https://simplecast.com Interesting Times with Ross Douthat 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 and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. © 2018-2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY; The New York Times encourages the use of RSS feeds for personal use in a news reader or as part of a non-commercial blog, subject to your agreement to our Terms of Service. en Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:03:13 +0000 https://www.nytimes.com/column/matter-of-opinion Interesting Times with Ross Douthat https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/4105a47a-42e5-4ccc-887a-832af7989986/1755eb11-344c-4732-bac7-d1a5daafb473/3000x3000/nyt-rossdouthat-albumart-3000px.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://www.nytimes.com/column/matter-of-opinion episodic 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 and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. New York Times Opinion false https://feeds.simplecast.com/bS1LZG8m journalism, news, new york times, ross douthat New York Times Opinion interestingtimes@nytimes.com 8cddf437-871d-4877-8db0-fff799a79ecd Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It? For my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how seemingly radical ideas are steadily entering the mainstream of American politics, technology and culture. Few ideas are as radical as the hope of significant life extension and the quest to live forever.

My guest today thinks he can outrun death. After selling his tech company for hundreds of millions of dollars and experiencing a profound religious crisis, Bryan Johnson turned his own body into the ultimate science project, centered on an explicit mission: Don’t die.

But why does Johnson want to live forever, and what lessons can his algorithmically driven lifestyle bring to the rest of us?

It’s been an honor hosting this podcast and navigating these strange waters with you. “Interesting Times” will be back with new episodes and new hosts in the fall.

  • 0:00 Why Bryan Johnson Wants to Defeat Death
  • 1:18 The Core Premise of "Don't Die" vs. Immortality
  • 3:26 Selling Braintree/Venmo & Personal Collapse
  • 6:33 Leaving the Mormon Church & Searching for Meaning
  • 7:45 Launching Project Blueprint: Body as Philosophy
  • 11:35 Bryan Johnson’s Daily Longevity Routine & Biological Age Metrics
  • 15:06 How AI Builds "Autonomous Health" for the Human Body
  • 17:58 The Best Habits to Optimize Health: Sleep & Heart Rate
  • 21:32 Blueprint Products, Supplements, & Testing
  • 23:46 Reversing Biological Aging: Saunas & HBOT
  • 25:24 Can Psychedelics Extend Lifespan? Psilocybin Longevity Trials
  • 31:07 How Falling in Love Has Changed His Perspective
  • 34:06 Diagnosed with an Incurable Autoimmune Disease
  • 35:51 The Risk of Gerontocracy
  • 53:53 Can Humanity Defeat Death? Societal & Philosophical Impacts

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 interestingtimes@nytimes.com (New York Times Opinion) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/opinion/interesting-times-bryan-johnson.html For my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how seemingly radical ideas are steadily entering the mainstream of American politics, technology and culture. Few ideas are as radical as the hope of significant life extension and the quest to live forever.

My guest today thinks he can outrun death. After selling his tech company for hundreds of millions of dollars and experiencing a profound religious crisis, Bryan Johnson turned his own body into the ultimate science project, centered on an explicit mission: Don’t die.

But why does Johnson want to live forever, and what lessons can his algorithmically driven lifestyle bring to the rest of us?

It’s been an honor hosting this podcast and navigating these strange waters with you. “Interesting Times” will be back with new episodes and new hosts in the fall.

  • 0:00 Why Bryan Johnson Wants to Defeat Death
  • 1:18 The Core Premise of "Don't Die" vs. Immortality
  • 3:26 Selling Braintree/Venmo & Personal Collapse
  • 6:33 Leaving the Mormon Church & Searching for Meaning
  • 7:45 Launching Project Blueprint: Body as Philosophy
  • 11:35 Bryan Johnson’s Daily Longevity Routine & Biological Age Metrics
  • 15:06 How AI Builds "Autonomous Health" for the Human Body
  • 17:58 The Best Habits to Optimize Health: Sleep & Heart Rate
  • 21:32 Blueprint Products, Supplements, & Testing
  • 23:46 Reversing Biological Aging: Saunas & HBOT
  • 25:24 Can Psychedelics Extend Lifespan? Psilocybin Longevity Trials
  • 31:07 How Falling in Love Has Changed His Perspective
  • 34:06 Diagnosed with an Incurable Autoimmune Disease
  • 35:51 The Risk of Gerontocracy
  • 53:53 Can Humanity Defeat Death? Societal & Philosophical Impacts

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It? New York Times Opinion 01:04:34 For my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how seemingly radical ideas are steadily entering the mainstream of American politics, technology and culture. Few ideas are as radical as the hope of significant life extension and the quest to live forever. My guest today thinks he can outrun death. After selling his tech company for hundreds of millions of dollars and experiencing a profound religious crisis, Bryan Johnson turned his own body into the ultimate science project, centered on an explicit mission: Don’t die. But why does Johnson want to live forever, and what lessons can his algorithmically driven lifestyle bring to the rest of us? It’s been an honor hosting this podcast and navigating these strange waters with you. “Interesting Times” will be back with new episodes and new hosts in the fall. For my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how seemingly radical ideas are steadily entering the mainstream of American politics, technology and culture. Few ideas are as radical as the hope of significant life extension and the quest to live forever. My guest today thinks he can outrun death. After selling his tech company for hundreds of millions of dollars and experiencing a profound religious crisis, Bryan Johnson turned his own body into the ultimate science project, centered on an explicit mission: Don’t die. But why does Johnson want to live forever, and what lessons can his algorithmically driven lifestyle bring to the rest of us? It’s been an honor hosting this podcast and navigating these strange waters with you. “Interesting Times” will be back with new episodes and new hosts in the fall. false full 7ccb5c6d-49d7-4a38-8c30-872466830cb6 Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men What does a liberal solution to the masculinity crisis look like? As men fall behind in the American educational system and the economy, they’re looking for meaning — and often find it in the wrong places.

My guest today is Scott Galloway, a professor at N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business. Galloway is an unlikely masculinity guru — he’s a liberal academic, a business founder and a married father.

He had a lot to say about the social and economic reasons young men seem to be struggling, but he’s still optimistic about the future.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Thu, 6 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000 interestingtimes@nytimes.com (New York Times Opinion) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/opinion/ross-douthat-scott-galloway-masculinity.html What does a liberal solution to the masculinity crisis look like? As men fall behind in the American educational system and the economy, they’re looking for meaning — and often find it in the wrong places.

My guest today is Scott Galloway, a professor at N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business. Galloway is an unlikely masculinity guru — he’s a liberal academic, a business founder and a married father.

He had a lot to say about the social and economic reasons young men seem to be struggling, but he’s still optimistic about the future.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men New York Times Opinion 00:43:25 What does a liberal solution to the masculinity crisis look like? As men fall behind in the American educational system and the economy, they’re looking for meaning — and often find it in the wrong places. My guest today is Scott Galloway, a professor at N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business. Galloway is an unlikely masculinity guru — he’s a liberal academic, a business founder and a married father. He had a lot to say about the social and economic reasons young men seem to be struggling, but he’s still optimistic about the future. What does a liberal solution to the masculinity crisis look like? As men fall behind in the American educational system and the economy, they’re looking for meaning — and often find it in the wrong places. My guest today is Scott Galloway, a professor at N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business. Galloway is an unlikely masculinity guru — he’s a liberal academic, a business founder and a married father. He had a lot to say about the social and economic reasons young men seem to be struggling, but he’s still optimistic about the future. false full d2bb23a7-33b7-437c-ac0b-d3120f38a0a0 How Older Americans Hoard the Future American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so much power, should younger generations revolt? 

My guest today is Samuel Moyn, a professor at Yale Law School, and he argues that American democracy is distorted by the power of the old. We discuss how seniors have hoarded wealth and influence and how Americans can renew an intergenerational compact.

  • 0:00 The Tyranny of the Elderly
  • 2:01 From Joe Biden to Mitch McConnell
  • 4:19 Europe's Anti-Gerontocracy
  • 5:15 Politicians are the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’
  • 7:07 The Dark Side of Longevity
  • 9:40 How Age Impacts Policy
  • 15:10 The Age Wealth Gap
  • 20:21 How About Millennials?
  • 23:28 Age Limits and Youth Power
  • 38:14 Care Hoarding and Family Burdens
  • 44:54 The Assisted Suicide Debate
  • 50:14 Personal Stakes

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000 interestingtimes@nytimes.com (New York Times Opinion) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/opinion/american-gerontocracy-samuel-moyn.html American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so much power, should younger generations revolt? 

My guest today is Samuel Moyn, a professor at Yale Law School, and he argues that American democracy is distorted by the power of the old. We discuss how seniors have hoarded wealth and influence and how Americans can renew an intergenerational compact.

  • 0:00 The Tyranny of the Elderly
  • 2:01 From Joe Biden to Mitch McConnell
  • 4:19 Europe's Anti-Gerontocracy
  • 5:15 Politicians are the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’
  • 7:07 The Dark Side of Longevity
  • 9:40 How Age Impacts Policy
  • 15:10 The Age Wealth Gap
  • 20:21 How About Millennials?
  • 23:28 Age Limits and Youth Power
  • 38:14 Care Hoarding and Family Burdens
  • 44:54 The Assisted Suicide Debate
  • 50:14 Personal Stakes

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> How Older Americans Hoard the Future New York Times Opinion 00:52:54 American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so much power, should younger generations revolt? My guest today is Samuel Moyn, a professor at Yale Law School, and he argues that American democracy is distorted by the power of the old. We discuss how seniors have hoarded wealth and influence and how Americans can renew an intergenerational compact. American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so much power, should younger generations revolt? My guest today is Samuel Moyn, a professor at Yale Law School, and he argues that American democracy is distorted by the power of the old. We discuss how seniors have hoarded wealth and influence and how Americans can renew an intergenerational compact. false full c9239365-7bac-4069-a039-7671f66816ba Introducing ‘Interesting Times’ There’s a saying that comes to mind these days: May you live in interesting times. It’s understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing.

“Interesting Times With Ross Douthat” is a new weekly podcast from New York Times Opinion. Every Thursday, he will map the new world order through interviews and conversations. Answering questions like: What does our new political era really look like? What is the future of democracy around the world, with American empire in retreat? What happens to movies and books — all of culture — in our digital and A.I.-dominated age?

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Sun, 6 Apr 2025 17:55:00 +0000 interestingtimes@nytimes.com (New York Times Opinion) https://nytimes.com/2025/04/07/opinion/interesting-times.html There’s a saying that comes to mind these days: May you live in interesting times. It’s understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing.

“Interesting Times With Ross Douthat” is a new weekly podcast from New York Times Opinion. Every Thursday, he will map the new world order through interviews and conversations. Answering questions like: What does our new political era really look like? What is the future of democracy around the world, with American empire in retreat? What happens to movies and books — all of culture — in our digital and A.I.-dominated age?

Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Introducing ‘Interesting Times’ New York Times Opinion 00:03:04 false full