The L.A. Fires: How They Happened, Climate Change’s Role, and What the City Must Do Now
With so many confusing narratives unfolding around a fire that is still raging out of control, I wanted to talk to somebody I knew and trusted to get stories like this right. Robinson Meyer is the fou...
14 Jan 20251h 4min
‘The Anti-Social Century’: America’s Epidemic of Solitude—and How to Fix It
My new feature for The Atlantic magazine is called "The Anti-Social Century." It's a long article that revolves around a simple point: Americans are now spending more time alone than ever. This surgin...
10 Jan 20251h 10min
The Big 2025 Economy Forecast: AI and Big Tech, Nuclear’s Renaissance, Trump vs. China, and What’s Eating Europe?
Happy new year! And what better way to celebrate the freshly torn calendar page than by welcoming one of Derek's favorite writers to the show to tell us what's in store for the 2025 economy. Michael C...
7 Jan 20251h 10min
The Year's Biggest Breakthroughs in Science and Tech (Feat.: OK, But Seriously, What Is Quantum Computing?)
Our final episode of the year is also my favorite annual tradition: conversations with scientists about the most important and, often, just plain mind-blowing breakthroughs of the previous 12 months. ...
31 Des 20241h 16min
A Mysterious Health Wave Is Breaking Out Across the U.S.
Why do Americans die younger than citizens of other rich countries? The most important reason is that life in America is inexcusably dangerous. The U.S. has more fatalities from gun violence, drug ove...
27 Des 20241h 7min
The Productivity Paradox: Why Less Is More With Oliver Burkeman
So, here’s a scenario: It’s Monday. And you open up whatever calendar or planner or to-do list you use to organize the essential activities of the upcoming week. There’s a large project due Thursday. ...
20 Des 20241h 1min
Why American Health Care Is a "Broken System"
Last week, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot to death outside a hotel in Manhattan by a young man motivated by rage at the insurance industry. His rage is clearly felt widely. In the afterm...
13 Des 20241h 21min
Is Crypto Entering a New Golden Age—or Just a New Era of Failed Promises?
The crypto industry seems poised for a new golden age. But what exactly does that mean? Who would benefit? And, oh by the way, what does this technology do other than serve as a set of assets to bet t...
6 Des 202450min
