Vox

The illusion of the ‘self’ | The Gray Area - July 27, 2026 - Vox

Sean Illing talks with neuroscientist Gregory Berns, author of The Self Delusion. Berns claims that the idea of a unified, persistent self is a kind of illusion, and that we are better understood as multiple selves at different moments in time, tied together by a story — which is what we call our identity. Sean and Greg also talk about whether the brain is a computer, how perception works, the limits of thinking too much about thinking, and what psychedelics can do to disrupt and change the stories we tell about ourselves.

This episode originally aired in November of 2022.

Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)

Guest: Gregory Berns (@gberns), author; professor of psychology and distinguished professor of neuroeconomics, Emory University

00:00 Intro

06:34 The story we tell ourselves

10:38 The mystery of consciousness

17:32 Psychedelics and the self

25:49 We are constantly changing, even on a cellular level

34:54 Is the brain really like a computer?

39:41 How other people shape the stories we tell ourselves

We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.

And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube.

Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members

Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE

Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o

Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H

The Boomer politicians who won't retire | America, Actually - July 25, 2026 - Vox

Congressman James Clyburn remains one of the defining architects of modern Democratic politics. But as a new generation of voters pushes for structural reform, is the establishment listening?

Vox’s Astead Herndon sits down with 86-year-old Clyburn to challenge him on corporate PAC contributions, the lessons of the 2024 election, and whether experience should triumph over generational turnover.

00:00 – Intro

01:22 – Why Rep. Jim Clyburn decided to run for reelection at 86

05:32 – Experience vs. youth in Congress and the debate over cognitive tests

09:08 – Looking back at Joe Biden's 2024 debate performance and reelection bid

11:34 – Working across the aisle: Clyburn on his relationship with Sen. Lindsey Graham

12:38 – Are younger politicians too rigid?

14:26 – The CBC’s defense of corporate PAC money

19:02 – Technology, AI, and how veteran lawmakers legislate modern issues

20:32 – Navigating the Democratic primaries

25:43 – Who is to blame for the Democratic Party’s brand problem?

30:35 - Lessons from the Biden administration and Kamala Harris’s defeat

America, Actually publishes video episodes every Saturday tackling key issues in politics, culture, and the economy. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them. Listen to episodes of America, Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.

If you enjoy our reporting and want to hear more from Vox journalists, sign up for our Patreon at patreon.com/vox. Each month, our members get access to exclusive videos, livestreams, and chats with our newsroom.

Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE

Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o

Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H

MAGA is eating its own | The Gray Area - July 24, 2026 - Vox

For years, right-wing influencers and politicians have pushed the conservative movement to have more controversial, anti-establishment views. Why are some of those figures now upset about where the movement has ended up?

Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO

In today’s episode, guest host Bryan Walsh speaks with Vox Senior Correspondent Zack Beauchamp about conservatives who decry the extremist direction that the right is moving but refuse to recognize the role they played in pushing the movement in that direction. The two discuss US Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), pundit Ben Shapiro, podcaster Candace Owens, the drivers of conservative extremism, and what the party might look like after Donald Trump.

Guest Host: Bryan Walsh, Vox Senior Editorial Director

Guest: Zack Beauchamp, Vox Senior Correspondent

Read Zack’s essay: The MAGA stars freaked out by their own movement

00:00 Intro

01:54 Who are the ‘hot dog men?’

03:41 US Rep. Thomas Massie and President Trump

07:26 Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens

16:23 Why scandal doesn’t stick to President Trump

23:04 Why the America Right keeps moving towards more controversial views

30:17 Anti-semitism and American politics

36:48 The future of the conservative movement

And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube.

Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE

Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o

Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H