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The Gray Area with Sean Illing
The Gray Area with Sean Illing
Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing takes a philosophy-minded look at culture, technology, politics, and the world of ideas. Each week, we invite a... more

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Episodes

Well this is awkward

Philosopher Alexandra Plakias says there are no awkward people, only awkward situations. In her book, Awkwardness: A Theory, Plakias explains the... more

11 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 1 minute
What just happened, and what comes next

This has been an unusual week. Sean and the TGA team are still sifting through it all and figuring out... more

08 Nov 2024 · 54 minutes
Does being "woke" do any good?

What does it mean to be "woke"? It's become a catchall term to smear or dismiss anything that has any... more

04 Nov 2024 · 56 minutes
Is America collapsing like Ancient Rome?

What can ancient Rome teach us about American democracy? The Roman Republic fell for a lot of reasons: The state became... more

28 Oct 2024 · 49 minutes
The world according to Werner Herzog

Sean Illing speaks with one of his heroes: Werner Herzog. Herzog is a filmmaker, poet, and author of the memoir Every... more

21 Oct 2024 · 1 hour,
Ta-Nehisi Coates on complexity, clarity, and truth.

How important is complexity? At The Gray Area, we value understanding the details. We revel in complexity. But does our desire... more

14 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
Your mind needs chaos

In part three of our series on creativity, guest host Oshan Jarow speaks with philosopher of neuroscience Mark Miller about how our minds actually... more

09 Oct 2024 · 51 minutes
Musician Laraaji on the origin of creativity

Sean revisits his interview with musician Laraaji, a pioneer of new age music who has recorded more than 50 albums since... more

08 Oct 2024 · 47 minutes
Is AI creative?

What is the relationship between creativity and artificial intelligence? Creativity feels innately human, but is it? Can a machine be... more

07 Oct 2024 · 41 minutes
Happiness isn’t the goal

Children live with a beginner’s mind. Every day is full of new discoveries, powerful emotions, and often unrealistically positive assumptions... more

30 Sep 2024 · 53 minutes
The Gray Area with Sean Illing
Well this is awkward
The Gray Area with Sean Illing