Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Cal Newport explains about if you're lazy or overstimulated in episode 410 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) Am I lazy or overstimulated? (28:29) A reaction to Cal’s recent New Yorker art...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Was the Mythos ban justified? (5:32) Is Fable 5 actually dangerous? (11:03) Is Fable 5 without guardrails actually a unique national security concern? (15:13) Should the government be more involved with AI? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow ...

In the 1960s, doctors avoided people to avoid exercise. Then everything changed. Now physical fitness is a $100 billion industry. What would it look like if we got equally as serious about cognitive fitness? In this episode, Cal explores three tiers of cognitive fitness advice, ordered from least to most intense. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Are we about to lose control of AI? (3:04) How much should we be afraid of recursive self improvement? (7:52) Are these fears justified? (9:36) Faster software development doesn’t equal smarter AI (12:25) These tools are completely controllable (16:52) Taking a step back Links: Buy C...

Sometimes the best way to get unstuck is to press pause on your busy life and take a moment to look toward new possibilities. But how is this possible if you can’t afford to literally stop everything and get away? In this episode, Cal explores different strategies for taking what he calls “mini-pauses” that can be integrated into even the most unforgiving of schedules. Below are the questions cove...

There has been lots of discussion recently about AI eliminating jobs. But what if the real fear is that AI will instead make existing jobs miserable? In this episode, Cal argues that LLM–based tools are poised to accelerate the worst aspects of pseudo-productivity to an absurd degree. He then shares five ideas for avoiding this fate in your own professional life. Below are the questions covered in...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Did AI just “solve” math? (2:38) What OpenAI did (6:30) Question #1 - Is this result that important? (7:34) Question #2 - Does this mean LLMs are now smarter than human mathematicians? (17:50) Question #3 - Does this mean all equally hard challenges will now be conquered by AI? (23:2...

It’s common to feel like you don’t have enough time in your schedule to build a life that’s both professionally successful and personally deep. But is this true? In today’s episode, Cal interviews time management expert Laura Vanderkam about her new book, BIG TIME, which argues that with the right tweaks and mindset you might be able to start getting more out of your life right away.  Below are th...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News.   Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia   (0:00) Has AI conquered coding? (3:21) Lars Faye quote (5:25) Skipping the struggle step (6:42) Point #1 (7:08) Point #2 (7:28) Point #3 (7:39) Point #4 (8:35) Solution   Links: Sign up for Cal’s newsletter at www.calnewport.com/ideas Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.ca...

Many of us ask the question if phone addiction is similar to other addictions. In this episode, Cal is joined by the #1 New York Times bestselling author Anna Lembke to explore this question. They dive deep into her book, Dopamine Nation, that captivated readers.  Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Send an email to podcas...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News.   Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia   (0:00) Is AI about to “eat everything”? (2:53) What does the METR chart measure? (8:08) What do these measurements actually capture? (12:31-) How are the models getting better? (21:26) Does this mean AI is about to “eat everything”? (26:16) So, what’s with all of these hysterical tweets...

A new research study reveals that a surprisingly simple intervention into your digital life can yield massive benefits in only two weeks. In this episode, Cal takes a deep dive into this paper, detailing: the intervention, why it works, and tips for increasing your chances of success. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! He...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Is the AI doom fever breaking? (4:30) Have the AI CEOs changed their tuen? (7:23) Why did they change? (11:21) Why did they ever think this was a good idea? (24:26) Conclusion Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

What can an obscure theory of industrial productivity teach us about producing better results in a distracted world? In this episode, Cal is joined by the #1 New York Times bestselling author David Epstein to explore this question. They dive deep into a chapter of Epstein’s new book, INSIDE THE BOX, that makes a surprising connection between the so-called “Theory of Constraints” and personal produ...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode also at: youtube.com/calnewportmedia 0:00 Is AI About to Automate Every Office Job? 3:02 Other Tech Leaders Don’t Agree 5:49 -We Aren’t Seeing Enough Progress 14:09 -LLMS Are Limited 24:19 Conclusion Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.reddit.com/r/AI4tech/comments/...

In his recent New York Times essay, Cal argued for a “cognitive fitness” revolution to resist the onslaught of digital tools degrading our ability to think. But how does one actually strengthen their brain? In this episode, Cal details a sustainable cognitive fitness routine built around five key components.  Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your ques...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia 0:00 What has *Actually* Happened in AI in 2026?  3:07 Open Claw 27:53 Anthropic and the Department of War 49:06 Data Centers Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.axios.com/2026/01/31/ai-moltbook-human-need-tech https://www.macstories.net...

Is developing discipline one of the most effective bulwarks against the constant flood of distraction we face daily? And if so, what’s the best way to accomplish this goal? In this Monday Advice episode of the show, Cal Newport investigates these questions with the help of Brad Stulberg, who writes about these ideas in his most recent book, the New York Times bestseller “The Way of Excellence.”  ...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Today's episode on YouTube: youtube.com/calnewportmedia 0:00 What’s Really Going on with Mythos?  10:09 Security systems 21:27 Conclusion Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRsycWRQrc8 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/opinion/anthropic-ai-claude-mythos.html https://arxi...

Ep. 400: Should I Embrace “Slow Technology”? If there was one word to describe modern digital tools, it would be “fast.” But not everyone thinks this is better. In today’s episode, Cal explores the concept of “slow technology” – the embrace of tools that have fewer features and more friction, but nonetheless produce better work and more satisfaction. His guide in this effort is the acclaimed child...

AI Reality Check: Is AI Stealing Entry-Level Jobs? Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia OPENING: Is AI stealing entry-level jobs? [1:29] MAIN STORY: Torsten Slok essay [3:06] CONCLUSION: AI is not stealing entry-level jobs now [11:32] Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow https://www.wsj....

It’s been a decade since the original publication of DEEP WORK. Do its ideas still hold in 2026? This is the question Cal tackles in today’s episode: reviewing the four major “rules” from his book, reviewing what still holds and what changes he would add. 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/...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia ACT #1: Look Closer at the Article [1:20] ACT #2: A Closer Look at the Paper [3:21] ACT #3: But What About… [7:24] Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/27/number-of-ai-chatbots-ignoring-human-instruction...

Here’s a key question: Did technology like smartphones make us miserable, or were we already miserable and smartphones made it worse? To help figure out this answer, I talked to Arthur Brooks, the #1 New York Times bestselling author and Harvard professor, about this new book: The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness. In our conversation, Brooks argues that our current Age...

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia SUB QUESTION #1: What is Yan LeCun Up To? [2:55] SUB QUESTION #2: How is it possible that LeCun could be right about LLM’s begin a dead-end? We’ve been hearing non-stop recently about how fast they’re advancing. [14:55] SUB QUESTION #3: What would happen next if LeCun is right? [22:26] Link...