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.
251
SBF's Worst Week Yet
Legal action against the former head of FTX and hearings on Capitol Hill expose just how bad things are at the once-dominant crypto exchange.
33 min
252
San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess
Self-driving cars are here. And there. And on the sidewalk. Oh boy.
25 min
253
Let’s Talk, Chatbots
ChatGPT is better than any chatbot that came before it.
28 min
254
Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington
Is the most aggressive antitrust team in decades capable of reining in Silicon Valley?
34 min
255
Twitter's Vulnerabilities, Exposed
Elon's Twitter had its first test against bad actors from a foreign country. It didn't go well.
26 min
256
The Trap of Buy Now, Pay Later
They're billed as a safe alternative to credit cards. But only if you use it responsibly.
30 min
257
The End of the Tech Boom
After decades of growth, tech companies are now focusing on profits.
27 min
258
The Case Against Climate Reparations
There’s a great moral argument. Practically, it falls apart.
29 min
259
Is This The Cryptocalypse?
How will the demise of the third-largest crypto exchange affect the industry?
28 min
260
Senator Chris Murphy on Elon's Acquisition of T...
Why he asked the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to review Saudi Arabia's considerable stake in Twitter.
17 min
261
Why Are So Many Little Kids Sick Right Now?
Those born under pandemic restrictions are getting their first “normal” autumn, replete with all the sniffles that entails.
21 min
262
So How’s It Going, Elon?
From canning executives to a plan to charge for blue checks, Twitter has entered the Musk Era.
25 min
263
Big Brother, Big Tech and China
COVID may be an inflection point in the relationship between the surveillance state and the surveilled.
38 min
264
Twitter Is Dead; Long Live Twitter
No matter what Elon Musk does, Twitter will never be the same
36 min
265
Can We Make an Alzheimer’s Drug That Works?
Advances towards an effective drug therapy have been uneven and unclear, but there are promising developments.
30 min
266
When An Algorithm Raises Your Rent
If it draws on data from landlords and tells them what others are charging, when does it become price-fixing?
29 min
267
Are You Ready to Be Composted When You Die?
How a bunch of environmentalists want to disrupt the American death industry.
28 min
268
The Next Amazon Union Fight
The Amazon Labor Union gears up for a fight at a new warehouse outside Albany.
27 min
269
When Your Church Surveils Your Phone
A look at the rise of accountability apps in churches.
20 min
270
Could the Supreme Court Kill the Internet As We...
Section 230 has made it to the Supreme Court.
25 min
271
The Philosopher With Silicon Valley's Ear
A deep dive into longtermism.
54 min
272
When Climate Change Makes You Sell Your House
How a mandatory buyout program in Harris County is upending a decades-old community.
23 min
273
Can Nuclear Power Be Green?
The war in Ukraine and climate change are forcing countries to rethink their stance on nuclear power.
22 min
274
The Fight Over Online Speech Headed to the Supr...
How laws in Texas and Florida take aim at social media companies and how they moderate content.
28 min
275
The Hidden Abuse Behind Those Spam Texts You're...
Human trafficking victims in Asia are being forced into scamming people online.
26 min