"Work" means different things to different people. Some people dread it, other people revel in it. Overall, though, it's a necessity for most of us. But it can feel...pointless, at times. In a more philosophical episode, Sam speaks with Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza, a writer and essayist, about an essay she wrote on this very topic. Emily writes about work, our relationship to it, and also hosts a podcast about work as well.

If you've ever felt like you were wasting your life at your desk, this episode is for you.

Host: Sam Becker

Guest: Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza

Links:

Emily's website

Emily's podcast: How to Be Anything

Emily's Fast Company essay

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus

The Trump administration has used the heft of the federal government to bully, intimidate, and silence its critics in a way no other administration has before. In perhaps the most public display of policing speech, the FCC has tried (and succeeded) to "cancel" late-night comedians and talk show hosts.

The United States was, previously, a country where things like this were not tolerated. But now, it seems, we are. What does that mean for free speech in the U.S. going forward? Will future presidents use the same approach? Will Americans stand for it?

Host Sam Becker speaks with Lee Rowland, the executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, on the topic.

Host: Sam Becker

Guest: Lee Rowland

Links:

The National Coalition Against Censorship

Sam Becker

The "FCC" story Sam mentioned writing

Discovering extraterrestrial life would be massive, and telling the world about it would be challenging as well. Our ability to communicate important scientific information has broken down, and that's a big problem. The pandemic played a role, and there are reasons that people may be skeptical or untrusting of authority.

Host Sam Becker speaks with Dr. Brianne Suldovsky, a professor at Portland State University who specializes in science communication and public engagement, on the topic. Dr. Suldovsky published a white paper exploring how the government and scientists would communicate the discovery of extraterrestrial life, and how the approach could differ depending on what, exactly, we find.

Host: Sam Becker

Guest: Dr. Brianne Suldovsky

Introducing "The Next Next Thing," a podcast about what's happening now, and what comes later, hosted by writer and journalist Sam Becker.