Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

An Unlikely Team Tackles AI Brain Rot

How do we stop from becoming so reliant on LLMs that we lose our ability to think. A new paper explores answers based on an unlikely source: rigorous mathematical models.

Oct 12
1 h 05 min

A Stark Warning From a Former AI Doomer

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Cal interviews Emile Torres who provides a stark warning about AI. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewpor

Oct 8
1 h 17 min

Combating the Whirlwind with a Single Sheet of Paper

One of the more debilitating experiences in our current digital world is the sense of being trapped in relentless, reactive, busyness. This “whirlwind” can separate you f

Oct 5
1 h 06 min

An Insider's Guide to AI Doom

The conversation around AI harms has become incredibly heated in recent weeks. But it's also incredibly confusing. In this short explainer episode, Cal walks through the

Oct 1
28 min

Kids Should *Not* Use Chatbots! (You Should Be Wary, Too…)

With all the recent discussion of the potential catastrophic impacts AI might cause in the future, we’re losing track of the significant harms it is already causing right

Sep 28
1 h 18 min

The Truth About Brain Rot

A recent New York Times op-ed reveals the true nature of “brain rot,” and in doing so reveals a much larger problem affecting us all. In this episode, Cal explores this b

Sep 21
52 min

The AI Resistance is Forming. (Should You Join?)

After a week spent debating AI’s impact on humanity, Cal wants to turn his attention back to AI’s impact on humans. To support this shift, he brings on the writer Brad St

Sep 14
1 h 11 min

How Worrisome is GPT-6’s “Stealth Thinking”? | Tech Decoded

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) How Worrisome is GPT-6’s “Stealth Thinking”? (8:58

Sep 10
39 min

How I’m Organizing My Life this Fall | Advice

It’s that time of year again when Cal tunes up his organizational systems for the onslaught of the fall. In this episode, Cal walks through the exact system he’s personal

Sep 7
51 min

Did OpenAI Create “Secret AI Civilizations”? | Tech Decoded

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Does OpenAI create “secret AI civilizations”? (1:59

Sep 3
26 min

Rethinking the Deep Life Stack (Again!) | Monday Advice

Back in 2023, Cal released an episode on a lifestyle design strategy I called the Deep Life Stack. Today, almost three years later, Cal revisits this idea and replaces it

Aug 31
1 h 20 min

Has AI “Gone Rogue”? Let’s Look Closer… | Tech Decoded

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Has AI “Gone Rogue” (2:25) Observation #1 - Most Su

Aug 27
35 min

How to Build a Cognitive Training Plan | Monday Advice

In the world of physical health, we use so-called “key performance indicators” (KPIs) to help measure and improve our fitness. In today’s episode, Cal proposes a collecti

Aug 24
1 h 02 min

Classic Episode: How Do I Kick My Scrolling Habit? | Monday Advice

The best way to kick your scrolling habit is to introduce more “high quality leisure” into your life. But how do you accomplish this goal? In this replay of a classic epi

Aug 17
57 min

How Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice

Only 8% of people finish their yearly goals. At the same time, the percentage of people feeling a sense of meaning of purpose in their life is falling. These two numbers

Aug 10
1 h 04 min

Does OpenAI’s Astra Mean AGI Has Arrived? | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Does Open AI’s Astra mean AGI has arrived? (3:07) W

Aug 6
29 min

Classic Episode: How Do I Learn Hard Things? | Monday Advice

In this replay of a classic episode from January 1st, 2024, Cal walks through the process of learning hard things. The good news is that most people can learn most things

Aug 3
1 h 14 min

Did OpenAI’s Model “Go Rogue”? | AI Reality Check

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Did OpenAI’s model “go rogue” (11:29) The implicati

Jul 30
33 min

Why Do Digital Detoxes Fail? What Works Better? | Monday Advice

Why do digital detoxes fail to create lasting change? What works better? To answer these questions, Cal draws from the book “A Brief History of Intelligence” to reveal th

Jul 27
1 h 06 min

Am I Optimizing Too Much? | Monday Advice

Cal Newport talks with Brad Stulberg to explain the optimization paradox in Episode 414 of the Deep Questions podcast. Below are the questions covered in today's episode

Jul 20
1 h 16 min

Chart trend

Position in the Technology chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#19#36JulAugSepOct

all-time peak

days in the top 10 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Deep Questions with Cal Newport ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 16, 2026).

#25 ▼ 7 Technology US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I first heard Cal Newport being interviewed by Ed Elson on Prof G Markets podcast. Cal explained alternative safer AI technologies beyond Large Language Models pushed by AI/Anthropic. He also did a short course in this interview on the ideologies of those driving AI that really helped me frame the contradiction we all intutively understand to be true….that AI companies are irrationally rushing towards Doom. This is best exemplified by the hilarious SNL Weekend Update spoof of Amodei, “I want to assure you that, if we can pressure lawmakers to create guardrails, we will be able to stop me.” By understanding these ideologically warring camps in these AI companies, the crazy irrationality can be understood. Outside their ideological orbits, we can understand their war without being drawn into their underlying belief systems.

Refined Taster · Oct 2026

Cal’s pod single-handedly keeps me sane and calm amidst the flurry of AI news and pandemonium. When I hear something that freaks me out, as a tech laymen, I go straight to this podcast to hear Cal explain what is actually going on. Thank you, Cal! Please do not stop the AI reality checks. You’re carrying the team on your back.

Part-Time Barbarian · Sep 2026

What an excellent podcast! It’s wonderful listening to a PhD computer scientist who is able to break down AI hype. I love the AI reality checks!! Thank you Cal for posting these. This is my go to podcast to chase away AI mania. I also appreciate his tone. In this day and age, it’s refreshing to have a calm voice explain things in a rational way without anger and four letter words. I also appreciate his balance. On the one hand, AI can be a good tool. But on the other hand, it is not divine.

Plainsrf · Jul 2026

It is not possible to overstate the value Cal delivers on this podcast. I especially appreciate the AI reality check episodes where he brings a much needed shred of sanity to the “Doom Trolling” these AI execs love to do (possibly to increase the value of their IPO’s?)

Withnohandlebars · Jul 2026

This is a great podcast, one I really enjoy listening to when the questions align with problems I’m facing. I also like hearing about how Cal’s thinking changes as he writes his next book. However, I’ll likely drop the podcast if the feed continues to include “You Might Also Like” podcasts. I subscribe to you for your content, not other people’s. I can easily delete it, but I shouldn’t have to.

wesbaker · Apr 2025

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.