Listened to John Horgan’s interview with Michael Shellenberger. He is an iconoclast and I was game to hear his arguments but this was a bit dull. Everyone is arrayed against him, in his telling, and compromised and out to get him. He wrestles with a scientifically and morally complex bundle of issues and yet is apparently plagued by few doubts. Perhaps this lets him sleep well but it is not such interesting listening. I am a fan of Horgan’s writing and show, but this was disappointing enough that I departed half way through.
I’ve been a big fan of Robert Wright, BloggingHeadsTV, Meaning of Life TV, and Bob’s many insightful books ( check out “NonZero" and "Why Buddhism Is True”, for sure ) since I discovered the precursor videos to MOL-TV on Slate Magazine’s old website in the early 2000s.
Did you know Bob ( and Mickey Kaus ) essentially invented the podcast?! They were innovating on the web before anyone even knew what the hell a “podcast” was. Thanks for many years of insightful commentary and analysis… I hope to join you for many more, RW!
Seriously the best podcast available, bar none. If you are giving it a try, don't be put off by the unpolished production quality or very long discussions - give it a few weeks, and you'll realize that this is actually what makes it great. I especially appreciate that Bob and staff make a point to include many unorthodox points of view. Listening to them makes one realize that when people have a chance to expound at length in an adult conversation, more often than not they are revealed as thoughtful, intelligent individuals, which you won't otherwise see in our current dystopian arms race of Twitter applause lines and social media pile-ons. I've been a listener for almost a decade now, and am a better person because of it.
Just like they said -- The best podcast around for intelligent discussion of current events and insights from some of the smartest folks on the scene.
Bob Wright is one of the most important people alive!
Robert Wright chooses interesting topics, unfraid to delve into religion and politics with gusto. Always interesting (but the audio quality is often not great. Still worth it!)
I’ve been listening to audio podcast of Bloggingheads.tv for over a decade now. Politics is the dominant topic, but culture, philosophy, science and economics is discussed as well. A broad spectrum of views are represented, but not in the tokenist, clubby, both-siderist manner that’s common in most media; it’s as “hack” free ad it gets.
I leave every episode with a deeper understanding of politics, culture, religion... and the intersections of each of those topics. Bill & Matt, The Glen Show, and any interview done by Robert Wright... you won't find a better place for both qality and quantity of content.
I really appreciate that Robert Wright and his band of bloggingheads continue to provide entertaining, thoughtful, and above all intelligent discussions on various current political and social topics. Occasional technical/audio issues are the only sour note, but the content more than makes up for it.
Thanks for this but good god Bob wish you had bothered to keep up on background before using so much of her time to help you understand rudiments. Maddening
Bloggingheads is a somewhat unique creature on the podcast landscape. A collection of hosted shows, each with a particular bent (politics, culture, etc.), a variety of guests, and a serious effort to engage discourse between disparate viewpoints. Could definitely use better production values and tighter editing. But the conversations are almost always really engaging and tonally and substantively different than most of the many, many other podcasts I follow.
I've been a listener/viewer since the early days, and some of these voices/characters feel like old friends. I love the smart commentary, the variety, the depth, and the lack of pundit-speak. This 'cast deserves a place in your feed. Subscribe!
I’ve been listening for years and it’s amazing. This podcast is all about long-form analysis of a wide variety of diverse topics. I’ve discovered so many smart people that I now follow on this show it’s crazy.
Absolutely some of the most insightful minds on the planet, discussing a variety of topics that should be of interest to all with an inquisitive mind.
A consistent favorite is Washington Monthly. You simply won't find more informed political thought.
This is an excellent podcast for individuals who are looking for substantive discussions on a range of interesting topics. Robert Wright has an amazing mind and soul.
I've been a subscriber now going on 4 years, and I still wait with baited breath for each new installment..... which is usually no more than a day or two away. A rotating cast of hosts take on their favorite issues, from politics to religion, cognition and the mind to foreign policy and current events, economics and human behavior. There is an explicit attempt to try and get people from the right and left who have intelligent, informed opinions and perspectives, from the worlds of academia, journalism and yes, blogs. It is a crime that more people don't have this at the too of their podcast rotation!
Blogging heads has not only become my major source of news, it has alerted me to 90% of the things I have read or been interested in since I discovered it 3 years ago.
Thanks
nice chance to listen to interesting people talk to each other about issues and ideas. some pairings work better than others but by and large these are rich & rewarding dialogues.
Bloggingheads provides one of the most information rich podcasts available. Some of the most honest discussion and debate between people who are in the know can be found here. Participants are civil and there is a spirit of openness. The only downside is that discussions between the founders Robert Wright and Mickey Kaus are now few and far between. Their Oscar and Felix dynamic remains the highlight of Bloggingheads.
Great stimulating conversations filled with surprising insights, and as others have said, often funny. Check out their website, as there are usually links to related materials. However, technical quality is poor -- they need to reduce the hiss and background noise. I know these are produced on the fly, but a little more concern with audio quality would be appreciated.
Just awesome. Smart people talking about intelligent things. Conversations are not a bunch of talking points. I prefer to watch the video version at bloggingheads.tv but that is just me. I can't saying enough about bloggingheads.tv its simply wonderful.
Rob Wright & Mickey Kaus are dynamite, and the concept in general is worthy. But the audio is out of balance. Needs a little post production to get both speakers at the same level...
Great authors and commentators. Exciting concept. Unfortunately, some episodes have such annoying technical difficulties (usually feedback) that I can't finish listening to them. For some reason every speaker tries to be funny. Nine times out of ten the joke fails and kills the momentum. It may feel akward but please just get to the good stuff right off the bat instead of struggling to begin a show with something humorous. I look forward to this podcast getting sharper and better produced!
