logo
episode-header-image
Dec 31
13m 52s

Was 2025 the ‘end of America’? Of course...

THE WASHINGTON POST
About this episode
Stories about violence, the declining economy and our fractured culture dominated this year. But if you look beyond the headlines and examine the full data, 2025 wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Join host Megan McArdle as she puts the year into perspective. 
Up next
Jan 14
Dry January? Sometimes drinking is part of the solution.
Journalist Katie Herzog was 12 years old when she first drank alcohol. It wasn’t until her 30s that she decided to quit. She tried everything — Alcoholics Anonymous, cleanses, therapy, yoga — but nothing stuck. Eventually, she turned to an unorthodox approach: the Sinclair Method ... Show More
54m 18s
Jan 10
No blood for oil? That doesn’t make sense for Venezuela.
Early on Jan 3, news broke that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured by U.S. troops and was being flown to New York to stand trial. Later that day, President Donald Trump said the United States would take control of Venezuela’s massive oil reserves. Protests erup ... Show More
28m 48s
Jan 7
How the internet changed politics — and our lives — forever
Matthew Yglesias has been a disrupter his entire career. He started as an early adapter to the web, running a blog before blogs were a thing. He went on to co-found the media company Vox and has written all over the internet. He joins host Megan McArdle to discuss their career tr ... Show More
52m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2025
How Spending Time In Nature Helps Our Health
Many of us know that being outside feels good. Maybe it’s for a short walk to the store. Maybe for a hike at a nearby mountain. Or maybe spending time at the beach with loved ones for a holiday.But did you know that a short walk in nature can improve your attention span by 20 per ... Show More
33m 8s
Jul 2024
485: Permaculture: Re-story Yourself To Restore The Land
How can we better understand (and care for) the world around us? Be more in sync with nature? Become better attuned to what grows and lives in our own backyard? Permaculturist and author Ben Falk offers his candid thoughts on how to do just this. He starts with his own story, exp ... Show More
42m 44s
Apr 2025
What Humans Can Learn From Trees (Encore)
<p>Trees aren’t just competing for sunlight and soil—they’re also looking out for one another. Scientist Suzanne Simard reveals the unexpected ways trees communicate, share resources, and support us.</p><p>Summary: We dive into what we can learn from the neural networks of forest ... Show More
17m 50s
Oct 2024
Adapting to life's unexpected nature, by Forrest Galante
<p>Jackals and leopards in the fields. The sound of a lion’s roar. Majestic African bush elephants outside the front door. This is childhood for Forrest Galante as a kid growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe. He’s adventurous and instinctive and connected to the living earth. But a su ... Show More
31m 47s
Jan 2025
How to retrain your brain in 2025
Headlines: The latest on the LA fires, new data shows Aussies wages up, Birkenstock sues copycats, and Bluey Lego will hit shelves by the end of this year! Deep dive: The new year often comes with a range of emotions - you might be feeling relaxed and revitalised or you might be ... Show More
25m 33s
Apr 2024
My Dad's Depression
For Paul Barach, hiking is an antidote to depression. Is it that way for everyone? This episode takes us from Washington State to Joshua Tree National Park and explores what happens when we try to impose our own life solutions on a loved one. --- Links: Support Out There on Patre ... Show More
30m 6s
Jul 2024
How to get into nature and out of your head
<p>Think of the last time you were in nature. How did it make you feel? This week, a forager, a cave diver, a birding enthusiast, and science writer share why connecting with nature is so illuminating and how to benefit from more outside time this summer.</p><p>For the full text ... Show More
14m 32s
Mar 2022
John Zerzan, "When We Are Human: Notes from the Age of Pandemics" (Feral House, 2021)
These are dark and darkening times, challenging us to look deeper to grasp the roots and dynamics of the looming civilizational crisis. Chronic illness of the planet calls for radically new thinking if there is to be any hope of renewal. When We Are Human: Notes from the Age of P ... Show More
58m 17s
Jul 2023
John Muir’s Quest to Save the Great Outdoors
July 19, 1869. Naturalist John Muir watches the sun rise over the Sierra Nevada mountains. He’ll write in his journal of the stirring birds, glowing treetops, and even rocks that “seem to thrill with life.” He’s so taken with this landscape that he’ll decide to stay in the Yosemi ... Show More
30m 34s
Jun 2024
Stories from THE WILD
On this episode we team up with Story Collider to hear real life tales of adventure and exhilarating encounters with wildlife. From a temporary life-ending jolt from the sky to a 2,650-mile hike in search of healing and solace after a personal tragedy. We'll also hear about a ver ... Show More
43m 54s