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The Anthropocene is often discussed in terms of human-caused climate change, and thus carries a certain end-times vibe.
Hank and I both really loveRadiolab.We loveNancy.
We really enjoyed Abbi Jacobsons show,A Piece of Work.
So for us, it began with us being fans of the way WNYC Studios made podcasts.
Can we talk a bit Reviewed?
Yeah, the show is a series of essays disguised as reviews.
I started out my career as a book reviewer.
In some ways,The Anthropocene Reviewedis an opportunity for me to get back to my roots.
How do you pick what to review?A lot of the reviews come from listener suggestions.
There are also some things I review just because Ive been interested in them for a long time.
Has it helped you arrive at a better understanding of the Anthropocene?[Laughs.]
These days, Im able to see human life in a more big history context.
Were up to a lot of the same stuff that weve been up to for a long time.
Its just that now we have tremendous new powers that we dont know how to live with yet.
Thats really appealing to me, especially in a time when the world feels very loud.
When I listen to podcasts, Im doing the dishes, Im driving my kid to school.
These voices are with me in those moments, and that feels important.
To be honest with you, podcasting feels to me the way YouTube felt in 2007 and 2008.
It feels exciting and invigorating.
And it also feels like the broader public doesnt understand how cool it is yet, you know?
Actually, theres a weird podcast that Im really obsessed with.
Its a fiction podcast for children calledThe Unexplained Disappearance of Mars Patel.
My kid and I listen to it every day and were just so into it.
Do you think about writing a fiction podcast?Ahh, it seems so hard.
Im so … limited in my ability to tell fictional stories.
