Live Wire with Luke Burbank - Episode Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: Live Wire with Luke Burbank
• Host: Luke Burbank (PRX)
• Description: Like late-night for radio, Live Wire is hosted by Luke Burbank and artfully blends an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and cultural observers.
• Episode: Amanda Montell, Laurie Kilmartin, and Lizzie Ngo (Rebroadcast)
• Release Date: December 6, 2024

Introduction and Best News Segment

[00:02 - 04:45]
Luke Burbank opens the episode with enthusiasm, introducing the lineup:

• Amanda Montell: Author of The Age of Magical Overthinking, discussing cognitive biases and modern irrationality.
• Laurie Kilmartin: Comedian sharing personal anecdotes and humor.
• Lizzie Ngo: Singer-songwriter delivering a musical performance and offering travel tips for carrying a harp.

Best News Highlight:
[04:45 - 07:10]
Elena Passarello shares a heartwarming story about a baby Mississippi kite rescued and wrapped in a tortilla by a Texas family. This inventive solution kept the bird warm until it could be safely rehabilitated. Additionally, there's a statewide effort in Texas to help rehabilitate 1,600 injured and orphaned birds affected by Hurricane Beryl. Notable Quote:

• Elena Passarello:

  "The tortilla really worked like it kept the baby bird really warm." [06:18]

Amanda Montell: Exploring Cognitive Biases

[11:05 - 26:16]
Amanda Montell delves into her book The Age of Magical Overthinking, discussing how the abundance of information in the digital age paradoxically leads to greater confusion and irrational decision-making. She explains concepts such as the halo effect and proportionality bias, illustrating how these cognitive shortcuts influence our perceptions of celebrities and contribute to phenomena like manifestation beliefs.

Key Discussions:

• Halo Effect:
  Amanda explains how admiring a single trait in a person, like Taylor Swift's music, leads us to assume they possess other unrelated positive qualities.

  "We like a pop star's music. We jump to the conclusion that she must be nurturing, worldly..." [17:19]

• Proportionality Bias:
  She connects this bias to both conspiratorial thinking and positive manifestation beliefs, showing how humans seek grand causes for significant events or desired outcomes.

  "Manifestaion falls into the same category because it's this same idea with a positive spin..." [19:05]

• Dunning-Kruger Effect vs. Overconfidence Bias:
  Amanda discusses how overconfidence bias is more pervasive, affecting everyone's self-assessment regardless of actual expertise.

  "Studies reflect that the majority of participants will rate themselves as above average in things like cooking, driving and sex..." [23:21]

Notable Quote:

• Amanda Montell:

  "There's an egocentricity in this idea that everything is knowable." [24:19]

Amanda Montell's Fact-Checking Game

[26:16 - 35:58]
Amanda participates in a fun segment where she distinguishes between facts and fiction. Highlights include:

• Froot Loops Flavor Consistency:

  Confirmed true.
  Amanda: "That's gotta be true." [27:05]

• Napoleon's Height:

  False in the common perception; he was not particularly short for his time and region.
  Amanda: "Maybe not." [28:18]

• Cocaine on Dollar Bills:

  True, based on a 2009 study.
  Amanda: "I would say probably false." (She was initially incorrect but the host corrected her.) [29:18]

• Chickens Living Without Heads:

  True, but only temporarily.
  Amanda: "Temporarily." [29:56]

Humorous Exchange:

• Luke Burbank:

  "If you look around my house, the only books on the shelves that I have reliably actually finished are the ones for Livewire." [33:24]

Laurie Kilmartin: Comedy Special Highlights

[37:03 - 44:32]
Laurie Kilmartin delivers her latest comedy special, Cis Woke Grief Slut, featuring sharp humor centered around her experiences as a single mom, dating, and generational stereotypes. Key themes include:

• Body Image and Health Consciousness:

  "It is horrible. You input your height and your weight into a graph, and then it tells you how much you should hate yourself." [37:05]

• Single Motherhood and Dating:

  "When you go away to college next year, I'm going to start dating." [42:46]

• Gen X Men and Concussions:

  "Gen X men are the last generation of American men to play high school sports with no concussion protocols." [42:22]

Notable Quote:

• Laurie Kilmartin:

  "I do have one son. He is 17 years old. And, yeah, it's an exciting time because I kind of feel like my shift is almost over." [38:25]

Lizzie Ngo: Musical Performance and Insights

[45:38 - 50:07]
Singer-songwriter Lizzie Ngo performs her song "Deadbeat," showcasing her indie folk style. She discusses her creative process, particularly how undiagnosed PTSD influenced her album Halfsies. Themes of memory fragmentation and healing are prevalent in her work.

Key Discussions:

• Album Title and PTSD:

  "I had undiagnosed PTSD for years... I remember half my life and not, like, distinct parts." [48:27]

• Creative Process During Lockdown:

  "A lot of these songs came out of dreams, you know, waking dreams and Sleepy Dreams." [49:30]

Performance:

• "Deadbeat" Lyrics Highlight:

  "I'm a deadbeat dead ringer for a bad luck man... If I had a nickel for every time I heard the check is in the mail maybe I'll be there, baby, I'll be there." [50:07]

Listener Q&A and Conclusion

[32:13 - 36:17]
Luke and Elena discuss listener responses to the question: "What is something you can't admit is true despite all evidence to the contrary?" Notable responses include:

• Sharon:

  "I will never read all of the books in my house." [32:33]

• Casey:

  "Kids these days don't know the song 'Hey Ya'." [33:02]

• Mike:

  "The DVD collection I invested a large portion of my young adult income in is now worthless." [34:30]

Humorous Banter:

• Luke Burbank on DVDs:

  "The only books on the shelves that I have reliably actually finished are the ones for Livewire." [33:24]

• Elena Passarello on VHS Experiences:

  "I had to listen to it full blast. Very embarrassed in front of all of the other library patrons." [35:28]

Upcoming Episode Preview:

• Guests: Writer Dansie Senna and documentary filmmaker Penny Lane.
• Topics: Racial identity in Hollywood and personal journeys in organ donation.
• Musical Guest: Johnny Franco and Dom.

Final Remarks: Luke thanks all guests, sponsors, and supporting members Taylor Bacon and Kathleen Fertey for their contributions, emphasizing the importance of community support in keeping the show ongoing.

Closing Notable Quote:

• Luke Burbank:

  "Each week on Livewire, we like to ask our Livewire listeners a question, talking about confirmation bias and other ways that our brains kind of trick us." [32:14]

Conclusion: This rebroadcast episode of Live Wire with Luke Burbank offers a rich blend of insightful discussions on cognitive biases with Amanda Montell, laughter-filled storytelling from Laurie Kilmartin, and captivating music from Lizzie Ngo. The episode engages listeners through interactive segments, heartfelt stories, and thought-provoking questions, all while maintaining a lively and personable atmosphere.