Shows / Lost Debate
Lost Debate
For the politically eclectic. A weekly show exploring news, ideas, and arguments from across the political spectrum through good-faith conversation. Hosted by Ravi Gupta.
Episodes
Lost DebateThe Most Important Educator in America
Poverty doesn’t have to limit a child’s education—and Eva Moskowitz built Success Academy to prove it. Ravi sits down with the charter school network’s founder…
Lost DebateIs France Our Future?
What happens when a government promises more than it can afford—and voters reject the changes needed to sustain it? Ravi examines France’s unrest, tracing the…
Lost DebateThe Dark History of School Abuse
Nearly 2,000 claims of child sexual abuse reveal a devastating pattern: schools protecting adults while failing children. Ravi sits down with The 74’s…
Lost DebateThe Problem with Nikole Hannah-Jones
Nikole Hannah-Jones’s essay about her daughter’s education has reignited the debate over school integration and parental choice. But are we learning the right…
Lost DebateNikole Hannah-Jones, WH Press Ban, Ed Sheeran
Ravi is joined by Jeremiah, host of the New Liberal podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with the seemingly endless things people blame on…
Lost DebateThe Skillbatical
To celebrate the launch of his new book, The Invisible List, Ravi shares an audiobook excerpt about his “skill sabbatical” learning to surf—an exhilarating…
Lost DebateWill AI Lead to Socialism?
As AI becomes capable of doing more of the work once reserved for highly educated people, could it push society toward socialism? Labor lawyer and policy…
Lost DebateDid Al-Qaeda lose?
Who was Osama bin Laden—and what did he believe attacking America would accomplish? Journalist Graeme Wood explores how the son of a wealthy Saudi construction…
Lost DebateNegative Immigration, Trump on Data Centers, Alpha Schools
Ravi examines the economic consequences of Trump’s immigration crackdown as net migration turns negative and labor shortages ripple across the country. He also…
Lost DebateThe Future of AI and Education (with Reed Hastings)
Who can best help children learn—AI or humans? In this special episode shared on behalf of Bellwether, a nonprofit transforming education for young people…
Lost DebatePrimary Takeaways + Free Speech & Boycotts
Ravi Gupta unpacks a volatile primary season, where ideological insurgents are gaining ground, independents are being sidelined, and both parties’ youngest…
Lost DebateWhat We Did in the Shadows
Nightlife gave us jazz, disco, techno, and entire cultural revolutions. From the courtesan districts of 17th-century Japan to the ruins of postwar Berlin…
Lost DebateAre Dems Serious About Winning?
One ruptured bicep, two heartbreaking losses, and a week of political madness leave Ravi reflecting on health, grief, and what it really means to help people…
Lost DebateHumanoid Robots Are Coming
The robot you imagined as a kid is now something you can actually own. On today’s episode, New Yorker writer Stephen Witt reveals that the humanoid robots of…
Lost DebateMusk’s Legacy + The Politics of AI
Ravi Gupta sits down with The Argument's Kobe Yank-Jacobs for a conversation that begins with Elon Musk, USAID, and the politics of accountability before…
Lost DebateSlopulists
The fallout from the Graham Platner scandal is exposing deeper problems inside the Democratic Party. Ravi examines how influential podcasts, political…
Lost DebateFRAUD SAVE AMERICA
Breaking news has upended one of the Democratic Party's highest-profile Senate campaigns. After reports of rape allegations against Democratic Senate candidate…
Lost DebateThe Democrats Are Risking It All
Who really runs the Democratic Party today? Ravi sits down with Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, to discuss the rise of online influencers…
Lost DebateFire Bad Teachers and Bad Cops
Why is it so hard to fire bad teachers and bad cops? Ravi sits down with Robert Gordon and Nick Bagley to discuss the problems with public sector unions—how…
Lost DebateHow Andrew Tate Gets Away With It
Andrew Tate became one of the most influential figures on the internet by selling young men a vision of power, wealth, and masculinity. But behind the viral…
Lost DebateA New Wave of Psychedelics
What happens when technology starts reshaping the human mind—and recording every moment of our lives? Ravi Gupta sits down with Atlantic staff writer Ross…
Lost DebateHow Britain Became as Poor as Mississippi
Britain was once one of the world’s economic success stories. Today, parts of the UK are no richer than Mississippi. Atlantic staff writer Idrees Kahloon joins…
Lost DebateThe Case for Constraints
Why do constraints so often lead to better results? In this conversation, Ravi chats with bestselling author David Epstein, who explains how limitations can…
Lost DebateAn Optimist’s Guide to Investing
Ravi sits down with financial writer and Animal Spirits co-host Ben Carlson to discuss investing, inflation, market psychology, and why long-term optimism…
Lost DebateWill Platner Cost Dems the Senate?
Ravi Gupta examines the growing scandals surrounding Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, from newly revealed sexting allegations to controversial past…
Lost DebateThe Case Against Dating Apps
Dating apps promised to make finding love easier. Instead, many people feel more disconnected, discouraged, and lonely than ever. Ravi sits down with…
Lost DebateEight Years in the Making
What did you used to want to learn, make, or finish? Guitar. Spanish. Salsa. The novel you've been starting for a decade. We all carry an invisible list: the…
Lost DebateThe $40 Billion Money Pit
New York City spends over $40,000 per student — more than almost anywhere in America — yet its schools deliver painfully average results while enrollment…
Lost DebateSurprising Truths about Sex and Relationships
Everything we think we know about dating, sex, love, and marriage may only be half true. In this episode, Dr. Justin Garcia, director of the Kinsey Institute…
Lost DebateThe Mississippi Miracle
How did Mississippi — long seen as one of the worst states in America for education — become one of the fastest-improving in the country? In this episode…
Lost DebateWhat if the Iran War Never Ends?
What if the Iran war never really ends—but instead settles into a dangerous, permanent limbo? In this episode, Ravi Gupta sits down with former Deputy National…
Lost DebateGrading Mamdani
Ravi Gupta sits down with Bradley Tusk to break down New York City’s mounting budget crisis, a $6B deficit, and the tough choices facing Mayor Mamdani. They…
Lost DebateCan You Predict a Recession?
What if everything you’ve been told about recessions is wrong? On this episode, Ravi Gupta sits down with economist Tyler Goodspeed to challenge the classic…
Lost DebateNobody Lasts That Long
Ravi sits down with legendary music biographer Bob Spitz, who pulls back the curtain on rock’s biggest icons and the forces that made them endure. From secret…
Lost DebateCuba Libre?
When Ravi Gupta was a struggling high school student, he pulled Jon Lee Anderson’s biography of Che Guevara off his mom’s bookshelf—and it became the first…
Lost DebateIran Ceasefire, Hasan Piker
Ravi Gupta breaks down what he sees as a major U.S. loss in Iran, arguing that Trump’s threats and ceasefire ultimately left Iran with more power and America…
Lost DebateHow to Make and Lose a Million Dollars
Ravi Gupta sits down with Alexander Hurst, author of Generation Desperation, to unpack his journey from $300 to over $1 million—and the identity he built…
Lost DebateIran Quagmire + AI Politics
What happens when Americans fear AI more than Trump, ICE, or either political party? In this provocative conversation, Catherine Bracy joins Ravi to unpack why…
Lost DebateThe People vs. AI
In this episode, Ravi Gupta talks with Time’s Andrew Chow about an unlikely coalition rising up against AI — from MAGA-aligned tech skeptics to democratic…
Lost DebateThe Openclaw Revolution
AI is shifting from something you prompt to something that can proactively work for you. Ravi Gupta sits down with technologist Michael Simon to unpack…
Lost DebateWacky Economy, Epstein Fallout, Our Elders
Ravi Gupta examines new data challenging the idea of a strong economic recovery and connects the week’s biggest political and cultural stories—from deficits…
Lost DebateMore Epstein Revelations
Ravi breaks down the week’s most important stories. He examines what’s wrong with the Epstein file release—and what it reveals about elite culture, status…
Lost DebatePretti Killing, ICE Impunity, NVIDIA Dominance
Ravi begins by explaining why this conversation matters to him: although he’s often skeptical of tech leaders, he sees Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as a rare and…
Lost DebateThe Moral Cost of Phones
Ravi sits down with journalist Nick Niarchos, author of The Elements of Power, to expose the hidden human and geopolitical costs behind the batteries powering…
Lost DebateMinnesota, Powell, MAGA Intellectuals
Ravi opens by running through a turbulent week: the Minnesota ICE shooting, concerns about escalating federal power, and the DOJ’s reported probe into Fed…
Lost DebateVenezuela, Bari Weiss, State Censorship
The U.S. just carried out a stunning strike in Venezuela—capturing Nicolás Maduro—and Ravi argues the hard part isn’t the raid, but the chaos, precedent, and…
Lost DebateThe End of Culture
Ravi sits down with cultural critic W. David Marx (author of Blank Space) to ask a simple question: if there’s more music, TV, and art than ever, why does…
Lost DebateAre We Getting Stupider?
Are We Getting Stupider? Andrew Rice joins The Lost Debate to ask an uncomfortable question: why are America’s schools getting worse—even in places that claim…
Lost DebateThe Worst Story of the Year
This episode takes a visit to the goonverse — a strange online world where hundreds of thousands of people spend hours chasing a “goon state,” a trance-like…
Lost DebateHow to Think About 2026
In this episode of The Lost Debate, Ravi steps back from the noise to map the forces that will shape 2026—from AI disruption and China’s industrial surge to…
Lost DebateThe Market Is Speaking — Are You Listening?
Ravi sits down with Lawrence McDonald to reveal why the classic “just buy the index” advice may now be one of the biggest risks in the market. They break down…
Lost DebateThe Age of Extraction
Ravi sits down with Tim Wu, author of The Age of Extraction, to unpack how America’s biggest tech empires rose—and why they might be due for a breakup. From…
Lost DebateShrinking US Pop, SC on Tariffs, Low Expectations
Ravi and Idrees Kahloon start with the current Supreme Court showdown: can a president raise tariffs alone, or does Congress have to sign off? They unpack why…
Lost DebateThings Are Really Bad
Ravi welcomes back Tangle News founder Isaac Saul to discuss his viral essay, “Things Are Really Bad Right Now,” and why he believes recent actions should…
Lost DebateEverything I Know About Health & Fitness
Ravi Gupta shares the health and fitness lessons he’s learned from running Squadra, his training program for professionals. He emphasizes simplicity and breaks…
Lost DebateWhy I’ve Changed How I Invest
Ravi Gupta asks: What if the greatest risk in markets today isn’t missing out on AI—but believing it can never crash? In this solo deep dive, he unpacks why…
Lost DebateWhy AI Kisses Your Ass
Ravi Gupta sits down with The Atlantic’s Matteo Wong to dig into why AI chatbots act like digital yes-men—and the risks that come with it. They explore how…
Lost DebateWhy America’s Kids Are Anxious
Ravi Gupta welcomes back Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids and president of Let Grow, to explore how fear-driven parenting and digital distraction are…
Lost DebateA War on the First Amendment
Ravi dissects the assassination of Charlie Kirk and what it reveals about America’s escalating era of political violence. He examines the FBI’s failures, the…
Lost DebateIs AI Overhyped? With Cal Newport
Ravi sits down with bestselling author Cal Newport to unpack the hype and reality of artificial intelligence. They explore how AI may actually be hurting…