed by public perception and marketability. Overall, "Bubbles with Isaac Adamson" offers a fascinating glimpse into the unpredictable world of film development, where even the most promising projects can fall victim to external pressures and changing societal attitudes. It serves as a poignant reminder of the stories that remain untold, hidden in the shadows of what might have been.

In the episode titled "Oscar Season with Talk Easy," Sam Fragoso, the host of Talk Easy, engages in a profound conversation with Wesley Morris, a critic at large for the New York Times and a co-host of the podcast Still Processing. Morris, who has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism twice, shares his insights on the current state of the film industry, the significance of this year's Academy Award nominations, and the broader implications of these developments on cinema and culture. The discussion begins with an exploration of the films nominated for the Oscars, focusing on how they reflect the current landscape of Hollywood and the film industry at large. Morris and Fragoso delve into the significance of movies like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," discussing their impact on audiences and their representation of contemporary cinema trends. They also touch upon the absence of director Greta Gerwig from the Best Director nominations, despite the commercial and critical success of "Barbie," sparking a conversation about the industry's recognition of female directors and the politics of award nominations. Morris shares his personal journey and evolution as a film critic, reflecting on the changes in the movie industry over the years, from the indie boom of the late '90s to the current dominance of franchise films. He expresses concern over the erosion of mid-budget, character-driven movies, attributing this trend to the increasing commercialization and homogenization of cinema. This shift, according to Morris, has led to a narrowing of the types of stories being told and the perspectives being represented on screen. The conversation also touches on the broader cultural and societal implications of these industry trends. Morris discusses the importance of diversity and representation in film, critiquing the industry's slow progress in this area despite public demands for change. He highlights the role of the Oscars as both a mirror and a window into the industry's values and priorities, pointing out the discrepancies between the awards' rhetoric of inclusivity and the actual films and filmmakers that receive recognition. Throughout the episode, Morris emphasizes the transformative power of cinema, both as an art form and as a medium for social commentary. He advocates for a more inclusive and reflective film industry that not only entertains but also challenges and inspires its audiences. The conversation concludes with Morris expressing hope for the future of cinema, calling for a renaissance of creativity, diversity, and authenticity in storytelling. "Oscar Season with Talk Easy" offers a thoughtful and critical examination of the current state of the film industry, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Through Wesley Morris's insightful commentary and Sam Fragoso's engaging questions, the episode provides a compelling perspective on the significance of the Oscars and the broader cultural implications of the films we celebrate.

In the second episode of Development Hell, titled "The Variable Man," hosts Malcolm Gladwell, Angus Fletcher, and Gary Goldman delve into the intricacies of a screenplay adaptation that never saw the light of day. The story, based on Philip K. Dick's work, explores a future dominated by predictive computers that can forecast every aspect of human life, from mundane choices to soulmate selection. The narrative centers around a character named Cole, a man from the past with no digital footprint, making him unpredictable to the omnipotent AI. This "Variable Man" is brought into a utopian future to prevent an impending apocalypse only he can avert, due to his unique ability to act beyond the computer's predictions. The screenplay, co-written by Fletcher and Goldman, challenges the notion of free will versus the deterministic predictions of AI. It presents a future where humanity's reliance on AI for decision-making leads to a paradoxical crisis. The protagonist, Cole, embodies the human element of unpredictability and free will, standing in stark contrast to a society that has surrendered its autonomy to AI. The story raises profound moral and existential questions, particularly about the nature of love and the consequences of following one's heart in a world governed by algorithms. Despite generating interest from notable actors and being championed by influential figures in Hollywood, the project struggled to secure a director and funding. The screenplay's complex themes and existential dilemmas proved challenging for actors to grapple with, particularly the paradox of a love that could potentially doom humanity. The narrative's exploration of trusting AI over human intuition and the implications of such trust on personal and global scales added layers of complexity that ultimately contributed to the project's stagnation in development hell. The episode also touches on the irony of the screenplay's fate being sealed by the bankruptcy of an AI company tasked with evaluating its potential success, highlighting the limitations and unpredictability of AI in creative and decision-making processes. Fletcher's subsequent critique of AI's capabilities in storytelling and decision-making further underscores the themes explored in "The Variable Man" and the ongoing debate about the role of AI in society. "The Variable Man" serves as a poignant example of the challenges and complexities involved in bringing innovative and thought-provoking narratives to the screen, especially those that question the very foundations of human experience and the future trajectory of our relationship with technology.

The episode "Blink with Stephen Gaghan: Development Hell" delves into the fascinating yet ultimately unsuccessful journey of adapting Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink" into a Hollywood movie. Gladwell shares his initial excitement when acclaimed screenwriter and director Stephen Gaghan, fresh from his Oscar win for "Traffic" and the success of "Syriana," expressed interest in adapting a chapter from "Blink" about the ability to read emotions and detect lies. This sparked years of collaboration between Gladwell and Gaghan, leading to the creation of a script centered around a human lie detector entangled in corporate intrigue and familial drama. Despite the promising premise and the involvement of Leonardo DiCaprio, the project, titled "Blink," never materialized into a film. The narrative unfolds as Gladwell and Gaghan recall their exhilarating pitch meetings across Hollywood, fueled by the star power of DiCaprio and the innovative script that attracted significant interest from major studios. However, the project encountered unforeseen obstacles, including Gaghan's decision to rewrite the script to make the protagonist younger, which inadvertently shifted the envisioned casting from DiCaprio to Heath Ledger. The turning point in the story comes with the tragic death of Heath Ledger, who had become Gaghan's preferred choice for the lead role. Gaghan recounts the emotional impact of Ledger's death, revealing that their script and Gladwell's book were found near Ledger at the time of his passing. This deeply personal loss, combined with the complexities of Hollywood's development process, led to the project's indefinite shelining. Gladwell and Gaghan's recounting of their journey through Hollywood's "development hell" offers a poignant look at the challenges and heartbreaks of bringing creative visions to life in the film industry. Despite the setbacks, the episode concludes with a sense of hope and a call to revisit the "Blink" project, suggesting that the story they were so passionate about may still find its way to the screen.

In the upcoming mini-series titled "Welcome to Development Hell," Malcolm introduces listeners to a unique and often overlooked aspect of Hollywood: the realm where promising scripts and movie ideas go to die, known as development hell. Malcolm shares his personal journey into this world, recounting an adventure years ago when he and his friend Steve pitched a movie idea across Los Angeles. Despite initial excitement, offers, and the involvement of stars, their project ultimately went nowhere, providing Malcolm with his first lesson in Hollywood's harsh reality: most things never happen. The series aims to explore this phenomenon further by sharing stories from screenwriters and directors about their own projects that got lost in development hell. These tales reveal a side of Hollywood that is heartbreaking, yet also funny, weird, and fascinating. It offers a glimpse into a Hollywood that never materialized, drawing parallels to the drug industry where researchers spend their careers working on drugs that may never reach the market. This comparison underscores the emotional and intellectual investment in projects that, despite their potential, remain unseen. Listeners can expect a diverse range of stories, including a sci-fi story with a twist too complex for the movie business, a biopic about the world's most famous chimpanzee, and an utterly insane musical about Elvis as a cab driver. The series promises not only an exploration of lost cinematic dreams but also an abundance of name-dropping, celebrity gossip, and digressions that are sure to entertain. The emotional depth of these stories is so profound that it moved both Malcolm and his producer, Nina, to tears during an interview, suggesting that listeners might find themselves similarly affected. "Welcome to Development Hell" is set to offer an incredible story of ambition, creativity, and the often harsh realities of the film industry, starting February 29th with the first two episodes, followed by weekly releases.

The episode of Revisionist History was recorded live at the AC Hotel New York Times Square. Host Malcolm Gladwell sat down with famous interior designer Nate Berkus for a conversation about travel, design, and creativity. AC Hotels sponsored the event at their Times Square hotel location. Gladwell and Berkus discussed when they first got “the travel bug” in their youth. Both shared stories about formative travel experiences - Gladwell moving from England to Canada as a child and Berkus spending a semester abroad in Paris at age 17. They talked about the thrill of getting intentionally lost in a new city and soaking in the culture. The conversation moved to Berkus’ career and design philosophy. He explained how his mother, also an interior designer, influenced his love of sourcing vintage items and appreciating craft. Berkus approaches each design project by trying to deeply understand his clients and create a space they'll love living in. Though he has strong aesthetic opinions, he doesn't get enraged by bad design and taste - focusing instead on the intention behind spaces. Gladwell and Berkus also bonded over their shared frustration with the TV show Ozark. They joked the characters should just move away if they find the Ozarks so troublesome. The episode provided a glimpse into the passions of two creatives who find inspiration in travel, culture, and thoughtful design.

The podcast episode focuses on how the digital and IT revolution is transforming businesses across industries. The host Malcolm Gladwell has a conversation with Callie Field, President of T-Mobile Business Group, Heather Nelson, CIO of Boston Children's Hospital, and Al Letara, SVP of IT at Tractor Supply Company. They discuss how 5G connectivity and new technologies are enabling businesses to enhance customer and employee experiences. For example, Tractor Supply wants to put information at employees' and customers' fingertips to better serve farmers and rural communities. Boston Children's Hospital aims to increase patient access and self-service through wearables, home infusions, seamless EHR integrations, and 5G networks. The guests explain how IT teams are evolving from support roles to leadership roles that drive business strategy. IT leaders like Heather and Al now focus on culture, vision, and digital transformation. They have large teams working on complex systems that impact customer and patient care. As Heather notes, she competes for budget dollars against clinical departments even though foundational IT infrastructure is critical. A key theme is how technology can improve human connections and experiences. Whether on a farm, in a hospital, or visiting a retail store, the promise is that digital solutions will enable more personalized, proactive, and frictionless interactions. The guests are optimistic 5G in particular will unleash AI, ambient computing, automation, and analytics to revolutionize business.

The episode explores the story behind the creation of the popular board game The Farming Game. In the 1970s, George and Ann Rohrabacher were young idealists who moved to rural Washington state to try their hand at farming. After years of success, they fell on hard times when an agricultural crisis hit in the late 1970s. Facing insurmountable debt, George had an epiphany one night to create a board game that would simulate the difficulties of family farming. Ann was skeptical at first, but they developed the game together, incorporating all of their real-life experiences into the gameplay mechanics. The game allows players to feel the frustrations of fluctuating crop prices, operating expenses, and unlucky events that can plague farmers. As they worked furiously to manufacture the first 10,000 copies of the game before Christmas, word spread among rural communities. Miraculously, radio host Paul Harvey gave the game a glowing endorsement on his show, and orders started pouring in. The game became both a chronicle of struggling family farms across America as well as an educational tool to teach the economics of agriculture. For George and Ann's family, the income from the game allowed them to keep their own farm afloat during the crisis. More broadly, the game helped spread awareness of the issues facing rural America at a pivotal time when small farms were disappearing at an alarming rate. Though tragic in many ways, the story of the farming game is also one of creativity in crisis and perseverance against long odds. Almost by accident, George and Ann created an iconic board game that has spanned generations.

The podcast begins with host Malcolm Gladwell providing background on his lifelong interest in Formula One racing and his excitement to learn about the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. He heads to Las Vegas to speak with leaders from T-Mobile and the Las Vegas Grand Prix about how technology is transforming the fan experience in racing and other major sports. The group discusses how Formula One and fan experiences in general were fairly limited in the past, with remote viewing on TV being the norm. New mobile technology like 5G now allows for greater connectivity, more data sharing, and innovative fan engagement through augmented and virtual reality. T-Mobile has partnered with other sports like Major League Baseball, SailGP, and now Formula One to outfit venues, athletes, and fans with sensors and connectivity to transmit data and provide immersive experiences. In building the Las Vegas track and surrounding infrastructure, robust connectivity was paramount to link venues, enable navigation for attendees, and bring data insights to fans in real time through a custom app. The app offers views from driver helmet cameras, telemetry on car performance, and even integration with F1's existing streaming platform. The executives share examples of how real-time data and AI analytics are improving coaching and decision-making in sailing competitions. They envision even more potential in expanding this technology to sports like golf, running, and more. In the end, Gladwell gets to preview the racetrack through a virtual reality simulation created by T-Mobile. He notes how bringing fans closer through data and immersion represents a new era in sports entertainment. The partnerships between advanced networks like T-Mobile's 5G and major sports promise to transform fan engagement and revolutionize even local youth sports in the future.

The episode explores whether all pilots have the same "pilot voice" and what that stereotypical voice might represent. It traces the origin of the voice to Chuck Yeager, the famous test pilot who broke the sound barrier. But host Malcolm Gladwell argues that simply imitating Yeager's voice doesn't fully explain why pilots today sound so alike. The episode dives into research on linguistic convergence, which finds that people subconsciously adapt their speech patterns to fit into social groups. This effect seems amplified for pilots, who are operating under intense cognitive load and conveying high stakes reassurances to passengers solely through their voice. Gladwell speaks to pilots about the pressure to sound competent yet soothing, to flight psychologists about subconscious vocal accommodation, and to passengers about the authoritative voice they expect from pilots. He argues the iconic pilot voice is a way for pilots to signal they have aviation's mythical "right stuff" - the ability to stay calm and resolve problems under stress, as demonstrated in the famous "Miracle on the Hudson" incident. In the end, Gladwell concludes the pilot voice represents an ideal of human ingenuity, not any particular accent. It persists because flying requires pilots who can improvise solutions when technology fails, despite increasing automation. So while pilots today are more diverse, their voice still conveys timeless competency.

Dario Gill, IBM's Senior Vice President and Director of Research, discussed the rise of generative AI and its potential impact on business and society in a conversation with host Malcolm Gladwell. Gill explained that just over a decade ago, AI did not have a good reputation in the scientific community. However, advances in deep learning and computing over the past 10 years have led to major leaps forward. The recent explosion in generative AI marks an inflection point similar to the advent of the internet and web browsers in the 1990s. The technology is now good enough and easy enough to use that adoption is rapidly accelerating across many industries. When asked where we are in the evolution of AI, Gill responded that we are at a catalytic moment - the technology works well and is being democratized so that many more people can build and leverage AI systems. This will likely lead to surprises as creative people find new applications that even the original creators did not anticipate. The future directions will be largely unpredictable, just as the early internet's full potential was impossible to foresee. Gill and Gladwell also discussed AI's potential impact on income inequality and access to opportunity. Gill believes AI will be highly democratized in terms of usage, boosting productivity broadly. However, value creation will likely concentrate among those who can represent proprietary data well inside AI models. He advised institutions not to just be AI users, but AI value creators, in order to capture a sustainable competitive advantage. The conversation touched on many real-world examples, from AI's implications for the future of creative fields like screenwriting to transforming medical school curriculums. Gladwell emphasized that much of the coming revolution is non-technical - it will require rethinking human arrangements across institutions and societies. Gill agreed that technology progresses within the complex contexts of philosophy, politics and democracy. Overall, the discussion provided an insightful overview of where AI is headed and the vast challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

- Gladwell and Konnikova discuss listener feedback on Gladwell's recent "Guns in America" series. The feedback is polarized, with some praising Gladwell and others accusing him of being misled. This highlights how pre-existing opinions color how people interpret the same information. - A key episode focused on assault rifles. Gladwell argues that bans on assault rifles are ineffective because they only target cosmetic features, not core functionality. He also notes that handguns are more dangerous than assault rifles in mass shootings. - Gladwell argues trauma care improvements have lowered pressure to address gun violence, a "moral hazard" effect. But opioid deaths suggest society ignores violence affecting marginalized groups, undermining the moral hazard idea. - Innovations often widen inequality gaps rather than shrink them. Trauma centers improve care in wealthy areas but not others. The impact of future innovations like AI is uncertain. - The core issue is making people care about problems rather than the exact policy solution. Visibility drives action more than problem severity. Gladwell aims to make gun violence more visible through the series. - There are no single solutions. Many small changes are needed in policing, community investment, healthcare access, etc. Conventional government approaches have little impact on illegal gun violence. In summary, the series highlights the complexity of gun violence and the need to make it a more visible, cared-about problem rather than arguing over specific policies. A multifaceted response is required to create change.

Title: Oil and Blood - The Osage Murders In the early 1900s, oil was discovered beneath the land of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. This brought great wealth to the Osage people, who received quarterly checks from the profits. However, their newfound riches also brought greed and murder. Several Osage women married white men who conspired to kill them and inherit their lucrative "head rights" to the oil money. Sisters Anna, Minnie, and Rita all died under mysterious circumstances. Their surviving sister Molly grew suspicious, especially when her own husband Ernest was named as her guardian, giving him control over her money. Molly's husband Ernest was the nephew of a powerful local rancher named William Hale, known as the King of the Osage Hills. Hale presented himself as a protector of the Osage, but was secretly orchestrating a plot to acquire their head rights by murdering the heirs. The Bureau of Investigation, precursor to the FBI, sent agent Tom White to investigate the killings in 1925. After unraveling a complex web of deceit, he brought Hale and others to trial for murder. Though many perpetrators went to prison, the killings of Osage people continued even after Hale's ring was broken up. Decades later, writer David Grann investigated the murders further. He realized the full extent of the murders was still unknown, as many deaths had never been officially investigated. The resource curse meant oil brought trouble to the Osage Nation long after the initial crimes were solved.

Title: Unlocking Hidden Potential with Adam Grant - Adam Grant discusses his new book Hidden Potential and the science behind achieving greater things. - He talks about the flawed cultural veneration of innate talent over acquired skills and growth mindsets. Many major accomplishments come from developing skills over time, not raw talent. - Grant reflects on his own experiences with perfectionism as a diver in high school. He realized this held him back from learning and growing. - The rise in perfectionism is driven by increased parental expectations and criticism, not social media. This causes issues like loss of big picture focus, rumination, and risk aversion. - Affirmative action can open doors but also causes performance issues due to imposter syndrome and doubts. An alternative is evaluating individual obstacles faced. - Success should not be defined by goals achieved but by living one's values. Making career choices based on values avoids compromising principles. - The key is to rethink assumptions about potential. We often ask the wrong questions and start with the wrong premises about talent versus growth.

Title: Silicon Valley on the Couch - The podcast explores why Silicon Valley emerged as the center of the technology revolution, when other places like Boston or New Jersey seemed more likely candidates based on existing expertise and infrastructure. - It traces the origins back to physicist William Shockley, who invented the transistor at Bell Labs in New Jersey in 1947. Shockley later started his own semiconductor company, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, in Mountain View, California in 1956. - Shockley's decision to locate in Mountain View seems puzzling, as other locations offered more resources and talent. The podcast argues this was driven by Shockley's desire to be near his mother, who lived in nearby Palo Alto. - Shockley was a brilliant but troubled figure. His difficult personality led his key hires to leave and spawn many of the major tech companies that came to define Silicon Valley, like Intel. - The podcast makes the case that the personal relationship between Shockley and his mother was a key factor in Silicon Valley's emergence, rather than rational macro forces. It argues that the role of personal psychology is often overlooked in explaining major historical events.

The Dream is introducing a new season by previewing the first episode of a new podcast called The Dream. This podcast, from Puschkin Industries, takes a critical look at self-help experts and life coaches who claim to know the secrets to living your best life. The first episode focuses on Jesse Lee Ward, a top network marketer turned life coach. Ward rose to the top of an MLM company selling weight loss supplements. Now she claims she can teach people to earn six and seven figure salaries. Former colleague Erin Beas recounts a disturbing "retreat" Ward led in Colombia. She forced attendees on a dangerous 15-hour hike in extreme heat, ignoring health issues some faced. This was an attempt to "break people" so she could better manipulate them. Ward later tried to spin the event as intentional, saying it was just storytelling and marketing. But attendees corroborated Beas' account, criticizing Ward's dangerous leadership. The episode highlights the problem with self-help gurus who control followers for profit. It exemplifies trends covered in prior seasons - MLMs, wellness scams, and cults of personality. The show will explore why Americans are so drawn to these questionable experts who claim they alone can lead to success and happiness.

Episode Title: Guns Part 6 “Sin is the failure to bother to care” - Dr. Abdullah Pratt grew up in a dangerous Chicago neighborhood and lost 15 close friends and his brother to gun violence. He became an ER doctor and returned to serve the same community. - Pratt sees horrific gun injuries nightly, often having to tell families their loved one died. The violence is increasingly reckless, with no regard for collateral damage. - He trains local kids in first aid for gunshot wounds, as many have lost loved ones and want to help. A teen recently used her training to save a shooting victim. - Pratt teaches the youth they must solve these problems themselves, as politicians won't. He aims to empower them to take ownership of their community. - The episode argues indifference and changing the subject are the real "sin." Pratt shows what it means to bother to care by tirelessly serving his traumatized community. - Though stricter gun laws help, they won't fully address this complex violence. We must acknowledge this is our problem too and find ways, like Pratt, to "stem the tide." Inaction and indifference are the failure.

Malcolm Gladwell answers five burning travel questions: 1. Should you ever go to Las Vegas? No, the music is awful. 2. What was your greatest road trip? A trip in 1982 with his friend Terry to visit the houses of accused spy Alger Hiss. 3. Are there states a novice traveler should avoid? Yes, North Carolina because of confusing town names like Wake Forest. 4. How do you travel with a dog? Dogs can fly but it's traumatic. Driving cross-country allows you to visit dog parks and meet interesting people. But dogs can cause problems like getting sick. 5. What about treats? You need high-value treats to keep dogs engaged. Long lasting chews like collagen can keep dogs busy for hours. Overall, Gladwell advises against going to Vegas, covering hurricanes as a journalist, buying a Georgetown house with a sketchy history, traveling with pets, and listening to bad music. His travel advice boils down to avoiding complications and discomforts. The episode covers Gladwell's pet peeves and tricks he's learned over his well-traveled life.

Title: Guns Part 5 The Footnote - Malcolm Gladwell discusses his habit of reading footnotes in academic papers, which sometimes lead to unexpected discoveries. - He became interested in a footnote at the end of a 1995 paper in the Journal of Criminal Justice, "Damned Upon Arrival" by Penelope J. Hanke and James H. Gundlach. - The paper analyzed data on homicide offenders and found racial disparities in the medical care given to victims, suggesting worse care for black victims. - The footnote described the shooting death of a 17-year-old African American boy, Brandon Young, who was living with Gundlach in Alabama in 1994. - Gladwell interviews Gundlach about Brandon's life and the circumstances of his death, including the slow ambulance response which Gundlach attributes to racism. - The footnote suggests Brandon's death illustrates the pattern of racial disparities in victim medical care described in the main paper. - Gladwell explores how proximity to trauma centers affects gunshot survival rates and notes trauma centers tend to be farther from poor minority areas, exacerbating disparities. - The episode examines how differences in victim medical care may contribute to higher homicide rates for African Americans.

Paragraph 1: On June 5th, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy wins the California Democratic presidential primary, becoming the front runner for the nomination. That night, after giving a victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Kennedy is shot by Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy is rushed to the nearest hospital, but they do not have a neurosurgeon, so he has to be transported again to another hospital. He undergoes surgery to remove part of his skull, but the bullet caused fatal damage and he dies the next morning. Paragraph 2: If Kennedy were shot today, he would likely survive due to major advances in trauma care over the past 50 years. He would be immediately transported to a level one trauma center with specialists ready to operate. A CT scan would show the precise location of the bullet. Vascular neurosurgeons could repair blood vessels while other surgeons operated on his brain. Techniques like using a microscope and minimizing debris removal would improve outcomes. Medications and procedures to reduce brain swelling have also advanced considerably. Paragraph 3: Kennedy's case illustrates how far trauma care has progressed. Top surgeons estimate that homicide rates in the U.S. would be 3-4 times higher without improvements in medical technology over the past decades. However, because doctors have become so skilled at treating gunshot wounds, the rest of society feels less urgency to address the root causes of violence. This "moral hazard" allows the public to ignore the worsening epidemic of shootings, since declining homicide rates mask the true scale of the problem. Paragraph 4: Better data collection is needed to understand gun violence. Since non-fatal shootings are lumped into a general "aggravated assault" category, the federal government cannot track total bullet-to-skin contact. If Kennedy were shot today, he would likely owe his survival to the tremendous work of trauma surgeons. However, their efforts alone cannot solve the complex issue of violence. As Kennedy himself said following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, what America needs is "not division, not hatred, not violence," but "love, wisdom and compassion."

Title: Guns Part 3 A Shooting Lesson - Malcolm Gladwell interviews gun enthusiast Greg Wallace to learn about assault rifles and why they are a focus of gun control efforts. - They discuss the differences between military and civilian versions of assault rifles. Military rifles can shoot automatically, while civilian versions are semi-automatic. - At a shooting range, Gladwell tries firing an AR-15 rifle. He finds it loud and jarring, but Wallace says it has less recoil than other guns. - They discuss proposed bans on assault rifle features like pistol grips and large magazines. Wallace argues these have little impact on lethality. - Gladwell examines gun control arguments about "spray firing." He finds inconsistencies in claims that civilian assault rifles enable spray firing. - A trauma surgeon explains his research showing handguns are more lethal than rifles in mass shootings. Victims are more likely to be shot multiple times at close range with handguns. - Gladwell concludes the focus on banning assault rifles is misguided. The conversation about guns should be more honest, without exaggerated claims on either side.

The episode discusses the history and impact of Western TV shows, particularly Gunsmoke, in shaping American attitudes around guns and gun violence. It focuses on an episode of Gunsmoke titled "Kite's Reward", in which the hero Matt Dillon takes a young man's gun away to stop him from getting into more gunfights. However, this leads to the young man's death, reinforcing the idea that gun control is dangerous. The host argues that shows like Gunsmoke promoted a fantasy version of the Wild West, where violence was constant and heroes like Matt Dillon were helpless to stop it. In reality, places like Dodge City successfully reduced violence through gun control laws. The episode suggests this fantasy version of Dodge City influenced modern Supreme Court justices like Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh, making them believe that cities today are lawless places where citizens need guns for self-defense. In the end, the host concludes that shows like Gunsmoke instilled a powerful yet false narrative that "gun control kills" by disarming citizens in a perpetually violent world. This worldview still shapes arguments around the Second Amendment today.

The Sudden Celebrity of Sir John Knight - In the late 17th century, Sir John Knight was a merchant in Bristol, England who hated Catholics. - One day, Knight burst into a local Protestant church waving guns and gave an impassioned speech about the threat posed by Irish Catholics. - He was arrested under the Statute of Northampton, which prohibited carrying arms in public places. But a jury acquitted Knight. - In the 21st century, Knight's case has been seized upon by American gun rights advocates as proof of an individual right to bear arms. - However, new research shows Knight actually checked his weapons at the entrance to the church, complying with Bristol's strict gun laws. - The case against Knight was weak, as there were barely any Catholics in Bristol for him to be conspiring against. The government just wanted him to apologize. - Knight was not a likable character - he was a bigot involved in the slave trade. But gun advocates have latched onto his case nonetheless. - The Supreme Court has leaned on the Knight case in landmark recent rulings expanding gun rights, while ignoring inconvenient facts about the actual history.

The podcast discusses trauma surgery and how proximity to trauma centers impacts gunshot survival rates. It features an interview with Dr. Babak Sarani, a trauma surgeon in Washington D.C. Dr. Sarani explains that the time it takes for a gunshot victim to receive treatment is critical. For injuries that cause bleeding, such as in the liver or lungs, every minute counts. Without quick intervention from paramedics and transport to a level one trauma center, victims with these wounds may only survive half an hour. The discussion centers on Chicago as a case study. Research shows that living more than 5 miles from a trauma center in Chicago increases your risk of dying from gunshot wounds by 35%. But there is a disparity in access. An analysis found that majority Black neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side were 7 times more likely than majority white areas to be located in "trauma deserts" far from trauma centers. For 30 years, Chicago's violence-prone South Side had no level one trauma centers. Centers were intentionally located away from high-risk areas because treating uninsured gunshot victims threatens a hospital's financial viability. This exemplifies the paradox that trauma centers are needed most where establishing them makes the least business sense. In summary, the podcast examines how proximity to trauma care impacts survival of gun violence, and reveals racial and economic disparities in access to lifesaving treatment in Chicago.

The episode discusses the taxonomy or categorization of modern mystery stories into four types - Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern. The Eastern represents stories about highly competent police officers, like the TV show Dragnet which depicted the LAPD as extremely professional and effective at solving crimes. The Western depicts stories where police are absent, like in old Western films, and citizens have to take justice into their own hands. The Northern represents stories where the police are present but incompetent, like the bumbling Nazis in Hogan's Heroes. The Southern represents stories where police are corrupt or malicious, like in John Grisham novels. The speaker argues these four categories are problematic as they provide an oversimplified and stereotypical view of police. He notes how movies once stereotyped African Americans into only a few roles like mammy or sambo. In the same way, police narratives reduce officers into just four types. This can distort public perceptions, like how whites in the 1930s saw blacks as lazy based on movies. The speaker argues we need more nuanced police narratives. The categories make discussions too simplistic, with people calling to defund all police based on cases of corruption, or others insisting all police deserve support. He notes how we don't stereotype all teachers based on a few bad ones. The speaker concludes these formulaic narratives have exhausted their usefulness and need reinvention with more thoughtful depictions of policing.

- The episode tells the story of social scientist J.L. Moreno, who in the 1930s conducted pioneering social network research at a girls' reform school in Hudson, NY. - Moreno teamed up with researcher Helen Hall Jennings to map the social dynamics at the school, using questionnaires and observation to understand relationships between the girls. They created intricate maps showing connections and feelings between different girls and cottages. - Their goal was to develop a new scientific method for studying social groups and interpersonal connections, which Moreno called "sociometry." The research was groundbreaking in analyzing how ideas and behaviors spread through social networks. - One famous former inmate of the school was singer Ella Fitzgerald, who was there in 1933 just after Moreno started his research. Her time at the reform school was not publicly known until after her death. - The episode explores how Fitzgerald's experience shows the limits of Moreno's research. His maps could not capture the full realities of life at the segregated school, including mistreatment of black girls like Fitzgerald. - Moreno did not seem to leverage his network research to expose or change the segregation at the school, a missed opportunity compared to how social science later fueled civil rights efforts. - The story illustrates Moreno's flaws as well as his innovations. He pioneered social network analysis but seemed more interested in fame and directing psychodrama than using his research for social justice.

- Matt Scogin was a successful Wall Street banker who went through an existential crisis after his parents died and decided to apply to become president of Hope College, a small Christian liberal arts school. - As an outsider to higher education, Scogin was struck by the strange financial model of colleges that treat students as customers, debtors, and future donors all at once. - Scogin felt that the focus on tuition and debt distracted students from pursuing their true callings and purpose. - He instituted a radical "Hope Forward" program where students pay nothing upfront for tuition and instead commit to give back to the college after graduation in whatever amount they can. - The program is based on a "pay it forward" model of generosity and gratitude rather than transactional relationships. - Author Mitch Albom is a big supporter, relating how his own life was changed when he learned "giving makes you feel like living." - Scogin believes if Hope can make education valuable enough, graduates will be inspired to give back generously in a sustainable funding model based on faith and community.

Episode Title: Feeling A Bit Attacked with Maria Konnikova - Maria Konnikova, who used to be a competitive debater in high school, critiques Malcolm's poor performance in a recent debate about mainstream media. She explains how getting emotional and not carefully listening to the opposing arguments caused him to lose. - They discuss the benefits of debate, like developing critical thinking skills, but also the downsides, like just learning debate techniques instead of deeply engaging with ideas. - In response to a listener complaining about profanity, Maria and Malcolm discuss how cursing is an important part of expression. Malcolm reads some explicit Pushkin poems to prove Russian writers have long used profanity. - Malcolm recounts meeting a lawyer who implies other schools may be cheating on rankings now that Columbia was caught manipulating its data. This leads to a discussion of how cheating often starts small and escalates over time. - Malcolm confesses to wearing prohibited "super shoes" in a local 5-mile race, rationalizing it since the race was informal. Maria calls him out for excusing his own cheating. - Yale wins Malcolm's prize for the highest administrator to student ratio, beating all other Ivies. Maria argues administrators provide needed student services, but Malcolm insists the ratio is excessive.

- Malcolm Gladwell introduces the Pushkin Prizes, named after the podcast's namesake Alexander Pushkin. The prizes honor egregiously deceptive self-promotion in higher education administration. - The first Pushkin Prize goes to Columbia University for exaggerating and misreporting data to U.S. News to climb in the rankings. Math professor Michael Thaddeus noticed anomalies in the data and investigated. - Columbia claimed small class sizes when many classes are large. They underreported part-time faculty numbers. The claimed instructional spending included unrelated medical center costs. - Data scientist Lauren Lavelle analyzed the impact of Columbia's false reporting using a model. The misreported faculty data gave Columbia an undeserved 8 point rankings boost. - Columbia's misreporting meets the Santos standard of being gratuitous, showing no remorse, and reckless. The school has avoided addressing the issues despite internal and external criticism. - In contrast, Temple University showed remorse and corrected misreported data. Columbia continues to stand by its statements and has not addressed the intent behind the misreporting. - Gladwell argues Columbia's actions break the ethical standards it sets for students about falsifying information for unfair advantage. The deception undermines Columbia's integrity.

- Girls' sports are facing a crisis, with issues like abusive coaches, over-involved parents, distorted body image, and eating disorders. The problems seem more acute for girls than boys. - Many coaches are men who may not fully understand the different physiological trajectories of young women's bodies and athletic development compared to young men. More female coaches are needed as role models and mentors. - The pressure on young female athletes is intense, fueled by things like athletic scholarships and parents who over-identify with their children's success. Banning athletic scholarships could help relieve some of the pressure. - Parents are a major source of problems in youth sports. Their anxiety and live-vicariously-through-their-kids mentality leads to issues. Limiting parental involvement could help create a healthier environment. - Uniforms that sexualize young women's bodies add to distorted body image problems. Loose fitting t-shirts and shorts could help alleviate this. - Delaying intense competition until mid-to-late teens could allow young athletes' bodies and minds develop in a healthier way without the pressure of championships. - Change needs to happen both from the top-down (e.g. banning scholarships) and bottom-up (coaches and parents becoming more educated). But the love of sports and camaraderie they can provide are worth fighting for.

The episode is a conversation between Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Gopnik about Gopnik's new book "The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery." Gopnik discusses his journey in learning various skills and activities for the book, including baking with his mother, boxing, magic, and driving. He wanted to understand the process of mastery by immersing himself in these pursuits. Gopnik reflects on how his approach differs from George Plimpton's participatory journalism. While Plimpton portrayed himself as an incompetent amateur, Gopnik aimed to seriously engage with each activity and understand the philosophy behind it. Gopnik elaborates on his relationships with some of the book's characters, like his mother, magician Jamie Swiss, and illusionist David Blaine. He shares amusing anecdotes about their idiosyncrasies and what drew him to them. An overarching theme is the joy and meaning that can be found in amateurism and mediocrity. Gopnik argues that you don't need to be an expert to experience the pleasures and sense of interiority that come with wholeheartedly pursuing an activity. Overall, the conversation provides an insightful look into Gopnik's mindset in approaching the book and the larger lessons he gleaned about the universal drive for mastery.

Steve Martin began his career performing absurdist comedy in small clubs, where he could connect directly with audiences. His standup persona was based in the philosophies of Wittgenstein and Lewis Carroll, focused on wordplay and twisting logic in unexpected ways. As he became more famous, his comedy shows turned into rock concerts, with thousands of cheering fans. This environment stifled creativity for Martin, as he could no longer try out new material or change direction mid-show. Martin's movie career took a similar path. His first films like The Jerk brought his absurdist standup character to the big screen. He learned that acting for film was more complex than performing live, but he enjoyed the mechanics of moviemaking. In the late 1980s, he collaborated with director John Hughes on crowd-pleasing comedies like Planes, Trains & Automobiles. However, Martin considers his most creative films to be Roxanne and L.A. Story, which he wrote himself and aimed for a more personal, poetic style. In later years, he starred in successful mainstream comedies like Father of the Bride, but these did not fulfill his artistic ambitions in the same way. Martin has theorized that to make five great films, you have to make forty, because the process is so unpredictable. He values "refrigerator laughs" - jokes that viewers remember long after leaving the theater. He also believes in taking risks and including moments that push boundaries, even if they may not work, because those tend to be the most memorable scenes. Though Martin is proud of his film career, he feels his most creative years were those early days in clubs, before the pressures of fame closed off his absurdist experimentations and interactive spirit.

- Malcolm Gladwell participated in a debate about trusting the mainstream media, arguing in favor of trusting it. However, he was soundly defeated by his opponents, journalists Matt Taibbi and Douglas Murray. - After this humiliating loss, Gladwell sought advice from his mother, who told him the Jamaican saying "tek spoil mek fashion" - take what is spoiled and make something good from it. This inspired Gladwell to learn how to become a better debater. - He visited the Brooklyn Debate League and worked with their coaches to analyze what went wrong in his debate. They pointed out his failures to truly listen to and understand his opponents' arguments, as well as getting distracted by emotional tangents. - The coaches emphasized that good debating requires empathy, putting oneself in the mindset of opponents and judges rather than relying on one's own feelings. It also requires excellent listening skills in order to fully comprehend arguments. - Gladwell practiced debate skills like "flowing" - carefully tracking everything said in a debate. He came to understand that listening and debate are skills requiring much practice, not innate character traits. - In the end, Gladwell gained self-awareness about why he lost the debate and tools to improve as a debater through greater empathy and listening. He embraced the lesson to take what went poorly and make it into an opportunity for growth.

Title: Higher Animals with Michael Specter - The mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 represent a revolution in biology and medicine. Synthetic biology allows us to program DNA like computer code and rapidly design new vaccines and therapies. - This is a pivotal moment akin to the invention of electricity or the computer. Biology is becoming an information science. - Applications range from new medicines to sustainable manufacturing to editing DNA to eliminate diseases. Huge potential, but also risks like biohacking. - Specter discusses the story of the 1947 smallpox outbreak in NYC and how they vaccinated 6 million people in 2 weeks, preventing disaster. - Contrasts the trust in science and willingness to get vaccinated back then versus the resistance we see today with COVID-19. - The book explores the history of vaccines and key innovations that made the mRNA vaccine possible. Also grapples with ethical issues raised by synthetic biology and gene editing. - Overall the book conveys the incredible potential of this technology revolution while arguing we need to rebuild trust in science and address risks responsibly.

- Justin Richmond grew up in a biracial family with a black father and white mother. He struggled with his racial identity and confidence growing up attending mostly white schools where he experienced racism. - He dropped out of high school at 14 due to losing confidence, but later rediscovered his ambition after reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He eventually earned his college degree by starting at community college. - In college at UC Berkeley, he regained confidence being around other black students and professors who could relate to his experience. This led him to a career in journalism. - However, he continued to struggle financially and question his career path until connecting with mentors like Quincy Jones who helped inspire his podcast Started from the Bottom, focused on origin stories of people of color. - Throughout his life, he's battled with not having strong mentors and examples of successful black men to look to. He's had to figure things out through trial and error instead of getting multiple chances like privileged white people often do. - The episode explores themes of biracial identity, overcoming adversity, the importance of mentorship, and systemic racism's impact on opportunities for black Americans. It provides an insightful look into Richmond's personal struggles and triumphs.

Episode Title: Rodents and Red Wine with Maria Konnikova - Malcolm Gladwell brought on writer Maria Konnikova as the show's first "ombudsman" to discuss and debate issues from past episodes. - They discussed the benefits and ethics of the World War 2 era Minnesota Starvation Experiment, where conscientious objectors volunteered to be starved for science. Maria raised concerns about whether true informed consent was possible given the limited knowledge at the time about the potential long-term impacts of starvation. - This led to a broader debate about the tradeoffs between restricting research to protect participants versus allowing risky studies for the greater good. Malcolm argued researchers should have more freedom, while Maria emphasized the need for safeguards against unethical experiments. - They also discussed studies on nutrition and health, including the challenges of designing rigorous experiments to answer questions like whether moderate alcohol consumption is healthy. Maria highlighted how findings often differ between populations, making generalizability difficult. - Malcolm proposed a hypothetical "engineered natural experiment" where millions of people could be monitored physiologically to gain health insights. Maria raised privacy concerns. - They closed by agreeing to make Maria a regular guest to challenge Malcolm's perspectives.

Paragraph 1: The podcast host Malcolm Gladwell introduces a live show that Revisionist History did in New York and Philadelphia as a treat for diehard fans. He shares excerpts from those shows where he discusses with the audience and comedian Mike Birbiglia what makes an ending of a story work. Gladwell explains that most endings don't work because authors don't put enough thought into wrapping things up. Paragraph 2: Gladwell argues that endings carry a disproportionate weight in our evaluation of stories. He notes that while we judge people based on first impressions, our assessment of stories is entirely dependent on the ending. Gladwell brings Birbiglia on stage, who talks about deliberating between two different endings for his show. Birbiglia then shows a clip from the ending he went with for his show The New One, which shows him laughing with his wife and daughter, representing his emotional change. Paragraph 3: After the clip, Gladwell and Birbiglia discuss how the ending Birbiglia chose aimed to convey only a small change in his character after mocking parental cliches. Gladwell argues a great ending involves a hint of transformation without drastic change. He uses the movie Big as an example of a superb ending showing subtle change. Gladwell then asks Birbiglia if he had the ending in mind when writing his show, to which Birbiglia says yes. Paragraph 4: A week later in Philadelphia, Gladwell reflects on Revisionist History endings that did and didn't work. He plays the ending of an episode defending Brian Williams, which unexpectedly criticizes Williams for apologizing. Gladwell also shares the ending of an episode on self-driving cars, which failed to get the message across that the cars enable bad behavior. He reads critical emails from listeners showing the ending didn't betray expectations. Paragraph 5: Gladwell argues the Waymo episode failed because he couldn't convince listeners to make the turn in perspective he wanted. He says the perfect ending involves knowing the turn you want to make from the start. He shares the ending of an episode on the saddest song, which plays the song at George Jones' funeral to capture the intended emotion. Gladwell says the best stories start with the ending and work backwards.

- The episode is a conversation between Malcolm Gladwell and music producer Rick Rubin, who recently wrote a book called The Creative Act: A Way of Being. - Rubin discusses his philosophies on creativity, drawing examples from his decades of experience working with high-profile musicians. - He emphasizes the importance of having a "beginner's mind" and not being constrained by preconceived notions of what is possible. Creativity often comes from breaking free of established cultural norms and dogma. - Rubin talks about the value of "productive distraction" - engaging in activities like going for a walk to get your conscious mind off a problem so your subconscious can find creative solutions. - He argues competition should not drive the creative process. Instead, artists should focus on creating the best expression of themselves, not trying to beat others. Creativity is often sparked by love and inspiration rather than rivalry. - Rubin stresses the importance of patience and open-mindedness in appreciating unfamiliar creative work, using examples from his own experience learning to enjoy music styles he initially disliked. - He advocates using "I think" and "right now" when making creative judgments, to acknowledge subjectivity and leave room for changing perspectives over time. - The book emphasizes cooperation over dissent in collaborative creative work, with the goal of getting all contributors to a unanimous happy point instead of some liking the final product and others not.

Malcolm Gladwell tests out the new 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ electric SUV. He first loads the vehicle up with kids' car seats, strollers, luggage, and other items to see how much it can hold - the LYRIQ passes the "helicopter parent test." Next, Gladwell tries to get his daughter to take a nap in the quiet cabin of the LYRIQ. Though she cries at first, the smooth, silent electric drive soon lulls her to sleep. Gladwell then takes the LYRIQ to meet his friend Dan, who owns a vintage 1963 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. They drive Dan's old Cadillac, admiring its smooth ride and vintage style. Then they take the same drive in the LYRIQ. Despite initial skepticism, Dan is impressed with the LYRIQ's quiet yet powerful electric drive, luxurious interior, and nods to classic Cadillac style. The LYRIQ passes the "heritage test." In the end, Gladwell is excited by the LYRIQ as the start of Cadillac's pivot to an all-electric lineup. The SUV provides a luxurious, quiet ride while retaining Cadillac's heritage. Pre-orders are full for the 2023 LYRIQ, but Cadillac hints that more exciting EVs are coming soon.

Malcolm Gladwell test drives the new all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ SUV. He describes picking up the vehicle from Cadillac and taking it for a spin around his neighborhood. A young boy is impressed when Gladwell shows him the LYRIQ. Other people on the street also admire the elegant, futuristic design of the SUV. Gladwell and his team pile into the LYRIQ to assess its performance. They are amazed by the instant, smooth acceleration enabled by the electric drivetrain. The large, 33-inch dashboard screen provides a stunning display. The LYRIQ is put through its toughest test when Gladwell's friend Michael, a devoted owner of another luxury electric vehicle, is brought in to evaluate it. Michael is blown away by the luxurious interior and styling of the Cadillac after experiencing it with no preconceptions. Overall, the LYRIQ passes Gladwell's tests, impressing a young child, the general public, and even a seasoned electric vehicle owner. Gladwell is thrilled by the performance and luxury of Cadillac's new all-electric SUV.

Malcolm Gladwell introduces a sample chapter from Lake Bell's audiobook "Inside Voice" in which she explores the phenomenon of the "sexy baby voice." Bell struggles with her feelings about the sexy baby voice - she enjoys pop culture figures like Paris Hilton and the Kardashians who use it, but doesn't want her own daughter using it. Bell calls Gladwell, known for unpacking controversial ideas, to help her understand her conflicted feelings. Gladwell and Bell have a lengthy discussion breaking down the elements of the sexy baby voice - high pitch, vocal fry, breathiness, slurring words together. Bell notes the voice denotes submission and lack of agency. Though some women naturally have high voices, Bell argues the sexy baby voice is often an affected choice. As a feminist, Bell is troubled by grown women using little girl voices, though she feels bad judging other women's voices. Gladwell pushes Bell to feel comfortable with her discomfort. He notes voice is a choice and Bell can judge the problematic implications of women choosing to use the sexy baby voice. Bell remains conflicted, not wanting to judge women who naturally have high voices. But she argues women should feel free to own their natural voices at any age. The excerpt ends with Bell feeling she gained insight from Gladwell's probing questions.

Paragraph 1: The episode explores how misfits and outsiders can shake things up and drive innovation in successful organizations. It looks at how Pixar hired director Brad Bird to make The Incredibles after he had a box office flop. Bird deliberately recruited frustrated and overlooked "black sheep" at Pixar to work on the ambitious animated film. Paragraph 2: The Incredibles required new technology to animate humans with long hair and superpowers. The black sheep team was motivated by being framed as underdogs who were doubted by others at Pixar. Bird told them that people thought the film's animation goals were impossible. This positioned the team to prove the naysayers wrong. Paragraph 3: The episode discusses research showing that frustration can fuel creativity when people feel committed to an organization. Dissatisfaction motivates them to develop fresh solutions. Positioning people as underdogs against the odds also boosts motivation and performance. Paragraph 4: The episode explores how this approach was also used successfully in the rigid bureaucracy of the U.S. Navy. Junior officer Ben Coleman challenged the status quo in an essay, then was asked to lead innovation. He recruited frustrated "black sheep" and empowered them to rapidly test new technologies. Paragraph 5: The episode emphasizes that to shake things up, leaders can listen to frustrated insiders, motivate them as underdogs against a difficult goal, and calibrate the difficulty so it's not impossible but still a stretch. This fuels fresh thinking even in rigid environments.

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment was conducted during World War II to study the physiological and psychological effects of prolonged starvation on conscientious objectors. Lester Glick was one of the participants. His diary entries document his physical deterioration and isolation as the months of starvation took their toll. After developing tuberculosis as a result of the experiment, Glick's plans to attend medical school were derailed. Instead, he pursued a career in social work, driven by his experiences with hunger and deprivation. He went on to establish social work schools across the country, dedicating his life to helping the poor and hungry. The experiment left a lasting impact on Glick. He became obsessed with food, always carrying snacks and pictures of cinnamon rolls. His children recall his efforts to make them understand hunger through rice-only days. In his final years, Glick continued to provide for others, planting gardens to feed his retirement community. The starvation study shaped the remainder of his life as he sought to feed both the bodies and spirits of those in need.

The episode examines the controversial Minnesota Starvation Experiment conducted by Ancel Keys in 1944 on 36 conscientious objectors. The men volunteered to be starved for 6 months to study the effects of starvation. Keys took healthy young men and made them sick by severely restricting their calorie intake. This raises ethical concerns as the men experienced severe physical and psychological effects including depression, irritability, and self-mutilation. However, the men volunteered as conscientious objectors to contribute to science and help relieve suffering after the war. They approached Keys with the experiment idea and grant funding. The volunteers published their findings immediately after the study in a book called Men and Hunger. They wanted the results disseminated quickly to aid relief efforts. So while the study was problematic ethically, the men participated to further humanitarian aims. Their motivations complicate judgments of the experiment's morality. The episode explores the tension between self-sacrifice for others and concerns over human experimentation.

The episode is about an experiment conducted in 1944-1945 by scientist Ansel Keys called the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Keys recruited 36 healthy young men to participate in a study on the effects of prolonged starvation. For the first three months, the men were fed a regular diet to stabilize their weight. Then for six months, the men were severely calorie restricted, with a goal of losing 25% of their body weight. The men became obsessed with food, constantly thinking and dreaming about it. They started exhibiting strange behaviors like licking their plates clean and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. The starvation took a psychological toll, with some men becoming irritable and moody. One man named Sam Legg became mentally unstable, oscillating between manic and depressed moods. After the six month starvation period, the men were allowed to recover and were rehabilitated with different diets. At first they gorged themselves, going to multiple restaurants and overeating. Even though the men suffered during the experiment, they felt their participation was honorable and helped the war effort. The study resulted in Keys publishing a two volume book on starvation that became a landmark work in the field. It helped doctors understand issues like eating disorders and refeeding syndrome. However, due to modern ethical standards, an experiment like this could never be conducted today. The men were treated like subjects, not patients, and their health was secondary to the science.

Episode Title: Outliers, Revisited - The episode revisits the "relative age effect" that Malcolm Gladwell discussed in his book Outliers. This refers to the advantage given to older kids in youth sports and academics simply because of their relative age. - In the 1980s, psychologist Roger Barnsley discovered that a disproportionate number of elite youth hockey players in Canada were born early in the year. This is because the age cutoff is January 1, so the older kids within each age group have a physical advantage that makes them more likely to be selected for elite teams and training. - Gladwell argues this arbitrary age advantage becomes entrenched over time. The same patterns show up across various sports and in academic tracking. Older kids are more likely to be labeled "gifted" and younger kids more likely to be seen as struggling. - To illustrate this, Gladwell did an experiment at the University of Pennsylvania. He had a group of seniors answer questions about their birthdays and upbringing, then assigned them "privilege scores" based solely on their birth month. The scores showed a clear pattern - the highest scores went to the oldest students in the group. - When told about the scores, the students resisted the idea of adjusting for age in academics. They argued it would undermine the validity of scores and could be gamed by parents. Gladwell argues their cynicism shows how resigned we've become to unfairness in the system. - The episode concludes by discussing potential solutions like "maturity adjusted scores" that are starting to be used in youth sports. Gladwell argues we should implement similar approaches in education.

The podcast episode "We're Back...With More Experiments!" features host Malcolm Gladwell discussing new topics that will be covered in the upcoming season of his podcast Revisionist History. In the episode, Gladwell gives a preview of some of the new episodes, including one about sacrifice and suffering that will tell the story of someone missing fingers on their left hand. He says this story will explore how suffering can drive people to try to alleviate the suffering of others. Another episode Gladwell previews will examine legacy admissions at Ivy League universities. He says this episode came out of an experience he had in an Ivy League classroom where he faced consequences for writing a book he thought would help people. The episode will look at the privilege associated with legacy admissions. Finally, Gladwell says the new season of Revisionist History will also feature an episode re-examining employee benefits. He jokes about partnering with the Hartford Insurance Group to rethink benefits. The episode provides an enticing preview of the wide range of topics that will be covered in the upcoming season of Revisionist History. From sacrifice and suffering to privilege and legacy admissions to rethinking workplace benefits, Gladwell hints at how he will take a revisionist look at many relevant issues in society today.

The podcast episode features host Jacob Goldstein interviewing Tim Harford about his Cautionary Tales podcast series on the race to the South Pole between British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. In 1910, both Scott and Amundsen set sail for Antarctica with the goal of being the first explorers to reach the South Pole. Scott led a large, well-funded British expedition supported by the British Navy and public donations. His ship was overloaded and nearly sank on the journey. In contrast, Amundsen had a much smaller Norwegian crew and ship. He told everyone he was going to the North Pole rather than revealing his true intentions. Once in Antarctica, Scott's expedition suffered many setbacks - losing supplies and modes of transportation intended to aid their journey, like motorized sleds and ponies. With all these losses, Scott resorted to the traditional British method of man-hauling sleds, with the men pulling them across the ice. This proved to be an extremely slow method. Meanwhile, Amundsen relied primarily on sled dogs for transportation and travel, learning from techniques used by indigenous Arctic people. He also designed innovations like sleds and containers that were sturdier for the environment. With his streamlined approach focused solely on reaching the pole, Amundsen ultimately succeeded in beating Scott's expedition. Scott's defeat was seemingly inevitable given the bloated size of his expedition, his deference to British authorities directing it from afar, and his multitude of failed innovations. In contrast, Amundsen was willing to deceive authorities and use tried-and-true methods to accomplish his singular goal of reaching the pole first.

Malcolm Gladwell's parents and their friends in a small Canadian town sponsored three Vietnamese refugees in 1979 - two brothers named Kang and Van, and a young woman named Lillian. This was part of a Canadian government program allowing private citizens to bring in additional refugees beyond the government's quota. The refugees arrived after escaping Vietnam and spending months in a crowded refugee camp. The community welcomed them - helping them find housing and jobs, inviting them for dinners, and supporting their education. Kang and Van ended up graduating from top Canadian universities. Lillian married another Vietnamese refugee she met through the sponsoring church. Decades later, their children still remember the kindness shown by the community. Malcolm's brother, a school principal, also welcomed Syrian refugees as students with empathy and trauma-informed care. The story illustrates how small acts of kindness can add up to change lives. Malcolm argues this more informal, community-based approach is often more effective than bureaucratic systems for aiding refugees. He sees it following the biblical injunction to "welcome the stranger," meeting basic needs with generosity versus heroic sacrifice. When people are shown kindness, they often pay it forward.

Title: When Will Met Grace - The sitcom Will & Grace premiered on NBC in 1998 and ran for 11 seasons. It starred Eric McCormack as Will, a gay lawyer, and Debra Messing as Grace, his straight female best friend and roommate. - The show was groundbreaking for having a gay man as a lead character on a primetime network TV show. This was controversial at the time. - The creators, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, based the Will and Grace characters loosely on their own lives and friendships. - Getting the show on the air required overcoming obstacles like reticence from NBC executives about featuring a gay lead character. The creators made compromises to make the show more "mainstream." - However, Will & Grace broke taboos by showing gay characters as central to the narrative, not solving a "problem," having gay friends, and acknowledging gay relationships/desire. - The show is credited with helping change public opinion to become more accepting of gay people and gay marriage in the late 90s/early 2000s. - Unlike today's streaming shows, Will & Grace reached a huge audience on network TV that allowed it to have an outsized cultural impact.

- In 1949, Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, was hit by a car while crossing a street in Atlanta and later died from her injuries. The driver, Hugh Gravatt, had been drinking before the accident. - At the time, drunk driving was not taken very seriously. Judges rarely punished drunk drivers harshly. The public saw drunk driving accidents as bad luck rather than criminality. - In 1937, the film A Star is Born featured a drunk driving accident caused by the character Norman Maine. But the original morally impactful scene was cut from the final film. - If A Star is Born had kept the original drunk driving scene, it could have shifted public attitudes and made Margaret Mitchell's death more of a catalyst for change around drunk driving. - The episode explores a "what if" thought experiment - what if popular culture like film had challenged prevailing attitudes about drunk driving earlier? Could it have prevented needless deaths in the future? - The episode examines how movies both reflect and shape society's views. A Star is Born originally tried to confront drunk driving before backing down. Margaret Mitchell's death was treated as an "accident" rather than a crime.

In Triplicate This episode of Revisionist History discusses the overlooked value of triplicate prescription programs for controlling opioid abuse. These programs, pioneered in California in the 1930s, required doctors to use special prescription pads with carbon copies for certain addictive medications. The copies created a paper trail of every narcotic prescription, acting as a deterrent for over-prescribing. In the 1990s, Purdue Pharma conducted focus groups with doctors before launching OxyContin. They found the triplicate requirements in states like New York and Texas caused anxiety among doctors about being monitored. As a result, Purdue avoided marketing OxyContin heavily in those states. Decades later, economists compared overdose rates between triplicate and non-triplicate states. The death toll from opioids was much higher in states without triplicate programs. This demonstrates the effectiveness of triplicates as a safeguard. Consumer advocate Dr. Sidney Wolfe had advocated for national triplicate requirements in the early 1990s, but was ignored. Host Malcolm Gladwell admits fault for dismissing Dr. Wolfe's warnings as a young reporter. The episode argues triplicates could have prevented many deaths had experts like Dr. Wolfe been heeded.

Episode Title: Way to Go, Ohio - In the early 1900s, many people in inland regions like the Swiss Alps and parts of the U.S. Midwest suffered from goiters (swollen necks) due to iodine deficiency. This was caused by glaciers stripping away iodine from the soil. - In 1917, Dr. David Marine wanted to add iodine to salt and feed it to schoolgirls to cure goiters. Cleveland turned him down but Akron agreed, leading to a landmark experiment proving iodine deficiency caused goiters. - Today, iodized salt has virtually eliminated goiters. The experiment changed public health history. - The podcast host wonders if the form a vaccine takes affects hesitancy. Would putting a COVID vaccine in salt instead of injecting it increase acceptance? - He proposes an experiment giving three cities different vaccine forms: Cleveland injections, Akron vaccine salt, Toledo choice of salt. This tests if vaccine salt reduces hesitancy. - The results could show if avoiding needles and framing it as a supplement, not a vaccine, improves acceptance. But anti-government sentiment may still reject it. - The experiment could lead to insights on how vaccine delivery methods impact skepticism. In the end, Akron's openness to innovation may make it a model city.

Title: The Magic Wand Experiment - Host Malcolm Gladwell introduces the concept of "magic wand" thought experiments, where scientists are asked to design ideal experiments without any constraints. The goal is to answer unanswered questions about human nature. - Harvard psychologist Joyce Berenson proposes surgically swapping the genitalia of male and female infants to test whether gender identity is innate or socially constructed. She believes biology would override socialization. - NYU psychologist Adam Alter wants to assign babies at birth to groups with varying levels of screen time exposure to understand the long-term impacts on well-being. - Psychologist Nancy Siegel imagines creating identical twins of different races to compare their life experiences and measure discrimination. - Nutritionist Stella Volpe would covertly change portion sizes, remove elevators, etc. in half the country to encourage healthy behaviors without education. - The "magic wand" removes constraints and ethical concerns to imagine ideal but controversial experiments that could settle nature vs. nurture debates about human development and behavior.

Malcolm Gladwell introduces season 7 of his podcast Revisionist History, which will focus on experiments. The episodes will examine thought experiments, what-if scenarios, natural experiments, and "magic wand experiments." Gladwell says this season is devoted to experiments because there is still much we don't know, and experiments are the only way to address our unknowns. The season promises to take listeners everywhere, from a factory near Canada and the set of the original A Star is Born, to a forgotten laboratory under a football stadium and a party in Beverly Hills. There will be a particular focus on Ohio. Gladwell says the episodes won't worry about being wrong, because the point is to test hypotheses and find answers. He encourages listeners to join the "Revisionist History experiment" when the season drops on June 30, or June 23 for Pushkin Plus subscribers.

Relax and Win This episode of Revisionist History previews Malcolm Gladwell's new podcast series Legacy of Speed. The series tells the story of the track and field program at San Jose State University in the 1960s, known as "Speed City." The coach of Speed City was Bud Winter, who revolutionized sprinting by emphasizing relaxation techniques over straining effort. Winter learned about using relaxation while studying World War II fighter pilots. He later applied this to his sprinters, developing methods like visualization exercises and specialized drills. His unconventional approach focused on cultivating talent rather than exploiting it. Winter's first star athlete was Ray Norton, who held multiple world records in the late 1950s. But Norton failed at the 1960 Olympics after a freak injury right before the games. The setback motivated Winter and his team to come back stronger. In the volatile 1960s, Speed City's black sprinters would make history with their athletic achievements and political activism. The series features interviews with Olympic champions like Tommy Smith and John Carlos. Legacy of Speed premieres soon and tells the overlooked story of how Speed City sprinters pioneered sports activism and changed the world.

Malcolm Gladwell joins Car and Driver editor Eddie Alterman for a drive in Gladwell's 2003 BMW M5 sports sedan. The E39 generation M5 is considered by many enthusiasts to be the greatest sports sedan of all time due to its balance of performance, refinement, and driver engagement. Gladwell and Alterman take the M5 for a drive through the winding roads of upstate New York. They praise the car's analog feel, hydraulic steering, and naturally aspirated V8 engine. The M5 provides an intimate driving experience through its direct mechanical controls. Later, Alterman drives a new 2022 M5 Competition in California. The latest M5 has over 600 horsepower from its turbocharged engine, along with all-wheel drive and numerous electronic driving aids. However, Alterman feels the digital interfaces create a disconnect between driver and machine. The electronics manage every aspect of performance, rather than providing a pure driving experience. In the end, Gladwell and Alterman conclude the 20+ year old E39 M5 remains the superior sports sedan. Its flaws and analog imperfections are actually strengths, providing unfiltered feedback and engagement. The E39 M5 fulfills the ideal of a sports sedan - thrilling performance in an understated package.

The episode begins with several sponsored advertisements from companies like IBM, Pushkin Industries, Hartford Insurance, and Amazon Books. The main content features host Malcolm Gladwell providing a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating an episode of Revisionist History. Gladwell explains that a key part of his creative process is the "table read," where he reads a draft script to his team and invited guests. During the table read, the guests provide feedback, critique the episode, and help Gladwell refine and improve it. As Gladwell describes it, he waits for swooning and applause after reading his "brilliant script," but instead the guests pick apart the episode until he's a "bloody mess." While difficult, this process allows Gladwell to hear his own writing with "new ears" and go back to make it better. The reason Gladwell is describing his creative process is to promote a new, live event called "Revisionist History Live." Over two nights in New York City and Philadelphia, Gladwell will conduct a live table read on stage in front of an audience. He sees it as a chance to peel back the curtain on his show and involve the audience in workshopping a new episode. For fans of the show, it's a unique opportunity to see how Revisionist History episodes come together.

The Revisionist History Holiday Sampler podcast episode provides listeners with a collection of audio previews from other podcasts. It begins with an advertisement from IBM promoting their new Watson X platform that uses AI to help businesses work more efficiently. Next is a preview for a new podcast called Incubation about humanity's struggles against viruses, hosted by Jacob Goldstein. After that, Malcolm Gladwell introduces an ad from The Hartford insurance company about their employee benefits offerings. This is followed by a preview of the new Pushkin podcast Bad Women, which provides the true stories behind the victims of Jack the Ripper. Historian Hallie Rubenhold shares details about the difficult life of Elizabeth Stride, one of the Ripper's victims, including her struggles with syphilis treatment in 19th century Sweden. Gladwell then provides listeners with an exclusive excerpt from a bonus episode available only to Pushkin Plus subscribers. It is a follow-up to his popular episode on COVID-sniffing dogs, explaining how some of those dogs went on tour with bands like Eric Church and Metallica as backstage COVID detectors after the bands heard the original podcast episode. The episode wraps up with a final ad from The Hartford about employee benefits before concluding. Overall, it provides a sampling of content from other podcasts and bonus material to give listeners a taste of what they can find on other Pushkin shows and platforms.

The episode begins with Malcolm Gladwell mocking Pushkin employee Brendan Francis Newnham for using hot water to wash his whites and an eco-friendly detergent called ecos. Brendan defends his laundry choices, arguing that ecos is a much more ethical company than Procter & Gamble, which Malcolm had praised in the original episode. Brendan feels Malcolm played into stereotypes about environmentally-conscious Brooklynites. Two other Pushkin employees, Lital Molad and Lee, also took issue with Malcolm's detergent shaming. The episode provides a behind-the-scenes look at the lighthearted internal debate amongst Pushkin staff about laundry detergent. It shows the team's commitment to free speech even when they disagree. Ultimately, Malcolm acknowledges he was too hard on Brendan's detergent preferences. The episode concludes with Brendan joking he may sue Malcolm for defamation and emotional damages. Malcolm assures listeners Brendan's job is safe, as Pushkin values the creative work he does for the company.

Al Levitt grew up in New York and joined the Young Communist League in college, similar to Helen. After marrying Helen, they moved to Hollywood for Al to pursue screenwriting. But Al was drafted into the Army during World War II. He was stationed at Fort Roach in Culver City for a year and a half. Fort Roach was the Hal Roach Studios taken over by the military's First Motion Picture Unit, which made training films and newsreels. Ironically, Al worked alongside Ronald Reagan, who he considered a "laughingstock". Al dreamed of becoming a screenwriter but his timing was bad since he got drafted right when he was about to be hired. Al's story parallels Helen's in many ways, as they were both communist youth growing up in New York who moved to California to start new lives, only to be impacted by the Red Scare climate.

The podcast discusses how dogs can be trained to detect diseases and viruses through their incredible sense of smell. It starts at an organization called 360 Canine Group which trains dogs for various detection purposes. The trainers demonstrate how dogs like Cooley can find hidden toys in dark rooms, showing their strong hunting drive and scenting abilities. The host Malcolm Gladwell then explains how dogs' noses are extremely sensitive, around 100,000 times more than humans. Dogs have evolved to prioritize smell over sight. One example is a dog named Florin that was trained to detect prostate cancer. Florin sniffed urine samples and could identify the cancerous ones just through smell. This showed dogs can detect diseases in ways more accurate than standard medical tests. The podcast goes on to discuss training dogs to detect COVID-19. Bill Schneider synthesized the scent of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in his lab. Within months, dogs were being trained on the COVID scent and could accurately identify positive samples. The host argues using COVID sniffing dogs for widespread screening could have helped control the pandemic by quickly identifying infections. He criticizes the flawed standard testing as incompetent compared to the canine option. In conclusion, the podcast makes the case that dogs' smelling abilities are an underutilized resource. Humans are overly reliant on sight and technology instead of utilizing dogs' natural talents. The host argues we should get over our hubris and use thousands of detection dogs to prevent the next pandemic, instead of failing like we did with COVID-19 testing. But we continue to underestimate the power of canine noses.

The episode explores how war games can provide strategic insight and prepare militaries for potential future conflicts. It begins by introducing Yuna Wong, who stumbled into the world of wargaming by accident at a conference in 2011. She immediately felt at home among the crowd of wargaming enthusiasts. Wargames allow participants to experience scenarios they may not have conceived of on their own. According to scholar Thomas Schelling, there are always things that won't occur to us, no matter how intelligent we are. Wargames force people off the predictable, logical path and expose them to new possibilities. David Schlepcek, a wargaming expert, describes how using dice and chance in games terrified him initially. However, military leaders appreciated the unpredictability. In one game testing a Russian invasion of the Baltics, Russia kept winning against expectations. The game revealed the need to take even remote possibilities seriously. Wargames add detail, color, and emotion to military planning. John Gentile describes a game examining securing loose nuclear weapons in a failed North Korean state. The game illuminated the years-long challenge of tracking down materials across countless sites, even with chemical weapons hazards. Traffic jams from refugees also emerged as an unconsidered factor. Yuna Wong designed a future game with advanced AI technology. Unexpected consequences arose, like North Korea inadvertently provoking the U.S. defense systems. Players were confused by AI actions, and commercial shipping was attacked. The game demonstrated the destabilizing issues of new technologies. Though messy, wargames offer lessons about handling chaos. They provide reality checks, forcing examination of illusions and assumptions.

Title: Laundry Done Right - Malcolm Gladwell became aware that his laundry habits were inefficient and environmentally unfriendly, washing clothes in hot water. He wanted to understand why and learn from those who use best practices. - He visited Procter & Gamble's innovation center to learn about detergent engineering and sustainability. Washing clothes in cold water drastically reduces energy use and carbon footprint. But getting clothes clean in cold water requires sophisticated detergent technology. - Consumer focus on "natural" detergents often overlooks the importance of cold water washing. Procter & Gamble detergents are engineered specifically for cold water effectiveness. - Gladwell had a consumer research firm conduct interviews to understand the mindset of cold water laundry users. They tend to be detail-oriented, disciplined people. - Washing full loads in an energy efficient dishwasher uses less water than hand washing dishes. Pre-rinsing dishes is unnecessary with well-engineered detergents. - Gladwell realized he could easily improve his environmental impact by switching to cold water laundry with high performance detergent. Small mindful changes collectively make a difference.

The episode is the third part of an investigation into Disney's The Little Mermaid movie. In the first two parts, host Malcolm Gladwell discussed issues with the original movie. In this episode, he presents a new version of the ending he had writer Britt Marling create to fix the problems. Gladwell felt the original ending failed to show how Ariel could regain her voice after surrendering it to Ursula. He had Marling write a new ending where Ariel gets her voice back through empathy and hugging Ursula, realizing Ursula was hurt and made cruel. This transforms Ursula back into her younger self. When King Triton arrives to attack Ursula, Ariel protects her, realizing Triton exiled Ursula. Ariel sings, calming everyone with her magic voice. Triton apologizes. The episode features Glenn Close as Ursula, Jodie Foster as Ariel, and Dax Shepard as Prince Eric in the new ending. The rewrite aims to show Ariel getting her voice back through kindness, redeeming Ursula, and liberating Ariel and Eric from restrictive gender roles. It emphasizes the power of empathy and highlights systemic issues rather than blaming individuals. The goal is to inspire girls to think of others, not just themselves.

Episode Title: Little Mermaid Part 2 The Fairytale Twist - Bruno Bettelheim analyzed fairytales and asked what makes some work well (like Three Little Pigs) while others don't stick (like Ant and Grasshopper). - There are two types of fairytales - the original "fairy tale twist" where good things happen randomly, and the later "poetic justice" tales where good things only happen to good characters. - Modern Disney films follow the poetic justice model, but studies show kids actually prefer the unpredictable fairy tale twists. - The Little Mermaid is an extreme version of poetic justice, with good things happening to beautiful and powerful people. - To fix it, the story could introduce more nuance around the characters and their motivations, rather than just having good rewarded and evil punished. - With some reimagining, The Little Mermaid could move away from its poetic justice flaws and create a narrative children genuinely enjoy.

The episode focuses on the Disney film The Little Mermaid and its problematic messages around law, morality, and gender. It begins by recounting the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, which was sad and ended with the mermaid's death. Disney writer Ron Clements adapted it into a more upbeat kids' movie, but felt guilty when confronted by Danes about changing the classic story's ending. Law professor Laura Beth Nielsen then explains how the film troubled her as a parent, particularly the scene where King Triton tries but fails to destroy Ariel's contract with Ursula. She argues the contract is clearly illegal, yet in the film it is presented as unbreakable. Nielsen says this teaches children that law is all-powerful and can be controlled by evildoers, when it should represent justice. The episode highlights other examples of Disney films modeling questionable behavior, like torture being used for humor in G-rated movies. It argues Disney has gotten sloppy with its moral messaging. Nielsen says she talked about the issues with her kids after, but didn't stop the movie to critique it in the moment. Ultimately, the Little Mermaid contract is destroyed not through legal means, but by Prince Eric violently killing Ursula. Nielsen points out the film's vigilante message - that the law is ineffective and violence solves problems. The episode ends by previewing more problematic gender issues in the Little Mermaid that will be discussed in future episodes.

The podcast episode centers around an interview conducted in 1988 between historian Larry Ciplair and Helen Levitt, who along with her husband Al Levitt, was an active member of the Communist Party in the 1930s and 40s. Helen grew up in a middle-class Jewish family in Brooklyn during the Great Depression. She was an intelligent and compassionate child, disturbed by the poverty and unfairness she witnessed. As a teenager, Helen was drawn to the passion and idealism of the Young Communist League. She believed the Soviet Union offered solutions to injustice. Helen met her future husband Al through leftist circles and they married young. When the Levitts moved to Los Angeles, they joined the Communist Party there which took orders directly from Moscow. Despite knowledge of Stalin's atrocities, they remained loyal members. With the rise of McCarthyism in the late 1940s, the Levitts were blacklisted for their former communist ties. Their Hollywood careers were destroyed and they were completely socially ostracized. The Levitts endured years of poverty and isolation before slowly rebuilding their careers using pseudonyms. Helen became involved in civil rights and union activism. She found purpose in more local causes, like training guild members in CPR during a strike. In the interview, Helen expressed no regrets over her communist past, which frustrated the interviewer. In the end, Helen's life cannot be easily judged. She took a misguided political path in youth but found more meaningful work later on. Her story illustrates the complexity of conscience and the importance of patience and understanding.

Title: Project Dillard - Dillard University is a small, historically black liberal arts college in New Orleans. It is ranked near the bottom by U.S. News & World Report's college rankings. - The host, Malcolm Gladwell, investigates why Dillard ranks so low, despite having strengths like a top physics program for producing African American graduates. - Factors that influence the rankings, like peer assessments, endowment size, and student demographics, seem to favor privileged, wealthy, white institutions. Schools like Dillard with less affluent students suffer in the rankings as a result. - In a thought experiment, just giving Dillard a huge endowment and admitting only top test scorers would shoot them up from near last place to the top ranks. But this would go against Dillard's mission. - Dillard and other HBCUs excel at providing a nurturing environment where students feel supported. This helps produce graduates in STEM fields, defying expectations. - The rankings perpetuate institutional biases and conceptions of prestige. Dropping out of the rankings system could help schools like Dillard focus on their strengths and better serve their students.

Title: Lord of the Rankings - In the 1980s, U.S. News & World Report was the third-ranked news magazine behind Time and Newsweek. To distinguish itself, it created a ranking system for American colleges and universities. - The rankings use a secret algorithm that assigns each school a score from 1-100 based on various factors like graduation rates and class size. A key factor is the "peer assessment score" where college administrators rate other schools' reputations. - Critics argue the peer assessment is subjective and based on vague notions of reputation rather than real knowledge of the schools. There is little rigor or methodology behind the scores. - The rankings have a major impact, yet seem to reinforce existing biases. For example, bonds from historically black colleges are discounted 20-37% compared to other similar schools, suggesting implicit bias in how they are valued. - The rankings were intended as a promotional gimmick but have become an entrenched part of higher education. Colleges obsess over moving up the rankings, but the methodology behind them is questionable.

Episode Title: I Love You Waymo - Malcolm rides in a self-driving Waymo vehicle in Chandler, Arizona and is amazed by how smoothly and safely it drives. He and his producer feel like they are being transported into the future. - Waymo has sophisticated sensors like lidar that allow it to see 300 yards in every direction with no blindspots. This gives Malcolm confidence in its abilities. - Many people are afraid of self-driving cars, but Malcolm argues Waymo is safer than human drivers who text, eat, and rage while driving. - Pedestrians and cyclists like Lance Armstrong fear cars and distracted drivers. But they could reclaim the roads in a world of self-driving cars. - Self-driving cars may enable jaywalking and unpredictability since the cars will be the cautious, rule-following ones. This could lead to gridlock. - To test Waymo, Malcolm and his producer throw a beach ball in front of it. Waymo slams on the brakes, treating the beach ball as a serious obstacle. - Malcolm tries to run in front of and around a Waymo to see how it responds. The Waymo stops and starts cautiously, allowing Malcolm to be the unpredictable one. - Malcolm concludes autonomous cars will allow people to reclaim public spaces from cars and be the chaotic, fun ones themselves. He declares "I love you Waymo."

Malcolm Gladwell introduces a new podcast called "Be Antiracist" hosted by Ibram X. Kendi. The podcast features conversations about racism and how to dismantle it. In the preview clip, Kendi interviews Heather McGhee, author of "The Sum of Us." They discuss the myth that progress for people of color comes at the expense of white people. McGhee explains that this myth of zero-sum thinking was created to justify racism and make poor whites feel superior to blacks, despite inequality. In reality, McGhee argues racism has held back progress and prosperity for all Americans. She gives examples like public pools being drained rather than integrated. McGhee and Kendi agree racist structures and ideas cost everyone, not just people of color. They say we need to challenge the myth that equity threatens white Americans and show how racism actually harms us all. The podcast aims to have these kinds of solutions-focused conversations about achieving an anti-racist society.

Malcolm Gladwell introduces season 6 of his podcast Revisionist History, describing how this season he goes "on the run" and gets into misadventures. In the new season, Gladwell flies to Arizona to chase someone down, later appears on Jimmy Kimmel to call out Disney, and interviews communists including Harry Silver who fought for the revolution from Gladwell's living room. The new season will feature 10 episodes total, including 3 "under the sea" episodes and the premiere episode about Gladwell's experience getting hit by cars. Gladwell promises an unbound, unrestrained season where he loses control more than ever before. He invites listeners to subscribe to the new season through Pushkin Industries' exclusive Apple Podcasts channel Pushnik to get all 10 episodes commercial-free.

Episode Title: Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant Summary: - Gladwell discusses his new book "The Bomber Mafia" which explores a group of pilots in the 1930s-1940s who believed they could reinvent warfare through the use of bomber planes and precision bombing. They wanted to avoid the mass casualties of WWI but struggled morally when faced with the realities of WWII. - Gladwell and Grant debate the concepts of obsession and passion. Gladwell argues that activities like running require restraint, while Grant says diving took extreme dedication. They discuss how obsession can bring joy when done in moderation and shared with others who have similar passions. - Grant summarizes his new book "Think Again" which argues that people should be more open to re-examining their beliefs and acting like scientists - doubting conclusions, testing hypotheses, and surrounding themselves with people who challenge their thought processes. This can counter overconfidence and lead to growth. - They relate Grant's premise to the story of Don Quixote, with Grant advocating flexibility in how principles are applied, rather than stubborn persistence. Gladwell pushes back that abandoning passions entirely has downsides too. - Overall, the conversation centers on finding balance between unyielding commitment to beliefs and openness to new perspectives, with an emphasis on the value of curiosity, lifelong learning, and shared experiences.

The episode begins with host Malcolm Gladwell providing background on the Bomber Mafia, a group of pilots in the 1930s who believed they could reinvent war with strategic bombing from high altitudes. Their leader was Haywood Hansell, who would go on to test their bombing theories in WWII. Gladwell then introduces Carl Norden, the inventor of the Norden bombsight, a top secret analog computer used to increase bombing accuracy. Norden worked alone and kept the bombsight design entirely in his head. The military had to put up with his eccentricities because the bombsight represented the dream of precision bombing - being able to drop bombs into pickle barrels from 30,000 feet up. The bombsight took into account numerous factors like wind speed, temperature, aircraft speed and direction to calculate the perfect release point for bombs. Extensive training was required to use it. It was kept under armed guard in a vault and bombardiers had to take an oath to protect its secrecy. The US military spent enormous sums on the Norden bombsight because of the belief that precision bombing could reinvent warfare and make it quick and almost bloodless. But this dream would go untested until WWII began and the Bomber Mafia had a chance to use their long-developed theories over the skies of Europe and Japan.

Title: Return to the 404 - The episode is a bonus holiday edition of Revisionist History set in Atlanta. It has no overarching theme or storyline, just Gladwell answering random questions from listeners. - Gladwell tells the story of how his father, a white mathematics professor from Jamaica, was invited to do research at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1959. At the time, Georgia Tech was still segregated and panicked when they realized they had invited a professor who might be black. - Gladwell interviews the current dean of computer science at Georgia Tech, an African American focused on expanding access to computer science education in Africa. He contrasts this to the segregated university his father experienced. - The episode explores Gladwell's failed attempts to investigate the authenticity of a questionable Van Gogh painting, revealing the secretive nature of the art world. - Gladwell indulges his love of advertising by writing a dramatic radio ad for the running apparel company Tracksmith. - The episode includes songs created by a high school choir teacher inspired by Gladwell's LSAT episode, as well as a segment with Revisionist History's composer Luis Guerra. - Throughout the episode, Gladwell expresses his love for the city of Atlanta.

Title: Druid Hills - The episode opens with the narrator describing a screenplay he wrote called Druid Hills, set in Atlanta and centering around two brilliant scientists, Angela Nation and Ingrid James, who work at Emory University Hospital. - The narrator explains his love for Atlanta and why he chose to set his screenplay there, describing it as a wonderful mix of culture, diversity, and progressiveness. - Scenes from the screenplay are acted out, introducing the two main characters. Angela has a mysterious past trauma and Ingrid seems to know her story. - The plot involves Angela testing an experimental Huntington's disease drug on mice at the Yerkes Primate Research Center at Emory. Her boss Rajan engineered the mice. - The narrator pitches the screenplay to TV executives but it doesn't get picked up. He hopes by sharing it on the podcast someone may be interested in making it. - The rest of the episode focuses on Emory University itself and some of the groundbreaking infectious disease research done there over decades, setting the stage for their vital work on COVID-19 vaccines.

- The episode contrasts two memorials - the 9/11 memorial in New York City and a memorial for the homeless in Jacksonville, Florida. - The 9/11 memorial was extremely expensive and intricate to construct, with reflecting pools built in the footprints of the fallen towers, a museum, and the victims' names carefully arranged based on relationships. No expense was spared to perfectly memorialize the tragedy. - In contrast, Jacksonville has a simple memorial for the homeless who die each year - just reading their names at a winter solstice service. The city also keeps a "by name list" to track the homeless population and try to find them housing. But it is an imperfect system. - The podcast argues that we go to great lengths to memorialize tragic deaths like 9/11, but often ignore ongoing tragedies like homelessness. Perfect memorials are constructed for the dead, while only makeshift ones exist for the living. - The episode suggests memorials should make us more empathetic to the suffering around us. But instead, we memorialize the dead and overlook the living in need.

Episode Title: Oh Howard, You Idiot! - In the 1970s, writer Clifford Irving perpetrated a famous literary hoax by publishing a fake autobiography supposedly written by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. - Irving claimed he had conducted extensive interviews with Hughes and produced a manuscript in Hughes' voice. The book was exposed as a fraud before publication when Hughes held a press conference denying involvement. - Irving went to elaborate lengths to fake evidence of his meetings with Hughes. The book mixed factual details from Hughes' life with invented stories to make it seem plausible. - Hughes was a famous but reclusive figure by this time, lending credibility to the idea he would secretly collaborate on an autobiography. - The episode explores Hughes' reputation as an oddball billionaire and analyzes why Irving thought he could get away with such an audacious deception. - It also examines Hughes' own lifelong efforts to cultivate a heroic, glamorous public image at odds with his eccentricities and increasing reclusiveness. - Irving's fictionalized autobiography ironically gave Hughes a more exciting life story than the reality. The episode argues Irving outdid Hughes at his own game of mythmaking.

Paragraph 1: The episode begins with Malcolm Gladwell interviewing his first assistant, Stacy Kalish, about how he hired her very quickly and impulsively after meeting her briefly for coffee. He hired her within minutes of meeting her, without vetting her qualifications. Paragraph 2: Gladwell then recounts how he tried to impulsively hire an accountant, Don Budnick, after randomly meeting him on the street. Budnick insisted on having a proper consultation before agreeing to work for Gladwell. This illustrates Gladwell's tendency to make snap judgments about hiring people. Paragraph 3: Gladwell explains that his approach to hiring is one of "nihilism" - he believes that the common rituals and predictions involved in hiring are useless. He sees conventional hiring practices as exercises in self-delusion. He rolls his eyes at the idea that we can predict how someone will perform based on interviews and resumes. Paragraph 4: Gladwell discusses the Peter Principle, formulated by Lawrence Peter, which states that employees rise to their level of incompetence. He argues this shows that conventional promotion practices are flawed. Economist Alan Benson validated this concept by showing that star salespeople often get promoted but make poor managers. Paragraph 5: In the end, Gladwell argues that his nihilistic approach to hiring is freeing - it allows him to hire people quickly based on limited information, without the anxiety about whether he is making the right choice. He believes people's abilities are unpredictable, so elaborate hiring rituals are pointless. The episode illustrates how Gladwell has applied this unorthodox philosophy throughout his career.

The podcast is about Curtis LeMay, a U.S. general who led the firebombing of Japanese cities during World War II. LeMay oversaw the development of napalm, a new incendiary weapon, and used it to devastating effect against Japanese cities in 1945. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed. After the war, LeMay rose to become head of the U.S. Air Force. He advocated using similar firebombing tactics in the Korean and Vietnam wars. The podcast explores how LeMay's actions were viewed at the time and how history remembers him. It notes the lack of historical examination of the firebombing campaigns LeMay led and the origins of napalm. The host visits Japan and finds little commemoration of the firebombing. An exception is a small museum in Tokyo dedicated to remembering the devastating US bombing raid on the city in 1945. The podcast examines the morality of LeMay's actions and whether the ends justified the means. It explores whether the bombings actually saved lives by speeding the end of the war. The host concludes by reflecting on LeMay's narrow focus and self-belief, suggesting today's problem solvers could learn from his flawed approach.

Episode Title: Bombs-Away LeMay - Curtis LeMay was a U.S. Air Force general known for his ruthless bombing tactics against Japan in WWII. He had three nicknames - Old Iron Pants, The Demon, and Bombs Away LeMay. - LeMay transformed everything he touched as a dynamic leader who shared the difficulties of his airmen. He was considered the greatest air commander in history for his problem-solving abilities. - In 1937, LeMay bombed a U.S. Navy battleship during a practice bombing exercise even though sailors were visible on deck, injuring some. This showed his focus on solving the problem rather than moral considerations. - In WWII, the U.S. needed bombers that could reach Japan. The B-29 Superfortress was developed for this purpose and bases were built on the Mariana Islands within range of Tokyo. - General Haywood Hansell tried precision bombing of Japanese aircraft plants but failed due to previously unknown jet stream winds. He was replaced by LeMay. - LeMay switched to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing, abandoning previous precision doctrine. In March 1945, he firebombed Tokyo with napalm, creating a huge firestorm and killing over 100,000 people. - Over the next months, LeMay firebombed 66 other Japanese cities, likely killing hundreds of thousands. But this bombing achieved the goal of forcing Japan's surrender without a ground invasion.

The episode begins by introducing the story of chemists during World War II who were tasked by the U.S. government to develop new weapons, specifically incendiary bombs. A group led by MIT professor Hoyt Hottel was formed to focus on fire-based weapons. Hottel organized a competition between scientists to develop the best firebomb, which became known as the "bake-off." One competitor was Harvard professor Louis Fieser, who worked with his research assistant E.B. Hirschberg. Together they investigated a substance called divinylacetylene, which they discovered could create a viscous, sticky gel when ignited. This gave them the idea for a bomb that would scatter burning globs of gel. After testing different formulas, they settled on a combination of gasoline, aluminum naphthenate and aluminum palmitate, which became known as napalm. To test their napalm bomb, Fieser and Hirschberg dug a lagoon in a Harvard soccer field, filled it with water, placed the bomb in the center, and detonated it on July 4, 1942. Their napalm bomb won the NDRC competition against entries from other companies like DuPont. The government then built model German and Japanese villages in the Utah desert which were used to further test the effectiveness of napalm versus other incendiaries. Napalm caused the most destruction, with a 68% success rate in creating uncontrollable fires on the Japanese houses. The development of napalm presented American air power advocates, known as the "bomber mafia," with a dilemma. While they favored precision bombing of military targets, napalm seemed ideally suited to less discriminate area bombing of cities. The episode ends by framing napalm as a temptation for the bomber mafia to abandon their doctrine of precision bombing and embrace the destructive power of this new weapon.

Paragraph 1: The podcast is about Curtis LeMay, a U.S. Air Force general who was responsible for massive civilian deaths in World War II through his bombing campaigns against Japan. His story seems very modern because he started something we are still in the midst of today. Paragraph 2: LeMay loved airplanes from a young age. As an adult, he was a brilliant, rational, and resolute military commander. He could be charming but was also stubborn and incapable of self-doubt. Paragraph 3: LeMay led bombing campaigns against Japan in WWII that killed huge numbers of civilians. He is considered responsible for massive civilian deaths, behind only figures like Stalin and Hitler. Paragraph 4: In the 1930s, LeMay was part of a group called the Bomber Mafia that believed long-range bombers could win wars. They focused on technological advances in bombing rather than moral or political implications. Paragraph 5: The Bomber Mafia theorized that precisely targeted bombing raids could quickly disable enemy cities and break civilian will to fight. LeMay became a leading bomber commander in WWII. Paragraph 6: LeMay innovated bombing techniques for accuracy and efficiency. He was utterly committed to the bomber as a war-winning technology. The B-29 long-range bomber was key to the bombing of Japan. Paragraph 7: The US wanted to force Japan's WWII surrender without a bloody land invasion. The Bomber Mafia said they could do it solely with air power. The B-29 made bombing Japan possible. LeMay finally had the means to execute his vision.

Title: The Powerball Revolution - Adam Cronkrite had an idea while in college to replace elections with lotteries as a way to choose leaders. He tested this idea with student governments in schools in Bolivia. - Cronkrite found that lotteries encourage more people to participate than traditional campaigns and elections. Many capable students don't want to run in elections but will put their name in a lottery. - Lotteries also produce more diverse student governments, with a wider range of interests and perspectives represented. - Cronkrite realized that people, even experts, are not very good at predicting who will be a good leader. Introverted or "nontraditional" students can end up being very effective leaders. - The idea of choosing leaders randomly by lottery instead of by election has applications beyond student governments. Grant funding decisions and college admissions are two examples where predictions about potential are similarly flawed. - When Malcolm Gladwell presented these ideas to students at the prestigious Lawrenceville School, they were open to reconsidering their own student election process after reflecting on its limitations.

Episode Title: Hedwig's Lost Van Gogh - In 1886, Vincent Van Gogh painted a small still life called Vase with Carnations while living in Paris. - The painting was acquired by Hedwig and Albert Ullmann, a wealthy German Jewish couple and prominent art collectors in Frankfurt. - In 1938, Hedwig sold Vase with Carnations through an art dealer before fleeing Nazi Germany for her safety. - The painting passed through various owners including a Hollywood producer and a department store heir. - In 1990, it was donated to the Detroit Institute of Arts where it languished in storage for 20 years due to doubts over its authenticity. - Hedwig's grandson Claude tried to recover artworks formerly owned by his grandmother but museums refused to return them on legal grounds. - Vase with Carnations remains at the DIA today. Its history represents the losses faced by Jewish art collectors in Nazi Germany. - The painting itself is unremarkable but its provenance gives it meaning. The object is less important than its story.

- The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York imposed entrance fees in the 1990s during a time of financial difficulty, despite having one of the largest and most valuable art collections in the world. - The art world, exemplified by the Met, treats art collections differently than other assets - they are not assigned monetary values and accounted for on financial statements. This is like a dragon hoarding treasure just for the sake of having it. - The Met sent a representative to argue against accounting rule changes that would require collections to be valued, saying they didn't even know the extent of their own collections as so much was in storage. - This hoarding mentality was also seen in Andy Warhol's obsessive collecting and archiving of random ephemera in his "time capsules." The Warhol Museum keeps all of these objects without editing. - The psychology of hoarding is related to the emotional attachment and sense of identity people form with objects. Hoarders see beauty and value in ordinary things the rest of us would consider junk. - Art museums emulate this psychology, keeping vast collections in storage without assigning monetary value. If they got rid of objects, even ones unseen for decades, they feel it would be losing a part of themselves and their history.

The podcast episode is titled "Introducing Revisionist History Season Five." It begins with host Malcolm Gladwell providing a preview of the upcoming fifth season of his podcast Revisionist History. Gladwell says this season will cover a wide range of topics related to history, art, and culture. Some of the specific topics mentioned include how we remember those who have suffered or brought suffering into the world, art museums, Howard Hughes, Vincent Van Gogh, and Andy Warhol. According to Gladwell, this season will feature the "sublime and the ridiculous" as well as important digressions. He says there will be some joy but also serious examination of historical issues. One concept highlighted is the Yiddish word "nachas," meaning the joy children bring, versus its opposite "yuchas," the trouble children cause. Gladwell characterizes this season as bringing some "yuchas." The preview highlights Gladwell's signature style of storytelling, weaving together disparate topics and drawing out surprising connections. He teases thought-provoking perspectives on how we interpret and remember history. Fans of the podcast can expect Gladwell's insightful, entertaining approach to revisionist history applied to a new set of fascinating subject matter.

The episode discusses the limits of power using the example of the British Army's presence in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It describes how the British Army was originally brought in as peacekeepers between the Catholic and Protestant populations. However, their harsh crackdowns against Catholic neighborhoods for harboring IRA militants led to increased resentment and violence. The episode focuses on the Lower Falls neighborhood of Belfast. In 1970, the British Army raided a house there and found weapons. As they withdrew, some youths threw stones, leading to escalating clashes. The Army imposed a curfew and conducted aggressive house searches, further angering residents. Locals felt the Army was biased towards the Protestant side. The episode highlights how the Army's tactics violated principles of legitimacy. Their punishments were seen as arbitrary and unfair by Catholics. The Army failed to understand the importance of earning community respect. Their harsh crackdown led to backlash, not obedience. The episode concludes with a pivotal moment - the Army beating women marching to bring food aid to Lower Falls residents under curfew. This caused the community to unite in outrage. The Army lost control of the situation, showing the limits of authoritarian power when it lacks legitimacy. The Troubles spiraled into decades of violence, though the Army intended to quell unrest when it first arrived.

Title: The Queen of Cuba - Ana Belén Montes grew up in an affluent suburb of Baltimore. Her father was a psychiatrist. She attended the University of Virginia and got a master's degree from Johns Hopkins. - In the 1980s, she was recruited by Cuban intelligence due to her support for the Marxist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. In 1985, she made a secret trip to Havana. - That same year, she joined the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming known as the "Queen of Cuba" within the intelligence community. - For nearly her entire career, Montes spied for Cuba, meeting with handlers over 300 times and sending countless secrets. Fidel Castro personally gave her a medal. - In 1996, two planes were shot down by Cuba after flying into Cuban airspace. This led DIA analyst Reg Brown to become suspicious of Montes. - Brown took his suspicions to DIA counterintelligence officer Scott Carmichael. But Carmichael dismissed the suspicions after interviewing Montes and finding her answers satisfactory. - Carmichael failed to detect Montes' lies due to "truth default theory" - the human tendency to believe others unless presented with definitive proof otherwise. - Four years later, new evidence from the NSA pointed to a highly placed Cuban spy code-named "Agent S" at the DIA. Carmichael searched records and quickly determined Agent S was Montes. - Montes was arrested in 2001. The extent of her espionage made her one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history.

- In the mid-20th century, a small group of scientists became obsessed with studying obscure viruses that were not taken seriously by the scientific community at the time. The main members were Ludwig Gross, Howard Temin, and Robert Gallo. - They faced resistance because their research challenged established beliefs. Gross believed cancer could be caused by viruses spreading between individuals. Temin proposed the idea of reverse transcriptase, which went against the central dogma of molecular biology. Gallo discovered the first human retrovirus HTLV. - Their persistence paid off. Temin and his colleague David Baltimore discovered reverse transcriptase in 1970, proving Temin's theory. This allowed retroviruses like HIV to be better understood just a decade later when AIDS emerged. - The early research on obscure animal retroviruses by Gross, Temin and Gallo gave scientists a head start when the AIDS epidemic arrived. Their previous work allowed HIV to be quickly identified as a retrovirus and sped up the development of diagnostic tests and treatments. - The story illustrates the importance of pursuing scientific truths even in the face of doubt and rejection from the establishment. The members of the obscure virus club exemplified persistence and commitment to their research. Their unrelenting efforts paved the way for major medical breakthroughs.

Malcolm Gladwell explores the meaning of the word "chutzpah," looking at the differences between the American and Israeli understandings of the term. He interviews his Israeli neighbor Milly Avital to learn how to properly pronounce "chutzpah" in Hebrew. She explains that in Israel, chutzpah has a negative connotation, meaning someone who is shameless or has no regard for others. Gladwell then examines two examples of chutzpah - one displaying the positive American meaning and one displaying the negative Israeli meaning. The first is Hollywood producer Al Ruddy convincing CBS to make the sitcom Hogan's Heroes, set in a Nazi POW camp, in the 1960s. This boldness is seen as admirable American chutzpah. The second is mobster Joe Colombo starting the Italian-American Civil Rights League in the 1970s to combat the stereotyping of Italians as mafia members. Gladwell argues this is shameless Israeli-style chutzpah. He explores how the two types of chutzpah clash when Ruddy has to stand up to Colombo's threats to prevent The Godfather from being made. Ultimately, Ruddy outsmarts Colombo because mob bosses don't do detail. Gladwell concludes that conflating the two meanings of chutzpah has led to moral confusion, as audacity is admired while shamelessness is tolerated. Distinguishing between them allows for clearer ethical thinking.

Title: In a Metal Mood - In 1997, pop singer Pat Boone released an album covering heavy metal songs by bands like Metallica and Judas Priest. This was seen as outrageous cultural appropriation by a mainstream white artist. - Musician Dave Hill analyzes Boone's cover of Ronnie James Dio's "Holy Diver" and notes that while it's not authentic metal, Boone committed to the song and put his own spin on it. - The hosts discuss whether Boone's covers actually exposed metal to a wider audience, similar to how Elvis popularized rock songs originally performed by black artists. - They compare Boone to Taco Bell, which adapted Mexican food for a mainstream American audience. Taco Bell didn't simply appropriate, but reinvented dishes like tacos and chalupas. - Little Richard initially criticized Boone for covering his songs, but later said Boone's versions made white audiences more aware of the originals. Boone served as a crossover artist, not just a copycat. - The hosts argue Boone belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for expanding rock's audience and influencing later artists. His "In a Metal Mood" shows he took risks and didn't just steal from other genres.

The episode focuses on the shooting death of Angel Navarro by police in New Mexico in 2016. Navarro's brother Felipe and their family did not understand what happened and filed a lawsuit against the police. Forensic criminologist Ron Martinelli was hired by the state as an expert witness. He analyzed the police dashcam video frame-by-frame to reconstruct the events leading up to Navarro's death. Martinelli believes Navarro deliberately committed crimes like stealing a car to attract police attention. He then acted suspiciously when stopped, pretending a cell phone was a gun in order to provoke the police into shooting him in a "suicide by cop." The video shows Navarro emerging from the car with his hand in his pocket, turning sideways from the officers, and reaching toward his waistband where he had placed the cell phone. This led police to believe he had a gun and was going to shoot. After being shot the first time, Navarro can be seen on the video trying to reach for his waistband again before being killed by additional shots. Martinelli argues this was a further attempt to guarantee his own death. The case reveals the complexities and trauma involved for all parties in a police shooting incident. It shows the importance of descending into the specifics of each case rather than relying solely on general principles or assumptions.