Plain English with Derek Thompson

Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Watch Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish@spotify.com! Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson

Website

Every guest on Plain English with Derek Thompson

219 guests, ranked by how many people never want them back.

1. —
   Ben Carls
   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Ben Carlson
   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   Ben Fritz

   The Future of Entertainment, Part 1: Is Hollywood's Business Model Broken? · Oct 2025

   0 votes

   Never again
4. —
   Benny Morris

   Two Israel-Palestine Historians Explain: How Did We Get Here? And What Happens Next? · Oct 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
5. —
   Beverly Gage

   MEGAPOD: The Most Overrated American Who Ever Lived · Jul 2026

   0 votes

   Never again
6. —
   Beverly Tchang

   The Weight-Loss Drug Revolution, Part 1: Why These Drugs Work So Well · Dec 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
7. —
   Bill Bishop

   If China Invades Taiwan, Is It World War III? · Nov 2022

   0 votes

   Never again
8. —
   Boris Heifets

   The Truth About Ketamine: Depression Cure, Health Fad, or Placebo? · Dec 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
9. —
   Brian Schimpf

   The Future of War Is Here · May 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
10. —
    Bryce Ward

    Why America is Suffering a 'Friendship Recession' · Nov 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
11. —
    Charles Kupchan

    What Vladimir Putin Wants—and How Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Reshape the World · Feb 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
12. —
    Chris Dalla Riva

    The Science of How Music Hits Have Changed in the Last 60 Years · Feb 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
13. —
    Conor Sen

    Why Everything Is Going to Keep Getting More Expensive · 5 episodes

    0 votes

    Never again
14. —
    Dan Engber

    How the Media Failed Its COVID Test: The Truth Behind the Lab Leak and Masking Debates · Mar 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
15. —
    Dan Raviv

    Israel at War: Why Did Hamas Attack? · Oct 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
16. —
    Dana Goldstein

    What Is the “Don’t Say Gay” Law Really About? (Plus: The Big Disney vs. DeSantis Showdown in Florida.) · Mar 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
17. —
    Daniel Byman

    Israel Has No Good Options · Oct 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
18. —
    Dave Weigel

    How Strong Is the Case Against Donald Trump? · Apr 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
19. —
    David Berri

    Why Is It So Hard to Predict the Next Great Quarterback? · Apr 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
20. —
    David Broockman

    The Four Biggest Myths About Political Persuasion · Aug 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
21. —
    David Deming

    The Job Market for Young Grads Is Flashing Red · May 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
22. —
    David D’Alessio

    Plain English BEST OF: If GLP-1 Drugs Are Good for Everything, Should We All Be on Them? · Jan 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
23. —
    David Folkenflik
    0 votes

    Never again
24. —
    David Johns

    A Diet Conspiracy: Is Ice Cream Secretly Good for You? · May 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
25. —
    David Ludwig

    How Americans Got Everything About Food—Fat, Sugar, and Obesity—‘Entirely Backwards’ · Jan 2023

    0 votes

    Never again
26. —
    David Wasserman

    How to Watch Election Night Without Falling for Conspiracy Theories or False Hope · Nov 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
27. —
    Dean Ball

    "American Democracy as We Know It Might Not Survive This Technology" · Mar 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
28. —
    Devon Manze

    Why Does the Internet Hate Amber Heard? · May 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
29. —
    Drew Harwell
    0 votes

    Never again
30. —
    Duncan Weldon

    The UK Is in Trouble: Economic Crises, Energy Shocks, and the Queen’s Death · Sep 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
31. —
    Eric Klinenberg

    Why Americans Stopped Hanging Out—and Why It Matters · Feb 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
32. —
    Erik Lin-Greenberg

    A Surprising Theory About the Future of War · Jun 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
33. —
    Euan Ashley

    "Exercise May Be the Single Most Potent Medical Intervention Ever Known" · Aug 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
34. —
    Gabriel Zucman

    America's Tax System Is Broken · Mar 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
35. —
    German Lopez

    America’s Gun Problem Is Impossible · May 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
36. —
    Heather Schwartz

    America’s National Teacher Shortage: Looming Crisis or Media Myth? · Sep 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
37. —
    Henry Farrell

    Trumponomics Explained, Part 2: The Enshittification of American Power · Sep 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
38. —
    Jake Auchincloss

    Can "Touch-Grass Populism" Save America? · Oct 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
39. —
    James Alan Fox

    Whatever Happened to Serial Killers? · Jun 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
40. —
    Jasmine Sun

    Why Americans Hate Data Centers · Aug 2026

    0 votes

    Never again