I’ve hinted about something happening today, 4/7, and quietly mentioned that I’ve been overhauling the podcast.
And so, an announcement: The new Two Percent podcast is here.
First things first:
Here are links to subscribe to the audio feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Here’s a link to subscribe to the video versions on YouTube (we’ll be doing a lot of cool stuff on video).
And here’s our first episode:
Video version: episode one
Audio versions: episode one
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify1:
Episode one is about walking.
Specifically, why humans are built to walk extreme distances, how far we can actually walk—and why you might want to take a very long walk yourself.
The episode is separated into three parts:
Part One breaks down how far humans can walk without stopping.
I recently watched The Long Walk, a film adaptation of a Stephen King book. In it, 50 untrained boys are forced to walk at least 3mph without slowing—or they get brutally murdered. Spoiler alert: They all hit 100 miles, and the winner walks 350. My reaction: no f*cking way. I thought they’d only get 40, maybe 50 miles.
So I chatted with Melissa Ilardo, a University of Utah researcher who studies populations pushing their bodies to extreme physical limits. She broke down the science of extreme walking. It turns out the truth is stranger than fiction—and very useful for anyone who walks on two feet.Part Two covers one of the greatest long walks of all time.
My friend Foster Kamer describes himself as “not athletic.” Then something big happened in his life. It led him to grab a 25-pound pack, step outside of his Brooklyn apartment, and start walking—and he didn’t stop for a very long time. What he learned shows us how a long walk can help us break new ground in the mind and body. (P.S. Read Foster’s excellent Substack, FOSTERTALK).Part Three explains how many steps we really need each day.
There are two ways to think about this. And, no, the number is not necessarily 10,000.
The podcast: Why
My 45-day desert hike last year gave me a lot of time to think. The type of thinking that only happens when you wander without cell service for weeks on end.
One realization I had: the personal audio reads of Two Percent posts were a nice feature, but they were also massively time-consuming to create and—most importantly—didn’t give us any new information.
I wondered, what if I used that time to give us something new?
And when I surveyed the health/mindset/wellness podcast landscape, I saw a pattern: they had tons of depth, but they weren’t always useful. I’d listen for three hours and go—wait, how do I actually use any of this? I often left more confused than when I started.
And most weren’t fun—more 300-level biology class with a professor who spent too long in school than the type of inspiring conversations I’d had with experts in my own work as a journalist for two decades.
The Two Percent Newsletter has always been opposite of that. It’s about delivering practical, high-impact information in a way we can use now. We mix lab science with real-world experience. We get out into the world, do hard things, and learn important information about ourselves. And we have a lot of fun along the way.
I wanted to bring that ethos to audio and video.
I started developing the idea with Robbie Hiser, an exceedingly wise thinker and audio engineer2. Then, by chance3, I got linked up with Kaleidoscope. They’re the audio and video podcast production equivalent of the 1992 Dream Team (killers, all).
And now here we are.
The podcast: How it works
The episode schedule
This first week, we’re running one episode4.
Starting next week, we’ll have two episodes a week. (Because the Two Percent podcast should obviously have two episodes a week).
On Tuesdays, I’ll have a long (but not Rogan long) conversation with a fascinating person. Authors, athletes, adventurers, amazing everyday people, and scientists (but not boring scientists). The rule: The guest must be interesting, fun, and have solid information we can use after listening to live better.
On Thursdays, I’ll cover a range of timely topics. Everything from new studies to news events to internet dramas to whatever I think is interesting and useful right now. Think of the Thursday episodes as similar to our Expedition posts, but in audio and video formats.
Three notes:
If you enjoyed The Comfort Crisis, you’ll love next Tuesday’s episode. I dragged my guest out of the wilderness for this one.
Check out the video versions. We’re putting a lot of valuable information on screen (not just my stupid face talking).
Got a topic or guest idea? Send it. Your feedback and ideas will shape the podcast, just like they do the newsletter.
The delivery
I’ll send out each episode on Substack. Emails will include embedded video + audio feeds, as well as detailed show notes.
For example, if the episode mentions a study, Two Percent post, book, or (insert anything), I’ll put it in the show notes.
On Substack, I’ll also jot down a few thoughts after recording that won’t appear anywhere else.
Quick housekeeping
The audio reads of the newsletters are not leaving. They’ll still live in the audio bar of each post. I.e., Nothing is changing in your Monday, Wednesday, and Friday newsletters.
The podcasts will be free for all subscribers (not just Members).
We will likely begin developing bonus materials for Members only.
Can I ask a favor?
Please subscribe on YouTube and/or your podcast player of choice (Apple Podcasts and Spotify).
I know every damn host ever makes that request. But The Overlords tell me these subscriptions are really important! Subscribing makes it easier for us to get the guests you’d like to hear from.
Have fun, don’t die, listen to and watch the new Two Percent podcast.
-Michael
Note: This will be available on all podcast players. E.g., also on Pocket Casts, Overcast, etc.
Who, by the way, started his career as a 20-something producer of trap rap in Atlanta. I figured if he could manage to produce a bunch of gun-toting rappers in a weed-smoke filled studio at 2am, he could manage me.
Nod to Foster Kamer here. He put me in touch with Kaleidoscope after they told him they were interested in launching a wellness podcast.
Apparently many podcasts launch this way. I’m trusting the experts here.
Subscribed. Congrats. This will be great.
Let’s go! Subscribed