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.
426
Is This the End of Facial Recognition?
In the space of a week, development of the powerful surveillance technology has come to a screeching halt.
20 min
427
Your Delivery Habit Isn't Helping
Apps like DoorDash and Grubhub are doing more harm than good.
18 min
428
Trump and Twitter Go to War
Twitter fact checked the president’s tweets. Two days later, he issued an executive order that aims to redefine free speech online.
18 min
429
What Is Elon Musk Thinking?
A public battle over the closure of a Tesla plant shows what happens when big tech goes up against local government.
17 min
430
Decoding the Flood of COVID Data
How to turn data into decisions.
17 min
431
Should You Get an Antibody Test?
A layperson and a scientist talk us through what they’re good for.
22 min
432
How the Crisis Could Embolden Big Tech
While much of the economy suffers fallout from the coronavirus, the tech giants see an opportunity.
16 min
433
Can We Really Make a Safe Vaccine in 18 Months?
How fast is too fast when it comes to finding the fix for COVID-19?
20 min
434
Can the U.S. Really Track the Coronavirus?
Widespread contact tracing will be critical for preventing a resurgence of the coronavirus.
20 min
435
The Limits of Coronavirus Predictions
Can mathematical models chart the course of this pandemic?
16 min
436
Risking Your Life for $8.71
While much of the country shelters indoors, Instacart workers have found themselves on the front lines of COVID-19. Who’s keeping them safe?
18 min
437
Where Are All the Tests?
Here’s why America isn’t ready for widespread testing.
22 min
438
Big Tech Eyes the Pandemic
Silicon Valley’s biggest players have been trying to break into health care for years. The coronavirus may provide an opportunity.
20 min
439
What If They Close All the Schools?
As the coronavirus spreads across the country, many schools are considering moving their classes online. For many, that’s not a realistic option.
15 min
440
Did the Internet Doom a Pregnancy?
The real-life cost of online misinformation.
19 min
441
Did Money Corrupt an A.I. Utopia?
OpenAI was supposed to democratize the race to build artificial intelligence. Then profits got in the way.
17 min
442
Inside Facebook’s Supreme Court
The social network spent a year building its own version of an independent judiciary. Can it succeed?
19 min
443
Coronavirus Tests China's Surveillance State
As the virus spreads across China, Xi Jinping’s censorship and surveillance network is being strained to its limit.
15 min
444
Iowa’s App-ocalypse
The debacle in Iowa doesn’t bode well for Democrats’ effort to restore digital dominance.
15 min
445
Why Is the U.S. Scared of Huawei?
Britain’s defiance of the U.S over 5G may set a precedent for the rest of the West.
16 min
446
Which Tech Companies Are Doing the Most Harm?
As “techlash” reaches a fever pitch, which companies actually deserve the heat?
19 min
447
The Silicon Valley Dream Was Always a Fantasy
Anna Wiener details her journey through tech’s uncanny valley.
20 min
448
How Targeted Ads Started Watching Us All
Two companies changed the advertising industry forever. We’re just beginning to see the consequences.
17 min
449
Do Algorithms Make Sentencing Fairer?
Thirty-five states are using algorithms to help judges make better decisions. Are they working?
17 min
450
A Landmark Privacy Law Takes Effect. Now What?
California’s Consumer Privacy Act could have a national impact.
16 min