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Explore every episode of the podcast Deep Background with Noah Feldman

Dive into the complete episode list for Deep Background with Noah Feldman. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Deep Background Presents Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon16 Nov 202100:05:31

Presenting: An Excerpt from Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam. Download the audiobook today at miracleaudiook.com and receive an exclusive listener's guide pdf featuring additional commentary from Bruce, the producers and editors of Miracle and Wonder.

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How the Bond Market Broke in March15 May 202000:19:20

In this bonus episode, Boaz Weinstein, founder of the hedge fund Saba Capital, tells the story of how the bond market broke for a few days in March.

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The Financial Markets and COVID-19 13 May 202000:25:15

Boaz Weinstein, founder of the hedge fund Saba Capital, discusses why the stock market seems to be doing relatively well when the economy is in shambles.

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SPECIAL: Noah's New Book12 May 202000:34:53

Jacob Weisberg, the CEO of Pushkin Industries, interviews Noah Feldman about his new book "The Arab Winter: A Tragedy" which comes out today. 

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The Global Fight Against COVID-1907 May 202000:25:40

Nader Mousavizadeh, who formerly served in the Executive Office of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, explains why international organizations like the WHO and the UN have not been able to effectively coordinate a global response to the pandemic. Plus, is it a good thing or a bad thing that Bill Gates had stepped in to fill that void?

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When Will We Have a Vaccine? 06 May 202000:26:05

Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine, explains what types of coronavirus vaccines are currently being researched and evaluates their chances of success.

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What to Read During a Pandemic 01 May 202000:22:17

Marta Figlerowicz, an associate professor of comparative literature and English at Yale, discusses classic works of literature about pandemics from Boccaccio's The Decameron to Camus' The Plague. Plus, she psychoanalyzes Noah's love of detective novels.

Marta Figlerowicz's Pandemic Reading List

  • The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
  • Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman 
  • Everything Flows by Vasily Grossman 
  • Molloy by Samuel Beckett 
  • Malone Dies by Samuel Beckett 
  • Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
  • The Plague by Albert Camus 
  • Occupation Journal by Jean Giono

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A New Strategy in the Fight Against COVID-1929 Apr 202000:26:55

Dr. Louise Ivers, the executive director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, explains why states like Massachusetts are investing in a strategy called contact tracing to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

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The Way out of the Pandemic? Generosity. 23 Apr 202000:25:03

Pardis Sabeti, a computational biologist at Harvard and the Broad Institute, discusses when and how to re-open colleges and universities, why the US is behind other countries when it comes to containing the spread of coronavirus, and a plan to stop pandemics in the future

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The Roadblocks to Mass Testing 22 Apr 202000:27:53

Omai Garner, the director of clinical microbiology testing at UCLA Health, explains why more Americans have not been tested for COVID-19.

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Modeling the Coronavirus 16 Apr 202000:28:16

Carl Bergstrom, a computational biologist at the University of Washington and co-author of the forthcoming book "Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World," explains how to make sense of all the different coronavirus models and discusses the impact of misinformation on public health.

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Calling Bullshit with Jill Louise Busby10 Nov 202100:33:33

Jill Louise Busby, a former “woke influencer” with the handle @JillisBlack, opens up about examining her own complicity and calling bullshit on herself. She also discusses performative social media practices, having conversations across cultural lines, and the bounds of cancel culture. Bubsy’s book, Unfollow Me: Essays on Complicity, is out now.

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A Profound Economic Problem15 Apr 202000:29:10

Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers helped get us through the 2008 financial crisis. He has some ideas about what to do to get through this one.

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Passover, Plagues, and Coronavirus08 Apr 202000:18:12

To mark the start of Passover, Idan Dershowitz, a biblical scholar and junior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows, discusses the ten plagues of Egypt in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

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What Happens If We Run out of Ventilators? 07 Apr 202000:25:46

Lydia Dugdale, the Director of the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at Columbia University, discusses how medical supplies will likely be allocated if there are shortages.

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The Search for a Treatment 01 Apr 202000:29:28

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, discusses what treatments for COVID-19 are currently being researched, and why rushing the scientific process can be risky.

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A Nobel Prize Winner’s Suggestion for Fixing the Economy31 Mar 202000:25:55

Paul Romer, a Nobel Prize-winning economist at New York University, argues that we can keep the economy from tanking during the coronavirus pandemic without risking people's health. We just need many, many more tests.

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How to Stay Sane During a Pandemic27 Mar 202000:30:10

Laurie Santos, a Professor of Psychology at Yale, shares tips for dealing with coronavirus-induced anxiety. For further listening, check out Laurie’s podcast “The Happiness Lab,” also from Pushkin Industries.

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Fighting Coronavirus with Data25 Mar 202000:28:31

Farzad Mostashari, the former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the Department of Health and Human Services, says we need to collect better data to effectively fight the spread of the virus.

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Prisons and Jails Are a Coronavirus Time Bomb24 Mar 202000:26:34

Homer Venters, the former Chief Medical Officer for the New York City Jail system, says that we need to stop the spread of coronavirus in prisons, jails, and detention centers to have any hope of flattening the curve.

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Signs and Symptoms of COVID-1919 Mar 202000:25:55

Dr. Rebecca Berman, program director for UCSF’s Internal Medicine Residency, discusses the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, what to do if you feel sick, and tips for self isolating safely. Plus, hospital readiness, and the situation on the ground in San Francisco.

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Cooking Through the Crisis with Mark Bittman 18 Mar 202000:33:42

With restaurants and bars across the country temporarily closing down due to concerns about the novel coronavirus, many of us are finding ourselves cooking for the first time in a long time. So today, Deep Background is taking a quick break from covering the spread of COVID-19 to share this conversation with Mark Bittman, the food writer who taught so many of us how to cook. The author of best-selling cookbooks like How to Cook Everything and Vegan Before 6, Bittman offers some tips on how to cook fish and reflects on what he has learned from over two decades of writing about food.

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Deep Background Presents: The Broken Constitution Ep.309 Nov 202100:40:56

The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. In this final bonus episode, Noah Feldman explains the contradictions and calculations Lincoln made as he drafted The Emancipation Proclamation and the long-term implications of Lincoln’s decision to break and remake the US Constitution.   


Noah’s Feldman’s book, The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America, is out now.

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Civil Liberties in the Time of COVID-1917 Mar 202000:36:56

Richard Lazarus, a law professor at Harvard and a leading Supreme Court advocate, discusses where public health stops and our individual liberties begin. Plus, what does it mean that the Supreme Court has postponed oral arguments?

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The Economic Impact of COVID-1916 Mar 202000:28:07

Stefanie Stantcheva, Professor of Economics at Harvard, discusses the economic harms of COVID-19 and measures governments can take to soften the blow of a recession.

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What We Know About How Coronavirus Spreads 11 Mar 202000:29:48

Siddhartha Mukherjee, physician, researcher, and author of the 2011 Pulitzer-Prize winning book The Emperor of All Maladies, discusses what we know about how coronavirus spreads and what we don’t know. Plus, he offers advice on canceling travel plans. 

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The View from Beijing04 Mar 202000:35:32

In an effort to curtail the spread of coronavirus, much of China is essentially under lockdown. Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Ian Johnson talks about what life is like in the capital city.

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The Coronavirus Isn't Going Away28 Feb 202000:25:58

Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard University, predicts that between 40 to 70 percent of adults in the world will become infected with the coronavirus. 

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Elif Shafak's "Multiple Belongings" 26 Feb 202000:30:15

Best-selling British-Turkish writer Elif Shafak discusses her latest novel, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World, Turkey's "backward slide," and what it means to be a citizen of the world.

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An Interview with the Next Vice President of the United States 19 Feb 202000:29:49

Stacey Abrams talks about how to create lasting social change, her thoughts on 2020, and her plans for the future. 

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Malcolm Gladwell and "Magical Technical Fixes" 12 Feb 202000:34:40

Malcom Gladwell and Noah Feldman discuss whether we should add more states to the union, and why Americans are always searching for "magical technical fixes." For further listening check out the "Divide and Conquer" episode of the Revisionist History podcast.

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Bonus: The Oscars07 Feb 202000:28:33

Charles Randolph, the screenwriter behind “The Big Short” and “Bombshell” discusses turning real life stories into Hollywood movies, and shares what he would like to change about the Academy Awards. 

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We Testified for Impeachment and It Made No Difference05 Feb 202000:38:35

Noah Feldman and University of North Carolina School of Law Professor Michael J. Gerhardt both testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. They discuss everything from how they made their arguments to how they dealt with the hate mail. 

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The Billion Dollar Industry of Esports03 Nov 202100:39:44

Esports, the industry of competitive, entertainment-style video game play, is rapidly growing and redefining the gaming industry. Its popularity also raises questions about the future of sports entertainment more broadly. Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of the esports company Evil Geniuses, explains the industry and its potential.

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The History of Policing in Cars30 Nov 201900:28:16

Sarah Seo, the author of How Cars Transformed Policing, talks to us about what rights we have in our cars, and what rights we don’t.

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Truth in the Time of Deepfakes23 Nov 201900:34:02

Boston University School of Law Professor Danielle Citron says that deepfakes are just going to get more and more convincing, but there are sill certain things we can do to stop their spread.

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The Gig is Up16 Nov 201900:43:21

A new California law, known as AB 5, will make it harder for app-based companies like Uber and Lyft to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. We get two perspectives on this piece of legislation that could have huge implications for the future of the gig economy.

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The Opioid Epidemic and the Courts09 Nov 201900:35:09

Who is responsible for the opioid epidemic? Yale Law Professor Abbe Gluck walks us through the massively complex opioid litigation. 

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The End of Ebola02 Nov 201900:35:50

The Ebola outbreak in The Democratic Republic of Congo is slowing down, and a new Ebola vaccine is likely to get approved by the European Commission. Leading Ebola researcher Pardis Sabeti reflects on what she has learned from fighting a disease that may soon be vanquished. 

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An Experiment in Universal Basic Income26 Oct 201900:34:30

As Universal Basic Income becomes a talking point in the Democratic Primary race, one city has already started. Last February, the city of Stockton, California randomly selected 150 residents to receive five hundred dollars a month, as part of a universal basic income pilot program. Michael Tubbs, the mayor of Stockton, and Sukhi Samra, the director of the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration, discuss how the pilot has been going so far.

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Why Economists Should Act More Like Weather Forecasters19 Oct 201900:31:37

International Monetary Fund advisor Prakash Loungani explains why economists have such a terrible track record when it comes to predicting recessions. Plus, Noah reflects on the Washington Nationals heading to the World Series. 

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The Lawyer and the Mobster12 Oct 201900:35:28

Jack Goldsmith thinks his stepfather has long been unjustly suspected of being involved in the disappearance of the influential labor organizer Jimmy Hoffa. Noah Feldman speaks to him about his new book "In Hoffa's Shadow: A Stepfather, a Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth."

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The Impeachment Episode05 Oct 201900:52:00

Noah Feldman speaks with his friend and legal expert Seth Berman about what to watch for as the impeachment inquiry into President Trump unfolds. 

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Saudi Arabia's "Genius" Crown Prince28 Sep 201900:42:13

Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's Crown prince, seems to have charmed President Trump. But Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, says his "revolution" is mostly self-serving. 

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Deep Background Presents: The Broken Constitution Ep.2 01 Nov 202100:35:20


The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. In this second of three bonus episodes, Noah Feldman explains the decisions Lincoln made when he took office that effectively broke the US Constitution in hopes of preserving the nation. 


Noah’s forthcoming book, The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America, is out November 2.

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Live Episode: Noah Feldman and Malcolm Gladwell21 Sep 201901:07:42

Noah Feldman speaks to author and Pushkin co-founder Malcolm Gladwell about his new book "Talking to Strangers" in Boston, MA, at an event organized by the Harvard Bookstore. They discuss everything from spy craft, to the current political climate, to compliment sandwiches.

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Trump's "Dangerous" Iran Policy14 Sep 201900:34:57

Is Donald Trump leading the US into war with Iran? Middle East scholar Vali Nasr says it definitely seems like it. 

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A Solution for Algorithmic Bias07 Sep 201900:36:09

Algorithms can determine everything from what ads you see on the internet to the interest rates on your loan. And they aren't always exactly fair. Nicol Turner Lee, a fellow at Brookings, and Talia Gillis, a Harvard graduate student, discuss what to do about algorithmic bias. Plus, Noah reflects on the latest Brexit news. 

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Affirmative Action Isn't Enough30 Aug 201900:36:04

This year, only seven black students were accepted to Stuyvesant, one of New York's most prestigious public high schools. Harvard Law Professor Randy Kennedy says that to address the racial inequities in our education system we need to think radically. Plus, Noah discusses the recent protests in Hong Kong. 

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The Party of Ideas25 Aug 201900:34:09

The Republican party used to tout itself as the party of ideas. Now it seems to be the party of Donald Trump. Conservative thinker Peter Wehner explains what he thinks happened. Peter Wehner's Suggested Reading List: -Losing Ground by Charles Murray -The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom -The Naked Public Square by Richard John Neuhaus -Crime and Human Nature by James Q. Wilson and Richard J. Herrnstein 

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