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Galaxy Brain

The Atlantic
Artificial Intelligence
Social Media
Openai
Conspiracy Theories
Chatgpt
AI Coding Agents
The Internet
Epstein Files
Jeffrey Epstein
Mental Health
Donald Trump
Algorithms
Youtube
Sex Trafficking
Department Of Justice
Elon Musk
Labor Market Impact
Gambling
Public Discourse
Ghislaine Maxwell

The internet has warped public life: Politicians behave like influencers, the economy resembles a casino, and people can no longer agree upon a consensus reality. New conspiracy theories, memes, and main characters seem to pop up every day. A constant war is on for your attention, and it’s easy to feel lost. Each week, Galaxy Brain and its host Charlie Warzel invite you into conversations to make ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes50Founded8 years ago
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Technology

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Artwork for Galaxy Brain

Latest Episodes

It’s not just stealing cars and running from cops anymore. In the newest “Grand Theft Auto” installment—13 years and an estimated billions of dollars in the making—people in a fictionalized version of Florida can exercise, drink smoothies, pet their ... more

YouTube

The hype over cryptocurrency may have faded since the fall of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX, but beneath the surface, a lot of real money is involved, including the millions being funneled into the American political system. The actor turned documentaria... more

YouTube

The flood of reports about AI agents escaping and hacking websites can feel scary. But is this actually just a matter of needing better security to match the evolving technology? Zack Korman, the CEO of Embroidery, thinks so. He works in cybersecurit... more

YouTube

Meta has been selling millions of its camera-equipped glasses, making all of us fodder for content creation—when we’re on the street, at the store, and in our workplaces. Host Charlie Warzel talks with Verge reporter Mia Sato about how regular people... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Chris Plante
Co-founder of Polygon, host of the Besties and Postgames
Polygon
Episode: What ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Tells Us About America
Ben McKenzie
Actor and journalist researching cryptocurrency; author of Everyone Is Lying to You for Money
Self/Author
Episode: Is Crypto Dead? Or More Influential Than Ever?
Zack Korman
Founder/CEO of Embroidery, an AI agent monitoring and detection platform
Embroidery
Episode: An Argument Against AI Doom
Mia Sato
Reporter and features writer at The Verge
The Verge
Episode: We’re All Being Recorded. What Do We Do About It?
Lina Khan
Chair of New York City's Economic Development Corporation and former chair of the FTC
New York City Economic Development Corporation; former FTC
Episode: Lina Khan on the AI-Safety Panic
Elizabeth Spiers
Contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, host of Slate Money, former founding editor of Gawker
The New York Times, Slate, Gawker
Episode: Is AI Writing Inevitable?
Teddy Brown
Reporter at CNN, former tech writer
CNN
Episode: Is AI Writing Inevitable?
Jon Ronson
Writer and podcaster, author of The Castle
Author
Episode: Why So Many Men Are Unraveling
Julie Beck
Staff writer at The Atlantic; guest discussing attention and How to Touch Grass
The Atlantic
Episode: Welcome to the Scrolling Backlash

Host

Charlie Warzel
Host of Galaxy Brain; technology journalist and writer

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.6k ratings
  • Work in progress

    I love Charlie's writing, and podcasting is a WIP for him. Charlie, on the recent AI episode: you're not going to push back, on general humanity and philosophical grounds, that 3 dead people for an AI mistake is just fine, expected, normal?? Cmon man.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    CenterLeft97212
    United States17 days ago
  • Very thoughtful and insightful

    Great show, really gets you to think in a deeper and more nuanced way about complex issues. Very well done.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BuddahadduB
    United States2 months ago
  • Great conversations, annoying sound effects

    Love the topics and conversations but the sound effects are irritating and patronising - feels like someone let a child with a soundboard loose over the dialogue. We don’t need to hear mouse clicking or voice fx or keyboards clacking - trust the conversation is interesting enough by itself!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Mica-spangled
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Ada are abrupt and poorly done

    I really enjoy this show and understand that (even though I am Atlantic subscriber) there may need to be some ads, this could be handled much better. The ads are quite rude in that they not only abruptly interrupt thoughts and context, but they even barge into individual sentences. As Charlie is literally in the middle of a sentence an ad LOUDLY interrupts him.

    I may just stop listening this show as this is really highly intrusive and takes quite a bit away from the show. The ads placemen... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Cmc5000
    United States3 months ago
  • Omg the ads

    I really enjoyed the few of these that I listed too but OMG the way they do ads is so disruptive that I give up. You can’t tell me it’s THAT hard to insert an ad after a period instead of in the middle of a sentence

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    LMSD13
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the depth and range of topics, especially AI and platform dynamics.
Some listeners critique pacing and organization of questions.
Many praise guest diversity and fresh perspectives on tech culture.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#47
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#46
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#30
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#74
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#162
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#179
Germany/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Tells Us About America
Q: What are the defining innovations in GTA 6 that could outpace prior entries and keep players engaged for years?
The guest highlights the advanced micro-detail work, such as animation depth, living city ecosystems, and dynamic online worlds, which create a 'living, breathing' art piece that evolves with player-generated content and community activity, sustaining engagement long-term.
What ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Tells Us About America
Q: Am I right? Am I wrong? Talk to me.
The guest predicts GTA 6 will be a massive cultural event, driven by its scale, immersion, and social-media integration, while acknowledging that the franchise will navigate current-culture sensitivities by focusing on broader storytelling rather than explicit topical references.
An Argument Against AI Doom
Q: Why do you think there is a doomer narrative around AI, and is it justified?
Doomer narratives arise from cultural fears and the perception that labs are unaccountable. However, the reality is more nuanced: progress is real and risks exist, but they are addressable through better processes, monitoring, and accountability rather than existential panic.
An Argument Against AI Doom
Q: What is your broad reaction to all of this news that has transpired over the past week?
The situation is not as scary as it sounds. The main takeaway is that while incidents happen, many are within the realm of cybersecurity challenges, and there are clear paths to improve monitoring, sandboxing, and governance to prevent repeat incidents.
We’re All Being Recorded. What Do We Do About It?
Q: What kinds of real-world incidents with these glasses did you cover, and what do they reveal about everyday risks?
There were stories of harassment and pranks in stores and public spaces, with videos going viral and raising concerns about consent, safety for workers, and the broader impact on how people are recorded and perceived in daily life.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Galaxy Brain

What is Galaxy Brain about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, tech-forward discussion show that layers analysis of AI, social media, policy, and online culture with cultural commentary on how platforms shape society. Recurring topics include the attention economy, the economics of hardware and AI, the politics of tech giants, and how digital life redefines work, media, and identity. Notable is the willingness to bring insider perspectives from tech, media, and academia, plus long-form conversations that connect complex systems to everyday experiences. The show often blends rigorous context with storytelling, making dense topics accessible while inviting debate about the future of technology and democracy.

Where can I find podcast stats for Galaxy Brain?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Galaxy Brain. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Galaxy Brain and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Galaxy Brain get?

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What are the audience demographics for Galaxy Brain?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Galaxy Brain, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Galaxy Brain have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Galaxy Brain has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Galaxy Brain?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Galaxy Brain:

1. Radio Atlantic
2. The David Frum Show
3. The Ezra Klein Show
4. The Opinions
5. Hard Fork

How many episodes of Galaxy Brain are there?

Galaxy Brain launched 8 years ago and published 50 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Galaxy Brain?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Galaxy Brain?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Galaxy Brain from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Galaxy Brain. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Galaxy Brain?

Recent guests on Galaxy Brain include:

1. Chris Plante
2. Ben McKenzie
3. Zack Korman
4. Mia Sato
5. Lina Khan
6. Elizabeth Spiers
7. Teddy Brown
8. Jon Ronson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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