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Artwork for The Cal Newport Show

The Cal Newport Show

Cal Newport
Productivity
Deep Work
Slow Productivity
Social Media
Time Management
Artificial Intelligence
Mental Health
Technology
Digital Minimalism
Deep Life
Discipline
Work-Life Balance
Digital Distractions
Smartphones
Knowledge Work
Writing
Openai
Anthropic
Self-Improvement
Attention Economy

A podcast about human flourishing in a technological world. Hosted by Cal Newport, an MIT-trained computer professor and bestselling author of numerous books on technology and its impacts, including DEEP WORK, DIGITAL MINIMALISM, A WORLD WITHOUT EMAIL, and SLOW PRODUCTIVITY. New episodes weekly.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes465Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyEducationSelf-Improvement

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Artwork for The Cal Newport Show

Latest Episodes

The most recent episode of the Acquired podcast featured a story about Jerry Seinfeld that provides a critical lesson for succeeding in our current AI moment.

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

(0:00) Do hard things

(1:30) Tec... more

What happens when neat theoretical ideas about productivity are deployed in the messy real world? In this episode, Cal is joined by Haley Pulli, a productivity coach from the company DoneDaily, to discuss case studies of clients who initially struggl... more

Tesla’s recent demo of a rocket-powered Roadster doing a kick-flick over a parked car touched a nerve in me. It seemed to epitomize changes to the tech sector in recent years that have been largely negative. In this short episode, I jump on the mic t... more

A lot of attention has been paid recently to examples of AI going “rogue.” What’s missing from this discussion, however, is a more detailed explanation of what specific types of systems are causing problems. Taking a closer look at this problem revea... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Emile Torres
Researcher and academic focused on eschatological and utopian movements
Episode: A Stark Warning From a Former AI Doomer
Brad Stulberg
Author and speaker featured on the show
Author, The Way of Excellence
Episode: The AI Resistance is Forming. (Should You Join?)
Chris Moody
Journalism educator; former CNN politics senior correspondent; advocate of digital opt-out living
Appalachian State University; The Opt Outers (The Opt Outers on Substack)
Episode: Should I Turn Off the Internet? (Lessons From a Family That Did) | Monday Advice
Kostadin Kuchlev
Professor in the psychology department at Georgetown, directs the Happy Tech Lab
Georgetown University
Episode: Am I Lazy or Overstimulated? | Monday Advice
Jenny Wright
Listener asking about reading for work at bedtime and corner marking
Episode: Should I Press Pause? | Monday Advice
Laura Vanderkam
Author of Big Time, Time management expert
Author of Big Time
Episode: How Do I Reclaim My Schedule? (w/ Laura Vanderkam) | Monday Advice
Anna Lembke
Professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine; addiction medicine expert
Stanford University
Episode: Am I Addicted to My Phone? (w/ Anna Lembke) | Monday Advice
David Epstein
New York Times bestselling author, author of Inside the Box
Riverhead Books / author
Episode: Why Do Better Tools Make Me Worse at My Job? (w/ David Epstein) | Monday Advice
Jensen Wong
Industry figure referenced in clip; associated with NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Episode: Is AI About to Automate Every Office Job? | AI Reality Check

Host

Cal Newport
Host of Deep Questions with Cal Newport; professor and author focused on deep work, productivity, and technology's impact on society.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 4.7k ratings
  • The Broken Clock of Productivity

    Cal wrote one great book, Deep Work, and has basically been confidently wrong about everything else ever since.

    I enjoy Cal because it’s good productivity theater. When he’s not spouting ultra right wing talking points and posting white nationalists memes, he remixes Deep Work every single week so you can listen to a novel version of Deep Work for every podcast.

    While his political takes are infantile, Deep Work was really a great book and I love him remixing it every single week.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Vgatz42
    United States18 days ago
  • Just discovered Cal Newport - excellent!Must listening or viewing on YouTube

    I first heard Cal Newport being interviewed by Ed Elson on Prof G Markets podcast. Cal explained alternative safer AI technologies beyond Large Language Models pushed by AI/Anthropic.

    He also did a short course in this interview on the ideologies of those driving AI that really helped me frame the contradiction we all intutively understand to be true….that AI companies are irrationally rushing towards Doom.

    This is best exemplified by the hilarious SNL Weekend Update spoof of Amodei, “I wan... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Refined Taster
    United States21 days ago
  • omg thank god…

    someone clearly explaining what’s going on, finally, thank you

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TheBestestNickname
    United States22 days ago
  • Exceptional

    The episode with Emile Torres is astounding. They and Cal are right that there should be much more exploration and coverage of the world view of the transhumanist ideas that seem to prevail in Silicon Valley.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fanboy444
    United States22 days ago
  • I appreciate this show, listen often. Comment re. Monday Episode on busyness busting

    fyi: Tesserac is from A Wrinkle in Time. (Not The Avengers.)

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bets444
    United States24 days ago

Listeners Say

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

Some critics feel episodes can be repetitive or heavily book-promotional
Fans appreciate actionable, long-form productivity guidance
Listeners praise Cal's calm, rational take on AI and tech
Listeners value practical strategies for deep work and digital minimalism

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

“Rogue” AI Not Inevitable. It’s a Choice.
Q: How should people understand an AI agent that emailed researchers for advice?
Newport describes Colonist One as a program that repeatedly prompts an LLM and executes its suggestions. He says the agent's emails are a predictable result of its instructions and tools, not evidence of a coherent machine with an independent life.
“Rogue” AI Not Inevitable. It’s a Choice.
Q: What are the legal implications of rogue AI?
Newport summarizes Georgetown law professor Paul Ohm's view that liability requires case-by-case analysis of the conduct, who should be responsible and the relevant mental-state standard. Negligence may apply even when developers did not intend an agent's illegal actions.
A Stark Warning From a Former AI Doomer
Q: What was it that led you to your second apostasy in your life?
Torres describes becoming disillusioned with utilitarianism's treatment of people as vessels of value, the movement's techno-capitalist vision, its lack of inclusive democratic input, and the prospect of coercively replacing biological humanity with post-human successors.
A Stark Warning From a Former AI Doomer
Q: Can you explain what the acronym TESCREL means?
Torres says TESCREL names a cluster of seven ideologies: transhumanism, extropianism, singularitarianism, cosmism, rationalism, effective altruism and long-termism. Torres describes them as distinct traditions that share a broad vision of a post-human future.
Kids Should *Not* Use Chatbots! (You Should Be Wary, Too…)
Q: What's your view on Ezra Klein's AI op-ed and the frontier discussions?
The emphasis is on moving from generic AI warnings to specific, inspectable research and experiments; demanding accountability and stopping unsafe experiments helps avoid glamorized, speculative futures.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Cal Newport Show

What is The Cal Newport Show about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Deep, thoughtful discussions centered on focus, productivity, and meaningful work in a high-speed, tech-filled world. Across recent episodes the host analyzes frameworks for deep work, debunks AI hype with measured skepticism, and offers practical routines (notebooks, digital minimalism, pacing) to cultivate sustained attention. The show often features long-form explorations, reader questions, and sponsor integrations that illustrate how deeply intentional approaches can be applied in professional and personal life. A notable edge is the blend of rigor, accessible explanations, and a recurring emphasis on deliberate practice and sustainable strategies for mastering hard things in a distracted era.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Cal Newport Show?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Cal Newport Show:

1. Better Offline
2. The Tim Ferriss Show
3. Best Laid Plans
4. excellence, actually
5. The Knowledge Project

How many episodes of The Cal Newport Show are there?

The Cal Newport Show launched 6 years ago and published 465 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Cal Newport Show?

Recent guests on The Cal Newport Show include:

1. Emile Torres
2. Brad Stulberg
3. Chris Moody
4. Kostadin Kuchlev
5. Jenny Wright
6. Laura Vanderkam
7. Anna Lembke
8. David Epstein

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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