What shapes us more: our DNA or the way we’re raised? The “nature” camp points to genetic research and studies of twins raised apart, arguing that traits from personality to abilities are strongly influenced by inherited biology, limiting how much parenting can shape who children become. The “nurture” camp argues upbringing, culture, and parental choices profoundly influence development and behavior. So which matters more? This ethical conundrum is at the crux of this week's debate, originally broadcast in November 2019

ARGUING YES: 

Robert Plomin, Professor of Behavioral Genetics at King’s College London 

Nancy Segal, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton and Director at the Twin Studies Center 

ARGUING NO: 

Paige Harden, Psychology Professor at the University of Texas 

Ann Pleshette Murphy, Author & Parenting Expert 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

Recent twin studies:

⁠Parenting in Childhood Predicts Personality in Early Adulthood: A Longitudinal Twin-Differences Study⁠ (APA, 2025)

⁠Genetics of monozygotic twins reveals the impact of environmental sensitivity on psychiatric and neurodevelopmental phenotypes⁠ (Nature Human Behavior, 2025)

⁠Longitudinal associations between cognitive ability and socioeconomic status are partially genetic in Nature⁠ (Scientific Reports, 2026)

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A century after Henry Ford helped popularize the five-day, 40-hour week, could working 32 hours be next? Supporters say shorter weeks can improve well-being without sacrificing productivity, especially as AI would make workers more efficient. Others warn it would strain industries that require continuous staffing and force Americans to rethink everything from school and healthcare schedules to expectations of around-the-clock availability. We debate: Is America Ready for a Four-Day Work Week? 

Arguing Yes: Juliet Schor, Economist and Sociologist at Boston College   

Arguing No: Joanne Lipman, Bestselling Author, Journalist, and Former Media Executive 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

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Capitalism has long been credited with driving innovation and prosperity, yet many Americans increasingly believe the system is no longer working for them. Is the problem capitalism itself or the policies surrounding it? In this debate, an entrepreneur and venture capitalist faces a prominent economist with a competing vision to examine inequality, economic opportunity, and the future of the American economy. Now we debate: Is Capitalism Broken? 

Arguing Yes: Nick Hanauer, Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist  

Arguing No: Jason Furman, Former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers; Professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

After you’ve listened to the debate, let us know where you stand on the motion!

VOTE HERE: ⁠https://bit.ly/podcastcapitalismvote ⁠

We will reveal the results of the vote in our Substack newsletter on Saturday, September 5th, so make sure to ⁠subscribe⁠.

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The dangers of climate change are “no longer over the horizon.” Humanity may soon pass the “point of no return.” These are the phrases U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used to describe what he called an “utterly inadequate” global response to rising temperatures. But if we were to decisively act and restructure our global economy with the climate in mind, who would shoulder the burden? Or should our collective focus orient more toward humans’ capacity for adaptation?  This ethical conundrum is at the crux of this week's debate, originally broadcast in July 2022.

Arguing Yes:  

Bjorn Lomborg, Author of the Bestsellers "Cool It" and "The Skeptical Environmentalist"; Director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center 

Matthew Kahn, Provost Professor of Economics and Spatial Sciences at the University of Southern California 

Arguing No: 

Michele Wucker, Economic Policy Expert & Founder of Gray Rhino & Company 

Kaveh Madani, Environmental Scientist; Former Vice President of the United Nations Environment Assembly Bureau; Former Deputy Head of Iran’s Department of Environment 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

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Near-death experiences have long challenged our understanding of consciousness and mortality. Some who come close to death report leaving their bodies, encountering vivid visions, or feeling profound peace. Are these experiences evidence that consciousness can survive death — or can they be explained by what happens in a dying brain? This 2014 debate is one we're still thinking about today. We ask whether science can reveal what, if anything, awaits us after we die. 

Arguing Yes:

Eben Alexander, Former Neurosurgeon; Author of "Proof of Heaven" 

Raymond Moody, Medical Doctor; Author of "Life After Life" 

Arguing No: 

Sean Carroll, Physicist & Writer 

Steven Novella, Academic Neurologist at the Yale School of Medicine 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

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The midterms are coming up this fall, and right now we are in the middle of a contentious primary season, with a lot of new faces challenging incumbents—and many winning. It’s in this context that we revisit our debate from 2022: Are Primary Elections Ruining Democracy? 

Arguing YES 

Elaine Kamarck, Founding Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution 

Arguing NO 

Jed Ober, Former Director of Programs at Democracy International and Former Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania Congresswoman Susan Wild 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates

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As America celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, the legacy of the Founders is under renewed scrutiny. Were they visionary architects of liberty whose achievements and creations should be celebrated, or has reverence for them sanitized the past, how we think of democracy, and the compromises embedded in the nation's founding? As the U.S. marks its semiquincentennial, we debate: Is It Time to Stop Idolizing the Founders? 

Arguing Yes: Osita Nwanevu, Contributing Editor at The New Republic; Columnist at The Guardian 

Arguing No: Helena Rosenblatt, Distinguished Professor of History, French, and Political Science, and the MA Program in Liberal Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

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Fifty years after the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment, the death penalty remains one of America's most divisive issues. Supporters argue it delivers justice for the most heinous crimes, provides closure for victims’ families, and ensures the worst offenders can never kill again. Opponents point to wrongful convictions, racial disparities, and the moral consequences of allowing the state to take a life, arguing that life without parole is enough. Now we debate: Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? This ethical conundrum is at the crux of this week's debate, originally broadcast in April 2015.  

Arguing YES: 

Diann Rust-Tierney, Executive Director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty 

Barry Scheck, Co-Director of the Innocence Project and Professor at Cardozo Law School 

Arguing NO: 

Robert Blecker, Professor at New York Law School 

Kent Scheidegger, Legal Director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

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Forget "happily ever after." As marriage and birth rates fall, young adults have less sex, and assumptions about love and commitment are being challenged. In this episode of “Generational Divides,” Reason editor-at-large Nick Gillespie brings together a Gen X-er, a Millennial, and a Gen Z-er to debate these questions about intimacy and love in the 21st century: Should Gen Z have more sex? Is monogamy overrated? Should people have more babies? 

For Gen X: James J. Sexton, Divorce Lawyer and Author of "How to Stay in Love" 

For Millennials: Carolyn Gorman, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute 

For Gen Z: Malavika Kannan, Author and Writer of the "Quarter Life Crisis" Substack 

Nick Gillespie, Editor-at-Large at Reason, is the guest moderator. 

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After signing a Memorandum of Understanding in June, the U.S. and Iran entered a delicate peace. As negotiators worked toward a permanent deal, one question loomed: Who won the war in Iran — Tehran or Trump? Hours after we concluded a debate on that very question, strikes resumed. By morning, President Trump declared the truce over. Today, we bring you that debate, and the question of who holds the upper hand, and what has been gained and lost, is more pressing than ever. 

Note: This debate was recorded on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, before the verbal dissolution of the Islamabad Memorandum and the resumption of military action in the Iran War. 

Arguing "Tehran is Winning": Suzanne Maloney, Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution 

Arguing "Trump is Winning": Matthew Kroenig, Vice President for Geostrategy and Fellows and Senior Director of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security 

Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 

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