Devil’s Advocate

Devil’s Advocate

Our experts make the best argument against themselves, and then explain why that stance is less convincing than their own.
Latest episode
The surprising data on AI and unemployment rates
“I'm here to argue that AI is not going to cause a rise in unemployment. I think it's actually increased employment in the United States, not decreased it.”

Joseph Politano

Cursor pointing at a button labeled "Generate jobs" with an icon of a photo and sparkles.
Fragmented image of the U.S. flag with white stars on a blue background and red and beige stripes, resembling weathered paint on a wall.
4mins
“Most of us aren't sure what to think about everything, but we don't really see that modeled anywhere, right? You're supposed to know for sure, and there's very little intellectual humility on social media or on TV.”
Microscopic view of a translucent, spiral-shaped Trichinella spiralis larva within a blue-stained muscle tissue.
4mins
“Part of what's happening now in the world is tension between organic animals and an inorganic digital system which is increasingly controlling and shaping the entire world.”
7mins
Is human overpopulation alarmist hype with disturbing consequences? Oxford data scientist Hannah Ritchie debunks the overpopulation myth.
Three red dice in mid-roll on a green surface.
6mins
Why most billionaires aren’t geniuses and most geniuses aren’t billionaires, explained by political scientist Brian Klaas.
A white lotus flower on a black background.
5mins
Enlightenment: After the ecstasy, the laundry. Why enlightenment is never an end in itself.
A broken glass with the words contradictory ideas.
6mins
Ideas that seem wildly controversial today may move humanity towards progress. Philosopher Peter Singer asks —how do we keep them from being stifled?
The words boost your brain on a yellow background.
3mins
Want to be more intelligent? Here’s why you should hit the gym, according to neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki.
A man in a tie is holding a tissue to his face.
4mins
Kelly Richmond Pope, a forensic accountant, shares a simple test that puts your ethics under the spotlight.
two hands reaching for each other on a black background.
3mins
Age expert Dr. Morgan Levine explains why living to 100 is the wrong goal.
a pink brain with the words extend your mind.
3mins
No one is teaching us how to be online. That’s a problem.
5mins
Is science close to explaining everything about our Universe? Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder reacts.
4mins
This productivity hack comes with an asterisk, explains note-taking guru Tiago Forte.
3mins
Deep secrets don’t explode. They do something worse, explains Michael Slepian.
3mins
Our impulse to seek out agreement is stifling us, says world debate champion Bo Seo.
5mins
The real risks of psychedelics, explained by a Johns Hopkins expert.
3mins
Short-term thinkers take shortcuts. Take the long path instead, explains futurist Ari Wallach.
5mins
Two-thirds of our days are spent alone. The Metaverse will bring us together, argues leading Metaverse thinker Matthew Ball.
6mins
Debates about the existence of free will traditionally have been fought by two competing camps: those who believe in free will and those who don’t because they believe the Universe […]
3mins
Economist Tyler Cowen says there are good reasons to be crypto-skeptical.