Do we need to build God to cure cancer?

Do we need to build God to cure cancer?

AI companies keep promising it will cure cancer. But what does that actually mean — and would an AI capable of doing it be one we'd want to live alongside? Jerusalem Demsas and Kelsey Piper debated the question live in San Francisco, in front of a crowd of researchers, investors, and skeptics who had plenty to say about it. One of them is going to be very wrong. Listen and judge for yourself. (0:00) Is the AI trade-off worth it?  (3:54) Are small wins good enough?  (10:27) What would it mean for AI to cure cancer?  (15:22) AlphaFold: Speeding up the chemistry of life  (16:40) Did ChatGPT cure a dog's cancer?  (31:10) Anthropic and the "Build God" strategy  (34:38) Audience Q&A (43:50) Jerusalem and Kelsey respond Support the Show: Get a full transcript, show notes, and an ad-free version: TheArgumentMag.com [http://theargumentmag.com/]  New episodes every Thursday—subscribe so you never miss a debate! The Argument is produced by Justin Zuckerman, fact-checked by Eli Richman, with music by Breakmaster Cylinder and art by Ben Tousley.

Why is crime falling everywhere?

America is on track for its lowest homicide year since 1900, but nobody seems to be celebrating. Matt Yglesias and Jerusalem Demsas debate why crime has dropped so dramatically and what caused the pandemic-era highs in the first place. Were the George Floyd and BLM protests to blame for the increase in crime? Were cops holding back because they felt disrespected? Or was it pandemic-era disruptions that caused the chaos? Together, they explore what it means for democratic accountability when officers can retreat from their duties, why police union reform remains the third rail of criminal justice policy, and why crime is falling across the country regardless of conservative or progressive leadership. (0:00) The shocking 2025 crime drop (5:24) Criminal justice reform & the "Ferguson effect" (10:02) The George Floyd protests as an authentic democratic reaction (13:04) Debating the root causes of crime during COVID-19 (23:49) The dire need for police union reform (29:52) Why nobody wants to be a police officer anymore (34:26) How much power do progressives actually have? (42:51) Peer review: Do violent movies prevent crime? Support the Show: Get a full transcript, show notes, and an ad-free version: TheArgumentMag.com [http://theargumentmag.com/]  New episodes every Thursday—subscribe so you never miss a debate! The Argument is produced by Justin Zuckerman, fact-checked by Eli Richman, with music by Breakmaster Cylinder and art by Ben Tousley.

Why Democrats and Republicans want you to pay $50,000 for a car

This week on The Argument, Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Yglesias debate the tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Jerusalem argues that Americans should have access to cheaper, climate-friendly cars, while Matt says industrial policy requires a more cautious approach. They dive into the failure of Trump’s tariffs, what serious industrial policy looks like, and how the climate activists are once again missing the mark. (0:00) The BYD car that can jump over potholes (4:07) Climate activists miss the mark (11:46) Setting the stage for war with China (20:13) Protecting nonunion electric vehicles (27:50) Let Jerusalem buy a cheap Chinese EV (35:13) Matt Yglesias’s trade solutions (41:20) Comparing today to 1980s Japan auto policy (46:10) Peer review: The effects of school phone bans Support the Show: Get a full transcript, show notes, and an ad-free version: TheArgumentMag.com [http://theargumentmag.com/]  New episodes every Thursday—subscribe so you never miss a debate! The Argument is produced by Justin Zuckerman, fact-checked by Eli Richman, with music by Breakmaster Cylinder and art by Ben Tousley.

Did Joe Biden really kill Spirit Airlines?

Spirit Airlines is dead and the right, true to form, is blaming Joe Biden.  The immediate cause of Spirit's demise is pretty clear: the war with Iran spiked jet fuel costs, and the already-battered airline couldn't absorb the hit to its bottom line. Last we checked, Joe Biden didn't start any wars with Iran.  In this episode, Matthew Yglesias and Jerusalem Demsas break down what really happened with Spirit Airlines, the weird history of aviation policy in the U.S., and the conspiracy by some progressives to reduce competition in the space.  (0:00) Spirit Airlines is dead (7:07) The blocked JetBlue merger (14:54) 1960s airline nostalgia (21:12) Matt’s tinfoil hat theory (26:29) Pre-Carter airline monopolies (35:26) The dawn of deregulation (47:17) Anti-monopolists want less competition (54:19) America’s protectionist policies (58:22) Peer review: Marriage and gender-coded purchases Support the Show: Get a full transcript, show notes, and an ad-free version: TheArgumentMag.com [http://theargumentmag.com/]  New episodes every Thursday—subscribe so you never miss a debate! The Argument is produced by Justin Zuckerman, fact-checked by Eli Richman, with music by Breakmaster Cylinder and art by Ben Tousley.

Boy moms and Nazi POWs: how "The Feminine Mystique" changed feminism

Betty Friedan thought Korean POWs were dying in captivity because their mothers were housewives. She thought boy moms were making their sons gay. She wrote a whole chapter comparing suburban kitchens to concentration camps — in 1963, while America was still processing what concentration camps actually were.  "The Feminine Mystique" is one of those important books that everyone "knows" but no one has actually read.  For today's episode of The Argument podcast, Matthew Yglesias and Jerusalem Demsas read and review the book that kicked off second-wave feminism.  0:00-Introduction to The Feminine Mystique 9:02-Psychotherapy, Mad Men, and Marxist origins 20:02-The true drivers of social change 30:52-Famous books with massive effects 35:07-The most insane parts of The Feminine Mystique 47:33-The female happiness paradox 51:34-Rating the book’s success 56:54-Peer Review: Health benefits of WW2 sugar rationing? New episodes post every Thursday. For an ad-free version, show notes, and full transcript, subscribe at TheArgumentMag.com.  Support the Show: Get a full transcript, show notes, and an ad-free version: TheArgumentMag.com [http://theargumentmag.com/]  New episodes every Thursday—subscribe so you never miss a debate! The Argument is produced by Justin Zuckerman, fact-checked by Eli Richman, with music by Breakmaster Cylinder and art by Ben Tousley.