The Most Important Question

This week: How the hell does the brain work? And what does it have to do with lemonade stands and school supplies?Here's What You Can Do:Donate to support The Markup’s invaluable work examining the ways technology is being used to change society.Volunteer with your local Surfrider chapter to keep our waterways, oceans, and beaches clean.Get educated about the easiest ways your company can improve sustainability by reading this article from Protocol.Be heard about clean water as a human right by urging your Members of Congress to support the WATER Act.Invest in industries that will measurably move the needle using the IEEFA’s financial research.Get more:Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpSubscribe to our YouTube channelTake a nap you deserve itAdvertise with us: importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors

The podcast explores the concept of time and the importance of understanding deep time in relation to dinosaurs. It also delves into finding beauty amidst difficult experiences and taking action to foster empathy and positive change. The power of writing and the impact of personal experiences are discussed, as well as the positive influence of a science journalist friend and the art of apologizing.

"The Female Origin of Species": Cat Bohannon, author of "Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution," dives into the long-ignored aspects of the female body's influence on human evolution. Exploring the uniqueness and significance of reproductive organs, liver, and adipose tissue, they discuss the relationship between sexuality and reproduction. Topics such as menopause in Homo sapiens and the process of selecting a reader for the book are also discussed, providing fascinating insights into the evolutionary journey of the female body.

This week: Will coffee survive climate change?Here's What You Can Do:Donate to support African farmers by increasing incomes and improving food security through the Alliance for a Green Africa.Volunteer to join the Coffee & Climate Network, an organization that connects stakeholders in coffee farming to create a climate-smart future.Get educated about what is in your supplements using Examine’s independent, evidence-based database.Be heard about your eco-anxiety by connecting with others having similar feelings at a Climate Cafe near you.Invest in deforestation-free investment options with Deforestation Free Funds.Get more:Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpSubscribe to our YouTube channelTake a nap you deserve itAdvertise with us: importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors

Gautam Dantas, researcher specializing in microbiogenomics, discusses his new research on the gut microbiome and Alzheimer's disease. They explore the potential for early diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and the challenges of clinical trials. The role of gut microbes and the gut-brain connection is highlighted, along with opportunities for individuals to contribute to Alzheimer's studies. They also discuss diverse perspectives in storytelling.

This week: How I think about how to think about what’s nextHere's What You Can Do:Donate to help the BlueGreen Alliance unite labor unions and environmental organizations to create clean jobs, develop clean infrastructure, and pursue fair trade.Volunteer with 3.14 Action and help get people who care about facts and evidence elected.Get educated about the direction of our food systems by reading the Paradigms of Agriculture.Be heard about restoring the expanded Child Tax Credit and urge your representative to support the American Family Act.Invest in clean energy using research that separates hype from reality from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.Get more:Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpSubscribe to our YouTube channelTake a nap you deserve itAdvertise with us: importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors

Content WarningWe're going to be talking about stress and anxiety, depression, suicide, and more today.If any of this could be triggering to you in any way, please feel free to just skip over this one. Nothing in this conversation should be taken as medical advice. If a treatment or combination of treatments prescribed or recommended by your healthcare provider is working for you, that's great.Your personal experience with that treatment is much more relevant than anything in this conversation. If you're using a depression medication or other therapy and not getting relief from your depression symptoms, talk with your healthcare provider. And finally, if you are struggling, feeling distressed and that you might hurt yourself or if someone you love qualifies in any way here, you can text or call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.That's 988, right now from your phone to get help. You can even call and press three to speak to a counselor with the Trevor Project, the nonprofit that works and provides wonderful support for LGBTQ folks. What is depression? And how do the interactions between our genes, our chemistry, and the environment around us affect our odds of developing and being treated for anxiety and depression? That's today's big question, and my guest is Srijan Sen. Srijan is the Francis and Kenneth Eisenberg Professor of Depression and Neurosciences at the University of Michigan and the Director of the Francis and Kenneth Eisenberg and Family Depression Center. His research focuses on the interactions between genes and the environment and their effect on stress, anxiety, and depression. Even before COVID, kids, teens, and adults were suffering increasing levels of depression, loneliness, anxiety, and stress.The symptoms are fairly common to folks who have them, but the causes are far less so. From genetics to the gut, to brain chemistry, to inflammation, and innumerable possible environmental factors like say, a pandemic, or school shootings, or a loved one passing, or childhood abuse, whatever it might be. Just a lack of sleep can trigger depressive symptoms. Or not.I have suffered through it, Srijan has suffered through it, and so many of you have too. So, with the way science is progressing rapidly in myriad ways, I thought it was time to dive in. -----------Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.comNew here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at podcast.importantnotimportant.com.-----------INI Book Club:Range by David EpsteinFind all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-clubLinks:Follow along with the work of The Sen LabFollow Srijan on TwitterRead Quinn's essay about Apple and mental healthSuicide Crisis Lifeline (Call 988)The Trevor Project Hotline for LBGTQ+ youthFollow us:Subscribe to our newsletter at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImpSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmettEdited by Anthony LucianiProduced by Willow BeckIntro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.comAdvertise with us: importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors

This week: Exactly why the youths are so pissed off.Here's What You Can Do:Donate to the Steve Fund to support the mental health of young people of color.Volunteer with Everytown so youth can grow up in communities free from gun violence.Get educated about being a better ally to trans and non-binary young people with this guide from the Trevor Project.Help youth be heard about their future by supporting Voters of Tomorrow.Invest in a better world for young people with Carbon Collective.Get more:Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at importantnotimportant.comSupport our work and become a Member at importantnotimportant.com/upgradeGot feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpSubscribe to our YouTube channelTake a nap you deserve itAdvertise with us: importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors

This week: It can be difficult as hell to understand when we don’t actually have a choice — and when we’ve got more options than we think. Deciphering the two is the key to the good stuff getting built way, way faster.Here's What You Can Do:Donate to The Greenling Institute to help communities of color build wealth and live in healthier, climate-resilient communities.Volunteer with People for Bikes to make biking better for everyone by improving infrastructure, advancing policy, and removing barriers to participation.Get educated about funding opportunities in your state to hire more apprentices in your trade, or receive tuition support to enter a trade.Be heard about increased access to EV charging infrastructure, and have your city sandbox a pilot with it’s electric.Invest your money through an eco-friendly bank using Might Deposits bank comparison tool.Get more:Get more news, analysis, and Action Steps at https://www.importantnotimportant.com/ Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.comFollow us on Twitter at @importantnotimpSubscribe to our YouTube channelTake a nap you deserve itAdvertise with us: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/c/sponsors

Deb Chachra, a material scientist and professor of engineering, discusses the importance of infrastructure and its impact on our daily lives. They emphasize the need for personal and collective appreciation of infrastructure, especially as climate change and negligence threaten existing systems. The podcast explores topics such as the benefits of a shared network for clean water, transitioning to sustainable infrastructure, and the potential of renewable energy technologies. It also highlights the importance of collective action in addressing complex issues like climate change and the role of writer friends in providing moral support during the writing process.