What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the...
Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.
1
Is America Ready for Legal Psychedelics?
How the push for legal ‘shrooms can avoid the problems plaguing legal cannabis.
23 min
2
Does Google Suck Now?
Wither our once-best search engine?
23 min
3
America Needs More Power
How building our renewable energy future domestically is keeping old power plants running.
26 min
4
Truth Social’s Rocky Week
Trump Media’s IPO may not be the blockbuster Trump was hoping for.
23 min
5
The Psychological Toll of Mars
We know how to get to space. But what happens to our minds when we’re there?
21 min
6
Can Boeing Pull Out of This Tailspin?
What needs to change at the company to restore public trust?
27 min
7
The Next Round of the Union Fight
Post-pandemic labor movements were losing momentum, but wins in the auto and film industries have put wind back in the sails.
17 min
8
Reddit’s IPO Gamble
Will the public upvote it?
24 min
9
When Private Equity Gets in to Health Care
What’s something expensive that people have no choice but to buy?
26 min
10
Is TikTok Cooked This Time?
Why does this issue snap a dysfunctional Congress into bipartisan agreement?
22 min
11
Instagram’s Pedophile Problem
Pedophiles are flooding the accounts of child influencers on Instagram. Who is to blame — and who can make them stop?
30 min
12
Why TikTok Went Silent
As TikTok and UMG argue over whether TikTok is a music platform or not, artists are left in the dark.
19 min
13
Google’s Scam Obituary Problem
What happens when your loved one’s death becomes funeral clickbait?
25 min
14
The Supreme Court Takes on Content Moderation
Does the First Amendment prevent social media companies from moderating their content—or defend their right to?
25 min
15
Alabama’s IVF Mess
How legal personhood for embryos will make having children harder.
24 min
16
The Coasts are Sinking
As sea levels rise, the ground below us sinks.
16 min
17
Apple Vision Pro: The Ultimate Surveillance Dev...
When you look through these smart goggles, they look back—and can tell what you’re seeing.
25 min
18
Warfare Enters the A.I. Era
How an invasion became an innovation hub for private tech companies - and the future of war.
24 min
19
Breaking Up with Dating Apps
You can’t put a price on love—or your user base will swipe left on you.
22 min
20
The NFL’s Concussion Settlement Farce
Nearly a decade after a “landmark” settlement, former players are still struggling to get the help they’re ostensibly entitled to.
26 min
21
Streaming Is Cable Now
The ad-free binge wasn’t the future, turns out, and now it’s gone.
27 min
22
The Taylor Swift Deepfake Saga
If you don’t have a Swiftie-sized fan base to moderate the internet for you, good luck.
23 min
23
Why Is Everybody Sick?
No, you're not imagining it.
19 min
24
Are You Ready for the A.I. Election?
Don’t trust your ears; just count the fingers.
22 min
25
Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture?
"Filterworld" makes the case that algorithms, not people, decide what we like.
32 min