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.
151
Is America Ready for Legal Psychedelics?
How the push for legal ‘shrooms can avoid the problems plaguing legal cannabis.
23 min
152
Does Google Suck Now?
Wither our once-best search engine?
23 min
153
America Needs More Power
How building our renewable energy future domestically is keeping old power plants running.
26 min
154
Truth Social’s Rocky Week
Trump Media’s IPO may not be the blockbuster Trump was hoping for.
23 min
155
The Psychological Toll of Mars
We know how to get to space. But what happens to our minds when we’re there?
21 min
156
Can Boeing Pull Out of This Tailspin?
What needs to change at the company to restore public trust?
27 min
157
The Next Round of the Union Fight
Post-pandemic labor movements were losing momentum, but wins in the auto and film industries have put wind back in the sails.
17 min
158
Reddit’s IPO Gamble
Will the public upvote it?
24 min
159
When Private Equity Gets in to Health Care
What’s something expensive that people have no choice but to buy?
26 min
160
Is TikTok Cooked This Time?
Why does this issue snap a dysfunctional Congress into bipartisan agreement?
22 min
161
Instagram’s Pedophile Problem
Pedophiles are flooding the accounts of child influencers on Instagram. Who is to blame — and who can make them stop?
30 min
162
Why TikTok Went Silent
As TikTok and UMG argue over whether TikTok is a music platform or not, artists are left in the dark.
19 min
163
Google’s Scam Obituary Problem
What happens when your loved one’s death becomes funeral clickbait?
25 min
164
The Supreme Court Takes on Content Moderation
Does the First Amendment prevent social media companies from moderating their content—or defend their right to?
25 min
165
Alabama’s IVF Mess
How legal personhood for embryos will make having children harder.
24 min
166
The Coasts are Sinking
As sea levels rise, the ground below us sinks.
16 min
167
Apple Vision Pro: The Ultimate Surveillance Dev...
When you look through these smart goggles, they look back—and can tell what you’re seeing.
25 min
168
Warfare Enters the A.I. Era
How an invasion became an innovation hub for private tech companies - and the future of war.
24 min
169
Breaking Up with Dating Apps
You can’t put a price on love—or your user base will swipe left on you.
22 min
170
The NFL’s Concussion Settlement Farce
Nearly a decade after a “landmark” settlement, former players are still struggling to get the help they’re ostensibly entitled to.
26 min
171
Streaming Is Cable Now
The ad-free binge wasn’t the future, turns out, and now it’s gone.
27 min
172
The Taylor Swift Deepfake Saga
If you don’t have a Swiftie-sized fan base to moderate the internet for you, good luck.
23 min
173
Why Is Everybody Sick?
No, you're not imagining it.
19 min
174
Are You Ready for the A.I. Election?
Don’t trust your ears; just count the fingers.
22 min
175
Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture?
"Filterworld" makes the case that algorithms, not people, decide what we like.
32 min