Revisionist History
Panoply
Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should kill them.
On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm Gladwell asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse?
Tune in to the seven-part series on October 2, 2025.
Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. From Pushkin Industries. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
To get early access to ad-free episodes and extra content, subscribe to Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts are pushkin.fm/plus.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
Location:
United States
Networks:
Panoply
Description:
Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should kill them. On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm Gladwell asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse? Tune in to the seven-part series on October 2, 2025. Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. From Pushkin Industries. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance. To get early access to ad-free episodes and extra content, subscribe to Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts are pushkin.fm/plus. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
Twitter:
@gladwell
Language:
English
Episodes
The Alabama Murders
9/22/2025
Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should execute them.
On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm Gladwell asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse?
Tune in to the seven-part series on October 2, 2025.
Pushkin+ subscribers can binge the entire season of Revisionist History: The Alabama Murders early and ad-free. Sign up on the Revisionist History show page or at pushkin.fm/plus.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:04:37
L’Oréal and IBM: AI-Powered Beauty from Smart Talks with IBM
8/28/2025
This week we're sharing an episode from Malcolm's other podcast, Smart Talks with IBM. The episode takes you behind the scenes at L'Oréal’s research center in New Jersey. Malcolm Gladwell delves into the complexities of cosmetic formulation and the AI partnership with IBM. Learn how AI is poised to revolutionize the creation of beauty products, to make them even more sustainable and innovative.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.
Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/smart-talks
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:26:31
Americana Music Live with Drew Holcomb and Malcolm Gladwell
8/14/2025
Wrapping up our summer music series, the Memphis-born, East Nashville-based singer songwriter Drew Holcomb talks with Malcolm in front of a live audience at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village. Drew plays original songs and a few covers you might recognize on this exploration of his journey to Americana music.
For more interviews like this, check out Pushkin’s Broken Record podcast. For more Drew Holcomb visit his website, drewholcomb.com.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:18:11
What Is Your Life For? From Hidden Brain
7/31/2025
What should you do with your life? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. But there are scientifically-tested methods that can help you to feel more aligned with yourself and the world. This week, we bring you a special episode from our friends at the Hidden Brain podcast. Host Shankar Vedantam talks with researcher Victor Strecher about the science of creating a life full of meaning. It's the kickoff to Hidden Brain's annual You 2.0 series, which this year focuses on purpose and passion. If you’ve reached the midpoint of the year and you’re feeling adrift, alone, or burned out, you can find the episodes in that series in the Hidden Brain podcast feed.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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Duration:01:05:14
Encore: Good Old Boys
7/24/2025
In 2019, Malcolm just wanted an excuse to hang out with Randy Newman so they sat down at the piano together and tried to answer the question: If you disagree with someone — if you find what they think appalling — is there any value in talking to them?
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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Duration:00:40:01
Encore: Analysis, Parapraxis, Elvis
7/17/2025
Malcolm’s habit of reading footnotes leads him to the psychologist Alan Elms, which leads him to the one song Elvis couldn’t sing. We revisit this 2018 episode as part of our encore music series.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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Duration:00:53:20
Encore: The King of Tears
7/10/2025
Why does country music make you cry, but rock and roll doesn’t? We revisit a musical interpretation of a divided America in this episode from 2017.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:43:31
Encore: Hallelujah
7/3/2025
How does genius emerge?
Kicking off our summer series, Malcolm digs into the Revisionist History archive to revisit Elvis Costello’s song “Deportee” and explore the power of innovation.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:38:14
Encores
6/26/2025
Starting next week, we revisit four of Malcolm’s favorite episodes from the Revisionist History archives, all about music.
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Duration:00:01:47
Warlords, Espionage, and Disinformation | Introducing Hot Money: Agent of Chaos
6/19/2025
In 2020, the Financial Times exposed a 2 billion euro fraud at Wirecard, a high-flying German fintech. Many thought that was the end of the story. But for reporter Sam Jones, it was just the beginning.
On Hot Money: Agent of Chaos, from Pushkin Industries and the Financial Times, Jones investigates Wirecard’s chief operating officer who vanished just as Wirecard collapsed. And turned out to also be a Russian spy.
Here’s episode 1. Listen to Hot Money: Agent of Chaos wherever you get your podcasts.
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Duration:00:38:21
From Smart Talks with IBM: How AI Assistants Can Transform Education
6/12/2025
Malcolm Gladwell visits Kennesaw State University to learn about Jiwoo, an AI Assistant that helps future teachers practice responsive teaching by simulating classroom interactions with students. Discover AI’s impact on teaching methods to prepare teachers for the classroom.
This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.
Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/smart-talks
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:27:23
Medal of Honor: Journeys of Courage with J.R. Martinez
6/5/2025
Medal of Honor, Pushkin's podcast about those who have received the United States’ top military decoration, returns for Season 2. Malcolm, who hosted Season 1, sits down with the new host J.R. Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran whose life was profoundly changed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2003, to hear his journey of finding purpose through storytelling and learn what compelling stories of heroism are to come.
Hear more stories about those who have done the improbable and unexpected, sacrificing something in the name of something much bigger than themselves on Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage, available wherever you get podcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:41:20
The Formula
5/29/2025
In our season finale, a muffin showdown.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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Duration:00:36:09
Nooks & Crannies
5/22/2025
Seven people knew the recipe for a half-a-billion dollar muffin. Then, one of them tried to leave.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
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Duration:00:31:27
Rat vs. Raccoon
5/15/2025
What if we picked the wrong animal?
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Duration:00:32:07
Face Value
5/8/2025
Malcolm and Lucie discover that they experience something very differently.
If you suspect you might have a problem recognizing faces and you want to get involved in the research they’re doing at Dr. Joe DeGutis’s lab, go to: www.faceblind.org
And if you’re curious about your own facial recognition abilities, these online tests are a good place to start:
https://www.troublewithfaces.org/test-yourself-1 https://www.bbk.ac.uk/psychology/psychologyexperiments/experiments/facememorytest/startup.php
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Duration:00:33:06
The Origin of “You” – A Conversation with John McWhorter
5/1/2025
Malcolm sits down with the linguist John McWhorter, to discuss his new book, Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words. Among other things in their wide-ranging conversation, John makes an impassioned case for the return of “thou.”
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:49:12
The Joe Rogan Intervention
4/24/2025
The world's most famous interviewer has a problem with interviewing. Revisionist History is here to help.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:37:13
The RFK Jr. Problem
4/17/2025
Malcolm investigates the origins of what the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services believes (and doesn’t believe) about viruses.
Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.
Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:33:17
Running Hot
4/10/2025
You might think unbelievably loud, shrill sirens on ambulances and fire trucks are just a fact of life. But what if we got the facts all wrong?
In this episode we ask how we got here in the first place. It’s a story involving a TV show from the 1970s, hearses serving as ambulances, and a dog with a big voice.
You can see a list of the sources we consulted while making this episode here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:45:42