Non-toxic

About Non-toxic

From the manosphere to the atmosphere, Non-Toxic is devoted to understanding the intersections between the crisis of masculinity and the climate crisis. Join us for conversations with experts, journalists, and regular guys on topics ranging from how to blow up a pipeline to why incels are obsessed with the idea of alphas to why meatfluencers may not have your best interests at heart. Hosted by critic and journalist Daniel Waite Penny. nontoxicpodcast.substack.com (https://nontoxicpodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Daniel Penny

Category

science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

16 May 2023

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

64 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Young men think the world is fucked but they’ll somehow be fine

   Are young men secretly optimistic about the American Dream while believing everything is falling apart? In this election special, I sit down with returning guest Charlie Sabgir from the Young Men Research Project to unpack a massive new survey of 1,000 young men (ages 18–29) and 500 young women — and the findings are all over the place. There’s nostalgia for a past that probably never existed, a hardening of traditional gender roles, a grift economy that’s absolutely eating young men alive, and a genuinely surprising streak of “I’ll be fine though” individual optimism. Plus: what the Cornell Seven case reveals about the staying power of Me Too (or lack thereof), and a brand-new survey of Gen Alpha boys (12–17) that is honestly pretty eye-opening. Wondering what all of this means for the coalition about to show up at the polls? Tune in to find out. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nontoxicpodcast.substack.com/subscribe (https://nontoxicpodcast.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Getting it Up on Cape Cod

   Summer is officially over. Put away your linen and your bathing suits and unpack your sweaters. To salute the last glimmers of the season, I’m bringing you a special bonus episode featuring an essay by my friend, Abraham Storer. It’s called “Getting It Up” about a summertime tradition on the Outer Cape of a crew of young guys finding a big log on the beach and trying to plant it upright in the sand. …At least tonight, the boys seemed alright. Maybe their task was pointless, but there was strength, ingenuity, determination, brotherhood, and even a bit of heroism on display. Some foolishness, too. As the sky turned a dark, inky blue and people started arranging the shipping palettes and logs for a celebratory bonfire, Nobili shimmied up the pole. Nearly 50 feet from the ground, he was silhouetted against the night sky. “Get me a coconut,” someone yelled. “Throw him up a beer,” said another.” “Getting it Up” was originally published in issue 2 of Cape Cod Compass (https://capecodcompass.org/), with photographs by Cole Barash (https://www.instagram.com/cole_barash/). It’s a new magazine dedicated to exploring art, science, design, ecology, and culture within coastal communities, founded and edited by another pal, Aaron A. Binaco. Cheers to the end of summer! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nontoxicpodcast.substack.com/subscribe (https://nontoxicpodcast.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Bryan Johnson still wants to live forever

   In May, I met the biohacker and wellness entrepreneur Bryan Johnson while I was in Las Vegas reporting a story about the Enhanced Games for Now Voyager. The article, called “Gear and Doping in Las Vegas,” (https://nowvoyagermag.com/reporting/gear-and-doping-in-las-vegas) is in issue four of the magazine, which comes out today. (https://nowvoyagermag.com/subscription) A former tech bro who sold his company, Braintree, to PayPal, Johnson has dedicated the last five years of his life to trying every therapy and intervention possible in an effort to reduce his biological age, sharing his findings on social media and rolling out a line of supplements through his new company, Blueprint. In this pursuit, Johnson has stimulated his vagus nerve through a device that shoots electrical impulses through his ear, live-streamed his psilocybin trips, measured the strength of his nightly erections, and even transfused the plasma of his teenage son into his own body. Though he has recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Johnson continues to promote the idea that with the right health protocol, a person could theoretically live forever. This is what he means when he urges his followers, “Don't die.” Johnson was not officially part of the Enhanced team, but he was there to act as co-host during the broadcast, offering takes on living under a regimen of finely tuned health protocols. The day before the event kicked off, I met up with Johnson (and his entourage) in the back of a conference room for a quick chat. We managed to cover a lot of ground, from why using steroids is not naughty, to the promise of AI to extend life indefinitely, to why he doesn’t worry about our political leaders becoming immortal dictators. Plus, his partner, Kate, announces the start of her own journey into living forever, which is kind of romantic, I guess. Non-Toxic takes a lot of work on my end, and any amount that you can contribute to keep this show going would be greatly appreciated. Subscribe today! (https://nontoxicpodcast.substack.com/subscribe) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nontoxicpodcast.substack.com/subscribe (https://nontoxicpodcast.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

Who has been a guest on Non-toxic

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jay Critchley
• Callum Hood
• Alec Leach

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

18 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

28 ratings

Contact Non-toxic

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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