Episodes

  • China Is Winning. How Can the U.S. Catch Up?

    China Is Winning. How Can the U.S. Catch Up?
    Feb 23 2026
    The U.S. is falling behind in its economic competition with China. One potential solution? An expansion of executive power. That’s according to investor and contributing New York Times columnist Steven Rattner. Rattner served as counselor to the Treasury secretary in the Obama administration; he was known as President Obama’s “car czar,” for leading the team that saved the auto industry in the wake of the financial crisis. Today, we discuss why Rattner’s recent trip to China convinced him the U.S. is not winning, and his practical ideas for how we can turn things around — and fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • The Future of Mind-Controlled Computers, According to Neuralink’s Rival

    The Future of Mind-Controlled Computers, According to Neuralink’s Rival
    Feb 16 2026
    When Elon Musk started Neuralink in 2016, he tapped leading neurosurgeon Ben Rapoport to join as a co-founder. But two years later, citing safety and scalability concerns, Rapoport left to co-found a rival company: Precision Neuroscience. Today, we speak with his co-founder, Michael Mager, about what sets Precision apart, the future of brain–computer interfaces (BCIs), and what Precision has already been able to achieve with over 70 implanted patients. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Solving the College AI Crisis

    Solving the College AI Crisis
    Feb 9 2026
    Jeff Selingo is not impressed with how colleges are responding to AI. Selingo has spent decades covering higher education and work, and recently spoke with dozens of professors, administrators, and students about what he calls “the campus AI crisis.” While some faculty are still trying to ban the new technology entirely, others struggle to build smart programs to teach students how to use AI. So what is the right way for colleges to embrace AI? How do we prepare students to enter the job market today? We ask Selingo how he’d redesign higher education for the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Legendary VC Bill Gurley: How to Thrive in Your Career

    Legendary VC Bill Gurley: How to Thrive in Your Career
    Feb 2 2026
    Bill Gurley is a legendary venture capitalist known for backing Uber, Zillow, GrubHub, and many others. But when he started his career, he thought he was going to be a computer engineer. How did he make the pivot? That is just one story Gurley tells in his upcoming book, Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love. In this episode, Gurley shares his words of wisdom, and, of course, we ask his thoughts on the colossal bubble-in-the-making that is AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Why OpenAI Won’t Survive an AI Crash

    Why OpenAI Won’t Survive an AI Crash
    Jan 26 2026
    Venture capitalist, writer, and researcher Paul Kedrosky thinks it's likely that in the near future, an AI crash will cause widespread damage to the economy—but he's still optimistic about the technology anyway. Today, he tells us why, and shares his boldest predictions about AI, including why OpenAI won't last, and why he'd bet against any of the Mag 7, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • How to Stop a Global Economic “Doom Loop”

    How to Stop a Global Economic “Doom Loop”
    Jan 19 2026
    Economist Eswar Prasad believes the world’s economic order is stuck in a doom loop. While globalization has increased global prosperity, it’s also left many people behind. That has set off a global “politics of resentment,” enabling the rise of populist leaders who promise a return to economic independence and nationalism. So what do we do about it? Despite the title of Professor Prasad’s new book, The Doom Loop: Why the World Economic Order Is Spiraling into Disorder, he does have answers, and some optimism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Your Devices Are Already Tracking Your Brain Waves. Should You Be Worried?

    Your Devices Are Already Tracking Your Brain Waves. Should You Be Worried?
    Jan 12 2026
    Your devices could soon be decoding your most intimate thoughts. It’s just a matter of time, according to neurotechnology expert Nita Farahany. There are already devices on the market that track our brain waves, from rings to smartwatches to new products like Meta’s neural band. How do we safeguard our cognitive liberty? Nita Farahany is a Professor of Law and Philosophy at Duke University and the author of The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology. We discuss the benefits and risks of opening our brains to our tech in education, work, law, and life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Lessons from the Crash of 1929 for the AI Bubble

    Lessons from the Crash of 1929 for the AI Bubble
    Jan 5 2026
    If we're truly in an AI bubble close to bursting, how do we avoid economic catastrophe? That's a question we bring to Andrew Ross Sorkin this week, whose new book, 1929: The Inside Story of The Greatest Crash in Wall Street History, has as much to say about the present as it does the past. We ask Andrew what warning signs he sees in the market, how the government should respond to a crash, and what lessons from the 1920s apply today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins