The Atlantic Launches New Weekly Video Podcast, Galaxy Brain With Charlie Warzel
Today marks an exciting new chapter for The Atlantic as it launches its latest video podcast, *Galaxy Brain*, hosted by staff writer Charlie Warzel. This innovative series aims to dissect the overwhelming and often chaotic landscape of our online information ecosystem. Each week, starting with the inaugural episode featuring YouTuber Hank Green, Warzel and his guest will tackle profound questions about the interplay between online culture and human behavior. Their first conversation delves into Green’s 26-year journey through the internet, exploring its evolution into what Warzel describes as a “misery machine,” where trust in institutions has dwindled and manipulation by algorithms is pervasive. The podcast promises to be a thoughtful space where listeners can engage with the complexities of digital life and seek ways to navigate them.
In his introduction to *Galaxy Brain*, Warzel emphasizes the disorienting nature of our algorithm-driven realities, stating that social media distorts our worldview while artificial intelligence threatens to reshape it entirely. He envisions the podcast as a grounding force, providing insightful discussions that connect listeners to reality amidst the absurdity of modern digital life. Warzel’s extensive reporting for The Atlantic has already established him as a keen observer of the fast-changing digital landscape, with past articles addressing critical topics such as the implications of the Epstein scandal, the dynamics of political campaigning in the digital age, and the creative limitations imposed by AI. *Galaxy Brain* builds on this foundation, offering a platform for deeper conversations about how online experiences are reshaping our offline behaviors and societal norms.
As The Atlantic continues to expand its podcast offerings—following the successful launches of *The David Frum Show*, *Autocracy in America*, and *How to Age Up*—*Galaxy Brain* stands out as a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand the intricacies of contemporary online life. New episodes will be released every Friday, allowing audiences to subscribe and engage with the content on various platforms. With a commitment to providing thoughtful discourse free from “slop, bots, or spam,” *Galaxy Brain* is poised to become an essential listen for those navigating the complexities of our digital world.
Today
The Atlantic
is launching
Galaxy Brain
, a new video podcast hosted by staff writer
Charlie Warzel
about making sense of the online fire hose of our information ecosystem. In new episodes released every Friday, Charlie will be joined by a different guest each week to ask big questions about the intersection of online culture and human behavior. The first episode,
which is now available
, features the YouTuber Hank Green on what it means to survive online for 26 years. In their conversation, Charlie and Hank look at where the internet stands today—how it became a misery machine, how institutions lost trust, and how they might begin to win it back. The pair discusses the universal frustration of being online and knowing you’re being manipulated by algorithms—and what, if anything, we can do to push back.
In an
introduction
to the show, Charlie writes: “People everywhere are ensconced in their own, algorithmically tailored realities. Social media is warping our perception of the world, while artificial intelligence threatens to remake it entirely. It all feels ridiculous and unmooring.” He continues, “
Galaxy Brain
will aim to be a grounding force—a space for conversations, explanations, and tangents that anchor you to reality, however strange it may be. No slop, bots, or spam.”
The podcast builds upon Charlie’s acclaimed
reporting
for
The Atlantic
, which orients people to a fast-changing digital culture and examines how online life is shaping and warping offline behaviors. He has recently written the articles “
The Dumb Truth at the Heart of the Epstein Scandal
,” on how the newly released documents are a skeleton key for understanding the dynamics of Donald Trump’s America; “
The Opposite of Slop Politics
,” about the success of Zohran Mamdani’s online campaign; “
A Tool That Crushes Creativity
,” looking at how it feels to live in the golden age of AI slop; and “
I’m Running Out of Ways to Explain How Bad This Is (Again)
.”
Galaxy Brain
is
The Atlantic
’s second video podcast, following the launch of
The David Frum Show
this past spring. Earlier this year,
The Atlantic
launched the second season of
Autocracy in America
and the eighth season of its
How To
franchise,
How to Age Up
, and this summer it published
No Easy Fix
, a three-part podcast series from
Radio Atlantic
.
Episodes of
Galaxy Brain
will be released each Friday; viewers can subscribe to watch
here
, or listen wherever they get podcasts. Please reach out with any questions or requests.
Press Contacts:
Paul Jackson and Quinn O’Brien |
The Atlantic
press@theatlantic.com
