Reposted by Derek ThompsonJeff Greene @jeffgreene.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Are you thinking or hoping there's a "middle path" between #GenAI hype, doomerism, all-gas-no-brake, and shut-it-all-down views? Then you should check out this podcast with @dkthomp.bsky.social, @randomwalker.bsky.social, and @sayash.bsky.social. Here's to a "normal" view. youtu.be/8a-08uMl5Js?...youtu.beThe Single Smartest Case Against AI Doom | Plain EnglishWith 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… 024
Reposted by Derek Thompsonbenfranklinsaid.bsky.social @benfranklinsaid.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Thanks @dkthomp.bsky.social @randomwalker.bsky.social @sayash.bsky.social for a great conversation about AI. Highly recommend for people wondering how AI will most likely impact society and what things policymakers should be thinking about. youtu.be/8a-08uMl5Js?...youtu.beThe Single Smartest Case Against AI Doom | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 041
Reposted by Derek ThompsonDerek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 22/09/2026ANNOUNCEMENT! The Plain English podcast is growing, and we're hiring. We're looking for a part-time Social Media Producer. 2-3 days a week, day rate of $500 Send your resume and info to PlainEnglish@Spotify.com with the subject [YOUR NAME] Resume - Plain English Social Producer 1156
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 22/09/2026ANNOUNCEMENT! The Plain English podcast is growing, and we're hiring. We're looking for a part-time Social Media Producer. 2-3 days a week, day rate of $500 Send your resume and info to PlainEnglish@Spotify.com with the subject [YOUR NAME] Resume - Plain English Social Producer 1156
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 15/09/2026There is a lot of media about how and why the economy is about to implode. It was inflation, then it was interest rates, then gas prices, tariffs, war in Iran, then the AI bubble popping. But the economy keeps ... not imploding. So, what are we missing? www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Pe...youtube.comWhy Experts Keep Getting the Economy So Wrong | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 3151
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026The Chargers are supposed to be a fun, unserious team with a high-powered offense, and the Packers are supposed to be a serious, disciplined contender that doesn't do stupid shit at the end of every game. The league would make more sense if Matt LaFleur and Jim Harbaugh were forced to switch places. 0182
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Weeks ago, Harvard's dean proposed, in an email to students, that the college embrace a policy of "AI encouragement." A lot of people really hated that. So I brought him onto the show to explain himself, what "encouragement" means, and how he would personally teach a writing-dominant class in 2027youtube.comWhat’s the Point of College? | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 0143
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 10/09/20261. If the AI labs think they’re building something that could destroy the world, why are they building it? 2. Are their articulated fears justifiable, insane, or something in between? 3. What is “recursive self-improvement"? 4. What can we actually do? www.derekthompson.org/p/its-time-t...derekthompson.orgAI Safety Is Having a MomentWhy are the AI labs building a technology that they say might destroy the world? 2213
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 01/09/2026New pod/transcript: PANGRAM VS THE MACHINE An interview with Pangram founder and CEO Max Spero about why AI writing took over the Web, how Pangram works, why we should trust it, and what he sees as the fundamental differences between machine vs. human writing www.derekthompson.org/p/the-intern...derekthompson.orgWe Can't Let AI Writing Take Over the InternetAn interview with Pangram founder and CEO Max Spero on how AI writing has flooded the internet, why it matters, and why it’s worth cleaning up 0101
Reposted by Derek ThompsonConor Sen @conorsen.bsky.social · 25/08/2026It was great being back on Plain English to talk with @dkthomp.bsky.social about how the government, AI companies, and households all competing for capital is making everything more expensive and keeping interest rates elevated: youtube.com/watch?v=fjjl...youtube.comWhy Everything Is Going to Keep Getting More Expensive | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 6377
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 19/08/2026New newsletter: It's really, really, really time to change your passwords www.derekthompson.org/p/how-to-sur...derekthompson.orgHow to Survive the AI CyberpocalypseOr: A comprehensive explanation for why it’s time for everybody to clean up their password game, immediately 4308
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 14/08/2026www.derekthompson.org/p/the-americ...derekthompson.orgThe American Sports Plutocracy Is BullshitAmerican sports laws amount to a kind of out-in-the-open conspiracy to help a lucky few billionaires get much, much richer 2173
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 14/08/2026New pod: IT MAY BE TIME TO FREAK OUT ABOUT AI I asked Alex Stamos—former chief security officer at Meta, current AI security chief at Corridor—for the "case against dooming" about the next few years. Stamos: "I don't have much of a case." www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWva...youtube.comIt May Be Time to Freak Out About AI | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 1152
Reposted by Derek ThompsonMichael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Here's an interesting and engaging 67 minutes on a wide range of topics under this umbrella, not just for academics and policy wonks. 141
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 11/08/2026New pod: THE GREAT AI DATA CENTER REBELLION AI has become an enormous part of the US economy, driving as much as one-third of economic growth. But politically, AI has never been more unpopular And AI's builders are totally wrong about why Americans hate them. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJga...youtube.comWhy Americans Hate Data Centers | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 3256
Reposted by Derek ThompsonBeau Kilmer @beaukilmer.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Frequent use is ⬇️ for alcohol and ⬆️ for cannabis. What’s going on? Had a great conversation about this with @dkthomp.bsky.social & Jon Caulkins on the Plain English pod www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn5I... For more on cannabis legalization & alcohol use check out @rand.org: www.rand.org/content/dam/...youtube.comWhy America Is Switching From Booze to Weed | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 072
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 05/08/2026New pod: America is switching from booze to weed www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn5I... 3206
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Today's newsletter: The many-headed hydra of risks facing AI today The hyperscalers are taking on hundreds of billions of dollars of debt to build a profit-challenged product whose global competition could compress margins, while the political backlash grows www.derekthompson.org/p/the-four-h...derekthompson.orgThe Four Horsemen of the AI Bubble ApocalypseThe smartest reasons to worry about the state of AI in an age of intense volatility—and my best attempt to explain why each of those worries might be wrong. 1144
Reposted by Derek Thompson𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 26/07/2026A side benefit of the fuss over the Odyssey movie is that people have been interviewing Homer translator Emily Wilson, who is unfailingly interesting on these matters. Her new talk with @dkthomp.bsky.social, who has the wit (all too rare among interviewers) to stay out of the way, is terrific.derekthompson.orgWhat Is Lost When We Make 'The Odyssey' ModernChristopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' is an extraordinary, modern epic. Homer's Odyssey is an even more extraordinarily strange one. 34310
Reposted by Derek ThompsonBen Saari @bwsaari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026This discussion of Nolan's Odyssey with translator Emily Wilson / @emilyrcwilson.bsky.social and @dkthomp.bsky.social is a great read, and pretty much the last word I need to hear on all this "historical accuracy" nonsensederekthompson.orgWhat Is Lost When We Make 'The Odyssey' ModernChristopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' is an extraordinary, modern epic. Homer's Odyssey is an even more extraordinarily strange one. 272
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 23/07/2026New pod: The incredible @emilyrcwilson.bsky.social on: - the subtle art of translation - a review of Nolan's Odyssey - how Homer's Odysseus is a more heroic version of the Talented Mr. Ripley while Nolan's Odysseus is a more traumatized version of Jason Bourne www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywEJ...youtube.comWhat Translator Emily Wilson Thinks of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey' | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 1214
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026New pod/newsletter: Once you learn what the "uni-context" is, you won't stop seeing it everywhere www.derekthompson.org/p/a-philosop...derekthompson.orgA Philosopher’s One-Word Theory to Explain Why the World Feels So WeirdOnce you learn what the "uni-context" is, you won't stop seeing it everywhere 2151
Reposted by Derek ThompsonBosco @wboscoho.bsky.social · 14/07/2026@dkthomp.bsky.social w/ Prof. @agcallard.bsky.social interesting idea of unicontext. Personally, Wittgensteinian language game + Hegelian synthesis can equally explain whatever weirdness one may find when language games collide and coalesce podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...podcasts.apple.comA Philosopher’s One-Word Theory for Why the World Feels So WeirdPodcast Episode · Plain English with Derek Thompson · July 14 · 58m 061
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 09/07/2026The scientific case against moderate drinking has been massively oversold. No, alcohol is not a medicine. And no, there is not strong evidence that ~1 drink a day has a clear lifetime mortality risk. open.substack.com/pub/derektho...open.substack.comIs This the End of Booze?The turn against moderate drinking has been sudden and sharp. But it's not often based in science. 2210
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 07/07/2026New pod: How Israel is transforming American politics, with Peter Beinart www.youtube.com/watch?v=papq...youtube.comHow Israel Is Transforming American Politics | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 190
Reposted by Derek ThompsonBuilding H @buildingh.bsky.social · 06/07/2026The most viewed story from our newsletter last week, was @dkthomp.bsky.social's piece on the all too solitary nature of pursuing one's health: www.derekthompson.org/p/the-cult-o...derekthompson.orgWhy the Healthiest Generation Is the LoneliestAmericans have never been healthier, or more alone. These things might be related. 353
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 03/07/2026America, 1926: An absurdly deep dive into what America was like 100 years ago www.derekthompson.org/p/america-19... 0184
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 30/06/2026New newsletter: The rise and rise of the solo act The data is in: Solo entrepreneurs and tiny startups are becoming much more common and much more profitable. This has huge implications for the future of firms, wealth, social life, and even US tax revenue. www.derekthompson.org/p/ai-isnt-co... 181
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 26/06/2026New pod: 4 TRILLION DOLLARS. 3 COMPANIES. 0 PROFITS. SpaceX, Anthropic, and maybe OpenAI could all IPO in the same 12 month window for more than $1 trillion apiece. None of them are profitable. The rise of the trillion-dollar, zero-profit firm is an economic omen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glj_...youtube.com260625 PlainEnglish MichaelandBenYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 3274
Reposted by Derek ThompsonTom Ziller @teamziller.bsky.social · 24/06/2026Interesting insights from Derek that probably apply to very few modern writers based on his pre-existing audience and niche (which is breadth). 061
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 24/06/2026approximately 30 seconds separate you from never having to miss me, or one of my articles, ever again! :) 010
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 24/06/2026One year ago, I quit The Atlantic to start a Substack. Today, I write about: - the state of the business - what I’ve learned - the difference between viral essays in The Atlantic vs the Substack ecosystem www.derekthompson.org/p/the-derek-...derekthompson.orgThe Derek Thompson Substack Birthday! An Overview of the Business and What’s NextPlus: a one-time offer for free subscribers 1324
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Happy Fathers Day to the best and most involved generation of dads in recorded history www.derekthompson.org/p/why-do-ric... www.derekthompson.org/p/why-do-ric... 58113
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 19/06/2026New pod: THE TRUMP CORRUPTION SCANDAL DRAFT, with Isaac Saul This is the most corrupt administration in US history, with too many scandals to track. So Isaac and I ranked the worst of the absolute worst with a draft. Very fact-packed, very fun, very depressing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7zW...youtube.comThe Donald Trump Corruption Scandal Draft | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 3309
Reposted by Derek ThompsonMatteo Wong @matteowong.bsky.social · 18/06/2026"Our fear of death motivates an all-consuming neuroticism about outrunning mortality, even when the price we pay is putting health optimization above everything else, including other people." One of many clear and insightful lines in a very clear and insightful essay 1152
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 18/06/2026Today's post www.derekthompson.org/p/the-cult-o...derekthompson.orgWhy the Healthiest Generation Is the LoneliestAmericans have never been healthier, or more alone. These things might be related. 181
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 18/06/2026America's health craze isn't so healthy. Diet, exercise, and discipline are virtues. Longer lives are good. But today's craze of health-maximization has an antisocial streak. At its extremes, it verges on a cult of self enhancement, which pulls us into ourselves and away from other people. 2301
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 18/06/2026The cult of the enhanced self is about many things. But at bottom it is about the fear of death and our efforts to sublimate mortality phobia by pretending that, with the right mindset, we might live forever 1192
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 18/06/2026THE CULT OF THE ENHANCED SELF The post-pandemic fitness craze, MAHA, the cultural rise of Nietzschean tech moguls, the dawn of GLP-1s & supplements, and fitness trackers have combined to create a new cultural norm that is (unhealthily) obsessed w/ health www.derekthompson.org/p/the-cult-o...derekthompson.orgWhy the Healthiest Generation Is the LoneliestAmericans have never been healthier, or more alone. These things might be related. 51564
Reposted by Derek ThompsonAndrew Steele @statto.bsky.social · 18/06/2026Great piece by @dkthomp.bsky.social on the perils and opportunity cost of taking self-optimisation too far. What do we miss out on? In my view, the solution is to slow ageing with medicine: we can all be a bit less obsessive, have more fun, and live longer anyway…derekthompson.orgWhy the Healthiest Generation Is the LoneliestAmericans have never been healthier, or more alone. These things might be related. 192
Reposted by Derek Thompsonderek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 16/06/2026RIP Mark Rothko. You would have loved how the hydrogen peroxide bleach is only turning the Reflecting Pool blue around the perimeter 1441382427415
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 16/06/2026can't say it any more plainer than telling you what the drug's name is 130
Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · 16/06/2026New pod: A MIRACLE MONTH IN MEDICINE A detailed, 60-minute primer on - retatrutide incredible results and the future of GLP1s - an unprecedented pancreatic cancer breakthrough - a successful experiment in one-and-done shots to wipe out vast swaths of heart disease www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwq6...youtube.comThe Most Exciting Month of Medical Breakthroughs in Years | Plain EnglishYouTube video by Plain English with Derek Thompson 1194
