What Is Lost When We Make 'The Odyssey' Modern
Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' is an extraordinary, modern epic. Homer's Odyssey is an even more extraordinarily strange one.
Culture
Plain English.
A newsletter about abundance and building a better world.
Recent essays
30 of 43A Philosopher’s One-Word Theory to Explain Why the World Feels So Weird
Once you learn what the "uni-context" is, you won't stop seeing it everywhere
Is This the End of Booze?
The turn against moderate drinking has been sudden and sharp. But it's not often based in science.
America, 1926: What a Forgotten 100-Year-Old Report Says About Who We Are
America in 1926 was obsessed with technology, immigration, women, work, and money. Sound familiar?
It’s the Best Time Ever to Become a Millionaire by Working Alone
There are more—and richer—tiny companies. AI could be playing a big role.
The U.S. Went to War to Take Away Iran's Superweapon. It Gave Iran a New One.
Trump lost the country. The U.S. lost a half-hearted war. Israel lost an ally. The Middle East lost the illusion of security. Asia lost growth. Global trade lost a dependable artery.
The Derek Thompson Substack Turns 1! Here's How the Newsletter Is Doing
Thank you for being a paid subscriber! And please use this birthday to tell me what you want this newsletter to grow into
The Cult of the Enhanced Self
Americans have never been healthier, or more alone. These things might be related.
Why Do the Best Leaders Fail at the Most Important Job?
What do Marcus Aurelius, Bob Iger, Bill Belichick, and William Shawn have in common? Succession failure.
Why Are Men So Bad at Making—and Keeping—Friends?
There are two problems with the famous “male loneliness crisis”—the loneliness part and the male thing.
The AI Boom Has Entered Its 'Wait, Is This Worth It?' Era
The great AI cost panic of 2026 is upon us
Can America Escape the Cycle of Vicemaxxing?
Donald Trump did not invent political corruption. But he may be accelerating something more dangerous: the collapse of universal moral standards into a culture of endless special exceptions.
The Global Fertility Crisis Is Worse Than You Probably Think
Everybody knows about the decline in birthrates. Fewer people understand why—or just how significantly it could transform society in the next few decades.
The Six Megatrends That Define 2026
Every week, I save dozens of screenshots of charts, essay passages, science and economics papers, and tweets.
How AI Could Help Cure Pancreatic Cancer
The most lethal cancer is invisible to the human eye until it's too late to treat. In today's Q&A, a Mayo Clinic doctor says AI can see what the best radiologists cannot.
The Big Question Lurking Beneath the AI Debate
Is artificial intelligence normal?
Why Your Best Ideas Aren’t Original
What the mysterious history of "multiple discovery" in science tells us about the nature of creativity
How American Dads Became the Parents Their Fathers Never Were
Compared to their parents, Millennial fathers have roughly tripled the amount of time they spend with kids. The new American dad is more present and more exhausted—but also, more satisfied with life.
If America's So Rich, How'd It Get So Sad?
Or: How the 2020s broke our brains
The AI Vibe Shift Has Officially Arrived
We seem to be moving from a period of demand scarcity (not enough customers) to supply scarcity (not enough compute)
How ‘Zombie Flow’ Took Over Culture
Or: If you're so smart, why aren't you happier?
The Substack-ification of American Religion
Why young men aren't really going back to church, why liberals are sadder than conservatives, and how "Substack-ification" is transforming the future of Christianity, media, and politics
Why 'Cost Disease' Is the Secret Force Behind America's Toxic Solitude
The screens got cheap. The shared experiences got expensive.
The Case For Prayer, Even If You're an Atheist
On the science of hope and hopelessness
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!
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 all 12 arguments
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 the opposite in every way?
Are Young People Screwed?
It seems like everyone has suddenly agreed that young Americans have never had it worse. Let's investigate.
The Monks in the Casino
A brief theory of young men, "the loneliness crisis," and life in the 21st century
The Democrats Have a New Winning Formula
The affordability theory of everything