Open to Debate
America is more divided than ever—but it doesn’t have to be. Open to Debate offers an antidote to the chaos. We bring multiple perspectives together for real, nonpartisan debates. Debates that are structured, respectful,...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Dr. George Church1 ep
- Amy Webb1 ep
- Marcy Darnovsky1 ep
Also: Françoise Baylis, Ryan Cummings, Magnus Grimeland, Elliot Ackerman, Laura Walker McDonald, Michael C. Horowitz, Jack Shanahan, Arthur C. Brooks, Eric Berger, Shannon Stirone, Harry Levant, Bill Pascrell III, Hawk Koch, Chris Aronson, Andrew Yang, Simon Johnson, Chris Hughes
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
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Total monthly reach
Based on the show's feed history.
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- 🇹🇭TH · Society & Culture#19316K to 196K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
16K to 196K🎙 ~2x weekly·476 episodes·Last published 1w ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
32K to 392K🇺🇸71%🇹🇭29% - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
18K to 216K
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
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Total Plays
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Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/16/26 |  Should Extinct Animals Stay Extinct? (Encore) | Once a sci-fi fantasy explored in films like “Jurassic Park,” some biological and technological breakthroughs indicate that reviving extinct creatures could become a reality. Proponents argue that the benefits include correcting mistakes of the past by bringing back extinct ecosystems and organisms. Others argue it's not ethical or even feasible. Now we debate: Should humans bring extinct creatures back to life? Arguing YES: Dr. Ross MacPhee, Curator of the Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild, Evolutionary Biologist & Astrobiologist Arguing NO: Stewart Brand, Co-Founder of Revive & Restore & Founder of Whole Earth Catalog Dr. George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard and MIT & Founder of the Personal Genome Project Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Attend a live debate in Baltimore on October 27th. We'll be debating the impacts of AI in higher ed at Johns Hopkins University as part of our Hopkins Forum series in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute. Reserve your seat now! https://bit.ly/ai-college-future Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 39m 27s | ||||||
| 10/9/26 |  Think Twice: Navigating the Election Cycle & Civic Power with Eric Liu | Amid deep political division and ahead of the midterms, what does good citizenship require? In his new book, “Live Like a Citizen,” Citizen University’s Eric Liu argues that democracy depends on citizenship as an everyday practice — learning to listen, participate, disagree, change our minds, and remain committed to one another despite our differences. John Donvan sits down with Liu to explore what he has thought twice about regarding citizenship since he moved from Washington, D.C. to "the other Washington," the city of Seattle, specifically, sharing his eight habits for rebuilding civic life and why changing America may require changing ourselves. Our Guest: Eric Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of Citizen University; Author of "Live Like A Citizen" Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Attend a live debate in Baltimore on October 27th. We'll be debating the impacts of AI in higher ed at Johns Hopkins University as part of our Hopkins Forum series in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute. Reserve your seat now! https://bit.ly/ai-college-future Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 03m 43s | ||||||
| 10/2/26 |  Should We Phase Out Social Security? | Social Security has long been a cornerstone of American retirement, but as the trust fund grows closer to depletion by 2032, should the system be repaired or replaced with new standards? Those advocating for phasing it out argue its unsuitability for the modern economy and should only be available for those needing it most. Others argue it’s still a good anti-poverty tool and Congress should take action and make changes to its finances. Now we debate: Should We Phase Out Social Security? Arguing Yes: Romina Boccia, Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at Cato Institute Arguing No: Teresa Ghilarducci, Professor of Economics and Policy Analysis and Director of the Wealth Equity Lab at The New School Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 06m 04s | ||||||
| 9/25/26 |  Does the U.S.-Saudi Civil Nuclear Agreement Serve America's Interests? | The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement that supporters say could strengthen ties, advance normalization, and give Washington greater influence over the kingdom’s nuclear ambitions. Critics warn that without stronger restrictions on uranium enrichment and inspections, assistance could create a pathway toward nuclear weapons and weaken nonproliferation norms. Would American involvement reduce the risks or enable them? Now we debate: Does the U.S.-Saudi Civil Nuclear Agreement Serve America's Interests? Arguing Yes: Daniel Poneman, Former Deputy Secretary of Energy; Distinguished Fellow of the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Amos Hochstein, Former White House Senior Advisor to President Biden; Managing Partner at TWG Global Arguing No: Sharon Squassoni, Research Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University; Former Director of Nonproliferation and Prevention at CSIS Joe Cirincione, Former Director for Non-Proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates This debate was produced in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations. Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 19m 52s | ||||||
| 9/18/26 |  Is the United Nations Obsolete? (Encore) | As world attention descends on the United Nations General Assembly, Open to Debate is once again casting a critical lens on this over 80-year-old global organization. To this day, questions are still mounting as to whether the United Nations itself is both ineffective and outdated, or whether an institution created for the world of 1945 is equipped for, and can effectively meet, today's challenges. Now we debate: Is the United Nations Obsolete? ARGUING YES: Rajan Menon, Political Scientist & Spitzer Professor Emeritus of International Relations at the City College of New York Nile Gardiner, Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom and Bernard and Barbara Lomas Fellow at The Heritage Foundation ARGUING NO: Angela Kane, German Diplomat and Senior Fellow at Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation; Former UN Under-Secretary-General Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou, Scholar & Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mauritania Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 00m 59s | ||||||
| 9/9/26 | parentinggenetics+3 | Robert PlominNancy Segal+2 | King’s College LondonCalifornia State University, Fullerton+5 | — | parentinggenetics+3 | — | 1h 27m 05s | ||
| 9/4/26 | work weekproductivity+5 | Juliet SchorJoanne Lipman | Boston College | — | four-day work weekproductivity+5 | — | 1h 04m 40s | ||
| 8/28/26 | capitalisminequality+3 | Nick HanauerJason Furman | Harvard UniversityCouncil of Economic Advisers+6 | — | capitalisminnovation+4 | — | 1h 08m 11s | ||
| 8/21/26 | climate changeadaptation+3 | Bjorn LomborgMatthew Kahn+2 | Copenhagen Consensus CenterGray Rhino & Company+2 | — | climate changeadaptation+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 8/14/26 | near-death experiencesconsciousness+3 | Eben AlexanderRaymond Moody+2 | Proof of HeavenLife After Life | — | near-death experiencesconsciousness+5 | — | 54m 32s | ||
| 8/7/26 | primary electionsdemocracy+3 | Elaine KamarckJed Ober | Brookings InstitutionDemocracy International | Pennsylvania | primary electionsdemocracy+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 7/31/26 | American historyFounding Fathers+4 | Osita NwanevuHelena Rosenblatt | The New RepublicThe Guardian+1 | — | Foundersidolization+4 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 7/24/26 | death penaltycapital punishment+4 | Diann Rust-TierneyBarry Scheck+2 | National Coalition to Abolish the Death PenaltyInnocence Project+3 | — | death penaltyabolition+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 7/17/26 | lovesex+4 | James J. SextonCarolyn Gorman+1 | ReasonManhattan Institute+1 | — | lovesex+7 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 7/10/26 | Iran WarU.S. foreign policy+4 | Suzanne MaloneyMatthew Kroenig | Brookings InstitutionAtlantic Council | IranU.S. | IranTrump+6 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 7/7/26 | American historyDeclaration of Independence+3 | Ken Burns | FIREOpen to Debate+2 | America | libertyAmerican history+4 | — | 47m 37s | ||
| 7/3/26 | American Dreameconomic opportunity+4 | David LeonhardtMichael Strain | The New York TimesAmerican Enterprise Institute+2 | — | American Dreameconomic decline+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 6/26/26 | happinessvirtue+4 | Jeffrey RosenRoger Crisp | National Constitution CenterUniversity of Oxford+1 | — | happinessvirtue+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 6/19/26 | U.S. foreign policyIran war+3 | Danielle PletkaJulia Ioffe | PuckAmerican Enterprise Institute | — | IranRussia+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 6/12/26 | ethicsChina+4 | Joanna ChiuIsaac Stone Fish | Human Rights FoundationNüora Global Advisors+2 | — | Chinaethics+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 6/5/26 | birthright citizenshipimmigration+5 | Mark KrikorianHorace Cooper+2 | Center for Immigration StudiesNational Center for Public Policy Research+2 | — | birthright citizenshipimmigration system+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 5/29/26 | parentinggenerational divides+3 | Lenore SkenazyReshma Saujani+1 | Free-Range KidsGirls Who Code+3 | — | parentinggenerational divides+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 5/22/26 | government investmentmarket strategy+3 | Laura Taylor-KaleRichard Falkenrath+2 | Council on Foreign RelationsMIT Sloan School of Management+1 | — | government shareholderstrategic investment+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 5/14/26 | sciencerisk aversion+4 | Tyler CowenBrandon Ogbunu+2 | Stavros Niarchos FoundationJohns Hopkins University+6 | — | scientific enterpriserisk aversion+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 5/7/26 | repatriationcultural artifacts+4 | Chika Okeke-AguluLeila Amineddoleh+2 | Princeton UniversityTarter Krinsky & Drogin | — | museumsrepatriation+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 4/30/26 | artethics+4 | Randy CohenAruna D'Souza | — | — | artartist+6 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 4/23/26 | gene editingethics+4 | Dr. George ChurchAmy Webb+2 | Personal Genome ProjectFuture Today Strategy Group+4 | — | gene editingbetter babies+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 4/16/26 | artificial intelligenceinvestment+3 | Ryan CummingsMagnus Grimeland | Stanford Institute for Economic Policy ResearchAntler | — | AIbubble+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 4/9/26 | AI in warfareautonomous systems+3 | Elliot AckermanLaura Walker McDonald+2 | International Committee of the Red CrossCouncil on Foreign Relations+1 | — | warfareAI+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 4/2/26 | meaning of lifepurpose+3 | Arthur C. Brooks | Harvard UniversityThe Free Press+2 | — | meaningpurpose+3 | — | 53m 21s | ||
| 3/26/26 | space explorationMars colonization+3 | Eric BergerShannon Stirone | NASASpaceX | U.S.China+2 | MarsNASA+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 3/19/26 | sports gamblingpublic health+4 | Harry LevantBill Pascrell III | Public Health Advocacy InstitutePrinceton Public Affairs Group+1 | — | sports gamblinggambling addiction+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 3/13/26 | filmstreaming+4 | Hawk KochChris Aronson | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesProducers Guild of America+1 | — | filmstreaming+6 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 3/6/26 | AIwork+4 | Andrew YangSimon Johnson+2 | Forward PartyFacebook+3 | — | AIjob automation+5 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 2/26/26 | news mediagenerational divides+3 | Kurt AndersenNellie Bowles+1 | ReasonNPR+4 | — | news mediagenerational divides+3 | — | 53m 15s | ||
| 2/24/26 | market crashAI+5 | Andrew Ross Sorkin | 1929 | 2020s1980s | market crash2026+8 | — | 1h 22m 58s | ||
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Chart history for Open to Debate
Peaked at #193 in TH, currently #193 in TH.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TH | — | #193 | #193 | — |
Chart Positions
1 placement across 1 market.
Chart Positions
1 placement across 1 market.