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The Most Important Question

Important, Not Important
Climate Change
Public Health
Parenting
Mental Health
Long COVID
Covid-19
Community Engagement
Run For Something
Social Justice
Gun Control
Public Transit
Youth Leadership
Environmental Justice
Religion
Affordable Housing
Education
Philanthropy
Artificial Intelligence
H5N1
Community Support

You already know things are broken. You read the news, you listen to the analysis, you've got the outrage. What you don't have is a plan. The Most Important Question — 6x Webby-nominated, 2x Signal Award-nominated — is a weekly conversation with one person who stopped asking "what can I do?" and went and found out. Not pundits. Not commentators. The scientists, doctors, nurses, journalists, farmer... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes453Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceTechnology

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Artwork for The Most Important Question

Latest Episodes

Whoever said this country can't come together about anything anymore in the year of our Lord twenty twenty-six was wrong because PFAS, or forever chemicals, are in the blood of ninety-seven percent of Americans right now.

They're in our water, o... more

Since the dawn of recorded history, our living earth has been changed by everyone who spends time on it or in it from the smallest bacteria to the largest animals.

But like the brain-gut axis inside of us that we still barely understand, we've r... more

The CDC issued six health alerts in all of 2025, down from dozens in a normal year (whatever that means anymore). 

Measles, a disease we basically eliminated 26 years ago, is closing in on 1000 cases, with children hospitalized for brain swellin... more

This week, we're dropping an episode from our other show, Not Right Now, in the feed, where Quinn and Claire have community organizer and dad, Garrett Bucks, on the show to chat about parenting, of course, but also how he answered the most important ... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Ariel Waldman
National Geographic Explorer, documentary filmmaker, Antarctic researcher, TED MainStage speaker, NASA advisor, YouTube host, producer, and author
National Geographic / PBS Life on Earth (Life Unearthed)
Episode: Life Under A Microscope
Kaitlyn Jadalina
Epidemiologist and founder of It Is Free newsletter
Project Stethoscope / It Is Free
Episode: Public Health Just Got Personal
Garrett Bucks
Writer and organizer based in Milwaukee; founder of The Barnraisers Project
The Barnraisers Project
Episode: Not Right Now: Coloring Pages of Karl Marx
Nahid Bhadelia
Founding director of the BU Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases; infectious diseases physician; public health leader
Boston University
Episode: Public Health In A Post-Evidence World
Beth Gardiner
Journalist and author, author of Plastic Inc.
Episode: The Plastic Crisis Isn't On You, Actually
Sharon Schneider
Founder of Integrated Capital Strategies LLC, author of Handbook for an Integrated Life and experienced in high net worth philanthropy.
Integrated Capital Strategies LLC
Episode: What's The Purpose of Your Wealth?
Caroline Teti
Recipient's advocacy for Give Directly and based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Give Directly
Episode: Pods Fight Poverty: What Really Happens When You Just Give People Money?
Michael Faye
Co-founder and president of Give Directly, focused on innovative poverty solutions.
Give Directly
Episode: Pods Fight Poverty: What Really Happens When You Just Give People Money?
Jennifer Gerson
A journalist at The 19th and author of their new Menopause newsletter.
The 19th
Episode: Let's Talk About Menopause

Host

Quinn Emmett
Host of The Most Important Question; frequently drives conversations on philanthropy, policy, science, and current affairs.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 140 ratings
  • Essential listen for everyone

    Put simply: Important, Not Important makes you a better person and helps the world. What Quinn and team are doing with these exceptional conversations gets at the heart of how we can make an impact on the critical issues that we so often feel helpless to attack. The discussions are lively, heartfelt, funny, and informative. I love the science-based approach and the bigger picture view combined with individual actions that empower listeners to make change in their own lives while pushing for even... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Brock Benefiel
    United States3 years ago
  • Awesome Podcast!!!

    Quinn & Brian, hosts of the Important, Not Important Podcast, highlights all science and more in this can’t miss podcast! The host and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    roweereyes
    Philippines4 years ago
  • Great show!

    Quinn and Brian highlight all aspects of science and more in this can’t miss podcast! The hosts and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    malfoxley
    United States5 years ago
  • I’ll keep listening

    because the guests are interesting. However, listening to Zoom audio breaking up is not pleasant. Listening to the host interject “sure”. “uh huh” “right” “um” etc. is absolutely unpleasant. Artistically, this is practically unbearable.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    viila27
    United States5 years ago
  • Listen if you can

    The guests on each episode are knowledgeable in their fields, and the hosts know how to engage them, contextualize their knowledge, and importantly, make the podcast entertaining in the meantime. You’ll learn a lot, and be a better person for it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    "niceapp"
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the depth and practicality of conversations, noting the show delivers thoughtful, science-based discussions that translate into real-world actions.
Guests are consistently knowledgeable, and hosts steer discussions in an engaging and accessible way.
Audience often highlights the podcast as essential for staying informed on policy, science, and civic engagement.
Some listeners mention audio quality and occasional host interjections as areas for improvement.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Plastic Crisis Isn't On You, Actually
Q: Why do you have to do this work?
Gardiner explains that her drive comes from seeing the interconnectedness of plastic, oil, and public health, and from the belief that understanding these links is essential to expose the deliberate systems that maintain disposability. The answer emphasizes accountability, systemic change, and the desire to prevent further harm by informing readers and voters.
What's The Purpose of Your Wealth?
Q: Why do you have to do this work?
I feel compelled to make a difference due to my awareness of inequality and my background that gave me opportunities.
What's The Purpose of Your Wealth?
Q: Who is your audience? Who's the target audience for this?
The target audience is individuals with wealth, regular people, or a combination of both.
Pods Fight Poverty: What Really Happens When You Just Give People Money?
Q: What would it take to end poverty?
If we just took all the wealth of billionaires alone and put it in a fund and just gave out the dividends to the poor, we could do this.
Pods Fight Poverty: What Really Happens When You Just Give People Money?
Q: Why are you vital to the survival of the species?
Because I have a past that has experienced the life of some of the people that we are giving cash today.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Location
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Most Important Question

What is The Most Important Question about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features deep, thoughtful conversations with scientists, policymakers, journalists, and social impact leaders about pressing global and local issues. Across recent episodes, topics range from high net worth philanthropy and systemic inequality to cash transfers, menopause, water access, education, transit, housing, and climate action. The host fosters accessible, evidence-based discussion that translates complex topics into practical actions for listeners who want to do more than just learn about problems. Noteworthy strengths include a willingness to tackle controversial policy debates, a willingness to feature diverse voices across sectors, and a clear emphasis on actionable takeaways, civic engagement, and long-term impact rath... more

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To see how many followers or subscribers The Most Important Question has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Most Important Question?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Most Important Question:

1. Volts
2. Catalyst with Shayle Kann
3. Zero: The Climate Race
4. Drilled
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of The Most Important Question are there?

The Most Important Question launched 8 years ago and published 453 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Most Important Question?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on The Most Important Question?

Recent guests on The Most Important Question include:

1. Ariel Waldman
2. Kaitlyn Jadalina
3. Garrett Bucks
4. Nahid Bhadelia
5. Beth Gardiner
6. Sharon Schneider
7. Caroline Teti
8. Michael Faye

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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