Keen On America

Kenneth Cukier on "Big Data" and the Coronavirus

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Kenneth Cukier, the author of "Big Data", to discuss the role that big data can play to combat the c...

Andrew Keen Reflects on the Value and the Future of Work

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew reflects on some his recent guests' perspectives on both the notion of and the future of work.Named as one of the...

Sara Horowitz on Job Insecurity and "Mutualism" in America

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Sara Horowitz, the author of Mutualism, to discuss job security and insecurity in America, as well as ...

Robert Wringham on Why Work and Consumerism Will Always Be Interlocked

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Robert Wringham on his new book, I'm Out: How to Make an Exit, and the crisis of work today.Humorist Robert...

Laurence Rees on Hitler, Stalin and Dictatorship

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Laurence Rees, the author of "Hitler and Stalin", to discuss the regimes of history's most notorious...

Joseph Henrich on WEIRD Western Society

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Joseph Henrich, the author of "The WEIRDest People in the World", to discuss how strange and excepti...

Roy Richard Grinker on How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Roy Richard Grinker on his new book, Nobody's Normal, which examines the attitudes toward mental illness th...

Sarah Jaffe on Why Doing What You Love May Backfire On You

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Sarah Jaffe about her new book, Work Won't Love You Back, and what love means in the twenty-first century.S...

Alan Lightman on Humans' "Beginnings" and the Cosmos

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Alan Lightman, the author of "Probable Impossibilities", to consider humankind's role within nature ...

Robert Paarlberg on Food Politics

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew Keen is joined by Robert Paarlberg, the author of Resetting the Table, to discuss food politics. Robert puts the cu...

Raja Rajamannar on "The Fifth Paradign", Marketing and the Future of Consumerism

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew Keen talks with Raja Rajamannar about his new book, Quantum Marketing: Mastering the New Marketing Mindset for Tomo...

Dr. Jillian Hernandez on the "Aesthetics of Excess"

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew talks with Dr. Jillian Hernandez about her book, "Aesthetics of Excess: The Art and Politics of Black and Latina ...

Alana Newhouse on the "Flatness" of Our Future

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew talks with Alana Newhouse, the author of "Everything is Broken" and the founder and editor-in-chief of Tablet Mag...

Gabrielle Glaser on Adoption in America

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew talks with Gabrielle Glaser about her new book, "American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adopti...

David Hardin on the Flint, Michigan "Water Crisis"

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by David Hardin, the author of Standpipe, to discuss the origin and fallout of the Flint, Michigan water ...

Alex Vitale on Police Brutality

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Alex S. Vitale, the author of The End of Policing, to discuss the history of policing and mass-incarce...

Stephen Marche on Biden's Impossible Task to Unite America

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Stephen Marche, the author of America's Next Civil War, to discuss President Joe Biden's potential to ...

James Suzman on the Origins and History of "Work"

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew talks with anthropologist James Suzman about his new book, Work: A Deep History, From the Stone Age to the Age of...

Peter Gumbel on Personal and National "Identity"

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Peter Gumbel, the author of Citizens of Everywhere, to discuss the fallout from Brexit, as well as to ...

James Goldgeier and Bruce W. Jentleson on America's New Role in the World Under Joe Biden

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution James Goldgeier and Professor Bruce W. Jentleson of Duke Un...

Simon Winchester on Land Ownership

17 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Simon Winchester, author of Land, to discuss the origin, history and modern-day notion of land ownersh...

Kenneth R. Rosen on the Failed Promise of America's Behavioral Treatment Programs

16 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Kenneth R. Rosen, the author of Troubled, to discuss the brutal emotional, physical, and sexual abuse ...

Jessica Bruder on the "Sharing Economy"

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew talks with Jessica Bruder about her book "Nomadland", which is the basis for the 2021 film starring Frances McDor...

Dr. Carl L. Hart on the Role of Drug Use in the Pursuit of Happiness in America

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew talks with Dr. Carl L. Hart about his new book, Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear. Carl d...

Michael Lind on Class Warfare

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Keen On, Andrew is joined by Michael Lind, the author of The New Class War, to discuss the recent riots in the nation's capital and...

Johan Norberg: Why Do We Always Create "Us Vs. Them"?

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Johan Norberg, author of the new book Open: The Story of Human ProgressJohan Norberg is an author, lecturer...

Frederick M. Lawrence: What Makes Hate Crimes Different?

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Frederick M. Lawrence about his new book, Punishing Hate, and how shocking -- and unsurprising -- this week...

Alexander Lee: If Anyone Can Make Sense of This Week, It's Machiavelli

09 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Alexander Lee, author of Machiavelli: His Life and Times, about the raid at the Capitol and why Machiavelli shou...

Tom Bergin: Why Are Economic Theories Made by Governments Wrong

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Tom Bergin about his new book, Free Lunch Thinking, and what the United States -- and the world -- needs to...

Elliott Young: How the United States Made the World's Largest Immigrant Detention System

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Elliott Young about his upcoming book, Forever Prisoners, and the immigration issue in the United States th...

How To Fix the American Dream?

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Economist’s 2020 award for most-improved country went to Malawi, with New Zealand, Taiwan and Bolivia as runners-up. The United States of Americ...

Dale Maharidge: How Nothing Much Has Changed in America in 35 Years

01 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In October 1995, the American writer Dale Maharidge - the co-author with the photo-journalist Michael Williamson of the 1985 book A Journey To Nowhere...

Devon Price: Why Laziness Is A Lie

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks to author Devon Price about their new book, Laziness Does Not Exist.Dr. Devon Price is a social psychologist, writer,...

Daniel E. Lieberman: Why Do We Even Exercise?

25 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks to Daniel E. Lieberman about his new book, Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding.D...

Brian David Johnson: How Do We Rediscover the Future in 2021?

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks to Brian David Johnson about his new book, The Future You, and how to create a future post-pandemic.The future is Bri...

Lesley Blume: Reporting on Human Suffering in COVID Times

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID news remains disturbingly bleak. Deaths in the US are over 300,000 with Tennessee as “ground zero” and California running out of ICU bed...

Rod Dreher: Should Conservatives Become Martyrs?

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“The Last Days of Donald Trump” show is careening toward its final, farcical episode. Part Jacques Clouseau and Chauncey Gardiner, Trump continues...

Evan Osnos: The American Romance of Joe Biden

19 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Evan Osnos about his new book, Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now, and who really is Joe Biden.T...

Nicholas Christakis: How Covid-19 Will Change the Way We Live

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Nicholas Christakis about his new book, Apollo's Arrow, and his own study on the spread of Covid-19 around the w...

Chris Goodall: Why We Should Be Encouraged About Joe Biden's Climate Policy

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Chris Goodall about his new book, What We Need to Do Now, and what a zero carbon future looks like.Chris Goodall...

Elliott Currie: The Neglected Toll of Violence on Black America

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Elliott Currie about his new book, A Peculiar Indifference: The Neglected Toll of Violence on Black America, and...

Candacy Taylor: Race Relations Still Have a Long Way to Go in America

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Candacy Taylor about her new book, Overground Railroad: The Green Book & Roots of Black Travel in America, t...

Jason Hickel: How Degrowth Will Save the World

13 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Jason Hickel about his latest book, Less Is More, and what a post-capitalist economy could look like.Dr. Jason H...

David Paul Kuhn: When the White Working Class Turned Against Liberalism

13 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with David Paul Kuhn about his new book, The Hardhat Riot, and the connections between 1970 and our present moment.Da...

Peter Beinart: Is America's Role of Leadership in the World Over?

12 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with columnist Peter Beinart about America's loss of world leadership in a post-Trump world.Peter Beinart is professo...

Timothy Egan: Following the Road to Faith

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Timothy Egan about his latest book, The Pilgrimage to Eternity, and how the act of walking ties us to the earth....

Robert Kolker on the Strengths and Weaknesses of the American Family

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Robert Kolker discusses his latest book, Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family. ROBERT KOLKER is the New York...

Paul Jankowski on Our Long Winter

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Keen On, Andrew talks with Paul Jankowski about his latest book, All Against All: The Long Winter of 1933 and the Origins of the Second World War.P...

Kim Ghattas on Black Wave and the Unraveling of the Modern Middle East

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Kim Ghattas about her new book, Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Cultur...

K. Sabeel Rahman: The Stock Market Is Not the Economy

05 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with K. Sabeel Rahman, president of Demos, about why we need to challenge the privatization in America of the last 30...

Talia Stroud: The Role of Public Space in the Digital Age

05 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Talia Stroud, co-director of Civic Signals, about rebuilding and re-stimulating public digital spaces -- and whe...

Lucas Chancel: Why Does Helping the Poor Often Hurt the Environment?

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Lucas Chancel about his new book, Unsustainable Inequalities: Social Justice and the Environment, and the inequa...

Carl Safina: The More You Understand, the More Humility You Acquire

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Carl Safina, author of the new book, Becoming Wild, and our values that are destructive and dehumanizing to the ...

Julian E. Zelizer: The Legacy of Newt Gingrich and the Era of Partisan Warfare

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Julian E. Zelizer about his new book, Burning Down the House, and how Newt Gingrich launched our current era of ...

Rick Perlstein: How 1980 Changed Modern Politics

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Rick Perlstein discusses his new book, Reaganland: America's Right Turn 1976-1980, and how the birth of modern American conservati...

Mauro F. Guillen: After Coronavirus, How Do We Prepare For What's Next?

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with professor and thinker Mauro F. Guillen about his new book, 2030, global trends to keep an eye on, and what the f...

Edmund Fawcett: The Fight For Conservatism Today

28 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Edmund Fawcett, author of the new book Conservatism, about the fight for a tradition of order and stability and ...

Peter Osnos: Publishing Will Never Die

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Peter Osnos, founder of PublicAffairs, about the recent news that Bertelsmann, the parent of Penguin Random...

Brian Christian: Does Proposition 25 Symbolize the Great Ethical Questions of the Future?

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On todays episode, Andrew Keen talks with Brian Christian about his new book, The Alignment Problem, and the question at the intersection of computer ...

Steve Coll: How to Fix America's Foreign Policy Post-Trump

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew Keen talks with Steve Coll about what Donald Trump gets from contesting Joe Biden's presidential victory and the damage to ...

Tom Zoellner: How Hard Is It to Write About America?

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Tom Zoellner about his new book, The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America, and reporting from the A...

Charles A. Kupchan: The Full History of American Isolationism

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with professor Charles A. Kupchan about his new book, Isolationism: A History of America's Efforts to Shield Itself f...

Ruth Ben-Ghiat: How Can We Stop All the Strongmen?

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat about her new book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, and the history of "strongmen"...

Alan Hirsch: Right Now Is Not an Election Crisis, But a Manufactured Political Crisis

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Alan Hirsch, professor and author of A Short History of Presidential Election Crises, about why this current mom...

David Thomson: Why Real Life Right Now Is More Like the Movies

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with David Thomson, author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, discusses his life in film and why Trump is tr...

Kermit Pattison: The Quest for the Origins of the Human Species

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Kermit Pattison, author of Fossil Men, on answering the ultimate question: Where did we humans come from?Kermit ...

Frank "Gus" Biggio: What Should Biden Do in Afghanistan?

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Frank "Gus Biggio, author of The Wolves of Helmand: A View from Inside the Den of Modern War, discusses modern warfare and his own...

PJ O'Rourke: Is It Hard Being a Satirist These Days?

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with satirist PJ O'Rourke about his new book, A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land.P. J. O'Rourk...

Erin Brockovich Is Charging Into the Abyss

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Erin Brockovich about her new book, Superman's Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can ...

REGENERATE: Scott Russell Sanders on Why He's an Earth Writer, Not a Nature Writer

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In a special episode from the REGENERATE series, Andrew Keen talks to Scott Russell Sanders about his new essay collection, The Way of Imagination.SCO...

Maria Hinojosa: What Is Still Torn in America?

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In partnership with the Miami Book Fair, Andrew talks with Maria Hinojosa, journalist and author of Once I Was You, discusses the issues with immigran...

Eben Kirksey: The Global Race to Genetically Modify Humans

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Eben Kirksey, author of The Mutant Project, discusses what this new era of scientific inquiry mean for the future of the human spe...

Dmitry Sitkovetsky: What's the Appropriate Music for the Current Political Moment?

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks to musician and composer Dmitry Sitkovetsky about the concept of genius, a more democratic orchestra, and what he's l...

Matthew MacWilliams: How Possible Is Fascism in America?

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Matthew MacWilliams, author of On Fascism: 12 Lessons From American History, discusses the history of fascism in America -- and wh...

Henry Finder: Reporting From the Front Lines of Climate Change

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Henry Finder, New Yorker editorial director and co-editor of The Fragile Earth: Writings from the New Yorker on ...

Frank Pasquale: Is the Algorithm in Action to Undermine Democracy?

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Frank Pasquale, author of New Laws of Robotics, discusses whether voting can ever be replaced by artificial intelligence.Frank Pas...

Margaret MacMillan: Why Is War Not Part of the Current Election Conversation?

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Margaret MacMillan, author of the new book War, discusses how war has shaped both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.Margaret MacMillan is...

Peniel Joseph and Caroline Heldman: What Happens If Biden Loses?

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On a special Sunday episode of Keen On, Andrew talks with Caroline Heldman and Peniel Joseph on what to expect on Tuesday.Peniel E. Joseph is the Barb...

Christopher Schroeder: Has America Retreated Into Its Domestic Obsessions?

01 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Christopher Schroeder, co-founder of Next Billion Ventures, discusses to what extent this election is about America’s role in th...

Larry Downes: How Tech Policies Will Influence Our Immediate Future

01 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Larry Downes is the author of five books on the impact of technology on business, society, and the law. His first book, “Unleashing the Killer App”...

Ian Buruma: Has Tragedy Turned to Farce?

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, author and thinker Ian Buruma discusses the synergy when it comes to nationalism between the U.S. and the U.K.Ian Buruma teaches a...

David Kirkpatrick: On the Facebook Election Ban

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect, discusses the significance of the advertising ban on the upcoming election.Da...

Thomas Le Roux: The History of Pollution Though a Political Lens

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Thomas Le Roux, co-author of The Contamination of the Earth, about the trajectories of pollution in global capit...

Antoine F. Goetschel: What Do Animals Want?

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this special episode from Regenerate, Antoine F. Goetschel, discusses the relationship between the soil and the non-human species.Antoine F. Goetsc...

David Rothkopf: The Distinction Between Treason and Traitor With Donald Trump

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, David Rothkopf, author of Traitor, discusses where Donald Trump and today's Republican party fits into a history of American trait...

Leon Wieseltier: Do Disgraced Men Deserve Another Chance After a Reckoning?

24 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Leon Wieseltier, the former literary editor of The New Republic, discusses his reckoning after #MeToo, why he's launching a new ma...

Eileen Markey: The Sad Evolution of Rudy Giuliani

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, investigate journalist Eileen Markey discusses journalist Wayne Barrett and the history of political corruption.Eileen Markey is a...

Tiffany Shlain: The Addictive Dangers of Technology

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, filmmaker Tiffany Shlain discusses how to deal with the 24/7 world we're living in.Emmy-nominated filmmaker, speaker, and Webby Aw...

Jonathan Daniel Wells: The Deep Ties Between Slavery and Capitalism

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Jonathan Daniel Wells, author of The Kidnapping Club, discusses the ties between slavery and capitalism, the deeply corrupt roots ...

Po Bronson and Arvin Gupta: Is the Future the Past?

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Arvind Gupta is the founder of IndieBio, the world’s largest biotech accelerator, and a partner at Mayfield. Previously he was design director of ID...

REGENERATE: Otto Scharmer on Seeing Our Blind Spots as a Source for Transformation

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer in the MIT Management Sloan School and co-founder of the Presencing Institute. He chairs the MIT IDEAS program for ...

Carlos Lozada: Why Everything Written About the Trump Era Has It Wrong

18 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Carlos Lozada, author of What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era, discusses why all the recent litera...

David Giffels: How To Understand America in the "All-American Buffet"

17 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, David Giffels, author of Barnstorming Ohio, discusses how Ohio offers a valuable reflection of the national questions and concerns...

REGENERATE: Riane Eisler on Connecting the Dots on the Human Condition

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In a special episode from the REGENERATE series, Andrew Keen talks to scholar Riane Eisler on her new book, Nurturing Our Humanity.Riane Eisler is an ...

Hannah Testa: Age Doesn't Matter in Saving the Earth

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Hannah Testa, author of Taking on the Plastics Crisis, discusses her journey to activism from a young age and why age doesn't matt...

David French: How to Restore Our Nation From the Secession Threat

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, David French, author of Divided We Fall, discusses whether the upcoming election will truly result in the breakup of America.David...

That Was the Week: Keith Teare on the Rights and Wrongs of Breaking Up Big Tech

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On a special episode introducing That Was the Week with Keith Teare to Now.tv, Andrew talks with Keith about Maelle Gavet's arguments about the need t...

Carlton F.W. Larson: Is Donald Trump Treasonous?

11 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Carlton F.W. Larson, author of On Treason, discusses the history of groups trying to overthrow the government, from the Revolution...

Matt Hart: The Moral Complexity of American Capitalism

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Matt Hart, author of Win at All Costs, discusses the unsettling details of Nike's secret running program, the Nike Oregon Project,...

Po Bronson: What Do We Need to Decode the World?

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Po Bronson, co-author of Decoding the World, discusses why we don't need to be scientifically literate to make sense of the world....