Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Why do digital detoxes fail to create lasting change? What works better? To answer these questions, Cal draws from the book “A Brief History of Intelligence” to reveal the relevant neuroscience at play, and then use this understanding to figure out a better method for improving your relationship with your devices.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

(0:00) Why do digital detoxes fail?

(28:28) An article on the phone algorithm addiction

(35:13) Follow up on the Brad Stulberg interview

(40:21) A policy article on digital addiction

(52:34) Deep work in the age of AI

(57:46) What Cal is up to

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow

Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/

Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/04/us/politics/online-addictions-cut-back-screen-time.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/opinion/culture/phone-algorithm-addiction.html

https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/learn/goodharts-law.html

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/digital-addiction-public-health-problem-public-health-law-solution

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Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.
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Cal Newport talks with Brad Stulberg to explain the optimization paradox in Episode 414 of the Deep Questions podcast.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

(0:00) The Optimization Paradox

(2:12) Interview with Brad Stulberg

(35:12) Health optimization

(1:09:16) Tail end development



Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow

Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/

Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?

Thanks to our Sponsors:

https://wealthfront.com/deep

https://calderalab.com/deep

https://cozyearth.com (Use code “DEEP”)

Cal Newport is not a Wealthfront client.

Wealthfront’s high-yield cash account: ⁠https://www.wealthfront.com/deep⁠. This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Cal Newport receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for paid endorsement in his podcast, creating a conflict of interest. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.05% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Additional terms and conditions apply, which can be found on ⁠wealthfront.com/deep⁠. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value.

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News.

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

(0:00) Anthropic’s new research report

(2:05) Digging into the paper

(3:32) High level tutorial on LLMs

(6:18) Detail on annotations

(13:50) What the Anthropic paper found

(20:39) Why this is interesting research

(26:28) Conclusion on consciousness

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow

https://www.anthropic.com/research/global-workspace

https://x.com/RileyRalmuto/status/2074195587616964757

https://www.axios.com/2026/07/06/anthropic-claude-ai-conscious

https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/09/1140293/anthropic-found-a-hidden-space-where-claude-puzzles-over-concepts/

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you buy a beautiful notebook, excited by all its possibilities to help refine your thoughts and generate new insights. Then it sits unused until you forget about it. The problem is not *what* notebooks you own but instead *how* you use them. In this episode, Cal walks through the four different notebooks he owns, and the four different ways he uses them.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

(0:00) Should I Use Notebooks More Often? (Cal’s Strategy)

(30:11) Comments on a controversial article

(33:18 ) Statistics about smartphone bans in schools

(38:15) A practical question about remote work

(40:57) A question about focus and the World Cup

(46:08) What Cal is up to

(48:12) What Cal is reading

Books:

Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (Walter Ong)

Lost (Rachel Hartigan)

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow

Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/

Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/a-neurologist-claims-gen-z-has-a-lower-iq-than-millennials/ar-AA1XAIFu

https://x.com/JimenaJuani/status/2072095851816620191?s=20

Thanks to our Sponsors:

https://www.superhuman.com

https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off

https://www.monarch.com/deep

https://www.mybodytutor.com

Cal Newport is not a Wealthfront client.

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal Newport takes a critical look at recent AI News.

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

(0:00) Does business actually understand AI?
(2:52) Quote #2
(6:20) Taking a step back
(7:06) Quote #3
(11:39) Quote #4
(17:02) Idea for journalists

Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/world/europe/germany-sap-ai-jobs-skilled-workers.html
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/nvidia-ceo-begs-execs-stop-fired-ai
https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/marc-andreessen-says-every-large-033008122.html
https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/sam-altman-says-initially-wrong-132000485.html

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices