The Gist

On The Gist, the incredibly cool Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker looks into the dearth of research into cryotherapy for a game we call "Is That Bulls--t?" Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, we travel to the four corners of the world in search of happiness. Today's sponsors: Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate, starting at just $19.99 are a great last-minute gift and double your berries for just $10. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, professor Julian Zelizer joins us to discuss how to understand Woodrow Wilson in the context of his time, and how Princeton is grappling with that legacy today. He's the author of The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society. For the Spiel, Trump induced anxiety gets its own crisis intervention hotline. Today's sponsors: Prudential's 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life—and the future—looks like to today's fortysomethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/4040vision/family. Bonobos, discover the difference an expertly-crafted, better-fitting wardrobe can make. For a limited time, all new customers can get 20 percent off their first order when you go to bonobos.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, actor Jon Glaser explains how a one-off joke on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon led to his new miniseries Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter. The new show premiers Monday, Dec. 7 at midnight on Adult Swim. For the Spiel, a look into the psychology of fighting ISIS. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, we welcome back past guest and Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer to discuss the likelihood of new gun control legislation. Then, Slate's Will Saletan joins us to assess the current state of the abortion debate, a decade after writing his book Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War. Why hasn't this issue moved? For the Spiel, Mike counters all the counterarguments we've heard about gun control this week. Plus, a revealing concession. Today's sponsors: Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST. The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. The entire season is available now on iTunes. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike discusses the fast-moving field of cancer research with doctor Vincent T. DeVita, and his daughter, science writer Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn. Together they wrote The Death of Cancer. For the Spiel, a rhyming response to Keith Ablow's comments on Fox News. Read more of Slate's coverage of the San Bernardino shooting. Today's sponsors: Casper, the online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/gist and using the promo code GIST. Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker rounds up the holiday season's most tedious myths for a game we call "Is That Bulls--t?" Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, all the things we don't know but tend to report in wake of another mass shooting. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. The entire season is available now on iTunes. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Slate's Fred Kaplan explains how recent GOP rhetoric plays perfectly into the bad guys' plans. He's the author of The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War and 1959: The Year Everything Changed. For the Spiel, what we know about abortion clinic safety. Today's sponsors: Goldman Sachs. Information about developments currently shaping markets, industries, and the global economy, on the firm's podcast, Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, available on iTunes. The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. The entire season is available now on iTunes. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the real reason why government programs like Medicaid and food stamps show little to no impact on the poverty rate. We get into the specifics with Vox editor Ezra Klein. Check out his new podcast The Weeds, from Panoply. For the Spiel, put down your weapons. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the "try it free" button. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, a parent's worst nightmare. Three years ago this week, Ron Davis and Lucia McBath's 17-year-old son was shot while Black Friday shopping with his friends. The HBO documentary 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets tells the story of how they pursued justice for their son. For the Spiel, why uncle slander has become a Thanksgiving tradition. Today's sponsor: The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to stand up to tell us about dangers of sitting. She's the author of The Confidence Game, now available for preorder. For the Spiel, Mike examines the spooky, spooky specter of a Trump presidency. Today's sponsors: Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices