- Podcasts
- News Commentary
- Plain English with Derek Thompson
32 episodes
Plain English with Derek Thompson, page 2
by The Ringer · English
Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Watch Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at [email protected]! Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson
Ask in Claude
Ask in ChatGPTAll episodes, page 2
Why America Is Switching From Booze to Weed
America’s shift from daily alcohol and cigarettes toward daily cannabis, and what legalization has changed about cannabis products, use patterns, and risks.
5 Aug 2026 · 1h 10m · 19 chapters"The End of Reading Is Here"
Decline of reading and reading-comprehension in the US, and how it contributes to weaker deep thinking, changed education policy, and a “post-literate” political culture shaped by video/social media…
28 Jul 2026 · 54m · 19 chaptersWhat Translator Emily Wilson Thinks of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey'
Emily Wilson, classicist and translator, discusses Homer’s Odyssey, the impossibility of perfect translation (especially for metrical poetry), and how translation choices shape meaning.
22 Jul 2026 · 59m · 18 chaptersWhy 'The Odyssey' Is the West’s Greatest Story
A “plain English” history and literary analysis of Homer’s Odyssey, using Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey as a hook.
17 Jul 2026 · 1h 4m · 15 chaptersA Philosopher’s One-Word Theory for Why the World Feels So Weird
Agnes Callard’s “Unicontext” theory explains why modern life feels divided and persistently negative.
14 Jul 2026 · 58m · 16 chaptersHow Israel Is Transforming American Politics
How Gaza and Israel have become a defining litmus test in Democratic primaries, reshaping the left’s identity and coinciding with rising anti-Semitism.
7 Jul 2026 · 1h 5m · 16 chaptersMEGAPOD: The Most Overrated American Who Ever Lived
A “Megapod” roundtable for America’s 250th birthday where three eminent historians pick one choice each in four categories: most underrated American president, most overrated American (not just…
3 Jul 2026 · 1h 10m · 23 chaptersA Surprising Theory About the Future of War
The episode argues that drones are reshaping war by enabling cheaper, more precise strikes and creating “more confrontation, less escalation,” especially in crisis periods below full war.
30 Jun 2026 · 56m · 12 chapters