The Case for Not Knowing | with Simone Stolzoff

The Case for Not Knowing | with Simone Stolzoff

Author: The Progress Network with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas May 13, 2026 Duration: 53:32
What happens when our biological need for certainty clashes with an increasingly unpredictable world? Simone Stolzoff, author of How to Not Know, joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss why our modern intolerance for uncertainty is fueling a global anxiety crisis. Rather than seeing the unknown as a threat, Stolzoff argues that uncertainty is the fundamental birthplace of scientific breakthroughs, original art, and human progress. Stolzoff and Karabell explore how to navigate everything from the climate crisis and the AI revolution to high-stakes parenting and career choices through the framework that the false certainty we cling to might actually be detrimental to our success. While acknowledging the hard truths of today's world, Stolzoff explains why "action absorbs anxiety" and makes the case for diversifying our identities so we remain adaptable in the face of an unwritten future.  What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Subscribe to Zachary’s Substack: www.edgyoptimist.substack.com/

It’s easy to feel that everything is falling apart, but what if the dominant narrative of decline is missing a crucial piece of the story? What Could Go Right? asks that question directly, offering a necessary counterpoint to the daily drumbeat of crises. Hosted by The Progress Network’s Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas, this podcast operates from a simple but radical premise: while the problems are real, so is the human capacity for ingenuity and constructive change. Each episode brings together a diverse group of thinkers, from scientists and activists to policymakers and cultural commentators, for conversations that go beyond diagnosing issues to exploring tangible solutions and underreported advances. You’ll hear nuanced discussions on everything from climate technology and economic innovation to the reshaping of governance and culture, all grounded in a realistic sense of possibility. This isn’t about blind optimism; it’s about engaged, evidence-based hope. Tuning in means joining a community that believes understanding what’s working is just as important as understanding what’s broken. If you’re weary of doomscrolling and looking for substantive dialogue that charts a path forward, this is the podcast for you.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

What Could Go Right?
Podcast Episodes
The Progress Report: Advancements and Deposits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:20
In this week's Progress Report, Zachary and Emma discuss positive developments in various sectors, including election insights, advancements in mRNA vaccine technology, the environmental impact of COVID-19 on flu strains…
Undertaking Utopia with Kristen R. Ghodsee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:21
How does one define utopia? Is it a place, a plan, or a proposal? Have we come closer to utopia through progress in feminism? Zachary and Emma speak with Kristen R. Ghodsee, ethnographer, professor, and author of "Everyd…
The Progress Report: Improving Communication [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:27
In this week's Progress Report, Zachary and Emma discuss various positive developments in the world, including breakthroughs in drug development for schizophrenia and lung cancer, advancements in weather forecasting, and…
The Beleaguered Club of Eternal Optimists with Bill Burke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:59
Why is there a need for optimism? Are we really worse off than we were decades and centuries ago? How could the next generation be the "greatest generation"? Zachary and Emma speak with Bill Burke, founder of the Optimis…
The Progress Report: Good Decreases [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:55
In this episode of the Progress Report, Zachary and Emma discuss positive news stories that highlight progress in various areas. They explore the recent stabilization of obesity rates in the US, the decline in fentanyl o…
From Hamas to Hezbollah with Steven A. Cook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:04
What is going on in the Middle East now that the conflict has expanded to include Hezbollah? How has the United States struggled to bring resolution and peace to this part of the world? And where does the region go from…
A Community Fight in Wisconsin, From To See Each Other [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:22
Sharing an episode of To See Each Other, a show that complicates the narrative about small town Americans in our most misunderstood, and often abandoned, communities. This season, host George Goehl travels to Lincoln Cou…
The Progress Report: Positive Innovation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:33
In this week's Progress Report Zachary and Emma discuss positive developments in the world amidst grim headlines. They explore innovative energy solutions in urban transit, breakthroughs in diabetes treatment using stem…
The Dish on Disinformation with Jiore Craig [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:44
How do we know which information on social media is real? How can we overcome campaigns of disinformation and misinformation? Zachary and Emma speak with Jiore Craig, global and political media strategist. They discuss t…
The Progress Report: Interest Rates of Social Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:07
In this week's Progress Report, Zachary and Emma discuss various positive developments around the world, including economic updates on interest rates and inflation, the introduction of an at-home flu vaccine, and social…