The Cal Newport Show – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Cal Newport Show

Cal Newport

Technology

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/5d. Total Eps: 464

A podcast about human flourishing in a technological world. Hosted by Cal Newport, an MIT-trained computer professor and bestselling author of numerous books on technology and its impacts, including DEEP WORK, DIGITAL MINIMALISM, A WORLD WITHOUT EMAIL, and SLOW PRODUCTIVITY. New episodes weekly.

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Apple

Data updated on 27/10/2026

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Apple Podcasts

Spotify

🇩🇪 Germany - technology
28/10/2026
#38
→
🇬🇧 Great Britain - technology
28/10/2026
#15
→
🇺🇸 USA - technology
28/10/2026
#16
↘
🇩🇪 Germany - technology
27/10/2026
#38
↘
🇬🇧 Great Britain - technology
27/10/2026
#15
→
🇺🇸 USA - technology
27/10/2026
#11
↘
🇩🇪 Germany - technology
26/10/2026
#37
→
🇬🇧 Great Britain - technology
26/10/2026
#15
→
🇺🇸 USA - technology
26/10/2026
#10
↘
🇩🇪 Germany - technology
25/10/2026
#37
↗

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https://www.blinkist.com/deep
39 shares
https://calnewport.com/podcast
34 shares
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
29 shares

https://youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 48%

Publication history

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When Productivity Theory Meets Practice

Monday, October 26, 2026 • Duration 01:06:29

What happens when neat theoretical ideas about productivity are deployed in the messy real world? In this episode, Cal is joined by Haley Pulli, a productivity coach from the company DoneDaily, to discuss case studies of clients who initially struggled with some of Cal’s ideas and how they ultimately fixed the issues. 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) When productivity theory meets practice (4:26) Time blocking (14:50) Multi-scale planning (24:16) Deep work (43:05) Attention residue (50:05) Shutdown ritual (54:05) Obsess over quality (1:00:07 ) Shallow work 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 our Sponsors: https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions https://www.calderalab.com/deep (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.quo.com/deep https://www.masterclass.com/cal Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Nate Mechler for research and newsletter, and Ben Crain and Rob Montz for video editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Why Did Big Tech Stop Building Useful Products?

Thursday, October 22, 2026 • Duration 14:24

Tesla’s recent demo of a rocket-powered Roadster doing a kick-flick over a parked car touched a nerve in me. It seemed to epitomize changes to the tech sector in recent years that have been largely negative. In this short episode, I jump on the mic to explain some of my developing thoughts surrounding these ideas. 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 00:00 Intro 02:40 Factor 1: Growth companies vs. stable companies 05:40 Factor 2: Engagement-pilling 08:00 Factor 3: Building useful products is hard 10:43 Why this is a problem — and what we can do about it 13:49 Outro Credits: Podcast Production: Jesse Miller Newsletter/Research: Nate Mechler Theme Music: Jay Kerstens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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“Rogue” AI Not Inevitable. It’s a Choice.

Monday, October 19, 2026 • Duration 01:18:25

A lot of attention has been paid recently to examples of AI going “rogue.” What’s missing from this discussion, however, is a more detailed explanation of what specific types of systems are causing problems. Taking a closer look at this problem reveals an issue that’s much more narrow and much more avoidable than some of the frontier labs would like you to believe. 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) Rogue AI not inevitable. It’s a choice. (54:00) The legal implications of rogue AI (1:00:03) Rogue AI sending advice emails (1:07:41) A reaction to the recent episode about “chatbots harming kids” (1:16:52) What Cal is up to October books: Telephone: The first hundred years (John Brooks) 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://openai.com/index/how-we-monitor-internal-coding-agents-misalignment/ https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Paul-Ohm-Testimony.pdf https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-ai-agent-emailed-hundreds-researchers-help-it-told-us-why https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/opinion/children-screens-parents-health.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/technology/openai-attack-hugging-face.html?eafs_enabled=false https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/technology/openai-ai-breach-australia.html?eafs_enabled=false https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/10/anthropics-claude-ai-submitted-false-murder-tip-to-philadelphia-police/ Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP” for 20% off) https://www.gusto.com/deep https://www.meetfabric.com/deep https://www.pipedrive.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Nate Mechler for research and newsletter, and Ben Crain and Rob Montz for video editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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An Unlikely Team Tackles AI Brain Rot

Monday, October 12, 2026 • Duration 01:05:41

How do we stop from becoming so reliant on LLMs that we lose our ability to think. A new paper explores answers based on an unlikely source: rigorous mathematical models. In this episode, Cal explains the paper and its conclusions, arguing that once you cut through its complexity it yields a useful way of thinking about our current AI moment. 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) An unlikely team tackles AI brain rot (38:08) What are Cal’s thoughts on how Jesse Singal describes AI? (56:29) A look at some vision documents (1:00:42) Cal’s advice for a parenting situation (1:03:16) What Cal is up to October books: Simplify (Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Roy Schwartz) 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://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.03344 https://thedispatch.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hugging-face-security-death/ Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off (Use code “DEEP50OFF”) https://www.calderalab.com/deep (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.notion.com/cal https://www.mybodytutor.com Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Nate Mechler for research and newsletter, and Ben Crain and Rob Montz for video editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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A Stark Warning From a Former AI Doomer

Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 01:17:49

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Cal interviews Emile Torres who provides a stark warning about AI. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) A stark warning from a former AI doomer (2:01) Interview with Emile Torres (1:13:57) Cal recaps the interview with Emile Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Nate Mechler for research and newsletter, and Ben Crain and Rob Montz for video editing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Combating the Whirlwind with a Single Sheet of Paper

Monday, October 5, 2026 • Duration 01:06:44

One of the more debilitating experiences in our current digital world is the sense of being trapped in relentless, reactive, busyness. This “whirlwind” can separate you from both ambition and presence, leaving you feeling flat and fried. In this episode, Cal discusses a simple trick he deploys when he finds himself in this state. It requires only a single sheet of paper. 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 (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:25) Why Overload Makes Life Feel Flat (00:05:17) The Two Plus Five Plan (00:21:54) The Long-Term Fix: Workload Management (00:26:04) Office Hours: Rebuilding After a Health Crisis (00:31:50) Landlining and Taming Your Phone (00:46:54) Talking to AI, Star Trek Style (00:55:57) September Books and Studio Update Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.superhuman.com https://www.pipedrive.com/deep https://www.scribe.how/deep Credits: Podcast Production: Jesse Miller Newsletter/Research: Nate Mechler Theme Music: Jay Kerstens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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An Insider's Guide to AI Doom

Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 28:39

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: (0:00) Intro (1:01) Why the debate is so heated (2:01) Group 1: The Doomers (rationalists and effective altruists) (9:12) Anthropic, OpenAI, and the doomer civil war (14:03) Group 2: The Accelerationists (17:51) Group 3: The Centrists (24:00) 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

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Kids Should *Not* Use Chatbots! (You Should Be Wary, Too…)

Monday, September 28, 2026 • Duration 01:18:36

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 (0:00) Kids should not use Chatbots (39:52) What is Cal’s opinion of a recent NY Times article about dumb phones? (45:04) How should I apply Slow Productivity when my company rewards quick email turnaround? (51:00) What happens when the craftsman mindset doesn’t yield results? (56:30) Cal’s reaction to Ezra Klein’s article on AI (1:10:51) 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

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The Truth About Brain Rot

Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 52:34

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 (0:00) The truth about brain rot (31:31) Will you address Immanuale Kants “Critique of Pure Reason” in your upcoming book about thinking? (33:42) What is the difference between the strategic plan and vision document? (36:59) Can I buy the “Deep Life” on pre-order? (39:30) Cal discusses his recent newsletters (41:54) My small business uses Claude. Is that ok? (44:45) Are any AI companies responsible to use? (45:28) The truth about LLMs (45:45) What are some AI book recommendations? (46:42) AI and regulation (50:25) 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

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The AI Resistance is Forming. (Should You Join?)

Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 01:11:56

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 (0:00) A new paper calls LLMs a "cognitive virus" (4:03) Brad gave AI a real shot — then quit (8:13) Why everything online now sounds the same (13:22) Plank 1: Effort, struggle, and the click-of-a-button economy (20:11) You can take a gondola to the summit, but you didn't climb it (28:30) Plank 2: AI is an average maker (33:39) AI swirl: pseudo-productivity turned up to 11 (49:40) Treat AI like ultra-processed food (55:08) Getting it off your phone, and the lesson of sports analytics (1:00:13) 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

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