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The Way the World Works: A Tuttle Twins Podcast for Families

The Way the World Works: A Tuttle Twins Podcast for Families

By: Connor Boyack
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Summary

From the trusted team behind the Tuttle Twins books, join us as we tackle current events, hot topics, and fun ideas to help your family find clarity in a world full of confusion.
Episodes
  • 690. Why Did It Take 50 Years to Go Back to the Moon? Artemis II, NASA, and Government Bureaucracy
    May 14 2026

    America landed on the Moon in 1969, but politics, bureaucracy, incentives, and shifting priorities help explain why it took more than 50 years to send astronauts back around it.

    NASA's Artemis II mission marked the first crewed lunar flight in over five decades, sending four astronauts around the Moon and farther from Earth than humans have traveled in generations. But if America had already reached the Moon during the Apollo era, why did it take so long to return?

    In this episode of The Way the World Works, we break down what Artemis II actually did, how it differs from the Apollo moon landings, and why the long delay wasn't simply about technology. We explore the Cold War space race, why urgency faded after America beat the Soviet Union to the Moon, how NASA's priorities shifted toward satellites and space stations, and how government bureaucracy, expensive contracts, lawsuits, and weak incentives slowed progress for decades.

    Space exploration is inspiring — but it also raises an important question: should taxpayers be forced to fund it when private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are already pushing space travel forward?

    What You'll Learn in This Episode:
    • What Artemis II did and why it matters
    • Why America stopped going to the Moon after Apollo
    • How the Cold War space race shaped NASA's priorities
    • Why bureaucracy and government contracts slowed progress
    • How private companies are changing the future of space travel
    • Whether taxpayers should fund moon missions
    Timestamps:

    0:00 Why Are We Talking About the Moon?
    1:30 What Artemis II Did
    3:30 How Artemis II Differs From Apollo
    5:30 America's First Moon Landing
    7:00 Why the Space Race Lost Urgency
    9:00 NASA, Bureaucracy, and Delays
    11:30 SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Private Space Travel
    14:00 Should Taxpayers Fund Moon Missions?

    👍 Like this video if you believe incentives matter — even in space travel
    🔔 Subscribe for more values-based conversations about economics, science, and government
    💬 Comment below: Should space exploration be funded by taxpayers or private companies?

    Shop Resources:

    📘 Learn more about entrepreneurship, innovation, and the people who push the world forward in
    The Tuttle Twins Guide to Inspiring Entrepreneurs
    https://www.tuttletwins.com/products/the-tuttle-twins-guide-to-inspiring-entrepreneurs

    📚 Get Tuttle Twins books and homeschool resources:
    https://tuttletwins.com

    Tags:

    #ArtemisII #NASA #MoonMission #SpaceTravel #SpaceX #BlueOrigin #GovernmentBureaucracy #Innovation #ValuesEducation

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • 689. Why Your Mom Might Be the Best Central Planner: The Knowledge Problem Explained
    May 12 2026

    Planning works well at home when someone knows everyone's needs — but falls apart when governments try to plan for millions of people they don't understand.

    Central planning often fails because no single person or government agency can possibly know what every individual needs, wants, values, or prefers. But there may be one exception: your mom. Inside a household, moms often know who likes which foods, who needs new shoes, who is struggling in school, and what each family member needs day to day.

    In this episode of The Way the World Works, we use Mother's Day as a fun way to explain the knowledge problem — economist F.A. Hayek's warning that central planners can never gather enough information to successfully manage an entire economy. We explore why moms can plan well for their own families, why that knowledge doesn't scale to neighborhoods, cities, or countries, and why government planners fail when they assume they know what's best for everyone.

    The closer decision-making stays to the people affected, the better those decisions tend to be.

    What You'll Learn in This Episode:
    • Why moms are surprisingly good "central planners" at home
    • What F.A. Hayek's knowledge problem means
    • Why planning works in small families but fails at large scale
    • How preferences, needs, and circumstances change over time
    • Why local knowledge matters more than government control
    Timestamps:

    0:00 Can Anyone Be a Good Central Planner?
    1:30 Why Moms Know So Much
    4:00 Why Household Planning Works
    6:30 What Happens When Families Grow and Change
    8:30 Hayek's Knowledge Problem Explained
    11:00 Why Government Planners Fail
    14:00 Why Local Knowledge Matters
    16:00 Why Mom Might Be the Exception

    👍 Like this video if you believe local knowledge matters
    🔔 Subscribe for more values-based conversations about economics, family, and freedom
    💬 Comment below: What's something your mom somehow always knows?

    Shop Resources:

    📘 Learn more about central planning, the knowledge problem, and why freedom matters in
    The Tuttle Twins and the Road to Surfdom
    https://www.tuttletwins.com/products/the-tuttle-twins-and-the-road-to-surfdom

    📚 Get Tuttle Twins books and homeschool resources:
    https://tuttletwins.com

    Tags:

    #CentralPlanning #KnowledgeProblem #FAHayek #Economics #MothersDay #FreeMarkets #LocalKnowledge #ValuesEducation

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • 688. Are Smartphones and Social Media Making Gen Z and Gen Alpha More Anxious?
    May 7 2026

    While technology can help us learn, connect, and create, constant access to smartphones and social media may also be changing childhood in ways we don't fully understand.

    Author Jonathan Haidt recently wrote The Anxious Generation, a book arguing that smartphones, social media, and reduced free play are contributing to rising anxiety and mental health struggles among younger generations. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, growing up online can mean constant comparison, cyberbullying, unrealistic beauty standards, and fewer opportunities for real-world independence.

    In this episode of The Way the World Works, we explore whether smartphones and social media are helping or hurting kids — and what families can do about it. We talk about the benefits of technology, including learning new skills and staying connected, while also examining the risks of too much screen time, social media pressure, and online bullying. Most importantly, we discuss why parents — not government — should be the ones making decisions about phones, apps, and internet use in their homes.

    If social media is making kids more anxious, the solution should start with families, responsibility, and more real-world play.

    What You'll Learn in This Episode:
    • Why Jonathan Haidt calls Gen Z and Gen Alpha "the anxious generation"
    • How smartphones and social media can affect mental health
    • Why online bullying can feel impossible to escape
    • The benefits and risks of internet access for kids
    • Why parents should decide screen time rules, not government
    • How free play helps kids build confidence, creativity, and independence
    Timestamps:

    0:00 What Is The Anxious Generation?
    2:00 How Social Media Affects Kids
    4:30 The Problem With Online Comparison
    6:30 Why Smartphones Are Complicated
    8:30 Should Government Regulate Kids' Internet Use?
    11:00 Phones in Schools and Free Speech Questions
    13:00 The Importance of Free Play
    15:00 What Families Can Do About Screen Time

    👍 Like this video if you believe families should think carefully about screen time
    🔔 Subscribe for more values-based conversations about parenting, responsibility, and culture
    💬 Comment below: Do you think kids should have smartphones before age 16?

    Shop Resources:

    📚 Get Tuttle Twins books and homeschool resources:
    https://tuttletwins.com

    Tags:

    #AnxiousGeneration #Smartphones #SocialMedia #GenZ #GenAlpha #ScreenTime #Parenting #ValuesEducation

    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
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