Between the rapid rise of AI, the terrifying capriciousness of Donald Trump, the ever-worsening climate crisis, the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and so very many other things, sometimes it seems like the subtext of every political and cultural conversation right now is, “Are we doomed?” In the fittingly named new podcast from NPR, writer and host Ben Bradford aims to find out.
Are We Doomed? is a fifteen episodes series, which is in itself a little bit worrying. Sure, there are a couple of instalments each dedicated to nuclear war, AI, and climate change. But, personally, I hadn’t given much thought to super volcanoes. Something called "grey goo?" Didn’t cross my mind. If you are already an anxious person — this writer certainly is — it’s easy to imagine just looking at the title and the episode count and going, “Not for me. Thanks though!”
That would be a mistake, however. For one thing, there’s actually something refreshing about asking the question as forthrightly as Are We Doomed? does. Making the subtext text, so to speak. Shot through this whole podcast is the acknowledgment of how scary the world has gotten in so many ways over recent years that it’s difficult to keep track. There’s a catharsis to that acknowledgement, and to the way Bradford always holds it in mind while leading us through this chamber of hypothetical horrors. Despite that provocative title, Are We Doomed? isn’t intended to frighten us, but to stare head on at the fears that already lurk in the dark recesses of our mind and shine a clarifying light upon them.
It helps that the podcast is often really, really funny. From the running joke about the viciousness of hippos, to consistently entertaining sound design, the humour of Are We Doomed? continues to sweeten the pill throughout the series. The fact is, a lot of the things that could destroy us are ridiculous — as Bradford asks of AI, “How can a thing that struggles to draw fingers take us out?” There’s an absurdist slant to Bradford’s narration which makes a surprisingly effective partner to the frank, granular discussion about the many ways humanity could meet its grisly end.
And not every episode is about our potential doom. In the fourth instalment, Bradford discusses various ways people in the twentieth century thought we might be doomed, and how they were all wrong. In the fifth, he dives into the ethical quandaries around genetically modifying the planet’s most deadly creature – the mosquito – and the effect that could have on civilization. In the ninth he talks to Jason Pargin, a novelist-turned-TikTok star who argues that we’re living in the best of times, not the worst.
As well as adding some variety to the format, these episodes bring depth to the podcast’s titular question. They provide a valuable reminder that we’re a speck in the eye of the grand sweep of history, only able to comprehend a tiny proportion of what’s going on out there. Most of our fears around the future stem from the unavoidable uncertainty about where these chaotic times are taking us. As Pargin puts it in that ninth episode, it can feel, “like there are thirty serial killers in your yard, and you’re just waiting to see which one gets you.”
Ultimately, that speaks to the show’s two most prominent through-lines — our fragility, and our resilience. Time and again, we’re reminded of our terrifying vulnerability, and all the countless times we were almost wiped off the map. And yet, here we are. Though the podcast can get pretty scary, and is also far funnier than you might expect, the presiding emotion elicited by Are We Doomed? is sheer awe that we’ve even made it this far.
