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Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer
Artificial Intelligence
Mental Health
Donald Trump
Obesity
Glp-1 Drugs
Social Media
Economy
China
Inflation
Housing Market
2024 Election
Social Isolation
Tariffs
Covid-19 Pandemic
Alzheimer's Disease
Education
Kamala Harris
United States
Educational Policy
Interest Rates

Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Watch Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglis... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes378Founded5 years ago
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Artwork for Plain English

Latest Episodes

Over the past century, attitudes about gender roles have become one of the clearest dividing lines in the country. Many Republicans, both men and women, say men are getting a raw deal in modern America. Many Democrats see that claim as completely off... more

On his 40th birthday, Derek Thompson takes a step back and looks at how his thinking on the national debt has changed. Back when he first covered fiscal policy, concern about government borrowing was mostly a conservative position, with many liberals... more

YouTube

Fertility rates are collapsing around the world. In rich countries and poor ones, in secular societies and religious ones, people are having fewer children than ever before. Some explanations focus on economic factors like housing costs, childcare co... more

YouTube

For the past few years, Silicon Valley executives and economists have warned that artificial intelligence could wipe out millions of jobs. Some companies have even blamed AI for layoffs. But what if the AI job apocalypse isn’t actually happening?

To... more

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Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Number of Listeners
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People also subscribe to these shows.

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The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion

Recent Guests

Jesús Fernández-Villaverde
University of Pennsylvania economist, demography expert
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: The Global Fertility Crisis Is Worse Than You Think
Alex Imas
Economist, University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Episode: The Case Against the AI Job Apocalypse
Ajit Goenka
Radiologist, Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Episode: One of the Deadliest Cancers in America May Have Met Its Match
David Epstein
Author of Range and Inside the Box
Author
Episode: Why Too Much Freedom Is the Enemy of Success
Sean Fennessey
Host of The Big Picture, author of Projections
The Ringer
Episode: The Triple Crisis That’s Breaking Hollywood—and Changing the Future of Movies
Nat Bullard
Singapore-based energy analyst
Episode: The Whole World Is Fighting About Energy
Ryan Burge
Author of Graphs About Religion and substack writer
Graphs About Religion / Substack
Episode: America's Religious Revival Is a Mirage
Alex Turnbull
Financial analyst and writer
Employ America
Episode: Is China the Winner of the Iran War?
Jack Clark
Co-founder of Anthropic, AI researcher
Anthropic
Episode: Anthropic Thinks AI Might Destroy the Economy. It's Building It Anyway.

Host

Derek Thompson
Host of the show, known for his insightful commentary on current events and his ability to simplify complex topics for a general audience.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 8.1k ratings
  • Love this podcast, please stop advertising glp1s

    Your podcast is wonderful and i savor every episode. Please stop advertising glp1s, I think you are morally above this and it is sad for me to see someone with your thoughtfulness advertise these. Please stop, it makes me want to turn your wonderful podcast off.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CedarYofi
    United States14 days ago
  • A Favorite!

    I look forward to every Plain English episode. I enjoy the topics and the way Derek Thompson shares complex content in an easy to follow manner. I learn something new with each podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CaliChi Fan
    United States24 days ago
  • Unnecessary gambling ads

    Spotify actively chooses to include gambling ads in their podcasts

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Anonym0usreview3r
    Australiaa month ago
  • Must listen

    Very intelligent discourse, excellent interviewer. Highly recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    J-mom.0
    United Statesa month ago
  • .

    Covers all perspectives other than strawmanning conservatives.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    PleaseRead!!!
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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

There are mixed feelings regarding the podcast's direction, with some loyal fans expressing concern over perceived political biases or content shifts.
Overall, the podcast is well-regarded for its thought-provoking content and ability to foster healthy debate and discussion.
Listeners appreciate the in-depth analysis and clarity on complex subjects, often noting the quality of guests and engaging discussions.
Many highlight the podcast's approach in making challenging topics accessible and relatable to a broader audience.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Case Against the AI Job Apocalypse
Q: What is the lump of labor fallacy, and how does it apply to the AI and jobs debate?
The lump of labor fallacy is the idea that the current set of jobs is fixed and that automation simply replaces one set of tasks with another without expanding overall employment. In the discussion, it's used to argue that automation frees up resources and creates new demands, so employment can stay robust or even grow as technology lowers costs and opens space for new activities.
The Global Fertility Crisis Is Worse Than You Think
Q: What are the three main mechanisms behind global fertility decline you discuss, and which one surprised you most?
The three mechanisms are changes in social norms and gender roles, the educational weaponization of societies leading to later marriages and higher education attainment, and housing costs that constrain family formation; the speed and global reach of social norms via media were particularly striking in reshaping fertility decisions.
The Global Fertility Crisis Is Worse Than You Think
Q: Tell me at the grandest historical scale, why is fertility important?
Fertility determines population size and trajectory, which shapes the long-term balance of labor, capital, resources, and social institutions; it is the central variable that governs how economies and societies evolve over generations.
One of the Deadliest Cancers in America May Have Met Its Match
Q: What are the practical steps to deploying this technology in real-world care?
Work involves rigorous validation, balancing sensitivity with specificity, integrating AI with established clinical workflows, and developing automated EMR-based risk screening (NPAC score) to identify high-risk individuals for targeted testing.
One of the Deadliest Cancers in America May Have Met Its Match
Q: How was the study conducted to ensure AI wasn't cheating by accessing external data?
The team used a Mayo archive of 5,500 patients, excluded scans with visible cancers in training, included demographically matched controls, and had radiologists verify scans to ensure no cancer was present, preventing data leakage.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Plain English

What is Plain English about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast engages with a diverse range of relevant topics spanning technology, culture, politics, and public health. With a focus on making complex subjects accessible, it often features discussions about current affairs, societal changes, and scientific advancements, all presented through a lens of clear analysis and thoughtful dialogue. Notably, the host frequently invites experts from various fields, ranging from economics to neuroscience, driving discussions that engage both the intellect and the public's curiosity. The ability to tackle hard-hitting questions while maintaining a conversational tone sets it apart, making it appealing for listeners who appreciate depth without the jargon.

Where can I find podcast stats for Plain English?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Plain English. 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 Plain English and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Plain English get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Plain English, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Plain English?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Plain English, 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 Plain English have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Plain English 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 Plain English?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Plain English:

1. The Bill Simmons Podcast
2. The Press Box
3. The Rewatchables
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. The Zach Lowe Show

How many episodes of Plain English are there?

Plain English launched 5 years ago and published 378 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 Plain English?

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 Plain English?

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

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Plain English?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Plain English. 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 Plain English?

Recent guests on Plain English include:

1. Jesús Fernández-Villaverde
2. Alex Imas
3. Ajit Goenka
4. David Epstein
5. Sean Fennessey
6. Nat Bullard
7. Ryan Burge
8. Alex Turnbull

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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