Radio Atlantic

The Atlantic has long been known as an ideas-driven magazine. Now we’re bringing that same ethos to audio. Like the magazine, the show will “road test” the big ideas that both drive the news and shape our culture. Through conversations—and sometimes sharp debates—with the most insightful thinkers and writers on topics of the day, Radio Atlantic will complicate overly simplistic views. It will cut through the noise with clarifying, personal narratives. It will, hopefully, help listeners make up their own mind about certain ideas.

The national conversation right now can be chaotic, reckless, and stuck. Radio Atlantic aims to bring some order to our thinking—and encourage listeners to be purposeful about how they unstick their mind.

News
Society & Culture
Politics
1
Inside a Hospital’s Abortion Committee
A Tennessee doctor explains how lifesaving decisions get made. And denied.
22 min
2
The Sound of Cruelty
A close reading of the Oscar-nominated film "The Zone of Interest."
20 min
3
The Lost Boys of Big Tech
Kara Swisher’s new memoir, Burn Book, tells true stories about men (and some women) who ruled Silicon Valley.
29 min
4
Maybe You Should Quit Therapy
A psychiatrist wonders if treatment should be forever.
28 min
5
What If Your Best Friend Is Your Soulmate?
A new book explores deeply platonic friendships.
30 min
6
The Rise of Techno-Authoritarianism
The intellectual origins of the movement that self-described “techno-optimists” are advancing is dark—and deeply familiar.
27 min
7
The ‘Coward of Broward’ Re-Examined
The Parkland school shooting 2018 had two criminal trials: the man who committed the crime, and the man accused of not doing enough to stop it.
26 min
8
Fatigue Can Wreck You (Redux)
Fatigue is often a symptom of long COVID. It’s also deeply misunderstood. (Episode originally aired August 2023.)
26 min
9
The Last Days of the Barcode
The invention that shaped our consumer appetites
28 min
10
Nikki Haley Could Surprise Us
Political reporters Elaine Godfrey and Mark Leibovich preview the first votes of 2024.
26 min
11
Why a Good Economy Feels Like a Bad One
Senior editor Gilad Edelman explains how the economy is playing tricks on your mind.
27 min
12
How to Waste Time
Sharing the first episode of the new season of our How To podcast
35 min
13
Don’t Buy That Sweater
Amanda Mull explains why the sweaters of today are so much worse than they used to be.
25 min
14
A Military Loyal to Trump
A critical piece of ending democracy
23 min
15
How Trump Has Transformed Evangelicals
An unlikely alliance gets stronger
37 min
16
The Cockroach Cure
Forty years ago, scientists did the impossible. Why doesn’t anyone remember?
31 min
17
How to Have a Healthy Argument
Journalist Amanda Ripley and Utah Governor Spencer Cox explain how to disagree better.
27 min
18
The Post-Strike Future of Hollywood
Hanna Rosin talks with Atlantic writers David Sims and Shirley Li about the post-strike realignment in Hollywood and what we should all expect.
27 min
19
Peter Thiel Is Taking a Break From Democracy
Barton Gellman discusses his profile of Peter Thiel with Hanna Rosin.
29 min
20
The Man Working to Keep the Water On in Gaza
Marwan Bardawil is the man who keeps the water flowing in Gaza. This is difficult in normal times, nearly impossible now, and yet critical. Without enough clean water, people get dehydrated, hygiene deteriorates, sewage backs up, and deadly diseases can spike. In a series of phone calls over a critical week, we track how this water engineer tries to keep his community, and his family from tipping further into disaster.
21 min
21
What Scares Jordan Peele?
Peele and writer N.K. Jemisin discuss the subversive goals of their new book, 'Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror'
16 min
22
What’s Next in Gaza
Nearly two weeks after the Hamas attack on Israel, Atlantic staff writer Graeme Wood is on the ground in Jerusalem. We talk to Graeme about what he’s hearing from people— namely a combination of anger, fear, mourning, and a desire for revenge.
23 min
23
“We’re Going to Die Here”
An Israeli family’s encounter with Hamas
13 min
24
Why Don’t Biden’s Political Wins Register With ...
It’s not him. It’s us.
26 min
25
After Ozempic
Could Ozempic upend the progress society has made on body image?
22 min