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.
26
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
27
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
28
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
29
“We’re Going to Die Here”
An Israeli family’s encounter with Hamas
13 min
30
Why Don’t Biden’s Political Wins Register With ...
It’s not him. It’s us.
26 min
31
After Ozempic
Could Ozempic upend the progress society has made on body image?
22 min
32
Jenisha from Kentucky
33 min
33
Radio Atlantic Presents: How to Talk to People
How do we overcome the awkwardness that keeps us from starting a conversation?
39 min
34
How Bad Could BA.2.86 Get?
How to handle the next COVID wave.
26 min
35
Trans in Texas
An American teenage refugee
26 min
36
The GOP Debate: Trumpiness Without Trump
A glimpse into the future of the party
32 min
37
Megan Rapinoe Answers the Critics
Megan Rapinoe speaks with Atlantic staff writer Frank Foer.
30 min
38
Fatigue Can Wreck You
Fatigue is often a symptom of long COVID. It’s also deeply misunderstood.
25 min
39
Lobotomy Day
How it feels when your best friend forgets your name.
32 min
40
Why a U.S. Women’s Team Loss Could Actually Be ...
America’s dominance in women’s soccer has helped grow the game, but the team may fall shorter in this World Cup than they ever have before. Could that actually be good for the sport?
29 min
41
‘Everyone Used to be Nicer,’ And Other Persiste...
A new study explains why your sense that people have gotten worse is a psychological illusion.
26 min
42
Why Can’t We Quit Weddings?
Marriages aren’t what they used to be. So why are weddings ever more wedding-like and deluxe?
28 min
43
AI Won’t Really Kill Us All, Will It?
The AI doomers are trying to warn us. But there’s plenty to fear that comes before killer robots.
22 min
44
Sorry, Honey, It’s Too Hot for Camp
Summer is getting too hot and dangerous, killing the childhood of our imaginations.
29 min
45
The Power of a Failed Revolt
Anne Applebaum and Tom Nichols explain the week's events in Russia.
26 min
46
Can Baseball Keep Up With Us?
America's national pastime got slower as American society sped up—will reforming the rules help?
24 min
47
The End of Affirmative Action. For Real This Time.
The Supreme Court is about to issue a set of rulings on affirmative action in higher education. If it goes as expected, universities will no longer be allowed to consider race in admissions. In this episode of Radio Atlantic, host Hanna Rosin talks to Adam Harris, an Atlantic staff writer who covers the issue and has written about the cases. They talk about how the backlash against affirmative action began almost as soon as the effort started.
31 min
48
The Rise and Fall of Chris Licht and CNN
The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta spent long stretches of the past year talking to CNN’s then-CEO Chris Licht about his grand experiment to reset the cable giant as a venue more welcoming to Republicans. In a major profile of Licht, Alberta documented the many disasters along the way, culminating in Licht’s ouster from the network this week. In this episode of Radio Atlantic, host Hanna Rosin talks to Alberta about the rise and fall of Licht, and what it means for the media.
32 min
49
The Problem With Comparing Social Media to Big ...
Politicians, pundits, and even the surgeon general have been highlighting the risks that social media poses to young people’s mental health. The problem is real—but is it as serious as those caused by cigarettes or drunk driving, and what can be done about it? Host Hanna Rosin talks to the Atlantic tech reporter Kaitlyn Tiffany about what the research actually shows regarding teens and social media. “It creates this frustrating moment where legislators want to do something now. And I bet the surgeon general’s report will make that more intense. But the research isn’t quite caught up. In order to know what to do, you have to know more precisely what the problem is.”
37 min
50
The War Is Not Here to Entertain You
The war in Ukraine is reaching a critical moment. Will it recapture the world’s flagging attention?
19 min