Interesting Times
by New York Times Opinion
Latest episode
Why Are We Having Less Sex? Ask a Pornographer.
Why Are We Having Less Sex? Ask a Pornographer.
About this podcast
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
The newest 50 of 88 episodes
- Why Are We Having Less Sex? Ask a Pornographer. · 50 minPornography 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 adult filmmaker…
- ‘A Golden Age of Science’ Brought to You by the White House · 46 minThe Trump administration wants to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence for scientific discovery. But can its plan succeed without prioritizing universities? Guest host…
- What the Frontier Labs Know That We Don’t · 50 minDwarkesh Patel is one of the most important voices in the artificial intelligence world. Deeply embedded in San Francisco’s tech community, he has interviewed nearly every tech…
- That Daily Brain Rot Break Is Taking Us Back to the Dark Ages · 49 minLiteracy 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…
- We Are Clueless About What’s Coming · 51 minNick 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…
- How Worried Should We Be About the Midterm Elections? · 45 minMany 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…
- Trump Is Getting Even Richer. Is That a Crime? · 43 minPresident Trump made more than $2 billion last year — far exceeding his presidential salary of $400,000. His growing fortunes are raising questions about his allegiance to…
- Ross Douthat and Ezra Klein on the Art of Persuasion · 1 h 13 min“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 17 years as a…
- Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It? · 1 h 4 minFor my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how seemingly radical ideas…
- Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men · 43 minWhat 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 meaning — and often…
- How Older Americans Hoard the Future · 53 minAmerican leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their…
- Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy · 1 h 3 minIs President Trump’s grand strategy unraveling? The United States is at war with Iran, China is ascendant, Russia and Ukraine are stalemated and American allies are openly…
- A Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’ · 58 minDemocratic socialists are having a moment. But can they actually remake the Democratic Party — and the American economy — in their image? My guest today, Bhaskar Sunkara, is…
- ‘ I'm Worried About Weimar America’ · 1 h 2 minThe 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 our humanity for…
- The Unifying Speech We Won’t Get This Independence Day · 7 minMy 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 get a little…
- Is it Time for a New Sexual Revolution? · 55 minThe 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 misogynistic…
- JD Vance on the Morality of the Trump Administration · 1 h 0 min“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 around his neck…
- Better Sex, Better Hair, Better Sleep: ‘Humanmaxxing’ Is Here · 1 h 11 minWe can enhance athletic performance, lose weight with a pill and even take psychedelics to alter consciousness. At what point does all this self-optimization become…
- Anna Paulina Luna Wants Everything Disclosed · 1 h 21 minIn 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 secrets and protecting…
- Our Military Is Built for the Wrong Century · 60 minThe 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 battlefield. Is the U.S…
- A Defense of a Liberal Arts Education in the Age of A.I. · 1 h 3 minWhat’s really driving the humanities crisis in higher education? As enrollment and reading decline, I asked Jennifer Frey, a professor of philosophy, what it was like to run a…
- China's Not the Problem. We Are. · 53 minThe 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 meet in Beijing…
- A Legendary Investor on How to Prevent America’s Coming ‘Heart Attack’ · 51 minA 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 week, Ray Dalio, is an…
- Why Are We Still Driving? · 57 minSelf-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, who writes about…
- A Bitcoin Evangelist Tries to Convert Me · 1 h 5 minOne question has haunted my investment strategy for years: What is cryptocurrency actually for? It feels as though the vibes are constantly shifting — one day it’s the dollar’s…
- Trump Is the End of a 100-Year Experiment · 60 minPresident 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 in Iran. But so…
- How Ben Sasse Is Living Now That He Is Dying · 1 h 7 minHow 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 after receiving a…
- Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? A Debate. · 1 h 24 minEven 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, calls himself a…
- How Far Will Trump Go in Iran? · 51 minIs 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 Hormuz is…
- White Identity Is Galvanizing the Right · 1 h 2 minThe 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 guest this week…
- The Democrats Could Still Screw This Up · 1 h 6 minCan 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 opportunity. But I wanted…
- Does the Iran War Put America First? · 59 minI 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 executive director of The…
- The New Space Race · 57 minWe’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 billionaire leading…
- Welcome to the Indian Century · 45 minThe 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 population, and on…
- Anthropic's Chief on A.I.: ‘We Don’t Know if the Models Are Conscious’ · 1 h 2 minA.I. is evolving fast, and humanity is falling behind. Dario Amodei, the chief executive of Anthropic, has warned about the potential benefits — and real dangers — linked to the…
- Why Ending Roe Wasn’t Enough for the Pro-Life Movement · 1 h 1 minNearly 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 Rose. We spoke last…
- ‘Trump Has Lost the Country’ · 4 minI 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 evaporated, and his…
- A Plan to Restore Trust in Science From a ‘Fringe Epidemiologist’ · 1 h 4 minIf 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 with certainty…
- Jamelle Bouie and I Debate Trump’s Failing Grade · 40 minPresident Trump’s aggressive return to the White House has been disruptive in ways that will continue to reshape American — and global — governance and politics for decades. At a…
- No, Young Men Are Not Returning to Church · 1 h 0 minSomething surprising is happening to religious belief in America: It’s no longer trending downward. Are Americans becoming more religious? On this episode of “Interesting Times,”…
- Minneapolis Feels ‘Like Being in a Civil War’ · 47 minCan cellphone cameras and whistles impede President Trump’s immigration policy? On this week’s episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross speaks with Francisco Segovia, the executive…
- A Defense of U.S. Intervention in Venezuela · 54 minWhat 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 regime change. But, he…
- ‘Making Sense With Sam Harris’ and Ross Douthat · 1 h 47 minThis 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 politics. But they…
- ‘A Hard Time We Had of It’ · 4 minMerry 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, to reflect on a…
- Will It Ever Be Cool to Be Conservative? · 1 h 7 minEdgelords, Groypers, Sydney Sweeney’s jeans. American pop culture is having a right-wing moment. Ross recently joined the “Popcast” hosts Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli to…
- Is Anything Holding MAGA Together? · 1 h 9 minAfter Charlie Kirk’s assassination, conspiracy theories and divisions multiplied on the right. On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross talks to Andrew Kolvet, a Turning…
- The Shifting Politics of Transgender Rights · 1 h 17 minThe 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 in public opinion…
- He Has a Plan for the Left. It Might Involve Overthrowing the Constitution. · 57 minHappy 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 help guide you. In…
- It’s Deeper Than Nick Fuentes · 58 minIs antisemitism the next chapter of “America First”? Many see the appeal of antisemitic ideas among younger conservatives as a natural consequence of a hard right nationalist…
- ‘This Is the War Against Human Nature’ · 50 min“There’s something very spiritually dark about the internet,” the author Paul Kingsnorth tells Ross Douthat in this week’s episode of “Interesting Times.” Kingsnorth warns…
