For the second episode of the Culture Study podcast, we’re diving into the nerdy and awesome and frustrating world of the infrastructure that surrounds us. Why are sidewalks so bad in so many places? How do we undo car dependencies? What’s the deal with a power company in Vermont distributing a huge battery to every customer? What are we going to do about all these ready-to-fail water treatment plants? If we can have air conditioners in our STEERING WHEELS why can’t we have good trains?

Deb Chachra, author of How Infrastructure Works, joins the pod to talk about the wild and fascinating systems that shape our world. Also: septic systems.

This is the podcast version of a "just trust me," so even if you don’t think you’re an infrastructure nerd, you’re going to love it. I love it enough to release it ahead of next week’s Taylor Swift deep dive and the following week’s deeply funny episode about Paw Patrol, so that’s saying something.

If you like the episode, it is SO HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or parent who’d love it. Post it on social media. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes. You’re the best and we literally could not make this pod without your help.

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Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about:

-We could still use a few questions re: The Mean Girls Trailer!!!-Celebrity Philanthropies (weird ones, good ones, why do they exist, etc.)-“Little treat” culture-Cold Plunging-Moms for Liberty-Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’)

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.