
Maria Popova on the Role of Chance in Shaping Our Lives
From Time Sensitive by The Slowdown
June 10, 2026 · 1h 2m · Season 13 · Episode 154
About this episode
Maria Popova discusses her book 'Traversal' and the implications of A.I. on age-old questions about the soul.
On Ep. 154 of our Time Sensitive podcast, the Bulgarian-born, Brooklyn-based writer, reader, and researcher Maria Popova, founder of the “free, ad-free, A.I.-free, fully human” website and newsletter The Marginalian, discusses her latest book, “Traversal”; why today’s A.I. debates are fundamentally modern versions of age-old questions about the soul; and the mystery of being alive.
People in this episode
Guest: Maria Popova
Topics covered
- A.I. debates
- soul
- mystery of being alive
- writing
- research
Keywords
- Maria Popova
- A.I.
- soul
- Traversal
- The Marginalian
- writing
- research
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Marginalian
Books & works: Traversal
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