Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Ep 384: What Should I Read for a Deeper New Year?

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our annual holiday episode, Cal tackles one of the questions he’s asked most often: What should I read? But with a twist. He recommends six books...

Ep 383: Why Is Everyone Talking About “Against the Machine”? (w/ Tyler Austin Harper)

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this fall, the activist, novelist, and essayist Paul Kingsnorth published an anti-technology polemic called “Against the Machine.” To say ...

Ep. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television?

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, Derek Thompson published an intriguing essay that made waves in technology criticism circles. It was titled: “Everything is Television.”...

Ep. Ep 381: Life Advice from Legendary Writers

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, Cal reviews some of his favorite advice from legendary writers (plus a bonus piece of advice from his own craft). Within each su...

Ep. 380: ChatGPT is Not Alive!

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There has been a lot of loose talk online recently about the capabilities of existing AI tools. In this episode, Cal reacts to a specific recent clip ...

Ep. 379: The Flexibility Myth

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When companies began instituting return-to-office plans after the pandemic, a disproportionate number of women chose instead to leave the workforce. W...

Ep. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We often talk on this show about how digital devices undermine our ability to consume more complicated and meaningful ideas. But what about our abilit...

Ep. 377: The Case Against Superintelligence

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Techno-philosopher Eliezer Yudkowsky recently went on Ezra Klein's podcast to argue that if we continue on our path toward superintelligent AI, these ...

Ep. 376: The Lincoln Protocol

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you escape a world where constant digital distractions and darkness threatens to pull you down? Maybe take a page out of Abraham Lincoln’s li...

Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ep. 375: Did OpenAI Just Kill Social Media?OpenAI has been making waves recently with their release of their Sora 2 video generation model, which they...

Ep. 374: This is Your Brain on Phones

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s hard to cultivate a deep life when you cannot go more than a few minutes without checking your phone. In this episode, Cal looks closer at the ...

Ep. 373: The Internet’s Best Advice for Reinventing Your Life

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2023, I published an episode about resetting your life that became one of my most popular. In the years since, multiple major podcasters and YouTub...

Ep. 372: Decoding TikTok’s Algorithm

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, it was announced that Oracle would take over operation of TikTok in the US. One of the primary reasons proposed for this deal is that it wa...

IN-DEPTH: Focus like a Nobel Prize Winner (w/ Brian Keating)

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by Dr. Brian Keating, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UCSD, and one of the most pr...

Ep. 371: Is it Finally Time to Leave Social Media?

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We seem to be stuck in a purgatory when it comes to the worst of the social media platforms. We know they’re not great, but it’s hard to muster en...

Ep. 370: Deep Work in the Age of AI

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A recent study called into question a core assumption about the generative AI revolution: that these tools, at the very least, will make us more produ...

Ep. 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate.

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

IQ scores had been steadily rising since WWII. But, more recently, this phenomenon has stopped.  Since 2010, we’ve actually been getting dumber. In...

IN-DEPTH: The Game of Life (w/ Tim Ferriss)

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by bestselling author and podcaster, Tim Ferriss. Tim rocketed to prominence with his 2007 book, “The Fou...

Ep. 368: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity?

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A 22-year-old made a splash recently when he published a Wall Street Journal op-ed claiming that work-life balance makes you mediocre. He went on to b...

Ep. 367: What if AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This?

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In recent years, it’s been hard not to react to the possibilities of generative AI without a mixture of euphoria or dread. But after OpenAI’s lack...

Ep. 366: How to Reinvent Your Life in 4 Months (Classic Episode from August, 2023)

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this replay of one of the more popular episodes from the Deep Questions archives, originally aired in August ,2023, Cal explores some of his early ...

Ep. 365: What Technology Wants (and How to Push Back)

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we end up entangled with tools that don’t have our best interests in mind? How can we fix this situation? In this episode, Cal dives deep int...

Ep. 364: Metrics 101

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Cal recently returned home from his time spent up in New England he set up a whole new set of daily metrics to track in the fall to keep him poin...

Ep. 363: Escaping the Digital Doldrums

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does Walt Disney’s malaise in the 1940s have to do with our current struggles with our screens? In this episode, Cal uses a little-known story ...

Ep. 362: The Texting Dilemma

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When we think about unhealthy phone usage, we think about the flashing apps, like TikTok and Instagram, in which billions of dollars have been spent t...

Ep. 361: Do You Need an App Blocker?

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you worried that you’re using your phone too much? An app blocker might make sense. But how do they work, and which one is right for you? In thi...

Ep. 360: One-Page Productivity

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trying to stick to complicated time management systems without any breaks can eventually lead to burn out. But if you stop organizational efforts alto...

Ep. 359: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt?

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A blockbuster new study out of MIT takes a closer look at the impact of writing with the help of AI. In today’s episode, Cal breaks down this paper ...

Ep. 358: Are Parents (Finally) Ready to Fight Smartphones?

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 2023, Cal gave a detailed deep dive that described the three phases of scientific understanding of smartphones, social media, and kids. In tod...

Ep. 357: What Worries the Internet’s Favorite Philosopher?

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Few philosophers in recent memory have enjoyed as much attention as Byung-Chul Han. His mix of profundity and pithiness in tackling some of the big is...

IN-DEPTH: The Art of Non-Conformity (w/ Chris Guillebeau)

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by Chris Guillebeau, the author of the new book, TIME ANXIETY, and creator of the beloved Art of Non-Confor...

Ep. 356: How Much Should We Work?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The data shows knowledge workers really are more exhausted and more prone to burnout than ever before. But why? In this episode, Cal draws inspiration...

Ep. 355: Quit Social Media (For Real This Time)

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A common complaint about social media skepticism is that we’re falling into a classic moral panic. We’ve been concerned about many past mass media...

Ep. 354: The Workload Fairytale

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A few years ago, in a spirit of post-pandemic experimentation, multiple countries ran formal trials to test a radical idea: shortening the workweek. I...

Ep. 353: Summer Schedules

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Summer is here. It’s time to slow down. In this episode, Cal discusses his radically simplified summer schedule and then suggests you similarly inje...

Ep. 352: It’s Okay to Slow Down

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When we think about important accomplishments, we think about grinding through long hours of work. But is this really necessary? In this episode, Cal ...

Ep. 351: Making the Internet Good Again

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tyler Cowen recently wrote an article arguing that spending lots of time online is in fact a good thing. In this episode, Cal looks deeper at Cowen’...

Ep. 350: Is Inbox Zero Possible?

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The white whale of modern productivity discourse is achieving an empty email inbox; a goal state that’s often referred to simply as “inbox zero.”...

Ep. 349: Sam Altman On Productivity

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cal talks a lot about his ideas for producing meaningful work in a distracted world. But how do other people tackle this goal? To help better under th...

IN-DEPTH: Architecting a Deep Life (w/ David Dewane)

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by David Dewane, the architect responsible for the “eudaimonia machine” featured in DEEP WORK. In this ...

Ep. 348: Manage Your Time in 5 Minutes a Day

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cal has been writing about time management for a *long* time. In this episode, he returns to a chapter from a book he wrote twenty years ago that is t...

Ep. 347: The Forgotten Phone Harms

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Phones have been receiving a lot of criticism recently, but what if these concerns are missing the mark? In this episode, Cal introduces the differenc...

Ep. 346: Getting Smarter in a Dumb World

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In last week’s episode, Cal discussed data that indicate that the rise of the smartphones is making humans measurably dumber. Here he discusses aggr...

Ep. 345: Are We Getting Dumber?

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Multiple listeners recently sent in a Financial Times article that asks whether humans have passed “peak intelligence.” In this episode, Cal looks...

Ep. 344: You Are Not a Cog

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Modern knowledge work jobs should be cushy gigs. Fixed hours, air conditioning, no hard manual labor, flexibility. So why are we so often burnt out an...

Ep. 343: A Minimal Protocol for Taking Control of Your LIfe

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most commonly recurring themes on this show is the conflict between too much versus not enough productivity. In this episode, Cal attempts ...

IN-DEPTH: Greatness on Trial (w/ Brad Stulberg and Clay Skipper)

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by the writers Brad Stulberg and Clay Skipper to talk about the topic of “greatness.” They attempt to p...

Ep. 342: The Good Life Algorithm

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do escape a life of shallowness and distraction to cultivate something deeper and more meaningful? In this episode, Cal draws from both algorithm ...

Ep. 341: Drowning, Treading, or Swimming

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Ferris is working on a new book about saying “no” and has posted the introduction online. In this episode, Cal reads an excerpt from this intr...

Ep. 340: Productivity Rain Dances

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes the quest for productivity can seem like the embrace of activity for the sake of activity, a prospect that inevitably leads to exhaustion. I...

Ep. 339: Let Brandon Cook

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com! In a recent appearance on the Tim Ferriss podcast, the prolific fantasy author Brandon Sanderson rev...

Ep. 338: Why You’re Always Distracted

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com! One of the most common complaints from listeners to the podcast is the feeling that they’re too di...

Ep. 337: Hacking Remote Work

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Remote work is a hot discussion topic right now as president Trump moves to eliminate it from government work. For those who are still allowed to work...

Ep. 336: On Screens and Solitude

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent article for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson writes about the troubling trends toward increased solitude. In this episode, Cal looks at the ro...

Ep. 335: On Morning Routines

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most popular and most derided topics in online productivity spaces are so-called morning routines. In this episode, Cal wades into this con...

Ep. 334: Hallmark Movies and the Deep Life

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Cal talks about his journey into the tinsel-tinged world of Hallmark Christmas movies, where he discovered an unexpected connection b...

Ep. 333: New Year Course Correction

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo...

Ep. 332: Jesse Takeover!

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo...

IN-DEPTH: The Comfort Crisis (w/ Michael Easter)

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Michael Easter to talk about the importance of embracing discomfort in the quest to c...

Ep. 331: Money and the Deep Life

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most important but often overlooked elements of cultivating a deep life is the role of money. In this episode, Cal takes a contrarian look ...

Ep. 330: Tackling Social Media’s Hidden Dangers

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Australia recently passed a world-first law banning social media use for kids under the age of 16. In this episode, Cal looks carefully at the argumen...

IN-DEPTH: Greatness vs. Contentment (w/ Kendra Adachi)

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This IN-DEPTH is brought to you by Defender. In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Kendra Adachi to talk about her new boo...

Ep. 329: The Tao of Cal

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We cover a lot of advice on this podcast, covering a lot of different topics. In today’s episode, Cal takes on the challenge of summarizing every bi...

Ep. 328: Analog Mode

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a video trending on the internet at the moment arguing that its audience (presumably, young men) should disappear from the world to focus on...

Ep. 327: Would Kant Use TikTok?

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Almost everyone feels uneasy about their relationships with their smartphones. But the question is why? In today’s episode, Cal looks past the most ...

Ep. 326: Time to Unplug

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the election season our devices take a particularly hard tole on our health and happiness. Now that the votes have been cast and counted, Cal p...

Ep. 325: Simple Focus Protocols

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A common theme on this show is the importance of focus and the need to train the ability. This can be a long term project, but are there things you ca...

Ep. 324: Taming Non-Work Tasks

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a lot on this show about how to organize your professional efforts. But what about all your obligations outside of work? The personal goals, t...

Ep. 323: Strategic Procrastination

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most common complaints from people attempting to cultivate a deep life in our distracted world is procrastination. You want to make regular...

IN-DEPTH:The Productivity Trap (w/ Oliver Burkeman)

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, a semi-regular interview series with people at the frontiers of deep living, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Oliver B...

Ep. 322: The Discipline Ladder

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you struggle to consistently make progress on hard things that are important to you? In today’s episode, Cal describes a way to improve this stat...

Ep. 321: Escaping Your Phone

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It has become second nature to maintain a continuous partial participation in the world of digital networks. In today’s episode, Cal reflects on a w...

Ep. 320: Jobs and the Deep Life

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the single most important factors in your attempts to cultivate a deep life is your job. Yet, many people don’t give much thought to the role...

IN-DEPTH: Systematic Depth (w/ Ryan Holiday)

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, a new semi-regular interview series with people at the frontiers of deep living, Cal interviews bestselling author Ryan H...

Ep. 319: Reclaim Your Time

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why can you never seem to find enough time to make progress on the non-urgent but important priorities that can move you closer to the ideal of the de...

Ep. 318: Take a Break

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the more viral suggestions from Cal’s recent book, SLOW PRODUCTIVITY, was to occasionally skip out of work to see a movie. In this episode, C...

Ep. 317: The 10-Year Rule

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming notably good at something valuable is one of the most powerful tools for crafting a deep life. But how do people do this? In this episode, Ca...

Ep. 316: Weekly Templates

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The fall is the perfect time to tune up your productivity and organizational systems. With this in mind, in this episode, Cal discusses a tool he has ...

Ep. 315: The Surprising Myth of Doing Less

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this classic episode, Cal talks about the surprising myth of doing less. Cal then answers questions about discipline and solving complicated proble...

Ep. 314: Elements of the Deep Life

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this classic episode Cal talks about the elements of the Deep Life. He then answers a variety of questions about work, family, and phone distractio...

Ep. 313: Structured Journaling

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Summer is the perfect time to ready yourself for significant changes in your life. A chance to seek more depth in a distracted world. But for many, th...

Ep. 312: Productivity Basics

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s mid-summer, people have some extra breathing room in their schedule, they’re relaxed. This moment of quiet seems like a perfect time to revis...

Ep. 311: Finding Focus in Distracting Times

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our current digital world, distracting world events have a way of completely destabilizing our ability to focus on work that matters. In today’s ...

Ep. 310: Rethinking Discipline

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Discipline is critical to cultivating a deep life, but what exactly does this concept mean? In this episode, Cal uses a concrete case study from Reddi...

Ep. 309: Deep Habits

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this show, we often talk about major overhauls to your work and life. In this episode, we go the other way and focus on the small habits that can m...

Ep. 308: The Power of the Quiet Mind

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the trickiest aspects of new technology is that it can sometimes destabilize parts of our lives that we didn’t even realize existed and are i...

Ep. 307: Ultra-Processed Content

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why are we comfortable with the idea that ultra-processed foods are bad for us but feel somehow anti-technology to say something similar about the ult...

Ep. 306: Defusing AI Panic

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the simmering concerns surrounding the current AI revolution is the fear that we might accidentally create an “alien mind” smarter than we ...

Ep. 305: Is Time Blocking Oppressive?

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Oliver Burkeman recently noted that time blocking seems oppressive? In this episode, Cal responds to this reaction in a surprising way. He then answer...

Ep. 304: Seinfeld on The Deep Life

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent interview, held to promote his new Netflix movie, Jerry Seinfeld went on a remarkable 10-minute run in which he rattled off one insight af...

Ep. 303: The Problem with Grand Goals

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The desire to cultivate a more intentional and remarkable existence – what we call “the deep life” – is universal. In today’s episode, Cal t...

Ep. 302: Re-Enchanting Work

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a lot on this show about how to organize and execute your work, but not enough about where to do it. In this episode, Cal explores the theory ...

Ep. 301: Reclaiming Time and Focus (w/ Jordan Harbinger)

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the proverbial tables are turned, with Cal being interviewed by Jordan Harbinger about time, focus, and the quest for a slower notion...

Ep. 300: Hidden Technology Traps

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There has been a lot of attention paid recently to the impact of technology like social media on the mental health of young people. But this is not th...

Ep. 299: Our Love/Hate Relationship with Personal Productivity

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cal has been writing professionally about issues related to personal productivity for two decades. In today’s episode, he provides a short history o...

Ep. 298: Rethinking Attention

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We think of information as something neutral; a spotlight that helps illuminate the reality of the outside world. Accordingly, more information is bet...

Ep. 297: The Deep Life Hardware

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why do you struggle with your grand attempts to escape distraction and aimlessness to make your life deeper? In this episode, Cal draws on an unexpect...

Ep. 296: Jane Austen’s To-Do List (LIVE)

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the first ever live episode of Deep Questions, recorded at People’s Book in Takoma Park, MD, Cal extracts a modern productivity lesson from the t...

Ep. 295: Artists Revolt Against Social Media

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Cal takes a closer look at a growing trend of artists quitting social media and instead reverting to old-fashioned websites. Are these...

Ep. 294: A Tactical Assault on Busyness

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest problems afflicting knowledge workers in the digital age is frantic busyness; days filled with emails, chats, and meetings, without...