Gladwell: Even baseline knowledge studies these days should at least include women. He says the burden of proof is much higher to ask for consent from vulnerable populations. "Natural experiments almost invariably tell you stuff that you could never find another one"
Author, psychologist and professional poker player Maria Konnikova joins the show as Revisionist History’s first ombudsman. Maria advocates for the audience, reading letters from listeners and challenging Malcolm on matters great and small. They discuss how iodized salt is changing lives, the ethics of the Minnesota starvation experiments, and the ever-changing guidance around drinking alcohol. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts, be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.