The Most Important Question
Science for people who give a sh*t.
Want to feel better AND unf*ck the world? The 6-time Webby nominee delivers deep conversations with the world's smartest people (scientists, doctors, CEO's, farmers, and more!), and digestible news updates every single week, to help you answer the world's most important question: What can I do?
We're talkin' clean energy and coral reefs, COVID vaccines and pediatric cancer research, clean water and carbon capture tech, asteroid deflection and artificial intelligence ethics.
"A vital service in an era where important truths, outright fiction and mere trivia all compete for your attention.” - Craig Mazin, creator, writer, and executive producer of HBO's Chernobyl
Hosted by Quinn Emmett
- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 46 minutes
- Episodes
- 435
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
GOOD NEWS: What's It Like To Almost Be An Astronaut?
Back in Episode 42, Quinn & Brian asked: What happens when you’re almost an astronaut... and what comes next?
Our guest is Dr. Sian Proctor, an explorer, scientist, full-time professor, STEM communica…
GOOD NEWS: Food Waste is the Stupidest Thing We Do
In Episode 44, Quinn & Brian discussed: Why food waste is the stupidest thing we do and how can we cut it in half.
Our guest was Dr. James Rogers, founder and CEO of Apeel Sciences and one of our most…
GOOD NEWS: How to Be A Better Ancestor
To continue our Good News series, we’re looking back to Episode 78, when Quinn & Brian discussed: Planning for chaos. (Cheery, right?)
For real, though. This episode offers an actionable, helpful, rev…
GOOD NEWS: Can Zebrafish Beat Childhood Cancer?
In Episode 75, Quinn & Brian discussed: Beating the crap out of childhood cancer with science and... zebrafish?
Our guests are Dr. Jaclyn Taroni and Dr. Genevieve Kendall.
Dr. Kendall is a Postdoctora…
WEBBY NOMINEE: "Who's Fixing The People Fixing The Planet?"
If you haven’t already heard, we received a Webby nomination for Best Podcast Episode in the Science & Education category. We’re really proud to be nominated again… but, we also really want to win. S…
Holy Cow We're Nominated For Two Webbys
That's right, we are now a four-time Webby-nominated podcast! But what we really want is to be a Webby-winning podcast. So, please, go vote! It's free and you can stick it to the AARP.
Vote for Import…
GOOD NEWS: Did A.I. Just Make My Life’s Work Obsolete?
In Episode 73, Quinn & Brian asked: Did A.I. take our jobs?
Of course, we aren’t talking about our jobs. If A.I. took our jobs, the show would have won that goddamn Webby.
No, no — we’re talking abou…
GOOD NEWS: So We Can’t Just Blow Up Asteroids, Then?
Our “Good News” series of replays begins today with Episode 66, when Quinn & Brian hosted a delightfully important discussion: Why, apparently, we shouldn’t just blow up asteroids.
Our guest is: Profe…
#90: What It’s Like to be a COVID-19 Lab Rat
In Episode 90, Quinn & Brian discuss: What it’s like to be a COVID-19 Lab Rat.
Our guest is: Allie Broas, an almost-MBA and one of Quinn’s many, many cousins.
We weren’t exactly planning to do more of …
BEST OF THE BEST: Air Pollution: The Low Hanging Fruit of Our Hellish Future
Cast your mind back to Episode 79, when Quinn & Brian discussed: Optimism in the air (can it be?).
Our guest is: Beth Gardiner, an environmental journalist and the author of Choked: Life and Breath in…
BEST OF THE BEST: Is COVID-19 America’s Chernobyl?
Way back in Episode 65, Quinn asked: Was Chernobyl a preventable and rare accident from the past, or a vivid picture of what happens when the government abandons its citizens during a crisis?
FUN STOR…
Special Edition: How You Can Help — And (Mostly) Still Stay Home
If you've been wondering how else you can help fight coronavirus besides staying at home in sweatpants, this episode is for you. Please share widely. You can find links and additional details at impo…
#89: Why Does It Require a PhD in Neuroscience Just to Support a Green New Deal?
In Episode 89, Quinn & Brian discuss: Taking down the white guy who politically stabbed you (and the planet) in the back.
Our guest is: Dr. Arati Kreibich. She gave us a call a couple weeks back to ex…
#88: You Voted for Clean Energy… So Where The Hell Is it?
In Episode 88, Quinn & Brian ask: You voted for clean energy… so why hasn’t it become a thing yet?
Our guest is: Dr. Leah Stokes, author of the new book Short Circuiting Policy: Interest Groups and th…
#87: What's In Your Moisturizer, Anyways?
In Episode 87, Quinn & Brian ask: What, exactly, are we putting on our bodies (and why aren’t more people asking questions about it)?
Our guest is: Gregg Renfrew. Gregg is a serial entrepreneur who mo…
Special Edition: How to Survive the Coronavirus (With Your Sanity Intact)
In this special episode, Quinn (with some help from our friends at the CDC and elsewhere) talks you through everything you need to know about the coronavirus, what you can do to prepare, and — maybe …
#86: Farming While Black: The Past and The Future
In Episode 86, Quinn & Brian ask: What can we do to support the black farmers who have the ancient answers to rebuilding our soil, farms, and food system?
Our guest is: Leah Penniman, Co-Director and …
#85: A Blueprint for Fighting Food Waste in Your Community
In Episode 85, Quinn asks: Is there a blueprint for fighting food waste in your city?
Our guest is: Rick Nahmias. As Founder and Executive Director of Food Forward, Rick has spent more than a decade h…
#84: How is Climate Change (Already) Affecting Immigration to the USA?
We’re back!
In Episode 84, Quinn & Brian ask: Is the USA responsible for climate refugees (and then turning them away)?
Our guest is: Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year-old immigration and human rights attor…
SPECIAL PREVIEW: Issue #169: CRISPR’ing Cancer, BP Oil, & Democrats Campaigning on Soil
This is a special preview of our new weekly audio newsletter. It's all the most vital science news you missed, with action steps you can take to fight back, delivered in five minutes and read by Bria…