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.
76
Crypto Courts the 2024 Vote
No, the industry’s not dead. It’s rich.
22 min
77
The Rise of Off-Brand Ozempic
Compounding pharmacies are shoring up the Ozempic and Wegovy shortage, often via telehealth—but there’s a catch.
19 min
78
Elon Musk’s Bully Pulpit
Remade in its owner’s image, X is rife with hate-speech, misinformation and fear-mongering.
21 min
79
Tesla’s Out of Juice. But Are EVs?
Tesla isn’t the whole story. Cars aren’t even the whole story.
23 min
80
Google’s a Monopoly. What About The Rest?
The Department of Justice proves it can take on Big Tech and win.
20 min
81
If They Can Get Sydney Sweeney They Can Get You
Why telecom networks are terrible at holding our sensitive data.
22 min
82
Why Are More Young People Getting Cancer?
Can a new colon cancer test help?
22 min
83
The Panopticon Olympics
Even the most advanced surveillance network couldn’t stop an attack on the Games’ first day.
25 min
84
Is Silicon Valley Trump-Vance Country?
Or will a Californian on top of the Democratic ticket win back tech’s votes?
20 min
85
The Conspiracy Theory Election
Misinformation from all sides is dominating this election, making it impossible to tell what’s real and what’s fake.
20 min
86
America’s Tech Trustbuster
AAG Jonathan Kanter talks A.I., rent-pricing software, and how he envisions fair competition.
29 min
87
The New World of DIY Medical Tests
Does the medical community have only itself to blame?
19 min
88
Boeing Pleads Guilty
Felony charges, half a billion in fines, and stranded astronauts—surely this must be rock bottom.
21 min
89
The Blu-Ray-naissance Is Here. Sort of.
Tired of movies slipping off streaming sites right when you want to watch them? There’s an obvious, off-the-shelf solution…
19 min
90
Elon Says Have More Babies
Billions of anything is just never enough for this guy.
19 min
91
Why Are IUDs Still a Mystery?
From a murky, painful start to a symbol of reproductive freedom.
22 min
92
Why Extreme Weather Keeps Surprising You
Scientists are trying to determine when a hot summer is climate change, or just the weather.
27 min
93
Is Your Phone Tracking Your Driving?
The business of collecting driving data is lucrative. Most drivers aren’t aware it exists.
21 min
94
Amazon Wants Your Handprint
Biometric payment methods are coming to Whole Foods and beyond. Should we be worried?
19 min
95
The FBI Made a Phone Network. It Was A Trap.
Anom was used by thousands of criminals. It was run by the FBI.
29 min
96
Apple Goes Intelligent
The giant Silicon Valley holdout joins the AI race. But is the demand real or artificial?
21 min
97
Fee’d Up: A Musician’s Take on Ticketmaster
Look what you made Merrick Garland do
19 min
98
The Secret Semiconductor War
The race is on and America is trailing. Why is it important to catch up?
19 min
99
Would You Buy Poop On the Internet?
The wild world of peer-to-peer Fecal Microbial Transplants.
20 min
100
He’s Suing Big Tech Over Uvalde
The lawsuit includes the gunmaker, Meta, and Activision, the company behind Call of Duty.
23 min