Tell Me Something I Don’t Know was a hit when Freakonomics Radio produced more than 30 episodes in 2017-18. TMSIDK is live journalism wrapped in a game show and hosted by Stephen J. Dubner. At each show, guest presenters come on stage to try to wow the host and co-host with a fascinating fact, a historical wrinkle, a new line of research — anything, really, as long as it’s interesting, useful and true (or at least true-ish). There’s a real-time, human fact-checker on hand to sort fact from fiction. Like Freakonomics Radio, TMSIDK is still journalism, still factual — but disguised in the most entertaining, unexpected, and occasionally ridiculous conversation you’re likely to hear. Stay tuned — there may be more TMSIDK in the near future! (And that’s been fact-checked.)
Lizz Winstead, Mike Pesca and Melanie Whelan are panelists. The “Daily Show” creator, host of “The Gist” podcast, and CEO of Soul Cycle ponder the pursuit of perfection — in cityscapes and on farms, in how we keep time and how we remember. Our fact-checker is A.J. Jacobs, host of the “Twice Removed” podcast.
Hannibal Buress, Annie Duke and Fr. James Martin, S.J. are panelists. A comedian, a poker player and a priest walk into a bar… and have to deal with missing hands, missing bodies and missing scientific evidence. Fact-checker: Sean Rameswaram, podcast producer for WNYC Studios.
This week’s panel: Grit-y author and psychology professor Angela Duckworth, former White House economist Austan Goolsbee and comedian Keisha Zollar. Our theme: “Passion Plays.” All of the things we’re passionate about, good and bad, from sports to sounds to experimenting on students.
This episode, which we’re calling “Things That Come Out of Your Mouth,” includes stories of marine regurgitation and a group of opera singers that no longer exists. The panelists are novelest Frank Delaney, Columbia University linguist John McWhorter and Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz.
During the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ate a meal that cost less than eight cents. Join medical doctor Zeke Emanuel, former White House chef Sam Kass and author Gretchen Rubin for more facts about food, eating and a surprisingly versatile musical instrument.
Did you know the army once tried to replace its mules with camels? Join author Simon Winchester, social-media scholar danah boyd and comedian Chris Gethard for more tales from the natural world, including marine animals that will either live forever or kill you (or both), as well as the wonders of poop soup.
Did you know there is one particularly dangerous time of day to vote? If not, you’re not alone. Neither did the celebrity panelists on the first episode of Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: Debora Spar, president of Barnard College; Anthony Marx, president of the New York Public Library; and Andy Zaltzman, comedian.
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