Best Annalee Newitz Podcasts (2024)

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365. Annalee Newitz with Lindy West: Stories are Weapons 1:10:19

4d ago1:10:19

1:10:19

Have you ever thought what #FakeNews might have looked like 200 years ago? While we may be experiencing a new era of disinformation, the tactics aren’t necessarily original. Drawing from their latest book, Stories Are Weapons, journalist and science fiction author Annalee Newitz traces back in history how disinformation, propaganda, and violent thr…

1
Want to Understand Today’s Political Debate? Study PsyOps: Sci-fi Author & Science Journalist Annalee Newitzs 41:13

21d ago41:13

41:13

Find this week's episode description below... Join Eric's 'Truth, Disinformation & The 2024 Election' Class at The University of Chicago It’s open to everyone via Zoom. It will discuss what’s going on in the coverage of the election, with a wonderful collection of guest speakers, educators, prominent political reporters and polling experts. It will…

1
364. Stephen Robert Miller with Marcus Harrison Green: Climate Chronicles — The Delusion of Controlling Nature 59:26

4d ago59:26

59:26

Erratic weather, blistering drought, rising seas, and ecosystem collapse now affect every inch of the globe. Increasingly, we no longer look to stop climate change, choosing instead to adapt to it. Academics call it maladaptation; simply, it’s about solutions that backfire. In his new book, Over the Seawall, Stephen Robert Miller tells us the stori…

1
363. Jonathan Metzl with Florangela Davila: Reframing the Conversation on Gun Control 1:10:01

7d ago1:10:01

1:10:01

In 2018, there was a mass shooting with an AR-15 at a Waffle House. The racially charged act of violence led Dr. Jonathan M. Metzl, a Nashville-based gun policy scholar and author, to advocate for gun reform. But how can we stop gun violence in a nation that sees hundreds of mass shootings every year? As Metzl examined the crime, he began having do…

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How To Immunize Your Mind Against False Beliefs with Carnegie Mellon University's Andy Norman 39:43

5d ago39:43

39:43

Today's guest is Andy Norman, philosophy professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the author of a fascinating book, Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites and the Search for a Better way to Think. Andy argues that it’s possible to immunize the mind against harmful beliefs, just as it’s possible to immunize the body against germs. He a…

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Our Advice Is Correct 37:20

9d ago37:20

37:20

Dearest Listeners, you asked us for advice, and now we've got the definitive answers! From writing and relationship questions, to concerns about the best way to alter the timeline, we tackle it all.By Our Opinions Are Correct

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362. Renee DiResta: How Public Opinion Forms in a Digital Age 1:02:24

16d ago1:02:24

1:02:24

“If you make it trend, you make it true.” The cycling of new and buzz-worthy information we face on a daily basis is faster than ever before. As new trends in information, politics, and culture are constantly updating, little time is left for critical analysis before the next headline hits the feed. And when those who hold the power to influence au…

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Dinosaurs and Furries, with Riley Black 57:31

19d ago57:31

57:31

We're learning so much about dinosaurs lately — there are incredible new species, discoveries about how they had sex, and more detailed evidence about what happened during their final days on Earth. To find out more, we talk to Riley Black, author of the award-winning book The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. Riley also tells us about being a furry, and…

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361. Rachel Bitecofer: Counterpunch — Winning Democracy's Fight 1:11:52

21d ago1:11:52

1:11:52

Should Democrats be looking to the other side of the aisle for political strategy? Political scientist and strategist Rachel Bitecofer seeks to explain the intricate dynamics of contemporary politics in her new book, Hit ’Em Where It Hurts. Seeking actionable strategies for Democrats to connect with voters and reclaim the narrative in a pivotal ele…

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360. Juliet Hooker with Megan Ming Francis: The Politics of Loss 54:29

28d ago54:29

54:29

Delve into the complex tapestry of American politics with Juliet Hooker, the Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Political Science at Brown University. Hooker, known for her expertise in racial justice, democracy theories, and Black political thought, will unpack the themes of her latest book, Black Grief / White Grievance and offer a …

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Immigration law in space, with Victor Manibo 44:32

1M ago44:32

44:32

What is the point of absurdist storytelling in a world that feels absurd? We talk about science fiction that gets silly, satirical, and weird -- and why we need it desperately. From The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to The Onion, we analyze absurdism as readers and writers. Then we're joined by Victor Manibo, author of the brilliant new novel Es…

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Using the Tools of Tech to Hold Big Tech Accountable with Pulitzer-Winner & Proof News Founder Julia Angwin 40:11

1M ago40:11

40:11

Misinformation, rumor, psy-ops and propaganda--whatever you want to call the four horsemen of today’s media apocalypse—have been with us as long as the media itself. But you have to admit that the arrival of digital technology, led by social media, has given all of those forces outsized power. We still haven’t quite come to terms with how tech has …

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Secrets of the Planet of the Apes with Josh Friedman 54:54

2M ago54:54

54:54

The Planet of the Apes franchise spans decades and formats: it started as a French novel in 1963, and then jumped the Atlantic to become a long-running series of movies, TV shows, a cartoon, and even videogames. We talk about the politics of the story, and why some versions succeed while others fail. Then we're joined by Josh Friedman, who wrote Ki…

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359. Maxwell Stearns with Mark Smith: Transforming America's Democracy 1:14:45

2M ago1:14:45

1:14:45

Can a parliamentary democracy end America’s constitutional crisis? It’s starting to feel to some people that American elections aren’t offering us much choice, instead compounding the continued issues of our outdated voting system and showing our lack of capacity to face common issues together. In Parliamentary America, Maxwell L. Stearns argues th…

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The Original Fact Checker: How To Know What's True with The Post's Glenn Kessler 40:05

2M ago40:05

40:05

Finding your way to the truth is the informal job of the 21st-century citizen. All of us. Unless you want to be manipulated, you need some check on the claims you hear uttered by powerful people or repeated, innocently or not, by others. For a few thousand people in this era, correcting the record is a profession, even a calling, and today’s guest …

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Romancing the Dragon, with Moniquill Blackgoose 47:18

2M ago47:18

47:18

We’re obsessed with dragons, and for good reason. These gigantic creatures soar through many cultures and genres — and they feel more relevant than ever today. We talk to author Moniquill Blackgoose about why, and discuss her Nebula-award winning novel To Shape A Dragon’s Breath. Then we have a completely non-awkward conversation about dragons and …

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The Lost Art of Civil Discourse with Clea Conner CEO of Open to Debate 45:51

2M ago45:51

45:51

Any institution that aspires to get at the truth needs a process for testing what it believes to be true. Central to the judicial system, for example, are lawyers challenging their opponents’ arguments. In science, claims must be peer-reviewed, and experiments have to be replicated. But in politics and culture, any kind of rule-based, civil testing…

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Summer Entertainment Guide: What to Watch and Read this Summer! 55:18

3M ago55:18

55:18

The summer entertainment season is upon us! Many of our favorite TV shows are back, and there are a few movies we're excited about as well. Not to mention a flood of truly incredible books by many of our favorite authors. Here's our select guide to the stuff we're most pumped about this summer, and all the latest trends in entertainment.…

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The Logic Behind Illogical Ideologies: Pepperdine University's Jason Blakely 31:49

3M ago31:49

31:49

The political landscape in the US has fragmented into a handful of beliefs, the adherents to which have less and less in common, other than a profound inability to comprehend others’ beliefs. This, unfortunately, is not news. In a fascinating new book, today’s guest attempts to pierce the incomprehensibility cloak. The guest is Jason Blakely, an as…

1
How Surveillance Dystopias Came True (with Wole Talabi) 1:05:15

3M ago1:05:15

1:05:15

You are being watched. Pop culture used to be full of vivid warnings about Big Brother watching you. What does it mean that we're now under constant surveillance for real? Plus we talk to Wole Talabi about his new story collection Convergence Problems.

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358. Sasha Issenberg with Austin Jenkins: The Lie Detectives 1:11:27

3M ago1:11:27

1:11:27

As we head into another presidential election year, few issues feel as pressing as the spread of political misinformation. How can political campaigns fight back against the barrage of lies and disinformation? As time, tension, and technology all progress in our world, we’re not always prepared for the acceleration and its impact on the political c…

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357. Susannah Fox with Sally James: Rebel Health 56:14

3M ago56:14

56:14

Anyone who has fallen off the conveyor belt of mainstream health care and into the shadowy corners of illness knows what a dark place it is to land. Where is the infrastructure, the information, the guidance? What should you do next? In her new book, Rebel Health, Susannah Fox draws on twenty years of tracking the expert networks of patients, survi…

1
Destroying The Internet In Order To Save It: Project Liberty's Frank McCourt 31:07

3M ago31:07

31:07

The guests who come on In Reality come prepared to talk about big issues. Truth, polarization, the information ecosystem: these are not exactly niche issues. Today’s guest though, may have the biggest embrace of anyone I’ve had on the show... You may know Frank McCourt as the billionaire real estate magnate and owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers base…

1
How to turn a story into a deadly weapon 53:34

4M ago53:34

53:34

Psyops are used by the military against foreign enemies, but now these dangerous weapons of demoralization and chaos are being used in culture wars between Americans. In this episode, Annalee tells us about their new book Stories Are Weapons, a history of psychological warfare in the U.S. (yes, it includes scifi!) -- and an exploration of the ways …

1
How Newsrooms Decide What's True: Former Editor of the Washington Post Martin Baron 49:11

4M ago49:11

49:11

To figure out what’s true and what’s not in today’s chaotic, fragmented, contradictory information environment, all of us news consumers have to think like journalists: is that story I’m seeing backed by evidence, is the headline fair, is the coverage biased? Well, we could do worse than to think like the journalist who is today’s guest. Until his …

1
Fascism and Book Bans (with Maggie Tokuda-Hall) 56:59

4M ago56:59

56:59

Science fiction has been warning us about fascism for decades — so why haven't we listened? How did Nazis become just another monster in our stories, like werewolves or cyborgs? Plus we talk about the new wave of book censorship with Maggie Tokuda-Hall, co-founder of the new organization Authors Against Book Bans. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorr…

1
356. Dr. Rajiv Shah with Eric Liu: Charting a Course for Change 1:16:34

4M ago1:16:34

1:16:34

Ever wondered how a leader orchestrates large-scale change on a global scale? In his new book, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, Rajiv J. Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation and former administrator of USAID unveils his model for driving large-scale change. Drawing on his experiences, from vaccinating 900 million children w…

1
355. Barbara McQuade with Jenny Durkan: In Search of Truth 1:06:51

4M ago1:06:51

1:06:51

The subject of disinformation is a well-known part of political rhetoric, but it has implications even outside of the sphere of democracy. From the electoral system to schools; from the workplace to hospitals, the consequences of it are far-reaching and dire. A legal analyst at MSNBC and former U.S. Attorney, Barbara McQuade’s decades of experience…

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354. Michael J. Gerhardt: The Law of Presidential Impeachment 57:09

4M ago57:09

57:09

Have you ever wondered how impeachment really works? As a witness and consultant in the impeachment trials of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, legal scholar Michael J. Gerhardt has collected a lifetime of scholarly research and firsthand experience. But despite his proximity to such high-profile cases, Gerhardt doesn’t advocate for or against the imp…

1
The Turing Test is bullsh*t (w/Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender) 48:21

4M ago48:21

48:21

We're talking about the Turing Test, the grandmother of all tests for AI sentience. Joining us are AI researchers Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender, hosts of the Mystery AI Hype 3000 podcast. We discuss why the Turing Test is so influential in both fiction and reality – and why it is completely wrong. Later in the episode, we’ll talk about another thi…

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