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Artwork for The Most Important Question

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
Youth Leadership
Public Transit
Education
Environmental Justice
Religion
Affordable Housing
Artificial Intelligence
H5N1
Mercy
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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes456Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceTechnology

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Artwork for The Most Important Question

Latest Episodes

250 years after a group of slaveowners wrote that "all men are created equal", we're done letting hypocrites own the language of life.

Introducing Actually Pro Life: a reframe, a research platform, and a direct challenge to anyone willing to be held... more

Last Christmas we teamed up with about 40 other big podcasts to support our dear friends at Give Directly with a very special campaign called Pods Fight Poverty.

The goal was to raise $1 million to send to families in extreme poverty in Bwakira,... more

Your kids are hearing about the news whether you are ready or they're ready or not. One study said two-thirds of kids aged 8 to 14 are absorbing current events at least every few days, and almost none of it was made for them.

They're getting the... more

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

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

Mukeshima Clementine
Beneficiary featured in the episode, mother of five
Bacara, Rwanda community
Episode: How You Changed The Lives of 250 Families in Rwanda
Andrea Barberlin
Editorial Director of The Week Jr.
The Week Jr.
Episode: A Calm Voice In A Loud World
Rachel Frazen
Energy and environmental reporter at The Hill; co-author of Poisoning the Well
The Hill
Episode: What's In Your Water
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?

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
    Philippines5 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.

A Calm Voice In A Loud World
Q: Why do you have to do this work?
Andrea explains that the work is vital to help children understand the world, form informed opinions, and feel capable of participating in society, especially during volatile times.
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.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

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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What are the audience demographics for The Most Important Question?

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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. The Green Blueprint
5. Drilled

How many episodes of The Most Important Question are there?

The Most Important Question launched 8 years ago and published 456 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. Mukeshima Clementine
2. Andrea Barberlin
3. Rachel Frazen
4. Ariel Waldman
5. Kaitlyn Jadalina
6. Garrett Bucks
7. Nahid Bhadelia
8. Beth Gardiner

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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