Podcast
Reasonably Optimistic
Hosted by The Washington Post · EN
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.
11episodes
Episodes
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Modern dating is miserable. Can it be fixed?
Today00:37:20Tap to summarizeHost Megan McArdle talks with culture writer Kat Rosenfield about how dating apps, therapy-speak and online gender wars have changed romance — making flirtation feel risky, rejection feel catastrophic and desire feel suspect. They discuss the lost art of approaching people in real life, what older courtship norms got right and Rosenfield’s new novel, “How to Survive in the Woods.”Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Voters can push back against unsavory politicians
5d ago00:13:16Tap to summarizePolitical parties keep asking voters to overlook scandals, bad judgment and unstable behavior because the other side is worse. Senate candidates Graham Platner and Ken Paxton are only the latest examples. Host Megan McArdle argues that character still matters in politics — and that voters are not helpless victims of polarization.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Is there such a thing as too much empathy?
1w ago00:35:42Tap to summarizeIs empathy destroying the West? That's the provocative claim at the center of Gad Saad's new book, "Suicidal Empathy." Host Megan McArdle is joined by Saad, a professor at the University of Mississippi, to discuss the trade-offs societies make in the name of compassion and whether America has the capacity to absorb differences.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Gen Zers don’t cook. It’s costing them.
2w ago00:20:57Tap to summarizeEating food cooked at home has traditionally been considered a cheaper option to ordering takeout. So why are so many in Gen Z choosing food away from home? Host Megan McArdle explores how convenience, changing expectations and the modern economy have transformed the way we eat.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Do aliens exist? I asked an astrophysicist.
2w ago00:37:04Tap to summarizeAre humans alone in the universe? The answer is more complicated than science fiction might suggest. Scientists have discovered billions upon billions of potentially habitable planets. But if life is possible elsewhere, why haven’t we found it?Host Megan McArdle talks with astrophysicist Adam Frank, author of “The Little Book of Aliens.” They discuss the search for alien life, why intelligent civilizations may be harder to find than microbes and the limits of what UFOs can reveal.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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How weddings got so expensive
3w ago00:18:39Tap to summarizeThe average wedding now costs $36,000, and many couples feel like they are being taken for a ride. From weekend bottlenecks and customization to family dynamics and the pressure to get everything right, the answer is more complicated than simple price gouging. Host Megan McArdle explores why modern weddings have become so expensive.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Why $1 million doesn’t feel rich for Gen Z
3w ago00:38:48Tap to summarizeThe average American household is now worth more than $1 million. Yet Gen Z is increasingly pessimistic about its economic future. Why does it feel like so many people are falling behind? Is homeownership out of reach? And how can young people build wealth in an economy that seems both richer and more uncertain than ever? Megan McArdle talks with Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, about wealth inequality, housing affordability, social media and the frustrations shaping younger generations' outlook.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Why everyone is talking about peptides
4w ago00:28:46Tap to summarizePeptides are suddenly everywhere — touted by influencers, biohackers and longevity enthusiasts as the next breakthrough in wellness. But what exactly are they, and how much do we actually know about the risks?Host Megan McArdle talks with physician and Washington Post columnist Dr. Leana Wen about the booming peptide economy, the rise of gray-market injections and why so many people are turning to online health communities instead of doctors. As wellness culture pushes further into self-experimentation, how much risk are people willing to take in the pursuit of optimization?Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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What’s going on with Ebola and hantavirus?
4w ago00:23:30Tap to summarizeTrust in public health institutions has fractured since the covid-19 pandemic began, even as the threat of new outbreaks remains. Ebola is spreading in parts of Central Africa. Hantavirus has left some cruise ship passengers under quarantine. Neither is a repeat of covid-19 — and public health officials say the risk to most Americans remains low — but even distant outbreaks now provoke fear, skepticism and debate.Host Megan McArdle talks with physician and Washington Post contributing columnist Leana S. Wen about what we learned from covid-19, why trust in public health infrastructure has become so fragile and whether America is better prepared for the next serious outbreak — or simply more exhausted and distrustful.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Is life better in Europe? It's not so simple.
May 2200:13:01Tap to summarizeEurope promises a life many Americans envy: longer vacations, universal health care, beautiful cities and a slower pace. But those benefits come with trade-offs.Host Megan McArdle looks past the usual America versus Europe arguments to explore what economic indicators reveal about quality of life.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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