The Dow hitting 20,000 might sounds like great news to you, but to anthropologist Arthur Demarest, it’s an ominous echo of what he’s seen befall the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Inca: a spectacular apogee followed by collapse. Demarest studies the decline of civilizations. He says his research has shown that societies that avoid total disintegration undergo some other kind of major political or economic crisis.
For the Spiel, good news. We’ve fixed the Oscars.
Today’s sponsor: Policy Genius. Shop and compare all the top-rated life insurance companies in one place. Go to PolicyGenius.com today to save over 70 percent off other prices for life insurance.**
Join Slate Plus**! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.
Slate's The Gist with Mike Pesca. A daily afternoon podcast about news, culture, and whatever else you'll be discussing with friends and family tonight. Part of the Panoply Network.
Go To Show PageSlate's Dana Stevens and John Swansburg discuss "The Muppets." WARNING: This podcast is meant to be heard AFTER you've seen the movie.
19 Min
Nov 22, 2011
31 Min
Jan 25, 2017
Puzzling through it all: the anti-Trump protests, the Trump economy, and of course, the Trump win.
30 Min
Nov 10, 2016
