This week Adam welcomes an author whose book blew his mind more than perhaps any other. Americans are typically taught that prior to the arrival of European settlers, indigenous communities were sparsely populated, lacked technology, and did little to shape the natural landscape. But as this week’s guest Charles C. Mann’s 1491 tells Adam, the most recent research reveals that the American indigenous civilizations were sophisticated, dynamic, and massively populated. Purchase his books 1491 and 1493 at http://factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you love video games, working in game development sounds like a dream job — especially since the industry now grosses more than movies and sports combined. But the reality is a lot less… fun than you might think. This week journalist Jason Schreier joins Adam to discuss his latest book Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry. In it, Jason sheds new light on the strenuous, sometimes-abusive work environments behind some of the world's most popular and beloved games. Purchase Jason's book Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry at http://factuallypod.com/books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Voting rights are under assault around the country. And while we tend to see “democracy" as a big, abstract noun, it’s the smallest, most mundane details that determine whether or not people actually have the right to vote. This week Adam sits down with Tomas Lopez, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, a non-partisan organization that works to expand ballot access and protect voting rights in one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. Learn more by visiting https://democracync.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It had to happen eventually: We’re doing an episode about crypto. This week artist and technologist Everest Pipkin joins Adam to discuss Bitcoin, the blockchain, and the dire costs of crypto art, not only on our environment, but on the art community itself. Find Everest Pipkin’s art at https://everest-pipkin.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Facebook pushes dangerous misinformation to billions of people every day. So why can’t it… stop? This week, MIT Technology Review’s Senior AI Reporter, Karen Hao, joins Adam to detail her blockbuster report on how Facebook’s internal AI teams were instructed to stop fighting misinformation because doing so interfered with Facebook’s growth. Read her reporting at: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/03/11/1020600/facebook-responsible-ai-misinformation/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Factually's 100th episode! To celebrate, Adam is joined by Full Frontal host Sam Bee to discuss the art of combining fact with farce. They talk the importance (or total unimportance) of informational comedy, consider what lies ahead in their careers, and dunk on sitcoms. Sam Bee's podcast "Full Release" launches May 4th. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are a lot of causes of the declining global birth rate – education, freedom, and even the decline of subsistence agriculture. But what if one of the biggest factors was … plastic? Epidemiologist and author Dr. Shanna Swan joins Adam this week to break down why phthalates affect our fertility as well as our overall health. They cover her scientific research into phthalates, how they get into our systems, how they disrupt the development of reproductive organs, and what this means for the continuation of the human race. For Dr. Swan's book Count Down, as well as other books written by guests of this podcast, go to http://factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Clothes today cost a fraction of what they cost our grandparents — but why, and at what cost? Journalist and author Dana Thomas joins Adam to break down how fast fashion has made the industry explode into a one-trillion dollar industry, how dismal the working conditions are in many overseas factories, and how to shop and dress more sustainably. To check out Dana’s newest book Fashionopolis, visit http://factuallypod.com/books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re flooded with misinformation, and new research shows that cliches about “thinking critically” and “doing your own research” are counterproductive at best. Writer and educator Michael Caulfield joins Adam this week to explain his SIFT method for evaluating misinformation, why expertise is so important, and how we should approach unclear ideas like COVID-19 “lab leak” hypothesis. Learn more about SIFT at https://infodemic.blog/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why is America's health care system so effed up, and what can be done to fix it? Author, physician, and civil servant Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joins Adam to discuss how we got here, his belief in single-payer healthcare, and why he's hopeful for the road ahead. His book Medicare For All: A Citizen’s Guide is available wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.