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.
301
Will Southwest Be Held Accountable?
Why consumers can’t vote with their feet when it comes to flying.
25 min
302
One Year - 1942: The Most Hated Man in America
In 1942, it was up to Leon Henderson to stop inflation. He became a nationwide villain.
43 min
303
Are You Ready For Lab-Grown Meat?
Many of the issues with lab-grown meat directly contradict what makes enthusiasts excited in the first place.
28 min
304
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
305
San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess
Self-driving cars are here. And there. And on the sidewalk. Oh boy.
25 min
306
Let’s Talk, Chatbots
ChatGPT is better than any chatbot that came before it.
28 min
307
Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington
Is the most aggressive antitrust team in decades capable of reining in Silicon Valley?
34 min
308
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
309
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
310
The End of the Tech Boom
After decades of growth, tech companies are now focusing on profits.
27 min
311
The Case Against Climate Reparations
There’s a great moral argument. Practically, it falls apart.
29 min
312
Is This The Cryptocalypse?
How will the demise of the third-largest crypto exchange affect the industry?
28 min
313
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
314
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
315
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
316
Big Brother, Big Tech and China
COVID may be an inflection point in the relationship between the surveillance state and the surveilled.
38 min
317
Twitter Is Dead; Long Live Twitter
No matter what Elon Musk does, Twitter will never be the same
36 min
318
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
319
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
320
Are You Ready to Be Composted When You Die?
How a bunch of environmentalists want to disrupt the American death industry.
28 min
321
The Next Amazon Union Fight
The Amazon Labor Union gears up for a fight at a new warehouse outside Albany.
27 min
322
When Your Church Surveils Your Phone
A look at the rise of accountability apps in churches.
20 min
323
Could the Supreme Court Kill the Internet As We...
Section 230 has made it to the Supreme Court.
25 min
324
The Philosopher With Silicon Valley's Ear
A deep dive into longtermism.
54 min
325
When Climate Change Makes You Sell Your House
How a mandatory buyout program in Harris County is upending a decades-old community.
23 min