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
Back To School… Without Phones
Are smartphones really a detriment to learning—or a scapegoat?
26 min
77
Who’s Going to Regulate AI?
A.I. companies don’t like SB1047—not too surprising—but what’s Nancy Pelosi’s problem with it?
19 min
78
Crypto Courts the 2024 Vote
No, the industry’s not dead. It’s rich.
22 min
79
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
80
Elon Musk’s Bully Pulpit
Remade in its owner’s image, X is rife with hate-speech, misinformation and fear-mongering.
21 min
81
Tesla’s Out of Juice. But Are EVs?
Tesla isn’t the whole story. Cars aren’t even the whole story.
23 min
82
Google’s a Monopoly. What About The Rest?
The Department of Justice proves it can take on Big Tech and win.
20 min
83
If They Can Get Sydney Sweeney They Can Get You
Why telecom networks are terrible at holding our sensitive data.
22 min
84
Why Are More Young People Getting Cancer?
Can a new colon cancer test help?
22 min
85
The Panopticon Olympics
Even the most advanced surveillance network couldn’t stop an attack on the Games’ first day.
25 min
86
Is Silicon Valley Trump-Vance Country?
Or will a Californian on top of the Democratic ticket win back tech’s votes?
20 min
87
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
88
America’s Tech Trustbuster
AAG Jonathan Kanter talks A.I., rent-pricing software, and how he envisions fair competition.
29 min
89
The New World of DIY Medical Tests
Does the medical community have only itself to blame?
19 min
90
Boeing Pleads Guilty
Felony charges, half a billion in fines, and stranded astronauts—surely this must be rock bottom.
21 min
91
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
92
Elon Says Have More Babies
Billions of anything is just never enough for this guy.
19 min
93
Why Are IUDs Still a Mystery?
From a murky, painful start to a symbol of reproductive freedom.
22 min
94
Why Extreme Weather Keeps Surprising You
Scientists are trying to determine when a hot summer is climate change, or just the weather.
27 min
95
Is Your Phone Tracking Your Driving?
The business of collecting driving data is lucrative. Most drivers aren’t aware it exists.
21 min
96
Amazon Wants Your Handprint
Biometric payment methods are coming to Whole Foods and beyond. Should we be worried?
19 min
97
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
98
Apple Goes Intelligent
The giant Silicon Valley holdout joins the AI race. But is the demand real or artificial?
21 min
99
Fee’d Up: A Musician’s Take on Ticketmaster
Look what you made Merrick Garland do
19 min
100
The Secret Semiconductor War
The race is on and America is trailing. Why is it important to catch up?
19 min