Ep. 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate.

Ep. 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate.

IQ scores had been steadily rising since WWII. But, more recently, this phenomenon has stopped. Since 2010, we’ve actually been getting dumber. In this episode, Cal gets into the common theories for why this is true before offering his own take, which leads to some practical takeaways to help you thrive in an increasingly stupider world. He then answers listener questions and talks about something he read recently.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity? [0:41]

  • How can a west coast executive schedule deep work despite constant meetings with east coast colleagues? [37:14]
  • Is it bad that I fill all of my quiet moments with media? [41:04]
  • How can I focus on personal projects? [46:24]
  • How should a software engineer transition to consulting? [53:05]
  • How should a former lawyer update her systems now that she’s a professor? [56:43]

CASE STUDY: A songwriter works deep and slow [1:06:43]

CALL: Getting out of the weeds [1:14:04]

WHAT I’M READING: Who is still against school cell phone bans? [1:23:28]

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289623000156
youtube.com/watch?v=u4jW8MOxIKY
rebeccaschiffman.com/beachvacation
rebeccaschiffman.bandcamp.com
nytimes.com/2025/03/21/nyregion/school-cell-phone-ban-nyc.html

Thanks to our Sponsors:

expressvpn.com/deep
oracle.com/deepquestions
indeed.com/deep
vanta.com/deepquestions

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.


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Jaksot(399)

Ep. 359: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt?

Ep. 359: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt?

A blockbuster new study out of MIT takes a closer look at the impact of writing with the help of AI. In today’s episode, Cal breaks down this paper with the help of author Brad Stulberg (who made wave...

30 Kesä 20251h 48min

Ep. 358: Are Parents (Finally) Ready to Fight Smartphones?

Ep. 358: Are Parents (Finally) Ready to Fight Smartphones?

Back in 2023, Cal gave a detailed deep dive that described the three phases of scientific understanding of smartphones, social media, and kids. In today’s episode, Cal argues that we’ve entered a four...

23 Kesä 20251h 2min

Ep. 357: What Worries the Internet’s Favorite Philosopher?

Ep. 357: What Worries the Internet’s Favorite Philosopher?

Few philosophers in recent memory have enjoyed as much attention as Byung-Chul Han. His mix of profundity and pithiness in tackling some of the big issues of the modern technical environment has made ...

16 Kesä 20251h 12min

IN-DEPTH: The Art of Non-Conformity (w/ Chris Guillebeau)

IN-DEPTH: The Art of Non-Conformity (w/ Chris Guillebeau)

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by Chris Guillebeau, the author of the new book, TIME ANXIETY, and creator of the beloved Art of Non-Conformity blog and World Domination Summit annual confe...

12 Kesä 20251h 7min

Ep. 356: How Much Should We Work?

Ep. 356: How Much Should We Work?

The data shows knowledge workers really are more exhausted and more prone to burnout than ever before. But why? In this episode, Cal draws inspiration from an unlikely source to help unpack this troub...

9 Kesä 20251h 3min

Ep. 355: Quit Social Media (For Real This Time)

Ep. 355: Quit Social Media (For Real This Time)

A common complaint about social media skepticism is that we’re falling into a classic moral panic. We’ve been concerned about many past mass media technologies, and ultimately came to realize that the...

2 Kesä 20251h 11min

Ep. 354: The Workload Fairytale

Ep. 354: The Workload Fairytale

A few years ago, in a spirit of post-pandemic experimentation, multiple countries ran formal trials to test a radical idea: shortening the workweek. In this episode, Cal returns to the results of thes...

26 Touko 20251h 14min

Ep. 353: Summer Schedules

Ep. 353: Summer Schedules

Summer is here. It’s time to slow down. In this episode, Cal discusses his radically simplified summer schedule and then suggests you similarly inject some “seasonality” into your life, offering tips ...

19 Touko 20251h 20min

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