It Turns Out

What happens when the world’s most powerful tech leaders decide they are the architects of humanity's future? Astrophysicist Adam Becker, author of More Everything Forever, takes a hard look at the "Plan B" visions of Silicon Valley’s elite.
From Elon Musk’s mission to colonize a "poisonous" Mars to Jeff Bezos’ dream of trillion-person space colonies, Becker argues that these blueprints are often more science fiction than scientific fact.
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What happens when a culture is suddenly engulfed by 24/7 betting, wagering, and prediction markets?
In this episode of It Turns Out, host Kara Miller sits down with Dr. Timothy Fong, a psychiatrist and co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, to explore the hidden costs of America's new favorite pastime: "solitude entertainment."
From the staggering story of a student who drained his $180,000 college fund in just 18 months, to the psychological traps of treating apps like DraftKings and Polymarket as second jobs, Fong explains how the normalization of digital gambling is rewiring our brains and deepening the wealth gap.
Discover the science behind addiction, the reality of why the house always wins, and what this unprecedented surge in financial risk-taking means for society's future.
For more on the massive growth of sports gambling, check out the work of The Journalist's Resource at Harvard's Shorenstein Center.
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Traffic isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a thief. It robs you of time, health - and sometimes sanity. But the "obvious" fixes, like widening freeways or upgrading subways, often leave us stuck in the exact same spot. In this episode of It Turns Out, Kara Miller talks with UCLA urban planning expert Michael Manville about how to really fix traffic (it’s doable). Discover why the one scientific solution to gridlock is uniquely "uncontagious" among politicians, but quite popular among those who’ve experienced it. How do you get traffic to move at 50mph? Here’s your answer.
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Why have so many boys and men fallen behind in America?
Boys are behind girls in K-12 education. They are behind girls in getting to college - and staying in college. Millions of prime-age men are missing from the labor force. And men die deaths of despair - suicide and overdoses - at much higher rates than women.
Richard Reeves talks about what has shifted culturally for men.
How do you turn this around? Why do these issues affect even upper-class boys? How has this issue hurt Democrats - and what can they do about it?
Reeves is the author of "Of Boys and Men," the founding president of the American Institute For Boys and Men, and a senior fellow at Brookings.
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Why do we prioritize larger homes over shorter commutes, even when it costs us our happiness? Redfin's Chief Economist and author Daryl Fairweather joins host Kara Miller to reveal how applying economic research can help you optimize your home, your career, and your relationships.
In this episode of It Turns Out, Fairweather breaks down the complexities of the 2026 housing market, explains how to free yourself from psychological biases like "anchoring,” and explains how Beyoncé - and Destiny’s Child - can help you understand workplace power dynamics.
From her own move out of a high-pressure tech hub, to the surprising data behind the "coin-flip" method for making life-altering choices, Fairweather shares how to challenge the status quo and use data to design a life that aligns with your values.
Fairweather is author of the book Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work
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