Humans

Dr. Joia Mukherjee is a public health and infectious disease specialist. She’s worked for Partners In Health for over 25 years, where she helps deliver medical care to the poorest nations. Joia and Hank talk about how inequity leaves many people sick, why market forces fail most people, and whether we’re prepared for another pandemic (spoiler: we’re not). Plus, what bacteria would you find in a hippo bite?

Chris La Tray is an Anishinaabe/Métis storyteller and Montana’s former poet laureate. He’s also a citizen of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indian. He and Hank talk about his memoir Becoming Little Shell, and what it’s like to realize you’re from a tribe not recognized by the U.S. government; how he was gifted a quest; why he despises being an American; and how convenience isn’t progress. Plus, the Ojibwe word for chickadee is probably the best thing you’ll hear all day.Chris's Substack is An Irritable Métis: https://chrislatray.substack.com/

Kal McRaven, known as FunkyFrogBait, is a YouTuber with more than 3 million followers who makes video essays calling out some of the internet’s worst trends. They talk with Hank about their homeschooling and evangelical Christian upbringing, why they incorporate humor when describing upsetting things, and if what they make is real journalism. Plus, how sometimes you have to let the Jenga tower fall to reconstruct your life. You can find Kal on social media @funkyfrogbaitGot a question or a comment? You can reach us at [email protected] us on social media @humanswithhank

Jennifer Sciubba is a political demographer and the president and CEO of the Population Reference Bureau, so she’s a pretty good authority on what global data says about falling fertility rates (news flash: they are!). She and Hank talk about why predictions beyond 30 years are just for play, whether we’re reproducing ourselves in other ways apart from procreation, the problems that arise when you have fewer humans, and the dangers of trying to control fertility rates. 

Comedian Gianmarco Soresi thinks the plot of Black Swan — the perfect performance followed by death — is a beautiful end to life. He talks with Hank about how comedy is like building a table when the ruler is always changing, how he strives to be Mozart but is more like Salieri, and how he thinks Trump uses comedy to push his political agenda. Plus, what happened when Gianmarco was booked for an 85-year-old’s birthday party?You can find Gianmarco on social media @gianmarcosoresiGot a question or a comment? You can reach us at [email protected] us on social media @humanswithhank