Derek Thompson

Staff writer at The Atlantic, Host of “Plain English” podcast

A man in a dark suit, light blue shirt, and plaid tie is facing the camera against a plain light background.

Derek Thompson is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where he writes about economics and the media. He is a regular contributor to NPR’s Here and Now and appears frequently on television, including CBS and MSNBC.

He is also the host of the podcast Plain English and the author of the national bestselling book Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction, which has been translated into a dozen languages.

Thompson was named to both Inc. magazine and Forbes‘ 30 Under 30 lists. He lives in New York City.

Everything Videos

15mins

The Big Think Interview

Why the American dream no longer moves upward

“This is a world in which we've essentially given ourselves the tools to stop the construction of the most important product in American lives in the places where Americans often most want to move.”

Derek Thompson

A city skyline is reflected inside a single water droplet hanging from the tip of a metallic object against a gradient sky background.

10mins

The Big Think Interview

The laboratory accident that saved 500 million lives

“Invention matters, but implementation matters more.”

Derek Thompson

A person sits alone on a bench against a yellow background, looking down at a smartphone.

12mins

The Big Think Interview

The great friendship collapse: Inside The Anti-Social Century

“You can debate all sorts of things about how the texture of American life has changed. What you can't debate is the sheer, objective, existential fact that Americans are more alone than ever.”

Derek Thompson

The U.S. Capitol building is shown with large red tape strips crossed over it against a blue sky, symbolizing restriction or a government shutdown.

7mins

The Big Think Interview

Policy and process is paralyzing the US government

"I'd prefer to think about a different axis, which is, should government be more or less effective? Should government work faster or slower?"

Derek Thompson

A man in a suit sits on a chair against a white backdrop, with illustrated green skyscrapers, solar panels, and trees in the background.

1hr 17mins

Full Interview

A liberal critique of liberalism: What needs to change

"The disease is the fact that liberalism, which used to be an ideology of building, has become an ideology of blocking."

Derek Thompson

5mins

High Culture

The science of music: Why your brain gets hooked on hit songs

There's a reason you can't stop you head boppin' to block-rockin' beats, and why you can't get a song's hook out of your head.

Derek Thompson

3mins

Latest Videos

Are you cool or are you crazy? How sociologists define healthy rebellion

Is coolness wearing a leather jacket and slicking your hair back? Or is it "a measured rebellion" within established boundaries? One big thinker tells us that being "cool" is sort of like a cult, at least from a sociological standpoint.

Derek Thompson

3mins

High Culture

History is littered with thousands of things that tried to appeal to everyone and yet failed miserably. If you want true success, try to appeal to a core group.

Derek Thompson