Best The Gray Area Podcasts (2024)

1
Is America collapsing like Ancient Rome? 49:55

2d ago49:55

49:55

What can ancient Rome teach us about American democracy? The Roman Republic fell for a lot of reasons: The state became too big and chaotic; the influence of money and private interests corrupted public institutions; and social and economic inequalities became so large that citizens lost faith in the system altogether and gradually fell into the ar…

1
The world according to Werner Herzog 1:00:49

9d ago1:00:49

1:00:49

Sean Illing speaks with one of his heroes: Werner Herzog. Herzog is a filmmaker, poet, and author of the memoir Every Man for Himself and God Against All. The two discuss "ecstatic truth," a term invented by Herzog to capture what he's really after in his work, why he's interested in Mars, and whether he thinks humanity is destroying itself. Host: …

1
Ta-Nehisi Coates on complexity, clarity, and truth. 1:13:51

17d ago1:13:51

1:13:51

How important is complexity? At The Gray Area, we value understanding the details. We revel in complexity. But does our desire to understand that complexity sometimes over-complicate an issue? Journalist and bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates thinks so. This week on The Gray Area, Sean talks to Coates about his new book The Message, a collection o…

1
Your mind needs chaos 51:48

21d ago51:48

51:48

In part three of our series on creativity, guest host Oshan Jarow speaks with philosopher of neuroscience Mark Miller about how our minds actually work. They discuss the brain as a predictive engine that builds our conscious experience for us. We’re not seeing what we see. We’re predicting what we should see. Miller says that depression, opioid use…

1
Musician Laraaji on the origin of creativity 47:06

22d ago47:06

47:06

Sean revisits his interview with musician Laraaji, a pioneer of new age music who has recorded more than 50 albums since he was discovered busking in a park by Brian Eno. Laraaji and Sean discuss inspiration, flow states, and what moves us to create. This is the second conversation in our three shows in three days three-part series about creativity…

1
Is AI creative? 41:35

28d ago41:35

41:35

What is the relationship between creativity and artificial intelligence? Creativity feels innately human, but is it? Can a machine be creative? Are we still being creative if we use machines to assist in our creative output? To help answer those questions, Sean speaks with Meghan O'Gieblyn, the author of the book "God, Human, Animal, Machine: Techn…

1
Happiness isn’t the goal 53:58

1M ago53:58

53:58

Children live with a beginner’s mind. Every day is full of new discoveries, powerful emotions, and often unrealistically positive assumptions about the future. As adults, beginner’s mind gives way to the mundane drudgeries of existence — and our brains seem to make it much harder for us to be happy. Should we be cool with that? We wrap up our three…

1
A message from Sean 1:05

1M ago1:05

1:05

Sean Illing has a special message for all you listeners: Look at me! We’ve made our first-ever video episode. See Sean in conversation with Yuval Noah Harari. Watch it with your friends and family and your friend’s families and their family friends. It’s on YouTube right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhx1sdX2bow Learn more about your ad choi…

1
What if we get climate change right? 48:24

1M ago48:24

48:24

Climate change has become synonymous with doomsday, as though everyone is waiting for the worst to happen. But what is this mindset doing to us? Is climate anxiety keeping us from confronting the challenge? Ayana Elizabeth Johnson thinks so. In part two of our “Reasons to Be Cheerful” series, she talks to Sean Illing about her new book, What If We …

1
Yuval Noah Harari on the eclipsing of human intelligence 1:27:13

1M ago1:27:13

1:27:13

Humans are good learners and teachers, constantly gathering information, archiving, and sharing knowledge. So why, after building the most sophisticated information technology in history, are we on the verge of destroying ourselves? We know more than ever before. But are we any wiser? Bestselling author of Sapiens and historian Yuval Noah Harari do…

1
Why cynicism is bad for you 58:23

2M ago58:23

58:23

There’s a certain glamor to cynicism. As a culture, we’ve turned cynicism into a symbol of hard-earned wisdom, assuming that those who are cynical are the only ones with the courage to tell us the truth and prepare us for an uncertain future. Psychologist Jamil Zaki challenges that assumption. In part one of The Gray Area’s new three-part series, “…

1
Poetry as religion 59:10

2M ago59:10

59:10

Sean Illing speaks with poet and historian Jennifer Michael Hecht, whose book The Wonder Paradox asks: If we don't have God or religion, what — if anything — do we lose? They discuss how religion accesses meaning — through things like prayer, ceremony, and ritual — and Jennifer speaks on the ways that poetry can play similar roles in a secular way.…

1
The jazz musician’s guide to the universe 57:28

2M ago57:28

57:28

How is the origin of our universe like an improvised saxophone solo? This week, Sean Illing talks to Stephon Alexander, a theoretical physicist and world-class jazz musician. Alexander is the author of The Jazz of Physics and his most recent book, Fear of a Black Universe. This episode features music by Stephon Alexander throughout, from his latest…

1
Revisiting the "father of capitalism" 55:03

2M ago55:03

55:03

Sean Illing talks with Glory Liu, the author of Adam Smith’s America: How a Scottish Philosopher became an Icon of American Capitalism. Smith is most well-known for being the “father of capitalism,” but as Liu points out in her book, his legacy has been misappropriated — especially in America. They discuss his original intentions and what we can ta…

1
Breaking our family patterns 1:06:17

3M ago1:06:17

1:06:17

Sean Illing speaks with marriage and family therapist Vienna Pharaon, whose book 'The Origins of You' aims to help us identify and heal the wounds that originated from our family, which shape our patterns of behavior in relationships and throughout our lives. Sean and Vienna talk about how we can spot and name our "origin wounds," discuss practical…

1
Why Orwell matters 56:24

3M ago56:24

56:24

In an Orwellian twist, the word “Orwellian” has been misused so much over the decades that it’s essentially lost its meaning. But George Orwell, author of the classics Animal Farm and 1984, was very clear in his beliefs. While he was progressive and prescient in many ways, he wasn’t without his flaws. This week, Sean Illing explores the real George…

1
The timebomb the founding fathers left us 55:40

3M ago55:40

55:40

The US Constitution is a brilliant political document, but it’s far from perfect. This week’s guest, Erwin Chemerinsky, argues that many of today’s threats to democracy are a direct result of compromises made by the Founding Fathers centuries ago. Those mistakes have come back to haunt us, and they might destroy our democracy. Erwin Chemerinsky’s l…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

The Gray Area Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox

1
The Gray Area

John J Weddendorf

1
The Gray Area with Maggie Gray

Sports Illustrated

1
Gaming in the Gray Area

Gaming in the Gray Area

1
Girls In The Gray Area

Girls In The G(r)ay Area Podcast

1
The Gray Area Podcast

Niko Arranz & John Gray

1
Is America collapsing like Ancient Rome? 49:55

1
The world according to Werner Herzog 1:00:49

1
Ta-Nehisi Coates on complexity, clarity, and truth. 1:13:51

1
Your mind needs chaos 51:48

1
Musician Laraaji on the origin of creativity 47:06

1
Is AI creative? 41:35

1
Happiness isn’t the goal 53:58

1
A message from Sean 1:05

1
What if we get climate change right? 48:24

1
Yuval Noah Harari on the eclipsing of human intelligence 1:27:13

1
Why cynicism is bad for you 58:23

1
Poetry as religion 59:10

1
The jazz musician’s guide to the universe 57:28

1
Revisiting the "father of capitalism" 55:03

1
Breaking our family patterns 1:06:17

1
Why Orwell matters 56:24

1
The timebomb the founding fathers left us 55:40

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