The Gist

On The Gist, a new podcast unravels the case against Adnan Syed one complex detail at a time. We'll speak with the podcast's three hosts, Rabia Chaudry from Split the Moon; Colin Miller of EvidenceProf; and Susan Simpson, who writes for View From LL2. For the Spiel, Mike visits the lost and found office in search of a better phrase. 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. And by Draft Kings. Start this football season by winning $2 million! Use code GIST to play free for a shot at $2 million in the Week One $10 Million Millionaire Maker. Go to DraftKings.com. 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

Notice anything different about your street today? Just ask a dog. On The Gist, Alexandra Horowitz from the dog cognition lab at Barnard talks us through a dog walk. She's the author of Inside of a Dog and On Looking: Eleven Walks With Expert Eyes. For the Spiel, a work of audio fiction about turning 30. This piece was commissioned by the Sarah Awards from Sarah Lawrence College. 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

Why is the female orgasm notoriously difficult to study? On The Gist, guest host Andrea Silenzi avoids tarnishing her browser history by asking Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker about new research into the effects of la petite mort on the brain. For the Spiel, the one thing over-the-air radio has over podcasts—it looks good on TV. 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, comedian Bobcat Goldthwait reflects on how his career in comedy led him to chose the path of a filmmaker. His new documentary tells the story of fellow comic Barry Crimmins and explores the role of politics, anger, and activism in his comedy. Call Me Lucky is available in theaters and via video on demand. For the Spiel, is a 21-year-old mass incarceration bill in the way of a Biden presidency? 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, Colin Atrophy Hagendorf tells us why he decided to eat a slice from every pizzeria in Manhattan. Unlike Super Size Me or Julie & Julia, sometimes ambitious food-related projects aren't life-changing experiences. But they can produce singular memoirs like Slice Harvester. Colin's favorite pizza place in the city:New York Pizza Suprema, 413 8th Avenue, New York, New York 10001 Also great:Gino's, 345 E 83rd Street, New York, New York 10028Rossetti's, 114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10013 In other cities:Tommy's, 936 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02908Serrano's, 3274 21st Street, San Francisco, California 94110 For the Spiel, Mike remembers reporting on Hurricane Katrina for NPR. 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. And by Draft Kings. Start this football season by winning 2 million dollars! Use code GIST to play free for a shot at 2 million dollars in the Week One 10 Million Dollar Millionaire Maker. Go to DraftKings.com. 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, our regular guest Chris Molanphy returns to explore Billboard chart hits from 1980, including rock songs, adult contemporary tracks, and lots of elements stolen from disco. It was a great year for dentists' offices. For the Spiel, we name our new lobstar of the antentwig. Do check out this Spotify playlist to hear the songs mentioned in today's show one more time. Once is never enough. Attention all New York City–area Gist fans! Tickets are now on sale for our first-ever LIVE Gist event. More info and tickets available here. 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 look at how Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and fellow Republicans are scrambling to preserve the state's troubled zero-tax policy. Our guest Chris Suellentrop made politics personal in his New York Times Magazine feature "The Kansas Experiment." For the Spiel, what's the matter with Kansas now? The Gist Live With Mike Pesca: A Cavalcade of Frippery, Bedlam, and Animal Husbandry Good news, Slate Plus members! You can now take advantage of early ticket access and a 30 percent discount to first ever LIVE GIST show in Brooklyn. The presale for members starts Thursday at 2 p.m. and will end on Friday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m. How to get tickets: 1. Sign into Slate Plus on the member home page. 2. Click the Upcoming Events box in your member dashboard on the right side of the page. 3. Grab your member event discount code and click the Buy Tickets link. This will take you to the event ticket page. 4. On the event page, click the link Enter Promotional Code to enter your code and receive 30 percent off. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Today's sponsor: 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike responds to the tragic news of the WDBJ7 shooting. Then, we debut a new segment we call Analogy Emergency. Can you help? Join the conversation on our Facebook page. Plus, Dr. Robert Garofalo joins us to discuss the difficult decisions parents face when raising a trans kid. In preparation for this segment, we enjoyed watching the Frontline documentary Growing Up Trans. For the Spiel, what the rise of Donald Trump reminds us about most Americans. 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 presses her knife down on a clove of wisdom and minces apart the research. Should we believe the hype about garlic, the miracle food? For the Spiel, a story of slobs vs. snobs as told through the Karate Kid. 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 Laura Bennett explains what it's like to be gluten-free since the '90s. She recently wrote "I Was Gluten-Free Before It Was Cool." Plus, what should we do with all our RadioShack gift cards? We speak with our "gift card girlfriend," Shelly Hunter, for ways to make gift cards and pre-paid cards go further. For the Spiel, we go deep on U.S. secretaries of state. Today's sponsor: Volvo. Have a month's payment on Volvo and spend your summer doing the things that matter to you. Plus get up to five years of full coverage, including wear and tear. Go to volvocars.com/us. 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