Modern life is built to make things easier, faster, and more efficient. But what if, in smoothing away life’s everyday frictions, we’ve also lost something essential? This week on “Galaxy Brain,” Charlie Warzel talks with The Atlantic’s Ian Bogost about his new book, “The Small Stuff,” and why the tiny rituals, sensory pleasures, and routine interactions we tend to overlook may be the very things that make us feel connected—to one another, to the world around us, and to ourselves.
This episode of "Galaxy Brain" was produced by Renee Klahr and engineered by Miguel Carrascal. Our theme is by Rob Smierciak. Hadley Robinson is our senior supervising producer. Claudine Ebeid is the executive producer of Atlantic audio, and Andrea Valdez is our managing editor.
Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” newsletter: https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/sign-up/galaxy-brain/?utm_source=podcast-warzel
Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/galaxy-brain/id1378618386
Subscribe to the “Galaxy Brain” podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/542WHgdiDTJhEjn1Py4J7n
Follow The Atlantic on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatlantic/?hl=en
Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at https://accounts.theatlantic.com/products/?utm_medium=cr&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=apple_podcasts
00:00 Intro
03:35 Interview with Ian Bogost
08:14 Instant Gratification Isn’t Bad
10:30 Optimization Culture and Silicon Valley
15:07 Dematerialization in Daily Life
17:22 Downside of Remote Work
22:49 Erosion of Social Bonds
26:03 Why It’s So Hard to Make Plans Now
28:14 Is This Just Nostalgia?
33:22 AI and What Separates Us from Machines
37:20 Advice on Embracing the Small Stuff
40:19 Closing Thoughts and Credits