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Reasonably Optimistic

The Washington Post

Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.

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Episodes

192 episodes

  1. How AI went from fringe idea to unstoppable force 56:06
  2. What a reality show taught this author about modern masculinity 49:45
  3. Netflix’s next act may look a lot like old TV 27:14
  4. How the DSA is reshaping the Democratic Party 48:05
  5. What prediction markets can tell us that polls can’t 28:15
  6. The fight for fed-up voters in the 2026 midterms 38:54
  7. The overlooked businesses making Americans rich 46:32
  8. How America can recover from Trump-era politics 40:57
  9. The job interview advice Gen Z needs to hear 27:00
  10. Is AI taking Gen Z’s jobs? It’s not that simple. 50:31
  11. The $1 million prize for academics who tell unwelcome truths 1:05:26
  12. How conservatism went from Reagan to Trump 36:22
  13. Why everyone seems to hate Flock cameras 45:17
  14. What AI experts fear most 48:55
  15. This medieval revolt has a warning for today 31:03
  16. The strange truth behind our obsession with UFOs and aliens 50:18
  17. My mother’s secret changed how I think about abortion 32:51
  18. The myths fueling America’s AI data center backlash 55:06
  19. Football is back. A new CTE study asks what it costs. 16:05
  20. The hidden forces behind America’s baby bust 56:35
  21. A sociologist’s perspective on the Jason Arday story 49:54
  22. What empty pews reveal about America 52:27
  23. Why this professor lost faith in higher education 59:37
  24. Why your cost of living keeps rising 35:45
  25. Is TikTok rewiring childhood? 54:25
  26. Stop cooking the ‘right’ way 34:53
  27. How to fix higher education without destroying it 21:29
  28. A therapist on relationships, ghosting and realistic standards 46:12
  29. Why homeownership feels impossible for Gen Z 21:48
  30. What America got wrong about drug addiction 25:32
  31. Lonely Gen Z needed this wake-up call 32:37
  32. This actor drove 10,000 miles to ask men about loneliness 33:46
  33. The problem with ‘Tax the rich!’ 21:09
  34. How populists turn distrust into power 31:11
  35. Why Europeans are falling in love with America 18:05
  36. What happened when fashion moved online 32:01
  37. What's behind the South's sudden boom 17:39
  38. Modern dating is miserable. Can it be fixed? 37:20
  39. Voters can push back against unsavory politicians 13:16
  40. Is there such a thing as too much empathy? 35:42
  41. Gen Zers don’t cook. It’s costing them. 20:57
  42. Do aliens exist? I asked an astrophysicist. 37:04
  43. How weddings got so expensive 18:39
  44. Why $1 million doesn’t feel rich for Gen Z 38:48
  45. Why everyone is talking about peptides 28:46
  46. What’s going on with Ebola and hantavirus? 23:30
  47. Is life better in Europe? It's not so simple. 13:01
  48. Men are falling behind. Let's talk about it. 34:29
  49. The problem with celebrity politicians 17:39
  50. What prediction markets tell us about the future 34:19