Podcast
Uncertain Things
Hosted by Uncertain Things · EN
Everything is broken. Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk, two jaded journos, interview people far wiser than themselves and ask: "now what?"
uncertain.substack.com
uncertain.substack.com
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
ICE, Klein, Coates (w/ Nancy Rommelmann)
Oct 1501:23:37Tap to summarizeWriter, reporter, Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em co-host, and pie baker extraordinaire Nancy Rommelmann returns to Uncertain Things to talk (again) about a topic she knows all too well: Portland. In 2021, she lambasted the way the media was distorting what was happening on the ground by underplaying the violence. Four years later, she’s lamenting the way the President and his cronies are distorting what’s happening on the ground by overplaying the violence. We get into ICE’s antics, Portland’s response (so far), and the “heroes” making headlines. Then we switch tacts to share our thoughts on the (much discussed) Klein-Coates interview, and Adaam is remarkably reserved in his epithets. On the agenda: -Rommy returns to talk Portland [00:00-04:09] -Portland, 2004-2020 [04:10-9:15]-Portland today: Who’s really there [9:16-18:37]-The Trump Show [18:38-42:53]-Ezra Klein v. Ta-Nehisi Coates [42:54-1:00:56]-The responsibility of the commentator [1:00:57-1:22:25]Mentioned in this episode: * We’re addicted to destruction (w/ Nancy Rommelmann) — Uncertain Things* Adaam on Annihilism* Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em — Substack* Ta-Nehisi Coates on Bridging Gaps vs. Drawing Lines — The Ezra Klein Show* Charlie Kirk, Redeemed: A Political Class Finds Its Lost Cause — Vanity Fair* Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics the Right Way — The New York Times* Make More Pie — SubstackUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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When Speech Is Violence, Etc. (w/ Matt Welch)
Sep 1501:23:31Tap to summarizeMatt Welch, co-host of The Fifth Column podcast and editor at large for Reason Magazine, joins Adaam to discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. It’s grim. How grim? Very. Get off social media. Turn off your phone. Touch grass. See ya’ll in the gulag.Also:-Matt’s previous visit to Uncertain Things-Adaam on political violence-Adaam and Jonah Goldberg on political violence-Yuval Levin on violenceUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: http://uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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The Lost Pleasures of Discomfort (w/ Christine Rosen)
Sep 501:22:12Tap to summarizeWhat’s lost when we opt for the convenience of technology over the difficult, awkward, thrilling realities of human interaction? With so much tech to reach for, when do we lose the ability to interact with each other – or even understand ourselves? And with the AI revolution already afoot, is humanity just f*cked? Vanessa’s back from mat leave and ready to dive into our tech-saturated, under-socialized world with Christine Rosen — senior fellow at AEI, co-host of the Commentary podcast, and author of The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.On the agenda:-Happy returns and the pleasure of ambiguity [0:00-5:55]-Information isn’t knowledge [5:56-9:03]-The pleasure of ambiguity and the value of discomfort [9:04-20:47]-How tech mediates and impairs us [20:48-47:38]-Humanity in the age of AI [47:39-1:24:18]Mentioned in this episode:* Panic Porn and Trauma Creep (w/ Christine Rosen)* The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied WorldUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: http://uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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One Minute to Paradise (w/ Jonah Goldberg)
Aug 2301:57:21Tap to summarizeJonah Goldberg, host of The Remnant and author of Suicide of the West, joins Adaam for a session of unfettered nerdery and gloom, in which definitions shall be debated, Straussian hats worn, and metaphors unapologetically mixed. They cover the meaning of “utopianism,” the revolutionary force of monotheism, the power of language, the messianic urge from Christ to the Jacobins, the lack of new ideas, the obstinacy of human nature, and the importance of gallows humor.On the agenda:-Jonah’s origin story [2:00] -Monotheism, a radical idea [6:00] -Postmodernism and the charisma of words [19:00]-Utopianism, left and right [27:00]-Maimonides against Messianism (and Sayyid Qutb) [38:00]-Are ideas dangerous? (On Rousseau, the Jacobins, Strauss, Annihilism) [53:00]-Dark humor and Holocaust jokes heuristics [1:21:00]-Blindspots [1:43:00]Also:-Adaam and Ruth Weisse on the 10th Commandment-Adaam and Yuval Levin talk about the nature of liberalism, beauty and conservatism-Howard Jacobson at Tablet Magazine on the death of a tailorUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: http://uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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War Is Hell (Dan Senor)
Jul 14, 2025Tap to summarizeDan Senor, host of the Call Me Back podcast and co-author of The Genius of Israel, is bullish on Israel. Is there anything that could change his mind? He and Adaam discuss what makes Israeli society strong and what might make it turn against itself. They also can’t resist some media naval gazing and debate whether the fall of sense-making gatekeepers is a boon or a curse.On the agenda:-Brave new media-Could anything make Dan go bearish on Israel?-Something bigger than yourself-The abominable dilemma (why Israel negotiates with terrorists)-War is hell (and the rest is sentimentality)-How to criticize Israel in an anti-Zionist era Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: http://uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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Significant Sans Sex (w/ Rhaina Cohen)
Jan 17, 202501:14:36Tap to summarizeTo write The Other Significant Others, journalist Rhaina Cohen interviewed couples around the country who have committed to sharing their lives with each other — just not their beds. These pivotal yet hard-to-define relationships have existed throughout history, but we lack the vocabulary to talk about them (let alone a legal framework to protect them). Adaam and Vanessa — platonic partners themselves — talk to Rhaina about the nomenclature that helps/hinders us, the lack of templates for meaningful friendships, and the unspoken-about-elephant in these relationships (yes, sex). Mentioned in this episode:-Rhaina on the Ezra Klein Show-Our conversation about friendship infrastructure with David French-Our conversation about solitude with Bill Deresiewicz Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-On words, romance, and indefinable friendships [0:00-33:06]-The legal difficulties platonic partners face [33:07-40:24]-Putting marriage on/off its pedestal [40:25-47:28]-On polyamory [47:29-53:49]-The challenges of relationships with no defaults or templates [53:50-1:03:36]-Friendship & solitude [1:03:37-]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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From Jesus Christ to the New York Times (w/ Andy Mills)
Nov 4, 202402:20:42Tap to summarizePodcaster/journalist Andy Mills shares the unusual trajectory of his life and career: from small town boy; to God-loving member of a close-knit group of friends; to rebellious drop-out of a Christian college; to curious outsider in Southern Sudan; to hard-working, some-time inappropriate young media professional; to a more self-aware, award-winning podcast producer; to New York Times outcast; to independent media professional (with a Substack, of course). [Break for breath.] Along the way, we discuss the merits/drawbacks of faith, unpack the pivotal year that was 2015, debate the limitations of forgiveness, and dissect the difference between being canceled for your beliefs versus what others believe of you.Mentioned in this episode:-Reflector podcast -Mills Spills (BAR pod) -The Witch Trials of JK Rowling (Free Press)Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:- Growing up in small town Christian America [0:00-14:53]-What happened to the Church - a.k.a When God died in 2015 [14:54-22:00]-Winning, and then losing, the friendship lottery [22:01-47:39]-The tension of uncertainty in community [47:40-52:52]-Online conversations and communities (back to 2015) [52:53-1:01:59]-Entering journalism by way of Sudan [1:02:00-1:11:57]-Identity, narrative, and bias [1:11:58-1:30:30]-The tribe of media and the danger of ideas (2015 reprise) 1:30:31-1:42:30-Andy's second cancelation story [1:42:31-1:59:26]-Comparing the cancellations [1:59:27-2:05:36]-What happened at the New York Times [2:05:37-2:19:15]Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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The Decapitation of Hezbollah and the Fall of Rome (w/ Eli Lake)
Sep 29, 202400:53:00Tap to summarizeThe indispensable Eli Lake — contributing editor at Commentary Magazine and staff writer and podcaster at The Free Press — returns to the pod to mark the destruction of mass murderer and DSA heartthrob Hasan Nasrallah along with the top brass of his terror gang in Beirut this weekend. This leads to a discussion about the nature of warfare and the importance of escalation, the inanity of American media, and also what the decline of norms in the Roman Republic portends for the future of the American experiment. Si vult pacem, face bellum?Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Bad week for the axis of a******s-The deescalation trap-Eli and Mehdi Hasan-Muh normsUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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It's Over (w/ Caitlin Flanagan)
Aug 20, 202401:26:05Tap to summarizeCaitlin Flanagan returns! The unapologetic author of On Thinking for Yourself (a selection of her excellent essays for The Atlantic) comes to talk to us about the fall of Western civilization, what happens when you let church-going go, what happened to universities, and why (though a Catholic herself) Caitlin has started wearing a Star of David. Check out (the juicier) part two of this conversation (for paid members only) here.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.On the agenda:-Praising our AI overlords -A post-apocalyptic, post-church West-Dangerously under-educated -Why Caitlin wears the Star of David -When/how universities went wrong [ -On parenting and Ballerina Farm -P.S. - Adaam’s reflections on wearing the Star of DavidMentioned in this episode: -Our previous episode with Caitlin (Uncertain Things)-On Thinking for Yourself (Caitlin Flanagan)-Calvin Coolidge’s Address at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (UCSB)-Overtime: Bob Costas, Coleman Hughes, Caitlin Flanagan | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)-From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life (Jacques Barzun)-Part two of this conversation (Uncertain Things LOCKED)Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday thoughts, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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The Agony of Abundance (w/ Nick Gillespie)
Aug 2, 202401:55:39Tap to summarizeNick Gillespie — editor at large at the libertarian institution that is Reason Magazine (and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie) — comes on the pod for an IRL conversation about 'The Agony of Abundance,' the paradoxical state in which we’re more prosperous, yet more dissatisfied, than ever. We discuss the negative narratives peddled by the media — a misdirection that’s untethering us from reality — and debate the limitations libertarianism and liberal thinking in an ever-more tribal world. And, before we go, we dive into psychedelics and whether they’re really worth all the fuss.Uncertain Things is a reader-supported publication. To support this rag-tag podcast crew of two, consider becoming a paid member.On the agenda:-00:00 Housing Preamble-04:12 Welcome to Uncertain Things-06:01 Our Negative Perceptions vs. Reality-23:39 Mass Misdirection-33:28 Trust and the U.S. and Israeli Governments-41:05 Liberalism vs. Tribalism-01:08:57 On Generating a Liberal Revival-01:24:08 Debating PsychedelicsMentioned in this episode:-The Economic Theory That Explains Why Americans Are So Mad - Ezra Klein Show-The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture - Amazon -Big Tech Panic (w/ Shoshana Weissmann) - Uncertain Things -What to Expect When No One's Expecting: America's Coming Demographic Disaster - Amazon-‘They Aren’t Who You Think They Are’: The inside story of how Kanakuk—one of America’s largest Christian camps—enabled horrific abuse. - The Dispatch-In Praise of Privilege - Uncertain-Psychedelic Libertarianism with Nick Gillespie - Coleman’s Corner-The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less - AmazonUncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe
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