
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 Mar 20251h 10min

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 Mar 20251h 8min

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 Mar 20251h 25min

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 Mar 20251h 30min

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 Mar 20251h 18min

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 Mar 20251h 18min

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 Feb 20251h 29min

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 Feb 20251h 20min






















