Interesting Times

The New York Times
The New York Times
  • 5.0 (3)
  • News
  • Updated weekly

The first draft of our future. Mapping the new world order through interviews and conversations. Every Thursday, from New York Times Opinion. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

  1. 13 Aug

    Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It?

    For my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how seemingly radical ideas are steadily entering the mainstream of American politics, technology and culture. Few ideas are as radical as the hope of significant life extension and the quest to live forever. My guest today thinks he can outrun death. After selling his tech company for hundreds of millions of dollars and experiencing a profound religious crisis, Bryan Johnson turned his own body into the ultimate science project, centered on an explicit mission: Don’t die. But why does Johnson want to live forever, and what lessons can his algorithmically driven lifestyle bring to the rest of us? It’s been an honor hosting this podcast and navigating these strange waters with you. “Interesting Times” will be back with new episodes and new hosts in the fall. 0:00 Why Bryan Johnson Wants to Defeat Death 1:18 The Core Premise of "Don't Die" vs. Immortality 3:26 Selling Braintree/Venmo & Personal Collapse 6:33 Leaving the Mormon Church & Searching for Meaning 7:45 Launching Project Blueprint: Body as Philosophy 11:35 Bryan Johnson’s Daily Longevity Routine & Biological Age Metrics 15:06 How AI Builds "Autonomous Health" for the Human Body 17:58 The Best Habits to Optimize Health: Sleep & Heart Rate 21:32 Blueprint Products, Supplements, & Testing 23:46 Reversing Biological Aging: Saunas & HBOT 25:24 Can Psychedelics Extend Lifespan? Psilocybin Longevity Trials 31:07 How Falling in Love Has Changed His Perspective 34:06 Diagnosed with an Incurable Autoimmune Disease 35:51 The Risk of Gerontocracy 53:53 Can Humanity Defeat Death? Societal & Philosophical Impacts (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It?

  2. 6 Aug

    Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men

    What does a liberal solution to the masculinity crisis look like? As men fall behind in the American educational system and the economy, they’re looking for meaning — and often find it in the wrong places. My guest today is Scott Galloway, a professor at N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business. Galloway is an unlikely masculinity guru — he’s a liberal academic, a business founder and a married father. He had a lot to say about the social and economic reasons young men seem to be struggling, but he’s still optimistic about the future. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men

  3. 30 Jul

    How Older Americans Hoard the Future

    American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so much power, should younger generations revolt?  My guest today is Samuel Moyn, a professor at Yale Law School, and he argues that American democracy is distorted by the power of the old. We discuss how seniors have hoarded wealth and influence and how Americans can renew an intergenerational compact. 0:00 The Tyranny of the Elderly 2:01 From Joe Biden to Mitch McConnell 4:19 Europe's Anti-Gerontocracy 5:15 Politicians are the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ 7:07 The Dark Side of Longevity 9:40 How Age Impacts Policy 15:10 The Age Wealth Gap 20:21 How About Millennials? 23:28 Age Limits and Youth Power 38:14 Care Hoarding and Family Burdens 44:54 The Assisted Suicide Debate 50:14 Personal Stakes (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    How Older Americans Hoard the Future

  4. 23 Jul • Subscribers Only

    Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy

    Is President Trump’s grand strategy unraveling? The United States is at war with Iran, China is ascendant, Russia and Ukraine are stalemated and American allies are openly questioning our commitment to them. Elbridge Colby, the under secretary of defense for policy, joins me to discuss the state of America’s foreign policy and he makes the case that Trump’s approach to our allies and adversaries is making us stronger. 0:00 - Intro  1:24 - What Is Trump’s Approach to Foreign Policy? 5:00 - Is China Still America’s Main Rival?  7:08 - Colby’s Strategy of Denial in the Pacific 9:58 - How to Avoid a War with China & Taiwan 12:18 - Can U.S. Aircraft Carriers & Bases Survive a Pacific Conflict? 16:43 - Is the Iran War Draining Our Weapons and Resources? 17:49 - The U.S. Military Strategy in Iran War 19:44 - Does the Middle East Conflict Help or Hurt China? 22:04 - Trying and Failing to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz 28:13 - The Parallels of Iran to the Vietnam and Iraq Wars 33:17 - Trump’s Strategy With Russia & Ukraine 40:49 - "NATO 3.0" & Returning to the Cold War 43:21 - Did the Pentagon Try to Cut Support for Ukraine? 46:28 - How "Middle Powers" Fail  49:30 - Greenland, Canada, and the Monroe Doctrine 52:22 - Canada: Neighbor or 51st State? 54:23 - What We Expect From Allies (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy

  5. 16 Jul • Subscribers Only

    A Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’

    Democratic socialists are having a moment. But can they actually remake the Democratic Party — and the American economy — in their image? My guest today, Bhaskar Sunkara, is longtime democratic socialist, and he makes the case that socialism has a universal appeal that transcends our current politics and will ultimately triumph against capitalism. 0:00 Intro 1:24 The rise of democratic socialism 5:00 Why is this a breakthrough moment for Democratic Socialism? 8:24 Class Realities: The demographics of socialist voters 9:26 The intellectual foundations of the American left 11:02 What socialists want: Affordable housing, Medicare for All 15:55 Socialist housing policy: construction, rent control, public housing 18:17 The socialist approach to AI and technological change 22:16 The case for unions 24:18 Is Democratic Socialism compatible with capitalism? 25:57 Class conflict vs. the identity politics of the wokeness era 29:00 The ideological conflict between Hillary Clinton liberals and the Bernie Sanders left 30:40 This Socialist wants the left to stop hating America 36:38 Why Israel-Palestine and anti-imperialism are central issues for Democratic Socialists 45:51 Luigi Mangione and the illiberal left 50:37 Is Zohran Mamdani a moderate? 51:54 Was Joe Biden's presidency a socialist experiment? 55:42 Raising taxes to expand the welfare state (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    A Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’

  6. 9 Jul • Subscribers Only

    ‘ I'm Worried About Weimar America’

    The work of Rod Dreher has a consistent theme: doom. He believes the collapse of Christianity has ushered civilizational decline in Europe, that we’ve traded our humanity for comfort, and he worries that totalitarianism is around the corner for the United States. “I’m worried about Weimar America,” he tells me. “It may not be Hitler 2.0, it may not be Stalin 2.0. It might be something all American, but it’s not going to be what we’re used to.” It’s best not to dismiss him; he’s been right before. We discuss how we got here and the dangers that still lie ahead when we grant godlike powers to our technology. 0:00 - Intro 1:41 - The role of Christianity in Western society 12:26 - Free speech in Western Europe 17:40 - Immigration and de-Christianization 23:55 - Viktor Orbán's Hungary 34:50 - "Weimar America" and the coming crisis 46:45 - Dreher's personal journey 55:12 - Dark re-enchantment and A.I. as a "vector for the demonic" (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    ‘ I'm Worried About Weimar America’

  7. 2 Jul • Subscribers Only

    The Unifying Speech We Won’t Get This Independence Day

    My fellow Americans: On this 250th anniversary of our great republic, I think we’re unlikely to have a unifying address from any politician. So, I thought I’d get a little dressed up and offer one myself. Watch this video on YouTube Channel: Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Unifying Speech We Won’t Get This Independence Day

  8. 25 Jun • Subscribers Only

    Is it Time for a New Sexual Revolution?

    The growing alienation between men and women is, to my mind, one of the biggest stories of our time. It’s warping our politics and culture through the rise of misogynistic influencers on the right and a growing sense of feminist despair on the left. My guest this week believes that our problems today can be traced back to the sexual revolution. She argues that it reset relations between the sexes in a fundamentally negative way and ultimately benefited men. Louise Perry is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal’s Free Expression section and the author of “The Case Against the Sexual Revolution.” 0:00 - Intro 01:28 - “The Case Against the Sexual Revolution" 16:20 - What is reactionary feminism? 21:30 - The effects of the digital revolution on men and women 30:29 -  The tradwife phenomenon 34:58 - What about premarital sex? 43:38 - Can female emancipation and sexual restraint coexist? (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Is it Time for a New Sexual Revolution?
See All (80)

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Subscribe via The NYT app to access past episodes.

View Subscription FAQs

Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The first draft of our future. Mapping the new world order through interviews and conversations. Every Thursday, from New York Times Opinion. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Information

  • Channel
    The New York Times
  • Creator
    New York Times Opinion
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2018-2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY; The New York Times encourages the use of RSS feeds for personal use in a news reader or as part of a non-commercial blog, subject to your agreement to our Terms of Service.
  • Show Website
    Interesting Times
  • Provider
    The New York Times Company

More From The New York Times

You Might Also Like