On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti
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Episodes
AI offers unconditional love. But at what cost?
MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle discusses her new book, *Artificial Intimacy*, arguing that AI chatbots and toys create a "state of emergency" by…
The future of the American military in the Middle East
This episode examines the extensive damage to U.
The Jackpod: Passing the buck
Jack Beattie analyzes the U.
How AI deepfakes are upending political advertising
This episode examines the surge of AI-generated deepfake ads in the 2024 midterms, featuring examples from Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Texas.
What should Democrats in Congress do now?
Meghna Chakrabarti analyzes the 2026 midterm results, where Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress.
What voters really wanted this election cycle
This episode analyzes historic Democratic victories in state governorships and legislatures across Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and North Carolina,…
Why U.S. military bombings haven't stopped the global cocaine boom
This episode examines the U.
Should Greek life be abolished or reformed?
This episode examines the recurring pattern of sexual assault in college fraternities, featuring Cornell philosophy professor Kate Mann, who argues…
The Jackpod: Not on bread alone
Jack Beattie argues that the 2026 midterms are not just about economic affordability but also about restoring social values, drawing parallels to…
Min Jin Lee's new novel asks: Is education worth sacrificing for?
Acclaimed author Min Jin Lee discusses her new novel, American Hagwon, which explores the intense culture of Korean private tutoring and the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Could the biggest election security threat come from the federal government?
Host Meghna Chakrabarti discusses the escalating threats to U.
The case for 'anti-fascist economics'
Isabella Weber discusses her new book, *Anti-Fascist Economics*, arguing that unfettered free markets threaten democracy by failing to provide the material foundation for human dignity.
Does Trump's Russian diesel deal betray the U.S.?
This episode examines the rapid reversal of the Lindsey Graham Russia Sanctions Act, analyzing the economic, legal, and ethical implications of…
Israel's election and what it means for U.S. support
In this episode, Meghna Chakrabarti discusses the upcoming Israeli election, analyzing the political stakes surrounding Prime Minister Netanyahu and his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot.
The Jackpod: One cheer for private health insurance
Jack Beattie argues against Medicare for All, warning that centralizing healthcare under a Trump administration invites abuse and that the policy’s $45 trillion cost is fiscally irresponsible.
Should AI have the same rights as humans?
Anthropic’s new policy prohibiting abusive behavior toward its AI model Claude marks a historic shift, reflecting the company’s uncertainty about whether its tools possess consciousness.
On Point Live: The North Carolina factor
This episode features a live discussion in Greensboro, North Carolina, with Anderson Clayton, George Simpson, and Professor Michael Bitzer analyzing the state’s pivotal midterm races.
How should we be talking about the Cornell case?
Christine Emba discusses the Cornell gang rape allegations to explore the gap between legal consent and moral decency.
How a few tight Senate races could define Congress
This episode examines surprisingly competitive 2026 Senate races in Kansas, Alaska, and Ohio, analyzing how high energy prices and economic anxiety are driving voters away from incumbent Republicans.
Are we on the verge of a new Cold War?
Meghna Chakrabarti and national security analyst Joseph Cirincione discuss the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ recent move of the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight.
The Jackpod: A rough start for Gen Z
Jack Beattie analyzes a Stanford study showing that AI is disproportionately harming entry-level employment for Gen Z, particularly in tech and…
Can the U.S. and Canada still be friends?
This episode explores the disintegration of the U.
The political scramble for the new South
This episode examines how rapid demographic shifts in the South, driven by growth in young, immigrant, and minority populations, are reshaping political power ahead of the midterm elections.
Who owns America's farmland?
This episode examines the crisis of farmland affordability in Iowa, where rising prices and consolidation are locking new and small farmers out of the market.
AI is steamrolling through math. Why does that matter?
This episode explores the impact of AI on mathematics, focusing on OpenAI’s recent claims to solve the Navier-Stokes equations and other complex problems.
Tales of shipwrecks from around the world
Marine archaeologist Sean Kingsley discusses his recent expedition in Nassau Harbor, where his team received the first-ever permission to dive in the historic pirate waters.
The Jackpod: Above it all
Jack Beattie argues that Democrats should leverage the political power of "sticky" symbols, such as the environmental and tax inequities of private…
Senior Class: Generational solidarity
This final episode of the "Gerontocracy in America" series explores solutions to generational divides, featuring Yale law professor Samuel Moyn and Run for Something co-founder Amanda Littman.
Senior Class: Old dogs, old tricks
This episode examines the trend of aging CEOs in American business, using Sumner Redstone’s refusal to relinquish control as a cautionary tale.
Senior Class: Old money
This episode explores the widening generational wealth gap between Baby Boomers and Millennials through the contrasting financial lives of a 76-year-old grandfather and his 26-year-old granddaughter.
Senior Class: The silver ballot box
This episode examines the "silver ballot box," noting that the median primary voter is 65, giving older Americans disproportionate political influence.
Senior Class: The oldigarchy
This episode of On Point explores the growing influence of elderly politicians in the U.
The Jackpod: One war at a time
Jack Beattie analyzes John Mearsheimer’s assertion that the U.
Why have so many of us seen ghosts?
Host Magna Chakrabarty explores the science behind paranormal beliefs with Wake Forest University psychology professor Melissa Maffeo.
Why is toxic wastewater bubbling up from underneath this Ohio city?
Ohio oil operator Bob Wilson’s wells are flooding with toxic fracking wastewater from nearby injection sites, devastating his business and threatening local gas supplies.
Behind the public backlash against Flock cameras
This episode examines the backlash against Flock Safety’s AI-powered license plate readers, highlighted by residents in Bandera, Texas, who…
What we have lost now that we found the blue dot
On Point explores how GPS transformed navigation and modern infrastructure, featuring author Catherine Dunn and experts on spatial cognition and signal vulnerabilities.
Who’s really working class in America?
Host Meghna Chakrabarti and labor economist Catherine Ann Edwards explore the evolving definition of the American working class, moving beyond…
The Jackpod: America’s government teacher
On Point’s Jackpot features Sharon McMahon, known as America’s Government Teacher, who discusses her journey from classroom educator to viral civics explainer.
The weird world of ladybugs
Host Amory Sievertson interviews Cornell entomologist John Lee about the decline of native North American ladybugs due to invasive species like the multicolored Asian lady beetle.
Can California fix plastic recycling?
This episode examines California’s ambitious new laws aimed at overhauling the state’s plastic recycling system, including stricter labeling rules and extended producer responsibility.
Is AI helping human creativity, or harming it?
This episode examines how AI is reshaping creativity, sparked by the controversy surrounding Mia Ballard’s novel *Shy Girl*.
Can an 'everyday bro' fix your dating life? Comedian Jared Freid thinks so
Comedian Jared Freed discusses his new book, *Walking Red Flag*, offering a male perspective on modern dating challenges.
The not-so-underground world of Black punk
James Spooner discusses his graphic memoir, *It Starts With Anger*, detailing his journey as a biracial teen finding identity in the 1990s punk scene.
The Jackpod: Grocery stores and the dignity of essential labor
On Point analyst Jack Beattie interviews author Ann Larson about her book *Clean Up on Aisle 5*, which exposes the physical toll and poverty wages faced by grocery workers.
Brainwaves: How does a brain stay healthy?
In this episode, host Meghna Chakrabarti and neuroscientist Jacob Harth discuss strategies for maintaining brain health, introducing the "SWEET" acronym for sleep, water, eating, exercise, and time.
Brainwaves: What happens between life and death?
This episode of On Point explores the neuroscience behind near-death experiences, featuring stories from survivors like Joan Pavlinski.
Brainwaves: Is AI actually thinking?
Host Meghna Chakrabarti explores whether AI truly thinks by testing its ability to create humor with AI expert Melanie Mitchell.
Brainwaves: Are you in there?
Host Meghna Chakrabarti interviews neuroscientist Christoph Koch about consciousness, featuring the story of Martin Pistorius, who was trapped in a locked-in state for 13 years.
Brainwaves: Why is the brain such a mystery?
Meghna Chakrabarti interviews MIT cognitive neuroscientist Nancy Kanwisher about the challenges of mapping the brain’s 100 trillion synaptic connections.