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.
276
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
277
The End of the Tech Boom
After decades of growth, tech companies are now focusing on profits.
27 min
278
The Case Against Climate Reparations
There’s a great moral argument. Practically, it falls apart.
29 min
279
Is This The Cryptocalypse?
How will the demise of the third-largest crypto exchange affect the industry?
28 min
280
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
281
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
282
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
283
Big Brother, Big Tech and China
COVID may be an inflection point in the relationship between the surveillance state and the surveilled.
38 min
284
Twitter Is Dead; Long Live Twitter
No matter what Elon Musk does, Twitter will never be the same
36 min
285
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
286
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
287
Are You Ready to Be Composted When You Die?
How a bunch of environmentalists want to disrupt the American death industry.
28 min
288
The Next Amazon Union Fight
The Amazon Labor Union gears up for a fight at a new warehouse outside Albany.
27 min
289
When Your Church Surveils Your Phone
A look at the rise of accountability apps in churches.
20 min
290
Could the Supreme Court Kill the Internet As We...
Section 230 has made it to the Supreme Court.
25 min
291
The Philosopher With Silicon Valley's Ear
A deep dive into longtermism.
54 min
292
When Climate Change Makes You Sell Your House
How a mandatory buyout program in Harris County is upending a decades-old community.
23 min
293
Can Nuclear Power Be Green?
The war in Ukraine and climate change are forcing countries to rethink their stance on nuclear power.
22 min
294
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
295
The Hidden Abuse Behind Those Spam Texts You're...
Human trafficking victims in Asia are being forced into scamming people online.
26 min
296
How Big Internet Keeps Small Communities Discon...
The fight for internet between East Carroll Parish and Sparklight.
22 min
297
The Chaos That Made YouTube a Juggernaut
How the company has struggled with creators, extremism, and itself.
30 min
298
Can A.I. Make Great Art?
A.I. generated art is reaching new levels of sophistication at a rapid rate.
25 min
299
The Summer Vaccine of the Future
A new Lyme vaccine that's in late-stage trials would be the first in 20 years.
15 min
300
A.I. Made to Fight Child Porn Ensnared an Innoc...
The unintended victims of Google's A.I. used to fight child predators.
24 min