Rephonic
Artwork for Interesting Times

Interesting Times

New York Times Opinion
Donald Trump
Democratic Party
2024 Presidential Election
Republican Party
Kamala Harris
Immigration
Joe Biden
Artificial Intelligence
2024 Election
Trump Administration
United States
Christianity
Trumpism
Populism
JD Vance
Abortion
Iran
Immigration Policy
Nikki Haley
American Democracy

The first draft of our future. Mapping the new world order through interviews and conversations. Every Thursday, from New York Times Opinion. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, downlo... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes216Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Interesting Times

Latest Episodes

Nick Bostrom rose to prominence for predicting artificial intelligence doom more than a decade ago — garnering support from figures like Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Bill Gates. But now he’s retreating from those warnings, focusing his attention on a mo... more

Many Americans are losing faith in elections. Proposed solutions from across the political spectrum to restore faith in the process — early voting, mail-in ballot restrictions and voter ID laws — seem to have the opposite effect.

But lack of trust i... more

President Trump made more than $2 billion last year — far exceeding his presidential salary of $400,000. His growing fortunes are raising questions about his allegiance to investors, particularly foreign ones, as he makes policy decisions and shapes ... more

“Interesting Times” is on a brief hiatus. Before we return next month, we’re bringing you an interview from “The Ezra Klein Show” with Ross Douthat about his 17 years as a conservative columnist at The New York Times. But Ross and Ezra go back even f... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
The Opinions
The OpinionsThe New York Times Opinion
The Interview
The InterviewThe New York Times
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Hard Fork
Hard ForkThe New York Times

Recent Guests

Ross Douthat
Columnist and author, The New York Times Opinion; former Atlantic blogger
The New York Times Opinion / The Atlantic
Episode: Ross Douthat and Ezra Klein on the Art of Persuasion
Bryan Johnson
Founder/CEO of Project Blueprint, longevity entrepreneur
Project Blueprint
Episode: Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It?
Scott Galloway
Professor at NYU Stern School of Business; impresario behind Prof G Media Universe; author of Notes on Being a Man
New York University; Prof G Media Universe
Episode: Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men
Samuel Moyn
Yale Law professor and author of Gerontocracy in America
Yale Law School
Episode: How Older Americans Hoard the Future
Elbridge Colby
Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (guest)
Department of Defense
Episode: Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy
Bhaskar Sunkara
President of The Nation magazine and founding editor of Jacobin
The Nation; Jacobin
Episode: A Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’
Rod Dreher
Writer and commentator known for The Benedict Option, Living in Wonder
Author
Episode: ‘ I'm Worried About Weimar America’
Barack Obama
Former U.S. President introduced as delivering a unifying Independence Day address
Office of Barack Obama
Episode: The Unifying Speech We Won’t Get This Independence Day
Louise Perry
Reactionary feminist, columnist for the Wall Street Journal Free Expression section, author of The Case Against the Sexual Revolution
Wall Street Journal
Episode: Is it Time for a New Sexual Revolution?

Host

Ross Douthat
Host of Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars from 11.1k ratings
  • Douthat Made this Podcast Excellent - Replace Him with Care!

    I’m a long time listener to this podcast because of Ross’ dedication to truth through conversation. I will miss his voice! The Ben Sasse episode is a personal favorite, though Douthat’s diverse array of guests kept the show novel.

    NYT, please find a host who will eschew partisanship and interview guests in the pursuit of truth and understanding!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Excellent Paper, Excellent App
    Canada17 days ago
  • Reversal

    As soon as Ross Douthat left the podcast it started to sound like an arm of the Trump WH. I was coming here for conservative thought and not to listen to pandering. No more guests like Goldsmith.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    abcrystcats
    United States22 days ago
  • Will miss Intersting Times

    As a canadian hoping to understand the Us politics from a conservative perspective, Interesting Times became in my goto podcast. i will miss it so much

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Maria-Fernanda Parra
    Canadaa month ago
  • A truly balanced podcast

    This is such a unicorn these days. Hosted by someone self-identifying as a conservative this podcast has guests from both sides of the aisle and both extremes.

    I find it one of maybe three podcasts that truly allows their guests to speak and also genuinely pushes back when they lapse into rhetoric or false claims. I was saddened to hear the current host will be leaving and I sure hope it’s of his own volition for personal reasons as I doubt the NYtimes can find another calm, balanced, open-min... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Abbeyrd28
    United Statesa month ago
  • 60 minutes boycott

    I have really enjoyed your podcasts but after what Weiss did to Pelley and other CBS correspondents I have boycotted the show and CBS in cereal incline paramount + so unfortunately I won’t be seeing you in your new job. Understand that it’s an upgrade for you at least in compensation but not sure in anything else like reporting integrity.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    missiegt
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Audience seems to value rigorous, sometimes provocative discourse.
Listeners appreciate thoughtful analysis even when they disagree with the host or guests.
Host critiques guests with discipline, which can polarize opinions.
Shows deep, nuanced conversations that push guests to think critically.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#66
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#95
Canada/News
Apple Podcasts
#219
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#167
Italy/News
Apple Podcasts
#168
Germany/News
Apple Podcasts
#229
Australia/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Trump Is Getting Even Richer. Is That a Crime?
Q: Why is it so unusual for a president to be getting rich the way Donald Trump is?
Goldsmith explains the unusualness stems from the president's typical separation from personal finances, the lack of traditional recusal mechanisms, and the scale of foreign and private money involved, which creates concerns about policy distortions and conflicts of interest.
Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It?
Q: Why Bryan Johnson wants to fight and maybe abolish death?
He frames it as a philosophical quest to extend meaningful life through science and AI, not just to live forever but to maximize health and avoid preventable death, while acknowledging the broader societal and ethical implications.
Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men
Q: And so I want to not dive into that data, but start at a more personal level. You are a teacher, your father, your podcaster. Just in your personal life, how did you first get the sense that young men in America were in a kind of trouble?
It started with a specific moment during COVID when a young man named Alex Kerns traded on Robinhood, received a fatal debt message, and took his own life, which spurred deep research into the challenges facing young men and the impact of Big Tech on social relationships.
Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy
Q: How should Europe and other allies respond to these shifts?
Colby contends that allies must take greater responsibility, expand defense spending, and participate in a rebalanced NATO 3.0 framework, with the U.S. encouraging practical partnerships and avoiding blind dependence on American leadership.
A Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’
Q: Can democratic socialism be compatible with capitalism in the short term?
Yes, in the short term, democratic socialism can operate within capitalism to achieve reforms (like housing, healthcare, and labor rights) while pursuing a longer-term goal of a society beyond capitalism, where workers have greater control over production.

Audience Metrics

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Interesting Times

What is Interesting Times about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, high-signal interview show that hosts in-depth conversations with prominent figures across politics, economics, technology, culture, and philosophy. Episodes frequently explore big-picture themes such as governance, national identity, democratic ideas, defense and foreign policy, AI and future tech, and social change, all through nuanced, long-form dialogue. The host is known for probing questions and pushing guests to articulate underlying assumptions, which makes the series a clear choice for listeners who want rigorous exploration of complex issues. Noteworthy is the mix of policy wonkery, cultural critique, and boundary-pushing topics like human enhancement and longevity, often featuring guests who shape public discourse a... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Interesting Times?

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

How many listeners does Interesting Times get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Interesting Times, 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 Interesting Times?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Interesting Times, 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 Interesting Times have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Interesting Times 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 Interesting Times?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Interesting Times:

1. The Ezra Klein Show
2. The Opinions
3. The Interview
4. The Daily
5. Hard Fork

How many episodes of Interesting Times are there?

Interesting Times launched 8 years ago and published 216 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 Interesting Times?

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 Interesting Times?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Interesting Times 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 Interesting Times?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Interesting Times. 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 Interesting Times?

Recent guests on Interesting Times include:

1. Ross Douthat
2. Bryan Johnson
3. Scott Galloway
4. Samuel Moyn
5. Elbridge Colby
6. Bhaskar Sunkara
7. Rod Dreher
8. Barack Obama

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days