Factually! with Adam Conover

Asian Americans are an essential part of the history of this country, but the true story is all too little told, especially in a time of rising anti-Asian sentiment and violence. Historian and author of “Asian American Histories of the United States” Catherine Choy joins Adam to discuss the origin of racist ideas such as the “model minority myth,” and dive into the history. You can purchase Catherine’s book at http://factuallypod.com/books

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Crypto is crashing, which makes it the perfect time to ask whether blockchain technology is actually — you know — useful for anything. Computer scientist Nicholas Weaver joins Adam to discuss the inherent flaws in the technology, the shockingly slow state of innovation considering that the technology has been around for a decade, and what a better system for digital money might be. You can follow Nicholas on Twitter at @ncweaver.

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Is artificial intelligence a problem, or is the real problem how we’re using the term in the first place? Linguistics professor Emily Bender joins Adam to discuss why we should resist the urge to be impressed when it comes to big tech’s AI promises, and how our belief in the fantasy of A.I. could be worse than the reality. You can follow Emily on Twitter at @emilymbender.

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Despite our efforts, we seem to be no better at treating mental illness than we were hundreds of years ago. Desperate Remedies author Andrew Scull joins Adam to explain why, on the way touching on the history of lobotomization, the collapse of psychoanalysis, and why our current regime of pharmaceutical intervention might not be all it’s cracked up to be. You can purchase Andrew's book here: https://factuallypod.com/books

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Despite our efforts, we seem to be no better at treating mental illness than we were hundreds of years ago. Desperate Remedies author Andrew Scull joins Adam to explain why, on the way touching on the history of lobotomization, the collapse of psychoanalysis, and why our current regime of pharmaceutical intervention might not be all it’s cracked up to be. You can purchase Andrew's book here: https://factuallypod.com/books

In 2020, America went through a national reckoning about our racist criminal justice system. Just under two years later, has all that progress evaporated? Pulitzer winner, professor, and author of Locking Up Our Own, James Forman Jr., joins Adam to discuss the return of “tough on crime” politics and how building a movement for criminal justice reform locally can lead to progress nationally, as well as how community organizers and “violence interrupters” are a key part of the restorative justice movement. You can purchase James’ book here: http://factuallypod.com/books

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When we picture robots, we normally think of an artificial being created in our own image. But what if this were deeply misleading? Author ofThe New Breed, Kate Darling, joins Adam to separate fact from science fiction and discuss the potentials and perils of real life robots. They get into the ethical issues involved with autonomous weapons systems and vehicles, why robots don’t need to look like people, and why robots might be better thought of as animal companions, rather than human replacements. You can purchase Kate’s book here: http://factuallypod.com/books

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Our criminal justice system gives the impression of being impartial and fact-based, but in reality, it’s anything but. Innocence Project lawyer and author of Junk Science Chris Fabricant joins Adam to break down why pseudoscience is allowed into the court room, the influence of the Ted Bundy trial on mainstream forensics and the impact of the criminal justice system on marginalized people. You can purchase Chris’ book here: https://factuallypod.com/books

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Adam’s new series The G Word is out this Thursday on Netflix! To commemorate the premiere, this week The Fifth Risk author Michael Lewis turns the tables on Adam, interviewing him about how made the show. In the second half, they explore Michael's own reporting on how the CDC bungled COVID-19, and how Michael goes about writing his best-selling works of journalism. 

You can purchase The Fifth Risk at http://factuallypod.com/books, and watch The G Word on Netflix starting May 19th!

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Do we really own the devices we buy? ‘The Right to Repair’ author Aaron Perzanowki joins Adam to explain how companies are using their power to control the products we buy from them, even after they’ve left the store, and prevent us from repairing them ourselves. They discuss how this affects the environment, the livelihood of farmers, and the longevity of AirPods, and Aaron shares resources on how we can take power back and do our own repairs. You can purchase Aaron’s book at http://factuallypod.com/books

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