The Gray Area with Sean Illing

The Gray Area with Sean Illing takes a philosophy-minded look at culture, technology, politics, and the world of ideas. Each week, we invite a guest to explore a question or topic that matters. From the the state of democracy, to the struggle with depression and anxiety, to the nature of identity in the digital age, each episode looks for nuance and honesty in the most important conversations of our time. New episodes drop every Monday.

Philosophy
Politics
News Commentary
226
Could we lose delicious foods forever?
60 min
227
What Don't Look Up is really about
The film's co-writer doesn't think it was smug.
56 min
228
Democracy in crisis, part 2: The two-party problem
53 min
229
Why we can't pay attention anymore
59 min
230
Democracy in crisis, part 1: Ross Douthat isn't...
First in a two-part series on the dangers facing American democracy, hosted by Zack Beauchamp
60 min
231
Pod Save the Democrats
55 min
232
A Yellowjackets creator spills his guts
39 min
233
A scientist's case for "woo-woo"
55 min
234
Imagine a future with no police
59 min
235
Novelist Lauren Groff on the other Matrix
42 min
236
Are we living in a simulation?
Philosopher David Chalmers on the question: what is reality, anyway?
63 min
237
Rep. Jamie Raskin on living through the unthink...
52 min
238
Best of: Why fascism in America isn't going away
44 min
239
Best of: Clint Smith III on confronting the leg...
56 min
240
Best of: We need to talk about UFOs. Seriously.
Professor Alex Wendt tells Sean Illing why he thinks the aliens might already be here
57 min
241
Chris Bosh on winning (and losing everything)
53 min
242
The cult of toughness
61 min
243
Is ethical investing a scam?
52 min
244
The good life is painful
49 min
245
The father of environmental justice
45 min
246
Jill Lepore on Elon Musk's imaginary world
57 min
247
E.O. Wilson's plan to save the world
51 min
248
Workers of the world, stay home!
57 min
249
How progressives get back in the game
57 min
250
The highs and lows of the "creator economy"
44 min