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Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

By: Cal Newport
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Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.© 2024 Deep Questions with Cal Newport Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Ep. 357: What Worries the Internet’s Favorite Philosopher?
    Jun 16 2025

    Few philosophers in recent memory have enjoyed as much attention as Byung-Chul Han. His mix of profundity and pithiness in tackling some of the big issues of the modern technical environment has made him “the internet’s new favorite philosopher” (to quote The New Yorker). But is he saying that is making such an impact? In this episode, Cal seeks to find out. He reports back on five of the biggest ideas he encountered reading Han’s 2017 book, IN THE SWARM. He then answers listener questions and concludes with a WHAT TO READ segment where he tackles a pair of competing articles on AI’s abilities.

    Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

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

    Deep Dive: What Worries the Internet’s Favorite Philosopher? [3:50]

    - What’s Cal’s writing schedule when traveling? [29:26]
    - How do I adapt to new job duties after making partner? [31:44]
    - Should I do memory training? [33:22]
    - Can you explain how creativity and productivity are related? [36:16]
    - How do Cal’s responsibilities fit into his lifestyle-centric plan? [39:33]

    CASE STUDY: A retiree adopts Cal’s principles [43:07]

    CALL: Adventure work [46:13]

    WHAT TO READ: Two Dueling Takes on AI’s Abilities [54:35]

    Links:
    Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
    Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport
    Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
    theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/10/billion-dollar-ai-puzzle-break-down
    scientificamerican.com/article/inside-the-secret-meeting-where-mathematicians-struggled-to-outsmart-ai/
    arxiv.org/pdf/2504.01995
    arxiv.org/pdf/2503.21934

    Thanks to our Sponsors:

    This show is sponsored by BetterHelp:
    betterhelp.com/deepquestions
    expressvpn.com/deep
    shopify.com/deep
    mybodytutor.com

    Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • IN-DEPTH: The Art of Non-Conformity (w/ Chris Guillebeau)
    Jun 12 2025

    In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal is joined by Chris Guillebeau, the author of the new book, TIME ANXIETY, and creator of the beloved Art of Non-Conformity blog and World Domination Summit annual conferences. Cal and Chris reminisce about their old days as early advice bloggers and dive into his new ideas about re-thinking our relationship with time.

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

    INTERVIEW: The Art of Non-Conformity (w/ Chris Guillebeau) [03:50]

    Links:
    https://www.calnewport.com/slow

    Sponsors:
    https://www.donedaily.com

    Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the theme music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Ep. 356: How Much Should We Work?
    Jun 9 2025

    The data shows knowledge workers really are more exhausted and more prone to burnout than ever before. But why? In this episode, Cal draws inspiration from an unlikely source to help unpack this troubling trend and then suggest a perhaps radical solution. He then answers listeners’ questions and discusses his latest New Yorker article on the challenges of taming AI. As a bonus, he briefly discusses Cal Network’s new bestselling book.

    Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com!

    Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

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

    Deep Dive: How Much Should We Work? [3:33]

    - What’s your advice on having a career backup plan? [28:27]
    - Do you know of any executive coaches who teach your principles? [30:33]
    - Is my retirement plan too ambitious? [35:13]
    - Are accountability support tools acceptable to use in order to build discipline? [38:43]
    - How can I identify if I have an inventory of "rare and valuable skills"? [41:21]

    CASE STUDY: Crafting a storytelling profession [43:14]

    CALL: Creating a life dashboard [46:14]

    TECH CORNER: Why Can’t We Tame AI? (Cal’s latest New Yorker article) [52:08]

    Links:
    Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
    Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/

    Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
    newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/what-isaac-asimov-reveals-about-living-with-ai

    Thanks to our Sponsors:

    drinklmnt.com/deep
    oracle.com/deepquestions
    indeed.com/deep
    vanta.com/deepquestions

    Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
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