Deep Questions with Cal Newport

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

Back in 2019, Cal published one of the first books arguing that we rethink our personal relationship with online tools. Can his advice still work in an age of TikTok and ChatGPT? In today’s episode, Cal dives deep into the r/DigitalMinimalism sub-reddit to see what advice contemporary digital minimalists are following and offers his own thoughts and recommendations.    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) Can I be a Digital Minimalist in 2026? (39:13) How can I capture notes if I’m land lining? (40:39) For cognitive fitness, is it better to be handwriting or typing? (42:07) A note on art museum visits (43:46) Reactions to an article about AI and software engineering (49:39) What the Deep Life really is (50:46) What Cal read (52:08) What Cal watched   Books:  The Jewish Way to a Good Life (Rabbi Shira Stuntman)   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.youtube.com/watch?v=XeNNYMJwZtI https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/ https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1tv0k77/for_the_past_2_years_ive_been_living_like_its_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1to631b/three_years_of_digital_minimalism_the_rewiring_is/ https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1ty27lz/limited_my_14f_screen_time_to_3_hours_a_day_and/ https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1tm9rce/where_do_you_still_find_human_curation/ https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1txskw9/deciding_once_instead_of_every_morning_is_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1u74dob/ran_a_30day_intentional_solitude_experiment/ https://www.normaltech.ai/p/why-ai-hasnt-replaced-software-engineers   Thanks to our Sponsors:   https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions https://www.drinklmnt.com/deep https://www.expressvpn.com/deep https://www.wealthfront.com/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) Stop the “doom trolling” (6:53) Cal’s recent New York Times article (9:00) Cal’s argument (10:16) The 2nd option (12:54) Conclusion (15:58) Stop playing along with Doom Trolling game (20:09) Use the term “doom trolling” Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/opinion/ai-dangerous-openai-anthropic.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/opinion/yuval-harari-ai-chatgpt.html https://www.newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/what-kind-of-mind-does-chatgpt-have https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/opinion/anthropic-ai-claude-mythos.html https://www.anthropic.com/institute/recursive-self-improvement https://x.com/sapinker/status/2067231673268273547 https://x.com/edzitron/status/2067308832053936276 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

Cal Newport explains about if you're lazy or overstimulated in episode 410 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) Am I lazy or overstimulated? (28:29) A reaction to Cal’s recent New Yorker article (38:23) Positive lessons from box offices  successes of Gen Z films  (46:24) An old school tool for a woodshed (47:32) A new solution to landlining (49:30) What Cal is reading 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.newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/instead-of-taking-your-job-ai-might-transform-it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKGhxMi50y8 https://aprilowens.substack.com/p/the-art-we-actually-need Thanks to our Sponsors:  https://www.scribe.how/deep https://www.shopify.com/deep https://www.cozyearth.com/deep (Use code “DEEP”) https://www.calderalab.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

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia (0:00) Was the Mythos ban justified? (5:32) Is Fable 5 actually dangerous? (11:03) Is Fable 5 without guardrails actually a unique national security concern? (15:13) Should the government be more involved with AI? Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow  https://www.anthropic.com/glasswing https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/technology/anthropic-ai-claude-fable-mythos.html https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2065853007619588171 https://www.economist.com/business/2026/06/14/donald-trumps-blocking-of-anthropic-is-capricious-and-chaotic https://x.com/deanwball/status/2066151868556865860 https://x.com/GaryMarcus/status/2066166713453060512 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2065853007619588171 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/opinion/anthropic-ai-claude-mythos.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/06/promoting-advanced-artificial-intelligence-innovation-and-security/ 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