What Could Go Right?

What Could Go Right?

It's easy to be pessimistic, especially with headlines dominated by global challenges like a changing geopolitical landscape, the rise in authoritarianism, and a seemingly unstable global economy. But what if, despite all that, humanity is actually making progress?Join Progress Network Founder Zachary Karabell every Wednesday as he chats with leading experts like Ian Bremmer and Anne Marie Slaughter to challenge the negativity and find out whether we should be so pessimistic about everything from sustainability and polarization to the future of work. Plus, start your week right with Progress Network Executive Director Emma Varvaloucas, who delivers a weekly dose of essential good news every Monday. If environmental success stories and medical breakthroughs are your thing, you won’t want to miss it.Tune in to discover the evidence for progress and find your reason for cautious optimism.

Episodes

Global Shark Conservation Sees Historic Regulatory Breakthroughs

August 3, 2026 • 16 mins
After decades of facing severe overfishing and cultural stigma, global shark populations are finally rebounding thanks to strict new international trade bans and expanding marine sanctuaries. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, shares how much our views and treatment of sharks have shifted over the last century and why there’s reason for optimism. Plus: a team of 23 students in the Netherlands succe...
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Why the Economic Numbers Don't Match How You Feel | With Mark Zandi

July 29, 2026 • 54 mins
There is a massive chasm between what official data tells us about the financial landscape and how average Americans actually experience their daily lives. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's, joins Zachary Karabell to break down why this disconnect exists and how a skewing of income distribution means different classes are living in entirely separate realities. They explore whether modern technological leaps like artificial int...
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The Invisible Arms Race Against Wildfire Smoke

July 27, 2026 • 16 mins
While the severity of North American wildfires and their deadly smoke has undeniably increased, humanity is quietly winning an invisible technological arms race against our changing atmosphere. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, explores how eight decades of innovations—from the invention of the HEPA filter to electrostatic N95 masks—are enabling individuals to mitigate climate impacts and bec...
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The Case for Embracing Limits | with David Epstein

July 22, 2026 • 41 mins
We live in an era of limitless options, but infinite choice might actually be paralyzing our ability to make decisions and find satisfaction. David Epstein, bestselling author of Range and the new book Inside the Box, joins host Zachary Karabell to argue that we severely overvalue complete freedom. Instead, Epstein reveals how imposing limits and constraints on ourselves can act as a powerful tool to drive creativity, spur innovati...
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Opening a Nearly 2,000-Year-Old Treasure + Reviving Eyes for Science and Shark-Spotting Drones

July 20, 2026 • 15 mins
Researchers just used machine learning to read a carbonized Roman scroll that hasn't been opened in 2,000 years. In this week’s progress report, Emma Varvaloucas dives into a technological breakthrough that is unlocking an ancient library buried by volcanic ash in 79 AD.  Plus: a groundbreaking medical device in Barcelona that extends the viability of human eyes for vital medical research, the rapid adoption of eco-frie...
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The Era of Mass Incarceration May Actually Be Ending | with Alex Duran

July 15, 2026 • 42 mins
The American criminal justice system is often viewed as an unfixable and intractable problem. But shifting demographics and new approaches to community investment might actually bring a natural end to the era of mass incarceration.Alex Duran spent 12 years in New York maximum security prisons before earning a liberal arts degree through the Bard College Prison Initiative. Today, he leads the criminal justice portfolio at Galaxy Giv...
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Average Joes Making Positive Change

July 13, 2026 • 9 mins
Emma is on vacation! Which means this week, we’re doing something a little different. Before she left, she put together this roundup of stories about amateur do-gooders pitching in to make the world a better place: Wombat watchers in Australia helping to mitigate the spread of a deadly disease, stargazers contributing to NASA’s mission to find new planets outside our solar system, hikers carving new trails through Brazi...
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The Case Against Cynicism | with Greg Jackson & Steven Johnson

July 8, 2026 • 53 mins
Despite record highs in life expectancy and historic lows in violent crime, society remains convinced that everything is completely broken. Steven Johnson (The Infernal Machine) and historian Greg Jackson (host of History That Doesn’t Suck) join Zachary Karabell at the Aspen Ideas Festival to decode our cultural doom loop. Rather than fueling the panic of our daily newsfeeds, the panel zeroes in on the psychological and hist...
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Can We Please Celebrate America's 250th Without Whitewashing the Past? | with Alexis Coe

July 1, 2026 • 37 mins
Approaching the 250th anniversary of the United States brings up a familiar tension over whether we should celebrate our triumphs or relentlessly critique our failures. Most citizens tend to view the past with a thick lens of nostalgia, convincing themselves that earlier eras were inherently better than our current political moment. But this rigid binary between blind patriotism and total deconstruction leaves us trapped in endless...
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The Race to Catalogue Biodiversity + Brain Implants and Sweating Robots

June 29, 2026 • 12 mins
On this week’s progress report, we're in the golden age of species discovery. We’ll also get into the incredible story of a paralyzed man who can continue to work and communicate thanks to a groundbreaking brain implant, and researchers at Arizona State University hope a shivering, breathing, sweating robot can help us better equip ourselves for extreme weather conditions. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Pro...
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How to Read Economic News Without Spiraling | with Alex Mayyasi

June 24, 2026 • 54 mins
Every time we open a news app, we are hit with a fresh wave of economic dread. But why does the financial forecast always sound like a pending apocalypse, even when the data tells a remarkably stable story? Longtime Planet Money contributor Alex Mayyasi joins host Zachary Karabell to offer a badly needed dose of fresh air to clear out the oppressive nature of recent economic news.Mayyasi and Karabell look at the very human reasons ...
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The Odds Favor Democracy + Safer Prenatal Screening and Good News for Disenfranchised Voters

June 22, 2026 • 13 mins
A study covering 22 countries over almost three decades has some surprising news about democracy. Plus, a new blood test for pregnant women could eliminate the need for invasive screening. Several states are making progress on voting rights by rolling back Jim Crow-era bans. And Sweden becomes the latest country to attempt to limit screentime in the classroom.  What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kale...
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Is Free Expression Actually Under Attack? | with Dinaw Mengestu

June 17, 2026 • 58 mins
We hear often that freedom of speech is under threat. And it’s easy to feel like things have never been worse in that regard. But is that really true? Dinaw Mengestu, an acclaimed novelist, MacArthur Genius grant recipient, and president of PEN America, joins host Zachary Karabell to examine the true state of free speech in the United States and abroad. Mengestu shares his personal journey of immigrating to the United States...
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The 30-Year Animation Problem Pixar Just Solved + Accessible Travel is Booming and AI-Designed Vaccines

June 15, 2026 • 15 mins
This week’s progress report highlights a tiny detail in Toy Story 5 that is a game changer for representation and the future of animation. We’re also celebrating a major win for the LGBTQ community in Budapest that comes just in time for the end of Pride month. Plus, there is good news in the growing industry of accessible travel and an AI-created vaccine that could change how we protect ourselves from future pandemics....
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Surviving the 80-Year Cycle of American Crises | with Anthony Scaramucci

June 10, 2026 • 38 mins
Anthony Scaramucci is famous for his turbulent eleven-day stint in the Trump White House. But his time in the political and financial wringer has given him a distinct perspective on resilience, failing humbly, and owning your mistakes. He joins Zachary to ask the big questions: Are we just trapped in a predictable 80-year cycle of national crisis? And if so, how do we push through the chaos to reach an era of renewal? Moving past ...
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What Really Happened After the Affirmative Action Ban + Deep Sea Discoveries and Moon Base Missions

June 8, 2026 • 17 mins
The Supreme Court ruling banning race-based affirmative action is almost three years old, and almost nothing has played out as expected. Black and Hispanic enrollment dropped at the country's most elite universities, but rose at the vast majority of colleges across the US. And in a twist nobody planned for, the end of race-based admissions may have quietly accelerated the rise of class-based affirmative action.  Plus, scienti...
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Why AI and Drones Won’t Bring the Apocalypse | with Sarah Kreps

June 3, 2026 • 46 mins
What does a future where autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence collide on the battlefield look like? Sarah Kreps, a Cornell University professor and former US Air Force officer, joins host Zachary Karabell to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of drones and military AI. The conversation looks beyond the doomsday prognostications surrounding lethal tech. Kreps shares insights from her time in the military around 9/11,...
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What the Headlines Aren’t Telling You About Ebola, Plus India's Solar Revolution and a Chicago Medical Miracle

June 1, 2026 • 15 mins
A rare strain of Ebola is making headlines — but before you spiral, there's more to the story than what meets the eye. The Democratic Republic of Congo has successfully contained 15 previous outbreaks, and scientists are working around the clock on experimental treatments. We know one thing for certain: this is not the 2014–2016 outbreak.  Plus: India is on its way to becoming the first major country in history to...
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The Surprising Ritual Renaissance | with Bruce Feiler

May 27, 2026 • 49 mins
What happens when the traditional ways we gather and mourn start to disappear? Bestselling author Bruce Feiler joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss his latest book, A Time to Gather, and explore the modern celebration recession. Instead of yielding to isolation, Feiler reveals a surprising grassroots renaissance of human connection happening right now.Feiler shares deeply personal stories, from navigating his father's funeral to ...
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American Dads Are Stepping Up, Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patients, and Oklahoma Bans Child Marriage

May 25, 2026 • 13 mins
The pandemic triggered something unexpected:  American fathers started working less and spending significantly more time on childcare and housework — and new research suggests it wasn't remote work or job loss driving the shift, but a genuine realignment of gender norms. Plus: some scientists are calling this the biggest advancement in cancer treatment in 15 years – a drug called daraxonrasib which is nearing FDA ...
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