What happens when our biological need for certainty clashes with an increasingly unpredictable world? Simone Stolzoff, author of How to Not Know , joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss why our modern intolerance for uncertainty is fueling a global anxiety crisis. Rather than seeing the unknown as a threat, Stolzoff argues that uncertainty is the fundamental birthplace of scientific breakthroughs, original art, and human progress. Stolzoff and Karabell explore how to navigate everything from the...
May 13, 2026•54 min
Gene therapy has been quietly pulling off miracles, and this week, it got its Oscars moment. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down how a husband-and-wife scientific team's decades-long quest has restored sight to over 100 blind Americans, and how a brand-new drug called Otarmeni just became the first-ever FDA-approved gene therapy for genetic deafness. The science is extraordinary. The price tags, less so. Plus: The United Kingdom passes a genuinely radical ge...
May 11, 2026•11 min
What happens when the global energy supply faces its greatest disruption since the 1970s? Jason Bordoff, a leading energy expert and former advisor in the Obama White House, joins host Zachary Karabell to navigate a world where the Strait of Hormuz is closed and gasoline prices are soaring. The conversation moves past the immediate panic at the pump to look at the future of how we power our lives. Bordoff shares personal stories of his father’s Brooklyn gas station in the 1970s, contrasting that...
May 06, 2026•36 min
For the first time in over a century, renewables have knocked coal out of the top spot for global electricity generation — and solar is the reason why. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down what this energy milestone actually means, and why geopolitics is unexpectedly accelerating the clean energy transition. Plus: forty years after the worst nuclear disaster in history, wildlife is flourishing inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone; a Utah startup claims it has ...
May 04, 2026•14 min
What happens when the person building the world's most powerful technology is just as worried about it as we are? Sebastian Mallaby, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of The Infinity Machine, joins host Zachary Karabell to pull back the curtain on Demis Hassabis, the founder of DeepMind who is currently leading the global charge into artificial intelligence. From the "Ender’s Game" mission that drives Hassabis to the chilling logic of why machines might accidentally develop a "survival instinc...
Apr 29, 2026•43 min
Trump just signed an executive order to fast-track psychedelic medical research. Emma Varvaloucas, the Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down how a 50-year political taboo went mainstream. Plus: San Diego achieves water independence and starts brewing beer from recycled sewage, a humpback whale stampede breaks a sighting record off South Africa, and gene-edited bananas that don't turn brown are finally here. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidosco...
Apr 27, 2026•11 min
What happens when the rules of the global game are being rewritten in real-time? Ian Bremmer, the founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss how to navigate a world defined by a "long geopolitical recession" and the erosion of the post-1945 order. From the escalating conflicts in the Middle East and the surprising vulnerabilities of the economic models in the Gulf to the "asymmetric war fighting" that allows drones to bring the global economy to its knees, t...
Apr 22, 2026•41 min
Hungary just voted out its authoritarian prime minister of 16 years, and did it with an 80% voter turnout powered by Gen Z. Emma Varvaloucas, the Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down how they pulled it off and what it means for democracies under pressure elsewhere. Plus: over 10% of the world's oceans are now protected, US rents are finally dropping, and Thailand just criminalized online sexual harassment, including in your DMs. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress...
Apr 20, 2026•11 min
What do we do when our systems stop working? Anne-Marie Slaughter, the CEO of New America, former Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton, and one of the most influential voices in American foreign policy joins Zachary Karabell to reckon with a country in the middle of a massive realignment. From democratic reform and the collapse of the two-party system to America's fraying role on the world stage, this conversation refuses easy answers. In this ...
Apr 15, 2026•54 min
Let’s close out Season 7! Zachary and Emma look back on seven months of thought-provoking positive conversations, from global politics to the depths of sci-fi, exploring how to stay hopeful in a world hooked on negative news. They dive into protecting your mental health by controlling your news intake while also celebrating how social media platforms empower 8 billion voices to be heard! What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the n...
Oct 08, 2025•55 min
Get ready for a Progress Report season finale packed with good news as Emma shares some life-changing breakthroughs! The Gates Foundation is funding a game-changing GBS vaccine, while a cutting-edge AI stroke diagnosis system in England is significantly improving recovery rates. Plus, China steps up with a bold pledge to slash greenhouse gas emissions while NASA’s James Webb Telescope just uncovered an astonishing 6,000 new planets.
Oct 03, 2025•20 min
It’s time for a lesson in civics! Zachary and Emma are joined by Nick Capodice, co-host of the Civics 101 podcast where he gets into the basics of how the U.S. government works and also helps teachers design lesson plans to pair with the show. Nick highlights how our collective grasp on how things work in Washington is slipping, the decrease of civics education funding since the 1950s, and the recent rise of deep divisions in American politics. He focuses on the importance of civic participation...
Oct 01, 2025•55 min
Emma brings you a solo edition of the Progress Report, highlighting several positive global advancements. Brazil goes bold with a two-part strategy against dengue fever, involving both a homegrown vaccine and specially bred mosquitoes that carry an anti-dengue bacteria. Africa is leading a major expansion of school meal programs for children. And around the world we have two stories of security, with the High Seas Treaty recently ratified to protect international waters along with a reported ris...
Sep 26, 2025•20 min
Can today’s science fiction become tomorrow’s guidebook for change? Zachary and Emma sit down with Ed Finn, the visionary behind the Center for Science and the Imagination at ASU and academic director of Future Tense. Ed explores the intersection between sci-fi and real world science, the complexities of new technologies like AI and gene editing, and why our imaginations can be the launchpad for tomorrow’s innovations and building the future we dream about. What Could Go Right? is produced by Th...
Sep 24, 2025•56 min
Get ready for another uplifting Progress Report! This week, Zachary and Emma bring you inspiring stories of innovation and hope from across the globe. Trekkies rejoice as Apple’s new AirPods push tech into sci-fi territory with real-time language translation, Europe is seeing fewer flood fatalities and less damage thanks to cutting-edge warning systems and disaster response improvements, and France just made history by launching the world’s first commercial plant capable of recycling polycotton....
Sep 19, 2025•14 min
How do we protect America’s wild open spaces while meeting the demands of conservation, recreation, and development? Zachary welcomes Josh Jackson, author of The Enduring Wild: A Journey Into California's Public Lands . Founder of the Forgotten Lands Project, Josh aims to connect people with these landscapes through immersive storytelling and experiences. He explores the Bureau of Land Management’s role in sustaining the health of 245 million acres across the western U.S. and Alaska, uncovers th...
Sep 17, 2025•52 min
What really went wrong with global politics? Emma welcomes Brink Lindsey, Senior VP at the Niskanen Center and author of The Captured Economy: How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality. Lindsey traces how politics, culture, and economics became unstable, from the development of liberal capitalism since the 1990s to the resulting rise of right-wing populism. He explores the contradictory ways this crisis manifests in society and culture, and how individuals and...
Sep 10, 2025•45 min
How can parents use data without becoming overwhelmed by getting things right and wrong? Zachary and Emma welcome Emily Oster, a professor of economics and author of several data-driven parenting and pregnancy books, including Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong and What You Really Need to Know. Known for her data-driven approach to parenting and pregnancy, Oster shares how she accidentally became the center of a pandemic firestorm of controversy, the misconceptions ...
Sep 03, 2025•50 min
On this week’s Progress Report, Emma covers a whopping five reports of optimism from around the world. Poverty is declining in Iraq and Indonesia, and risk of child poverty is down across Europe. China reports a dip in its emissions that may continue, and Africa has invested heavily in solar energy over the past year. There are positive developments since the release of the U.S.’s first over-the-counter birth control, and NASA has discovered a new moon orbiting Uranus. What Could Go Right? is pr...
Aug 29, 2025•15 min
What can we learn from the history of the American Right? Zachary and Emma welcome Sam Tanenhaus, historian and author, whose most recent work is his biography Buckley: The Life and Revolution That Changed America . Sam shares insights from his deep dive into the career of conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. , the country’s “first intellectual entertainer.” He discusses how Buckley’s blend of intellect and charisma set the stage for the modern conservative movement, the influence of media i...
Aug 27, 2025•1 hr 12 min
This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma cut through the doom and gloom to deliver feel-good news. This episode covers stories from the USDA’s hilariously unconventional wolf-deterring tactics (hint: it involves Scarlett Johansson) to an inspiring drop in U.S. divorce rates, America’s hidden fitness boom, and a remarkable victory over poverty in Mexico. Join Zachary and Emma as they guard the walls of optimism and spotlight underreported wins from around the world! What Could Go Right?...
Aug 22, 2025•12 min
It’s time to right the ship of democracy! Zachary and Emma sit down with powerhouse legal expert Joyce Vance, former U.S. Attorney and author of the popular Civil Discourse Substack and upcoming book Giving Up I s Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy . Pulling on her 25 years of experience at the DOJ, Joyce pulls back the curtain on how federal courts have confronted Donald Trump’s unprecedented use of power, the evolving responsibilities of the Supreme Court, and why the right to vote...
Aug 20, 2025•55 min
On this week’s episode, Zachary and Emma dig into three surprising pieces of underreported good news. Illinois becomes the first state to ban AI from acting as a therapist, which is sparking a debate about ethics, tech limits, and vulnerable users. Global deaths from extreme weather have hit record lows in 2025, and in the U.S., the FBI’s final 2024 crime stats show a dramatic drop in murder, violent crime, and property crime, even as public fear remains sky-high. As always, Zachary and Emma cut...
Aug 15, 2025•19 min
How can an American pope change the world? Zachary and Emma dive deep with renowned papal expert Austen Ivereigh, British journalist, acclaimed author, and historian, to discuss Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the US. Austen shares insider insights into the pope’s whirlwind early months at the Vatican and unpacks the ideological tug-of-war between tradition and reform within the Catholic Church. Discover how Pope Leo plans to continue Pope Francis’ reform movement, how his leadership style con...
Aug 13, 2025•51 min
Are we measuring success all wrong? Rutger Bregman seems to think so. Zachary and Emma welcome Rutger, a Dutch historian and journalist, and author of Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference. The founder of the School for Moral Ambition, Rutger challenges society’s flawed definition of success, stresses supportive and ambitious communities, and suggests how we can make a truly global impact. He highlights his own struggles with work-life balance and his pursuit of ...
Aug 06, 2025•52 min
On this week's Progress Report, Zachary and Emma dive into some optimistic stories you may have missed during your doomscrolling. From tsunami-stopping tech in Japan to social media-powered rescue missions in Ghana and the groundbreaking frontiers of male birth control, this isn’t your usual ocean of depressing news. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Watch...
Aug 01, 2025•13 min
Is everything you know about government spending upside down? Zachary and Emma welcome trailblazing economist and author Stephanie Kelton, champion of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), to challenge the way we think about deficits, inflation, and what really matters for America’s financial future. Stephanie warns about the real dangers behind rising wealth inequality, explores the impact of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, and highlights countries that have rewritten their economic playbooks. What Cou...
Jul 30, 2025•58 min
Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas shine a light on a powerful form of providing education. This week, they’re joined by Laura Hosman of Arizona State University, creator of SolarSPELL, an offline, solar-powered digital library making education possible where internet access doesn't exist. Discover how SolarSPELL is transforming classrooms from remote Pacific islands to refugee camps in Syria, empowering teachers, and closing the digital divide with nothing but sunlight and ingenuity. They di...
Jul 23, 2025•44 min
This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma bring your antidote to the daily doom and gloom, from surprising political wins and innovative scientific breakthroughs to heartwarming stories that often go overlooked. The FDA's latest help for dog lovers, Australia’s bold climate visa for Tuvaluans, and an unexpected bipartisan win for families are all covered here. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for ...
Jul 18, 2025•18 min
What can Americans look forward to despite today's lack of trust in the government? Zachary and Emma welcome Garrett Graff, journalist, historian, and author of several books, including Pulitzer finalist Watergate: A New History. He also hosts the Long Shadow podcast, which covers topics from 9/11 to American far right extremists. Garrett discusses the power of telling history through the emotion of first-person experiences, the challenges of social media misinformation and government conspiraci...
Jul 16, 2025•46 min
