157 episodes

Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Hear Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish@spotify.com! You can also find us on tiktok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_

Plain English with Derek Thompson The Ringer

    • News
    • 4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Hear Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish@spotify.com! You can also find us on tiktok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_

    Why So Many Young Men Are Lonely, Sexless, and Extremely Online

    Why So Many Young Men Are Lonely, Sexless, and Extremely Online

    Today’s episode is about the state of men in America. Last week, the non-profit institute Equimondo published a report on the state of men and boys in America: “Many men—especially younger men—are socially disconnected, pessimistic about the future, and turning to online anger," they wrote. "They are facing higher rates of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and a sense of isolation, as seen in the agreement of 65 percent that 'no one really knows me well.'" One survey is one survey. It doesn’t do a lot of good to overreact and proclaim one set of findings the iron law of American sociology. But this report is in line with other polls and also with the analyses of experts like Richard Reeves, the Brookings scholar who wrote the book ‘Of Boys and Men.’ Richard is today’s returning guest. We talk about how complaining about masculinity is history’s oldest trope; why this time might be different; what young men think about feminism; the effect of social media on boys and why it might be different than the effect of social media on girls; and what a positive version of masculinity might look like.
    If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. You can find us on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_
    Host: Derek Thompson
    Guest: Richard Reeves 
    Producer: Devon Manze
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    • 53 min
    How Hollywood's Writers Strike Could Change the Future of TV and Movies

    How Hollywood's Writers Strike Could Change the Future of TV and Movies

    In May of this year, the Writers Guild of America went on strike. For weeks, TV and film writers have been walking in picket lines in Los Angeles and New York, and the strike threatens to bring TV and film development to a screeching halt. Historically, strikes both reflect history—the ever-changing business models behind the media we consume—and change history. The 2007-8 strike famously accelerated the rise of reality TV. Today’s guest is Matt Belloni, the host of the Ringer podcast 'The Town' and a writer with Puck News. He breaks down what’s at stake for writers and studios and answers my deeper questions about how this strike could change the future of TV and film.
    If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. You can find us on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_
    Host: Derek Thompson
    Guest: Matt Belloni
    Producer: Devon Manze
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    • 50 min
    Why Youth Sports in America Are in Decline

    Why Youth Sports in America Are in Decline

    In the last five years, high school sports participation has fallen for the first time on record. The number of boys playing high school sports today is lower than in any year since 2007. While travel leagues are thriving, local leagues are flailing—for football, soccer, baseball, basketball ... you name it. And this is happening, of course, in a decade when young people are spending less time in the physical world, less time with their friends, less time moving around, and more time sitting hunched over a phone. So what’s going on, and what should we do? Today’s guests are Jason Gay, sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal, and Tom Farrey, the executive director of the Aspen Institute's Sports and Society Program.
    If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. You can find us on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_
    Host: Derek Thompson
    Guests: Jason Gay and Tom Farrey
    Producer: Devon Manze
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    • 45 min
    The Future of War Is Here

    The Future of War Is Here

    Today’s episode is about how artificial intelligence will change the future of war. First, we have Brian Schimpf, the CEO of Anduril, a military technology company that builds AI programs for the Department of Defense. Next we have the Atlantic author Ross Andersen on how to prevent AI from blowing up the world.
    If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. You can find us on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_
    Host: Derek Thompson
    Guests: Brian Schimpf and Ross Andersen
    Producer: Devon Manze
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 1 hr 28 min
    A Diet Conspiracy: Is Ice Cream Secretly Good for You?

    A Diet Conspiracy: Is Ice Cream Secretly Good for You?

    Today’s episode is about a narrow question and a broad question. The narrow question is: Is ice cream secretly good for you? The broader question is about the nature of uncertainty and truth, how diet science actually works, and how bias plays a role in scientific discovery. Our guest is public health historian and journalist David Johns, who has reported on ice cream science for The Atlantic.
    If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. You can find us on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@plainenglish_
    Host: Derek Thompson
    Guest: David Johns
    Producer: Devon Manze
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 43 min
    An Optimistic Guide to America’s Clean-Energy Future

    An Optimistic Guide to America’s Clean-Energy Future

    The world is engaged in a multitrillion-dollar project to decarbonize the economy to slow or reverse climate change. But what exactly does that mean? How optimistic should we be that we can pull this off? And what new technology do we need to build to make it happen? This is a mega-pod with two guests. Ramez Naam is a writer, speaker, and one of the best technologists I know at explaining the progress we’re making toward building a clean-energy economy. And Vinod Khosla is one of the most famous venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, the founder of Khosla Ventures, and an investor in several sci-fi-sounding companies, including one that is working on fusion technology—which might be one of the most exciting and important technologies we'll ever build.
    Host: Derek Thompson
    Guests: Ramez Naam & Vinod Khosla
    Producer: Devon Manze
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    • 1 hr 25 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
1.1K Ratings

1.1K Ratings

kristi history ,

Thank you Derek

This is quickly becoming a top five podcast for me, so thoughtful. I really appreciate it not falling into the mindless woke world AND eschewing the crazy trumpistan world. In other words old style real journalism of curiosity, research and actual reporting.

AATX1228 ,

Your typical Left leaning Networking Show

You’ll be shocked to find another podcast for The Atlantic magazine type readers that “investigates” what’s really happening in our own country.

There is nothing boundary pushing or investigative taking place. There is no hard questions for the guest because the host is using this as an opportunity to make connections and network for himself.

jimmythejim ,

Average perspectives on complex topics

The future of the military episode was shameful and embarrassing. A PR piece for the military industrial complex with softball questions. The show overall is decent but it’s not exactly hard journalism.

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