The Most Important Question

By Important, Not ImportantSociety & Culture Science Technology

The Most Important Question episodes

February 05, 2019 #53: How the Hell Do We Pull Clean Drinking Water Out of Thin Air?
In Episode 53, Quinn & Brian ask: How the hell do we pull clean drinking water out of thin air?

Our guest is Dr. Shing-Chung “Josh” Wong, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Akron In addition to pursuing bio-inspired materials research, he has worked on mechanical behavior and functional properties of polymers, electrospinning, processing-structure-property relationships, coatings, bio- and nano-materials, and composites. Dr. Wong has authored and co-authored over 70 archived articles in book, journal, and patent literatures, and in 2007, he was selected as a recipient for the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

There are a lot of words you may not understand in that bio – don’t worry, you’re not alone – but the reason Josh is awesome and we wanted him on the show comes down to one simple fact: he has invented some very cool shit that benefits anyone who enjoys being alive on Earth. He comes from a place of such moral integrity, constantly striving to use his capacity for innovation and discovery to help other people... a trait that is almost staggeringly uncommon these days, to our detriment.

Trump’s Book Club:

Biography of a Chairman Mao Badge: The Creation and Mass Consumption of a Personality Cult by Professor Melissa Schrift

Links:

Contribute to the University of Akron Foundation (with a note that it’s a gift to support water harvesting research by Professor Josh Wong): https://www.uakron.edu/treasurer/uaf.dot

Check out Josh’s water harvester: https://www.uakron.edu/engineering/me/me-news-detail.dot?newsId=c1f0c8d5-a992-468b-bb91-7ba9e3ea4597&pageTitle=Recent%20Headlines&crumbTitle=Engineering%20professor%20to%20present%20freshwater%20research%20at%20ACS%20national%20meeting

Brad Meltzer’s incredible books for kids: http://bradmeltzer.com/TV-Kids-and-More/Kids-Books

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr:
56 min
February 05, 2019 #53: How the Hell Do We Pull Clean Drinking Water Out of Thin Air?
In Episode 53, Quinn & Brian ask: How the hell do we pull clean drinking water out of thin air?
Our guest is Dr. Shing-Chung “Josh” Wong, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Akron In addition to pursuing bio-inspired materials research, he has worked on mechanical behavior and functional properties of polymers, electrospinning, processing-structure-property relationships, coatings, bio- and nano-materials, and composites. Dr. Wong has authored and co-authored over 70 archived articles in book, journal, and patent literatures, and in 2007, he was selected as a recipient for the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award.
There are a lot of words you may not understand in that bio – don’t worry, you’re not alone – but the reason Josh is awesome and we wanted him on the show comes down to one simple fact: he has invented some very cool shit that benefits anyone who enjoys being alive on Earth. He comes from a place of such moral integrity, constantly striving to use his capacity for innovation and discovery to help other people... a trait that is almost staggeringly uncommon these days, to our detriment.
Trump’s Book Club:
Biography of a Chairman Mao Badge: The Creation and Mass Consumption of a Personality Cult by Professor Melissa Schrift
Links:
Contribute to the University of Akron Foundation (with a note that it’s a gift to support water harvesting research by Professor Josh Wong): https://www.uakron.edu/treasurer/uaf.dot
Check out Josh’s water harvester: https://www.uakron.edu/engineering/me/me-news-detail.dot?newsId=c1f0c8d5-a992-468b-bb91-7ba9e3ea4597&pageTitle=Recent%20Headlines&crumbTitle=Engineering%20professor%20to%20present%20freshwater%20research%20at%20ACS%20national%20meeting
Brad Meltzer’s incredible books for kids: http://bradmeltzer.com/TV-Kids-and-More/Kids-Books
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr:
55 min
February 02, 2019 Fun Talk #5
In After Dark Episode 5 – AKA Fun Talk, AKA Not Not Important, AKA definitely not confusing at all – Quinn & Brian discuss Quinn’s potentially undiagnosed OCD, Brian declining “stupid” calendar invites (are they stupid? We’ll let you decide), getting cut doing the Deadpool workout, the one change each of us should make, the pressure Quinn puts on Brian for our 60-second morning show (check it out at https://www.instagram.com/importantnotimportant/), talking to a cat, extravagant Armenian weddings, getting your first tattoo, the big beautiful canvas of Brian’s back, and an update on the LA county schools.
Links:
Have feedback or questions? Send a message to [email protected]
Watch Brian’s morning show on IGS: https://www.instagram.com/importantnotimportant/
Read: “Get Ripped Like Ryan Reynolds with the 'Deadpool 2' Full-Body Workout”
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
---
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/important-not-important/message
43 min
January 29, 2019 #52: What’s the Deal With the Green New Deal?
In Episode 52, Quinn & Brian ask (using their best Seinfeld impression): What’s the deal with the Green New Deal?

Our guest is Varshini Prakash, a founder of the Sunrise Movement, a veritable army of young folks fighting to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We think Varshini will be, no exaggeration, one of the most instrumental people in American politics (and for the future health of our planet) over the next couple years.

The Sunrise Movement’s army is comprised of ordinary people who are scared about what the climate crisis means for the people and places they love. They aren’t looking to the Left or the Right to solve the problem – they’re looking forward to unite millions of people and reclaim our democracy from the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executive and those who empower them. The cornerstone of this movement is the Green New Deal, a plan that will transform our economy and society at the scale needed to stop the climate crisis. So this summer, thousands of people from Sunrise will descend on one of the first Democratic Presidential debates to #ChangeTheDebate and make sure the #GreenNewDeal is a top issue in the 2020 election.

Like our friends Elsa Mengistu and Emelly Villa from episode 33, Varshini recognizes that #thisisZeroHour – and the Green New Deal is our chance to turn back the clock.

Trump’s Book Club:

Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? by Martin Luther King Jr.

Links:

Learn more at https://www.sunrisemovement.org

Find or start a local Sunrise Hub: https://www.sunrisemovement.org/hubs

Donate to Sunrise: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dec-dc-action?refcode=website-top-button

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunrisemvmt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunrisemvmt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt

Blueprint for the Green New Deal: http://ocasio2018.com/gnd

Check out https://5calls.org/

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
55 min
January 29, 2019 #52: What’s the Deal With the Green New Deal?
In Episode 52, Quinn & Brian ask (using their best Seinfeld impression): What’s the deal with the Green New Deal?
Our guest is Varshini Prakash, a founder of the Sunrise Movement, a veritable army of young folks fighting to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We think Varshini will be, no exaggeration, one of the most instrumental people in American politics (and for the future health of our planet) over the next couple years.
The Sunrise Movement’s army is comprised of ordinary people who are scared about what the climate crisis means for the people and places they love. They aren’t looking to the Left or the Right to solve the problem – they’re looking forward to unite millions of people and reclaim our democracy from the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executive and those who empower them. The cornerstone of this movement is the Green New Deal, a plan that will transform our economy and society at the scale needed to stop the climate crisis. So this summer, thousands of people from Sunrise will descend on one of the first Democratic Presidential debates to #ChangeTheDebate and make sure the #GreenNewDeal is a top issue in the 2020 election.
Like our friends Elsa Mengistu and Emelly Villa from episode 33, Varshini recognizes that #thisisZeroHour – and the Green New Deal is our chance to turn back the clock.
Trump’s Book Club:
Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? by Martin Luther King Jr.
Links:
Learn more at https://www.sunrisemovement.org
Find or start a local Sunrise Hub: https://www.sunrisemovement.org/hubs
Donate to Sunrise: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dec-dc-action?refcode=website-top-button
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunrisemvmt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunrisemvmt
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt
Blueprint for the Green New Deal: http://ocasio2018.com/gnd
Check out https://5calls.org/
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
54 min
January 25, 2019 Fun Talk #4
In After Dark Episode 4, Quinn & Brian discuss Brian’s new morning show (which you can find in our Instagram stories: https://www.instagram.com/importantnotimportant), curse like sailors, rebel against airbrushing photos, commiserate with LA county teachers, cover the #trumpshutdown, stop buying new clothes and eating meat, consider opening a coffee shop, and go for a run.
Links:
Have feedback or questions? Send a message to [email protected]
Watch Brian’s morning show on IGS: https://www.instagram.com/importantnotimportant/
“#ShutdownStories: The impact of the government shutdown”: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46739180
Calculate your carbon footprint: https://www.footprintnetwork.org/
The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann: http://www.theworldatlasofcoffee.com/
“The Impossible Burger 2.0 is a plant-based beef replacement that's meatier than ever”: https://www.popsci.com/impossible-burger-2-taste-test-ces-2018
Look at Brian’s pretty face: http://www.iambck.com
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
---
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/important-not-important/message
38 min
January 22, 2019 #51: Are We Thinking About CRISPR All Wrong (& What the Hell is CRISPR)?
In Episode 51, Quinn & Brian ask: Are we thinking about CRISPR all wrong (and what the hell is CRISPR)?

Our guest is C. Brandon Ogbunu, an evolutionary systems biologist working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University.

Although the title is different, his role is almost identical to Brian’s here at INI: He uses experimental evolution, mathematical modeling, and computational biology to better understand the underlying causes and consequences of disease, across scales: from the biophysics of proteins involved in drug resistance to the social determinants underlying disease.

In doing so, he aims to develop theory that enriches our understanding of the evolutionary and ecological underpinnings of disease, while contributing to practical solutions for clinical medicine and public health.

So, like Brian, it’s pretty apparent why C. Brandon is vital to the survival of our species. (The similarities are just uncanny, aren’t they?)

We’ve talked about CRISPR before on the show, but if you’re not familiar, here’s a brief and overly simplistic overview of this potentially world-changing technology: it’s scissors for DNA. It’s still a very young technology – it was only patented in 2012 – but it has the potential to do everything from eliminating genetic diseases from our lineage, to making our food supply more efficient and productive, to creating a real-life Jurassic Park. But what can’t we do with it – and perhaps more importantly, what shouldn’t we be doing with it? That’s what we’re going to find out today.

Trump’s Book Club:

From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America by Elizabeth Hinton

Links:

Learn more at https://vivo.brown.edu/display/cogbunug

Twitter: https://twitter.com/big_data_kane

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/big_data_kane/

Read C. Brandon’s writing: https://medium.com/ogplexus

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
1 hr 13 min
January 22, 2019 #51: Are We Thinking About CRISPR All Wrong (& What the Hell is CRISPR)?
In Episode 51, Quinn & Brian ask: Are we thinking about CRISPR all wrong (and what the hell is CRISPR)?
Our guest is C. Brandon Ogbunu, an evolutionary systems biologist working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University. Although the title is different, his role is almost identical to Brian’s here at INI: He uses experimental evolution, mathematical modeling, and computational biology to better understand the underlying causes and consequences of disease, across scales: from the biophysics of proteins involved in drug resistance to the social determinants underlying disease. In doing so, he aims to develop theory that enriches our understanding of the evolutionary and ecological underpinnings of disease, while contributing to practical solutions for clinical medicine and public health.
So, like Brian, it’s pretty apparent why C. Brandon is vital to the survival of our species. (The similarities are just uncanny, aren’t they?)
We’ve talked about CRISPR before on the show, but if you’re not familiar, here’s a brief and overly simplistic overview of this potentially world-changing technology: it’s scissors for DNA. It’s still a very young technology – it was only patented in 2012 – but it has the potential to do everything from eliminating genetic diseases from our lineage, to making our food supply more efficient and productive, to creating a real-life Jurassic Park. But what can’t we do with it – and perhaps more importantly, what shouldn’t we be doing with it? That’s what we’re going to find out today.
Trump’s Book Club:
From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America by Elizabeth Hinton
Links:
Learn more at https://vivo.brown.edu/display/cogbunug
Twitter: https://twitter.com/big_data_kane
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/big_data_kane/
Read C. Brandon’s writing: https://medium.com/ogplexus
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
1 hr 12 min
January 15, 2019 BEST OF 2018: New Antibiotics in a Post-Antibiotic Era
Back in Episode 19, Quinn & Brian asked: What’s the future of antibiotics?

To find out, we sat down with bowtie enthusiast and professor of pathology and immunology and biomedical engineering Dr. Gautam Dantas. Dr. Dantas leads the Dantas Lab at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, where they work at the interface of microbial genomics, ecology, synthetic biology, and systems biology, to understand, harness, and engineer the biochemical processing potential of microbial communities.

We had a lovely, not terrifying chat about designing new antibiotics in the post-antibiotic area. Topics covered include bacteria as the O.G., Thanos, precision medicine, cows, horror shows from the ancient past buried in ice cores, and your vote and where it should go. This was one of our favorite and most-downloaded episodes of all time, and we wanted to share it as we prepare for some exciting stuff to come in 2019.

Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!

Trump’s Book Club:

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3

Links:

Dr. Gautam Dantas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VolatileBug

Dantas Lab: http://www.dantaslab.org/

“Why Some Bacteria Eat Antibiotics,” NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/why-some-bacteria-eat-antibiotics-what-we-can-do-about-n870181

“Antibiotic Resistance is Ancient,” Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831155334.htm

Connect with us:

Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!

Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett

Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken

Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant

Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp

Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant

Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com

Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
1 hr 9 min
January 15, 2019 BEST OF 2018: New Antibiotics in a Post-Antibiotic Era
Back in Episode 19, Quinn & Brian asked: What’s the future of antibiotics?
To find out, we sat down with bowtie enthusiast and professor of pathology and immunology and biomedical engineering Dr. Gautam Dantas. Dr. Dantas leads the Dantas Lab at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, where they work at the interface of microbial genomics, ecology, synthetic biology, and systems biology, to understand, harness, and engineer the biochemical processing potential of microbial communities.
We had a lovely, not terrifying chat about designing new antibiotics in the post-antibiotic area. Topics covered include bacteria as the O.G., Thanos, precision medicine, cows, horror shows from the ancient past buried in ice cores, and your vote and where it should go. This was one of our favorite and most-downloaded episodes of all time, and we wanted to share it as we prepare for some exciting stuff to come in 2019.
Want to send us feedback? Tweet us, email us, or leave us a voice message!
Trump’s Book Club:
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/3R5XF4WMZE0TV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2Gr8Ab6RS5WF3
Links:
Dr. Gautam Dantas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VolatileBug
Dantas Lab: http://www.dantaslab.org/
“Why Some Bacteria Eat Antibiotics,” NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/why-some-bacteria-eat-antibiotics-what-we-can-do-about-n870181
“Antibiotic Resistance is Ancient,” Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831155334.htm
Connect with us:
Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com
Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
Follow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertken
Like and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportant
Check us on Instagram: instagram.com/ImportantNotImportant
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
Pin us on Pinterest: pinterest.com/ImportantNotImportant
Tumble us or whatever the hell you do on Tumblr: importantnotimportant.tumblr.com
Important, Not Important is produced by Podcast Masters
1 hr 8 min

About The Most Important Question

From the publisher's feed

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.