The Most Important Question

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

In Episode 108, Quinn & Brian discuss: Data for progress.Our guest is Julian Brave NoiseCat, the Vice President of Policy & Strategy at Data for Progress, a progressive think tank that uses data science, public opinion research, policy analysis, and other research to develop and advocate for progressive policies. Julian’s also a writer, artist, activist, and a proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq'escen and a descendant of the Lil'Wat Nation of Mount Currie.The name Data for Progress really says it all. It’s a group with a mission for making progress founded on a belief of data. Julian would describe himself as a progressive realist focused on addressing the biggest and broadest challenges of our lifetime with the tool he knows best. Our conversation delves into the ways in which we can add credibility to the data we collect, how to use it to create informed decisions that affect real change, and how data is wholly dependent on the questions that you ask of it. We also discuss the political and voting power of native people in the US and the importance of highlighting native voices in the media.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:“Lenin’s Tomb” by David RemnickLinks:julianbravenoisecat.comdataforprogress.orgTwitter: @jnoisecat | @dataprogressGreen New Deal NetworkSunrise MovementConnect 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: Biden’s climate disclosures; Johnson & Johnson on pause; Odds of being infected post-vaccination; Biotech’s next decade; The EU draws up AI rules… and just in timeFind 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 107, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to buy clothing that lasts while not polluting the oceans or exploiting low-income workers.Our guest is Orsola de Castro, a fashion icon and the founder of Fashion Revolution, a collection of designers, producers, and consumers looking to heighten awareness of sustainability in the fashion industry -- from supporting the people who make our garments, to eliminating the microplastics destroying our oceans, bloodstreams, and hormones.The organization’s hashtag, #WhoMadeMyClothes, has been shared millions of times, and its response, #IMadeYourClothes, has provided invaluable visibility to supply chain workers worldwide.In this inspiring conversation, we talk about the people who make our clothes, what happens once we have them, and where they go when we’re done with them. Orsola also shares why she focuses on changing the world starting with the clothes that we wear, and the actionable questions you can ask your representatives to support this cause.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:"Girl, Woman, Other" by Bernadine Evaristo"Loved Clothes Last" by Orsola de CastroLinks:fashionrevolution.orgInstagram: @orsoladecastroInstagram: @fash_revTwitter: @orsoladecastroConnect 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: Climate finance remains unregulated; God vs Vaccines; AI antibiotics are coming; New data on food waste since the 1960sFind 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