The Daily Show: Ears Edition - In the Field with Grace Kuhlenschmidt

Episode Date: April 23, 2025

The truth is out there, and so is Grace Kuhlenschmidt, so follow along as the Daily Show correspondent hits the field.  Grace learns how to live off the grid in the middle of Manhattan from a man who's been doing just that. She tackles aging in the government by meeting with the youngest member of congress. Prior to the election she met with professional election prognosticators to see who would win, then returns to demand answers when they prove unreliable. Finally she heads to the streets to see if young people are willing to delete their social media apps now that they're all controlled by evil billionaires. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When you hear off the grid, you probably think of living in a cute cottage in the woods like Ted Kaczynski. But you don't have to venture way the f*** into the wilderness to live like Ted. Meet Josh Spodek, astrophysicist, NYU professor, and real life captain planet. I used to empty my garbage weekly. Now I emptied my garbage once in 2019, once in 2018, once in 2017. Okay, twin, I also only take out my trash once a year.

But recently, Josh went even further, taking his Manhattan apartment off the electrical grid completely. So what is your problem with electricity? Did it kill your family? Or did it? Because I'm now realizing that's kind of something that could happen. I do use electricity.

I have my solar panels that I take up to the roof and charge the battery in, but that's it. I try to minimize my footprint as much as I can. Now what exactly is electricity? And I know the basics. It's the stuff that's in the air. Electricity actually is very complicated. When people think it's simple, I'm like, are you dumb?

In one sense, it's simple in that it just works, because that's how the voice of gravity. Gravity. So we've learned to control this power through wires and batteries and things like that. They have been like that. So almost always you're going to be polluting. You're going to be polluting. And I don't want to pollute.

I'm going to be polluting. Josh's typical day as an eco-warrior starts with cardio, going up 11 flights of stairs with his solar panels. His heavy, heavy solar panels. By the way, you know we're like breathing out carbon right now? Yeah, that's all part of the biosphere. Holy ****. But it's not bringing new carbon from outside the biosphere.

I'll be right up there, man. Just give me like one second. Luckily, I was able to find a task rabbit to go up the remaining 10 flights of stairs. Connect the solar panel to the battery. Cool. And it's not just about saving energy. Josh has also been living packaging-free for a decade. Americans throw away 268 million tons of trash per year,

which is enough to feed 10 rats. But Josh says there's a better way. I keep all my garbage here and the last time I emptied this was Christmas 2019. So this is my fourth year on one load of garbage. Do you mind if I give this to you? I'd pass on that. Okay. And if you bring a reusable container next time. This isn't reusable?

People in the future will be dealing with it for 500 years or more. So 500 years, someone will be using it. Maybe my great-great-granddaughter. They won't be using it so much as it'll be in their bloodstreams. Plastic, it doesn't decompose. It messes with the hormonal system. It causes disease. You have quite the imagination.

Josh also uses that imagination in the kitchen. So this is split pea. I got carrot, beet, cabbage. I just put in nutritional yeast. It's like really fragrant. Bon appetit. I hope you like it. I think this will be better tomorrow

after the flavors are mixed a bit more. Sure, sure. This way of life seemed really difficult. How was Josh keeping himself going? I think this will be better tomorrow after the flavors are mixed a bit more. Sure, sure. This way of life seemed really difficult. How is Josh keeping himself going? So this lifestyle may look like deprivation and sacrifice to others, but for me it's really about joy. Totally.

You seem very joyful. People will say it. You know, I compost, I recycle, and I do what I can, but I have to balance that with living my regular life. Right. That's usually what I'm saying to myself. And you think, do I have to think about every other person on the planet every time I do what I can, but I have to balance that with living my regular life. Right, that's usually what I'm saying to myself. And you think, do I have to think about every other person on the planet

every time I do anything? That's exactly how I think. It's like you're reading my brain. But systemic change begins with personal change. I gotta quote Abraham Lincoln here. Okay. Nothing damages you more than to do something that you believe is wrong. And I'll quote Abraham Lincoln.

God bless America. He said that a lot. Probably, yeah. Wow. Josh had inspired me, and I was ready to make a difference too. Going a full 24 hours living life Spodek style. This is a day in my life with zero electricity and zero waste. I start my day by waking up. Whoops.

No electricity means no lights. Luckily, my toxic roommate isn't home, so I'm using her food to make my famous green glow smoothie. I start with bananas, some beautiful organic kale, one scoop of collagen, and then... Next up, a trip to Precycle, a packaging free store where you bring your own containers. Good thing I always travel with my Tupperwares. Josh, if you're watching, check it out.

Man, I'm really doing this. Hello. So these are oats right here. And then last but not least, these the flour sure yeah you can probably just weigh my whole hand just to make it a little bit easier okay oh my god i did it. That was only 90 minutes. F*** me! Woohoo! Thank you so much!

I mean you have the wrong apartment. Get out of here. Little did I know, things were about to get really, really bad. 1%? You said you had five percent ten minutes ago! F*** you! Okay. All good, bro. All good. Just me here with my thoughts.

That's chill. I know what to do. Sadly, I didn't make it. But you know what I did make? A difference. And that's something they can never take away from me. America's democracy may not be the strongest, but at least it's the oldest. There seems to be some sort of gerontocracy. We have the oldest leaders among rich countries.

And we love all of them. Joe Biden, Donald Trump, this guy. But are there drawbacks to having our leadership with one foot in heaven? I spoke to Mark Fisher, neuro-politics researcher at UC Irvine. We know that brain function tends to deteriorate with aging. One of the first to go of all the cognitive functions is called executive function. It's decision making. I see.

And what could be more important for a political leader than decision making? What am I going to have for freaking lunch? I'm president of the United States. What the heck am I gonna have for lunch? That's a hard decision and I hope that I have a burger for lunch. I guess I've had this freaky misconception that old people are wiser and smarter than me and it feels like what you're telling me is that that's not true and I should never trust them. Oh I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that. No, I think that the experience that one gains over the course of a lifetime is extraordinarily important. But there are some measurable cognitive functions that do begin to decline over the age of 60. So even though you have more experiences

you are still getting dumber. You know I'm a neurologist. Dumb is not a word that we use. OK, all right. I'll say it then. Don't worry. So having a bunch of old brains in charge might be a bit of a problem. But this wise old neurologist actually has a solution. Our NeuroPolitics Center, we came out with a recommendation that cognitive testing should

be done on all politicians, not just older politicians, all politicians. Woman, man, camera, TV. Unsurprisingly, Trump says he aced his cognitive test already. If you get it in order, you get extra points. An individual is given a number of things to remember and then after a period of time, three to five minutes, they're asked to repeat that. I mean, those aren't hard things to remember, right?

Person, mama, dad. It's only one part of the exam. Yeah, thank God. And by itself, it doesn't determine a whole lot. I mean, you have to look at the entire exam. And you have to look at someone's personality. I mean, I have a really good personality. Absolutely.

Thank you. But that's not really, that's really not assessed in autognomization. It doesn't need to be. Without seeing his test results, we can only guess how well or not well Trump's brain is doing. But it did make me curious. Could my brain be president? My name? Grace. My date of birth, June 30th, 1995. This first part of the exam, this isn't scored, so this is just identification material. Okay, God, I would like to be scored on those two, actually,

if possible, because I think I got them right. Do you have more difficulties doing everyday activities due to thinking problems? No, I have almost nothing to do on a daily basis. At the bottom of the very last page, right, I have finished on the blank line provided. So this is a test of delayed recall. Got it.

This one is so easy. Can I call my mom to just double check? Last question. In the course of just a few pages, we've covered many cognitive domains. Sir. Did I pass? Let's hear it, brother.

Come on. Come on. You got it. Let's go! Now, if only someone could go to Washington and get our elected leaders to take this test. Okay, fine. I'll do it. Hello. Hey, how you doing? Good to see you.

You too my name is Grace. I'm Maxwell. I'm looking for a congressperson. Well I am a congressman. So who does like your your botox or your work you look incredible. I appreciate it I'm actually 27. Yes most junior congressperson Maxwell, is the only person who would talk to me for this story. So how would you feel about having a cognitive test required for politicians? I don't think we should have that. Okay. Why not? You worried you'd fail, dude? What is a cognitive test? For example, I can show you one.

Yeah. What are these? A rhino and a harp. Congratulations, sir. You get to keep your position. They told me that if you screwed this up, that this office would be mine. I'll be honest. I had to think for just two seconds

about what animal that was. Yeah, of course. In this baby politician's view, the issue with politics isn't old brains, it's the lack of young ones. I do think it's an issue that young people are as represented. I don't think we should like boot out all the old people and just have young people running the country. Right.

So you're not ageist. I'm not an ageist. When do you feel like you would retire? I don't know when I would retire, but I do think we need term limits. Do you think if you stay in Congress for 34 years, you'll be able to bring Congress to term limits? Because of how this place works? Maybe, but my hope is we'll have it way before that.

So it's not hopeless. We just need our young politicians to stick around until they'll be able to change the system however long it takes. You know what? I think I'll vote for you. You can't. Why? No. Because I live in Orlando. I represent Orlando, Florida. If you move to Orlando, though. I could go on a paid business trip to Disney World and leave my vote there. Yeah, yeah. That's illegal, too. Yeah, that's illegal too. The election is so close and the stakes are so high. I feel like I can't think about anything else.

Can someone just tell me what's going to happen so I can chill the f*** out? Presidential race at a dead heat. Deadlock at exactly 48%. Got Trump up two points. Harris with a three-point advantage. Maybe Trump up a point or two. Harris up by four.

Everything you're about to see is within the margin of error. Within the margin of error. So what do these numbers mean? I could do the a beautiful mind thing, but maybe it's just quicker to talk to an expert. Anthony, who the f*** is going to win this election? I can tell you that this race is effectively tied. Has been for a while in all the polls.

There are so few undecided voters who say they may or may not vote and they'll probably decide this. Okay, thank you for all of this information. It's been really helpful. I'm wondering who is going to win the election. I can't tell you that. Do you think that polls are the best way to predict elections?

Well, polls tell you what people are thinking now, and more importantly, they show you why people are thinking it. But what do we know about people? They sometimes change their minds. 100%. So this morning, for example, I was at a diner. I know what I want.

It's going to be two eggs scrambled, sausage, potatoes. But it was 1130 so I was seriously tempted to get a chicken Caesar wrap and that's basically exactly what you do. Not really but it does underline the idea that people can make different decisions at different times. Can you just blink once if it's gonna be the person that I want it to be? Okay that's a really bad sign. So despite that being their only job, the polls can't tell us who is going to win. Fortunately, there is someone who has called 9 out of 10 of the last elections using a

system of 13 questions about the economy and the electorate. I don't pay attention to the polls, they're snapshots, not predictors. My system, the 13 keys to the White House, examines the fundamental forces that drive presidential elections. So how did you settle on 13 keys? Using pattern recognition,

every election from 1860 to 1980. Why not 14? Could have been any number. Why not 15? I love all those numbers, but the big message is it's governing, not campaigning that counts, that the electorate as a whole ask whether the administration has done a good enough job for four more years or they want to make a change. So Alan, what is your prediction for this election 2024?

The keys indicate that Kamala Harris will become the first woman president of the U.S. Cool. Alan's track record is solid, but he did make one oopsie in 2000. People say I got Florida wrong because I was calling Gore and in fact Bush ultimately won. I say I was correct because Florida way disproportionately rejected ballots cast by African Americans. So your system works perfectly unless someone is stealing an election. Yes. Thank God that won't happen, right? Right?

Okay, so is there one other reliable method for predicting the election? So election results are a perfect thing for astrology to predict. The position of the planets when you're born influences a person's personality and how their life unfolds. And Amy has been amazingly accurate in some of her predictions, like naming the exact date that Joe Biden stepped down. There was a full moon coming up that was in Capricorn at 29 degrees, and 29 degrees represents an ending and Capricorn represents old age.

So I just put together that he was gonna drop out. That's fair, that makes sense actually. So what are your current predictions for the 2024 election? I predict Kamala's gonna win the presidency. Okay. So basically with this election, what you're saying is that Kamala's chart

just looks more powerful than Donald Trump's? Yeah, Donald Trump's chart is giving desire for power and control, and Kamala's chart is giving more following her life path than what she's meant to do. So is it real? Is astrology real? Yes, it's very real. Very real. The stars had made a clear prediction for the election.

But what could they predict about something that really mattered, like me? I do see a wealth aspect in your chart. That's fabulous news. And Trump's a Gemini, and you have a lot of Gemini energy. So you would say Trump and I are similar? Yeah, actually. Your Venus is on his son,

so you might would fall in love with him. My V is on his what now? This is a marriage aspect, actually. This changes everything. I mean, are you going to tell my girlfriend or am I? But for Trump, it's not outside the realm of possibility that he goes to jail. So my husband is going to jail. Yeah.

But I'll be wealthy. Yeah. Okay, good. You're gonna have the money. I am loving astrology. There you have it. But with both the stars and history predicting the future, do we even need to vote?

Ah, here's the thing. The keys are based on history. And if people don't vote, you're gonna break the pattern of history. So I have to vote. You must vote. I don't care who you vote for, but you must vote. You're such a Leo.

I'm not a Leo, I'm a Taurus. Let's cut that part out. Yeah! Yeah! Last time I was in Washington, DC, was just two months ago, which feels like a lifetime. I was so young and naive looking for answers. What is your prediction for this election 2024?

And Alan Lichtman gave them to me. Kamala Harris will become the first woman president. But Alan Lichtman was wrong. Donald Trump has been elected president. Can you just admit that you got it wrong with your foolish little equation? You got it wrong, Alan. You live in a total world of denial.

You got it wrong. Say whatever you want. You were imposterously and stupidly wrong. Wrong. Alan, I seriously trusted you. Well? No, no. It's not your time to talk yet.

I seriously trusted you. And I thought that what you told me was the truth. I was being honest with you. No, you weren't. You weren't, Alan. It's me told me was the truth. I was being Not a fact that I told you I'm a human being right you didn't tell me that you were a human being and that you might be I certainly didn't mean to hurt anyone. I'm not psychic my predictions are based on history and this year, which you know is the craziest year ever, the pattern of history was broken. That can happen. Did you even notice I got a haircut?

I actually did and it looks great. I agree. It really frames my face. If only Alan's political judgment was as good as his taste in haircuts, but it wasn't, and I needed to know why. What are some of your excuses? I definitely think I was thrown off by pushing Biden out. We've never seen a sitting president, the elected nominee, forced out. So that leads me to perhaps reevaluate my call on the contest key. See, yeah, I knew that was stupid and I was going to tell you, but I didn't want a woman's plan.

The broader point is, I do think Harris's race and gender played a role here. There are deep strains within this country of misogyny, racism, xenophobia. I wish you had told me that the first time. I could have maybe thrown that in there. And to be fair, Alan wasn't the only thought leader who got this prediction wrong. Have you talked to Charlie XCX about this or anything? Talked to who? Charlie XCX.

I'm maybe not hearing you right. Have you talked to Charlie XCX about this or anything? Talked to who? Charlie XCX. I'm maybe not hearing you right. Charlie XCX. Charlie XCS, I don't know who that is. Yeah. She said that Kamala is brat, and it just, at this point I'm kinda thinking perhaps Trump was more brat.

Oh, okay. Yeah, but you and her have not spoken. We have not spoken. I was secretly glad they hadn't spoken because that would make me crazy jealous, which is an issue I'd been working on with my therapist. But did Alan have any regrets of his own? Are you thinking, why did I ever get into politics?

Why didn't I, you know, just stick to modeling or something? This is one prediction in over 40 years. I was listed as number 85 of the world's 100 leading geopolitical experts. But people think, oh, he made a wrong prediction. That invalidates him as a person. It's crazy. I one time was in an Uber

and there was an iPad on the back of the seat and it said, what sound does a dog make? And bark was right there. I clicked moo, but lucky for me, it's not my job. And so it really had no impact on my life. I'd like to say one more thing. Please. Yes.

We shouldn't just write off an error. We can learn a lot about our politics and our society from analyzing the mistake. Wow. Yeah. If you can't learn from your mistakes, then you're in big trouble. You know what, Alan? I forgive you. And I hope that we're back here in four years.

I hope so, and I hope... And I hope you're right that time. The great Benjamin Disraeli, the former late prime minister of England, once said, finality is not a word we use in politics. I think Charlie XCX said that. That's that? I think Charlie XCX said that.

Oh, fuck! Every time you say that, I kind of go, what? I know. It's not a name that rings any bells with the... It's funny. Yeah. The world is up in arms about social media companies being run by Trump-aligned billionaires. But are they mad enough to get off the apps?

Let's put this on TikTok and find out. That actually made me so mad. You seem pissed. Yeah. It definitely just feels very propaganda. Incredibly angry to see it so blatantly broadcasted that, like, the wealth of, I mean, combined wealth of, like, a trillion dollars,

like, sits right in front of the Cabinet, next to the President. I mean... Do you think the anger is justified? 100%? Yes, yes. Yes, completely. 100%?

I think it's- You guys are so pissed, you're like about to punch me. Yes. Calm down. Trump sucks, so it's kind of, I don't know, I just feel like it's weird. He's gonna be pissed to hear you say that, man. No, it's okay.

He really likes you. What apps are you mostly on? Instagram and TikTok, definitely. Okay, got's okay. He really likes you. What apps are you mostly on? Instagram and TikTok. Okay, gotcha. I'm on Instagram and Snapchat. Okay. Instagram and... X.

You're on X. Oh my God. So if you mostly use Instagram, at what point would you be like, okay, I have to get off this app? When I'm opening Instagram, I'm not being run by Mark Zuckerberg. I'm just like,

I'm deciding like, all right, I'm gonna go on here and yeah, like kind of finding more cooking things. So if it's like an amazing one pot pasta recipe, you're like, it's actually fine that this is being monetized to Trump. Yeah, I'm like, I don't, I don't. Do you think you'd be willing to pick an app

and delete one with me today? We don't even need social media when we have books like this. Like I'll read just a little. Okay. Okay, I won't bore you. Tuesday, mixed berries and chia seeds. Wednesday, honey and Greek yogurt. So what would it take you to delete the app?

Instagram? Oh, I mean, I deleted it last week. I'll probably delete it again. We don't need it. But you do say you keep re-downloading it. I do. So what do you think Mark Zuckerberg could do to make you kind of kick it out? I don't know.

He's probably already done enough. Yeah. We probably should delete the app. Do you guys want to do it? I read this... Right now? Wait. I saw this post that was like,

people get FOMO from not being on social media, but then they get FOMO from real life. From being on social media. Oh, fap. Is that like really meta? Fap, no, no. No, I get it. I need to go back to school.

That went so over my head. All right, I'll delete with you. Can we do it together? Yeah, we'll do it together. This is a beautiful moment. I'm gonna delete our BMV. I don't know if it together? Yeah, we'll do it together. This is a beautiful moment. I'm gonna delete... Airbnb. I don't know if it doesn't count, but for the sake of this...

I mean, here, you can choose one. No, go with Airbnb. And stop renting little houses! We'll delete it after one, okay? So three, two, one, delete. Alright, ready? Three, two, one, delete. All right, ready? Three, two, one. You're such a coward. You're such a coward.

It's not cowardly. You don't understand the addiction. Wow, you are doing this together. You don't understand, I'm addicted. We're doing this together. I'm addicted to it. And I can't get off. Cut the fucking cameras.

Wow, I really got people to change their minds and delete these apps and divest from billionaires. So go ahead and like, follow, and subscribe for more. Explore more shows from The Daily Show Podcast Universe by searching The Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch The Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.

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