Shows / Interesting Times
Interesting Times
The first draft of our future. Mapping the new world order through interviews and conversations. Every Thursday, from New York Times Opinion. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Episodes
- Interesting Times
Why Are We Having Less Sex? Ask a Pornographer.
Pornography gets the blame for a lot of societal problems, including the so-called “sex recession.” Can porn ever really be ethical? Erika Lust thinks so. The…
- Interesting Times
‘A Golden Age of Science’ Brought to You by the White House
The Trump administration wants to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence for scientific discovery. But can its plan succeed without prioritizing…
- Interesting Times
What the Frontier Labs Know That We Don’t
Dwarkesh Patel is one of the most important voices in the artificial intelligence world. Deeply embedded in San Francisco’s tech community, he has interviewed…
- Interesting Times
That Daily Brain Rot Break Is Taking Us Back to the Dark Ages
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?…
- Interesting Times
We Are Clueless About What’s Coming
Nick Bostrom rose to prominence for predicting artificial intelligence doom more than a decade ago — garnering support from figures like Elon Musk, Sam Altman…
- Interesting Times
How Worried Should We Be About the Midterm Elections?
Many Americans are losing faith in elections. Proposed solutions from across the political spectrum to restore faith in the process — early voting, mail-in…
- Interesting Times
Trump Is Getting Even Richer. Is That a Crime?
President Trump made more than $2 billion last year — far exceeding his presidential salary of $400,000. His growing fortunes are raising questions about his…
- Interesting Times
Ross Douthat and Ezra Klein on the Art of Persuasion
“Interesting Times” is on a brief hiatus. Before we return next month, we’re bringing you an interview from “The Ezra Klein Show” with Ross Douthat about his…
Interesting TimesBryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It?
For my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how…
Interesting TimesScott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men
What does a liberal solution to the masculinity crisis look like? As men fall behind in the American educational system and the economy, they’re looking for…
Interesting TimesHow Older Americans Hoard the Future
American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the…
Interesting TimesIran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy
Is President Trump’s grand strategy unraveling? The United States is at war with Iran, China is ascendant, Russia and Ukraine are stalemated and American…
Interesting TimesA Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’
Democratic socialists are having a moment. But can they actually remake the Democratic Party — and the American economy — in their image? My guest today…
Interesting Times‘ I'm Worried About Weimar America’
The work of Rod Dreher has a consistent theme: doom. He believes the collapse of Christianity has ushered civilizational decline in Europe, that we’ve traded…
Interesting TimesThe Unifying Speech We Won’t Get This Independence Day
My fellow Americans: On this 250th anniversary of our great republic, I think we’re unlikely to have a unifying address from any politician. So, I thought I’d…
Interesting TimesIs it Time for a New Sexual Revolution?
The growing alienation between men and women is, to my mind, one of the biggest stories of our time. It’s warping our politics and culture through the rise of…
Interesting TimesJD Vance on the Morality of the Trump Administration
“If you think this is a bad deal, what is your alternative?” Critics of JD Vance think that his key role in the Iran negotiations may end up being an albatross…
Interesting TimesBetter Sex, Better Hair, Better Sleep: ‘Humanmaxxing’ Is Here
We can enhance athletic performance, lose weight with a pill and even take psychedelics to alter consciousness. At what point does all this self-optimization…
Interesting TimesAnna Paulina Luna Wants Everything Disclosed
In an era defined by deep institutional distrust, a new trend within populist conservatism has emerged. It’s a sense that the federal government is keeping…
Interesting TimesOur Military Is Built for the Wrong Century
The future of high-tech warfare has arrived. Just look to the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran to see how much drones and robots have remade the modern…
Interesting TimesA Defense of a Liberal Arts Education in the Age of A.I.
What’s really driving the humanities crisis in higher education? As enrollment and reading decline, I asked Jennifer Frey, a professor of philosophy, what it…
Interesting TimesChina's Not the Problem. We Are.
The United States and China are really the only two countries that matter right now in shaping the A.I. future. As President Trump and President Xi Jinping…
Interesting TimesA Legendary Investor on How to Prevent America’s Coming ‘Heart Attack’
A stalemated war. Fractured alliances. A rival waiting in the wings. It feels to me that we’re having an “end of the American empire” moment. My guest this…
Interesting TimesWhy Are We Still Driving?
Self-driving cars are here. But what kind of future will they bring: safe roads and extra time or dystopian traffic jams? My guest this week is Andrew Miller…
Interesting TimesA Bitcoin Evangelist Tries to Convert Me
One question has haunted my investment strategy for years: What is cryptocurrency actually for? It feels as though the vibes are constantly shifting — one day…
Interesting TimesTrump Is the End of a 100-Year Experiment
President Trump has tested the limits of presidential power since he returned to office — from his assertion of total control over federal agencies to his war…
Interesting TimesHow Ben Sasse Is Living Now That He Is Dying
How would you live if you knew when you were going to die? I sat down with the former Republican senator Ben Sasse to hear how he is facing his own mortality…
Interesting TimesDid Jesus Rise From the Dead? A Debate.
Even if you don’t believe he walked on water, the teachings of Jesus still have a certain power. My guest this week, the New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman…
Interesting TimesHow Far Will Trump Go in Iran?
Is the U.S. winning the war with Iran? Even though President Trump claims success, it doesn’t quite feel like it — oil and gas prices are high, the Strait of…
Interesting TimesWhite Identity Is Galvanizing the Right
The idea that white people — and white men in particular — face discrimination has become something of an obsession on the American right. It’s a view that my…
Interesting TimesThe Democrats Could Still Screw This Up
Can the Democrats finally seize on President Trump’s increasing unpopularity and end their slump? It seems to me as though 2026 is providing them ample…
Interesting TimesDoes the Iran War Put America First?
I don’t think a war with Iran is what Trump — or his voters — had in mind when he campaigned on “America first.” My guest this week is Curt Mills, the…
Interesting TimesThe New Space Race
We’re going back to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. That is, if Artemis II can get off the ground. I sat down with Jared Isaacman, the…
Interesting TimesWelcome to the Indian Century
The next global leader is waiting in the wings — and no, I don’t mean China. India is the major power with the fastest-growing economy and the world’s largest…
Interesting TimesAnthropic's Chief on A.I.: ‘We Don’t Know if the Models Are Conscious’
A.I. is evolving fast, and humanity is falling behind. Dario Amodei, the chief executive of Anthropic, has warned about the potential benefits — and real…
Interesting TimesWhy Ending Roe Wasn’t Enough for the Pro-Life Movement
Nearly four years after Roe v. Wade was overturned, where is the pro-life movement setting its sights? That’s what I wanted to know from the activist Lila…
Interesting Times‘Trump Has Lost the Country’
I want to say something that few conservatives will admit right now: Donald Trump has lost the country. The coalition he assembled to defeat Kamala Harris has…
Interesting TimesA Plan to Restore Trust in Science From a ‘Fringe Epidemiologist’
If you want to understand how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the face of American public health, you have to go back to the Covid era. Medical authorities spoke…
Interesting TimesJamelle Bouie and I Debate Trump’s Failing Grade
President Trump’s aggressive return to the White House has been disruptive in ways that will continue to reshape American — and global — governance and…
Interesting TimesNo, Young Men Are Not Returning to Church
Something surprising is happening to religious belief in America: It’s no longer trending downward. Are Americans becoming more religious? On this episode of…
Interesting TimesMinneapolis Feels ‘Like Being in a Civil War’
Can cellphone cameras and whistles impede President Trump’s immigration policy? On this week’s episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross speaks with Francisco…
Interesting TimesA Defense of U.S. Intervention in Venezuela
What should the U.S. do next in Venezuela? President Trump’s former Venezuela envoy Elliott Abrams wants the Trump administration to push harder for full…
Interesting Times‘Making Sense With Sam Harris’ and Ross Douthat
This week we’re sharing an episode of ‘Making Sense With Sam Harris.’ The author and podcaster recently invited Ross on his show to discuss religion and…
Interesting Times‘A Hard Time We Had of It’
Merry Christmas and happy holidays! This week Ross Douthat shares one of his favorite poems for the occasion, “The Journey of the Magi,” written by T.S. Eliot…
Interesting TimesWill It Ever Be Cool to Be Conservative?
Edgelords, Groypers, Sydney Sweeney’s jeans. American pop culture is having a right-wing moment. Ross recently joined the “Popcast” hosts Jon Caramanica and…
Interesting TimesIs Anything Holding MAGA Together?
After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, conspiracy theories and divisions multiplied on the right. On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross talks to Andrew…
Interesting TimesThe Shifting Politics of Transgender Rights
The transgender rights movement in America appeared to be gaining momentum. But after suffering a big loss before the Supreme Court in June and facing a shift…
Interesting TimesHe Has a Plan for the Left. It Might Involve Overthrowing the Constitution.
Happy Thanksgiving! If you’re dreading your family’s impending political feuds over turkey and dinner rolls, we’re here to share an episode that just might…
Interesting TimesIt’s Deeper Than Nick Fuentes
Is antisemitism the next chapter of “America First”? Many see the appeal of antisemitic ideas among younger conservatives as a natural consequence of a hard…
Interesting Times‘This Is the War Against Human Nature’
“There’s something very spiritually dark about the internet,” the author Paul Kingsnorth tells Ross Douthat in this week’s episode of “Interesting Times.”…
Interesting TimesDid Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?
Is society too feminine or not feminine enough? Two conservative writers, Helen Andrews and Leah Libresco Sargeant, disagree on the answer. They join Ross…
Interesting TimesMamdani’s Victory Is Less Significant Than You Think
Does Zohran Mamdani’s win mean a new dawn for the Democratic Party? Not exactly, Ross Douthat argues. In this mini-episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross…
Interesting TimesWhat Palantir Sees
Who’s afraid of Palantir? The company’s chief technology officer, Shyam Sankar, joins Ross Douthat for a conversation about what the shadowy company actually…
Interesting TimesTaylor Swift’s Trad Turn
Is Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” the soundtrack for the Trump era? Self-titled “conservative dad” Ross Douthat thinks so, and explains why in this…
Interesting TimesThe Next Economic Bubble Is Here
Is the artificial intelligence revolution keeping the entire economy afloat? This week on “Interesting Times,” Ross talks with Jason Furman, an economist from…
Interesting TimesAmy Coney Barrett Is Looking Beyond the Trump Era
Justice Amy Coney Barrett is playing the long game. In this week’s “Interesting Times,” she walks us through the current court’s most controversial rulings…
Interesting TimesHe Believes America Should Be a Theocracy. He Says His Influence Is Growing.
Evangelical pastor and self-proclaimed Christian nationalist Doug Wilson has been preaching for decades that America needs to reclaim its Puritan past. But in…
Interesting TimesHasan Piker Is Flirting With the Revolution
The Twitch and YouTube star Hasan Piker understands what pushes people to commit acts of political violence. But does that understanding tip over into…
Interesting TimesThe Grand Strategy Behind Trump’s Crackdown on Academia
What is wrong with higher education in America? According to many on the right, a lot. This week, Ross Douthat talks to May Mailman, the lawyer behind…
Interesting TimesEzra Klein Is Worried — but Not About a Radicalized Left
Ezra Klein argues that the left desperately needs a unifying project — for its own survival and for the sake of the country. In this episode of Ross Douthat’s…