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.
126
Is a 25-Year-Old’s Brain Mature?
How the new science of brain development isn’t just changing policy, but how we live.
21 min
127
Why A.I. Says the Darndest Things
Microsoft is working out the kinks of their chatbot in real time, and we're the guinea pigs.
25 min
128
The Baby-Sleep Industrial Complex
Is the Snoo a life-saving necessity, or $1700 luxury item for bougie babies?
28 min
129
What Made the Balloon Drama Pop Off?
Blown cover or just blown off course?
32 min
130
Contraband Tech Behind Bars
Why prisoners risk the consequences to have a cell phone.
28 min
131
Why Ban TikTok?
If the U.S. wants to protect users, there are better options.
24 min
132
Did a Twentysomething Con America’s Biggest Bank?
How the start-up “Frank” went from a shiny new acquisition to “a huge mistake” for JP Morgan Chase.
29 min
133
How COVID Changes Our Immune Systems
The data doesn't tell the whole story.
25 min
134
Did A.I. Write This Headline?
No, but Silicon Valley thinks it can.
31 min
135
Will Google Get Broken Up?
The tech giant's online ad business has printed money for more than a decade. The Justice Department is coming for it.
24 min
136
Does Meta Even Care When Its Users Get Hacked?
The surest way to get your Instagram account back is to know somebody who works there.
26 min
137
An Antivax Dog Whistle Goes Viral
A data scientist and epidemiologist is just answering questions.
26 min
138
Tesla’s No Good, Very Bad Year
Elon Musk promised an “epic end of year” to Tesla investors in 2022. But the stock crashed instead. What happened?
28 min
139
Why the Feds Want to Kill Noncompetes
How the proliferation of noncompete clauses hurts workers and costs the economy billions.
19 min
140
How War in Taiwan Could Short-Circuit U.S. Tech
Why the Biden administration views microchip manufacturing as an issue of national security.
22 min
141
Will Southwest Be Held Accountable?
Why consumers can’t vote with their feet when it comes to flying.
25 min
142
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
143
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
144
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
145
San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess
Self-driving cars are here. And there. And on the sidewalk. Oh boy.
25 min
146
Let’s Talk, Chatbots
ChatGPT is better than any chatbot that came before it.
28 min
147
Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington
Is the most aggressive antitrust team in decades capable of reining in Silicon Valley?
34 min
148
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
149
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
150
The End of the Tech Boom
After decades of growth, tech companies are now focusing on profits.
27 min