Shows / The Most Important Question
The Most Important Question
The most important question in today's world of climate chaos, AI psychosis, and crumbling democracy is: what can I do? Your host, Quinn Emmett is completely unqualified to answer it, so he's calling the people that already are. If you've got the news, the analysis, the outrage, but still no plan — join us as we figure it out together with long-form conversations with amazing people working on the frontlines, and quick updates responding to today's most important headlines, and what you can do…
Episodes
The Most Important QuestionIntroducing HERO, from Foreign Policy
This week, Quinn is proud to share a new favorite podcast: “The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO).” Could empowering women in the workplace be the…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #237: Do the Dew Point, Thanos SNAP Benefits, Putting the AI in Ethical
This week: What’s a dew point, anyways?; The COVID Delta variant is here; And then there were six; An all female Justice League of social media. #51: Are We…
The Most Important Question116: What Really Happens When You Just Give People Money?
In Episode 116, Quinn wants to know: why is simply giving people money the most effective way to 1) help them make positive changes to their lives and 2) erase…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #236: Amazon Held to Ransom (Not That One), COVID Doesn’t Discriminate (But We Do), Vaccinate the 99%
This week: it’s Bolsonaro all the way down; the 99%; 44 thousand patients can’t be wrong; “fire beats water” should be relegated to D&D; Find links from this…
The Most Important QuestionBest of the Best: Do We Really Know What’s in that Moisturizer (& Where the Hell Did it Come From?)
In light of new research on toxic ingredients, it looks like America might finally start regulating cosmetic products, so it’s a great moment to re-run one of…
The Most Important QuestionBest of the Best: Legalizing the Other Weed
In celebration of New York state passing Bill S6532A, permitting underwater kelp cultivation, we’re re-playing one of our coolest (and most entertaining)…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #234: Tripping Over Our Bootstraps, Cover My Crops, AI is as Bad as Us
This week: “Do not come”; The pandemic is not over for everyone; We can do better, can’t we? Cover crops; Language barriers in AI. Visit ImportantJobs.com to…
The Most Important Question115: Fossil Fuel Propaganda
In Episode 115, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to stop fossil fuel advertising. Our guests are JaRel Clay and Jamie Henn. JaRel Clay is the Digital Director of Hip…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #233: Big Renewable Energy, AI Isn’t All That (Yet), Hot Vax Summer
This week: bigger doesn’t mean better; COVAX has got next, finally; a brand new day… and vaccine; AI and medicine – so close, and yet so far. Visit…
The Most Important Question114. Carbon Offsets: Not A Get Out of Jail Free Card, TBH
In Episode 114, Quinn asks: What are carbon offsets, and do they even work? Our returning guest is Akshat Rathi, a reporter at Bloomberg Green. Carbon offsets…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #232: These Shrooms Aren’t Fungi, Climate Change Is Costly, Keep the Vaccines Rolling
This week: a brutal day for oil; fungi on the move (not great); wastewater: so hot right now; paying for climate protection; vaccine inequities; and facial…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #18: Back to the Future
Synopsis: We can time travel to the past to understand how we got to where we are today. But the past doesn’t dictate the future - not anymore. So we have to…
The Most Important Question113: Lessons from Plants
In Episode 113, Quinn asks: What can we learn from plants? The answer, it turns out, is: A whole heck of a lot. Our guest is the wonderful and way…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #231: Electric Truck Boogaloo, Get Your Colon Checked, What’s Your Beef
This week: An electric truck for the masses; India’s vaccine production stays home; Better cancer screening; Beef emissions. Find links from this newsletter…
The Most Important Question112. The Next Pandemic
Oh, when we were young and so naive. In Episode #9 (!), Quinn and Brian got to know Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician, Associate Professor…
The Most Important Question111: When Your Government Runs on Windows 95
In Episode 111, Quinn & Brian discuss the past, present, and future of government IT infrastructure. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??? Our guest is Aneesh Chopra, the…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #229: Fossil Fuel Funding, MDMA Magic, Leaky Legislation
This week: fossil fuel financing under the microscope, India’s COVID summer, MDMA to the rescue, how to fix our water pipes. Psychedelics 101: Books…
The Most Important Question110. The End of the Universe
In Episode 110, Quinn’s talking about the end of the universe. His guest is Sarafina Nance, Ph.D. candidate at Berkeley, astrophysicist, author, and women’s…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #228: Carbon Offset Upset, the COVID Baby Bust, Man vs. Mosquito
This week: AI is going backwards; carbon offsets are a mirage; falling birthrates and COVID; the end of malaria?; Jordan’s out of water. Find links from this…
The Most Important Question109. Introducing “What Can I Do?”
In Episode 109, Quinn & Brian try to help answer the eternal question: What can I do? Our guest is Frank Buncom IV, Head of Product Management at AIRx Health…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #227: Building a Better Battery, It’s Covid Crunch Time, I Was Promised Waterworld Wouldn’t Suck
This week: Batteries 101; too many vaccines, not enough takers; new antibiotics, but are they the right ones?; water disputes grow; AI gets the crack down Find…
The Most Important Question108. Data for Progress
In Episode 108, Quinn & Brian discuss: Data for progress. Our guest is Julian Brave NoiseCat, the Vice President of Policy & Strategy at Data for Progress, a…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #226: Show Me Receipts, I Like Those Odds, The Next Frontier in Your Fleshbag
This week: Biden’s climate disclosures; Johnson & Johnson on pause; Odds of being infected post-vaccination; Biotech’s next decade; The EU draws up AI rules……
The Most Important Question107. Start a Sustainable Fashion Revolution
In Episode 107, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to buy clothing that lasts while not polluting the oceans or exploiting low-income workers. Our guest is Orsola de…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #225: The Cost of Climate Change, Skeptical Evangelists, Algorithms for the Win
This week: Climate finance remains unregulated; God vs Vaccines; AI antibiotics are coming; New data on food waste since the 1960s Find links from this…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #17: Start Over
Synopsis: Starting over sucks. But, like in Contra, maybe starting over is just the thing that’ll save the world. Do Better Better essays help you build mental…
The Most Important Question#106: Black Moms Matter
In Episode 106, Quinn & Brian ask: Why is it so dangerous to have Black babies in America? Our guest is Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, the millenial Black…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #224: Biden Steps Up, The Take-Home Test You Hope to Fail, Why Green is Good
This week: Biden’s plan, explained; financial climate risk, uncovered; at-home COVID tests, approved; pesticide poisonings, revealed Find links from this…
The Most Important QuestionBest of the Best: “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens”
Hi. Hello. Americans are leaving their living rooms again, which means we’re shooting people again, too. As such, we’re re-running our conversation with Fred…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #223: Summer’s About to Get a Whole Lot Longer
This week: The Western drought grows; China’s vaccine exports; menthol cigarettes on the run; bacon and Alzheimer’s; croissants and cancer. Find links from…
The Most Important Question#105: Your Smart Fridge Just Overturned Democracy
In Episode 105, Quinn & Brian ask: How safe is your data (and can your wine fridge take down democracy)? Our guest is: Dr. Carissa Véliz, an Associate…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #222: Low Hanging vs Game Changing: Why Not Both?, a Strong Cup of Joe, Waiting is the Hardest Part
In brief: The most powerful Joe; when you’re really clear on COVID; Black maternal outcomes; how to understand the AI internal war Find links from this…
The Most Important Question#104: Global.Health: Big Data for Good
In Episode 104, Quinn & Brian discuss: the future of data and medicine. Our guests are: Robel Kassa & Dr. Sam Scarpino, two of the brilliant minds behind…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #221: Lab Trial & Error, Finding a Pain-Free Way to Treat Pain, How to Lose a Crop in 10 Days
In brief: Batteries are cheaper and increasingly everywhere; the best COVID treatments; a possible opioid alternative; cabbage is off the menu Find links from…
The Most Important Question#103: Black Hearts Matter
In Episode 103, Quinn & Brian ask: Why do so many more Black people die after heart transplants than everybody else? Our guests are: Dr. Hasina Maredia and Dr…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #220: Sunk Costs are Sinking Cities, Finally the Food Chain is Essential, & Putting the “AI” in “Racist”
This week: Miami kicks the can down the road, relief for farmworkers, poor Twitter, how not to waste food, how not to do ethical A.I. Find links from this…
The Most Important Question#102: Put Your Money Where Your Future Is
In Episode 102, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to invest in defeating climate change. Our guest is: Boris Khentov, SVP of Operations & Legal Counsel at Betterment…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #219: The Social Cost of Carbon, Not Enough Nurses, & Even Trump’s Corporate Bailouts Were Racist
This week: the price of climate change, how to re-open your office, a new wave of nurses, bailing out Black farmers. Find links from this newsletter and more…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #16: The Hard Work Starts Yesterday
Synopsis: Where does America keep paying clean up costs, instead of doubling down on prevention? Do Better Better essays help you build mental models and ask…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #218: How to Help Texas, Catching Our Breath, & Creating Equitable Education
This week: How to help Texas. Air pollution and infertility. A drastic life expectancy gap. A big test for higher education. And AI rethinks pesticides. Find…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #217: Capitalism Gonna Capitalism, Vaccines Are Working, & The Secrets Hidden in Your Poop
This week: Your gas stove and water heater are hiding a dirty secret; where COVID goes from here; and all the good your poop can do. Find links from this…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #216: Downsides of Living in the Future, Sustainable and Enjoyable Retirements, & Why You Should Upgrade Your Mask
This week: The economic choices that have led us to a climate breaking point (and why the last year has prepared us to do something about it better than…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #15: Overwhelm The System
Synopsis: If we're going to defeat the systemic issues of today, we need to Overwhelm The System. Here's how. Do Better Better essays help you build mental…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #215: Biden isn’t Throwing Away His Shot, COVID-19 Version Control, & Climate Change Christmas
This week: Joe Biden has been president for about eight and a half days and the man’s not throwing away his shot when it comes to climate, environmental…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #14: A Safety Net for America
Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #214: Some Honest-to-Goodness Optimism, Keeping Up With COVID, Giving Up the Vape
This week: Giving it all we got; 25 doses; Tobacco is the new tobacco; Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter Got…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #213: Our COVID predictions for 2021
This week: Why’s COVID so bad in Los Angeles?; How the next few months will go; Go deeper on clean tech; IVF might get a lot more effective thanks to AI; All…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #13: Flailing, Perfected
Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better essays are now available in audio for the first time. You’ll learn…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #212: How Ossoff and Warnock will help fight climate change
This week: Context is everything; Back to your regularly scheduled pandemic; COVID has rightfully distracted a lot of science funding, but the train hasn’t…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #12: 20% For the Future
This episode was originally published in print on December 14, 2020. For more information on 20% For The Future or to get involved, email us a…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #11: The Trick to Unlocking Every Problem
This episode was originally published in print on December 7, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #10: “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future”
This episode was originally published in print on November 22, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #9: Georgia On My Mind
This episode was originally published in print on November 9, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #211: The 80/20 Problem of Our Time
Happy Holidays! In brief, this week: how to breathe in India. "Who Gets to Breathe Clean Air in New Delhi?" Find links from this newsletter and more at…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #8: One Choice Determined the Last 400 Years
This episode was originally published in print on October 11, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #7: Let's Measure How Exposed You Are, Shall We?
This episode was originally published in print on September 20, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #6: How to Spend The Next 10 Years
This episode was originally published in print on September 7, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #5: How to Spend Your Time Right Now
This episode was originally published in print on August 29, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better…
The Most Important QuestionIssue #210: Checking Your Clean Air Privilege, Fighting COVID Misinformation, & Starving for Capitalism
This week: Justice for Ella Kissi-Debrah; fighting COVID misinformation on Facebook; how often should your kids be on antibiotics?; and what hunger does to a…
The Most Important QuestionDo Better Better #4: How To Pass A Test
This episode was originally published in print on August 29, 2020. Originally published to our community through our newsletter and blog, the Do Better Better…