Deep Questions with Cal Newport

It’s hard to live deeply in a distracted world if you don’t have control over how you spend your time. This goal requires a planning system that both works and can last. Do you have a reasonable planning system in place? If not, don’t worry. Today, Cal is joined by planning expert Sarah Hart-Unger (author of “Best Laid Plans”) to discuss the nitty-gritty details of creating sustainable systems that can help you regain autonomy over your schedule without becoming an over-scheduled drone.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

IDEAS SEGMENT:  Interview with Sarah Hart-Unger [2:12]

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK, NOTES, AND CHATTER: 

Dopamine addictions and TV shows [1:05:06]

Watching entire films [1:09:43]

Attention span and movies [1:16:38]

WHAT CAL IS UP TO:

Update on my AI Programmer Project [1:21:12]

Other Updates [1:28:02]

What Cal Consumed [1:29:17]

The Last Kings of Hollywood (Paul Fischer)

Movies:

The Smashing Machine

Song Sung Blue

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow

Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/

Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?

vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/07/why-are-movies-sooooo-long-an-investigation

science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz9311

Sarah Hart-Unger online:

Sarah Hart-Unger (MD, if you want to use that but I typically don't even bother in my creative work!)

practicing pediatric endocrinologist, author, and podcaster

Best Laid Plans Podcast

Best of Both Worlds Podcast (cohosted with Laura Vanderkam)

Best Laid Plans: A Simple Planning System for Living a Life That You Love, Sourcebooks Dec 2025

Website (since 2004 . . .): theshubox.com

Social media: none :) Partially due to your influence, I quit FB in 2016, IG in 2021, and thankfully never got into anything else! I guess I do have minimal Youtube (occasional planner videos + feed of podcast eps) @youtube.com/@BestLaidPlansVideo

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

This show is sponsored by Better Help: 

betterhelp.com/deepquestions

zapier.com/deep

calderalab.com/deep

shopify.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last month, the Atlantic reported that film students are now struggling to sit through entire films. In this episode, Cal argues that this is both an issue and an opportunity. The fact we can’t watch full movies indicates the impact of digital tools on our brains is worse than we assumed. But in this problem, we also find a solution: maybe teaching ourselves to become better movie watchers can be the first step to reclaiming our own minds. Cal then dissects a viral AI essay that seems to have everyone worried (spoiler: Cal’s not impressed), reads a reader note about social media and the Olympics, and gives an update on his next book project.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

IDEAS SEGMENT:  Can Movies Save Us From Our Phones? [2:36]

NEWS AND NOTES SEGMENT: 

Something Big is Happening [31:23]

Digital Minimalism and the Olympics [49:31]

WHAT CAL’S READING: Cal gives his weekly reading update [56:03]

Attensity

The Lost Island (Eilis Dillon)

Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow

Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/

Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?

theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/college-students-movies-attention-span/685812/

fortune.com/2026/02/11/something-big-is-happening-ai-february-2020-moment-matt-shumer/

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

pipedrive.com/deep

drinkag1.com/deep

butcherbox.com/deep

grammarly.com

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There remains a gap between the production values of professional streaming services like Netflix and independent content that appears on platforms like YouTube. But what happens when that gap disappears? In the ideas segment of today’s episode, Cal sends a correspondent to investigate a fascinating new “micro-streaming” service producing Netflix-quality shows with a small team. Then, in the practices segment, he explains why he spent $60 on a single productivity application.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
IDEAS SEGMENT:  Are “Micro-Streamers” the Future of Media? [3:12]
PRACTICES SEGMENT: Why Cal Spent $60 on a Task App? [36:33]
QUESTIONS:
How can I find time to become a Biblical scholar? [45:25]
Should I freak out about this AI Superintelligence article? [49:23]
WHAT CAL’S READING: Cal gives his weekly reading update [57:41]
The Hidden Book in the Bible (Richard Elliott)
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
https://www.masterclass.com/calnewport
https://culturedcode.com/things/
Thanks to our Sponsors: 
1password.com/deep
cozyearth.com/deep (Use code “DEEP” for 20% off)
calderalab.com/deep
shopify.com/excellence
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
 
 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is there something rotten in the state of AI reporting at the moment? In the ideas segment of this episode, Cal details three common traps in AI coverage that distort or distract from the reality of this technology. Once you know what to look for, these traps become easy to avoid – greatly improving your experience when trying to keep up to date on the latest advancements. Then, in the practice segment, Cal asks why morning routines have become so popular among young people. His explanation (hint: it involves the fight for depth in a distracted world) uncovers new ideas about how to make morning routines actually useful.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode:youtube.com/calnewportmedia
IDEAS SEGMENT:  Is AI Reporting Broken? [1:43]
PRACTICES SEGMENT: Rethinking Morning Routines [29:27]
QUESTIONS:
Did I see somewhere that you’re filming a MasterClass? [41:24]
Now that David Brooks left the NYT, will he start a Substack? [46:25]
Cal reacts to comments [48:25]
WHAT CAL’S READING: Cal gives his weekly reading update  [50:45]
Time Freedom (Brian Heriott) ARC
The Vampire, The Tutor, and the Madman (Josh Douglas)
One Direction (Charles Duhigg)
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
qz.com/amazon-layoffs-ai-tech-job-losses
cnbc.com/2026/01/28/amazon-layoffs-anti-bureaucracy-ai.html
calnewport.com
nytimes.com/2025/07/28/arts/video-games-artificial-intelligence.html
nypost.com/2026/01/31/tech/moltbook-is-a-new-social-media-platform-exclusively-for-ai/
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46838834
youtube.com/@WesRoth/videos
youtube.com/@airevolutionx/videos
youtube.com/watch?v=JoQG25gQyRg
newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/what-maga-can-teach-democrats-about-organizing-and-infighting
Thanks to our Sponsors: 
factormeals.com/deep50off
monarch.com (Use code “DEEP”)
pipedrive.com/deep
mybodytutor.com
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everyone knows that excessive smartphone use can be harmful. But the question we don’t ask enough is what the advantages are of not using these devices. In the ideas segment, Cal examines the testimonials of four subjects who spent significant time without phones, to learn what they actually experience. Then, in the practices segment, he dissects the latest viral online self-help sensation to see if it holds up or is just fluff. Finally, in the Q&A segment, he tackles a surprising (and distressing) way in which technology plays a role in the violent ICE raids happening in Minnesota.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
IDEAS SEGMENT: What (Really) Happens When You Ditch Your Smartphone? [3:07]
PRACTICES SEGMENT: Assessing the Internet’s Latest Self-Help Sensation [31:53]
QUESTIONS:
What do the ICE raids in Minnesota teach us about technology and its impacts on our society? [53:17]
WHAT CAL’S READING: Cal gives his weekly reading update [1:08:17]
The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney (Michael Barrier)
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at [calnewport.com/slow](https://www.calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
youtube.com/watch?v=kzXOyW8Zumg
youtube.com/watch?v=gh5CYvi5E40
youtube.com/watch?v=C-Iewo7zUFo
youtube.com/watch?v=5FI1gP_K5K0
youtube.com/watch?v=FshYuO6Opwk
x.com/thedankoe/status/2010751592346030461
prospect.org/2026/01/27/ice-greg-bovino-minneapolis-one-battle-after-another-sean-penn/
youtube.com/watch?v=elF0YmsCHvQ
Thanks to our Sponsors: 
This episode is sponsored by Better Help:
betterhelp.com/deepquestion
rag-bone.com (Use code “DEEP”)
calderalab.com/deep
shopify.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.