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Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

New York Times Opinion 4 Episodes Oct 8, 2026

Ross Douthat hosts a weekly interview series exploring the emerging shape of politics, culture, and ideas. Each episode features conversations with thinkers and writers about the forces shaping our future. The podcast is produced by New York Times Opinion and releases new episodes every Thursday.

Episodes

That Daily Brain Rot Break Is Taking Us Back to the Dark Ages Oct 8, 2026 00:48:47 Literacy is declining sharply across the West. In the era of vertical video, who has the time or concentration to read a long article — let alone a whole book?As we lose the ability to read long-form text, we might also be losing the capacity for democratic deliberation and self-governance. That’s the argument this week’s guest, the Times of London columnist James Marriott, makes in his recent boo

We Are Clueless About What’s Coming Oct 1, 2026 00:50:45 Nick Bostrom rose to prominence for predicting artificial intelligence doom more than a decade ago — garnering support from figures like Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Bill Gates. But now he’s retreating from those warnings, focusing his attention on a more complex question: What if A.I. succeeds beyond humanity’s wildest imaginations? Will we be bored out of our minds? Are we too infantile to understa

How Worried Should We Be About the Midterm Elections? Sep 24, 2026 00:45:21 Many Americans are losing faith in elections. Proposed solutions from across the political spectrum to restore faith in the process — early voting, mail-in ballot restrictions and voter ID laws — seem to have the opposite effect.But lack of trust in elections is a symptom of a broader problem: America is living through an era of democratic dissatisfaction. That’s what the New York University law p

Introducing ‘Interesting Times’ Apr 6, 2025 00:03:04 There’s a saying that comes to mind these days: May you live in interesting times. It’s understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing.“Interesting Times With Ross Douthat” is a new weekly podcast from New York Times Opinion. Every Thursday, he will map the new world order through interviews and conversations. Answering questions like: What does our new political era really look l

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Episodes

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