Stephen J. Dubner's "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" Podcast Announces Six Live NYC Tapings

Stephen J. Dubner will take over Joe's Pub to tape his new podcast, Tell Me Something I Don't Know, recording six shows in three nights, Thursday, October 5, through Saturday, October 7. The co-author of the best-selling Freakonomics books and host of Freakonomics Radio calls this new podcast "journalism wrapped in a game-show package," taped before live audiences in theaters around the country. It's full of the most intelligent, entertaining, unexpected, and occasionally ridiculous conversations you're likely to hear.

At each of the six shows, Dubner will be joined by a new co-host: Alex Wagner (CBS News), Gail Simmons (Top Chef), John McWhorter (Columbia linguist and prominent writer), Angela Duckworth (Grit author and Penn psychologist), and Sas Goldberg (actress and producer). Guests from the audience will come on stage and try to wow Dubner and his co-host with a fascinating fact, historical wrinkle, new line of research -- anything, really, as long as it's interesting, useful, and true (or at least true-ish, as determined by a live fact-checker). At the end of the evening, the audience will vote to determine the winning guest. Audience members can apply in advance to be a guest here.

In its first year, the show has taped episodes in New York, Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington DC. The Washington Post wrote of a recent taping, "At the end of the night...everyone goes home a little smarter." The Guardian called it "a podcast that makes your conversation smarter -- and brings the laughs," and Wired named it one of 2017's "Best Podcasts for Curious Minds."

Launched last November, Tell Me Something I Don't Know just wrapped its third season with an episode that discussed why scientists make cannon-strapped cockroaches run around on condoms and how an alchemist accidentally discovered explosives in urine, among much else. Before the podcast returns for season four in September, the show will keep listeners entertained with mini-episodes -- short studio segments featuring one guest presenting a single "IDK" to Dubner and a co-host.

Play all past episodes here (or on any of the usual podcast providers):
http://tmsidk.com

Tell Me Something I Don't Know Joe's Pub Schedule:
Oct. 5 @ 6:30pm -- Co-host: Alex Wagner, CBS News correspondent and contributing editor at The Atlantic
Oct. 5 @ 9:30pm -- Co-host: Sas Goldberg, actress and producer
Oct. 6 @ 6:30pm -- Co-host: Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge
Oct. 6 @ 9:30pm -- Co-host: Angela Duckworth, Penn psychologist and author of Grit
Oct. 7 @ 6:30pm -- Co-host: John McWhorter, Columbia linguist and author
Oct. 7 @ 9:30pm -- Co-host: TBD

Tickets for all Joe's Pub shows:
https://www.publictheater.org/Tickets/Calendar/PlayDetailsCollection/Joes-Pub/2017/T/TMSIDK-1/?SiteTheme=JoesPub

Photos, links and more info:
http://shorefire.com/client/tell-me-something-i-dont-know
 

About Tell Me Something I Don't Know:

Tell Me Something I Don't Know is live journalism wrapped in a game-show package and hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books and host of Freakonomics Radio. Dubner has always had a mission: to tell you things you thought you knew but didn't; and things you never thought you wanted to know, but do. Now, he has a new way of doing just that. TMSIDK is still journalism, still factual -- but disguised in the most intelligent, entertaining, unexpected, and occasionally ridiculous conversation you're likely to hear.

Guest presenters come on stage before a live audience and try to wow Dubner and his co-host(s) with a fascinating fact, historical wrinkle, new line of research -- anything, really, as long as it's interesting, useful, and true (or at least true-ish). Each episode has a new theme and a new group of presenters. There's also a real-time human fact-checker to filter out the bull. Think of the most crackling dinner-party conversation you've ever heard.

About Stephen J. Dubner:

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and TV and radio personality. In addition to Freakonomics, SuperFreakonomics, Think Like a Freak, and When to Rob a Bank, his books include Turbulent Souls (Choosing My Religion), Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, and the children's book The Boy With Two Belly Buttons. His journalism has been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Time, and has been anthologized in The Best American Sports Writing, The Best American Crime Writing, and elsewhere. He has taught English at Columbia University (while receiving an M.F.A. there), played in a rock band (which started at Appalachian State University, where he was an undergrad, and was later signed to Arista Records), and, as a writer, was first published at the age of 11, in Highlights for Children. Dubner is also the host of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, which gets 8 million downloads a month. He lives in New York with his wife, the documentary photographer Ellen Binder, and their children.