While We're On The Subject

By Subject Radio

News & Politics Society & Culture Education History Educational Technology

What's While We're On The Subject about?

Jon Roberts and Michael Draper get together every week to discuss education, building a career as a millennial, social issues, personal development, technology, anything really.

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While We're On The Subject episodes:

07.31.2018
WWOTS 026: I Only Endorse Some Crime
Mike and Job discuss conspiracy theories and the complicated and public nature of the modern digital world. They then discuss how people underestimate the progress of democracy around the world and how some ideas in evolution and economics relate to...
07.03.2018
WWOTS 025: You’re Batting A Big Old Zero
There is a pervasive and growing mood of pessimism in many parts of society. Our hosts struggle to understand and deal with it. They then tell some of their worst stories from work. The show closes with a discussion of...
06.19.2018
WWOTS 024: Optimistic About Burning It All Down
Mike and Jon follow up on their discussion on repeated processes before debating what makes some revolutions successful. They then argue over the merits of the Irish abortion referendum and direct democracy more broadly. They close with a discussion of...
06.05.2018
WWOTS 023: Mobs Have Been Mobbing Since Humans Have Been Walking
The hosts argue about the usage democratize, capitalism, democracy, and communism and then explore the downsides of capitalism. They debate the merits of single issue voting and contrast the events of the Latin American independence revolutions and that of the...
05.31.2018
WWOTS 022: Just Turn Spongebob Off
Mike and Jon start out complaining about people with terrible grammar but quickly move on to an attempt to make boring things interesting and a far ranging conversation about the possibilities of terraforming Mars and Venus. They finish it all...
05.27.2018
WWOTS 021: Talking To Oldies
Mike and Jon complain about walking etiquette before exploring how society treats the elderly and experience. They then discuss creating new things and what goes into it. They close with a conversation on giant tech firms, and why there are...
05.15.2018
WWOTS 020: Klosterman’s Curious Questions
To celebrate their twentieth episode Mike and Jon decided to try something a little different. Avoiding even the whiff of anything serious they discuss a series of peculiar questions written by the Author Chuck Klosterman. They discuss questions: 1,2,4,13,7,19, and...
05.01.2018
WWOTS 019: National Kick A Kid While They’re Down Day
Mike and Jon talk about the potential use of DNA for data storage and the progression of science through the centuries. They then discuss their second quarter plans and the growing complexity of and conflicts between intellectual and tangible property...
04.24.2018
WWOTS 018: I Feel Like I Always Get Put In The Dumb Group
Mike and Jon discuss how words for specific places or things generalize before exploring some simple strategies for improving memory retention when studying or reading books. They then break down the relationships between population decline, economic growth, and national debts,...
04.11.2018
WWOTS 017: Back When Mao Was Maoing
Mike and Jon clarify the importance simplicity when learning science. Then they discuss playing pool and the difference between knowing about and knowing how to do something. They follow that with an exploration of potential impacts of Autonomous Vehicles and...
04.03.2018
WWOTS 016: Genetic Engineering Is Here Today
Mike and Jon start with a conversation about jobs their not suited for and the dull life of house painters before some follow up on the wilder side of genetic engineering. They then explain why they always rank things in...
03.26.2018
WWOTS 015: This Is Why I’m Glad We Don’t Talk
Mike and Jon discuss the differences between people who nitpick endlessly or make sweeping generalizations as well as how people wrap their identities up in their ideas. They also go over Jon’s condemnation of contemporary scientific units and the importance...
03.20.2018
WWOTS 014: That One Friend You Don’t Actually Like
Mike and Jon start with a conversation on the mentality of immigrants and the difference between risk and the unknown followed by a meandering walk through marginal cost how to evaluate friendships and the dangerous virality of long dead ideas.Listen...
03.08.2018
WWOTS 013: I Personally Want Genetically Superior Overlords
Our hosts examine the difficulties of migration and demographic decline in Eastern Europe and how this is exacerbating populism in Poland, Bulgaria, and Hungary. They go over what mike wants in a place he lives and talk about the history...
03.02.2018
WWOTS 012: Maybe Branding And Advertising Get Too Much Flack
Mike and Jon recap their conversation on time tracking and rank the three most underrated U.S. Presidents and the three worst periods of history. They then discuss why branding and advertising are so despised and the often ignored intrinsic value...
02.22.2018
WWOTS 011: Wow This Is Becoming Semi Motivational
Mike ruminates on the origins of stairs, housing and doors before challenging Jon to find something interesting in the mundane topic of rope. They continue with a discussion of commuting, getting gas in LA, and how traits like optimism, caution,...
01.30.2018
WWOTS 010: That Argument Is Incoherent Gobbledegook And Completely Useless
Mike and Jon begin by discussing how our expectations around marriage, schooling, and work are influenced by our families, the media, and society at large. They examine how desires interact with expectations and some of theirs growing up. After touching...
01.23.2018
WWOTS 009: What's Interesting Today, Will Be Interesting Tomorrow, And Was Interesting 10 Years Ago?
Our hosts broaden their conversation of grammar by complaining about people not using the plural possessive, schools not teaching grammar, and an exploration of German cases and the echoes of these that remain in English. They continue with a discussion...
01.16.2018
WWOTS 008: Justin Time
Our hosts start off contrasting the snow in Korea to the fires all over California. Jon then complains about speed bumps and somehow generalizes them as a symptom of greater evil in society. They suggest a way to think about...
01.09.2018
WWOTS 007: If You’re Spain, It’s Gonna Hurt A Lot
Mike and Jon follow up on the cost of cabs and Ryanair flights, and make corrections about car ownership and New York hurricanes. They also talk about the Economist Newspaper’s odd practice of collective authorship, and why we trust certain...
01.04.2018
WWOTS 006: Italians, Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Start World War III And Make Them Throw In The Towel
Jon and Mike talk about recent trips to liverpool and Milan, hate listening to podcasts like “the Joe Rogan Experience”, Mike’s new job in the property management industry, and how it feels to listen to recordings of yourself. They then...
12.27.2017
WWOTS 005: The Spooky Edition
Mike has been having a lot of great days lately. Jon and Mike discuss what makes for a good day and how to keep your momentum and good energy. They argue about commuting, and car ownership, then explore what makes...
12.21.2017
WWOTS 004: Learning How To Learn
After a summer break Mike and Jon return to discuss their travels in Peru, California, and Ireland, new jobs, settling into a new city and country, the American educational system, how we learn, the distinctions between skills and knowledge, how...
12.18.2017
WWOTS 003: Smuggling Money Out Of China
Mike and Jon discuss some new gadgets they’ve bought, how to get money out of China $500 at a time, Jon’s long path toward personal development and organization, the value of tracking how we spend time, how to assess goals...
12.14.2017
WWOTS 002: Dead Things, Old Stuff, And Islamaland
Mike and Jon touch on: fitness and stretching, traveling from China to Peru, and some of their pet peeves. They then go in depth on an archeological breakthrough regarding the origins of humans in the Americas and discuss the types...
12.11.2017
WWOTS 001: So We're Starting A Podcast, Oh And China's Pretty Big
MIke and Jon Introduce themselves and While We’re On The Subject. They then discuss China and break down its ethnic makeup, how it compares with Korea, and how the very diverse people of China interact with a regime that often...

What's While We're On The Subject about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

While We're On The Subject episodes:

WWOTS 026: I Only Endorse Some Crime

WWOTS 025: You’re Batting A Big Old Zero

WWOTS 024: Optimistic About Burning It All Down

WWOTS 023: Mobs Have Been Mobbing Since Humans Have Been Walking

WWOTS 022: Just Turn Spongebob Off

WWOTS 021: Talking To Oldies

WWOTS 020: Klosterman’s Curious Questions

WWOTS 019: National Kick A Kid While They’re Down Day

WWOTS 018: I Feel Like I Always Get Put In The Dumb Group

WWOTS 017: Back When Mao Was Maoing

WWOTS 016: Genetic Engineering Is Here Today

WWOTS 015: This Is Why I’m Glad We Don’t Talk

WWOTS 014: That One Friend You Don’t Actually Like

WWOTS 013: I Personally Want Genetically Superior Overlords

WWOTS 012: Maybe Branding And Advertising Get Too Much Flack

WWOTS 011: Wow This Is Becoming Semi Motivational

WWOTS 010: That Argument Is Incoherent Gobbledegook And Completely Useless

WWOTS 009: What's Interesting Today, Will Be Interesting Tomorrow, And Was Interesting 10 Years Ago?

WWOTS 008: Justin Time

WWOTS 007: If You’re Spain, It’s Gonna Hurt A Lot

WWOTS 006: Italians, Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Start World War III And Make Them Throw In The Towel

WWOTS 005: The Spooky Edition

WWOTS 004: Learning How To Learn

WWOTS 003: Smuggling Money Out Of China

WWOTS 002: Dead Things, Old Stuff, And Islamaland

WWOTS 001: So We're Starting A Podcast, Oh And China's Pretty Big