America has a hard time building stuff. Roads. Trains. Bridges. Housing. Everything takes seemingly forever. Meanwhile, China seems to have no trouble at all: high-speed rails, solar panels, electric cars, bridges, ports, all churned out at breakneck speed.
Why is that?
Sean's guest is Dan Wang, author of the new book Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer ... Show More
Today
Of course you're anxious
We use the word “anxiety” to describe stress, dread, worry, panic, even vibes. Which just goes to show: We really don’t know what anxiety is, or where it comes from, or what we’re supposed to do with it. Today’s guest is philosopher Samir Chopra, author of Anxiety: A Philosophica ... Show More
41m 54s
Feb 23
Why mindfulness got weird
Mindfulness is everywhere now, which is kind of weird. What started as a countercultural practice has become a productivity hack and a billion-dollar app ecosystem. On one level, it’s great that more people are meditating. But somewhere along the way, the whole thing got flattene ... Show More
42m 17s
Sep 2025
Does the Future Belong to China?
<p>Is the United States still a worthy opponent for China? In this episode, Ross Douthat talks to Dan Wang, the author of “Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future,” about the alarming speed at which China is able to build and could blow America out of the water.</p><ul><l ... Show More
1h 5m
May 2024
China's race to tech supremacy: Shenzhen speed
<p>How did China go from tech imitator to innovator? The FT’s James Kynge reports from Shenzhen, known as China’s Silicon Valley, where he explores the city’s vast electronics markets with inventor Noah Zerkin, an American who’s based himself in China, visits robot start-up Youib ... Show More
26m 16s
<p>In his new book “Breakneck,” Dan Wang argues that the U.S. has a lot to learn from China. He also says that “no two peoples are more alike.” We have questions.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://danwang.co/about/">Dan Wang</a>, research fellow ... Show More
