The Most Important Question

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

Synopsis: Starting over sucks. But, like in Contra, maybe starting over is just the thing that’ll save the world.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 106, Quinn & Brian ask: Why is it so dangerous to have Black babies in America?Our guest is Congresswoman Lauren Underwood,  the millenial Black nurse and former senior adviser to President Obama. Her “Momnibus Act” is a suite of 12 bills designed to improve Black maternal health outcomes in America, where Black women are dying in or after childbirth at 3x-4x rates of white women.In this incredible conversation, Rep. Underwood goes deep to help us understand the complexities of the problem, the crushing personal inspiration for her work, and what we can all do to help.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:https://bookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportantLinks:underwood.house.govTwitter: @RepUnderwoodBlack Maternal Health Momnibus ActConnect 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

This week: Biden’s plan, explained; financial climate risk, uncovered; at-home COVID tests, approved; pesticide poisonings, revealedFind 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

Hi. Hello. Americans are leaving their living rooms again, which means we’re shooting people again, too. As such, we’re re-running our conversation with Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland victim, Jaime Guttenberg.We need to break the fucking gun lobby, so we’ll just keep replaying this must-listen episode until we do.In Episode 98, Quinn & Brian discuss: common sense solutions to prevent gun deaths and destroy the gun lobby.Our guest is: Fred Guttenberg, a gun safety activist and political troublemaker. 

This week: The Western drought grows; China’s vaccine exports; menthol cigarettes on the run; bacon and Alzheimer’s; croissants and cancer.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 105, Quinn & Brian ask: How safe is your data (and can your wine fridge take down democracy)?Our guest is: Dr. Carissa Véliz, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics in AI, and a Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy at Hertford College at Oxford University. If she sounds kind of awesome, that’s because she is.So, what role does your phone, computer, wine fridge, smart toothbrush, and fun color-changing ceiling lights have to play in taking down — or saving — democracy, and maybe the planet too? Well, Dr. Véliz recently published “Privacy is Power,” in which she argues that the data economy is too dangerous to sustain. And although we may not be paying money for some of the incredible services that are built on top of our data, like Google Maps or Facebook, we are going to pay in the long run if we keep opting into the surveillance state.Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comImportant, Not Important Book Club:"Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America" by Christopher Wylie“Permanent Record” by Edward SnowdenLinks:Carissaveliz.comTwitter: @CarissaVeliz“Privacy is Power”“How Facebook got addicted to spreading misinformation”Duck Duck GoProtonMailConnect 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