Public Health
266 episodes · Page 9 of 12
#2422: Rare Diseases: Incentives That Work and Backfire
How orphan drug policies created 800 new treatments—and the "orphan paradox" that lets blockbusters game the system.
#2420: How 4 Countries Actually Destigmatized Mental Health
Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, and the Netherlands show what structural change looks like — not just awareness campaigns.
#2418: The Lossy Compression of Human Development
How the HDI measures progress, where it falls short, and what it reveals about inequality.
#2415: Autism Numbers vs. the Noise
What the data actually says about global autism rates, diagnostic history, and why the numbers keep changing.
#2393: Is Israel Really a High-Tax Country?
Is Israel really a high-tax country? We dive into the data to compare Israel’s tax burden with global peers and uncover surprising insights.
#2373: How Facial Recognition Maps Your Face—And Your Rights
The same AI that organizes your photos can track you in a crowd. How does facial recognition work—and why is it so hard to evade?
#2321: Kratom’s Double-Edged Leaf: Science vs. Marketing
From ancient remedy to modern supplement, Kratom’s story reveals gaps between marketing, science, and global regulation.
#2320: The Hidden Role of Khat in Yemen’s Collapse
How a single leaf became a driving force behind Yemen’s economic, social, and political unraveling.
#2240: Who Does Every Country Owe Money To?
National debt isn't like personal debt. Most countries simultaneously owe money to diffuse creditors while also holding others' debt—creating a cir...
#2094: The Accidental Trillion-Dollar Loophole: 401k
Discover how a 1980s tax loophole accidentally replaced pensions and shifted retirement risk to workers.
#2050: Is Impact Investing Just a Cult?
We explore the structural parallels between high-control groups and the ESG industry, from loaded language to isolation tactics.
#2015: The Think Tanks Writing AI's Rulebook
As the EU AI Act takes hold, we spotlight the key think tanks shaping global AI policy, safety, and ethics.
#1901: Why Drones Deliver Medicine But Not Pizza
Zipline flies 500k+ medical deliveries in Rwanda, while Amazon struggles with $63 costs per drop in the US.
#1899: Why Japan's Vending Machines Thrive While America's Struggle
From Roman holy water to Japan’s soup-dispensing giants, we explore why vending machines jam—and why America’s are stuck in the past.
#1726: 2500 Years of Bad Medicine: The Slow Surrender
Bloodletting dominated medicine for 2500 years. Here’s how science finally admitted it was wrong.
#1658: Why You Should Never Run From a Dog
Running from an aggressive dog triggers a chase instinct—learn the science-backed "Be a Tree" method instead.
#1486: Why Governments Are Putting a Price on Literacy
Are we commodifying social change? Explore the shift from boutique social bonds to massive $500M funds targeting global literacy and poverty.
#1452: Art or Incitement? The New Legal War on Radical Speech
Explore the thinning line between artistic expression and criminal incitement through the cases of Bob Vylan, Tadhg Hickey, and Kneecap.
#1438: The Rescue DNA: Physics Across Rubble, Rock, and Sea
How do rescuers move mountains under pressure? Discover the engineering and physics behind saving lives in the wake of disaster.
#1411: The I vs. The We: Escaping the Loneliness of 2026
We have more ways to connect than ever, yet isolation is at an all-time high. Explore the biological and structural roots of modern loneliness.
#1383: Why Modern Life Is Making Us More Religious
Sociologists predicted the death of God, but the data tells a different story. Discover why global faith is actually on the rise.
#1381: Contract Ops: The Hidden Mechanics of Trade Missions
Beyond the ribbon-cutting, trade missions are state-sponsored sales funnels for corporate giants. Discover the reality of the "contract op."
#1362: Is the IDF Israel's Real Ministry of Education?
Israel leads the world in defense tech, yet its school scores are trailing. Is the military a bridge or a filter for the next generation?
#1353: Why Impact Investors Need You to Stay Poor
Explore the "perverse incentive" trap: what happens to your investment when the social problem it’s meant to solve actually disappears?