Podcast · 89 episodes
Deep Questions with Cal Newport, page 3
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.
All episodes, page 3
Ep. 396: Can I Learn To Love My Phone Again?Cal Newport argues that people can rebuild a healthier relationship with smartphones by “putting your phone into 2007 mode,” simplifying the interface and reducing attention-engineered addiction.16 Mar 2026 · 56 min · 20 chapters
AI Reality Check: Is the Economy About to Collapse?The episode critiques “AI economic apocalypse” reporting that claims AI will soon cause mass unemployment and even economic collapse, arguing that many claims rely on fear-driven “vibe reporting,”…12 Mar 2026 · 34 min · 8 chapters
Ep. 395: Should I Try a “Social Media Pause”?The episode discusses “social media pause” as an experiment to learn how social media affects attention, meaning, and work—distinguishing it from “detoxing.” It recounts The Minimalists’ near-year…9 Mar 2026 · 1 h 29 min · 30 chapters
AI Reality Check: Did the LLM Job Apocalypse Begin Last Week?Reality-checking AI hype around jobs and programming. Episode argues Block’s “AI caused 40% layoffs” narrative is likely overstated; tests LLMs against a real Cornell freshman CS course; and reports…5 Mar 2026 · 30 min · 10 chapters
Ep. 394: Do I Need a Better Planning System?How to build a sustainable planning system to prevent digital distraction and overwhelm.2 Mar 2026 · 1 h 37 min · 37 chapters
Ep. 393: Can Movies Save Us From Our Phones?Attention and “cognitive patience” in the smartphone era; can relearning to watch movies help reclaim depth. The episode also critiques a viral AI essay claiming rapid, general AI acceleration.23 Feb 2026 · 1 h 11 min · 26 chapters
Ep. 392: Are “Micro-Streamers” the Future of Media? + Why Cal Spent $60 on a Task AppCal Newport argues that “micro-streamers” (independent subscription video apps) can compete with legacy platforms by matching their production values, offering content that’s better than free…16 Feb 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 21 chapters
Ep. 391: Is AI Reporting Broken? + Rethinking Morning RoutinesCal Newport argues that AI news is often “broken” in how it’s reported, then offers a framework for building morning routines that help people avoid getting sucked into technology.9 Feb 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 21 chapters
Ep. 390: What Happens When You Ditch Your Smartphone? + Assessing the Internet’s Latest Self-Help SensationPhone-free living and how to get its benefits without going fully smartphone-free; then a critique of Dan Coe’s viral self-help essay; plus a brief Q&A on ICE immigration raids in Minnesota.2 Feb 2026 · 1 h 13 min · 26 chapters
Ep. 389: Is the Internet Hijacking Ambition? + Escaping Messaging HellThe episode asks whether the internet is hijacking ambition by turning the drive for “excellence” into pseudo-excellence—attention-grabbing routines, metrics, and performative “hustle” that don’t…26 Jan 2026 · 1 h 50 min · 45 chapters
Ep. 388: What’s Worrying Jon Haidt Now? + Should You Buy a Landline? (Cal just did…)Cal Newport discusses what Jonathan Haidt (author of The Anxious Generation) worries about next, arguing that today’s “new” tech is following the same engagement-at-all-costs pattern that Haidt says…19 Jan 2026 · 1 h 26 min · 26 chapters
Ep 387: Can Substack Save Journalism? + Viral Advice for Ignoring Your PhoneWhether paid Substack-style email newsletters can replace or scale like traditional newspaper journalism, using Paul Krugman’s Substack as a case study; plus “viral advice” on ignoring your phone.12 Jan 2026 · 1 h 27 min · 28 chapters
Ep 386: Was 2025 a Great or Terrible Year for AI? (w/ Ed Zitron)A month-by-month review of major AI headlines from 2025 to judge whether the year was “great” or “terrible,” focusing on what was real vs hype (DeepSeek, OpenAI’s model trajectory, NVIDIA’s…5 Jan 2026 · 2 h 23 min · 29 chapters
Ep 385: Single-Purpose Notebooks (REPLAY)Single-purpose notebooks for creative exploration—using one small notebook dedicated to a single idea/problem to capture and develop insights with less friction and stronger cognitive focus.29 Dec 2025 · 1 h 11 min · 22 chapters
Ep 384: What Should I Read for a Deeper New Year?Cal Newport’s holiday “listener takeover” episode on what to read to make the new year “deeper,” using six non-self-help books plus listener calls about screens and building a deep life.22 Dec 2025 · 1 h 19 min · 32 chapters
Ep 383: Why Is Everyone Talking About “Against the Machine”? (w/ Tyler Austin Harper)Why Paul Kingsnorth’s Against the Machine became a mainstream sensation, and what its “machine civilization” critique implies about limits, meaning, and technology (especially AI).15 Dec 2025 · 1 h 37 min · 34 chapters
Ep. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television?Whether internet media is converging on “television” as a continuous, algorithm-driven flow of video (Thompson’s “Everything is Television”), and what that means for attention, literacy, and…8 Dec 2025 · 1 h 15 min · 29 chapters
Ep. Ep 381: Life Advice from Legendary WritersHow to build a meaningful, less distracted life using “legendary writers’” craft principles, translated into five actionable habits.1 Dec 2025 · 1 h 40 min · 40 chapters
Ep. 380: ChatGPT is Not Alive!The episode argues that common AI fears and claims about language models being “alive,” conscious, or uncontrollably manipulative are based on misunderstandings.24 Nov 2025 · 1 h 21 min · 25 chapters
Ep. 379: The Flexibility MythThe “flexibility myth” argues that women’s disproportionate exit from jobs after return-to-office policies is driven less by loss of remote flexibility and more by increased workplace…17 Nov 2025 · 1 h 57 min · 37 chapters
Ep. 378: The Lost Art of Long ThinkingCal Newport argues that modern tech is eroding “long thinking”—the sustained, intentional mental work of recombining ideas to create substantial new insights.10 Nov 2025 · 1 h 31 min · 29 chapters
Ep. 377: The Case Against SuperintelligenceCal Newport’s response to Eliezer Yudkowsky’s “case against superintelligence,” arguing that fears of AI extinction are overstated.3 Nov 2025 · 1 h 33 min · 36 chapters
Ep. 376: The Lincoln ProtocolCal Newport argues that Abraham Lincoln’s rise shows how to escape “digital culture” traps—distraction, danger, and darkness—by adopting a “Lincoln Protocol” centered on purposive reading and…27 Oct 2025 · 1 h 26 min · 26 chapters
Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?OpenAI’s Sora (Sora 2 video generation accessed via a TikTok-like app) and whether AI “slop” video creation will displace existing social media platforms.20 Oct 2025 · 1 h 38 min · 23 chapters