What Could Go Right?

Latest Episodes:

Can We Achieve "Super Abundance" Without AI Doom? | with Sebastian Mallaby Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

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 instinct," this episode explores the mindset of the people shaping our future. Mallaby and Karabell discuss the "infinity" of data required to make these systems work and why the massive hunger for compute power is reshaping the global economy in real-time .

Drawing a haunting parallel to Alan Greenspan and the 2008 financial crisis, Mallaby asks a difficult question: Can "the man who knew" the risks actually prevent the catastrophe he sees coming?. Together, they navigate the tension between pure scientific discovery and cutthroat Silicon Valley competition, the potential for a "Nuclear Non-Proliferation" style agreement with China, and the hidden dangers of the "open vs. closed" model debate.
What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope.
For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org
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Trump’s Surprising Move on Psychedelics + A Record Year for Humpback Whales Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

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 Kaleidoscope.
For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org
Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/
Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork
Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk
Follow Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyemmavarv/

Is the World Order Actually Disintegrating? | with Ian Bremmer Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

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, this episode reckons with a world that seems to be disintegrating rather than coming together. Bremmer and Karabell explore why we aren’t getting a better picture of what’s happening on the ground in places like Iran and Yemen, and whether the "noise" of modern social media is a tool for freedom or a new mechanism for state control.

As political revolutionaries rise and established media organizations downsize, Bremmer and Karabell ask: is our current information environment worse than it was 30 years ago, or can individuals still "sniff out" the truth?

And: Is this the peak of global chaos, or just a cyclical trough before a new rebound?

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope.

For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org

Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/

Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork

Subscribe to Zachary’s Substack: www.edgyoptimist.substack.com/

Follow him LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zacharykarabell

Follow Zachary on X @zacharykarabell

How Hungary Ousted an Authoritarian + Ocean Progress, Falling Rents, and Thailand’s New DM Laws Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

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 Network and Kaleidoscope.

For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org

Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/

Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork

Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk
Follow Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyemmavarv/

Do we need a NEW America? | with Anne-Marie Slaughter Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

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 wide-ranging discussion, they explore the shifting geopolitical landscape, including the heightened risks associated with the war in Iran, and how the escalating competition with China challenges us to look inward and ask what we truly stand for. Then they revisit the question Anne Marie has been trying to answer for much of her career, whether or not modern women really can have it all.

So, what does it mean to still believe in liberal democracy when the system isn't delivering? Is this a moment of unraveling, or the messy beginning of a rebirth?

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope.

For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org

Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/

Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork

Subscribe to Zachary’s Substack: www.edgyoptimist.substack.com/

Follow him LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zacharykarabell

Follow Zachary on X @zacharykarabell

Turning Down the Headline Noise Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

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 newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org
Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠
And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk

The Progress Report: China’s Climate Change Commitment Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

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.

Whatever Happened to Civics? with Nick Capodice Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

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 and voting and how to reclaim your voice beyond the ballot box.
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 the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠
And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk

The Progress Report: This Bacteria Beats Dengue Fever Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

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 rise in people’s sense of safety.

Turning Science Fiction Into Reality with Ed Finn Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

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 The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org

Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠

And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk

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