The following podcast contains explicit language.

August 1st, 1991.

Washington, DC.

One of those sweltering DC summer days, room 2322, the Rayburn House office building,

the big grand congressional building right across from the Capitol.

It's packed.

Press, lawyers, aides, a long row of congressmen up on the dais, and in the chairman's

seat is John Dingell.

Democrat of Michigan, a big man, well past six feet, gruff, intimidating, giant bald head,

thick black glasses, a bouncer in a business suit.

In his heyday, Dingell was perhaps the most powerful man in Congress.

And on this August afternoon, he's called in a who's who of the American scientific establishment

for a reckoning.

The hearing was not recorded.

All we have is a transcript.

Dingell begins.

It is the practice of this subcommittee since it was first constituted by Sam Rayburn in

1958 that all witnesses testify under oath.

Do any of you have any objection to testifying under oath this morning?

They raise their right hands, a chorus of nose, a masterpiece of choreographed congressional

theater until in our five it all goes off the rails.

My name is Malcolm Gladwell.

...