Deep Questions with Cal Newport

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.

  1. 2d ago

    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 collection of three KPIs for measuring and improving your *cognitive* capabilities – a small step toward his larger vision of a cognitive fitness revolution.   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   (0:00) How to build a cognitive training plan (29:48) What is Cal’s opinion on information fatigue syndrome? (37:04) Comments on the new book, “Pardon Our French: The Parisian Way to a Happier Life” (40:17) An interesting way to think about AI and thinking (47:37) An article about Disneyland, high quality leisure, and deep living (57:53) What Cal is up to   August 2026 Books   The Laws of Thought (Tom Griffiths) This is For Everyone (Tim Berners-Lee) Into the Deep  (Bob Ballard and Christopher Drew)202    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://workplacepsychology.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/information-overload-when-information-becomes-noise/ https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2026/08/12/reading-between-the-lines-part-1-a-cognitive-framework-for-ai-in-scholarly-publishing/ https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/18/boredom-and-its-discontents-part-ii/ https://pluralistic.net/2026/08/12/insurance-value-of-biodiversity/ https://archive.ph/WvW1F Thanks to our Sponsors:   https://www.calderalab.com/deep (Use code “DEEP) https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions https://www.gusto.com/deep https://www.babbel.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

    How to Build a Cognitive Training Plan | Monday Advice

  2. Aug 17

    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 episode from February, 2024, Cal walks through six new habits – what he calls a “high quality leisure toolkit” – for rebuilding your life around more meaningful activities.    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 (0:00) Confronting Your Phone  (13:06) What does Cal think about Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death”?  (17:45) Can you pursue high quality leisure after a day filled with deep work?  (21:56) Can commercial breaks be used for high quality leisure?  (25:04) Will digital minimalism work in an age of augmented reality?  (31:26) How can a full time YouTuber practice digital minimalism?  (38:34) How to share content online?  (46:27) Cost-benefit analysis of technology usage  (49:09) JRR Tolkien’s Search for Depth  Links: https://twitter.com/explore/tabs/trending https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/popular/hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en https://newcriterion.com/blogs/dispatch/the-consolations-of-fantasy Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.shopify.com/deep https://www.monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”) Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  3. Aug 10

    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 are connected: the more we struggle to accomplish meaningful projects, the less meaningful our lives might feel. In this episode, Cal looks back to a classic article he wrote nearly twenty years ago to both better understand why this problem is getting worse and how we can solve it. 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 (0:00) How do I finish meaningful projects? (39:36) A new study about children with cellphones having poorer reading comprehension  (43:14) A nurse practitioner in search of deep work (45:45) Using AI to improve both your work and life (52:24) A recent Wall Street Journal article about AI and jobs (1:00:07) What Cal is up to July 2026 Books Orality and Literacy (Walter Ong) Lost (Rachel Harrington) Sapiens (Yuval Harari) More Everything Forever (Adam Becker) Disneyland the Rise of Automation (Roland Bethencourt) A Brief History of Intelligence (Max Bennett) 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.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/science-says-92-percent-of-people-dont-achieve-goals-heres-how-the-other-8-perce.html https://news.gallup.com/poll/711836/gen-zers-missing-sense-meaning-purpose-life.aspx https://calnewport.com/the-einstein-principle-accomplish-more-by-doing-less/ https://futureoftuesday.substack.com/p/techno-analog https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/owning-a-cell-phone-associated-with-poorer-reading-comprehension-schoolchildren https://www.wsj.com/business/big-companies-are-starting-to-hire-again-defying-predictions-of-ai-wipeout-f4974e99?mod=hp_lead_pos10 Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.scribe.how/deep https://www.superhuman.com https://www.mybodytutor.com https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off 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

    How Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice

  4. Aug 6

    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) What actually happened? (11:35) What does this mean for mathematics? (21:35) What does this mean for OpenAI?  Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://x.com/polynoamial/status/2083467194663571701 https://x.com/deanwball/status/2083545756003176724?s=61 https://x.com/kevinroose/status/2083632335438905441 https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/2083595078233202919 https://x.com/polynoamial/status/2083478171975082334 https://x.com/__alpoge__/status/2083898804563243033 https://x.com/polynoamial/status/2083476852216369294 https://x.com/thomasfbloom/status/2083444983592284465 Sponsor: https://www.donedaily.com 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

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

  5. Aug 3

    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. The bad news is that learning is harder than we think. This advice has never been more relevant for those looking to move past the easy dopamine hits offered by their devices and find something deeper.    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 (0:00) Learning hard things (21:19) When it comes to taking notes, what really matters? (27:32) Can I fit all of my hobbies into my week?  (31:12) Can YouTube teach me to be a better student?  (37:37) How do I figure out what to learn next?  (39:54) How do I learn something fast when I already have a busy schedule?- (46:24) CALL: How does “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” relate to “Slow Productivity”? (56:17) CASE STUDY: Slow Productivity affinity group (1:02:23) The 5 books Cal read in December 2023  Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.calderalab.com/deep This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions December 2023 Books: Home Economics (Wendell Berry) Panora’s Box (Peter Biskind) Where the Deer and the Antelope Play (Nick Offerman) Who Wrote the Bible (Richard Elliott Friedman) The Exodus (Richard Elliott Friedman) Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

  6. Jul 30

    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 implications (11:42) Did this attack reveal surprising new capabilities we didn’t know AI systems possessed? (12:48) Did the system’s decision to escape the test environment and autonomously attack another company indicate an emerging malicious intent in AI? (16:28) What changed led to this attack occurring? (27:32) Who should care about this story? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://huggingface.co/blog/security-incident-july-2026 https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-model-evaluation-security-incident/ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-models-escaped-and-hacked-a-company-in-cybersecurity-test-gone-wrong-ee388506 https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5987397-openai-hugging-face-hack/ https://apnews.com/article/skynet-ai-terminator-artificial-intelligence-eb85da03a0161beaa5f3babc4331e93b https://www.ft.com/content/7e558951-0c69-459b-8bc8-2c6021d4402d?syn-25a6b1a6=1 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/all-news/2011/08/dhs-anonymous-used-rudimentary-tools-to-hack-contractor/ 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

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

  7. Jul 27

    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 the relevant neuroscience at play, and then use this understanding to figure out a better method for improving your relationship with your devices. 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 (0:00) Why do digital detoxes fail? (28:28) An article on the phone algorithm addiction (35:13) Follow up on the Brad Stulberg interview (40:21) A policy article on digital addiction (52:34) Deep work in the age of AI (57:46) 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/  Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/04/us/politics/online-addictions-cut-back-screen-time.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/opinion/culture/phone-algorithm-addiction.html https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/learn/goodharts-law.html https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/digital-addiction-public-health-problem-public-health-law-solution Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.masterclass.com/deep https://www.gusto.com/deep https://www.expressvpn.com/deep https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions 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

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

  8. Jul 20

    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 (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 (0:00) The Optimization Paradox (2:12) Interview with Brad Stulberg (35:12) Health optimization (1:09:16) Tail end development   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? Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://wealthfront.com/deep https://calderalab.com/deep https://cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP”) Cal Newport is not a Wealthfront client. Wealthfront’s high-yield cash account: ⁠https://www.wealthfront.com/deep⁠. This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Cal Newport receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for paid endorsement in his podcast, creating a conflict of interest. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.  Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.05% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Additional terms and conditions apply, which can be found on ⁠wealthfront.com/deep⁠.  Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. 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

    Am I Optimizing Too Much? | Monday Advice
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Cal Newport
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    449
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Deep Questions with Cal Newport
  • Show Website
    Deep Questions with Cal Newport

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