Ministry of Ideas

Scientists discovered that some stars have heartbeats and that some of them can be used to measure the longest distances that exist.This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton  and Liya Rechtman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientist Alfred Kinsey tried to differentiate human sexualities on a seven-point scale. In so doing, he brought us the basics of bisexuality. But the scale leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of a spectrum, Special Guest Kate Sisk leads us into a gay fog.GUESTKate Sisk (she/they/he) is a professional stand up comedian, amateur drag king, and co-host of the award-winning podcast, We’re Having Gay Sex.This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton and Liya Rechtman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Intelligence Quotient is a measure of intelligence that has life-or-death consequences. Should we trust it?GUESTAlan Gouddis is a Partner with Sherman & Sterling. He was recognized by The Legal 500 as a “Leading Lawyer” in M&A Litigation Defense in 2021.  This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton  and Liya Rechtman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taste is a subjective experience. We know this because eggs pickled in human urine, cheese with live maggots living in it, fertilized and mostly-developed duck eggs, rotten shark, calf blood and cheese whiz are all delicacies somewhere. But there is a flavor that we can measure and compare objectively. Kind of.This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton and Liya Rechtman.Special thanks to our taste-testers: Brian Sexton, Daniel Siegel, Grace Gouddis, Gregory Fredle, Lois Rosson, Maiya Zwerling, Michelle Tigchelaar, Simon Brown, and Val McGraw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’d rate today’s episode a ten out of ten, five star, certified fresh, two thumbs up. But we can’t speak for its IMdB score.This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton and Liya Rechtman.Measure for Measure is a limited series from Ministry of Ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re hitting up against the very nature of measurement: How can we best describe the world around us, in its infinite complexity, with finite measures? In other words, how hard are rocks?This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton and Liya Rechtman.Measure for Measure is a limited series from Ministry of Ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jews are ritually obligated to eat matzah during Passover. But how much matzah? Well, that depends on your views on the size of an olive. This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton and Liya Rechtman. Special thanks to Rabbi Natan Slifkin, founder of RationalistJudaism.com for his work on olives and biblical measurements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We love a good chart or graph but we think measurement is more complex and interesting than the data points. The fathom is a measure of depth from the surface to the ocean floorwhich is critical for navigating the Mississippi River and the Suez Canal. The fathom also shows us what’s beyond measurement: The unfathomable.This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton and Liya Rechtman.Measure for Measure is a limited series from Ministry of Ideas. The show is executive produced by Liya Rechtman, created by Andrew Middleton, and sound engineered by Greg Fredle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could you pick a white-breasted nuthatch out of a lineup? We explore the value - and limits - of birdwatching, categorization, and measurement.This episode was produced by Andrew Middleton and Liya Rechtman.Measure for Measure is a limited series from Ministry of Ideas. The show is executive produced by Liya Rechtman, created by Andrew Middleton, and sound engineered by Greg Fredle.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing Measure for Measure, a new limited series from Ministry of Ideas.We love a good chart or graph but we think measurement is more complex and interesting than data points. In each episode of the Measure for Measure, we look at a different unit of measure as a fundamental grammar of our lives. Learn more at ministryofideas.org/measurePRODUCTION TEAMLiya Rechtman is Executive Producer and co-host of Measure for Measure and Managing Producer of Ministry of Ideas. She is a climate activist and Jew about town.Andrew Middleton is Creator and co-host of Measure for Measure and a Producer of Ministry of Ideas. He is a cartographer, diver, and the founder of Open Dive Sites.Greg Fredle is Sound Engineer for Measure for Measure. He is a freelance filmmaker and audio producer.Zachary Davis is Executive Producer and Host of Ministry Ideas, Writ Large and Making Meaning; advisor to Measure for Measure.Tyler Morrisette is the art director for Measure for Measure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices