States are cracking down on online porn—but is it working? The researcher Zeve Sanderson explains how age-verification laws backfire, why teens outsmart them, and what that means for the future of internet regulation.  Further reading:  “<a href="https://csmapnyu.org/research/academic-research/do-age-verification-bills-change-search-behavior-a-pre-registered-synthetic-control-multiverse">Do Age-Verification Bills Change Search Behavior? A Pre-Registered Synthetic Control Multiverse,</a>” by David Lang, Zeve Sanderson, et al.  “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/supreme-court-online-pornography/681397/">The Online Porn Free-for-All Is Coming to an End</a>,” by Marc Novicoff  Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at <a href="http://theatlantic.com/podsub">TheAtlantic.com/podsub</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>States are cracking down on online porn—but is it working? The researcher Zeve Sanderson explains how age-verification laws backfire, why teens outsmart them, and what that means for the future of internet regulation. 

Further reading: 

“Do Age-Verification Bills Change Search Behavior? A Pre-Registered Synthetic Control Multiverse,” by David Lang, Zeve Sanderson, et al. 

“The Online Porn Free-for-All Is Coming to an End,” by Marc Novicoff 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

States are trying to keep kids off adult websites with new age-verification laws. It’s a textbook case of how tech regulation can backfire.

States are cracking down on online porn—but is it working? The researcher Zeve Sanderson explains how age-verification laws backfire, why teens outsmart them, and what that means for the future of internet regulation. 

Further reading: 

“Do Age-Verification Bills Change Search Behavior? A Pre-Registered Synthetic Control Multiverse,” by David Lang, Zeve Sanderson, et al. 

“The Online Porn Free-for-All Is Coming to an End,” by Marc Novicoff 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can We Stop Kids From Watching Porn? 

In the summer of 1975, white schoolchildren at some Louisville, Kentucky, public schools were faced with a choice: stay in the school system and undergo busing to integrate the schools, or leave the system entirely. A remarkable new study by the economist Ethan Kaplan shows that for students who stayed, busing had lasting effects on their political identities, making them more likely to identify as Democrats, support unions, and say that the world is not inherently fair.  Further reading:  “<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w33365">A Different World: Enduring Effects of School Desegregation on Ideology and Attitudes</a>,” by Ethan Kaplan, Jorg L. Spenkuch, and Cody Tuttle <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/gordon-w-allport/the-nature-of-prejudice-25th-anniversary-edition/9780201001792/?lens=basic-books">The Nature of Prejudice</a>, by Gordon Allport  Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at <a href="http://theatlantic.com/podsub">TheAtlantic.com/podsub</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>In the summer of 1975, white schoolchildren at some Louisville, Kentucky, public schools were faced with a choice: stay in the school system and undergo busing to integrate the schools, or leave the system entirely. A remarkable new study by the economist Ethan Kaplan shows that for students who stayed, busing had lasting effects on their political identities, making them more likely to identify as Democrats, support unions, and say that the world is not inherently fair. 

Further reading: 

“A Different World: Enduring Effects of School Desegregation on Ideology and Attitudes,” by Ethan Kaplan, Jorg L. Spenkuch, and Cody Tuttle

The Nature of Prejudice, by Gordon Allport 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

School busing is remembered as a failure. A natural experiment suggests it quietly shaped political identity for a generation.

In the summer of 1975, white schoolchildren at some Louisville, Kentucky, public schools were faced with a choice: stay in the school system and undergo busing to integrate the schools, or leave the system entirely. A remarkable new study by the economist Ethan Kaplan shows that for students who stayed, busing had lasting effects on their political identities, making them more likely to identify as Democrats, support unions, and say that the world is not inherently fair. 

Further reading: 

“A Different World: Enduring Effects of School Desegregation on Ideology and Attitudes,” by Ethan Kaplan, Jorg L. Spenkuch, and Cody Tuttle

The Nature of Prejudice, by Gordon Allport 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Busing Turn Kids Into Democrats?

Researchers have suggested that lifestyle choices explain the remarkably high number of very old people living healthy lives in regions of the world known as “blue zones.” That research has spawned cookbooks, docuseries, and diets and turned blue zones into a household name. Today’s episode is a conversation with Dr. Saul Newman, who has upended the field by questioning the underlying data and research methods that hold up the now-controversial theory.   Further reading:  “<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/704080v3">Supercentenarian and remarkable age records exhibit patterns indicative of clerical errors and pension fraud</a>,” by Saul Newman “<a href="https://danbuettner.com/the-science-behind-blue-zones/">The Science Behind Blue Zones: Demographers Debunk the Critics</a>”—an open letter signed by scientists and demographers supporting the “blue zones” theory “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/opinion/extreme-longevity-flawed.html">Sorry, No Secret to Life Is Going to Make You Live to 110</a>,” by Saul Newman for The New York Times  Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at <a href="http://theatlantic.com/podsub">TheAtlantic.com/podsub</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>Researchers have suggested that lifestyle choices explain the remarkably high number of very old people living healthy lives in regions of the world known as “blue zones.” That research has spawned cookbooks, docuseries, and diets and turned blue zones into a household name. Today’s episode is a conversation with Dr. Saul Newman, who has upended the field by questioning the underlying data and research methods that hold up the now-controversial theory.  

Further reading: 

“Supercentenarian and remarkable age records exhibit patterns indicative of clerical errors and pension fraud,” by Saul Newman 
“The Science Behind Blue Zones: Demographers Debunk the Critics”—an open letter signed by scientists and demographers supporting the “blue zones” theory 
“Sorry, No Secret to Life Is Going to Make You Live to 110,” by Saul Newman for The New York Times 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

The age detectives are fighting.

Researchers have suggested that lifestyle choices explain the remarkably high number of very old people living healthy lives in regions of the world known as “blue zones.” That research has spawned cookbooks, docuseries, and diets and turned blue zones into a household name. Today’s episode is a conversation with Dr. Saul Newman, who has upended the field by questioning the underlying data and research methods that hold up the now-controversial theory.  

Further reading: 

“Supercentenarian and remarkable age records exhibit patterns indicative of clerical errors and pension fraud,” by Saul Newman 
“The Science Behind Blue Zones: Demographers Debunk the Critics”—an open letter signed by scientists and demographers supporting the “blue zones” theory 
“Sorry, No Secret to Life Is Going to Make You Live to 110,” by Saul Newman for The New York Times 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Search of 100-Year-Old Paper Trails

What do politicians really think of their voters? A new study looking at 11 different democracies finds that politicians hold an unflattering view of their constituents, while voters view themselves as thoughtful, policy-oriented decision makers. The political scientist Jack Lucas explains why politicians think voters are dumb and why they might be wrong.  Further reading: “<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/politicians-theories-of-voting-behavior/E73E1B173B30EC11DFB413FA3E3160D1">Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior</a>,” by Jack Lucas, et al. “<a href="https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1475-6765.12657">Are politicians democratic realists?</a>,” by Jack Lucas, Lior Sheffer, and Peter John Loewen <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691169446/democracy-for-realists?srsltid=AfmBOoo_AtzaGl0DPSi0s47flpuw1CGemGZTIUUGFFnRt4dr2YE2xC5j">Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government</a>, by Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels “‘<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/06/american-economy-negative-perception-inflation/661149/">Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine</a>,’” by Derek Thompson  Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at <a href="http://theatlantic.com/podsub">TheAtlantic.com/podsub</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>What do politicians really think of their voters? A new study looking at 11 different democracies finds that politicians hold an unflattering view of their constituents, while voters view themselves as thoughtful, policy-oriented decision makers. The political scientist Jack Lucas explains why politicians think voters are dumb and why they might be wrong. 

Further reading: 
“Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior,” by Jack Lucas, et al. 
“Are politicians democratic realists?,” by Jack Lucas, Lior Sheffer, and Peter John Loewen 
Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government, by Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels 
“‘Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine,’” by Derek Thompson 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

A striking new study reveals that elected officials have a far more pessimistic view of voter behavior than do citizens themselves.

What do politicians really think of their voters? A new study looking at 11 different democracies finds that politicians hold an unflattering view of their constituents, while voters view themselves as thoughtful, policy-oriented decision makers. The political scientist Jack Lucas explains why politicians think voters are dumb and why they might be wrong. 

Further reading: 
“Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior,” by Jack Lucas, et al. 
“Are politicians democratic realists?,” by Jack Lucas, Lior Sheffer, and Peter John Loewen 
Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government, by Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels 
“‘Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine,’” by Derek Thompson 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Politicians Think Voters Are Dumb. Are They Right?

Donald Trump won back the White House last year by stoking fears of scarcity. The zero-sum thinking of the right that says there aren’t enough houses or jobs to go around laid the groundwork for the forces of illiberalism currently at play in the federal government. In their new book, Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that to combat the politics of scarcity, liberals at every level of government must embrace abundance.  Further reading: <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Abundance/Ezra-Klein/9781668023488">Abundance</a>, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Why-Were-Polarized/Ezra-Klein/9781476700366">Why We’re Polarized</a>, by Ezra Klein “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/03/10/abundance-ezra-klein-derek-thompson-book-review">Do Democrats Need to Learn How to Build?</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/scarcity-crisis-college-housing-health-care/621221/">A Simple Plan to Solve All of America’s Problems</a>,” by Derek Thompson“<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-vance-malthusian-housing-views/680384/">Blue States Gave Trump and Vance an Opening,</a>” by Jerusalem Demsas  Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at <a href="http://theatlantic.com/podsub">TheAtlantic.com/podsub</a>. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

<description>Donald Trump won back the White House last year by stoking fears of scarcity. The zero-sum thinking of the right that says there aren’t enough houses or jobs to go around laid the groundwork for the forces of illiberalism currently at play in the federal government. In their new book, Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that to combat the politics of scarcity, liberals at every level of government must embrace abundance. 

Further reading: 
Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson 
Why We’re Polarized, by Ezra Klein 
“Do Democrats Need to Learn How to Build?,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells 
“A Simple Plan to Solve All of America’s Problems,” by Derek Thompson
“Blue States Gave Trump and Vance an Opening,” by Jerusalem Demsas 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices</description>

A new book blames liberals for scarcity

Donald Trump won back the White House last year by stoking fears of scarcity. The zero-sum thinking of the right that says there aren’t enough houses or jobs to go around laid the groundwork for the forces of illiberalism currently at play in the federal government. In their new book, Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that to combat the politics of scarcity, liberals at every level of government must embrace abundance. 

Further reading: 
Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson 
Why We’re Polarized, by Ezra Klein 
“Do Democrats Need to Learn How to Build?,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells 
“A Simple Plan to Solve All of America’s Problems,” by Derek Thompson
“Blue States Gave Trump and Vance an Opening,” by Jerusalem Demsas 

Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein on Abundance

Have you ever heard a commonly held belief or a fast-developing worldview and asked: Is that idea right? Or just good on paper? Each week, host Jerusalem Demsas and a guest take a closer look at the facts and research that challenge the popular narratives of the day, to better understand why we believe what we believe.

Good on Paper

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