Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Is the United States still a worthy opponent for China? In this episode, Ross Douthat talks to Dan Wang, the author of “Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future,” about the alarming speed at which China is able to build and could blow America out of the water. * 01:44 - “A life full of ease and beauty” * 05:30 - Rule by engineers * 11:00 - China’s Technological Mastery * 16:04 - Is autocracy driving innovation? * 25:00 - What are the real stakes of the competition? * 35:47 - How could China fail?  * 53:00 - Advice for America (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat [https://www.youtube.com/@InterestingTimesNYT]. > Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

While “Interesting Times” is on vacation, we’re sharing a conversation from “The Opinions” between Meher Ahmad, an editor for Times Opinion, and the Opinion writer Jessica Grose. They talk about the aesthetics of MAGA women — think Kristi Noem and Nancy Mace — and what they signal about femininity and power within the Republican Party.  Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat [http://www.youtube.com/@InterestingTimesNYT]. A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website. > Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This week, we’re sharing a great conversation Ross had on “The Ezra Klein Show” this past spring. Ezra asks Ross about his most recent book, “Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious.” But along the way, they debate not just how religion influences the Trump administration but also their own lives. Come for their seeking and stay for their thoughts on ayahuasca and mystical encounters. * 02:39 - Trump: man of destiny? * 19:55 - Political power, cruelty and Godliness * 36:13 - Religion and spirituality in the modern world * 42:53 - The mysteries of the universe… * 48:38 - Aliens! Fairies! (and some Catholic history) * 56:51 - Contending with uncertainty and evil * 1:05:24 - Psychedelic experiences * 1:20:56 - Official knowledge * 1:38:58 - Book recommendations Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat [http://www.youtube.com/@InterestingTimesNYT]. A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website. > Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For Democrats, President Trump’s victories have revealed the antidemocratic flaws at the core of our government. But could it be an opening for a constitutional revolution as the party searches for its next leader? This week, Ross explores what that revolution would entail with Osita Nwanevu, the author of the book, “The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding.” 3:46 - What's wrong with our democracy?  9:07 - Our undemocratic founding  17:00 - The case for more U.S. states and a new constitution 23:52 - Where economic reform fits into this problem  29:26 - Does Trump represent the will of the people? 37:17 - What Trump’s presidency says about democracy 40:30 - The elusive Bernie Sanders moment  46:29 - The mystical element of our politics Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat [http://www.youtube.com/@InterestingTimesNYT]. A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website. > Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Would you use an algorithm to select your embryos? Enter Orchid, a company that promises parents the ability to protect their future children through genetic testing for embryos before pregnancy. The founder, Noor Siddiqui, and Ross debate the scientific, moral and ethical implications of designing a “healthy” child and what we lose in separating reproduction from sex. * 01:27 - Orchid’s vision * 04:59- The process and benefits * 17:20 - Noor explains why Orchid was developed * 22:00- Criticism and skepticism around genetic screening * 36:21 - Does IVF need to change? * 44:00 - “The moral status of the embryo” * 53:36 - How does this technology change us? (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. [http://www.youtube.com/@InterestingTimesNYT] > Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.