The Most Important Question

Synopsis: We can time travel to the past to understand how we got to where we are today. But the past doesn’t dictate the future - not anymore. So we have to look forward. The decisions we make today will guarantee that the world of 2041 is cleaner, safer, and more equitable than 2021.Do Better Better essays help you build mental models and ask questions about our changing world — for yourself, your family, and your business.These essays compliment the audio version of our weekly newsletter, and of course, our ground-breaking conversations with diverse, interdisciplinary humans working on the frontlines of the future.Get these essays, our newsletter, and more science that makes you feel good right in your inbox at importantnotimportant.comSend us feedback at questions@importantnotimportant.com — record a voice memo on your phone and send it in!Follow Quinn on Twitter: @quinnemmettFollow us on Twitter: @importantnotimpConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/briancolbertkenLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

In Episode 113, Quinn asks: What can we learn from plants?The answer, it turns out, is: A whole heck of a lot.Our guest is the wonderful and way overqualified Dr. Beronda Montgomery -- PhD, writer, researcher, scholar, and author of “Lessons from Plants.” Dr. Montgomery’s dedicated her work to understanding how individuals are impacted by their environment.Life as a human is hard. I mean, that’s why we open every episode with the question, “Why are you vital to the survival of the species?” — because it so often feels like that survival is in question.But imagine, if you will, being a plant — you think being stuck inside the past year sucks? Try being the fiddle leaf fig you one-clicked from Bloomscape in 2019! It NEVER gets to go outside. Plants are just out here, stuck in the ground, living entirely at the whim of a constantly changing, and often harsh, environment. Still, they go on and flourish, despite everything. Listen in to find out all the incredible lessons we can take away from the plants all around us -- from being a team player, how to persevere through adversity, and even being a better mentor.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:"Breathe: A Letter to My Sons" by Imani Perrybookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportantLinks:berondamontgomery.comInstagram: @beronda_mTwitter: @BerondaMRead: “Lessons from Plants”Connect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

This week: An electric truck for the masses; India’s vaccine production stays home; Better cancer screening; Beef emissions.Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletterGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

Oh, when we were young and so naive.In Episode #9 (!), Quinn and Brian got to know Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician, Associate Professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, and the Medical Director of Special Pathogens Unit (SPU) at Boston Medical Center.TLDR of the episode was “We should probably prepare for a pandemic.”FUN STORY.In Episode #112, Dr. Bhadelia’s back -- and she’s got some big news to share.But before we get to her announcement (and what it means for society as we know it) -- Quinn’s gotta know: was she as prepared for COVID as she thought? What did she learn? And how can we set ourselves and future generations up to fare, I don’t know, even slightly better next time?You won’t find a better infectious disease resource than Dr. B, and we’re so thankful she’s come back, now, at the turn of the tide. #gandalfHave feedback or questions? Tweet us or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:“Get Well Soon” by Jennifer Wrighthttps://bookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportantLinks:Dr. Nahid Bhadelia on TwitterLarge Life Expectancy Gaps in U.S. Cities Linked to Racial & Ethnic Segregation by NeighborhoodCalifornia regulators launch review of long, deadly delays in L.A. County specialty careConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

In Episode 111, Quinn & Brian discuss the past, present, and future of government IT infrastructure. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED???Our guest is Aneesh Chopra, the first Chief Technology Officer of the United States. Twelve years after serving under President Obama, he’s the co-founder of CareJourney, whose mission is to empower individuals and organizations they trust with open, clinically-relevant analytics and insights in the pursuit of the optimal healthcare journey. Sounds nice!Technology moves fast. Just look at Dogecoin! Government IT… not so much. So how the hell do we take the rapid innovations of Silicon Valley (fine, Miami) and apply it to our nimble little bureaucracy? It takes a little MacGyvering -- and a lot of talking.Aneesh’s goal is to be a translator between the public sector and the private sector, from health care to voting to SolarWinds. And just in time: modernizing the technical infrastructure of our government actually has bipartisan support — just look how the White House embraced Twitter! (sob sob sob)Aneesh has the ideas, tools, and plans to enhance communication, maximize our technological capabilities, and get hacked just a little less by Russia. Just a little.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:"Innovative State" by Aneesh Choprabookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportantLinks:teamchopra.orgcarejourney.cominnovativestate.comTwitter: @aneeshchopraLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apchopraConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

This week: fossil fuel financing under the microscope, India’s COVID summer, MDMA to the rescue, how to fix our water pipes.Psychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More – The Blog of Author Tim FerrissFind links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletterGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

In Episode 110, Quinn’s talking about the end of the universe.His guest is Sarafina Nance, Ph.D. candidate at Berkeley, astrophysicist, author, and women’s health advocate. She also hosts Constellation, a TV show by Seeker.How the hell is the universe gonna end? Is it soon? What does it mean for each of us? What if it only feeeeeels like the universe is ending? What does that moment teach you?Sarafina’s dedicated her life to studying and understanding the farthest reaches of space -- and our very (very) tiny place in it. And she’s taken that understanding to heart, fighting and surviving in a field of study that doesn’t make a lot of room for women of color, and a personal health battle that couldn’t have come at a worse time.Learn Sarafina’s story, the mental tools she’s used to not only persevere, but flourish, and how to take on the end of the universe, in this incredible conversation.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:"Untamed" by Glennon Doylehttps://bookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportantLinks:starafina.comInstagram: @starstrickensfTwitter: @starstrickenSFLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarafina-nance-7a5888a0Watch: Constellationsgirlswhocode.comthebreasties.orgConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

This week: AI is going backwards; carbon offsets are a mirage; falling birthrates and COVID; the end of malaria?; Jordan’s out of water.Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletterGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

In Episode 109, Quinn & Brian try to help answer the eternal question: What can I do?Our guest is Frank Buncom IV, Head of Product Management at AIRx Health, a ground-breaking digital health and remote monitoring service for patients with chronic conditions and COVID-19.This episode is the first in a series of organic conversations with up-and-coming world changers. Frank is just 24 years old — barely out of college — and already has a passion for solving challenging problems that the world needs solving. As if revolutionizing healthcare wasn’t enough, Frank’s also working on prison reform, sustainability, and climate change. And he meditates! Jesus, Frank. It’s enough.We talk about what drew him to the healthcare industry, adjusting the systems we build as we collect more data on how they work, and how identifying what you care about is the first step to creating lasting change.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:"Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture" by Roxane Gaybookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportantLinks:frankbun.comairxhealth.comInstagram: @BeastNamedFrankTwitter: @BeastNamedFrankRead: "The Optimist's Telescope" by Bina VenkataramanConnect with us:Subscribe to our newsletter at ImportantNotImportant.com!Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettFollow Brian: twitter.com/beansaightLike and share us on Facebook: facebook.com/ImportantNotImportantIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media

This week: Batteries 101; too many vaccines, not enough takers; new antibiotics, but are they the right ones?; water disputes grow; AI gets the crack downFind links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletterGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpImportant, Not Important is produced by Crate Media