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
Are you ever happier not knowing something? As Aristotle famously claimed, “All human beings want to know.” But denial and avoidance are... more
What do you think of America’s institutions? Alana Newhouse, founder and editor-in-chief of Tablet Magazine, says that may be the most... more
Americans are spending an historic amount of time alone, a phenomenon that is often referred to as an "epidemic of... more
Where is your attention right now? Where was it a minute ago? A second ago? Where will it be a... more
What does it take to be happy? Professor of psychology Laurie Santos just might have the answer. This week The Gray... more
What is the first thing that you touch in the morning? What about the last thing you touch before you... more
At the beginning of the new year, many of us make pledges to change ourselves. We want to work out... more
How can we find happiness? That's an old question. Since the beginning of philosophy people have been wondering what makes... more
Can you ever really know what’s going on inside the mind of another creature? In some cases, like other humans, or... more
This week, host Sean Illing gets personal when he asks professor and podcast host Scott Galloway: What’s going on with... more
The sheer feeling of aliveness. We all know what that is, even though it comes in many different forms. Maybe... more
In this episode, host Sean Illing speaks with marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson about her book What If We Get... more
What just happened? It’s been almost two weeks since the presidential election, and many Americans are still grappling with the result.... more
Philosopher Alexandra Plakias says there are no awkward people, only awkward situations. In her book, Awkwardness: A Theory, Plakias explains the... more
This has been an unusual week. Sean and the TGA team are still sifting through it all and figuring out... more
What does it mean to be "woke"? It's become a catchall term to smear or dismiss anything that has any... more
What can ancient Rome teach us about American democracy? The Roman Republic fell for a lot of reasons: The state became... more
Sean Illing speaks with one of his heroes: Werner Herzog. Herzog is a filmmaker, poet, and author of the memoir Every... more
How important is complexity? At The Gray Area, we value understanding the details. We revel in complexity. But does our desire... more
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
Sean revisits his interview with musician Laraaji, a pioneer of new age music who has recorded more than 50 albums since... more
What is the relationship between creativity and artificial intelligence? Creativity feels innately human, but is it? Can a machine be... more
Children live with a beginner’s mind. Every day is full of new discoveries, powerful emotions, and often unrealistically positive assumptions... more
Sean Illing has a special message for all you listeners: Look at me! We’ve made our first-ever video episode. See Sean... more
Climate change has become synonymous with doomsday, as though everyone is waiting for the worst to happen. But what is... more
Humans are good learners and teachers, constantly gathering information, archiving, and sharing knowledge. So why, after building the most sophisticated... more
There’s a certain glamor to cynicism. As a culture, we’ve turned cynicism into a symbol of hard-earned wisdom, assuming that... more
Sean Illing speaks with poet and historian Jennifer Michael Hecht, whose book The Wonder Paradox asks: If we don't have... more
How is the origin of our universe like an improvised saxophone solo? This week, Sean Illing talks to Stephon Alexander,... more
Sean Illing talks with Glory Liu, the author of Adam Smith’s America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism.... more
Sean Illing speaks with marriage and family therapist Vienna Pharaon, whose book 'The Origins of You' aims to help us... more
In an Orwellian twist, the word “Orwellian” has been misused so much over the decades that it’s essentially lost its... more
The US Constitution is a brilliant political document, but it’s far from perfect. This week’s guest, Erwin Chemerinsky, argues that... more
You can’t drop an f-bomb on the radio, but fortunately for our guest, you can say anything you want in... more
Sean Illing talks with political science professor Matt McManus about the political thought of Friedrich Nietzsche, the 19th-century German philosopher... more
Authoritarian tendencies have been on the rise globally and the liberal world order is on the decline. One hotspot of... more
We’re living in an era of extreme partisan politics, rising resentment, and fractured news media. Writer John Ganz believes that... more
Nathalie Etoke joins The Gray Area to talk about existentialism, the Black experience, and the legacy of dehumanization. Host: Sean Illing... more
A mile of pure fire. A flash that melts everything — titanium, steel, lead, people. A blast that mows down... more
Albert Camus was a Nobel-winning French writer and public intellectual. During Algeria’s bloody war for independence in the 1950s, Camus... more
Old people have always worried about young people. But psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes something genuinely different and troubling is happening... more
Sebastian Junger came as close as you possibly can to dying. While his doctors struggled to revive him, the veteran... more
Ozempic and other new weight loss drugs are being touted as potential miracle cures for diabetes and obesity. Journalist Johann... more
Religious studies professor Diana Pasulka was a total nonbeliever in alien life, but she began to question this after speaking... more
Most of us don’t know how to truly listen, and it’s causing all sorts of problems. Sean Illing is joined... more
The internet has fractured our world into a million little subcultures catering to the specific identities and habits of everyone... more
Is it possible that we are living through one of the most revolutionary periods in human history? CNN’s Fareed Zakaria... more
Philosophy may seem like a theoretical or abstract discipline in which unanswerable questions are debated to the point of tedium.... more
Jane Marie is an expert in American bullshit. Her podcast The Dream explores life coaching, wellness, marketing, and other fraudulent... more
As a non-believer, Devin Moss never thought he would become a chaplain or a spiritual adviser, much less one who... more
Journalist Rhaina Cohen believes that modern culture undervalues friendships and discusses the ways in which deep friendships are distinct from... more
Stephen Markley’s novel, “The Deluge,” is an ambitious and terrifyingly realistic look at our collective future on a warming planet.... more
It’s been 50 years since Ernest Becker’s breakthrough book The Denial of Death was first published, and its thesis has... more
Silicon Valley is in the middle of an AI frenzy, and many of its leaders believe this technology could eventually... more
America solidified its dominant posture in the international order following World War II and largely held that position for the... more
Sean Illing talks with economic historian Brad DeLong about his new book Slouching Towards Utopia. In it, DeLong claims that... more
Musician Laraaji joins Sean to talk about improvisation as meditation, the transcendent nature of laughter, and lessons from a long... more
Political philosopher Ingrid Robeyns believes that there should be a maximum amount of money and resources that one person can... more
For much of her life, author Maggie Jackson disliked uncertainty and thought of it as something to eradicate as quickly as... more
Americans have absorbed the “Protestant work ethic” — the idea that our value as human beings is determined by how... more
Stephen Markley’s novel, “The Deluge,” is an ambitious and terrifyingly realistic look at our collective future on a warming planet. He joins... more