

What Could Go Right?
The Progress Network with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas
What if instead of being on the brink of disaster, we’re on the cusp of a better world? No one can deny the challenges the world faces, from pandemics to climate change to authoritarianism. But pessimism and despair are too easy a response. Each week, Progress Network Founder Zachary Karabell and Executive Director Emma Varvaloucas convene a diverse panel of experts to discuss the central issues of our era, including sustainability, polarization, work, and the economy, and make the case for a brighter future. They emerge from their conversations with a counterintuitive but informed take: progress is on its way.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 17, 2024 • 51min
Is Free Speech Dead? with Greg Lukianoff
What's really happening on college campuses? Is free expression on them dead, or have we reached peak cancel culture? And why have younger generations completely abandoned the principles behind free speech? Today, we're joined by attorney Greg Lukianoff, the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), who shares his perspective and his hopes for the role of free speech defenders and alternative approaches to higher education.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetworkAnd follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 10, 2024 • 42min
Progress Check: 2024's Election Frenzy with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas
The most people in history will vote in 2024, with 78 countries going to the polls. Is democracy really on the ballot, as some say? What new state laws are coming into effect, and is a new space race heating up? Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas are back to discuss the latest news stories we might have missed.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetworkAnd follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 3, 2024 • 52min
Hashtag Trauma with Scott Barry Kaufman
What is vulnerable narcissism? Is #trauma a trend? And what psychological traits define our times? Psychologist and author Scott Barry Kaufman guides us through an examination of why, what, and who we are, advocating for a holistic understanding of intelligence and creativity.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetworkAnd follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 20, 2023 • 58min
A Science of Culture with Michael Muthukrishna
Michael Muthukrishna, author of "A Theory of Everyone," explores the distinctiveness of human beings and argues that cultural evolution propels humanity and helps us face challenges. Topics include creating cultures that lead to particular outcomes, the role of energy availability in fostering collaboration, the importance of the next energy revolution, decreasing global energy demand, the Taliban's shift in stance on vaccination campaigns, the success of conservation efforts for the Saiga Antelope, and the rise of stay-at-home dads in the US.

Dec 13, 2023 • 54min
Revisiting The Feminine Mystique with Rachel Shteir
How have gender politics shaped the role of women in our society? How far are we from equality, or are we there? And how has history informed our modern conversations on women's rights? In her latest book, "Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter," renowned essayist, writer, and critic Rachel Shteir presents a compelling biography of the woman behind the 1963 bestseller "The Feminine Mystique," which first popularized the idea of women's fulfillment outside the identities of wife, mother, and homemaker.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetworkAnd follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 6, 2023 • 54min
Climate Capital and a Green Tech Future with Jigar Shah
Will the green transition happen, and how far do we have to go? Jigar Shah, the director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy, shares his insights into the current landscape, future potential, and challenges for the successful commercial deployment of critical clean energy technologies. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetworkAnd follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 29, 2023 • 52min
Progress Check: Politics and AI, Homeless Vets, and STDs with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas
How much of a threat is AI to elections with new disclosure rules from big platforms in place? What's going on with infant mortality trends? And why can't we test for more illnesses at home? Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas are back to discuss the latest news stories we might have missed.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetworkAnd follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 15, 2023 • 59min
Change Is the Operative Force of History with Drew Gilpin Faust
Historian and civil rights activist, Drew Gilpin Faust, discusses the transformative power of change throughout history, the ongoing fight for equality, the influence of social and historical conditions on personal relationships, the demand for change during the 1960s, acts of revolt against oppression, the current state of higher education, and the issue of paid sick leave in the United States.

Nov 8, 2023 • 1h 1min
Not Too Late for the Climate with Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua
Climate activists and authors Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua discuss the importance of community involvement and love as driving forces in climate action. They also explore the tension between compromised solutions and environmental urgency and the shift from austerity to abundance in climate change conversations. The podcast addresses the tension between pragmatism and idealism in climate change discussions and the need for balance between activists and pragmatists. Additionally, it delves into the growing interest in individual retirement management and the empowerment of owning equities.

Nov 1, 2023 • 43min
Progress Check: Climate Dads, Cell Phone Bans, and Asteroid Sampling with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas
Who is going to work these days and who is staying home? How should schools handle cell phones on their grounds, and what is the UK doing about them in particular? And what did NASA scientists find in their latest asteroid sample? Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas are back to discuss the latest news stories we might have missed.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetworkAnd follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices