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Deep Questions with Cal Newport: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Cal Newport
Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago28 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 three major categories of beliefs around AI in the current moment and helps explain who belongs where and how they all relate to each other. If you're trying to keep up with AI news you have need to learn this framework. Chapters: Intro Why the debate is so heated Group 1: The Doomers (rationalists and effective altruists) Anthropic, OpenAI, and the doomer civil war Group 2: The Accelerationists Group 3: The Centrists The full landscape and the fight over regulation Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 5 days ago1h 18m
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 now. In this episode, Cal goes deep into a serious and tragic topic that he recently learned about in a panel discussion about children and technology. He has an urgent warning for parents that has implications for all of us as well. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia Kids should not use Chatbots What is Cal’s opinion of a recent NY Times article about dumb phones? How should I apply Slow Productivity when my company rewards quick email turnaround? What happens when the craftsman mindset doesn’t yield results? Cal’s reaction to Ezra Klein’s article on AI What Cal is up to Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5545749/ai-chatbots-safety-openai-meta-characterai-teens-suicide https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-allege-harmful-character-ai-chatbot-content-60-minutes/ https://www.wwnytv.com/2026/04/08/alleged-florida-state-shooter-used-chatgpt-plan-attack-victims-attorneys-claim/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12967755/ https://parentstogetheraction.org/character-ai/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/opinion/dumbphone-smartphone-friendship.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/opinion/ai-ban-self-improvement-recursive-models.html?eafs_enabled=false Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.masterclass.com/deep https://www.calderalab.com/deep https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions https://www.pipedrive.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago52 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 broader problem then draws from an unlikely source from his childhood to help identify a dramatic solution. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia The truth about brain rot Will you address Immanuale Kants “Critique of Pure Reason” in your upcoming book about thinking? What is the difference between the strategic plan and vision document? Can I buy the “Deep Life” on pre-order? Cal discusses his recent newsletters My small business uses Claude. Is that ok? Are any AI companies responsible to use? The truth about LLMs What are some AI book recommendations? AI and regulation What Cal is up to? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WePNs-G7puA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIeeDcnu9Ck https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/opinion/gen-z-tiktok-ig-reels.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlnmQbPGuls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XRKcUtOkbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_zYn-HHcyA Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.quo.com/deep https://www.gusto.com/deep https://www.drinklmnt.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago1h 11m
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 Stulberg who recently decided that he was “done” with AI. They explore whether this is a resistance movement in the making… Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia More from Cal Download Cal’s FREE guide to cultivating a deeper life: calnewport.com/ideas Learn more about Cal’s books: calnewport.com/books Listen to Cal’s podcast: thedeeplife.com/listen Chapters A new paper calls LLMs a "cognitive virus" Brad gave AI a real shot — then quit Why everything online now sounds the same Plank 1: Effort, struggle, and the click-of-a-button economy You can take a gondola to the summit, but you didn't climb it Plank 2: AI is an average maker AI swirl: pseudo-productivity turned up to 11 Treat AI like ultra-processed food Getting it off your phone, and the lesson of sports analytics Team Human and the humanist resistance Sponsors: https://www.horizon3.com/deep https://www.calderalab.com/deep https://www.notion.com/cal https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off (Use code "deep50off") Credits: Podcast Production: Jesse Miller Newsletter/Research: Nate Mechler Theme Music: Jay Kerstens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago39 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 How Worrisome is GPT-6’s “Stealth Thinking”? Reasoning models Astra The Good The Bad The Hype Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QNsdr-Qx_I https://www.theinformation.com/articles/secret-technique-behind-openais-astra-model-sparks-security-concerns?rc=1ycz3a https://x.com/_NathanCalvin/status/2094957301564092914 https://x.com/sjgadler/status/2094959837691908214?s=61 https://x.com/merettm/status/2095023204993490967?s=20 https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11473 Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago51 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 personally adopting for the next few months. He also discusses why such systems are key to thriving in our current frenetic technological world, why it’s important to continue to tweak your systems, and best practices for constructing your own setup. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia How I’m organizing my life this fall An Irish novelist talks about her use of AI Developing a more balanced approach to tech products Cal’s opinion on an AI article Large corporations move away from all enterprise AI What Cal is up to August 2026 Books The New Dark Age (Nigel Biggar) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ https://culturedcode.com/things/ https://www.timeblockplanner.com/ Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.superhuman.com https://www.shopify.com/deep https://www.monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.mybodytutor.com Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Sep 3, 202626 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 Does OpenAI create “secret AI civilizations”? What’s the deal with “agent swarms”? Should we be worried that the agents are plotting? How should we be thinking about all of this? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/openai-huggingface https://calnewport.com/has-ai-gone-rogue/ https://calnewport.com/are-we-at-war-with-ai-agent-civilizations/ Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- Aug 31, 20261h 20m
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 with a more robust concept that he calls “The Deep Life Map.” Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia Rethinking the Deep Life stack Too many interests and not enough time Voluntary attention regulates acute immune responses in humans A freelance musician and social media What Cal is up to August 2026 Books An Inside Job (Daniel Silva) Three Years in Wonderland (Todd James Pierce) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02541-1 https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Cal-Newport/author/B001IGNR0U https://x.com/RyanHoliday Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.surfshark.com/deepquestions https://www.quo.com/deep https://www.masterclass.com/deep https://www.notion.com/cal Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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About Deep Questions with Cal Newport
Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.
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