In her book, Rumbles, medical historian Elsa Richardson explores the history of the human gut. She talks with Steve about dubious medical practices, gruesome tales of survival, and the things that medieval doctors may have gotten right.

• SOURCE:
  • Elsa Richardson, medical historian at the University of Strathclyde.

• RESOURCES:
  • Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut: The Secret Story of the Body's Most Fascinating Organ, by Elsa Richardson (2024).
  • Michael Levitt retirement speech (2024).
  • "Was There Really a Hawthorne Effect at the Hawthorne Plant? An Analysis of the Original Illumination Experiments," by Steven D. Levitt and John A. List (NBER Working Paper, 2009).
  • "Floating Stools — Flatus versus Fat," by Michael D. Levitt and William C. Duane (The New England Journal of Medicine, 1972).
  • "Factors Influencing Pulmonary Methane Excretion in Man," by John H. Bond, Rolf R. Engel, and Michael D. Levitt (Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1971).
  • The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, by Charles Darwin (1872).
  • The Levitt Lab Founding School Leader, job listing.
  • The Levitt Lab, information page.

• EXTRAS:
  • "An Update on the Khan World School," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
  • “Is This the Future of High School?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • “Sal Khan: ‘If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People,'” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "The Power of Poop," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).

How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce.

• SOURCE:
  • Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say) About Crime in the United States," by John Gramlich (Pew Research Center, 2020).
  • Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, by Stephen Pinker (2018).
  • "Mistakenly Seeking Solitude," by Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2014).
  • "Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind," by Timothy D. Wilson, David A. Reinhard, Erin C. Westgate, Daniel T. Gilbert, Nicole Ellerbeck, Cheryl Hahn, Casey L. Brown, and Adi Shaked (Science, 2013).
  • "The End of History Illusion," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Science, 2013).
  • Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, by Elizabeth Dunn (2013).
  • "If Money Doesn't Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren't Spending It Right," by Elizabeth W. Dunn, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2011).
  • This Emotional Life, by Daniel Gilbert (2010).
  • Stumbling on Happiness, by Dan Gilbert (2006).
  • "Affective Forecasting," by Timothy D. Wilson and Daniel T. Gilbert (Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 2003).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Drawing from Life (and Death)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
  • "Who Gives the Worst Advice?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "Am I Boring You?" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).

Moon Duchin is a math professor at Cornell University whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult?

• SOURCE:
  • Moon Duchin, professor of mathematics at Cornell University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Gerrymandering: The Origin Story," by Neely Tucker (Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress, 2024).
  • "Redistricting for Proportionality," by Gabe Schoenbach and Moon Duchin (The Forum, 2023).
  • "The Atlas Of Redistricting," by Aaron Bycoffe, Ella Koeze, David Wasserman, and Julia Wolfe (FiveThirtyEight, 2018).
  • "In a Comically Drawn Pennsylvania District, the Voters Are Not Amused," by Trip Gabriel (The New York Times, 2018).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
  • "Is This the Future of High School?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).