Reasonably Optimistic

It doesn’t take much to ignite a new wave of alien conspiracy theories on social media. But beyond the internet speculation lies a serious scientific question: If billions of planets could support life, why haven’t we found any?

Host Megan McArdle revisits her conversation with astrophysicist and author of “The Little Book of Aliens,” Adam Frank, to explore why he thinks extraterrestrial life probably exists — and why UFO sightings offer little evidence. They discuss how scientists are searching for alien life, why microbes may be far more common than intelligent civilizations and what extraterrestrials might look like if we ever find them.

This episode was originally published on June 10, 2026.

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Shortly before her mother died, Megan McArdle learned a family secret. Decades earlier, her mother had given birth to a son and placed him for adoption. Megan’s attempt to find the brother she never knew would force her to reconsider her mother’s life—and confront abortion as something more than an abstract political debate.

In this deeply personal episode, producer Regina de Heer interviews Megan about the choices her mother faced, the grief she carried and why our arguments about abortion and adoption leave so little room for complexity.

This episode includes discussions of death, grief and abortion.

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AI data centers have become America’s newest political villain — accused of draining local water supplies, overheating communities and sending electricity bills soaring. But some of the most alarming claims about their environmental impact are based on outdated estimates, missing context or questionable math.

Host Megan McArdle is joined by writer and former high school physics teacher Andy Masley to separate the myths from the legitimate concerns and break down why misleading claims spread so easily.

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Football season is back, bringing millions of Americans together around one of the country’s most beloved sports. But new research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, raises an uncomfortable question: What price are players paying for our entertainment?

Host Megan McArdle explores the physical and cognitive toll of football and what responsibility fans have when they turn on a game.

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Why are Americans having fewer children, even though many say they want larger families? Host Megan McArdle talks with author Tim Carney about how professional ambition, personal autonomy and intensive parenting have made family life more daunting. They discuss why Americans are marrying later, how workplaces and communities could make raising children easier, and whether stronger family norms can be revived without bringing back the inequalities of the past.

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