Deep Questions with Cal Newport

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 was in national interests for us to take over control of TikTok’s fabled “algorithm.” But what is this algorithm? How does it work? To what extent can it be controlled? In today’s episode, Cal looks deeper at these questions and arrives at a broader philosophical point about the role these services, in general, should play in our civic culture. He then answers listener questions on the same topic and reacts to the three recent news articles about TikTok’s influence on our culture.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Decoding TikTok’s Algorithm [0:03]

CASE STUDY: Trying to become a great composer [1:02:29]

CALL: Tips for dealing with growing kids [1:08:58]

CAL REACTS: Three Articles about TikTok (and Three Sighs of Exasperation) [1:18:04]

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/tiktok-surfing-challenge-manslaughter-b2832760.html
yahoo.com/news/world/article/why-people-on-tiktok-think-the-rapture-is-coming-and-that-the-world-is-ending-this-week-202334215.html
bbc.com/news/articles/c4gj5lqq52lo
youtube.com/watch?v=z7Df9yGofLo
youtube.com/shorts/xWIVA0ZJm-w

Thanks to our Sponsors:

monarchmoney.com (Use code “DEEP”)
reclaim.ai/cal
wayfair.com
makeheadway.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 prolific popularizers of science around (you may have seen him recently chatting about cosmology with Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman). They talk about Keating’s new book, HOW TO FOCUS LIKE A NOBEL PRIZE WINNER, as well as many other topics, including a deep look at Keating’s unusual path to academia, and a deconstruction of what’s needed to succeed at the highest levels of academia.

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

INTERVIEW: Focus like a Nobel Prize Winner (w/ Brian Keating) [3:20]

Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Impossible-Laureates-Collaboration-Imagination/dp/1544523491

Sponsors:
https://www.donedaily.com

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Kieron Rees for the theme music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 enough motivation to bother to leave. In today’s episode, motivated by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Cal puts on his technology critic hat and offers a step-by-step technical explanation for why these platforms are strictly and incessantly making your life worse and why the only reasonable response is to quit them. He then answers listener questions on the topic and reacts to some recent news about the US Congress getting involved.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Is it Finally Time to Leave Social Media? [0:40]

CASE STUDY: A musician and social media [58:00]

CAL REACTS: US House panel asks internet CEOs to testify after Charlie Kirk assassination [1:10:42]

Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
reuters.com/world/us/us-house-panel-asks-online-forum-ceos-testify-after-charlie-kirk-assassination-2025-09-17/
youtube.com/watch?v=gjVm0K_ETX8

Thanks to our Sponsors:

calderalab.com/deep
miro.com
grammarly.com/podcast
1password.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 productive. In this episode, Cal dives deep into the study and argues that when it comes to efforts that require deep work, AI can sometimes make things worse. He then answers listener questions and then takes a closer look at an article claiming that the lack of Wi-Fi in a West Virginia school is making their students dumber. 

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Deep Work in the Age of AI [0:38]

CASE STUDY: Using strategies to develop a Deep Life [43:04]

CAL REACTS: Does lack of Wi-Fi make students dumber? [53:09W]

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/
theatlantic.com/economy/archive/2025/09/ai-bubble-us-economy/684128/
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/08/the-school-without-wifi.html
educationrecoveryscorecard.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/report_WV_5401140_pocahontas-county-schools.pdf

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp:
betterhelp.com/deepquestions
cozyearth.com/deep
shopify.com/deep
mybodytutor.com

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

IQ scores had been steadily rising since WWII. But, more recently, this phenomenon has stopped.  Since 2010, we’ve actually been getting dumber. In this episode, Cal gets into the common theories for why this is true before offering his own take, which leads to some practical takeaways to help you thrive in an increasingly stupider world. He then answers listener questions and talks about something he read recently.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity? [0:41]

CASE STUDY: A songwriter works deep and slow [1:06:43]

CALL: Getting out of the weeds [1:14:04]

WHAT I’M READING: Who is still against school cell phone bans? [1:23:28]

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289623000156
youtube.com/watch?v=u4jW8MOxIKY
rebeccaschiffman.com/beachvacation
rebeccaschiffman.bandcamp.com
nytimes.com/2025/03/21/nyregion/school-cell-phone-ban-nyc.html

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

expressvpn.com/deep
oracle.com/deepquestions
indeed.com/deep
vanta.com/deepquestions

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Four Hour WorkWeek” which basically redefined a generation’s relationship with work, meaning, and the possibilities for building an interesting life. More recently, Tim created a card game! It’s called Coyote. And he created it with one of the top designers in the business, the same company that created Exploding Kittens.

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

INTERVIEW: The Game of Life (w/ Tim Ferriss) [3:16]

Links:
https://www.explodingkittens.com/products/coyote

Sponsors
https://www.reclaim.ai/cal

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Kieron Rees for the theme music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 brag about how sleeping less than 4 hours a night and gaining 80 pounds helped him become a millionaire. In this episode, Cal wades into the furious debate this article sparked. He argues that once you look past the author’s dorm bro bravado, the kid does actually ask a good question. It’s just that his answers are lacking. Cal then tackles listener questions and reviews the books he read in August.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity? [1:06]

Is it possible to stay focused when having to check my phone for text messages? [42:20]

When did you switch back to your teaching schedule to your summer schedule? [44:05]

How has your deep life evolved since Episode 1? [49:22]

How can I stop obsessively checking my work email? [53:47]

Can you summarize how values and strategic planning documents, birthday projects and lifestyle centric planning combine? [58:14]

CASE STUDY: Organizing household admin [1:01:44]

CALL: How to tame Trello cards [1:06:39]

AUGUST BOOKS: The 5 books Cal read in August 2025 [1:13:26] 

Boundless Realm (Foxx Note)
Collisions (Alec Nevala-Lee)
Before the Birds Sang Words (Ken Bruce)
Desperation Reef (T Jefferson Parker)
Shift (Hugh Howey)

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX1XHMlX1J0

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

ridge.com (use code “Cal”)
drinklmnt.com/deep
shopify.com/deep
calderalab.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 lackluster GPT-5 launch, a new, almost heretical-seeming question has emerged: what if progress on AI is stalled well short of the wild predictions we were promised? In today’s episode, Cal draws from reporting on his recent New Yorker article to go deep into this question. What is going on with AI? How did we get here? What does it mean for our personal quest to live deeper lives? He then answers listener questions and ends by discussing his recent brush with literary acclaim.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: What if AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This? [1:00]

CALL: Overhead tax [1:17:47]

CAL REACTS: Ed Sheehan and the Booker Prize [1:27:55]

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/what-if-ai-doesnt-get-much-better-than-this
youtube.com/watch?v=zju51INmW7U
youtube.com/watch?v=Dtdue31z-X8
youtube.com/watch?v=0SXCIfFK5r8
youtube.com/shorts/dYZmGHOLNRU
youtube.com/watch?v=k82RwXqZHY8
youtube.com/watch?v=qhnJDDX2hhU
youtube.com/watch?v=qbIk7-JPB2c&t=3s
youtube.com/watch?v=k82RwXqZHY8
youtube.com/shorts/JCImeOUVTJE

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

grammarly.com/podcast
cozyearth.com/deep
calderalab.com/deep
shipstation.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 strategies for cultivating a deeper life.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Today’s Deep Question: How can I reinvent my life in 4 months? [1:30]

Cover Reveal for Slow Productivity [1:05:27]

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This show is brought to you by Better Help.

https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions

https://www.mybodytutor.com

https://www.miro.com

https://www.shopify.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 into the difference between additive and extractive technologies, telling a story that weaves old technology with old versions of modern tools, testimony from recent trials to ideas from leading technology critics – all in the service of improving your relationship with tools. He then answers listener questions and discusses the books he read in July, 2025.

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

Deep Dive: What Technology Wants (and How to Push Back) [:54]
- Do project trackers work? [34:54]
- Is there a downside scenario to engineering wonder? [39:14]
- What types of people should I surround myself with? [43:00]
- Can you explain your different audiences? [45:02]

CALL: Shifting from medical work to a PhD [50:41]
JULY BOOKS: The 5 Books that Cal Read in July, 2025 [57:33]

L.A. Story (Bill Plunkett)
Disney’s Land (Richard Snow)
Ingenious (Richard Munson)
Original Sin (Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson)
Wool (Hugh Howey)

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/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
https://substack.com/@priscillaharvey1/note/c-133662492
https://www.yahoo.com/news/zuckerberg-tells-court-facebook-no-171222971.html
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/mark-zuckerberg-is-so-over-facebook-friends?srsltid=AfmBOoo4dysXG_2rXWDJaKnSdG6CfbCqf0O_8op_R1phpz5GQPx2F4XA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7jar4KgKxs
https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ai-fC-2Bpo
https://www.emarketer.com/content/openai-hires-its-first-cmo-kate-rouch-foreshadowing-ads
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfUpEWAKPf8&t=2350s

Thanks to our Sponsors:
https://www.expressvpn.com/deep
https://www.oracle.com/deepquestions
https://www.indeed.com/deep
https://www.calderalab.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices