The Best Paragraph I've Read...

By Zac & Don

A podcast that discusses an interesting article or concept.... more

· Education

4.9

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FAQs about The Best Paragraph I've Read...:

How many episodes does The Best Paragraph I've Read... have?

The podcast currently has 269 episodes available.

The Best Paragraph I've Read... episodes:

June 23, 2023 Is Ninja Warrior A Sport or A Reality Show? Should It Be In the Olympics? How Should Parents Feel If Their Kid Is Into Ninja and Not A Traditional Team Sport? Has America Reached Peak Ninja Interest?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
Inside the repurposed warehouse, human superballs fling themselves from unwieldy plastic rings and bars suspended from steel
scaffolding, while others scurry up the trio of towering, curved (better known as “warped”) walls looming in the corner, the tallest of which stands a
foreboding 14' 8". On the rear wall, there is a peg board, navigated by ninjas who insert and hang from wooden rods along a jagged course of holes. And
beside that hangs a homemade wooden salmon ladder, which a ninja ascends by dangling from a horizontal metal pole and heaving it up a series of vertical grooves.
The kids, many of whom aren’t quick to make eye contact with strangers and are prone to slumped shoulders, seem to double in size in that room. They laugh and—quite literally—bounce off the walls.
This paragraph comes from Sports Illustrated. The article is titled: "Go Ninja." The article is written by Brian Burnsed.
Zac and Don discuss the sport of Ninja Warrior. They wonder if it is really sport or more of a reality exhibition. They also talk about whether Ninja Warrior has reached its peak in popularity and whether it should become an olympic sport.
...more
28min
June 15, 2023 We Read the Vince McMahon Biography! Is this a Book For Everyone? Did Trump Learn from Pro Wrestling? Why Do People Like Pro Wrestling? Is Vince's Story Just Like Other American Business Tycoons?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
Is wrestling real? Is it fake? The answer to both questions is, paradoxically, yes. The outcome of each contest is scripted. The body slams and submissions are choreographed. Sworn enemies are, in all likelihood, friends. But the Undertaker (Mark Calaway) really did throw Mankind (Mick Foley) off the top of that steel cage during a 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view match. Foley really did fall 16 feet and crash through the announcers’ table. He was carted off on a stretcher, only to fight the paramedics and stumble back to the ring, where the Undertaker once again sent Foley’s massive body flying, this time through the “Hell in a Cell” chain-link roof. A bit later, the Undertaker choke-slammed him onto a pile of thumbtacks. By the time the match was over, Foley had a badly injured shoulder and a broken tooth shoved up his nose. Professional wrestling delivers sensory overload that’s almost impossible to capture with mere description. “It’s the best [thing] I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” Andy Warhol said of a 1985 match at Madison Square Garden.
This paragraph comes from The Atlantic in an article titled: "How Wrestling Explains America." The article is written by John Hendrickson. You can read the full article here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/03/wwe-wrestling-trump-mcmahon-politics/673517/
This article is a part of a review of the following book:
Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vince+mcmahon+book&sprefix=vince+mc%2Caps%2C182&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_8
Zac and Don review the recent biography of Vince McMahon and the WWE.
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41min
June 05, 2023 School Librarian Exit Interview! Melissa Middleton Reflects on Book Bans, Teenage Reading Habits, the Shortage of Librarians, Ineffective Technology, Accomplishments, & Concerns for Public Education!
Zac and Don speak with Melissa Middleton as she gets ready to retire from education. They ask her about the changes she has seen in education. They ask her about being a librarian, books bans, whether students are losing an interest in reading, and more!
...more
44min
May 23, 2023 Debt Ceiling Drama! Will America Default or Will Our Leaders Cut A Deal? Should Biden Mint A One Trillion Dollar Coin? Will People Start Investing in Another Currency? Oil? Copper? Cobalt? Or Bitcoin?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:

As many economists, including Sarah House of Wells Fargo, have argued, “you don’t even need to actually default on the debt for there to be real damage in the economy.” At Bloomberg Economics, a team led by Chief US Economist Anna Wong modeled a scenario where a protracted standoff leads to elevated market stress, and Treasury is forced to cut social spending to prioritize funds to repay the debt. They estimate, conservatively, that gross domestic product could contract at an annualized rate of 8% in the second half as a result.
Through wars, recessions and the pandemic, Americans have benefited from the US Treasury bond being the closest thing there is to a risk-free asset, allowing the federal government to fund itself often at lower costs than its peers. Demand for those securities supports a $24 trillion market that is the world’s deepest and most liquid. US Treasury bonds also anchor a world-spanning network of financial transactions.
Even if a last-minute deal averts a default, America’s reputation as a country that honors its debts could take a hit, with the effects lingering for months or even years.
This paragraph comes from Bloomberg in an article titled: "The True Cost of an Extended US Debt Ceiling Standoff." The article is written by Saleha Mohsin and Enda Curran. You can read the full article here:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-18/debt-ceiling-standoffs-threaten-an-already-wobbly-dollar

Zac and Don discuss the current debt ceiling drama. They wonder if the president and congress will make a deal at the last minute. They also discuss the merits of President Biden minting a one trillion dollar coin.
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37min
May 19, 2023 Is A College's Name the Only Thing that Matters? Should Young People Choose By Perception? Will Quality, Offerings, Location, Cost, and Return on Investment Ever Matter More than A University's Brand?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
Did they plan to study specifically with one of us? Was our institution particularly strong in the academic disciplines that interested them? Most of
them couldn’t really tell me why they wanted Duke. They just knew that they should want it. It would validate them. It would impress their friends.
Translation: It was highly ranked — currently tied for the 10th-best university in the country, ahead of half of the Ivy League, according to the justly
embattled but perversely enduring bible for such matters, U.S. News & World Report. To many anxious teenagers making what feels like the most important decision of their lives, that marker must mean something, so they let it mean almost everything. They come to believe that the luster of the institution they
attend, as established by its ranking and its exclusivity, will not only define their place in the world but also determine their professional success and
contentment. And they minimize other, better criteria for choosing a college.
This essay comes from the New York Times. The essay is titled: There's Only One College Rankings List That Matters. The essay is written by Frank Bruni. You can read the full story here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/27/opinion/problem-college-rankings.html
Zac and Don discuss the realities of choosing a college. Should young people spend more time thinking about what a college has to offer rather than just the brand name? Will The New York Time's new college choosing system actually make a difference?
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31min
May 11, 2023 Failure! Did Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks Fail? Or Was their Playoff Loss Just Steps to Success? Should We Hold Pro Athletes to A Different Standard When It Comes to Failure?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
"Do you get a promotion every year, in your job?”
Antetokounmpo answered, after a long pause in which he placed his head in his
hands. “No, right? So every year you work is a failure? Yes or no. No? Every
year you work, you work towards something, towards a goal, which is to get a
promotion, to be able to take care of your family, provide a house for them, or
take care of your parents. You work towards a goal – it’s not a failure. It’s
steps to success.”
"There’s always steps to it,” Antetokounmpo continued.
“Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships. The other nine years
[were] a failure? That’s what you’re telling me…why do you ask me that
question? It’s the wrong question.”
“There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad
days. Some days you are able to be successful, some days you’re not. Some days
it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn. And that’s what sports is about.
You don’t always win. Some other people are going to win. And this year,
somebody else is going to win. We’re going to come back next year and try to be
better.”
This quote comes from Milwaukee Bucks center Giannis Antetokounmpo. The quotes comes from an essay written in the Wall Street Journal by Jason Gay. You can read the full article here:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/giannis-antetokounmpo-failure-speech-bucks-nba-a37beed1
Zac and Don discuss Giannis's opinion of whether he and his team failed. They connect the opinion to their own lives and to other instances of life success and failure. They wonder if there is any merit to those who disagree with Giannis.
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26min
May 04, 2023 AI Update! Should AI Do Our Schoolwork, Housework, & Letters of Rec? Will AI Take Our Jobs & Train Robot Soldiers? How Should We Tax & Regulate AI? Is Google Losing? Are We Living in a Simulation?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
After some observation, researchers concluded these generative agents were able to "produce believable individual and emergent social behaviors."
AI avatars named Isabella Rodriguez and Tom Moreno, for instance, debated the town's upcoming election. When Isabella asked Tom what he thought of Sam Moore, the candidate running for mayor of Smallville, Tom replied with his opinion.
"To be honest, I don't like Sam Moore," the AI Tom said. "I think he's out of touch with the community and doesn't have our best interests at heart."
The agents were also able to respond to their environment. Isabella turned off her stove and made a new breakfast when she was told her food was burning. AI agent John Lin had spontaneous conversations without being prompted throughout the day, as he followed a schedule he'd made.
Agents were even able to organize a Valentine's Day party without prompts. When Isabella was given the task, she managed to "autonomously" invite friends and customers she met at the local cafe and decorate the party venue. The agents she invited made plans to arrive at the party together at 5 p.m. Maria, an AI agent invited to the party, even asked her "secret crush" Klaus on a date to join her at the party, and he agreed.
This paragraph comes from the Business Insider. The article is titled: "This is what Happened When 25 AI Avatars Were Let Loose in a Virtual Town." The article is written by Aaron Mok. You can read the full article here:
https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-avatars-let-loose-in-virtual-town-display-beginnings-agi-2023-4
Zac and Don discuss many ideas surrounding AI. They talk about Google's new AI technology, if we should be afraid of AI, if AI will take our jobs, and whether the technology might just fade into the background. They also talk about how schools should consider using AI and whether AI proves we are all just living in a simulation.
Here are links to the other AI articles we read/watched:
The End of Recommendation Letters
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/04/chatgpt-ai-college-professors/673796/
At what rate should we tax AI?
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2023/04/at-what-rate-should-we-tax-ai-workers.html
Ideas for Regulating AI Safety
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2023/04/ideas-for-regulating-ai-safety.html
60 Minutes: The AI Revolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=880TBXMuzmk
What Happens When AI Has Read Everything
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/01/artificial-intelligence-ai-chatgpt-dall-e-2-learning/672754/
Rogue AI Could Kill Everyone
https://nypost.com/2023/01/26/rogue-ai-could-kill-everyone-scientists-warn/
AI Can Save Education from Itself
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-can-save-education-from-itself-chatgpt-reform-information-skills-tools-reasoning-opportunity-11674513542
ChatGPT is Coming for Classrooms Don't Panic
https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-is-coming-for-classrooms-dont-panic/
ChatGPT Will Change Housework
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/04/chatgpt-ai-use-domestic-labor-housework/673735/
...more
56min
April 27, 2023 Don's Student Teacher Sam Posey Speaks! Why Are Fewer College Students Becoming Teachers? What Are the Requirements to Become a Teacher? What Are the Challenges of Being a Student Teacher?
This week Zac and Don talk with Don's student teacher Sam Posey. They talk about college teacher preparation programs and meeting the requirements to be a teacher. They talk about why the teaching profession seems unappealing to Sam's generation. They discuss whether we should prepare future teachers differently. They also talk about being a student teacher and some of the challenges that go with learning how to be a teacher.
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46min
April 20, 2023 Does America Require Too Many Job Licenses & Credentials? Who Benefits from Professional Licenses -the worker or consumer? Should Anyone that Wants to Teach or Cut Hair Be Allowed Without A License?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
"In louisiana, it takes $1,485 and roughly 2,190 days to become an interior designer. In Washington, it takes $319 and 373 days to become a cosmetologist. The District of Columbia requires $740 to become an auctioneer, and a college degree to watch children for someone else. (Having and watching your own children continues to be an unlicensed affair.) In Kansas, you have to cough up $200 to work as a funeral attendant. And Maine requires $235 and 1,095 days to become a travel guide. Want to move states? That could mean you have to relicense, as if, say, cutting hair is materially different in Massachusetts than it is in New York."
This paragraph comes from The Atlantic. The article is titled: "Permission-Slip Culture Is Hurting America." The article is written by Jerusalem Demsas. You can read the full article here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/state-licensing-requirements-cosmetologists-landscape-architecture/673196/
Zac and Don discuss the role of professional licenses in our society. They reflect on their own respective licenses to teach and how they benefit from it. They also wonder if there should be many fewer licensed professions.
...more
38min
April 13, 2023 Should We Blame Parent Pressure for the Rise In Teen Anxiety? Is Parent Desire For Academic and Sports Accolades the Real Reason Teens Are Struggling? Has Social Media Been Used As A Scapegoat?
The Best Paragraph I've Read:
"Forty years ago, the most anxious kids in America were those in low-income households. Beginning in the late 1990s, that flipped, according to the researcher Suniya Luthar. In a series of studies, she found that rich teens in high-achieving schools were the most anxious and depressed. One possibility she explored was that the most rigorous schools created an environment where kids worried too much about how they measured up to their peers in grades, activities, and college admissions."
This paragraph comes from The Atlantic. The article is titled: "We're Missing A Key Driver of Teen Anxiety." The author is Derek Thompson. You can read the full article here:
We’re Missing a Key Driver of Teen Anxiety - The Atlantic
Zac and Don discuss the connection between parent pressure and teen anxiety. They wonder if this pressure has always been there. They also wonder if this is just an issue for the wealthy in society. They also wonder if there are any solutions to this issue.
...more
38min

FAQs about The Best Paragraph I've Read...:

How many episodes does The Best Paragraph I've Read... have?

The podcast currently has 269 episodes available.

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