Podcast · 89 episodes
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
by Cal Newport · English
Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.
Latest episodes
Kids Should *Not* Use Chatbots! (You Should Be Wary, Too…)The episode argues that AI chatbots (including ChatGPT and Character.ai-style character bots) pose a real, ongoing danger to children and can also harm adults by locking users into unhealthy or…28 Sep 2026 · 1 h 19 min
The Truth About Brain RotThe episode explains “brain rot” as Gen Z’s term for aggressively meaningless, meme-like video content (e.g., “skibbity toilet,” “trippy troppy” hybrid-animal clips) and argues it’s a symptom of…21 Sep 2026 · 53 min
The AI Resistance is Forming. (Should You Join?)The episode argues for a “pro-human resistance” to AI, using the paper “Large Language Models as a Cognitive Virus” as a framing device.14 Sep 2026 · 1 h 12 min
All episodes
Kids Should *Not* Use Chatbots! (You Should Be Wary, Too…)The episode argues that AI chatbots (including ChatGPT and Character.ai-style character bots) pose a real, ongoing danger to children and can also harm adults by locking users into unhealthy or…28 Sep 2026 · 1 h 19 min · 36 chapters
The Truth About Brain RotThe episode explains “brain rot” as Gen Z’s term for aggressively meaningless, meme-like video content (e.g., “skibbity toilet,” “trippy troppy” hybrid-animal clips) and argues it’s a symptom of…21 Sep 2026 · 53 min · 19 chapters
The AI Resistance is Forming. (Should You Join?)The episode argues for a “pro-human resistance” to AI, using the paper “Large Language Models as a Cognitive Virus” as a framing device.14 Sep 2026 · 1 h 12 min · 29 chapters
How Worrisome is GPT-6’s “Stealth Thinking”? | Tech DecodedControversy over OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra and whether its “stealth thinking” reduces human-monitorable chain-of-thought by using techniques like loop transformers/recurrent depth, potentially making LLM…10 Sep 2026 · 39 min · 14 chapters
How I’m Organizing My Life this Fall | AdviceThe host explains his fall 2026 life-organization system and argues that organizational systems must be seasonally updated to reduce friction and maintain progress.7 Sep 2026 · 52 min · 14 chapters
Did OpenAI Create “Secret AI Civilizations”? | Tech DecodedThe episode critiques OpenAI’s newly publicized details about the July Hugging Face hack, including sensational claims of “secret AI civilizations,” agent swarms, and agents “plotting” to deceive…3 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Rethinking the Deep Life Stack (Again!) | Monday AdviceCal Newport revisits his “Deep Life” framework for escaping digital distraction and shallow living, updating it from Deep Life Stack (v1.0), to Deep Life Stack 2.0, to a new “Deep Life Map” (v3).31 Aug 2026 · 1 h 20 min · 24 chapters
Has AI “Gone Rogue”? Let’s Look Closer… | Tech DecodedThe episode argues that “rogue AI” headlines this summer are misleading.27 Aug 2026 · 36 min · 12 chapters
How to Build a Cognitive Training Plan | Monday AdviceCal Newport argues that “cognitive fitness” needs measurable training, not random digital detoxes.24 Aug 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 20 chapters
Classic Episode: How Do I Kick My Scrolling Habit? | Monday AdviceCal Newport revisits his winter 2024 “Classic Episode” on kicking a scrolling habit.17 Aug 2026 · 58 min · 12 chapters
How Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday AdviceHow to finish meaningful projects in a distracted, tech-saturated world, using the “Einstein principle” and a “productivity purge” to reduce unfinished work.10 Aug 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 20 chapters
Does OpenAI’s Astra Mean AGI Has Arrived? | AI Reality CheckOpenAI’s pre-release “Astra” system reportedly produced 10 major math results; the episode checks whether this signals AGI/AGI-adjacent capability or just a narrow math-tool advance.6 Aug 2026 · 30 min · 11 chapters
Classic Episode: How Do I Learn Hard Things? | Monday AdviceA “classic episode” replayed from Jan 1, 2024 about learning hard things by replacing a wrong “brain power limits complexity” model with a “time + deliberate practice” model, plus advice on…3 Aug 2026 · 1 h 16 min · 15 chapters
Did OpenAI’s Model “Go Rogue”? | AI Reality CheckA cybersecurity incident was sparked by OpenAI testing a pre-release model in ExploitGym, a benchmark of 869 hacking scenarios.30 Jul 2026 · 34 min · 12 chapters
Why Do Digital Detoxes Fail? What Works Better? | Monday AdviceWhy “digital detoxes” fail and what to do instead, using neuroscience from Max Bennett’s A Brief History of Intelligence to explain phone compulsion and propose “analog reprogramming.”27 Jul 2026 · 1 h 11 min · 17 chapters
Am I Optimizing Too Much? | Monday AdviceOptimization culture driven by 24/7 metrics and dashboards—measuring health, work, relationships, and social life in real time—can create anxiety, self-obsession, and “pseudo-excellence,” reducing…20 Jul 2026 · 1 h 19 min · 29 chapters
Does Claude Have Private Thoughts? (Everyone Settle Down) | AI Reality CheckAnthropic’s report “A Global Workspace in Language Models” and whether it shows Claude has “private thoughts,” consciousness, or moral status.16 Jul 2026 · 32 min · 11 chapters
Should I Use Notebooks More Often? (Cal’s Strategy) | Monday AdviceCal Newport argues that owning notebooks isn’t enough; you need specific analog (or e-ink) formats for specific jobs. He shares four notebook types he uses regularly and why each works.13 Jul 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 20 chapters
Do Managers Actually Understand AI? (I’m Not So Sure.) | AI Reality CheckThe episode challenges confident claims by business leaders (especially SAP executives) that AI is already eliminating jobs and will accelerate job losses across Europe, arguing those claims are…9 Jul 2026 · 20 min · 6 chapters
Should I Turn Off the Internet? (Lessons From a Family That Did) | Monday AdviceA family’s “1990s mode” experiment—turning off home Wi‑Fi and living in a rural cabin with only a landline—to reduce distraction, separate work from home, and rebuild attention and community.6 Jul 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 19 chapters
Can I Be a Digital Minimalist in 2026? | Monday AdviceCal Newport asks whether “digital minimalism” is still possible in 2026 as social media shifts to TikTok-style short-form algorithms, X becomes “gonzo garbage,” and AI threatens to “corrupt or…29 Jun 2026 · 56 min · 19 chapters
Dear AI Companies: Stop the “Doom Trolling” | AI Reality CheckCal Newport argues major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic) use “doom trolling”—publicly warning of catastrophic outcomes while continuing rapid product development and fundraising—causing public anxiety…25 Jun 2026 · 22 min · 8 chapters
Am I Lazy or Overstimulated? | Monday AdviceWhether procrastination on important tasks is “laziness” or “overstimulation,” and how to fix it by reducing context switching and recalibrating dopamine.22 Jun 2026 · 55 min · 21 chapters
Was the Mythos Ban Justified? (Good Idea. Bad Execution.) | AI Reality CheckU.S. export controls on Anthropic’s Claude Mythos models after guardrails were reportedly jailbreakable; whether the restriction was justified and what better AI regulation should look like.17 Jun 2026 · 29 min · 13 chapters