Plain English with Derek Thompson
Today: #30 in News on our combined chart.
Chart positions today
If you like Plain English with Derek Thompson, try…
Ranking history
View as table
| Date | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 | #47 | #30 | #43 |
About the show
Latest episodes
-
Why Things Become Popular, with Chuck Klosterman
September 29, 2026 · 1 hr 29 minWhat makes a hit a hit? Why do some bands make it while others fade into obscurity? Chuck Klosterman’s new book imagines an alternate history of 20th century music and uses it to explore why some things become popular and just how much…
-
The Single Smartest Case Against AI Doom
September 25, 2026 · 1 hr 1 minWith new breakthroughs in math and biology alongside reports of AI agents escaping and hacking systems, suffice it to say AI has had an interesting few weeks. How worried should we be about it all? Derek talks with researchers Arvind…
-
The Truth About Mississippi's Education "Miracle"
September 18, 2026 · 57 minEducation outcomes have been getting worse across much of the world, with reading and math scores falling to historic lows. The U.S. has seen some of the steepest declines in decades. But, why does Mississippi look so…
-
Why Experts Keep Getting the Economy So Wrong
September 15, 2026 · 59 minExpert economists keep making predictions about America’s financial future, and those predictions keep being … wrong. Over the past few years, we’ve heard warnings about a recession, inflation, tariffs, wars, deficits, and an AI bubble…
-
What’s the Point of College?
September 11, 2026 · 57 minTrust in American higher education is near a historic low. Tuition has soared, and the payoff for a college degree is now in question as graduates face a weird and challenging job market. Simultaneously, AI is transforming everything…
-
The New Book That Scares Big Tech
September 8, 2026 · 59 minIn the late 19th century, a railroad boom fueled by easy money, speculative investment, and new technology helped kick off one of the worst financial crises in American history. Sound kind of familiar? In today’s episode, Derek talks with…
-
AI Slop Is Breaking the Internet. Can We Save It?
September 1, 2026 · 56 minSo many people seem to hate AI, and it’s not just because it might displace millions of jobs, destroy the world, or deepen distrust in big corporations and government. The reason might actually be simpler than we think: People don't like…
-
Why Everything Is Going to Keep Getting More Expensive
August 25, 2026 · 42 minFor much of the 21st century, the U.S. economy was built around cheap money. Today, though, interest rates are rising, and borrowing is getting much more expensive. At the same time, the federal government is running huge deficits while…