It Turns Out

Why Food Allergies Have Skyrocketed (And How to Prevent Them)

Before the 1950s, few people had allergies. But since then, allergies - and autoimmune diseases - have surged. Why? Dr. Andrew Wang from the Yale School of Medicine and

Forget class differences. How age divides America.

How did the oldest Americans become so rich and powerful? Yale’s Samuel Moyn talks about the growing age divide in America. Americans over 54 now hold 70% of the nation’

Elizabeth Kolbert on why we stopped talking about climate change

As heat waves, droughts, and surging insurance costs reshape American life, climate change has almost vanished from the national political debate. Why? On this episode o

Bosses ordered people back to work. Where are they?

Despite endless corporate press releases and return-to-office mandates, the data reveals a surprising truth: the number of days worked from home has remained completely f

How do you get rich in America? Not the way you think.

There's a big spotlight - and a lot of resistance to - billionaires, from Elon Musk to Larry Ellison. But we’re missing an under-the-radar revolution in American wealth.

How the rich escaped taxation. Ray Madoff’s argument, revisited.

Over the last 40 years, many of the wealthiest Americans have effectively seceded from taxation. While regular Americans - from teachers to surgeons - often pay between

How marriage divides us. Melissa Kearney’s case, revisited

Why do affluent suburbs in Boston and Houston vote completely differently, yet share one surprising thing in common? Economist Melissa Kearney, author of The Two-Parent P

How to extend life - and where the science stands

What do scientists know about how to live longer - and maximize the number of years that you're healthy? Princeton molecular biologist Coleen Murphy explains what you c

Miami, Mamdani, and the War over Wealth

Are the ultra-wealthy playing a high-stakes game of dodgeball with American cities? As states float the idea of heavy wealth taxes, billionaires are increasingly moving t

Why have kids left public school?

Since 2020, more than a million kids have left American public schools. Meanwhile, enrollment in private schools and homeschooling has risen. What's going on? Have parent

Longevity: What we get wrong

For two decades, the global phenomenon of "Blue Zones" has shaped how we eat, live, and invest in our health. But what if the data behind these longevity hotspots doesn't

Being social scares us. It also makes us happier.

What if being more social could change your life? University of Chicago behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley talks with Kara about the surprising bump in happiness we get

Is College Worth It? (Plus, waitlists and marriage markets)

Is a college degree actually worth it, or do universities simply accept students who were already destined for success? Using a clever natural experiment - in an era whe

What we get wrong about weight and nutrition

Former NIH researcher Kevin Hall explains the science of why we eat what we eat, and debunks persistent myths about willpower, metabolism, and protein. He shares his star

Should Americans have more kids?

The fertility rate in America has fallen more than 20 percent in the last two decades. Why is this happening, and should we try to turn it around? The drop is even more

Why white collar jobs are heading to China

A generation ago, a "China Shock" decimated American manufacturing. Today, a second wave is looming—and this time, it’s coming for engineers, scientists, and tech profess

The Real Reason Billionaires Want to Go to Space

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 Foreve

The Betting States of America

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.

This is how we fix traffic

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 subway

Why boys and men are struggling in America

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. Mi