Big Questions with Cal Fussman
Curiosity Media
As a bestselling author, speaker and one of the greatest interviewers of this generation, Cal Fussman has sat down with some of the world's most influential individuals: Muhammad Ali, Mikhail Gorbachev, Serena Williams, Jeff Bezos, Jack Welch, John Wooden, Al Pacino and hundreds of others, digging deep into their hearts and delivering their wisdom to the rest of the world. Now, in Big Questions, Cal continues his journey. Uncovering the heart, head, and soul of his guests in thoughtful, deep and entertaining conversations.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 24, 2026 • 11min
Who Buys the Future If AI Takes Your Job?
Scotty, a conversational AI voiced as a Scottish economist, explores who will buy goods if AI displaces workers. He reframes the debate around demand and invokes Keynes and modern thinkers. Short, provocative takes consider economic collapse scenarios and the need for policy imagination. The conversation ends by weighing optimism about new jobs against solutions like universal basic income.
Mar 17, 2026 • 9min
Ryan Gosling At Work In The Age Of AI
Ryan Gosling, actor known for major leading roles, appears via a playful press-tour interview clip. He discusses Project Hail Mary and its optimistic take on problem-solving. Conversations touch on AI and the future of work, human reinvention, and a lighthearted Alexa interview that summarizes the film.
Mar 10, 2026 • 7min
Beating The Airport Security Lines
Tales of airport chaos and unexpected security scares. A family mishap turns into a cautionary story about flagged toiletries and missed flights. Discussion of staffing strains, unpaid TSA workers, and why lines balloon in some cities. Practical advice to turn long wait times into focused work sessions and reduce travel stress.
Mar 3, 2026 • 28min
A Tale Of Two Futures
Two visions of our AI future collide: one where emotional intelligence and human creativity soar in value, and another where cheap AI agents displace high-paid knowledge work. The conversation explores daily AI practice, shifting roles from doer to designer, economic disruptions, job displacement effects on housing and spending, and policy responses to an intelligence-driven upheaval.
Feb 24, 2026 • 13min
The Asset AI Can't Create
A reading about why farmland became a strategic bet for future wealth. Discussion of how AI cuts transaction costs and reshapes which assets capture value. Exploration of owning scarce analog assets like land, water rights, and sensor data. A look at pairing physical ownership with tech, services, and data to create lasting economic power.
13 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 39min
Something Big Is Happening
A dramatic AI warning is read aloud, framing rapid progress as a personal and societal inflection point. The conversation highlights how modern models build apps, write code, and even shape their own future. Jobs across law, medicine, finance, and creative fields are mapped as vulnerable. Practical steps and a one-hour-a-day experiment urge early adoption and adaptation.
Feb 10, 2026 • 6min
Mike Tyson's Most Unexpected Knockout
Super Bowl ad culture collides with AI saturation and audience backlash. The conversation compares bold storytelling like Apple 1984 to subtle, humanoid-themed commercials. A surprising spot featuring Mike Tyson eating an apple shifts focus to personal discipline, real food, and human restraint amid a machine-driven moment.
Feb 3, 2026 • 8min
Getting To The Top Of The World
What does it really take to reach your peak? The answer lies in the Netflix documentary Skyscraper Live, as climbing legend Alex Honnold scales Taipei 101, the tallest building in Taiwan, one move at a time. Watching him ascend the 1,667-foot glass and steel tower as if he were Spider-Man reveals a deceptively simple formula for mastery: Total focus on making your next best move.
Jan 27, 2026 • 11min
Weathermen & The Storms
A tale about storm forecasts and why sensational weather coverage grabs our attention. Stories of neighbors prepping, old-fashioned snowtime joy, and the theater of modern forecasting. A look back at how weathercasters became personalities and why we should view big storm predictions with healthy skepticism.
Jan 20, 2026 • 12min
Walking With The Monks
A brief encounter with Buddhist monks on their walk for peace from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., leads Cal to wonder what Martin Luther King Jr. might have thought if he'd seen the large crowd of Americans gathered in gratitude for their journey.
