Plain English with Derek Thompson
By The Ringer
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Category: News Commentary
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Subscribers: 1102
Reviews: 5
Episodes: 220
Mar 1, 2024
Jan 18, 2024
Poignant, thought-provoking stuff.
Wow Jeff
Apr 18, 2023
Pseudo intellectualism. Interesting topics, but superficial discussion and analysis
Mar 10, 2023
Feb 14, 2023
Description
Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Hear Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish@spotify.com! You can also find us on tiktok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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A Political Scientist on How Protests Can Change Minds or Backfire
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Apr 26, 2024 |
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What Kind of a Superpower Is India Becoming?
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Apr 23, 2024 |
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Health Fads and Fictions: VO2 Max, Supplement Mania, Sunlight, and Immortality
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Apr 19, 2024 |
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U.S. Economy FAQ: Skyrocketing Insurance Prices, Stuck Inflation, Higher Rates, and Wrong Experts
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Apr 16, 2024 |
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If the 2024 Election Is So Important, Why Does It Feel So Boring?
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Apr 12, 2024 |
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A Psychologist Explains Four Reasons the Internet Feels So Broken
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Apr 09, 2024 |
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Why School Absences Have "Exploded" Across America
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Apr 05, 2024 |
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What Evolutionary Biology Can Teach Us About Diet, Exercise, and Staying Alive
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Apr 02, 2024 |
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America's Biggest Car Companies Are in Trouble
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Mar 26, 2024 |
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Should the U.S. Ban TikTok?
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Mar 19, 2024 |
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How Hollywood’s Hit Formula Flopped—and What Could Come Next
|
Mar 12, 2024 |
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What Many Economists (and I) Got Wrong About This Economy
|
Mar 05, 2024 |
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Why the "Need for Chaos" Is Eating American Politics
|
Mar 01, 2024 |
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Why Americans Stopped Hanging Out—and Why It Matters
|
Feb 27, 2024 |
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"We’re Seeing a Fundamental Reorganization of Work in America"
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Feb 23, 2024 |
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How to Have the Hardest Conversations—in Marriage, Politics, and Life
|
Feb 20, 2024 |
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Would You Buy a Drug to Extend Your Dog’s Life?
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Feb 16, 2024 |
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The Dark Side of the Internet's Obsession With Anxiety
|
Feb 13, 2024 |
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Can Solar Power and Battery Tech Save the World From Climate Change?
|
Feb 09, 2024 |
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The Gender War Within Gen Z
|
Feb 06, 2024 |
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What’s the Best Diet for Planet Earth?
|
Jan 30, 2024 |
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Why Did Stanley Water Bottles Suddenly Become a Cultural Phenomenon?
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Jan 26, 2024 |
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Why the U.S. Media Industry Is in Meltdown
|
Jan 23, 2024 |
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World on Fire, Part 3: How Did America's Border Crisis Get So Bad?
|
Jan 19, 2024 |
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World on Fire, Part 2: Global Conflict Has Surged to an 80-Year High. Why?
|
Jan 16, 2024 |
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World on Fire, Part 1: The Houthis, Israel's Impossible War, and Worsening Middle East Chaos
|
Jan 12, 2024 |
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The Dark Side of the Obsession With Focus
|
Jan 09, 2024 |
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Four Megatrends for 2024 in Tech, Economics, Media, and Weird Science
|
Jan 03, 2024 |
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The Biggest Breakthroughs in Science Happening Right Now
|
Dec 27, 2023 |
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The Truth About Ketamine: Depression Cure, Health Fad, or Placebo?
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Dec 22, 2023 |
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The Year in Media and Entertainment: What’s Broken (News), What’s Surging (Netflix), and What’s Next
|
Dec 19, 2023 |
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How Weight-Loss Drugs Could Impact U.S. Healthcare and Food. Plus, the Biggest Problems With GLP1s.
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Dec 15, 2023 |
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The Weight-Loss Drug Revolution, Part 1: Why These Drugs Work So Well
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Dec 12, 2023 |
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Why It’s So Hard to Buy a House Right Now—and Why It Might Get Better Soon
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Dec 08, 2023 |
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How Henry Kissinger’s Catastrophes and Triumphs Changed the World
|
Dec 05, 2023 |
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Elon Musk’s Meltdown, the Death of Twitter, and the Chaotic Future of Social Media
|
Dec 01, 2023 |
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How China's Economic Miracle Went Off the Rails
|
Nov 28, 2023 |
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Inside the OpenAI Meltdown
|
Nov 21, 2023 |
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The Media is Missing Something Big in Biden’s Bad Polling Numbers
|
Nov 17, 2023 |
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How ChatGPT Can Change the Future of Jobs—Starting With Your Own
|
Nov 14, 2023 |
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What Most People Get Wrong About Wealth, Fame, and Happiness
|
Nov 10, 2023 |
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The Fragile Hope for Peace in Israel-Palestine
|
Nov 07, 2023 |
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Could a Housing Recession Take Down the U.S. Economy?
|
Nov 03, 2023 |
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Two Israel-Palestine Historians Explain: How Did We Get Here? And What Happens Next?
|
Oct 31, 2023 |
|
The Science of Achievement, With Adam Grant
|
Oct 27, 2023 |
|
Israel Has No Good Options
|
Oct 24, 2023 |
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The Tragedy of Picking Sides in the Israel-Palestine Conflict
|
Oct 17, 2023 |
|
Inside the Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried
|
Oct 13, 2023 |
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Israel at War: Why Did Hamas Attack?
|
Oct 10, 2023 |
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Disney’s Downfall: The Rise and Fall of an Entertainment Giant
|
Oct 03, 2023 |
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Why Americans are Losing Faith in College
|
Sep 26, 2023 |
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What’s So Great About Marriage?
|
Sep 19, 2023 |
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Why Is It So Expensive to Build Stuff in America?
|
Sep 12, 2023 |
|
Fatherhood and What Americans Get Wrong About Major Life Changes
|
Sep 06, 2023 |
|
Experts Predicted a Recession This Year. How Were They So Wrong?
|
Aug 08, 2023 |
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Why Elite College Admissions Are Biased Toward the Superrich
|
Aug 01, 2023 |
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Oppenheimer: The Genius, the Film, and the Project That Changed the World
|
Jul 25, 2023 |
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How Hollywood Drove Its Business Model Off a Cliff
|
Jul 19, 2023 |
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Americans Think the Economy Is Terrible. The Data Tell Another Story.
|
Jul 11, 2023 |
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How the Digital Workplace Broke Our Brains
|
Jul 05, 2023 |
|
What Just Happened in Russia This Weekend?
|
Jun 27, 2023 |
|
The Science of Procrastination—and How to Really Get Stuff Done
|
Jun 20, 2023 |
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Why Fertility Rates Are Plunging—in the U.S., South Korea, and Everywhere Else
|
Jun 13, 2023 |
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Why So Many Young Men Are Lonely, Sexless, and Extremely Online
|
Jun 06, 2023 |
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How Hollywood's Writers Strike Could Change the Future of TV and Movies
|
May 30, 2023 |
|
Why Youth Sports in America Are in Decline
|
May 23, 2023 |
|
The Future of War Is Here
|
May 16, 2023 |
|
A Diet Conspiracy: Is Ice Cream Secretly Good for You?
|
May 09, 2023 |
|
An Optimistic Guide to America’s Clean-Energy Future
|
May 02, 2023 |
|
The Most Important Thing Most Americans Misunderstand About Insomnia
|
Apr 25, 2023 |
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How American Cities Can Avoid the ‘Urban Doom Loop’
|
Apr 18, 2023 |
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Americans Die Younger Than People in Any Other Rich Country. Why?
|
Apr 11, 2023 |
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How Strong Is the Case Against Donald Trump?
|
Apr 06, 2023 |
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Myth-Busting Wellness Hacks: Cold Plunges, Coffee, Alcohol, and Fitness Trackers
|
Apr 04, 2023 |
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Eight Burning Questions About the Donald Trump Indictment
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Mar 31, 2023 |
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Why the Cult of Achievement in Schools Is Making People Miserable
|
Mar 28, 2023 |
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A Mind-Expanding Conversation About Human History and Happiness With Tim Urban
|
Mar 24, 2023 |
|
The AI Revolution Could Be Bigger and Weirder Than We Can Imagine
|
Mar 21, 2023 |
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MAILBAG: Why Does the Internet Make Us Depressed? Where Does Good Writing Come From? Is College Worth It Anymore?
|
Mar 17, 2023 |
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The SVB Debacle: The Biggest Myths, the Out-of-Control Blame Game, and the Worst Takes
|
Mar 15, 2023 |
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Silicon Valley Bank Collapse FAQ: Whose Fault Is It? How Can We Stop a Bank Panic? What Comes Next?
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Mar 13, 2023 |
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"Industrial Policy" Is the Hottest Idea in Economics. What Could Go Wrong?
|
Mar 10, 2023 |
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How the Media Failed Its COVID Test: The Truth Behind the Lab Leak and Masking Debates
|
Mar 07, 2023 |
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Why Are American Teens So Unhappy? How Do We Solve This Crisis?
|
Mar 03, 2023 |
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Happiness in America, Part 1: The Secret to a 'Good Life,' According to an 80-Year Study
|
Feb 28, 2023 |
|
The Science of How Music Hits Have Changed in the Last 60 Years
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Feb 24, 2023 |
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Bing Chatbot Gone Wild and Why AI Could Be the Story of the Decade
|
Feb 21, 2023 |
|
UFOs and Aliens and Drones and Balloons: Understanding the U.S. Sky Wars
|
Feb 17, 2023 |
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Why Everybody Is Wrong About a Recession and Housing’s Great Comeback
|
Feb 14, 2023 |
|
The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Fake Meat in America
|
Feb 10, 2023 |
|
China’s Spy Balloon Is Down. Cold War 2.0 Risks Are Rising.
|
Feb 07, 2023 |
|
Econ Megapod: The Debt Ceiling Is Dumb, and the Inflation “Crisis” Might Be Over
|
Feb 03, 2023 |
|
The Dark Side of Being Obsessed With Productivity
|
Jan 31, 2023 |
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How AI Could Change Apple and Google, Writing and Music, and Everything Else
|
Jan 27, 2023 |
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Why Big Tech's Jobs Bubble Burst. Plus, SBF's Scandal Deepens.
|
Jan 24, 2023 |
|
America Isn’t Ready for the Weight-Loss-Drug Revolution That’s Coming
|
Jan 20, 2023 |
|
How Americans Got Everything About Food—Fat, Sugar, and Obesity—‘Entirely Backwards’
|
Jan 17, 2023 |
|
True or False: 10 Controversial Predictions About the Future of Streaming, Tech, and Media
|
Jan 13, 2023 |
|
Why There Is So Much Bullsh*t in Science
|
Jan 11, 2023 |
|
The 2023 Economy FAQ: Is Recession Inevitable? Will Housing Crash? Can Tech Recover?
|
Jan 04, 2023 |
|
PE Greatest Hits: Thompson and Klosterman Debate Why Society Got So Negative
|
Dec 27, 2022 |
|
PE Greatest Hits: Derek and Ryen Debate the Most Impressive Sports Statistic of All Time
|
Dec 20, 2022 |
|
ChatGPT, Obesity Drugs, Exoplanet Images, and Medical Miracles: The Most Amazing Breakthroughs of 2022
|
Dec 13, 2022 |
|
Sperm Counts Are Falling All Over the World—Why?
|
Dec 09, 2022 |
|
Who's Afraid of a Four-Day Work Week?
|
Dec 06, 2022 |
|
Why the Bad Guys—in China, Russia, Iran, and the U.S.—Are Having a Terrible Winter
|
Dec 02, 2022 |
|
Why America is Suffering a 'Friendship Recession'
|
Nov 29, 2022 |
|
Thanksgiving Mega-Pod: Bob Iger’s Power Grab, SBF’s Scandal, and Elon Musk’s Omnishambles
|
Nov 22, 2022 |
|
If China Invades Taiwan, Is It World War III?
|
Nov 18, 2022 |
|
A Crypto Catastrophe: The Stunning Fall of FTX—and What Comes Next
|
Nov 15, 2022 |
|
Instant Reaction Pod: Midterm Election Winners, Losers, Surprises, and Takeaways
|
Nov 09, 2022 |
|
Elon Musk's Reign of Chaos and Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse Madness
|
Nov 07, 2022 |
|
America in the Age of Conspiracy: Q-Anon, JFK, Aliens, and More
|
Nov 04, 2022 |
|
How the U.S. Housing Market Became Such a Dumpster Fire
|
Nov 01, 2022 |
|
How to Invest and Be Happy When It Feels Like the World Is Falling Apart
|
Oct 28, 2022 |
|
Ben Smith on the Future of News, How to Start a Media Company, and Why TikTok Is a Time Bomb
|
Oct 26, 2022 |
|
Midterm Election FAQ: Can We Trust the Polls? Are Democrats Doomed?
|
Oct 25, 2022 |
|
The Case for Indicting Donald Trump
|
Oct 18, 2022 |
|
Is Hybrid Work Doomed?
|
Oct 14, 2022 |
|
Why the Future of AI Should Terrify and Thrill You
|
Oct 11, 2022 |
|
Bill Simmons on Aaron Judge, How Baseball Ruined Itself, and the Joy of Debating Sports Records
|
Oct 06, 2022 |
|
Could the Fed Break the World Economy?
|
Oct 04, 2022 |
|
Scott Galloway on Why the Internet Is a Mess, Why the News Is So Angry, and Why American Men Are ‘Adrift’
|
Sep 29, 2022 |
|
Is the Federal Reserve Making a Huge Mistake?
|
Sep 27, 2022 |
|
Why America Has a Crisis of Masculinity
|
Sep 23, 2022 |
|
Why the Voice Inside Your Head Can Sound Like a Jerk
|
Sep 20, 2022 |
|
The Housing Recession Is Coming
|
Sep 15, 2022 |
|
Bill Gates on Progress, Food Technology, and the Battle Between Climate Change and Innovation
|
Sep 13, 2022 |
|
How Ukraine’s New Offensive Could Win the War Against Russia
|
Sep 12, 2022 |
|
The UK Is in Trouble: Economic Crises, Energy Shocks, and the Queen’s Death
|
Sep 08, 2022 |
|
America’s National Teacher Shortage: Looming Crisis or Media Myth?
|
Sep 06, 2022 |
|
Nate Silver on Why This Midterm Election Could Be the Weirdest in Decades
|
Sep 02, 2022 |
|
The Messy Debate Over Student Loan Forgiveness
|
Aug 30, 2022 |
|
Burning Questions on Media: Streaming’s Summer of Hell, Movie Theater Woes, and CNN’s Risky Pivot
|
Aug 26, 2022 |
|
What’s the Secret of Success in America? This Economist Has Answers.
|
Aug 23, 2022 |
|
Why Does It Seem Like Everybody Hates Everything?
|
Aug 19, 2022 |
|
Donald Trump vs. the FBI: Everything We Know About the Investigation So Far
|
Aug 16, 2022 |
|
A New Way to Think About Racism in America
|
Aug 12, 2022 |
|
Carbon Removal Might Be the World’s Most Important Technology. How Does It Work?
|
Aug 09, 2022 |
|
Curiosity Corner: Monkeypox Myths, Millennial Facts, and Overpopulation Fears
|
Aug 05, 2022 |
|
Is Old Music Killing New Music?
|
Aug 03, 2022 |
|
How the Democrats' New Climate Bill Could Change the World
|
Aug 01, 2022 |
|
Why the Question "Are We in a Recession?" Is Impossible to Answer
|
Jul 29, 2022 |
|
Crypto Crash, Part II: A Debate About the Future of Web3
|
Jul 26, 2022 |
|
Crypto Crash Part I: The Case Against Crypto
|
Jul 25, 2022 |
|
Why It Seems Like So Many Countries Are Falling Apart
|
Jul 22, 2022 |
|
The World Is on Fire. Here’s a Realistic Plan to Save Humanity.
|
Jul 19, 2022 |
|
Three Ways the Elon Musk–Twitter Showdown Could End
|
Jul 14, 2022 |
|
Burning Questions About the Future of Media: Netflix vs. Disney, TikTok vs. Everyone, and the Metaverse
|
Jul 12, 2022 |
|
Musk Meltdown: Elon’s Breakup With Twitter Is Going to Be Very Messy
|
Jul 10, 2022 |
|
The Biggest Economic Question of the Moment: Is This Peak Inflation?
|
Jul 08, 2022 |
|
Why Are the Police So Bad at Solving Murders?
|
Jul 06, 2022 |
|
Abortion Pills Are a Game Changer, Plus Our Next Big Culture War
|
Jul 01, 2022 |
|
Five Reasons Everybody Is Wrong About a U.S. Recession—Including Me
|
Jun 28, 2022 |
|
The End of Roe v. Wade Changes Everything
|
Jun 24, 2022 |
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Why Air Travel Is a Hot Mess Right Now
|
Jun 24, 2022 |
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Why Gas Prices Are Skyrocketing—and an Ingenious Plan to Bring Them Down
|
Jun 21, 2022 |
|
The Big Winners and Losers From the Remote Work Revolution
|
Jun 17, 2022 |
|
The End of the Everything Boom (Plus: The Federal Reserve's Risky Move)
|
Jun 15, 2022 |
|
The Big Inflation FAQ: Why It’s So High, How Everyone Got It Wrong, and What's Next
|
Jun 13, 2022 |
|
California’s Elections Sent an Important Message. What Is It?
|
Jun 10, 2022 |
|
Curiosity Corner: America’s Gun Dilemma, the Future of Corporate Politics, Relationship Advice, and More!
|
Jun 07, 2022 |
|
America’s Gun Problem Is Impossible
|
May 26, 2022 |
|
What's Going on With the U.S. Housing Market?
|
May 24, 2022 |
|
Why Does the Internet Hate Amber Heard?
|
May 20, 2022 |
|
The Mystery of America's Missing Baby Formula
|
May 18, 2022 |
|
Why the U.S. Could Be Headed For the "Weirdest Recession Ever"
|
May 17, 2022 |
|
Market Meltdown: Why Tech and Crypto Are Crashing - and What Happens Next
|
May 11, 2022 |
|
The Future of AI Is Thrilling, Terrifying, Confusing, and Fascinating
|
May 10, 2022 |
|
The 300-Year History of Abortion in America—in 30 Minutes
|
May 06, 2022 |
|
How Would the End of Roe v. Wade Change America?
|
May 04, 2022 |
|
Economic Mystery Hour: How Low Will Stocks Go? Is a Recession Inevitable?
|
May 03, 2022 |
|
Why Is It So Hard to Predict the Next Great Quarterback?
|
Apr 29, 2022 |
|
The End of the Golden Age of Streaming
|
Apr 26, 2022 |
|
Instant Reaction Pod! Elon Musk Buys Twitter. So, What Happens Next?
|
Apr 26, 2022 |
|
Why Are American Teenagers So Sad and Anxious?
|
Apr 22, 2022 |
|
How Joe Biden Lost Millennials
|
Apr 19, 2022 |
|
The News About Shanghai’s COVID Lockdown Is Shocking. The Reality Might Be Worse.
|
Apr 15, 2022 |
|
Instant Reaction Pod! Elon Musk Offers to Buy 100 Percent of Twitter.
|
Apr 14, 2022 |
|
When Will the Ukraine War End? (Plus: 10 Good Minutes on What the Hell Elon Musk Is Doing With Twitter)
|
Apr 12, 2022 |
|
It's Not Just You: America's Epidemic of Bad Behavior
|
Apr 08, 2022 |
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Why U.S. Population Growth Crashed to a Record Low
|
Apr 05, 2022 |
|
Should You Be Afraid of TikTok?
|
Apr 01, 2022 |
|
What Is the “Don’t Say Gay” Law Really About? (Plus: The Big Disney vs. DeSantis Showdown in Florida.)
|
Mar 29, 2022 |
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How Ukraine Wins
|
Mar 25, 2022 |
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Could Putin’s War Crash the U.S. Economy?
|
Mar 22, 2022 |
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Five Reasons Putin’s War Was Doomed From the Start
|
Mar 14, 2022 |
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Why a No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine Could Be—Literally—the Worst Idea Ever
|
Mar 10, 2022 |
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“Every Person Is Ready to Die for Our Country”: Five Ukrainians on Life Inside Putin’s War Zone
|
Mar 08, 2022 |
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SPECIAL DOUBLE EPISODE: What Putin Will Do Next and the West’s Unprecedented "Financial War" on Russia
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Mar 02, 2022 |
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Russia’s Economic Meltdown, Putin’s Big Mistake, and the West’s Financial War Against Vlad and the Oligarchs
|
Mar 01, 2022 |
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How Putin's War Will End
|
Feb 25, 2022 |
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What Vladimir Putin Wants—and How Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Reshape the World
|
Feb 25, 2022 |
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Four Brilliant Frames for Finding the Next Big Thing, With Venture Capitalist Josh Wolfe. Plus, What's Eating Tech Stocks in 2022?
|
Feb 22, 2022 |
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The Great Debate: What's the Single Most Amazing Sports Statistic in U.S. History?
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Feb 18, 2022 |
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What American Media Is Getting Wrong About Canada’s Big Protests
|
Feb 15, 2022 |
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The Meaning of Life and the Power of Regret
|
Feb 11, 2022 |
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Media Gossip Hour: Spotify's Joe Rogan Problem, Facebook's TikTok Crisis, and Crypto's Anonymity Conundrum
|
Feb 08, 2022 |
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This Guy Predicted the 2021 Economy. I Asked Him What's Next.
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Feb 04, 2022 |
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One Big Question For: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Tesla, and Meta
|
Feb 01, 2022 |
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Should We Cancel Student Debt?
|
Jan 28, 2022 |
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Crypto Crashing, Pandemic Stocks Plunging: The Story Behind January’s Crazy Stock Market
|
Jan 25, 2022 |
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2022 Is Off to a Terrible Start for Democrats
|
Jan 21, 2022 |
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The Biggest Losers of the Streaming Wars: ESPN, Movie Theaters, Peacock, and More
|
Jan 18, 2022 |
|
Everybody Was Wrong About Inflation
|
Jan 14, 2022 |
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Omicron: Feelings vs. Facts
|
Jan 11, 2022 |
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The Biggest Inventions of the 2020s: Cancer Vaccines, Flying Cars, Space Travel, and More
|
Jan 07, 2022 |
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The Four Ways That America Is Polarizing
|
Dec 28, 2021 |
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The Four Biggest Myths of the U.S. Economy. Plus, Omicron in 100 Seconds.
|
Dec 21, 2021 |
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Elon Musk Is the Person of the Year. Who Is the Person of the Century?
|
Dec 17, 2021 |
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The Elizabeth Holmes Trial With Rebecca Jarvis of 'The Dropout' Podcast
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Dec 14, 2021 |
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Media Report Card! Biden Blues, Omicron Fears, Chris Cuomo, and a Celebrity Profile for the Ages
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Dec 10, 2021 |
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Work in America Is Broken—Can Remote Work Save Us?
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Dec 07, 2021 |
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BONUS POD: The Future of Democracy, the Media, and the Economy With Andrew Yang
|
Dec 04, 2021 |
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The Bad Guys Are Winning
|
Dec 03, 2021 |
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The Omicron Variant: So, How Bad Is It?
|
Nov 30, 2021 |
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Buy or Sell Pandemic Trends: Peloton, Movie Theaters, Masks, and More!
|
Nov 23, 2021 |
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We Have to Talk About Inflation
|
Nov 19, 2021 |
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The Future Is Going to Be Weird As Hell
|
Nov 16, 2021 |
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Introducing Plain English with Derek Thompson
|
Nov 11, 2021 |