Derek Thompson

On Being a Dad

A personal reflection on fatherhood

20 hrs ago • Derek Thompson

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How Metrics Make Us Miserable

The quantified life has become a modern religion. But many of us are measuring life the wrong way.

Mar 1 • Derek Thompson

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February 2026

Why AI Is 'Not Particularly Good' at Curing Disease (Plus: The Next GLP-1 Boom and Why America Hates Big Pharma)

A wide-ranging interview with Dave Ricks, the CEO of Eli Lilly, which makes the GLP-1 drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound and recently became the first…

Feb 27 • Derek Thompson

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Nobody Knows Anything

The fact that a piece of AI science fiction rocked the stock market this week is a clear indication that absolutely no one knows how the next few years…

Feb 25 • Derek Thompson

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The Obscure Media Theory That Explains '99% of Everything'

Or: How did America's mid-century communications theorists get it all so right?

Feb 18 • Derek Thompson

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The Doomsday Scenario for AI and Jobs

What are the strongest cases for it and against it?

Feb 13 • Derek Thompson

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The 11 Most Interesting Ideas I Read on Paternity Leave

It's great to be a dad. But it's great to be back, too.

Feb 10 • Derek Thompson

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December 2025

The Case For Prayer, Even If You're an Atheist

On the science of hope and hopelessness

Dec 18, 2025 • Derek Thompson

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The 26 Most Important Ideas For 2026

Modern trends and history lessons—across culture, politics, AI, economics, science, and the long story of progress. But first: an announcement!

Dec 10, 2025 • Derek Thompson

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November 2025

How to Sound Like an Expert in Any AI Bubble Debate

There are 12 statistics, factoids, and studies that dominate every discussion about whether artificial intelligence is a bubble. Here's a deep-dive into…

Nov 25, 2025 • Derek Thompson and Timothy B. Lee

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Trump's AI Policy Is Indefensible

Trump, the White House, and their defenders claim that trade is bad and tariffs are good. So how on earth do they defend America's AI policy, which is…

Nov 20, 2025 • Derek Thompson

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Are Young People Screwed?

It seems like everyone has suddenly agreed that young Americans have never had it worse. Let's investigate.

Nov 14, 2025 • Derek Thompson

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