IN-DEPTH: Greatness vs. Contentment (w/ Kendra Adachi)
This IN-DEPTH is brought to you by Defender (https://www.landroverusa.com). In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Kendra Adachi to talk about her new book, THE PLAN,
Deep Questions with 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.
Ep. 334: Hallmark Movies and the Deep Life
In this episode, Cal talks about his journey into the tinsel-tinged world of Hallmark Christmas movies, where he discovered an unexpected connection between these low-budget productions and a key
Ep. 335: On Morning Routines
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 content, identifying three major categories of these
Ep. 327: Would Kant Use TikTok?
Almost everyone feels uneasy about their relationships with their smartphones. But the question is why? In today’s episode, Cal looks past the most common answers to seek a deeper understanding
Ep. 337: Hacking Remote Work
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 from home this new focus provides a good chance
Ep. 339: Let Brandon Cook
Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com! In a recent appearance on the Tim Ferriss podcast, the prolific fantasy author Brandon Sanderson revealed how he reshaped his media company to
Ep. 340: Productivity Rain Dances
Sometimes the quest for productivity can seem like the embrace of activity for the sake of activity, a prospect that inevitably leads to exhaustion. In today’s episode, Cal explores this idea by
Ep. 341: Drowning, Treading, or Swimming
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 introduction and then tries to make sense of it with
Ep. 342: The Good Life Algorithm
How do escape a life of shallowness and distraction to cultivate something deeper and more meaningful? In this episode, Cal draws from both algorithm theory and the habits of a reclusive author to
Ep. 343: A Minimal Protocol for Taking Control of Your LIfe
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 to find new clarity in this debate by identifying
Ep. 344: You Are Not a Cog
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 and what can we do about this reality? In this
IN-DEPTH: Greatness on Trial (w/ Brad Stulberg and Clay Skipper)
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 pick apart the weird moment we are in where, on
Ep. 347: The Forgotten Phone Harms
Phones have been receiving a lot of criticism recently, but what if these concerns are missing the mark? In this episode, Cal introduces the difference between primary and secondary phone harms, and
Ep. 348: Manage Your Time in 5 Minutes a Day
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 titled “manage your time in 5 minutes a day.”
Ep. 346: Getting Smarter in a Dumb World
In last week’s episode, Cal discussed data that indicate that the rise of the smartphones is making humans measurably dumber. Here he discusses aggressive strategies for resisting this reality. He
Ep. 345: Are We Getting Dumber?
Multiple listeners recently sent in a Financial Times article that asks whether humans have passed “peak intelligence.” In this episode, Cal looks closer at the data in this article to try to
Ep. 338: Why You’re Always Distracted
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 distracted; both at work and at home. In
Ep. 351: Making the Internet Good Again
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’s argument and finds some surprising common
Ep. 359: Should We Fear Cognitive Debt?
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 with the help of author Brad Stulberg (who made
Ep. 358: Are Parents (Finally) Ready to Fight Smartphones?
Back in 2023, Cal gave a detailed deep dive that described the three phases of scientific understanding of smartphones, social media, and kids. In today’s episode, Cal argues that we’ve entered a