Reasonably Optimistic
by The Washington Post
Latest episode
How AI went from fringe idea to unstoppable force
How AI went from fringe idea to unstoppable force
About this podcast
Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 192 episodes
- How AI went from fringe idea to unstoppable force · 56 minArtificial intelligence can feel as though it arrived overnight. But today’s AI boom grew out of a vision championed by a small group of researchers who believed machines could…
- What a reality show taught this author about modern masculinity · 50 minWhen journalist Jon Ronson’s son arrived at a Connecticut castle expecting a party, the owner told him and his friends that they had actually been invited to appear on a reality…
- Netflix’s next act may look a lot like old TV · 27 minThe streaming revolution promised viewers an endless library of movies and shows for less than cable. Netflix led that charge, becoming the era's dominant streaming service. That…
- How the DSA is reshaping the Democratic Party · 48 minThe Democratic Socialists of America was once on the fringes of American politics. Now, DSA candidates are winning primaries, challenging establishment Democrats and pushing the…
- What prediction markets can tell us that polls can’t · 28 minOn platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, users can bet on elections, interest-rate cuts, corporate earnings and almost any question with an answer that will eventually be…
- The fight for fed-up voters in the 2026 midterms · 39 minThe polls suggest a strong Democratic showing in the 2026 midterms. They also reveal an electorate angry about the cost of living, political corruption and a system many believe…
- The overlooked businesses making Americans rich · 47 minThe American Dream can feel farther away than ever. Housing is expensive, good jobs seem harder to find and the people getting rich seem to be concentrated in a handful of big…
- How America can recover from Trump-era politics · 41 minThere’s a lot to complain about in the American political system: Congress lurches from deadline to deadline, presidents claim more and more power and each side of the aisle…
- The job interview advice Gen Z needs to hear · 27 minA viral debate over bringing iced coffee to a job interview may seem trivial. But it points to a bigger divide over what employers are looking for when college degrees, cover…
- Is AI taking Gen Z’s jobs? It’s not that simple. · 51 minArtificial intelligence feels different from previous technological innovations because it can write, reason, analyze and generate ideas. In other words, it can do at least some…
- The $1 million prize for academics who tell unwelcome truths · 1 h 5 minWhat do you do when your research leads to a conclusion that challenges conventional wisdom? You can publish it and risk the backlash — or quietly bury the findings and move on…
- How conservatism went from Reagan to Trump · 36 minIn the decades following World War II, the American right coalesced around fusionism — the idea that individual liberty and limited government could coexist with religious faith…
- Why everyone seems to hate Flock cameras · 45 minNo one likes the idea of being surveilled. That concern is fueling a nationwide backlash against Flock cameras, the automated license plate readers police use to find stolen…
- What AI experts fear most · 49 minArtificial intelligence is advancing faster than many expected. So much so that some of the experts who understand it best are sounding the alarm. Are their warnings exaggerated…
- This medieval revolt has a warning for today · 31 minMore than six centuries ago, the Black Death wiped out nearly half of England’s population. Suddenly, workers had more power, wealthy landowners had less, and the old social…
- The strange truth behind our obsession with UFOs and aliens · 50 minIt doesn’t take much to ignite a new wave of alien conspiracy theories on social media. But beyond the internet speculation lies a serious scientific question: If billions of…
- My mother’s secret changed how I think about abortion · 33 minShortly before her mother died, Megan McArdle learned a family secret. Decades earlier, her mother had given birth to a son and placed him for adoption. Megan’s attempt to find…
- The myths fueling America’s AI data center backlash · 55 minAI data centers have become America’s newest political villain — accused of draining local water supplies, overheating communities and sending electricity bills soaring. But some…
- Football is back. A new CTE study asks what it costs. · 16 minFootball season is back, bringing millions of Americans together around one of the country’s most beloved sports. But new research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE…
- The hidden forces behind America’s baby bust · 57 minWhy are Americans having fewer children, even though many say they want larger families? Host Megan McArdle talks with author Tim Carney about how professional ambition, personal…
