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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Ep. 346: Getting Smarter in a Dumb World

Ep. 346: Getting Smarter in a Dumb World

In last week’s episode, Cal discussed data that indicate that the rise of the smartphones is making humans measurably dumber. Here he discusses aggressive strategies for resisting this reality. He the...

31 Maalis 20251h 10min

Ep. 345: Are We Getting Dumber?

Ep. 345: Are We Getting Dumber?

Multiple listeners recently sent in a Financial Times article that asks whether humans have passed “peak intelligence.” In this episode, Cal looks closer at the data in this article to try to understa...

24 Maalis 20251h 8min

Ep. 344: You Are Not a Cog

Ep. 344: You Are Not a Cog

Modern knowledge work jobs should be cushy gigs. Fixed hours, air conditioning, no hard manual labor, flexibility. So why are we so often burnt out and what can we do about this reality? In this episo...

17 Maalis 20251h 25min

Ep. 343: A Minimal Protocol for Taking Control of Your LIfe

Ep. 343: A Minimal Protocol for Taking Control of Your LIfe

One of the most commonly recurring themes on this show is the conflict between too much versus not enough productivity. In this episode, Cal attempts to find new clarity in this debate by identifying ...

10 Maalis 20251h 30min

IN-DEPTH: Greatness on Trial (w/ Brad Stulberg and Clay Skipper)

IN-DEPTH: Greatness on Trial (w/ Brad Stulberg and Clay Skipper)

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by the writers Brad Stulberg and Clay Skipper to talk about the topic of “greatness.” They attempt to pick apart the weird moment we are in where, on the one...

6 Maalis 20251h 18min

Ep. 342: The Good Life Algorithm

Ep. 342: The Good Life Algorithm

How do escape a life of shallowness and distraction to cultivate something deeper and more meaningful? In this episode, Cal draws from both algorithm theory and the habits of a reclusive author to hig...

3 Maalis 20251h 18min

Ep. 341: Drowning, Treading, or Swimming

Ep. 341: Drowning, Treading, or Swimming

Tim Ferris is working on a new book about saying “no” and has posted the introduction online. In this episode, Cal reads an excerpt from this introduction and then tries to make sense of it with a met...

24 Helmi 20251h 29min

Ep. 340: Productivity Rain Dances

Ep. 340: Productivity Rain Dances

Sometimes the quest for productivity can seem like the embrace of activity for the sake of activity, a prospect that inevitably leads to exhaustion. In today’s episode, Cal explores this idea by discu...

17 Helmi 20251h 20min

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