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. From the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Philosophy
Politics
News Commentary
251
Could we lose delicious foods forever?
60 min
252
What Don't Look Up is really about
The film's co-writer doesn't think it was smug.
56 min
253
Democracy in crisis, part 2: The two-party problem
53 min
254
Why we can't pay attention anymore
59 min
255
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
256
Pod Save the Democrats
55 min
257
A Yellowjackets creator spills his guts
39 min
258
A scientist's case for "woo-woo"
55 min
259
Imagine a future with no police
59 min
260
Novelist Lauren Groff on the other Matrix
42 min
261
Are we living in a simulation?
Philosopher David Chalmers on the question: what is reality, anyway?
63 min
262
Rep. Jamie Raskin on living through the unthink...
52 min
263
Best of: Why fascism in America isn't going away
44 min
264
Best of: Clint Smith III on confronting the leg...
56 min
265
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
266
Chris Bosh on winning (and losing everything)
53 min
267
The cult of toughness
61 min
268
Is ethical investing a scam?
52 min
269
The good life is painful
49 min
270
The father of environmental justice
45 min
271
Jill Lepore on Elon Musk's imaginary world
57 min
272
E.O. Wilson's plan to save the world
51 min
273
Workers of the world, stay home!
57 min
274
How progressives get back in the game
57 min
275
The highs and lows of the "creator economy"
44 min