Only 8% of people finish their yearly goals. At the same time, the percentage of people feeling a sense of meaning of purpose in their life is falling. These two numbers are connected: the more we struggle to accomplish meaningful projects, the less meaningful our lives might feel. In this episode, Cal looks back to a classic article he wrote nearly twenty years ago to both better understand why this problem is getting worse and how we can solve it. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) How do I finish meaningful projects? (39:36) A new study about children with cellphones having poorer reading comprehension  (43:14) A nurse practitioner in search of deep work (45:45) Using AI to improve both your work and life (52:24) A recent Wall Street Journal article about AI and jobs (1:00:07) What Cal is up to July 2026 Books Orality and Literacy (Walter Ong) Lost (Rachel Harrington) Sapiens (Yuval Harari) More Everything Forever (Adam Becker) Disneyland the Rise of Automation (Roland Bethencourt) A Brief History of Intelligence (Max Bennett) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/  Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/science-says-92-percent-of-people-dont-achieve-goals-heres-how-the-other-8-perce.html https://news.gallup.com/poll/711836/gen-zers-missing-sense-meaning-purpose-life.aspx https://calnewport.com/the-einstein-principle-accomplish-more-by-doing-less/ https://futureoftuesday.substack.com/p/techno-analog https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/owning-a-cell-phone-associated-with-poorer-reading-comprehension-schoolchildren https://www.wsj.com/business/big-companies-are-starting-to-hire-again-defying-predictions-of-ai-wipeout-f4974e99?mod=hp_lead_pos10 Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.scribe.how/deep https://www.superhuman.com https://www.mybodytutor.com https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Does Open AI’s Astra mean AGI has arrived? (3:07) What actually happened? (11:35) What does this mean for mathematics? (21:35) What does this mean for OpenAI?  Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://x.com/polynoamial/status/2083467194663571701 https://x.com/deanwball/status/2083545756003176724?s=61 https://x.com/kevinroose/status/2083632335438905441 https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/2083595078233202919 https://x.com/polynoamial/status/2083478171975082334 https://x.com/__alpoge__/status/2083898804563243033 https://x.com/polynoamial/status/2083476852216369294 https://x.com/thomasfbloom/status/2083444983592284465 Sponsor: https://www.donedaily.com Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this replay of a classic episode from January 1st, 2024, Cal walks through the process of learning hard things. The good news is that most people can learn most things. The bad news is that learning is harder than we think. This advice has never been more relevant for those looking to move past the easy dopamine hits offered by their devices and find something deeper.    Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Learning hard things (21:19) When it comes to taking notes, what really matters? (27:32) Can I fit all of my hobbies into my week?  (31:12) Can YouTube teach me to be a better student?  (37:37) How do I figure out what to learn next?  (39:54) How do I learn something fast when I already have a busy schedule?- (46:24) CALL: How does “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” relate to “Slow Productivity”? (56:17) CASE STUDY: Slow Productivity affinity group (1:02:23) The 5 books Cal read in December 2023  Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.calderalab.com/deep This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions December 2023 Books: Home Economics (Wendell Berry) Panora’s Box (Peter Biskind) Where the Deer and the Antelope Play (Nick Offerman) Who Wrote the Bible (Richard Elliott Friedman) The Exodus (Richard Elliott Friedman) Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Did OpenAI’s model “go rogue” (11:29) The implications (11:42) Did this attack reveal surprising new capabilities we didn’t know AI systems possessed? (12:48) Did the system’s decision to escape the test environment and autonomously attack another company indicate an emerging malicious intent in AI? (16:28) What changed led to this attack occurring? (27:32) Who should care about this story? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://huggingface.co/blog/security-incident-july-2026 https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-model-evaluation-security-incident/ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-models-escaped-and-hacked-a-company-in-cybersecurity-test-gone-wrong-ee388506 https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5987397-openai-hugging-face-hack/ https://apnews.com/article/skynet-ai-terminator-artificial-intelligence-eb85da03a0161beaa5f3babc4331e93b https://www.ft.com/content/7e558951-0c69-459b-8bc8-2c6021d4402d?syn-25a6b1a6=1 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/all-news/2011/08/dhs-anonymous-used-rudimentary-tools-to-hack-contractor/ Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do digital detoxes fail to create lasting change? What works better? To answer these questions, Cal draws from the book “A Brief History of Intelligence” to reveal the relevant neuroscience at play, and then use this understanding to figure out a better method for improving your relationship with your devices. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Why do digital detoxes fail? (28:28) An article on the phone algorithm addiction (35:13) Follow up on the Brad Stulberg interview (40:21) A policy article on digital addiction (52:34) Deep work in the age of AI (57:46) What Cal is up to Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/  Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/04/us/politics/online-addictions-cut-back-screen-time.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/opinion/culture/phone-algorithm-addiction.html https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/learn/goodharts-law.html https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/digital-addiction-public-health-problem-public-health-law-solution Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.masterclass.com/deep https://www.gusto.com/deep https://www.expressvpn.com/deep https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport talks with Brad Stulberg to explain the optimization paradox in Episode 414 of the Deep Questions podcast. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) The Optimization Paradox (2:12) Interview with Brad Stulberg (35:12) Health optimization (1:09:16) Tail end development   Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/  Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://wealthfront.com/deep https://calderalab.com/deep https://cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP”) Cal Newport is not a Wealthfront client. Wealthfront’s high-yield cash account: ⁠https://www.wealthfront.com/deep⁠. This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Cal Newport receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for paid endorsement in his podcast, creating a conflict of interest. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.  Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.05% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Additional terms and conditions apply, which can be found on ⁠wealthfront.com/deep⁠.  Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Anthropic’s new research report (2:05) Digging into the paper (3:32) High level tutorial on LLMs (6:18) Detail on annotations (13:50) What the Anthropic paper found (20:39) Why this is interesting research (26:28) Conclusion on consciousness Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.anthropic.com/research/global-workspace https://x.com/RileyRalmuto/status/2074195587616964757 https://www.axios.com/2026/07/06/anthropic-claude-ai-conscious https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/09/1140293/anthropic-found-a-hidden-space-where-claude-puzzles-over-concepts/ Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you buy a beautiful notebook, excited by all its possibilities to help refine your thoughts and generate new insights. Then it sits unused until you forget about it. The problem is not *what* notebooks you own but instead *how* you use them. In this episode, Cal walks through the four different notebooks he owns, and the four different ways he uses them. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Should I Use Notebooks More Often? (Cal’s Strategy) (30:11) Comments on a controversial article (33:18 ) Statistics about smartphone bans in schools (38:15) A practical question about remote work (40:57) A question about focus and the World Cup (46:08) What Cal is up to (48:12) What Cal is reading Books: Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (Walter Ong) Lost (Rachel Hartigan) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/  Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/a-neurologist-claims-gen-z-has-a-lower-iq-than-millennials/ar-AA1XAIFu https://x.com/JimenaJuani/status/2072095851816620191?s=20 Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.superhuman.com https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off https://www.monarch.com/deep https://www.mybodytutor.com Cal Newport is not a Wealthfront client. Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Does business actually understand AI? (2:52) Quote #2 (6:20) Taking a step back (7:06) Quote #3 (11:39) Quote #4 (17:02) Idea for journalists Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/world/europe/germany-sap-ai-jobs-skilled-workers.html https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/nvidia-ceo-begs-execs-stop-fired-ai https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/marc-andreessen-says-every-large-033008122.html https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/sam-altman-says-initially-wrong-132000485.html Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a dream a lot of us have: to finally say “enough!”, and turn off the internet inside our homes, returning us to a lifestyle that requires more presence, introspection, and connection. But is this even possible? And what would it really be like? In this episode, Cal seeks answers to these questions by talking to Chris Moody, a journalism professor at Appalachian State, who lives with his wife and young son in a cabin with no internet, television, or cellular signal.    Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo   Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia   (0:00) Should I turn off the internet? (3:28) Interview with Chris Moody (1:02:58) Cal’s closing remarks   Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?   Thanks to our Sponsors:   This show is sponsored by Better Help: https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions https://www.calderalab.com/deep https://www.shopify.com/deep https://www.pipedrive.com/deep    Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices