Every generation thinks they’re living through the strangest times, but is our generation right? Sean Illing speaks with writer and... more

How worried should we be about AI? Sean Illing is joined by Stuart J. Russell, a professor at the University... more

Why is democracy worth saving? Sean Illing is joined by Astra Taylor, the author of the new book The Age... more

What will American politics look like after Trump? Sean Illing is joined by Sohrab Ahmari to discuss his new book,... more

Why don’t we spend more time imagining a better future? Sean Illing is joined by Kristen R. Ghodsee, the author... more

In this episode, which was originally published in August 2022, Sean Illing talks with Corey Robin, author of a 2019... more

What does masculinity mean these days? Sean Illing speaks with Christine Emba, a columnist at The Washington Post who wrote... more

What does it mean to be “authentic” in the digital age? Sean Illing speaks with Tara Isabella Burton about her... more

In the ‘80s and ‘90s, MDMA (also known as molly or ecstasy) was dismissed as a club drug and became... more

There are many ways people are trying to know themselves these days – from taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test... more

Does being a parent today necessarily mean also being a climate activist? Sean Illing speaks with moral philosopher and political... more

When we find ourselves in a dark place, what if we didn't "lighten things up"? Sean Illing talks with philosopher... more

Sean Illing talks with Carrie Jenkins about her new book Sad Love, and her call to rethink the shape and... more

Sean Illing talks with evolutionary anthropologist David Samson, whose new book Our Tribal Future delves into how tribalism has shaped... more

What do we do when an artist we love does something monstrous? Constance Grady, a culture writer at Vox, talks... more

Sean Illing talks with Clancy Martin, professor of philosophy at University of Missouri Kansas City, about his powerful new book... more

What is the future of the racial justice movement in America? Sean Illing talks with Cedric Johnson, professor and author... more

Have clicks, likes, and shares driven media and democracy to the point of disrepair? Sean Illing is joined by Ben... more

Sean Illing speaks with history professor Robert Zaretsky about Simone Weil, a 20th-century French writer and activist who dedicated her... more

Can we live a good life in a world where animals are factory farmed? Guest host Dylan Matthews talks with... more

Are we responsible for keeping poor people poor? Sean Illing is joined by Matt Desmond, a sociology professor at Princeton... more

The pandemic caused many to rethink our relationship to work. But how did that relationship develop in the first place?... more

What do we know — and what don't we know — about how the human mind works? Sean Illing talks... more

There are many debates within the American left, but the fundamental dispute is over the viability of the current system.... more

Will AI change what it means to be human? Sean Illing talks with essayist Meghan O'Gieblyn, author of God, Human,... more

Why don't more philosophers take psychedelic drugs seriously as a means of examining reality? Sean Illing talks with Justin Smith-Ruiu,... more

What happens when you apply the Socratic method to personal relationships? Philosopher Agnes Callard joins Sean Illing to discuss how... more

Could our brains make us less lonely? Sean Illing talks with psychiatrist and author Julie Holland, whose new book Good... more

Sean Illing is joined by reporter Jeff Sharlet, whose new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War takes... more

Most of us don’t know how to truly listen, and it’s causing all sorts of problems. Sean Illing is joined... more

Sean Illing is joined by Anand Giridharadas, author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts,... more

Rep. Katie Porter became well-known for using a whiteboard and asking tough questions during Congressional hearings. Her frank questions resonated... more

Guest host Alissa Wilkinson talks with Dorothy Fortenberry, a co-showrunner, executive producer, and writer on Extrapolations, the new star-studded anthology... more

What would drive someone to renounce all their possessions, relationships, and ambitions to join a religious community? Sean talks with... more

Guest host Sigal Samuel talks with professor of philosophy and law Nita Farahany about her new book The Battle for... more

Will the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox News be a watershed moment? Is the media industry beyond repair? Sean... more

Sean Illing speaks with Matthew Jones, historian of science and technology, and co-author (with data scientist Chris Wiggins) of the... more

Is our society's fixation with success hindering our ability to find humility? Sean Illing speaks with Costica Bradatan about his... more

Sean Illing speaks with poet and historian Jennifer Michael Hecht, whose new book The Wonder Paradox asks: if we don't... more

In America, there's been an increase of available jobs, and there's also been a series of high-profile layoffs, strikes, and... more

The giant panda is no longer endangered. This, of course, is good news. But the model of conservation that worked... more

Sean Illing speaks with marriage and family therapist Vienna Pharaon, whose new book The Origins of You aims to help... more

Guest host Alissa Wilkinson talks with Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman about her new book, The Black Guy Dies First:... more

Sean Illing talks with political science professor Matt McManus about the political thought of Friedrich Nietzsche, the 19th-century German philosopher... more

Sean Illing speaks with Malcolm Harris, a journalist, critic, and author of the new book Palo Alto: A History of... more

Guest host Rebecca Jennings talks with Justin Charity, cultural critic and senior staff writer at The Ringer, about what it... more

Sean Illing speaks with Rosa Brooks, a former reserve police officer and current law professor at Georgetown University. Brooks wrote... more

Guest host Fabiola Cineas talks with author, lawyer, and organizer Derecka Purnell about her recent book Becoming Abolitionists. They discuss... more

Sean Illing speaks with Alana Newhouse, the editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine. They discuss her recent essay on "brokenism," a term... more

Sean Illing talks with Noah Hawley, the creator and showrunner of the anthology drama Fargo on FX, as well as... more

Sean Illing talks with Glory Liu, the author of Adam Smith’s America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of... more

Guest host Sigal Samuel talks with Holden Karnofsky about effective altruism, a movement flung into public scrutiny with the collapse... more

Sean Illing talks with writer and reporter Jerusalem Demsas about the causes of homelessness in America. They discuss our ideas... more

Sean Illing talks with author Thomas Chatterton Williams about race and identity in America. Thomas has analyzed racial identity through... more

Sean Illing talks with Timnit Gebru, the founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute. She studies the ethics of artificial... more

Guest host Sigal Samuel talks with philosopher and author Martha Nussbaum about her new book, Justice for Animals. Martha discusses... more

Sean Illing talks with Cornel West about the American philosophical tradition known as pragmatism. They talk about what makes pragmatism... more

Sean Illing talks with Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan about his new book The Paradox of Democracy, which he... more

Guest host Alissa Wilkinson talks with Katelyn Beaty, author of the new book Celebrities for Jesus, about how the dynamics... more

Sean Illing talks with author, researcher, and Brookings Institution senior fellow Richard V. Reeves about his new book Of Boys... more

Sean Illing talks with Michael Sacasas, an author and teacher exploring the relationship between technology and society in his newsletter,... more

Sean Illing talks with James Fallows, veteran reporter and editor at The Atlantic, about the state of political journalism in... more

Sean Illing talks with technology writer and philosopher Ian Bogost about the state of social media — especially in the... more

Sean Illing talks with Dr. Gabor Maté, a physician, speaker, and bestselling author who has written on subjects like addiction,... more

Sean Illing talks with economic historian Brad DeLong about his new book Slouching Towards Utopia. In it, DeLong claims that... more

Sean Illing talks with neuroscientist Gregory Berns, author of The Self Delusion. Berns claims that the idea of a unified,... more

Sean Illing talks with veteran political strategist James Carville about the U.S. midterm elections — and the surprising success for... more

Sean Illing talks with technologist, media theorist, and author Douglas Rushkoff, whose new book Survival of the Richest explains how... more

Sean Illing talks with Nicole Hemmer, history professor and author of the new book Partisans. In it, she gives a... more

Sean Illing talks with Yuval Noah Harari, historian and bestselling author, about how humanity came to be the dominant species... more

Sean Illing talks with reporter Katie Engelhart, whose book The Inevitable is an up-close look at physician-assisted dying. This is... more

Sean Illing talks with Jonathan Lear, a psychoanalyst and philosopher, about his new book Imagining the End: Mourning and Ethical... more

Sean Illing talks with historian and author Peniel Joseph about his new book The Third Reconstruction, which argues that the... more

Sean Illing talks with Reza Aslan, scholar of religions and author of multiple bestselling nonfiction works, to discuss the state... more

Sean Illing talks with war reporter and New Yorker contributing writer Luke Mogelson about his new book The Storm Is... more

On this first episode of The Gray Area, Sean Illing talks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who takes on many... more

Resist certainty, embrace ambiguity. The Gray Area is a philosophical take on culture, politics, and everything in between with host... more

In this episode originally recorded in July 2021, Vox's Zack Beauchamp talks with Columbia law professor Jamal Greene about his... more

Sean Illing talks with former Republican strategist Tim Miller about his new book Why We Did It, which offers an... more

Vox’s Marin Cogan talks with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg about her new book On Repentance And Repair, which is about how... more

Sean Illing talks with Carrie Jenkins about her new book Sad Love, and her call to rethink the shape and... more

Into It is a new podcast from Vulture and New York Magazine hosted by Sam Sanders. Each week, Sam and... more

Vox’s Emily St. James talks with the celebrated author and trans activist Julia Serano about her new book, Sexed Up.... more

Sean Illing talks with Nate Hilger, economist, data scientist, and author of the new book The Parent Trap: How to... more

What good are piecemeal reparations? From Georgetown University, where school leadership once sold enslaved people, to Evanston, Illinois, where redlining... more

Why slavery? Marxist scholar Adolph Reed argues that Jim Crow — not enslavement — is the defining experience for Black... more

Paying the price. One of the typical questions asked during conversations about reparations is how to pay for them. Fabiola... more

Fabiola Cineas talks with Nkechi Taifa, the founder and director of the Reparation Education Project, about the history of the... more

Sean Illing talks with Corey Robin, author of a recent article — as well as a 2019 book — about... more

Every Thursday in August, you'll hear Even Better on Vox Conversations, a special series focused on helping people live better... more

Sean Illing talks with Skye Cleary, philosopher and author of the new book How to Be Authentic. The book is... more

Every Thursday in August, you'll hear Even Better on Vox Conversations, a special series focused on helping people live better... more

Sean Illing talks with former Google data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, author of Don't Trust Your Gut. Seth argues that the... more

Every Thursday in August, you'll hear Even Better on Vox Conversations, a special series focused on helping people live better... more

Sean Illing talks with Stuart Jeffries, journalist and author of Everything, All the Time, Everywhere, about why postmodernism is so... more

Every Thursday in August, you'll hear Even Better on Vox Conversations, a special series focused on helping people live better... more

Sean Illing talks with Harvard Law professor Nikolas Bowie about the U.S. Supreme Court's recently-concluded term, which produced landmark opinions... more

Vox's Emily Stewart talks with Kathryn Judge, professor at Columbia Law School and author of the new book Direct: The... more

Sean Illing talks with Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan about his new book The Paradox of Democracy, which he... more

Vox's Benji Jones talks with marine biologist Hanna Koch about her team's efforts to repopulate the planet's coral reefs through... more

Sean Illing talks with professor Michael Slepian, author of The Secret Life of Secrets. This new book explores secret-keeping behavior... more

Vox's Alissa Wilkinson talks with Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel about Red Carpet, his new book detailing the myriad... more

Sean Illing talks with Jennifer Senior, the Pulitzer-winning staff writer at the Atlantic, about her recent piece on Steve Bannon... more

Vox's Constance Grady talks with writer Jonathan Lethem about his 2003 work The Fortress of Solitude in this recording from... more

Sean Illing talks with author Ryan Holiday about Stoicism — a philosophy with roots in ancient Greece and which flourished... more

Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos sits down with Patrick Somerville, the creator and showrunner of HBO's critically-acclaimed series Station Eleven, adapted from... more

Vox’s Anna North talks with Da'Shaun Harrison, the activist, author, and 2022 Lambda Literary Award recipient for their book Belly... more

Sean Illing talks with historian and author Timothy Snyder about the war in Ukraine, the stakes for Europe and the... more

Vox’s Emily St. James talks with Chase Strangio of the ACLU about the assault on the rights of trans Americans... more

Sean Illing talks with comedian and author Michael Ian Black about his book A Better Man, in which Black writes... more

Vox's Constance Grady talks with writer Carmen Maria Machado, whose 2017 short story collection Her Body and Other Parties was... more

Jamil Smith talks with Erin Thompson, professor of art crime and author of Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of... more

Sean Illing talks with Cornel West about the American philosophical tradition known as pragmatism. They talk about what makes pragmatism... more

Vox’s Marin Cogan talks with author and journalist Jessie Singer, whose book There Are No Accidents asks us to completely... more

Sean Illing talks with political scientist and author Francis Fukuyama, whose ideas about the "end of history" and the ideological... more

Vox's Fabiola Cineas talks with Anita Hill, whose testimony during the 1991 confirmation hearings for now-Justice Clarence Thomas highlighted the... more

Sean Illing talks with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, whose new book Elite Capture is about how the wealthy and powerful co-opt political... more

Vox’s Jamil Smith talks with journalist and author Eyal Press about "dirty work" — the jobs Americans do that, as... more

Sean Illing talks with author and Washington Post columnist Christine Emba about whether or not we need to rethink sex.... more

Vox's Benji Jones talks with Indigenous leader Kimaren ole Riamit about the role of Indigenous peoples in the conservation movement.... more

Sean Illing talks with professor Lyndsey Stonebridge about the philosopher Hannah Arendt, author of The Origins of Totalitarianism. Arendt might... more

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is one of the biggest and most confusing political events of our lifetimes. We aim to... more

Sean Illing talks with writer Michael Lewis about why it is that Americans are so good at producing knowledge, but... more

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is one of the biggest and most confusing political events of our lifetimes. We aim to... more

Sean Illing talks with writer Daniel Pink about his book The Power of Regret. They discuss why regret can be... more

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is one of the biggest and most confusing political events of our lifetimes. We aim to... more

Sean Illing talks with the author and self-described mystic David Spangler about parenting as a spiritual enterprise, where the parent... more

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is one of the biggest and most confusing political events of our lifetimes. We aim to... more

Sean Illing talks with author and professor Robert Zaretsky about the French philosopher, novelist, and journalist Albert Camus (1913–1960). Though... more

Vox’s Jamil Smith talks with Charlie Sykes — journalist, author, stalwart "never Trumper," and a founder and editor-at-large of The... more

Sean Illing talks with philosopher Lucy Allais about the nature, power, and limits of forgiveness. They talk about the role... more

Vox's Alissa Wilkinson talks with cultural critic and author Isaac Butler about his new book, The Method. They discuss the... more

Sean Illing talks with comedian David Cross, well-known for his decades-long stand-up career, as well as for his role on... more

Vox's Constance Grady talks with Kiley Reid, author of the critically-acclaimed novel Such a Fun Age. In this episode, which... more

Sean Illing talks with firearms journalist Stephen Gutowski, founder of TheReload.com. They discuss the major barriers, principles, and blind spots... more

Hillary Frank, the creator of the podcasts The Longest Shortest Time and Here Lies Me, talks with journalist and author... more

Sean Illing talks with journalist, author, and Russian disinformation scholar Peter Pomerantsev about the invasion of Ukraine. Recorded on Friday,... more

Vox’s Jamil Smith talks with musician Robert Glasper, four-time Grammy-winner, about the release of his new album Black Radio III.... more

Vox's Benji Jones talks with food journalist and author Dan Saladino, whose new book Eating to Extinction documents rare foods... more

Sean Illing talks with David Sirota, the journalist turned Oscar-nominated co-writer (with director Adam McKay) of the film Don't Look... more

Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy? This is the question at the center of... more

Sean Illing talks with the author Johann Hari about his new book Stolen Focus, which explores what's happening — and... more

Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy? This is the question at the center of... more

Sean Illing talks with Dan Pfeiffer, former senior advisor to President Obama and co-host of the Pod Save America podcast,... more

Vox's Constance Grady talks with Bart Nickerson, the co-creator of new TV show Yellowjackets, which airs on Showtime. Yellowjackets follows... more

Sean Illing talks with David Hamilton, a scientist and former research chemist turned author, about his new book Why Woo-Woo... more

Vox's Fabiola Cineas talks with author, lawyer, and organizer Derecka Purnell about her recent book Becoming Abolitionists. They discuss Derecka's... more

Vox's Constance Grady talks with novelist Lauren Groff about her latest book, the National Book Award finalist Matrix, before a... more

Sean Illing talks with philosopher David Chalmers about virtual worlds and the nature of reality, and other topics that stem... more

Vox's Dylan Matthews talks with Congressman Jamie Raskin about the tragic loss of his son Tommy, who was twenty-five years... more

Vox's Sean Illing talks to Yale professor and author Jason Stanley about why American democracy provides such fertile soil for... more

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with author Clint Smith III about his book How the Word Is Passed, which documents the... more

Vox's Sean Illing talks with international politics professor and amateur ufologist Alex Wendt about why it's time to start thinking... more

Vox’s Jamil Smith talks with NBA legend Chris Bosh about his basketball career, his youth, and his legacy. They discuss... more

Sean Illing talks with political commentator and author David French about modern conservatism and masculinity. They discuss the divergence between... more

Vox's Emily Stewart talks with Tariq Fancy about whether or not "socially responsible investment" is a scam. Fancy is a... more

Sean Illing talks with psychologist Paul Bloom about his new book The Sweet Spot, and whether it's necessary to experience... more

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with Dr, Robert Bullard, a pioneer in the crusade for environmental justice, about his more than... more

Sean Illing talks with historian Jill Lepore about her new podcast: The Evening Rocket explores Elon Musk and the new... more

Vox's Benji Jones talks with the celebrated entomologist, biologist, and naturalist E.O. Wilson. They talk about Wilson's sixty-plus years as... more

Sean Illing talks with Anne Helen Petersen and her partner Charlie Warzel about their new book, Out of Office: The... more

Sean Illing talks with Briahna Joy Gray, the former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign, and... more

Vox's Rebecca Jennings talks with Taylor Lorenz, tech culture reporter for the New York Times, about the creator economy: what... more

Sean Illing talks with Chris Hayes, author, commentator, and host of All In With Chris Hayes on MSNBC. They discuss... more

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with Caroline Randall Williams, academic, poet, and co-author (with her mother, Alice Randall) of Soul Food... more

Sean Illing talks with Sebastian Junger, journalist, filmmaker, and author of the recent book Freedom. Informed by his experience hiking... more

Anna North talks with Krys Malcolm Belc, nonbinary transmasculine parent, essayist, and author of the memoir The Natural Mother of... more

Sean Illing talks with John McWhorter, linguist, New York Times columnist, and author of Woke Racism: How a New Religion... more

Vox culture contributor Anne Helen Petersen talks with Liz O'Donnell, an advocate for working caregivers and the author of Working... more

Sean Illing talks with Joe Bernstein of BuzzFeed News about online disinformation and what — if anything — can be... more

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with Keisha Blain, associate professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh and author of Until... more

Sean Illing talks with writer and New York Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul about her book 100 Things We've... more

Vox's Constance Grady talks with novelist Susanna Clarke about her latest book, Piranesi, before a virtual audience for the Vox... more

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with attorney, author, and activist Bryan Stevenson about the newly expanded Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.... more

Sean Illing talks with writer Will Storr about his new book The Status Game, and its central idea: all human... more

Vox's Sigal Samuel talks with scholars and authors Wesley Wildman and Kate Stockly about their book, Spirit Tech: The Brave... more

Sean Illing talks with climate scholar Andreas Malm about his book How to Blow Up A Pipeline. They discuss the... more

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with author, activist, and filmmaker Valarie Kaur about her memoir See No Stranger and the Revolutionary... more

Vox’s Sean Illing talks with David Wolpe, senior rabbi of the Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, about the role and... more

Vox's Jamil Smith talks with acclaimed documentary filmmakers Ken and Sarah Burns. The father-daughter team discuss their latest documentary about... more