The Gist

On The Gist, the incredibly cool Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker looks into the dearth of research into cryotherapy for a game we call "Is That Bulls--t?" Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, we travel to the four corners of the world in search of happiness. Today's sponsors:   Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Berries. Fresh berries dipped in chocolate, starting at just $19.99 are a great last-minute gift and double your berries for just $10. Visit berries.com, click on the microphone, and use the code GIST.   Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, professor Julian Zelizer joins us to discuss how to understand Woodrow Wilson in the context of his time, and how Princeton is grappling with that legacy today. He's the author of The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society. For the Spiel, Trump induced anxiety gets its own crisis intervention hotline. Today's sponsors: Prudential's 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life—and the future—looks like to today's fortysomethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/4040vision/family. Bonobos, discover the difference an expertly-crafted, better-fitting wardrobe can make. For a limited time, all new customers can get 20 percent off their first order when you go to bonobos.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. V

On The Gist, actor Jon Glaser explains how a one-off joke on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon led to his new miniseries Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter. The new show premiers Monday, Dec. 7 at midnight on Adult Swim. For the Spiel, a look into the psychology of fighting ISIS. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, we welcome back past guest and Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer to discuss the likelihood of new gun control legislation. Then, Slate's Will Saletan joins us to assess the current state of the abortion debate, a decade after writing his book Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War. Why hasn't this issue moved? For the Spiel, Mike counters all the counterarguments we've heard about gun control this week. Plus, a revealing concession. Today's sponsors: Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST.  The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. The entire season is available now on iTunes. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike discusses the fast-moving field of cancer research with doctor Vincent T. DeVita, and his daughter, science writer Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn. Together they wrote The Death of Cancer. For the Spiel, a rhyming response to Keith Ablow's comments on Fox News. Read more of Slate's coverage of the San Bernardino shooting. Today's sponsors:   Casper, the online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/gist and using the promo code GIST. Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker rounds up the holiday season's most tedious myths for a game we call "Is That Bulls--t?" Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, all the things we don't know but tend to report in wake of another mass shooting. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer.  The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. The entire season is available now on iTunes. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Slate's Fred Kaplan explains how recent GOP rhetoric plays perfectly into the bad guys' plans. He's the author of The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War and 1959: The Year Everything Changed. For the Spiel, what we know about abortion clinic safety.  Today's sponsors:   Goldman Sachs. Information about developments currently shaping markets, industries, and the global economy, on the firm's podcast, Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, available on iTunes. The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. The entire season is available now on iTunes. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, the real reason why government programs like Medicaid and food stamps show little to no impact on the poverty rate. We get into the specifics with Vox editor Ezra Klein. Check out his new podcast The Weeds, from Panoply. For the Spiel, put down your weapons. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the "try it free" button. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, a parent's worst nightmare. Three years ago this week, Ron Davis and Lucia McBath's 17-year-old son was shot while Black Friday shopping with his friends. The HBO documentary 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets tells the story of how they pursued justice for their son. For the Spiel, why uncle slander has become a Thanksgiving tradition. Today's sponsor: The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to stand up to tell us about dangers of sitting. She's the author of The Confidence Game, now available for preorder. For the Spiel, Mike examines the spooky, spooky specter of a Trump presidency.  Today's sponsors: Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, comedian David Steinberg joins us to share favorite tales from his life making comedy history. His new show is called The David Steinberg Podcast. For the Spiel, Mike takes on the manhunt for Saleh Abdeslam in Brussels.  Today's sponsor:   The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Be sure to catch up before the final episode airs this Sunday evening. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Screenwriter and dramatist David Hare has written about the Chinese revolution, the U.S. financial crisis, privatization of the railways, and now, finally, his own story. On The Gist, the award-winning playwright will discuss on his new memoir The Blue Touch Paper. For the Spiel, Mike's theory to explain why so many people are distressed and downtrodden—they are wrong. Today's sponsors: Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST.   The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Be sure to catch up before the final episode airs this Sunday evening. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, reporter Jim Popkin tells us about his Newsweek cover story, "Meet the Former Pentagon Scientist Who Says Psychics Can Help American Spies." For the Spiel, advice for the 31 state governors who say they'll not be taking in Syrian refugees.  Today's sponsor: The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. Be sure to catch up before the final episode airs this Sunday evening.  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker examines how we utilize our grey matter for a segment we call "Is That Bulls--t?" Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, why Fox News never plays the full quote. Today's sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, a look at what technologies have been the most helpful in deterring another major terrorist attack. Our guest Dr. Gary LaFree is the director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland. During our interview, he mentioned the Global Terrorism Database, for which he's a principal investigator. For the Spiel, what Mike watched on TV. Today's sponsors: SAP HANA. SAP HANA helps the world's best companies get the answers they need to become more agile, develop new streams of revenue, and predict the future. Run SAP. And Run Simple. Visit sap.com/reimagine to learn more. Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial

Immediately after the Paris attacks, French President François Hollande called the terrorism "an act of war." Then on Meet the Press, White House staffer Ben Rhodes went further, saying, "We've been at war with ISIS for quite some time." How does ISIS conceptualize this state of affairs? On The Gist, Max Abrahms from Northeastern University examines the Islamic State's seemingly paradoxical motives. For the Spiel, we ponder the role of leaders in the face of a handful of motivated killers. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Hardball With Chris Matthews on MSNBC. Chris Matthews knows how Washington works from the inside out. After 40 years in politics, he has the guts and the know-how to get to the heart of today's issues. Watch Chris on Hardball, weeknights at 7 Eastern, only on MSNBC. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclu

On The Gist, director Josh Mond and actor Christopher Abbott join us in studio to discuss their film James White. During our chat, we'll learn that Mond's influences include González Iñárritu, Joachim Trier and the third season of Law and Order. It opens today in NYC, and will be coming to other cities soon. For the Spiel, it's time for another Lobstar of the Antentwig. Today's sponsors: Goldman Sachs. Information about developments currently shaping markets, industries and the global economy, on the firm's podcast, Exchanges at Goldman Sachs, available on iTunes.  Spotless, a sexy and bold drama laced with dark humor, from Esquire Network. Learn more about Spotless by downloading "Coming Clean," a roundtable podcast that goes behind the scenes of TV's best dramas, and tune into the Spotless series premiere November 14th at 10 Eastern/9 Central on Esquire Network. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.   Lear

Have we failed to critically celebrate heavy-handedness? On The Gist, Slate's Forrest Wickman explains when subtlety works to the detriment of a work of art. He recently wrote the cover story "Against Subtlety" for Slate. For the Spiel, a love note to chewing gum. Today's sponsors: Harry's, the shaving company that offers German-engineered blades, well-designed handles, and shipping right to your door. Visit Harrys.com for $5 off your first purchase with the promo code THEGIST. Spotless, a sexy and bold drama laced with dark humor, from Esquire Network. Learn more about Spotless by downloading Coming Clean, a roundtable podcast that goes behind the scenes of TV's best dramas, and tune into the Spotless series premiere Saturday at 10 Eastern/9 Central on Esquire Network. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Mike asks Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker to examine the research into the link between age and fertility for men and women. She's the author of The Confidence Game, now available for preorder. For the Spiel, Mike's true psychic abilities proved by the Republican debates. Today's sponsors: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Squarespace.com. Get a free trial and 10 percent off your first purchase when you visit Squarespace.com and enter offer code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, author Harlow Giles Unger tells us about the great compromiser of America's formative years, former Speaker of the House Henry Clay. Read more in Unger's book Henry Clay: America's Greatest Statesman. For the Spiel, a look at the protests at Yale and the University of Missouri.  Today's sponsors: Prudential's 40/40 Vision, a multimedia microsite exploring what life—and the future—looks like to today's fortysomethings. Hear what inspires real people, the hopes they have for tomorrow, and much more. See yourself in their stories at slate.com/4040vision/family. Spotless, a sexy and bold drama laced with dark humor, from Esquire Network. Learn more about Spotless by downloading Coming Clean, a roundtable podcast that goes behind the scenes of TV's best dramas, and tune into the Spotless series premiere Nov. 14 at 10 Eastern/9 Central on Esquire Network. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn mo