What Could Go Right?

What Could Go Right?

The Progress Network with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas

Episodes 223
Avg. Duration 43m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.3 (84)
Since Sep 2021
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule
Every Few Days
Format
Episodic
Consistency
55%
Hosting
feeds.megaphone.fm

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About This Podcast

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.

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Recent Episodes

Surviving the 80-Year Cycle of American Crises | with Anthony Scaramucci

Jun 10, 2026 38m

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,…

What Really Happened After the Affirmative Action Ban + Deep Sea Discoveries and Moon Base Missions

Jun 08, 2026 17m

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…

Why AI and Drones Won’t Bring the Apocalypse | with Sarah Kreps

Jun 03, 2026 46m

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…

What the Headlines Aren’t Telling You About Ebola, Plus India's Solar Revolution and a Chicago Medical Miracle

Jun 01, 2026 15m

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…

The Surprising Ritual Renaissance | with Bruce Feiler

May 27, 2026 49m

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…

American Dads Are Stepping Up, Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patients, and Oklahoma Bans Child Marriage

May 25, 2026 13m

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…

Real Progress: Why We Ignore How Good We Have It | with Nick Gillespie

May 20, 2026 52m

Why does historic abundance breed widespread cultural anger? Nick Gillespie, editor-at-large of Reason Magazine and host of the Reason podcast, joins host Zachary Karabell to unpack the great…

Looted Artifacts Returned, Rape Kit Backlogs Slashed, and a Fatal Disease That's Now Treatable

May 18, 2026 14m

France just passed a landmark law allowing the return of cultural artifacts taken from nations during the colonial era — a long-overdue step nearly a decade in the making.  Plus: all 50 U.S. states…

The Case for Not Knowing | with Simone Stolzoff

May 13, 2026 53m

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…

Gene Therapy Is Giving Blind People Their Sight Back + The UK Bans Smoking Forever and Solar Power From Space

May 11, 2026 11m

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…

Why $6 Gas Isn't the End of the World | with Jason Bordoff

May 06, 2026 36m

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…

Chernobyl’s Unintended Nature Reserve + The End of the Coal Era and a New Frontier in IVF

May 04, 2026 13m

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…

Can We Achieve "Super Abundance" Without AI Doom? | with Sebastian Mallaby

Apr 29, 2026 42m

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…

Trump’s Surprising Move on Psychedelics + A Record Year for Humpback Whales

Apr 27, 2026 11m

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…

Is the World Order Actually Disintegrating? | with Ian Bremmer

Apr 22, 2026 40m

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…

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

Apr 20, 2026 10m

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…

Do we need a NEW America? | with Anne-Marie Slaughter

Apr 15, 2026 54m

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…

Turning Down the Headline Noise

Oct 08, 2025 54m

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…

The Progress Report: China’s Climate Change Commitment

Oct 03, 2025 20m

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…

Whatever Happened to Civics? with Nick Capodice

Oct 01, 2025 55m

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…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does What Could Go Right? have?

What Could Go Right? has published 223 episodes since September 2021, covering topics in Government, News.

Is What Could Go Right? still active?

What Could Go Right? is currently highly active with new episodes every few days. Average episode length is 43m.

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