Consciousness is a mystery
What is consciousness, really? We don’t know. Scientists aren’t sure. Philosophers can’t agree. All we have is the fact that it feels like something to be you right now. Beyond that, human consciousn...
16 Mar 39min
The end of world order as we know it
Venezuela. Greenland. Iran. Things have been moving so quickly that we weren't even at war with Iran when we recorded this episode of The Gray Area with Sean Illing. It’s only March, but it’s been a ...
13 Mar 35min
Alone in a cage with cocaine
Addiction is one of those words that seems obvious until you try to explain it. We tend to fall back on two simple stories. Either addiction is a moral failure or it’s a brain disease that robs people...
9 Mar 48min
Winging it in Iran
What the hell just happened in Iran? The US launched an attack last weekend, and within hours, the explanations were already shifting. Is this regime change? Will it be a few days? A few months? Seve...
6 Mar 37min
Of course you're anxious
We use the word “anxiety” to describe stress, dread, worry, panic, even vibes. Which just goes to show: We really don’t know what anxiety is, or where it comes from, or what we’re supposed to do with ...
2 Mar 41min
Gen Z men have baby fever
A lot of Gen Z men sound surprisingly excited about fatherhood. A lot of Gen Z women…do not. And that divide — and the national handwringing about it — says a lot about the changing status of men an...
27 Feb 33min
Why mindfulness got weird
Mindfulness is everywhere now, which is kind of weird. What started as a countercultural practice has become a productivity hack and a billion-dollar app ecosystem. On one level, it’s great that more...
23 Feb 42min
You’re right to bear arms
Sean talks to Atlantic writer Tyler Austin Harper about the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and why liberals are missing the point about American gun culture and the right to bear arms. Beyon...
20 Feb 39min
