Plain History: The Smoot-Hawley Tariff and the Great Depression
Fri, 11 Apr 2025
The 1920s and the 2020s share a special kinship. One hundred years ago, the U.S. was grappling with ...
Trump’s Trade War Is Like Nothing America’s Ever Seen
Tue, 08 Apr 2025
Donald Trump's tariff plan has set global markets on fire. What are they for? What are they trying t...
Trump’s Plan to Smash the Global Economic Order
Mon, 31 Mar 2025
Donald Trump's second term has been a breakneck whirlwind: tariffs announced, tariffs unannounced, t...
Plain History: The Gilded Age
Mon, 24 Mar 2025
Corruption. Class wars. Technological splendor. The dawn of a new age of business and government. Ro...
ABUNDANCE! With Ezra Klein
Mon, 17 Mar 2025
Donald Trump is serving up a scarcity agenda to America. He and the White House say we don’t have ...
How Gen Z Sees the World
Wed, 12 Mar 2025
Generation Z, which was born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, has a unique economic, poli...
Can a Vaccine Cure the World’s Deadliest Cancer?
Fri, 07 Mar 2025
Cancer is not a singular disease but a category of hundreds, even thousands, of rare diseases with d...
How AI Could Change the Future of Music
Tue, 04 Mar 2025
Artificial intelligence tools for musicians are getting eerily good, very fast. Their work can be ma...
The End of Reading
Fri, 28 Feb 2025
Something alarming is happening with reading in America. Leisure reading by some accounts has declin...
'How Progressives Froze the American Dream' (Live)
Tue, 25 Feb 2025
If you had to describe the U.S. economy at the moment, I think you could do worse than the word stu...
Plain History: The Astonishingly Successful Presidency of James K. Polk
Fri, 21 Feb 2025
Who is the most successful president in American history? George Washington secured American indepen...
The Trump-Musk Doctrine: F-ck Around and Find Out
Tue, 18 Feb 2025
For the past month, chaos and confusion have gripped Washington and the federal government. Elon Mus...
Is There a Scientific Case for Believing in God?
Fri, 14 Feb 2025
This is a conversation I've wanted to have for a long time. It's about the decline of religion in Am...
Fraud, Scandal, and Failure in the Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease
Tue, 11 Feb 2025
Why is it so hard to find a cure for Alzheimer’s? A simple answer is that the brain and its disord...
The Energy Story of the Moment: The Unstoppable Rise of Solar Vs. the Unmovable Demand for Global Fossil Fuels
Fri, 07 Feb 2025
Fans of green energy like me face some inconvenient truths about the global energy picture. First, c...
The 5 Types of Wealth
Tue, 04 Feb 2025
Wealth isn’t just about financial security, according to today’s guest, Sahil Bloom. It’s abou...
Are GLP-1 Drugs "the Greatest Medical Breakthrough of the 21st Century"?
Fri, 31 Jan 2025
In the past few years, we've learned that GLP-1 drugs don’t just help with diabetes or increase pe...
Tech Talk: AI Supremacy, TikTok’s Fate, and Crypto Decadence
Fri, 24 Jan 2025
Today, tech talk with an old friend of the pod, Kevin Roose of The New York Times, who is also host ...
Plain History Volume 1: Who Killed President James Garfield?
Tue, 21 Jan 2025
This is the first episode of a little experiment we’re trying this year, a podcast within a podcas...
What's the Truth About Alcohol, Cancer, and Your Health?
Fri, 17 Jan 2025
Today's episode has been a long time coming. For years, more scientists and health influencers have ...
The L.A. Fires: How They Happened, Climate Change’s Role, and What the City Must Do Now
Tue, 14 Jan 2025
With so many confusing narratives unfolding around a fire that is still raging out of control, I wan...
‘The Anti-Social Century’: America’s Epidemic of Solitude—and How to Fix It
Fri, 10 Jan 2025
My new feature for The Atlantic magazine is called "The Anti-Social Century." It's a long articl...
The Big 2025 Economy Forecast: AI and Big Tech, Nuclear’s Renaissance, Trump vs. China, and What’s Eating Europe?
Tue, 07 Jan 2025
Happy new year! And what better way to celebrate the freshly torn calendar page than by welcoming on...
The Year's Biggest Breakthroughs in Science and Tech (Feat.: OK, But Seriously, What Is Quantum Computing?)
Tue, 31 Dec 2024
Our final episode of the year is also my favorite annual tradition: conversations with scientists ab...
A Mysterious Health Wave Is Breaking Out Across the U.S.
Fri, 27 Dec 2024
Why do Americans die younger than citizens of other rich countries? The most important reason is tha...
The Productivity Paradox: Why Less Is More With Oliver Burkeman
Fri, 20 Dec 2024
So, here’s a scenario: It’s Monday. And you open up whatever calendar or planner or to-do list y...
Why American Health Care Is a "Broken System"
Fri, 13 Dec 2024
Last week, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot to death outside a hotel in Manhattan by a y...
Is Crypto Entering a New Golden Age—or Just a New Era of Failed Promises?
Fri, 06 Dec 2024
The crypto industry seems poised for a new golden age. But what exactly does that mean? Who would be...
Megapod: Why Is There So Much BS in Psychology?
Wed, 27 Nov 2024
In the last decade, several major findings in social psychology have turned out to be hogwash—or, ...
Vaccine Conspiracies, Fluoride Myths, and America’s Broken Public-Health Discourse
Fri, 22 Nov 2024
Emily Oster, professor of economics at Brown University, joins the show to talk about Robert F. Kenn...
The Self-Driving Revolution Is Real—and It Could Be Spectacular
Fri, 15 Nov 2024
What would a world of self-driven cars look like? How would it change shopping, transportation, and ...
How Trump Won: Young Men’s Red Wave, the Blue-City Flop, and the Incumbency Graveyard
Fri, 08 Nov 2024
Derek shares his big-picture theory for Trump's victory. Then, Republican pollster Kristen Soltis An...
How to Watch Election Night Without Falling for Conspiracy Theories or False Hope
Mon, 04 Nov 2024
Today’s guest (our final preelection guest) is David Wasserman, political analyst with the Cook Po...
This Small Pennsylvania Town Explains the 2024 Election
Fri, 01 Nov 2024
Today, a close look at the history of a Pennsylvania town and how that history contains within it th...
Why Is Every Recent Presidential Election So Close?
Fri, 25 Oct 2024
My favorite sort of social phenomenon is something that seems normal to modern eyes that is actually...
Is Radical Human Life Extension Possible?
Fri, 18 Oct 2024
In 1900, the average US life expectancy was 47 years old. That's the current age of Tom Brady, Ryan ...
America's Young Men Are Falling Behind—and Shifting Right
Fri, 11 Oct 2024
Today: the state of men and what's really happening in the gender divide in politics. Many young men...
Is the Middle East on the Verge of All-Out War?
Fri, 04 Oct 2024
Since October 7, 2023, many have feared that the conflict between Israel and Hamas would bloom into ...
The Surprising Science of Cynicism (Plus: The Policy Paradox of the 2024 Election)
Fri, 27 Sep 2024
Derek shares his biggest frustrations about the 2024 election, like the lack of a policy debate an...
A Sports Mystery: What Happened to the NFL Quarterback?
Fri, 20 Sep 2024
Today, a mystery about what some people consider the most important position in sports: What the hel...
How AI Could Help Us Discover Miracle Drugs
Fri, 13 Sep 2024
We may be on the cusp of a revolution in medicine, thanks to tools like AlphaFold, the technology fo...
The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
Fri, 06 Sep 2024
Are conspiracy theories more popular than ever? Are Americans more conspiratorial than ever? Are con...
"Exercise May Be the Single Most Potent Medical Intervention Ever Known"
Fri, 30 Aug 2024
Exercise is a conundrum. On the one hand, physical activity is clearly one of the best interventions...
Democrats Are Euphoric. But This Election Is Much Closer Than They Think.
Fri, 23 Aug 2024
Derek offers a short but sweet review of the Democratic National Convention, the science of post-con...
The Four Biggest Myths About Political Persuasion
Fri, 16 Aug 2024
Today's episode is about how we change our minds—and what political science tells us about the bes...
How to Be Happy and the Science of Cognitive Time Travel
Fri, 09 Aug 2024
Laurie Santos is a superstar in the crowded field of happiness research. She is a cognitive scientis...
Market Meltdown FAQ: Recession Fears, Global Stock Wipeout, and the Case for Calm
Mon, 05 Aug 2024
In a special emergency-ish episode, Bloomberg's Conor Sen joins the show to discuss a buffet of econ...
Why Are Robocalls So Hard to Stop? (Plus: Kamala and the Gender Wars.)
Fri, 02 Aug 2024
Derek offers his thoughts on Kamala Harris, the new 2024 reality, and gender polarization in the "bo...
Why Are Conservatives Happier Than Progressives?
Fri, 26 Jul 2024
It is a general rule of thumb that richer societies are happier societies. This is true across count...
Harsh Truths About 2024 and the Future of the U.S. Economy
Fri, 19 Jul 2024
On today's episode: the state of American politics and the future of America's economy. Derek discus...
"The Weirdest Housing Market in Recent History"
Fri, 12 Jul 2024
Skyrocketing rates, shrinking affordability: The U.S. housing market is a mess. It's also a bit of a...
"People Feel Lied To": The White House, the Media, and the Joe Biden Blame Game
Fri, 05 Jul 2024
Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance has created a crisis for the Democratic Party and a set of...
Whatever Happened to Serial Killers?
Fri, 28 Jun 2024
In the first five decades of the 20th century, the number of serial killers in the U.S. remained at ...
The Radical Cultural Shift Behind America's Declining Birth Rate
Fri, 21 Jun 2024
We've done several podcasts on America's declining fertility rate, and why South Korea has the lowes...
Breathing Is Easy. But We’re Doing It Wrong.
Fri, 14 Jun 2024
Today’s episode is about the science of breathing—from the evolution of our sinuses and palate, ...
The News Media’s Dangerous Addiction to ‘Fake Facts’
Fri, 07 Jun 2024
What do most people not understand about the news media? I would say two things. First: The most imp...
Microplastics Are Everywhere. How Dangerous Are They?
Fri, 31 May 2024
Plastic is a life-saving technology. Plastic medical equipment like disposable syringes and IV bags ...
Why the New NBA Deal Is So Weird. Plus, How Sports Rights Actually Work.
Tue, 28 May 2024
In an age of cults, sports are the last gasp of the monoculture—the last remnant of the 20th centu...
What America’s Bold New Economic Experiment Is Missing
Fri, 24 May 2024
The news media is very good at focusing on points of disagreement in our politics. Wherever Democrat...
The Five Superstars Who Invented the Modern NBA
Tue, 21 May 2024
The game of basketball has changed dramatically in the last 40 years. In the early 1990s, Michael Jo...
Are Smartphones Really Driving the Rise in Teenage Depression?
Tue, 14 May 2024
Today—a closer critical look at the relationship between smartphones and mental health. One of the...
Are Flying Cars Finally Here?
Tue, 07 May 2024
For decades, flying cars have been a symbol of collective disappointment—of a technologically sple...
How the Logic of Cults Is Taking Over Modern Life
Fri, 03 May 2024
Several years ago, I told some friends that I had an idea for a second book. It would be called ‘E...
How Will the Gaza War Finally End?
Tue, 30 Apr 2024
Today, with Gaza protests spreading across the country and around the world, we dive deep into what’...
A Political Scientist on How Protests Can Change Minds or Backfire
Fri, 26 Apr 2024
In the last week, hundreds of protests across college campuses and American cities have taken place ...
What Kind of a Superpower Is India Becoming?
Tue, 23 Apr 2024
Today’s episode is all about India.You don’t have to believe that demography is pure destiny to ...
Health Fads and Fictions: VO2 Max, Supplement Mania, Sunlight, and Immortality
Fri, 19 Apr 2024
Today's show is a critical look at some of the most popular health fads of the moment, with return g...
U.S. Economy FAQ: Skyrocketing Insurance Prices, Stuck Inflation, Higher Rates, and Wrong Experts
Tue, 16 Apr 2024
Jason Furman, a professor of economics at Harvard, returns to the show to discuss the biggest econom...
If the 2024 Election Is So Important, Why Does It Feel So Boring?
Fri, 12 Apr 2024
"This presidential election is not very interesting, but it is important," the political commentator...
A Psychologist Explains Four Reasons the Internet Feels So Broken
Tue, 09 Apr 2024
Jay Van Bavel is a professor of psychology and neural science at New York University. His lab has pu...
Why School Absences Have "Exploded" Across America
Fri, 05 Apr 2024
The other day, I read a statistic about my hometown of Washington D.C. that knocked my socks off. In...
What Evolutionary Biology Can Teach Us About Diet, Exercise, and Staying Alive
Tue, 02 Apr 2024
What can the science of ancient humans and the lifestyle of hunter-gatherers teach us about how to b...
America's Biggest Car Companies Are in Trouble
Tue, 26 Mar 2024
Today, the media vibes around electric vehicles are all bad. But if you lift up and take in the big ...
Should the U.S. Ban TikTok?
Tue, 19 Mar 2024
Derek shares his thoughts on the question of the moment in tech and tech politics. If you have quest...
How Hollywood’s Hit Formula Flopped—and What Could Come Next
Tue, 12 Mar 2024
Today, we’re talking about movies, the philosophy of hits in Hollywood, and why we might be at a f...
What Many Economists (and I) Got Wrong About This Economy
Tue, 05 Mar 2024
One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2024 was to do more episodes with people who think I'm wrong ...
Why the "Need for Chaos" Is Eating American Politics
Fri, 01 Mar 2024
Today’s episode is about one of the most interesting pieces of research I’ve read in the past ye...
Why Americans Stopped Hanging Out—and Why It Matters
Tue, 27 Feb 2024
Today’s episode is about the extraordinary decline in face-to-face socializing in America—and th...
"We’re Seeing a Fundamental Reorganization of Work in America"
Fri, 23 Feb 2024
Today’s episode is about arguably the most important economic statistic out there: real (or inflat...
How to Have the Hardest Conversations—in Marriage, Politics, and Life
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
Life is a series of conversations. Our relationships, friendships, marriages, breakups, makeups, hir...
Would You Buy a Drug to Extend Your Dog’s Life?
Fri, 16 Feb 2024
Today’s episode is about the science of slowing down the aging process … and why one biotech com...
The Dark Side of the Internet's Obsession With Anxiety
Tue, 13 Feb 2024
We’ve done several shows on America’s anxiety crisis. This one asks several questions that might...
Can Solar Power and Battery Tech Save the World From Climate Change?
Fri, 09 Feb 2024
You could make the argument that last year was the worst year in human history for climate change. T...
The Gender War Within Gen Z
Tue, 06 Feb 2024
Something mysterious is happening in the politics of young men and women. Gen Z women—those in the...
What’s the Best Diet for Planet Earth?
Tue, 30 Jan 2024
If you love food and also consider yourself a good person, you probably care about where your food c...
Why Did Stanley Water Bottles Suddenly Become a Cultural Phenomenon?
Fri, 26 Jan 2024
It's just a steel tumbler with a straw and side handle. But the Stanley cup is a social media phenom...
Why the U.S. Media Industry Is in Meltdown
Tue, 23 Jan 2024
Sports Illustrated layoffs. The demise of independent Pitchfork. Hundreds of millions of dollars in ...
World on Fire, Part 3: How Did America's Border Crisis Get So Bad?
Fri, 19 Jan 2024
Today is the third and final episode in our miniseries on this unique moment in global war and confl...
World on Fire, Part 2: Global Conflict Has Surged to an 80-Year High. Why?
Tue, 16 Jan 2024
This is the second episode in "World on Fire," a series on the historic levels of global violence an...
World on Fire, Part 1: The Houthis, Israel's Impossible War, and Worsening Middle East Chaos
Fri, 12 Jan 2024
The chaos in the Middle East is getting worse. It’s not just in Gaza. It’s not the spasms of vio...
The Dark Side of the Obsession With Focus
Tue, 09 Jan 2024
The 'New York Times' bestselling author and contrarian self-help writer Oliver Burkeman joins the sh...
Four Megatrends for 2024 in Tech, Economics, Media, and Weird Science
Wed, 03 Jan 2024
Derek shares what he considers the most important narratives of the moment, including the return of ...
The Biggest Breakthroughs in Science Happening Right Now
Wed, 27 Dec 2023
If you're looking for a hopeful and mind-expanding conversation to round out the year, this one is f...
The Truth About Ketamine: Depression Cure, Health Fad, or Placebo?
Fri, 22 Dec 2023
One week ago, Matthew Perry’s autopsy report came back, finding that the ‘Friends’ actor died ...
The Year in Media and Entertainment: What’s Broken (News), What’s Surging (Netflix), and What’s Next
Tue, 19 Dec 2023
Today’s episode is about 2023 in media—from TV to film, from the miracle of Barbenheimer’s to ...
How Weight-Loss Drugs Could Impact U.S. Healthcare and Food. Plus, the Biggest Problems With GLP1s.
Fri, 15 Dec 2023
Today’s episode is our second in a series on the weight-loss drug revolution of the last two years...
The Weight-Loss Drug Revolution, Part 1: Why These Drugs Work So Well
Tue, 12 Dec 2023
Today’s podcast is about the weight-loss drug revolution—which I believe might be one of the mos...
Why It’s So Hard to Buy a House Right Now—and Why It Might Get Better Soon
Fri, 08 Dec 2023
Today, we’re examining the U.S. housing market, starting with a specific question: Should you look...
How Henry Kissinger’s Catastrophes and Triumphs Changed the World
Tue, 05 Dec 2023
Today’s episode is about the controversial life and legacy of Henry Kissinger, who died last week ...
Elon Musk’s Meltdown, the Death of Twitter, and the Chaotic Future of Social Media
Fri, 01 Dec 2023
Today’s episode is a wide-ranging one, from breaking news in tech to the philosophy of social medi...
How China's Economic Miracle Went Off the Rails
Tue, 28 Nov 2023
This month, President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China (PRC) met...
Inside the OpenAI Meltdown
Tue, 21 Nov 2023
Today’s episode is about whatever the hell just happened—is still happening—at OpenAI, where C...
The Media is Missing Something Big in Biden’s Bad Polling Numbers
Fri, 17 Nov 2023
Today’s episode is about the question of the moment in politics: the meaning of Joe Biden’s terr...
How ChatGPT Can Change the Future of Jobs—Starting With Your Own
Tue, 14 Nov 2023
Today’s episode is about thinking practically about the AI revolution. Yes, it may one day usher i...
What Most People Get Wrong About Wealth, Fame, and Happiness
Fri, 10 Nov 2023
Morgan Housel, the author of 'The Psychology of Money' and a partner at Collab Fund, talks about his...
The Fragile Hope for Peace in Israel-Palestine
Tue, 07 Nov 2023
In the last few weeks, our coverage of this conflict has tried very hard to see the problem from as ...
Could a Housing Recession Take Down the U.S. Economy?
Fri, 03 Nov 2023
One year ago, it was a matter of conventional wisdom among experts that the U.S. was on the brink of...
Two Israel-Palestine Historians Explain: How Did We Get Here? And What Happens Next?
Tue, 31 Oct 2023
The eminent Israeli historian Benny Morris walks us through the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian c...
The Science of Achievement, With Adam Grant
Fri, 27 Oct 2023
Today, we’re taking a break from war to talk about the science of human potential and a new book o...
Israel Has No Good Options
Tue, 24 Oct 2023
Two things seem true: First, Israel has a profound moral right to defend itself from terrorism. Seco...
The Tragedy of Picking Sides in the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Tue, 17 Oct 2023
This is our second episode on the war between Israel and Hamas. Today’s guest is Peter Beinart. Pe...
Inside the Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried
Fri, 13 Oct 2023
The former golden boy of crypto is on trial for one of the most lurid corporate fraud scandals of th...
Israel at War: Why Did Hamas Attack?
Tue, 10 Oct 2023
What motivated the Hamas terrorist attack? How did Israel fail to stop it? What role is Iran playing...
Disney’s Downfall: The Rise and Fall of an Entertainment Giant
Tue, 03 Oct 2023
Hollywood has been decimated by the rise of streaming. At Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount,...
Why Americans are Losing Faith in College
Tue, 26 Sep 2023
Twenty years ago, higher education was one of the most trusted institutions in America. Today, confi...
What’s So Great About Marriage?
Tue, 19 Sep 2023
Since the 1970s, the General Social Survey has asked thousands of Americans the same question: “Ta...
Why Is It So Expensive to Build Stuff in America?
Tue, 12 Sep 2023
We're in the midst of a great affordability crisis. It's not just the inflation crisis. It's a great...
Fatherhood and What Americans Get Wrong About Major Life Changes
Wed, 06 Sep 2023
Derek is back, and ... he's a new dad! After several weeks of parental leave, he talks about what's ...
Experts Predicted a Recession This Year. How Were They So Wrong?
Tue, 08 Aug 2023
Today’s show is about what I consider the biggest mystery of the U.S. economy. Last year, economic...
Why Elite College Admissions Are Biased Toward the Superrich
Tue, 01 Aug 2023
Less than 1 percent of college students attend Ivy League colleges and equally selective schools, li...
Oppenheimer: The Genius, the Film, and the Project That Changed the World
Tue, 25 Jul 2023
Richard Rhodes, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb,' discusses the ...
How Hollywood Drove Its Business Model Off a Cliff
Wed, 19 Jul 2023
The trouble brewing in the media and entertainment industry has become one of the most interesting—...
Americans Think the Economy Is Terrible. The Data Tell Another Story.
Tue, 11 Jul 2023
By many measures, this is one of the best times to find a job in decades. And by many measures, Amer...
How the Digital Workplace Broke Our Brains
Wed, 05 Jul 2023
Calvin Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and the author of, among oth...
What Just Happened in Russia This Weekend?
Tue, 27 Jun 2023
University of Chicago professor Paul Poast breaks down Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion, Vladimir Putin...
The Science of Procrastination—and How to Really Get Stuff Done
Tue, 20 Jun 2023
Today’s episode is the first in a new miniseries about getting stuff done. This episode in particu...
Why Fertility Rates Are Plunging—in the U.S., South Korea, and Everywhere Else
Tue, 13 Jun 2023
Last year, there were 3,661,220 babies born in the U.S. That sounds like a lot. But historically spe...
Why So Many Young Men Are Lonely, Sexless, and Extremely Online
Tue, 06 Jun 2023
Today’s episode is about the state of men in America. Last week, the non-profit institute Equimond...
How Hollywood's Writers Strike Could Change the Future of TV and Movies
Tue, 30 May 2023
In May of this year, the Writers Guild of America went on strike. For weeks, TV and film writers hav...
Why Youth Sports in America Are in Decline
Tue, 23 May 2023
In the last five years, high school sports participation has fallen for the first time on record. Th...
The Future of War Is Here
Tue, 16 May 2023
Today’s episode is about how artificial intelligence will change the future of war. First, we have...
A Diet Conspiracy: Is Ice Cream Secretly Good for You?
Tue, 09 May 2023
Today’s episode is about a narrow question and a broad question. The narrow question is: Is ice cr...
An Optimistic Guide to America’s Clean-Energy Future
Tue, 02 May 2023
The world is engaged in a multitrillion-dollar project to decarbonize the economy to slow or reverse...
The Most Important Thing Most Americans Misunderstand About Insomnia
Tue, 25 Apr 2023
I am fascinated by sleep and also—perhaps, relatedly—not very good at it. Like tens of millions ...
How American Cities Can Avoid the ‘Urban Doom Loop’
Tue, 18 Apr 2023
Today’s episode is about the future of the American city. Many downtowns are "wounded renditions ...
Americans Die Younger Than People in Any Other Rich Country. Why?
Tue, 11 Apr 2023
Today’s episode is about guns, drugs, cars, and a big question: Why do Americans die so much young...
How Strong Is the Case Against Donald Trump?
Thu, 06 Apr 2023
Derek talks to ‘Semafor’ political reporter Dave Weigel about how the Trump indictment could res...
Myth-Busting Wellness Hacks: Cold Plunges, Coffee, Alcohol, and Fitness Trackers
Tue, 04 Apr 2023
Today, we go wading in the murky waters of 2023 wellness trends. We’re talking cold plunges, fitne...
Eight Burning Questions About the Donald Trump Indictment
Fri, 31 Mar 2023
Donald Trump has been indicted. But what do we actually know about the case against him? What will t...
Why the Cult of Achievement in Schools Is Making People Miserable
Tue, 28 Mar 2023
Today’s episode is about how we think about success—and how our high school and college systems ...
A Mind-Expanding Conversation About Human History and Happiness With Tim Urban
Fri, 24 Mar 2023
Sometimes on this show, we talk about the news. This episode is about the diametric opposite of the ...
The AI Revolution Could Be Bigger and Weirder Than We Can Imagine
Tue, 21 Mar 2023
Derek unpacks his thoughts about GPT-4 and what it means to be, possibly, at the dawn of a sea chang...
MAILBAG: Why Does the Internet Make Us Depressed? Where Does Good Writing Come From? Is College Worth It Anymore?
Fri, 17 Mar 2023
Derek answers your burning questions in a special mailbag episode! If you have questions, observatio...
The SVB Debacle: The Biggest Myths, the Out-of-Control Blame Game, and the Worst Takes
Wed, 15 Mar 2023
Derek welcomes back the economic roundtable of Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson, cohosts of the 'Anim...
Silicon Valley Bank Collapse FAQ: Whose Fault Is It? How Can We Stop a Bank Panic? What Comes Next?
Mon, 13 Mar 2023
RIP, SVB. America's 16th-largest bank was just destroyed by the largest bank run in U.S. history. To...
"Industrial Policy" Is the Hottest Idea in Economics. What Could Go Wrong?
Fri, 10 Mar 2023
Under President Biden, the U.S. is pivoting toward what some people call “industrial policy”—t...
How the Media Failed Its COVID Test: The Truth Behind the Lab Leak and Masking Debates
Tue, 07 Mar 2023
Today’s episode is a long one: It’s about the debate over media coverage of COVID. Three years a...
Why Are American Teens So Unhappy? How Do We Solve This Crisis?
Fri, 03 Mar 2023
This is our second installment of happiness week on the Plain English podcast. On Tuesday, I spoke w...
Happiness in America, Part 1: The Secret to a 'Good Life,' According to an 80-Year Study
Tue, 28 Feb 2023
Americans have never had more access to social technology. It’s easier to talk to friends and fami...
The Science of How Music Hits Have Changed in the Last 60 Years
Fri, 24 Feb 2023
How does technology shape art? Why has songwriting become more of a visual skill in the 21st century...
Bing Chatbot Gone Wild and Why AI Could Be the Story of the Decade
Tue, 21 Feb 2023
Large language models like ChatGPT and Bing’s chatbot can tell stories. They can analyze the effec...
UFOs and Aliens and Drones and Balloons: Understanding the U.S. Sky Wars
Fri, 17 Feb 2023
Since a big white Chinese spy balloon floated across the ocean and into U.S. airspace, the United St...
Why Everybody Is Wrong About a Recession and Housing’s Great Comeback
Tue, 14 Feb 2023
Last fall, three-quarters of voters told CNN that the U.S. was in a recession. A Bloomberg economic ...
The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Fake Meat in America
Fri, 10 Feb 2023
For the past 50 years, Americans have basically responded to the case against eating animals by eati...
China’s Spy Balloon Is Down. Cold War 2.0 Risks Are Rising.
Tue, 07 Feb 2023
If we’re being honest, the whole thing is kind of funny. A Chinese spy balloon floated across the ...
Econ Megapod: The Debt Ceiling Is Dumb, and the Inflation “Crisis” Might Be Over
Fri, 03 Feb 2023
We’ve got a double-barrelled podcast for you. Jeanna Smialek, economics reporter for the ‘New Yo...
The Dark Side of Being Obsessed With Productivity
Tue, 31 Jan 2023
"Productivity is a trap. Nobody in the history of humanity has ever achieved work-life balance. The ...
How AI Could Change Apple and Google, Writing and Music, and Everything Else
Fri, 27 Jan 2023
“The story of 2022 was the emergence of AI," wrote Ben Thompson, the author of the Stratechery new...
Why Big Tech's Jobs Bubble Burst. Plus, SBF's Scandal Deepens.
Tue, 24 Jan 2023
Derek breaks down the biggest economic mystery of the moment: Why are the most successful tech compa...
America Isn’t Ready for the Weight-Loss-Drug Revolution That’s Coming
Fri, 20 Jan 2023
We have historically thought about weight as the mere outcome of our deliberate choices about diet a...
How Americans Got Everything About Food—Fat, Sugar, and Obesity—‘Entirely Backwards’
Tue, 17 Jan 2023
Today’s episode is about what Americans don’t get about food—and the historical origins of our...
True or False: 10 Controversial Predictions About the Future of Streaming, Tech, and Media
Fri, 13 Jan 2023
Last year was a bloodbath for media of all stripes. Netflix crashed, the advertising market cratered...
Why There Is So Much Bullsh*t in Science
Wed, 11 Jan 2023
We should be living in a golden age of creativity in science and technology. We know more about the ...
The 2023 Economy FAQ: Is Recession Inevitable? Will Housing Crash? Can Tech Recover?
Wed, 04 Jan 2023
Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson of Ritholtz Wealth Management rejoin the pod to talk about what they...
PE Greatest Hits: Thompson and Klosterman Debate Why Society Got So Negative
Tue, 27 Dec 2022
This has been an amazing year for the show, and I’m so grateful for everybody who has listened. I’...
PE Greatest Hits: Derek and Ryen Debate the Most Impressive Sports Statistic of All Time
Tue, 20 Dec 2022
This has been an amazing year for the show, and I’m so grateful for everybody who has listened. I’...
ChatGPT, Obesity Drugs, Exoplanet Images, and Medical Miracles: The Most Amazing Breakthroughs of 2022
Tue, 13 Dec 2022
Derek talks to economist and writer Eli Dourado about the most exciting scientific and technological...
Sperm Counts Are Falling All Over the World—Why?
Fri, 09 Dec 2022
In the last 50 years, average sperm counts have fallen by 50 percent. This isn’t just happening in...
Who's Afraid of a Four-Day Work Week?
Tue, 06 Dec 2022
4 Day Week Global is a nonprofit organization that recently conducted a trial with 33 companies and ...
Why the Bad Guys—in China, Russia, Iran, and the U.S.—Are Having a Terrible Winter
Fri, 02 Dec 2022
One year ago, we had Anne Applebaum on the podcast to talk about her essay, "The Bad Guys Are Winnin...
Why America is Suffering a 'Friendship Recession'
Tue, 29 Nov 2022
Americans have never spent so much time alone. And alone time is rising sharply for every demographi...
Thanksgiving Mega-Pod: Bob Iger’s Power Grab, SBF’s Scandal, and Elon Musk’s Omnishambles
Tue, 22 Nov 2022
Today’s episode is a Thanksgiving feast of corporate scandal and media gossip. Derek kicks things ...
If China Invades Taiwan, Is It World War III?
Fri, 18 Nov 2022
Today’s episode is about China’s turn toward authoritarianism—and why it might be one of the m...
A Crypto Catastrophe: The Stunning Fall of FTX—and What Comes Next
Tue, 15 Nov 2022
Derek shares his thoughts on the meltdown of crypto exchange FTX and the disgrace of its founder, Sa...
Instant Reaction Pod: Midterm Election Winners, Losers, Surprises, and Takeaways
Wed, 09 Nov 2022
The polls were right; the vibes were wrong. Democrats seem to have blocked the Republican wave by ri...
Elon Musk's Reign of Chaos and Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse Madness
Mon, 07 Nov 2022
The Musk regime is off to a chaotic start at Twitter. In barely a week or two of ownership, Elon has...
America in the Age of Conspiracy: Q-Anon, JFK, Aliens, and More
Fri, 04 Nov 2022
Americans are unusually conspiratorial as a nation. But in the last week, we have really outdone our...
How the U.S. Housing Market Became Such a Dumpster Fire
Tue, 01 Nov 2022
Skyrocketing mortgage rates. Rent prices falling by their fastest pace in years (from their highest ...
How to Invest and Be Happy When It Feels Like the World Is Falling Apart
Fri, 28 Oct 2022
We’re in a moment in world history where a lot of big global paradigms are dying. For decades, Eur...
Ben Smith on the Future of News, How to Start a Media Company, and Why TikTok Is a Time Bomb
Wed, 26 Oct 2022
About a week ago, a new global news organization launched called Semafor. Ben Smith is its cofounder...
Midterm Election FAQ: Can We Trust the Polls? Are Democrats Doomed?
Tue, 25 Oct 2022
We’re coming down to the wire, and Democrats' hopes of holding onto the Senate and the House are f...
The Case for Indicting Donald Trump
Tue, 18 Oct 2022
For years, liberals have deluded themselves into thinking that Donald Trump was always on the verge ...
Is Hybrid Work Doomed?
Fri, 14 Oct 2022
Stanford University professor Nicholas Bloom joins the show to talk about how the hybrid work revolu...
Why the Future of AI Should Terrify and Thrill You
Tue, 11 Oct 2022
This is the 100th episode of Plain English! I don’t know how that’s possible. Thanks to all of y...
Bill Simmons on Aaron Judge, How Baseball Ruined Itself, and the Joy of Debating Sports Records
Thu, 06 Oct 2022
This week, the Yankees' Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run of the season, and it’s triggered a fero...
Could the Fed Break the World Economy?
Tue, 04 Oct 2022
What if, in trying to fix the hangover of domestic inflation, the Federal Reserve is accidentally tr...
Scott Galloway on Why the Internet Is a Mess, Why the News Is So Angry, and Why American Men Are ‘Adrift’
Thu, 29 Sep 2022
A wide-ranging conversation with speaker and star podcaster Scott Galloway ('The Prof G Pod,' 'Pivot...
Is the Federal Reserve Making a Huge Mistake?
Tue, 27 Sep 2022
Last week the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 0.75 percentage points, continuing one of the...
Why America Has a Crisis of Masculinity
Fri, 23 Sep 2022
American men have a problem. They account for less than 40 percent of new college graduates but roug...
Why the Voice Inside Your Head Can Sound Like a Jerk
Tue, 20 Sep 2022
Today’s episode is about the science of self-talk—and how our relationship to our own inner mono...
The Housing Recession Is Coming
Thu, 15 Sep 2022
While the broader economy is almost certainly not in a recession, the U.S. housing market is facing ...
Bill Gates on Progress, Food Technology, and the Battle Between Climate Change and Innovation
Tue, 13 Sep 2022
In 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 ambitious goals to end poverty, fight inequality, and stop c...
How Ukraine’s New Offensive Could Win the War Against Russia
Mon, 12 Sep 2022
We're in a new phase of the Ukraine-Russia war. Paul Poast of the University of Chicago returns to t...
The UK Is in Trouble: Economic Crises, Energy Shocks, and the Queen’s Death
Thu, 08 Sep 2022
Hours before the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Derek talked to Duncan Weldon, the Britain economics c...
America’s National Teacher Shortage: Looming Crisis or Media Myth?
Tue, 06 Sep 2022
Students are going back to school this month. But according to many news sources, there won't be nea...
Nate Silver on Why This Midterm Election Could Be the Weirdest in Decades
Fri, 02 Sep 2022
Earlier this year, it appeared that Democrats were going to get destroyed in the midterms. Joe Biden...
The Messy Debate Over Student Loan Forgiveness
Tue, 30 Aug 2022
The level of student debt in this country represents a massive policy error. But is forgiving up to ...
Burning Questions on Media: Streaming’s Summer of Hell, Movie Theater Woes, and CNN’s Risky Pivot
Fri, 26 Aug 2022
Today’s episode is about the entertainment and media industry’s tumultuous summer, the streaming...
What’s the Secret of Success in America? This Economist Has Answers.
Tue, 23 Aug 2022
The economist Raj Chetty has spent much of the last decade trying to answer a very big question: Wha...
Why Does It Seem Like Everybody Hates Everything?
Fri, 19 Aug 2022
Bestselling author Chuck Klosterman talks to Derek about the death of the monoculture, how the inter...
Donald Trump vs. the FBI: Everything We Know About the Investigation So Far
Tue, 16 Aug 2022
I've never before recorded an episode specifically about Donald Trump. I guess I’ve been holding o...
A New Way to Think About Racism in America
Fri, 12 Aug 2022
Several years ago, the writer, researcher, and policy advocate Heather McGhee traveled around the co...
Carbon Removal Might Be the World’s Most Important Technology. How Does It Work?
Tue, 09 Aug 2022
Last year, somebody explained the problem of climate change to me with a metaphor that I’ve never ...
Curiosity Corner: Monkeypox Myths, Millennial Facts, and Overpopulation Fears
Fri, 05 Aug 2022
In our second "Curiosity Corner" mailbag, Derek takes your burning questions. He breaks down the myt...
Is Old Music Killing New Music?
Wed, 03 Aug 2022
Why does it seem like the old is eating the new in pop culture? This year, the song of the summer is...
How the Democrats' New Climate Bill Could Change the World
Mon, 01 Aug 2022
“Every few years, American politics astonishes you.” That’s how The Atlantic journalist Robins...
Why the Question "Are We in a Recession?" Is Impossible to Answer
Fri, 29 Jul 2022
On Thursday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that GDP dropped for the second consecutive q...
Crypto Crash, Part II: A Debate About the Future of Web3
Tue, 26 Jul 2022
Today is the second half of our special two-parter on the state of crypto. Yesterday’s theme was t...
Crypto Crash Part I: The Case Against Crypto
Mon, 25 Jul 2022
Today, we have the first in a two-part series on lessons from the crypto crash. Crypto, also known a...
Why It Seems Like So Many Countries Are Falling Apart
Fri, 22 Jul 2022
The world is kind of a mess right now. There is a big, bloody, awful war between Russia and Ukraine,...
The World Is on Fire. Here’s a Realistic Plan to Save Humanity.
Tue, 19 Jul 2022
The world is on fire. In southern Europe, wildfires are streaking from Portugal to Greece. In the U....
Three Ways the Elon Musk–Twitter Showdown Could End
Thu, 14 Jul 2022
Well, that escalated quickly. Let's review, shall we? In January, Elon Musk started buying a bunch o...
Burning Questions About the Future of Media: Netflix vs. Disney, TikTok vs. Everyone, and the Metaverse
Tue, 12 Jul 2022
Will Netflix be the king of streaming in five years? What's the biggest threat to dethrone it: Apple...
Musk Meltdown: Elon’s Breakup With Twitter Is Going to Be Very Messy
Sun, 10 Jul 2022
Derek has so many thoughts on Elon Musk's bizarre attempted breakup with Twitter—and what comes ne...
The Biggest Economic Question of the Moment: Is This Peak Inflation?
Fri, 08 Jul 2022
The question everybody's asking on cable news right now is whether we're in a recession. I think the...
Why Are the Police So Bad at Solving Murders?
Wed, 06 Jul 2022
Today’s episode is about the story of the moment—gun violence. There’s been a surge of violent...
Abortion Pills Are a Game Changer, Plus Our Next Big Culture War
Fri, 01 Jul 2022
In last week's instant reaction pod, Derek said he thought abortion pills were one of the most fasci...
Five Reasons Everybody Is Wrong About a U.S. Recession—Including Me
Tue, 28 Jun 2022
I feel like the theme of this podcast recently has been that everything is going off the rails: the ...
The End of Roe v. Wade Changes Everything
Fri, 24 Jun 2022
We react to the landmark Supreme Court decision and explain how it could affect the future of the co...
Why Air Travel Is a Hot Mess Right Now
Fri, 24 Jun 2022
Lately, it feels like we’re surrounded by systems and industries that aren’t working the way the...
Why Gas Prices Are Skyrocketing—and an Ingenious Plan to Bring Them Down
Tue, 21 Jun 2022
Expensive energy is an economic, psychological, and political scourge. Nominally, gas prices are at ...
The Big Winners and Losers From the Remote Work Revolution
Fri, 17 Jun 2022
Most news is all about the immediate present. For instance, everything that is happening in the econ...
The End of the Everything Boom (Plus: The Federal Reserve's Risky Move)
Wed, 15 Jun 2022
This is a huge week for economic and finance news. On Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Reserve raise...
The Big Inflation FAQ: Why It’s So High, How Everyone Got It Wrong, and What's Next
Mon, 13 Jun 2022
Inflation is the story that everybody keeps missing. In 2020, many people didn't expect inflation to...
California’s Elections Sent an Important Message. What Is It?
Fri, 10 Jun 2022
Today’s episode is about two California elections and the message they sent to the rest of the cou...
Curiosity Corner: America’s Gun Dilemma, the Future of Corporate Politics, Relationship Advice, and More!
Tue, 07 Jun 2022
Welcome to Curiosity Corner! In our first ever all-mailbag episode, Derek answers a Republican’s q...
America’s Gun Problem Is Impossible
Thu, 26 May 2022
The Texas school shooting is part of a grisly ritual in American life. A tragedy, followed by mourni...
What's Going on With the U.S. Housing Market?
Tue, 24 May 2022
It's our first Curiosity Corner podcast! We asked you to tell us what questions you wanted us to ans...
Why Does the Internet Hate Amber Heard?
Fri, 20 May 2022
It's the trial of the century—kind of. The legal showdown between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has ...
The Mystery of America's Missing Baby Formula
Wed, 18 May 2022
America's infant formula shortage is very strange and very embarrassing. Nationwide, more than 40 pe...
Why the U.S. Could Be Headed For the "Weirdest Recession Ever"
Tue, 17 May 2022
Crypto crashes, rate hikes, recession, fears, and inflation prints: The U.S. economy is in a very bi...
Market Meltdown: Why Tech and Crypto Are Crashing - and What Happens Next
Wed, 11 May 2022
The stock market is absolutely gross right now. Everything is down, except (as loyal listeners know)...
The Future of AI Is Thrilling, Terrifying, Confusing, and Fascinating
Tue, 10 May 2022
This might sound like a hot take but it's not: In 50 years, when historians look back on the crazy 2...
The 300-Year History of Abortion in America—in 30 Minutes
Fri, 06 May 2022
Sometimes, people ask “why study history?” How about this: American history is the weapon being ...
How Would the End of Roe v. Wade Change America?
Wed, 04 May 2022
The Supreme Court is poised to end the era of Roe. In a leaked draft of a majority opinion, Supreme ...
Economic Mystery Hour: How Low Will Stocks Go? Is a Recession Inevitable?
Tue, 03 May 2022
Morgan Housel, author of 'The Psychology of Money' and a partner at Collaborative Fund, joins the sh...
Why Is It So Hard to Predict the Next Great Quarterback?
Fri, 29 Apr 2022
This week we have the NFL draft, which is an annual exercise in failure. Every year, some NFL team m...
The End of the Golden Age of Streaming
Tue, 26 Apr 2022
What can save Netflix? Who killed CNN+? What the hell is going on between Disney and Florida Governo...
Instant Reaction Pod! Elon Musk Buys Twitter. So, What Happens Next?
Tue, 26 Apr 2022
Charlie Warzel, author of the Galaxy Brain newsletter at The Atlantic, joins to talk about what Elon...
Why Are American Teenagers So Sad and Anxious?
Fri, 22 Apr 2022
The United States is experiencing an extreme teenage mental-health crisis. It is one of the most tro...
How Joe Biden Lost Millennials
Tue, 19 Apr 2022
The White House has a big youth problem. Since the day of his inauguration, Joe Biden’s approval h...
The News About Shanghai’s COVID Lockdown Is Shocking. The Reality Might Be Worse.
Fri, 15 Apr 2022
What’s happening in China’s largest and richest city right now is quite unbelievable. Shanghai i...
Instant Reaction Pod! Elon Musk Offers to Buy 100 Percent of Twitter.
Thu, 14 Apr 2022
Well, that escalated quickly. Days after Elon Musk become the single largest individual shareholder ...
When Will the Ukraine War End? (Plus: 10 Good Minutes on What the Hell Elon Musk Is Doing With Twitter)
Tue, 12 Apr 2022
On today's show, we start with Ten Good Minutes on the extremely funny and very chaotic saga of Elon...
It's Not Just You: America's Epidemic of Bad Behavior
Fri, 08 Apr 2022
There is an epidemic of bad behavior sweeping the country. In 2020, homicides increased by a record-...
Why U.S. Population Growth Crashed to a Record Low
Tue, 05 Apr 2022
America has never grown at a slower pace than right now. Not only have deaths soared in the pandemic...
Should You Be Afraid of TikTok?
Fri, 01 Apr 2022
This week, the Washington Post reported that Facebook’s parent company Meta has been paying a Repu...
What Is the “Don’t Say Gay” Law Really About? (Plus: The Big Disney vs. DeSantis Showdown in Florida.)
Tue, 29 Mar 2022
On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation that prohibits much classroom instructio...
How Ukraine Wins
Fri, 25 Mar 2022
Derek talks to The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum about Zelensky’s global appeal, the roots of Putin'...
Could Putin’s War Crash the U.S. Economy?
Tue, 22 Mar 2022
Economic crises are piling up. U.S. inflation was surging before Russia invaded Ukraine. Since the w...
Five Reasons Putin’s War Was Doomed From the Start
Mon, 14 Mar 2022
Russia’s military isn’t just a little bit bigger than Ukraine's—it has three times more armore...
Why a No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine Could Be—Literally—the Worst Idea Ever
Thu, 10 Mar 2022
Three in four Americans say the U.S. and its allies should ban Russian aircraft over Ukraine by esta...
“Every Person Is Ready to Die for Our Country”: Five Ukrainians on Life Inside Putin’s War Zone
Tue, 08 Mar 2022
Imagine running from your home, from a foreign army, knowing that every decision you make could be t...
SPECIAL DOUBLE EPISODE: What Putin Will Do Next and the West’s Unprecedented "Financial War" on Russia
Wed, 02 Mar 2022
There are two wars happening right now. There is a military conflict led by Vladimir Putin in Easter...
Russia’s Economic Meltdown, Putin’s Big Mistake, and the West’s Financial War Against Vlad and the Oligarchs
Tue, 01 Mar 2022
Things are moving very, very fast in Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine—and in the global resp...
How Putin's War Will End
Fri, 25 Feb 2022
Quagmire. Regime change. Conquest. Empire. World War III. Derek considers five ways that the war in ...
What Vladimir Putin Wants—and How Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Reshape the World
Fri, 25 Feb 2022
Derek explains why three years—1989, 2008, and 2014—are the key to understanding why Putin is wi...
Four Brilliant Frames for Finding the Next Big Thing, With Venture Capitalist Josh Wolfe. Plus, What's Eating Tech Stocks in 2022?
Tue, 22 Feb 2022
All-star VC Josh Wolfe of Lux Capital joins the show to talk about picking winners and losers, tech'...
The Great Debate: What's the Single Most Amazing Sports Statistic in U.S. History?
Fri, 18 Feb 2022
Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak. Jerry Rice's gazillion rec...
What American Media Is Getting Wrong About Canada’s Big Protests
Tue, 15 Feb 2022
What if I told you that the anti-vaccination trucker protests in Canada weren’t principally about ...
The Meaning of Life and the Power of Regret
Fri, 11 Feb 2022
Derek goes deep with bestselling author Dan Pink on his new book, 'The Power of Regret.' This episod...
Media Gossip Hour: Spotify's Joe Rogan Problem, Facebook's TikTok Crisis, and Crypto's Anonymity Conundrum
Tue, 08 Feb 2022
Kevin Roose of The New York Times returns to our pod, which is owned by Spotify, to talk about J...
This Guy Predicted the 2021 Economy. I Asked Him What's Next.
Fri, 04 Feb 2022
Jason Furman is a Harvard professor who served as a top economist for the Obama administration. More...
One Big Question For: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Tesla, and Meta
Tue, 01 Feb 2022
They’re the six largest tech companies in the world. What’s the most interesting thing about eac...
Should We Cancel Student Debt?
Fri, 28 Jan 2022
Americans owe $1.7 trillion in student loans, and some Democrats think the time has come to cancel t...
Crypto Crashing, Pandemic Stocks Plunging: The Story Behind January’s Crazy Stock Market
Tue, 25 Jan 2022
Morgan Housel, the bestselling author of ‘The Psychology of Money’ and a partner at Collaborativ...
2022 Is Off to a Terrible Start for Democrats
Fri, 21 Jan 2022
Legendary journalist James Fallows joins to discuss the filibuster wars, Democrats’ Voting Rights ...
The Biggest Losers of the Streaming Wars: ESPN, Movie Theaters, Peacock, and More
Tue, 18 Jan 2022
Do movie theaters have a future? What should Disney do with ESPN? And is anybody watching Peacock? D...
Everybody Was Wrong About Inflation
Fri, 14 Jan 2022
Okay, almost everybody. The Biden administration was wrong. Many critics of the Biden administratio...
Omicron: Feelings vs. Facts
Tue, 11 Jan 2022
Derek talks about the rise of the "Vaxxed and Done" movement before reviewing the latest omicron dat...
The Biggest Inventions of the 2020s: Cancer Vaccines, Flying Cars, Space Travel, and More
Fri, 07 Jan 2022
Let’s kick off the new year with a bit of techno-optimism! After a miserable start to this decade,...
The Four Ways That America Is Polarizing
Tue, 28 Dec 2021
David Frum joins Derek to talk about rising and falling polarization by race, gender, education, and...
The Four Biggest Myths of the U.S. Economy. Plus, Omicron in 100 Seconds.
Tue, 21 Dec 2021
Morgan Housel, Collaborative Fund partner and author of the bestseller 'The Psychology of Money,' j...
Elon Musk Is the Person of the Year. Who Is the Person of the Century?
Fri, 17 Dec 2021
New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose is back to talk about the Age of Elon, why tech’s most ...
The Elizabeth Holmes Trial With Rebecca Jarvis of 'The Dropout' Podcast
Tue, 14 Dec 2021
Derek is obsessed with the trial of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes—and he hopes you a...
Media Report Card! Biden Blues, Omicron Fears, Chris Cuomo, and a Celebrity Profile for the Ages
Fri, 10 Dec 2021
Bryan Curtis from The Ringer’s ‘The Press Box’ podcast joins Derek to hand out grades to the n...
Work in America Is Broken—Can Remote Work Save Us?
Tue, 07 Dec 2021
Derek talks to Anne Helen Petersen, the coauthor of 'Out of Work: The Big Problem and Bigger Promis...
BONUS POD: The Future of Democracy, the Media, and the Economy With Andrew Yang
Sat, 04 Dec 2021
In our first weekend special, Andrew interviews Derek about the state of the economy, and Derek inte...
The Bad Guys Are Winning
Fri, 03 Dec 2021
Derek talks to The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum on the decline of democracy and the rise of a new form...
The Omicron Variant: So, How Bad Is It?
Tue, 30 Nov 2021
Dr. Peter Hotez talks to Derek about what we know about the new COVID-19 variant (a little), what we...
Buy or Sell Pandemic Trends: Peloton, Movie Theaters, Masks, and More!
Tue, 23 Nov 2021
The Atlantic's Amanda Mull joins the podcast to debate Derek about which COVID-19–related cultural...
We Have to Talk About Inflation
Fri, 19 Nov 2021
Our first Economic Roundtable discusses rising prices, the Great Resignation, labor shortages, the s...
The Future Is Going to Be Weird As Hell
Tue, 16 Nov 2021
In our first episode, The New York Times’s Kevin Roose joins the show to walk Derek through the me...
Introducing Plain English with Derek Thompson
Thu, 11 Nov 2021
Longtime Atlantic writer Derek Thompson breaks down your weekly headlines in his new podcast, ‘Pla...