Make Me Smart
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The Twitter vs. Meta drama continues
Make Me Smart
07/08/23 • 29 min
Meta’s new Threads became the most quickly downloaded app on Wednesday, its opening day. Twitter’s not thrilled about it. We’ll get into why folks may or may not gravitate toward the app and whether any of the “new Twitters” can become a true social media hub. And, could a scandal involving a celebrated behavioral science researcher impact the way we engage with pop science? Plus, guest host Reema Khrais leads us in a new game.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
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- “Twitter is threatening to sue Meta over Threads” from Semafor
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- “Meta’s Threads Proves That Social Media Cannot Die” from The Atlantic
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- “The Harvard Expert on Dishonesty Who Is Accused of Lying” from The Atlantic
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- This week’s newsletter from Marketplace’s “This Is Uncomfortable”
Got a question about the economy, business or technology for the hosts? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].
07/08/23 • 29 min



3 Listeners
What you need to know about ranked choice voting
Make Me Smart
09/12/23 • 28 min
This year alone, lawmakers in more than two dozen states have introduced or passed legislation in favor of ranked choice voting systems, where voters rank candidates in order of preference on their ballot.
Advocates sing the praises of ranked-choice elections, claiming it could be an antidote to the United States’ extreme political polarization. Others say switching to a new voting system would be too complicated for voters.
On the show today, Maresa Strano, deputy director of political reform at New America, unpacks ranked choice voting: what it does well, where it falls short, and what our voting systems have to do with the broader economy.
Then, a new strategy for wiping out medical debt is catching the attention of some local governments. And we’ll get into why mixed signals about the U.S. economy are complicating things for the Biden campaign.
Later, a listener shares how they learned the difficulty of farm work firsthand. Plus, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart Question comes from sci-fi writer Andy Weir, author of “The Martian.”
Here’s everything we talked about today:
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- “How Ranked-Choice Voting Works” from The New York Times
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- “What We Know About Ranked-Choice Voting” from New America
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- “RCV is Neither Panacea nor Catastrophe for Minority Representation” from New America
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- “U.S. Incomes Fall for Third Straight Year” from The Wall Street Journal
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- “A new way to tackle medical debt gains traction.” from The Washington Post
We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makem[email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
09/12/23 • 28 min



3 Listeners
Nuclear energy’s role in decarbonizing the economy
Make Me Smart
10/17/23 • 24 min
Despite a long period of relative stagnation, nuclear power has remained the quiet backbone of the United States’ clean energy supply for decades. Now, the Joe Biden administration wants more from the sector as the country hustles to meet ambitious emissions goals.
Jigar Shah, the director of the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, said nuclear energy will only become more critical as demand for electricity surges over the next 20 years.
On the show today, Shah makes us smart about how much the country relies on nuclear energy. We’ll also discuss lessons learned from building the first nuclear reactor from scratch in decades, and how the industry plans to win over Americans who are concerned about safety and toxic waste.
Then, we’ll get into the high stakes of today’s vote for speaker of the House of Representatives. And Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink is part of geopolitical conversation yet again, this time in Israel.
Later, we’ll hear from a teacher about the expectations that educators pay for classroom supplies themselves. And this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from Kai Bird, co-author of “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.”
Here’s everything we talked about today:
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- “Nuclear power is having a resurgence” from Axios
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- “Utilities Want to Convert Coal Plants to Nuclear; Skeptics Abound” from The Wall Street Journal
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- “New Georgia reactor shows benefits and costs of nuclear power” from Marketplace
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- “Advanced Nuclear – Pathways to Commercial Liftoff” from The Department of Energy
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- “NRC Certifies First U.S. Small Modular Reactor Design” from The Department of Energy
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- “Playbook: Jim Jordan’s day of reckoning” from Politico
We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makem[email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
10/17/23 • 24 min



3 Listeners
The jumbled world of college sports
Make Me Smart
09/02/23 • 26 min
It’s college football season, and if you’re having a hard time keeping up with all the changes, you’re not alone. This week, the Atlantic Coast Conference decided to go bicoastal by adding schools really far from, well, the Atlantic Coast. We’ll explain what this is all about (spoiler: money). Plus, why a new Biden administration proposal to increase staffing at nursing homes could make a big difference. Then we’ll play a game of Half Full/Half Empty and discuss why finding love might be coming with a bigger price tag.
Here’s everything we talked about:
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- “Nursing Homes Must Boost Staffing Under First-Ever National Standards” from The Wall Street Journal
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- “Return to office means the return of the business meal” from Marketplace
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- “Dating apps flirt with premium subscriptions” from Marketplace
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- “The U.S. is no longer world’s leading exporter of corn” from Marketplace
Next Friday is our 1,000th episode! We want to hear about your favorite moments, episodes or guests in Make Me Smart history. Call us at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].
09/02/23 • 26 min


2 Listeners
Smash the patriarchy … and the pumpkins
Make Me Smart
08/26/23 • 23 min
5.0
The Spanish women’s national team won it’s first World Cup! But the celebration has been bittersweet after Spain’s soccer chief kissed a player on the lips and is refusing to step down. We’ll discuss the fallout and what the team is doing to oust Luis Rubiales. Plus, we’ll play a game of Half Full / Half Empty with guest host Amy Scott weighing in on how LinkedIn is actually cool? But pumpkin spice lattes in August — maybe not so much.
Here’s everything we talked about:
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- “Facebook settlement claims are due Aug. 25. How to apply for a payout” from The Washington Post
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- “What’s the point of class-action lawsuits?” from Marketplace
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- “Spanish Soccer Chief Rubiales Refuses to Resign Over World Cup Kiss” from The New York Times
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- “Are American malls back from the brink?” from Marketplace
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- “Will New York City’s Airbnb crackdown make housing more affordable?” from Marketplace
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- “Subway sale could lead to closures and international expansion” from Marketplace
We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].
08/26/23 • 23 min


2 Listeners
1 Comment
1
Name that (economic) tune
Make Me Smart
08/31/23 • 9 min
Not sure how to feel about today’s economy? Perhaps putting it to music will help. Today we’re dedicating the entire show to the economic anthems of this moment. We’ll play a round of Name That Tune with songs our dear listeners submitted. Plus, Kai and Kimberly will share their song picks!
Here’s everything we talked about today:
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- “Is the current job market music to the Fed’s ears?” from Marketplace
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- Bleachers: “I Wanna Get Better” on YouTube
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- Donna Summer: “She Works Hard for the Money” on YouTube
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- Grateful Dead: “Truckin'” on YouTube
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- “What’s your ‘economic anthem’?” from Marketplace
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- Marketplace: “Your Economic Anthems” on Spotify
Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern. We’ll have news, drinks, a game and more.
08/31/23 • 9 min


2 Listeners
Insurers retreat from the coasts
Make Me Smart
07/13/23 • 15 min
Farmers Insurance is the latest to call it quits in Florida as more frequent hurricanes ramp up risk for insurance companies. We’ll get into what coastal states like Florida might do to prevent residents from moving to more insurable parts of the country. And, inflation has settled down to 3%, but don’t be too quick to celebrate. Plus, we’ll commemorate the first anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope with some unbelievable new photos.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
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- “Farmers Insurance is leaving Florida in latest blow to homeowners” from Tampa Bay Times
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- “How We Survive” from Marketplace
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- “Workers save turtles migrating through Conn. dry-cleaning business” from The Washington Post
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- “Meet Sammy, the surfing seal from San Diego” from BBC News
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- “Seal pup goes surfing in San Diego!” from @thatgoodnewsgirl on TikTok
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- “NASA releases spectacular image to celebrate James Webb Space Telescope” from The Washington Post
Got a question about the economy, business or technology for the hosts? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].
07/13/23 • 15 min


2 Listeners
What to say when kids ask about the wage gap
Make Me Smart
04/12/23 • 31 min
4.0
On this Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday, we’re going to turning over the mics to our sister podcast Million Bazillion, the show that answers questions kids have about money. In today’s episode, hosts Ryan and Bridget are tackling a question about the gender wage gap. If you missed our recent deep dive on the topic, this kid friendly version will make you just as smart. It even includes a cameo from our Kimberly!
04/12/23 • 31 min


2 Listeners
2 Comments
2
07/10/23 • 18 min
Kai Ryssdal breaks the fourth wall and shares highlights from his trip to China with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (it was “amazeballs”). Plus, U.S. pandemic relief packages helped millions of businesses stay afloat in 2020. But cybersecurity holes paved the way for fraudulent claims. Can the federal government hold these scammers accountable? And how Morocco’s national women’s soccer team is making history.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
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- “The Trillion-Dollar Grift: Inside the Greatest Scam of All Time” from Rolling Stone
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- “Earth is at its hottest in thousands of years. Here’s how we know.” From The Washington Post
Got a question about the economy, business or technology for the hosts? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].
07/10/23 • 18 min


2 Listeners
Mint the coin?
Make Me Smart
10/02/21 • 23 min
With the debt ceiling crisis still pending, a popular old idea has sprung up: a trillion-dollar coin. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said it’s a no-go, but how come? We talk about what the trillion-dollar coin is and why it isn’t the best (or worst) idea. We also discuss Google backing out of the finance game and share some interesting sound from Disneyworld’s 50th anniversary. Finally, a round of everybody’s favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty!
Here’s everything we talked about on the show today:
- “The trillion dollar coin idea is back as a wacky way to prevent financial Armageddon” from CNN
- “Google is scrapping its plan to offer bank accounts to users” from The Wall Street Journal
- “What would the trillion dollar coin look like?” from Marketplace
- “FAA plans to reduce the time planes spend taxiing on the runway” from Marketplace
- “NYC hopes congestion pricing can reduce traffic. How has it worked elsewhere?” from Marketplace
- “Macy’s is trying to block Amazon from advertising atop its Herald Square store” from CNBC
- “Grocery store opens chat registers for lonely customers” from Vice
Our show needs your voice! Tell us what you think of the show or ask a question for our hosts to answer! Send a voice memo or give us a call at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278).
10/02/21 • 23 min


2 Listeners
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FAQ
How many episodes does Make Me Smart have?
Make Me Smart currently has 825 episodes available.
What topics does Make Me Smart cover?
The podcast is about News, Podcasts and Business.
What is the most popular episode on Make Me Smart?
The episode title 'The Twitter vs. Meta drama continues' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Make Me Smart?
The average episode length on Make Me Smart is 21 minutes.
How often are episodes of Make Me Smart released?
Episodes of Make Me Smart are typically released every day.
When was the first episode of Make Me Smart?
The first episode of Make Me Smart was released on Apr 30, 2019.
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4.5
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11 Ratings