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22 hours ago
What Next TBD: Tech's Mask Off Moment
When conservative writer Richard Hanania’s old posts, originally published under a pseudonym, came to light, people were shocked at just how racist and reactionary they were. Perhaps less shocking were the tech moguls who were revealed to be supporting him.
Guest: Anil Dash, technologist and writer, and the head of Glitch
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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1 day ago
Slate Money: ESPN Bets on Sports Betting
Felix Salmon and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Cardiff Garcia (host of The New Bazaar) to discuss ESPN’s big new investment in sports betting. They break down the state of a lawsuit over how much UFC fighters get paid. Finally, they talk about the increasing allure of private credit.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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1 day ago
ICYMI: What NewJeans Tells Us About the Future of K-Pop
On today’s show, Candice is joined by Vivian Yoon, the writer and host of K-Pop Dreaming. They dissect the hype surrounding K-pop viral sensation NewJeans, talk about the musical influences that make them stand out, and share their own experiences growing up with K-pop.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Emily Charash.
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2 days ago
What Next TBD: Can Smart Guns Save Lives?
A “smart gun” is designed to only work in the hands of the gun’s proper owner. With the first smart gun potentially coming to market later this year, can the tech deliver on its promise?
Guests:
Champe Barton, reporter at the Trace
Kai Kloepfer, founder and CEO of Biofire
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4 days ago
ICYMI: Will Doja Cat Ever Be Canceled?
On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario give their takes on Doja Cat’s latest controversy: hating her fans. They trace her long-documented and problematic history with the internet, then ask how much a fandom can endure before the unstanning process begins.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Aug 6, 2023
What Next TBD: Another Summer of COVID
After a quiet spring, COVID is surging back for the fourth consecutive summer. So, is this just life now?
Guest: Katherine Wu, staff writer at the Atlantic
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Aug 5, 2023
ICYMI: Decoder Ring: What’s Really Going On Inside a Mosh Pit?
The mosh pit has a reputation as a violent place where (mostly) white guys vent their aggression. There’s some truth to that, but it’s also a place bound by camaraderie and—believe it or not—etiquette. In this episode, we explore the unwritten rules of this 50-year-old live-music phenomenon with punks, concertgoers, and a heavy-metal physicist.
Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin with Katie Shepherd. This episode was written by Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Willa Paskin and Andrea Bruce, with help from Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.
Thank you to Vivien Goldman, Paolo Ragusa, and Philip Moriarty, whose insights and research on moshing were crucial to this episode. You can create your own mosh pit using this simulator developed by Jesse Silverberg and his colleagues.
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Aug 4, 2023
What Next TBD: Tesla's Big Lie
Tesla sold a vision of how electric vehicles would work: just like gas-powered cars, but cleaner, better. But as a scandal about misrepresented battery life and driving range unfolds, and the price of their cars remains high, it increasingly looks like the transition will be anything but seamless—if it happens at all.
Guest: Edward Niedermeyer, author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors.
You can check out Reuters reporting on Tesla’s range scandal here.
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Aug 3, 2023
Decoder Ring: The Quest for a Homemade Hovercraft
When Slate’s Evan Chung was a kid, he was obsessed with a mysterious advertisement that ran for decades in the scouting magazine Boys’ Life. Under the enticing headline “You Can Float on Air,” the ad assured Evan—and generations of scouts—that a personal hovercraft could be theirs for just a few bucks.
In this episode, the adult version of Evan journeys halfway across the country to wield power tools, summon his latent scouting skills, and conscript his father into a quest three decades in the making.
Will Evan float on air? Scout’s honor: You’ll just have to listen.
This episode was written by Evan Chung, who produced this episode with Decoder Ring’s Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. It was edited by Willa Paskin and Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.
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If you’re a fan of the show and want to support us, consider signing up for Slate Plus. As a member, you’ll get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads—and your support is crucial to our work. Go to slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.
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Aug 2, 2023
ICYMI: And the Grammy Goes to…Artificial Intelligence?
On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive deep into the ethics of AI-generated music. Since the days of Alan Turing, music created by computational models has been inextricably bound up with technological process. But now that tools like Voicify.AI are going viral on TikTok and the Recording Academy has updated their rules to allow music created with AI tools to be eligible for Grammy consideration, is it already too late to consider the musicians whose work will be made obsolete by AI?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 31, 2023
What Next: Congress Wants to Know: Do Aliens Exist?
In a recent public hearing, three government officials told Congress that not only are “unidentified anomalous phenomena” real, they’re a major national security concern. But one witness took his testimony even further, claiming the government possesses materials of “non-human origin.” How much do we really know about UAPs – or, as they’re more commonly known, UFOs? And now that Congress is involved, are we about to learn a whole lot more?
Guest: Garrett Graff, contributor at WIRED magazine; author of the forthcoming book, “UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here—and Out There”
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.
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Jul 30, 2023
What Next TBD: America’s Downtown Ghost Towns
It’s 2023 – and less than half of all Americans have returned to the office full time. That means U.S. downtowns from San Francisco to New York are emptier than they’ve been in decades. Offices are actually trending away from policies that mandate returning five days a week. So, how can cities get creative – and develop some new ways to boost the local economy?
Guest: Henry Grabar, Slate staff writer
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Jul 29, 2023
Future Tense Fiction: Could a Robot Be Your Dog’s Best Friend?
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Andrew Silverman about his short story “Furgen.”
Tucker, the story’s canine protagonist, is the center of his owner Caro’s world. When Caro buys an A.I.-enabled dog trainer that promises to help both her and Tucker live their best lives, everything starts to fall into place—the A.I. takes care of Tucker when he’s sick, trains him to walk without a leash, and even helps Caro get a girlfriend. But as Tucker’s bond with the A.I. deepens, optimizing for their best lives starts to mean something much different than what Caro originally had in mind.
After the story, Maddie asks Andrew about how his own experiences as a dog owner—and a pediatric neurologist—influenced the story. Plus, Maddie talks with canine behavioral scientist Clive Wynne, who wrote a response essay to Andrew’s story, about whether a dog could really fall in love with a robot.
Guests: Andrew Silverman is a pediatric neurologist and the author of “Furgen.”
Clive Wynne is a professor of psychology and director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University. He is also the author of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You.
Story read by Peggy O’Neal
Podcast production by Tiara Darnell
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Jul 29, 2023
ICYMI: The Girls Are Not All Right
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice reach into the ICYMI mailbag to answer why TikTokers are pretending to be video game characters, how a city girl became an anti-feminist prairie wife, and why snacktime is getting an obnoxious rebrand.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 29, 2023
Slate Money: Will The UPS Union Deal Deliver?
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the tentative agreement between UPS and their unionized workers. They discuss how Goldman Sachs’ Apple credit card went bad, and a new study reveals how household income influences Ivy League admission rates.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Jul 28, 2023
What Next TBD: Washington vs. A.I.
At a White House summit late last week, some of the biggest names in tech - including Meta, Google and OpenAI - signed “voluntary” commitments to safeguard artificial intelligence. In Congress, Senate Leader Chuck Schumer recently introduced a “legislative framework” for A.I. law… but as they debate and deliberate, the A.I. train continues to move full steam ahead. It’s clear the government’s paying attention, but can they keep up with the technology?
Guest: Makena Kelly, politics reporter at The Verge
Don Beyer, U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 26, 2023
ICYMI: The Curious Case of Carlee Russell
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice dive deep into the ICYMI mailbag to answer listener questions about Colleen Ballinger’s 10-minute ukulele-backed apology, the renaming of Twitter, and the disappearance of 25-year-old Carlee Russell.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 23, 2023
What Next TBD: Why Tech Lays Women Off First
When the tech industry started rounds of layoffs this year, almost half of the people let go were women—even though they make up a much smaller percentage of the workforce. What does this say about women in tech, and efforts to diversify the industry overall?
Guest: Emma Goldberg, a reporter who covers the future of work for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 22, 2023
ICYMI: The Day AO3 Went Down
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice meet in person for the first time! They recap the July 10 attack on fanfiction site AO3 — Archive of Our Own — which caused a site outage and a state of panic for many writers, readers and their fandoms. The site was created in 2008 as an online fanfiction archive that soon became a safe haven for women and the queer community. So what happens when that safe haven is threatened by malicious hackers?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 21, 2023
What Next TBD: America’s $5 Trillion Grid Problem
To keep places like Phoenix habitable, we need to have air-conditioning. But to have air-conditioning, we need a functional, modern electrical grid. With America’s grid already aging—and more demand coming in the form of electric cars and more A/C for hotter weather—what will it take to keep it going as the weather gets more extreme?
Guest: Dr. Joshua Rhodes, research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin studying energy systems and how they interact with our environment, climate, and life.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 19, 2023
ICYMI: Take a Tour in the Shein Propaganda Factory
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by sustainable stylist and fashion educator, Lakyn Carlton. The three break down a now-infamous factory tour that the fast fashion giant Shein coordinated for a group of (un)lucky influencers. Since its founding in 2008, Shein has grown to a reported $100 billion valuation that is sustained by alleged labor violations and a cult-like following. In the Information Age, where Shein’s many controversies are well-known, how does the company manage to avoid blowback significant enough to affect its bottom line?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 18, 2023
What Next: How Hollywood Shot Itself in the Foot
Actor Lea DeLaria knew Orange is the New Black was a hit. But Netflix made sure their paychecks didn’t reflect it. Fast forward ten years and this business model is the norm for nearly all working American actors.
So now, the actors are joining the writers on strike, something that hasn’t happened in Hollywood since 1960, when television was the new, upstart technology. Today the double strike is about streaming services and artificial intelligence.
Guests:
Alissa Wilkinson, Vox senior correspondent covering film and television.
Lea DeLaria, comedian and an actor best known for playing Big Boo on Orange is the New Black.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 16, 2023
What Next TBD: America’s Killer Car Problem
Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians?
Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 15, 2023
Slate Money: Trouble in the House of Mouse
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Disney’s challenges especially now that writers and actors are both on strike. They discuss the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on student loans. And finally, what to do if your bank suddenly closes your account.
In the Plus segment: Giant cruise ship!
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Jul 15, 2023
ICYMI: Did Fancams Determine This Year’s Emmy Nominations?
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice talk all about the Emmys. This week the TV Academy announced the nominations for the 71st Emmy awards. Just a few days later, SAG-AFTRA announced that negotiations with the Academy had officially broken down and the actors’ guild was joining the writers’ guild on strike. So what does this all mean for the monthslong campaigns that actors have waged online to capture a nomination and, hopefully, a win?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 14, 2023
What Next TBD: Will UPS Workers Join "Hot Strike Summer?"
Contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS broke down last week and now a strike looms. With time running out, can both sides reach a deal?
Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 12, 2023
ICYMI: Has Black Twitter Found A New Home?
On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to dive into her piece about Spill, the latest Twitter alternative to hit the streets. But first, they parse out the chaos surrounding Keke Palmer and Jonah Hill, whose respective relationship drama entered public discourse over the past week.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 11, 2023
How To!: Hack Any Bureaucracy
When Gwen applied for unemployment during the early days of the pandemic, she never thought she’d still be waiting for her benefits years later. Despite hours on the phone, countless emails and even a court appearance, Gwen is haunted by her inability to get the money she was approved for. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Marina Nitze, author of Hack Your Bureaucracy. Not only does Marina help Gwen find shortcuts in her state’s unemployment system, but she has useful advice for untangling any bureaucratic nightmare.
If you liked this episode, check out: How To Fight Outrageous Medical Bills.
Do you have a problem that’s keeping you up at night? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler.
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Jul 9, 2023
What Next TBD: Is Your Son Watching Andrew Tate?
Andrew Tate’s gross mix of self-help, toxic masculinity and misogyny captured the minds of young boys on the internet. It also led to indictments in Romania on human trafficking and rape charges.
Guest: Lisa Miller, contributing editor at New York magazine.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 8, 2023
ICYMI: How Reddit Turned On Its Creator
On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa to break down the recent controversy surrounding Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. In May, Huffman announced Reddit would be charging third-party apps, bots and companies for using the site’s Data API. Redditors erupted in protest, with many popular subreddits going dark to signal their opposition to the move. The protest was effective, but where does Reddit go from here?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jul 8, 2023
Slate Money: Can Threads Take Down Twitter?
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about Threads, the new competitor to Twitter. They also discuss Janet Yellen’s trip to China and what it means for American foreign policy. Finally, have tipping and service charges gone too far?
In the plus segment: Pregnant workers now have more workplace rights.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Jul 7, 2023
What Next TBD: Threads vs. Twitter
It seems like with each new Musk innovation, a new Twitter replacement appears in response. But Threads is backed by Meta and available in just a few clicks for an Instagram user. Could it be the one?
Guest: Mike Isaac, technology reporter for the New York Times.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 5, 2023
ICYMI: What Next: TBD: The Trouble With TikTok Songs
How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud.
Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering the podcasting, music, and audio beat.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Jul 2, 2023
What Next TBD: Turning Your Face Into Your Ticket
Even if you like the convenience of your phone unlocking after it reads your face, there are reasons to be wary of the TSA bringing facial recognition technology to the airport.
Guest: Geoffrey Fowler, technology columnist for the Washington Post.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jul 1, 2023
ICYMI: The Subreddit Teeming with Crime, Complaints and Candles
On today’s episode, Rachelle dives into one of Candice’s most treasured subreddits: r/bathandbodyworks. They trace the boom of candle consumption during the pandemic, how sale culture keeps the store in business, and Candice’s definitive rules for curating your haul.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 30, 2023
What Next TBD: The Never-Ending Cancer Drug Shortage
A shortage of basic chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer is jeopardizing the care of hundreds of thousands of patients. The drugs aren’t expensive, or patented—so where are they?
Guest: Ed Yong, science journalist at The Atlantic.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jun 28, 2023
ICYMI: Finding Queer Love Online
On today’s special Pride Month episode, Rachelle and Candice hear from their queer listeners about finding love online. Stories come from digital spaces as far flung as Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom boards to Craigslist missed connections, from Minecraft rose gardens to couch surfing websites.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 25, 2023
What Next TBD: Can Ozempic Cure Addiction?
Semaglutide, better known by its brand name Ozempic, has been making headlines as a weight loss drug – despite only having FDA approval to treat diabetes. Now, some say it doesn’t just quell cravings for food – it helps quiet cravings for alcohol, drugs, and other compulsive behaviors. For years, researchers have been studying semaglutide's effectiveness as an addiction cure in animals. What have they found? And – does it actually work?
Guest: Sarah Zhang covers health and medicine for The Atlantic
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jun 24, 2023
Future Tense Fiction: Who Gets to Escape the Climate Crisis?
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Matt Bell about his short story “Empathy Hour.”
In the story’s climate-change-ravaged future, society’s wealthiest are whisked away to luxurious, self-contained cities. Once there, they entertain themselves with a carefully crafted reality show meant to assuage their guilt about the climate refugees they’ve left behind. But then, someone breaks into their airbrushed world, lifting the lid on what hides underneath it.
After the story, Matt and Maddie discuss the promises and pitfalls of climate fiction–and why we want to feel empathy, but never too much.
Guest: Matt Bell is the author of several books, including the novel Appleseed, a New York Times Notable Book of 2021. He is a professor of creative writing at Arizona State University.
Story read by Josh Bloomberg
Podcast production by Tiara Darnell
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Jun 24, 2023
ICYMI: Why the Internet Couldn’t Get Enough of the Missing Submarine
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim parse out this week in #OceanGate, when a 5-passenger underwater vessel heading for the Titanic went missing. The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed all five passengers are presumed dead following a “catastrophic implosion,” but the internet remains obsessed and desperate for more answers. We take a look at OceanGate the company, why someone would sign up for this voyage, and how four days of unanswered questions turned into millions of tweets, memes and TikToks.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 23, 2023
What Next TBD: The U.S. vs Amazon Prime
On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon, accusing the online giant of “tricking and trapping people into recurring subscriptions.” The complaint says Amazon “knowingly duped millions of consumers into unknowingly enrolling in Amazon Prime."
With murmurs of a larger antitrust probe against Amazon just around the corner, how serious is this suit for the tech giant?
Guest: Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter at Bloomberg
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jun 21, 2023
ICYMI: The Super Bowl of Private Chef TikTok
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Eater senior reporter Bettina Makalintal to discuss the rise of private chef content on TikTok. Specifically, the three discuss the now-yearly spectacle of chefs creating content about their summer sojourns to the Hamptons to cook for their wealthy clients. A form pioneered by Meredith Hayden, a.k.a @wishbonekitchen, Hamptons private chef content is now a phenomenon eagerly awaited by a section of TikTok viewers who call it their Super Bowl.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 18, 2023
What Next TBD: The George Soros Succession
One son was preparing to take over George Soros’s multi-billion-dollar empire. Then, there was a falling out, and a new heir-apparent was chosen.
Who is Alex Soros? And, as he takes over for one of the most influential figures in American politics, what can we expect from him?
Guest: Gregory Zuckerman, special writer at the Wall Street Journal
Host: Emily Peck
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Jun 17, 2023
ICYMI: Was the MirandaSings Controversy Inevitable?
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Franchesca Ramsey, a television writer and producer, comedian, and former vlogger whose videos have amassed more than 30 million views on YouTube. The trio dive deep into the current controversy engulfing Colleen Ballinger, better known as her alter ego MirandaSings. In recent weeks, Ballinger has come under fire for the allegedly inappropriate communications she’s had with minor fans throughout her years long career. Ramsey, Hampton and Lim discuss how one of her accusers–YouTuber Adam McIntyre–has been sounding the alarm since 2020 when he was largely ignored, if not outright vilified, by the MirandaSings fandom.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.…
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Jun 16, 2023
What Next TBD: Reddit’s Rolling Blackouts
Across Reddit, thousands of forums have gone “private” and effectively disappeared. Users are protesting the site’s plan to capitalize on its data, which has been enjoyed for free by people making third-party apps for Reddit, as well as some of the world’s biggest companies training their A.I.
Guest: Sarah Needleman, reporter for the Wall Street Journal who writes about interactive entertainment and social media
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jun 14, 2023
ICYMI: The TikTok Comedian Caught In A Ticketmaster Controversy
On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe explore the fandom surrounding standup comedian Matt Rife. They take it back to Rife’s breakout on Wild N’ Out and pick apart his rise on TikTok as a crowd work comic. But first, Nadira and Candice share their nominations for song of the summer.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim.
This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Jun 11, 2023
What Next TBD: Are You Ready For A.I. Generated Actors?
As “deep fakes” have demonstrated, it’s getting easier and easier to swap an actor for a digital likeness—something that contributed to the Screen Actors Guild voting to authorize joining the writers on strike.
Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, Slate writer covering tech, business, and A.I.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jun 10, 2023
ICYMI: Why “The Ultimatum: Queer Love” Ultimately Fails
On today’s show, Candice and Rachelle are joined by Lindsay Lee Wallace, a culture writer who recently reviewed the second season of Netflix’s reality dating show The Ultimatum for TIME. The three discuss how the show’s unhinged conceit fares when all the contestants are queer and how the season’s reception on the internet. They dive deep into the chaos subsumed The Ultimatum subreddit, where one of the contestant’s name was briefly banned because so many critical threads were being posted about them. And they determine the show achieves of its two aims: to be messy and to show the interior lives of queer couples.
This show is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 10, 2023
Slate Money: The SEC’s Crypto Crackdown
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase. Then they are joined by Slate’s own Henry Grabar for a chat about his new book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.
In the plus segment: More conversation with Henry Grabar
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Jun 9, 2023
What Next TBD: Is Crypto Toast?
This week, the SEC sued Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the world, and Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the US. Is it a sign that the glory days of crypto are gone?
Guest: Stacy-Marie Ishmael, managing editor for crypto at Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jun 7, 2023
ICYMI: The Short-Lived, Very Controversial Healy-Swift Affair
On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dig deep into the ICYMI mailbag to answer questions about Taylor Swift’s short but controversial relationship with Matty Healy, the lead singer of the alt-rock band, The 1975. Later in the show, they discuss the politics of babies on planes. The two end on a positive note, explaining the heartwarming story of how a tweet from an anime fan account sent a four-year-old book up the Amazon sales charts.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Jun 4, 2023
What Next TBD: Tech’s Newest Trillion Dollar Company
Until recently, Nvidia was a company known for graphics cards—a brand name among gamers but not necessarily the general public. But as part of the A.I. boom, Nvidia’s stock has skyrocketed, putting the company in Silicon Valley’s trillion-dollar valuation class with Apple, Meta, and Alphabet—briefly, at least.
Guest: Don Clark, freelance reporter specializing in chips and enterprise tech.
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jun 3, 2023
Money: The Economic Tale of the Writers Strike
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the ongoing WGA strike, the latest news on the Fed’s fight against inflation, and how CEOs are courting Chinese business while staying in America’s good graces.
In the Plus segment, movie theaters are trying everything to get you back into the cinema, including booze and gourmet food.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Jun 3, 2023
ICYMI: Meet NPR’s TikTok Boy
On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Jack Corbett, one of the people behind NPR’s Planet Money TikTok account. In the three years that have passed since @planetmoney was started, the account has amassed over 14.1 million likes, thanks in no small part to Corbett. Here he discusses his daily internet diet, his controversial take on deleted tweets and the dark side of becoming the face of a corporate media brand.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Emily Charash.
This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Jun 2, 2023
What Next TBD: When Your Childhood Was Their Content
When someone posts a photo of you online without your consent, it should be easy to have it taken down or confront the person who posted it. But what if the poster is your parent, and it’s not just one photo, but your entire childhood that’s readily available online? And as social media algorithms evolve to push content in front of as many people as possible, what happens when a temper tantrum goes viral?
Guest: Kathryn Lindsay, technology and culture writer.
Host: Emily Peck
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May 31, 2023
ICYMI: The Only People Who Made Money From Tumblr
On today’s show, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie. The three go back in time to 2010 when a lucky few creators of Tumblr blogs like Hipster Puppies, This is Why You’re Fat and Garfield Minus Garfield were able to leverage their popularity into book deals. They discuss the blog to Urban Outfitters pipeline and the optimism that colored the memes created in that era, an optimism that starkly contrasts against the layered irony of today’s memes.
And at the top of the show, Rachelle and Candice revive an age-old debate: Team Edward vs. Team Jacob.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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May 28, 2023
What Next: TBD | The Trouble With TikTok Songs
How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud.
Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering the podcasting, music, and audio beat.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 27, 2023
ICYMI -- How To: Succeed at Social Media
Emily is a successful career and executive coach in Ohio, who has done well finding clients through word-of-mouth. But in order to expand her business she knows she has to up her online marketing game. The only catch? She is terrified of social media. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Suzy Wagner, president of Brand & Buzz. Suzy has some surprising advice for creating a social media strategy that cuts through the noise while being realistic and authentic to yourself.
If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.”
Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to…
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May 27, 2023
Future Tense Fiction: When Robots Go to War
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Justina Ireland about her short story “Collateral Damage.”
The story follows a group of soldiers deployed alongside TED, the Army’s first self-aware combat drone. TED is relentlessly efficient, quickly outpacing its human counterparts—and leaving them worried for their jobs. But when a wrong call from the clunky robot puts soldiers’ lives at risk, they realize just how hard it is to program for battlefield experience.
After the story, Ireland shares how her own time in the military shapes her writing, and why tech dreamed up in D.C. rarely reflects the needs of soldiers on the ground.
Guest: Justina Ireland, a veteran and author of books including Dread Nation, Deathless Divide, and Ophie’s Ghosts
Story read by Joanne Lichtenstein
Podcast production by Tiara Darnell
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May 26, 2023
What Next: TBD | Tweetering on the Glass Cliff
How Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino finds herself on the edge of “the glass cliff”: when a woman is sent in to fix a big mess.
Guest: Vittoria Elliot, reporter for Wired, covering platforms and power
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 24, 2023
ICYMI: Is Ice Spice an Industry Plant?
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim speak to Sidney Madden, the host of NPR’s music podcast Louder Than a Riot. The three discuss the meteoric rise of 23-year-old Bronx rapper Ice Spice and how she went from going viral for a TikTok challenge to appearing on the Met Gala red carpet as Anna Wintour’s special guest. They dive deep into the criticism levied at Ice Spice and discuss whether the scrutiny she faces is merited.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.
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May 21, 2023
What Next: TBD | A Tipping Point for Digital Tipping
From the coffee shop to the salon to the grocery store, Americans feel like they’re being prompted and prodded for tips more than ever—and they’re starting to resent it.
Guest: Kelly Phillips Erb, tax and law reporter for Forbes.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 20, 2023
ICYMI: The Internet’s Biggest Secret
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined for the first time by ICYMI’s new co-host. Tune in to hear their first internet memory, what four subreddits they visit every single day and the time they got catfished on mileyworld.com.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
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May 19, 2023
What Next TBD: Why Sports Are All in on Betting
Out of the smoky backrooms, Vegas and clandestine dens, and straight to your phone—how did gambling on sports go from forbidden to inescapable seemingly overnight?
Guest: John Holden, associate professor at Oklahoma State’s Spears school of business
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 17, 2023
ICYMI: Quiet Luxury is TikTok’s Latest Nonsensical Fashion Trend
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe for a sequel to their August 2022 episode “What is A Clean Girl?” The two dive deep into TikTok’s latest favorite fashion trend: quiet luxury, or stealth wealth. The aesthetic’s adherents posits that rich people don’t dress in ostentatious labels, but instead communicate their wealth through brands like Brunello Cucinell, Loro Piana and The Row. Quiet luxurists point to figures like the Roy family from HBO’s Succession and Gwyneth Paltrow at her recent trial as examples of stealth wealth. But the trend, like it’s “old money” predecessor, is built on a fundamental misunderstanding of fashion, classism and racism.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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May 16, 2023
Hi-Phi Nation: Rise of the Music Machines
On this show we explore three different AI and machine-generated music technologies; vocal emulators that allow you to deep fake a singer or rapper’s voice, AI-generated compositions and text-to-music generators like Google Music LM and Open AI’s Jukebox, and musical improvisation technologies. We listen to the variety of music these technologies generate, and two guitarists face off against an AI in improvised guitar solos.
Along the way, we talk to philosophers of music Robin James and Theodore Gracyk about what musical creativity is and whether machines are more or less creative than human musicians, and Barry gives his take on each of the technologies and what they mean for the future of musical creativity.
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May 14, 2023
What Next TBD: Space After NASA
Space might seem to be heading from the domain of big government programs to a playground for billionaires. But just below the surface, a world of start-ups are getting ready to launch.
Guest:
Ashlee Vance, business columnist and author of When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 13, 2023
ICYMI: Why Tarte Cosmetics is Being Accused of Racism (Again)
On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by ICYMI favorite, Nadira Goffe to talk about the makeup meltdown that’s taken over TikTok. The two dissect a Miami F1 brand trip sponsored by Tarte Cosmetics that ended in multiple apology videos and a promise by Tarte CEO Maureen Kelly to make her brand’s creator program more equitable. They dive deep into Tarte’s less than inclusive history and explain how exactly Pyrex got involved.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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May 12, 2023
What Next TBD: Who’s Afraid of A.I.?
Artificial intelligence—as it already exists today—is drawing from huge troves of surveillance data and is rife with the biases built into the algorithm, in service of the huge corporations that develop and maintain the systems. The fight for the future doesn’t look like war with Skynet; it’s happening right now on the lines of the Writer’s Guild strike.
Guests:
Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, co-founder of the AI Now Institute at NYU
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 10, 2023
ICYMI: We’re Sorry
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by the co-host of NPR’s Throughline podcast, Ramtin Arablouei, who recently did an episode about the history of public contrition from the Salem witch trials to the infamous notes app apology. The two discuss how the internet turbo-charged the commodification of apologies, the cynicism it’s led to and where we go from here.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
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May 9, 2023
Hi-Phi Nation: Effective Altruism and its Critics
Curtis is setting aside a large chunk of money to donate to charity, and it is up to us to persuade him where he should donate it. Luckily, philosophers, economists, and the nonprofit world has been thinking a lot about this issue in recent years. On this episode, effective altruism’s defenders and critics try to persuade Curtis of where he should donate. Who is the most effective in persuading an ordinary person as to the right way to donate to charity? And do the recent scandals involving effective altruism’s biggest donor implicate its philosophical foundations?
We start with arguments that you should always try to save the most lives possible, no matter where they are on the planet. We then hear a critic of that view, who argues that local giving can also be a good. We then turn to the view that we should save humans from extinction from threats like pandemics, nuclear war, and AI takeover. And finally, we hear from a critic of that view, who says we should not blow future ri…
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May 8, 2023
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep7: Two Indias (And Two Episode Directors)
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined this week by a star-studded lineup to discuss episode seven of HBO’s Succession. Author Taffy Brodesser-Akner, plus Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (the directors of this episode) join the gang to talk about the Roys’ election tailgate party.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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May 7, 2023
What Next TBD: What's Going on at Meta?
Meta’s reached a sort of mid-life crisis. Between the layoffs, the stagnant metaverse and Facebook’s dwindling profile, does Zuckerberg have a plan here?
Guests:
Naomi Nix, Washington Post reporter
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 6, 2023
Slate Money: Why The First Republic Failure Is Different
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the failure of First Republic Bank, the (maybe) end of interest rate hikes, and how the shopping app Temu is shaking up e-commerce. Also, a more humane approach to chickens.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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May 6, 2023
ICYMI: Inside the Nexus of Wellness Culture
On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Hannah Jackson, the culture writer and reporter behind the recent Cut article “Meet the People Working Three Jobs to Afford Erewhon.” The two discuss how Erewhon transformed from a humble Boston market stall into what Jackson described as a “a luxury-wellness behemoth.” They dive deep into the culture cache that shopping at Erewhon offers to people from Hailey Bieber to a 20-something aspiring wellness content creator.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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May 5, 2023
What Next TBD: What the Writers' Strike Is Really About
When television and screenwriters went on strike in 2007, Netflix had just started offering the option to stream content. This week, the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike to update pay structures for the streaming era—and to get ahead of A.I. and the changes it may bring.
Guests:
Michelle Dean, television writer and journalist
Anousha Sakoui, entertainment industry writer for the Los Angeles Times
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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May 3, 2023
ICYMI: Should Influencers Unionize?
On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Wailin Wong, Darian Woods and Adrian Ma, the hosts of NPR’s daily economics podcast The Indicator from Planet Money. They discuss The Indicator’s recent five-part series on the $15 billion influencer industry that delves into where all that money is going—and where it’s not. They dive deep into the rise of the industry and how it emerged out of the economic precarity of the 2008 recession. They also talk through the astonishing fact that according to some surveys, almost 1 out of every 4 Gen Z-er wants to be an influencer.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton.
Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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May 2, 2023
Hi-Phi Nation: The Problem with Gig Work
Willy and Heidi were both gig workers for Shipt, the fast-delivery app for groceries or same-day shopping. In 2020, they both realised: the pay algorithm had changed. Now, they couldn’t tell what a job would pay, or whether it would earn or lose them money. Instead of just taking it, they decided to fight back.
In the gig economy, companies like Shipt, Instacart, and UberEats all use black box pay algorithms to try and get workers to accept gigs but hide information from them to do so. Early in the pandemic, a rag tag group of gig workers tried to resist, and found someone at MIT to help them.
Host Barry Lam talks to them about the steps they took, and political philosopher Daniel Halliday (University of Melbourne) talks about the differences between wage labor and freelance labor and why he thinks the biggest gig economy companies are morally suspect. Then, we talk the future of regulation and worker-owned apps and delivery platforms.
Guests include Drew Ambrogi (coworker.org), Dan…
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May 1, 2023
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep6: Living+
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Ed Lee of the New York Times for a spoilery recap of episode six of the final season of HBO’s Succession. They talk about Waystar’s investors meeting, Roman’s attempts to fire some people, and Tom and Shiv’s new game.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Apr 30, 2023
What Next TBD: Is Your Uber Drivers' Pay Rigged?
Two gig workers standing side-by-side can be offered the very same job and get offered two different wages. Set by an algorithm and based on calculations that are never explained to the workers themselves, this unequal pay for equal work is already subject to lawsuits that call it a form of price fixing and wage discrimination, but the tech is being tested in other industries.
Guests: Veena Dubal, law professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Sergio Avedian, senior contributor at The Rideshare Guy
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Apr 29, 2023
ICYMI: Should We All Be Pirating More?
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Sarah Marshall, writer, critic and host of the You’re Wrong About and You Are Good podcasts. The two discuss Marshall’s recent You’re Wrong About episode about Napster, the ill-fated peer-to-peer file sharing app that helped create the internet as we know it. They dive deep into the moral and ethical quandaries around pirating content in an age where corporations can disappear content from streaming services at a second’s notice.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
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Apr 29, 2023
Slate Money: “Traffic”: Ben Smith and the Death of the Social Web
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith to discuss his new book. They also break down Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News and the end of Buzzfeed News.
In the Plus: A throwback to the olden days of blogging.
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Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Apr 29, 2023
Future Tense Fiction: Live. Love. Die. Repeat?
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to David Iserson about “This, but Again.” The story follows Marcus, who is forced to relive his life over and over again in a never-ending computer simulation. Thanks to a glitch, Marcus already knows everything that will happen—but he can change almost nothing. That is until he meets Sara, who helps him break from the simulation’s script. But that, as you might expect, is not without consequences.After the story, Iserson and host Maddie Stone discuss what it would really be like to live in a computer simulation (and why it may actually be more hopeful than dystopian).
Guest: David Iserson, film and television writer-producer and author of Firecracker, a novel
Story read by David Iserson
Podcast production by Tiara Darnell
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Apr 28, 2023
What Next TBD: Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Blue Checks as You Are
Twitter’s “blue check” verification went from something you applied for, to something you could pay for, to something you had to pay for…to something that many celebrities wouldn’t even accept for free. Master of horror Stephen King told us he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, but he’s not going to fight it either—he just doesn’t really understand what’s going on. Does anyone at Twitter understand?
Guests:
Alex Heath, deputy editor of The Verge
Jon Favreau, co-founder of Crooked Media, speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Stephen King, freelancer author
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Apr 26, 2023
ICYMI: We’ve Learned Nothing From West Elm Caleb
On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Slate staff writer Nitish Pahwa for a mailbag episode. The two answer questions about Jojo Siwa’s rumored pregnancy, the fate of the music industry after an AI-generated Drake song went viral and the most recent instance of internet vigilantism.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
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Apr 25, 2023
How To!: Face the A.I. Revolution
If you haven’t heard of ChatGPT, chances are you will soon. Maybe you’ve tried casually playing with the artificial intelligent chatbot. Maybe you’ve tried avoiding it. Or maybe ChatGPT is the new host of this podcast and you haven’t realized it yet. Either way, we’re on the precipice of a new, powerful technology. On this episode of How To!, co-hosts Carvell Wallace and Amanda Ripley join forces to talk through all things artificial intelligence. They bring on Kevin Roose, tech columnist for the New York Times and co-host of the Times’ podcast, Hard Fork. He will explain how A.I. chatbots work, how to use them for good, how they may be used for, well, not so good, and what you should do if it starts hitting on you.
If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.”
Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.
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Apr 25, 2023
Hi-Phi Nation: Love in the Time of Replika
We explore the lives of people who are in love with their AI chatbots. Replika is a chatbot designed to adapt to the emotional needs of its users. It is a good enough surrogate for human interaction that many people have decided that it can fulfill their romantic needs. The question is whether these kinds of romantic attachments are real, illusory, or good for the people involved. Apps like Replika represent the future of love and sex for a subpopulation of people, so we discuss the ethics of the practice.
Host Barry Lam talks to philosophers Ellie Anderson and David Pena-Guzman of the Overthink podcast about what theories of love would say about these kinds of relationships. AI lovers include Alex Stokes and Rosanna Ramos. Original scoring by Aaron Morgan.
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Apr 24, 2023
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep5: Bleed The Swede
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Peter Kafka of Vox. They discuss episode five of the final season of HBO’s Succession, including a drug-fueled party, a very normal trip to Norway, and why the baguette may in fact be mightier than the bagel. Also, bags of blood. Really.
Check out how the Succession timeline (kind of) works.
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Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Apr 23, 2023
What Next TBD: "Crap Apps": Why Weather Apps Suck
Weather apps can be frustrating. And with how much we rely on them to know if we should wear pants or shorts, they'll still leave you in the rain. But as the climate gets wilder, the questions of how to tell people what they need to know—and quickly—can be an issue of life or death.
Guest: Charlie Warzel, staff writer at the Atlantic
Daniel Swain, UCLA climate scientist
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 22, 2023
ICYMI: Has TikTok Ruined Live Music?
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Alex Sujong Laughlin, a supervising producer and co-owner of Defector Media where she makes the podcast, Normal Gossip. Alex and Rachelle dive deep into the age-old debate over concert spoilers, a debate that’s been turbo-charged by TikTok where over 80 million people watched the first two nights of Taylor Swift's "Eras" The ease of finding a livestream of some of the most expensive concerts in the world raises the question: why go to a concert when you can go on TikTok?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
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Apr 22, 2023
Slate Money: Elon’s Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the biggest business, tech and finance stories of the week. This week, Fox News settles with Dominion, Elon’s rocketship blows up, and Apple has a savings account now.
In the plus: Quantifying the value of domestic labor.
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Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Apr 22, 2023
Amicus: Justice Roberts’ Unfunny Cyber Stalking Jokes
As laughter ricocheted around the Supreme Court chamber Wednesday, Professor Mary Anne Franks wondered if she could quite believe her ears. The matter of some hilarity, it seems, were messages sent by a convicted stalker to his victim. Individual messages that were among what one detective estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands - possibly as many as one million messages - sent by Billy Raymond Counterman to singer Coles Whalen. Counterman’s campaign of harassment drove Whalen away from performing, indeed drove her away from her home state. She moved across the country to get away. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Professor Mary Anne Franks to discuss Counterman v Colorado and how the details of a cyber-stalking case were lost to free speech concerns about trigger warnings and "sensitivity". You can read Prof. Franks’ powerful piece on this here.
In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern to discuss the big…
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Apr 21, 2023
What Next TBD: Will A.I. Close Off the Internet?
Reddit announced it will start charging companies to use its huge, ever-growing trove of text to train A.I. chatbots. It’s another expense for the fledgling tech and another knock against the “open internet” ideals that Reddit once embodied.
Guest: Mike Isaac, tech reporter for the New York Times.
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Apr 19, 2023
ICYMI: How the Internet Broke Netflix’s “Love is Blind”
On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Jonquilyn Hill, reporter and host of Vox’s politics and policy show The Weeds. The two take a deep dive into the most recent season of the Netflix reality dating show Love is Blind and how the internet has become the show’s shadow producer. They discuss Netflix’s attempt to muscle its way into the live-streaming market and the spectacular failure of the highly-anticipated live Love is Blind reunion on Sunday night.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton.
Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Apr 17, 2023
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep4: Succession!
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by graphic designer Michael Bierut to recap the fourth episode of the last season of HBO’s Succession. The family attends Logan’s wake where big moves are made. Someone gets a surprising phone call. And where did that piece of paper come from?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Apr 16, 2023
What Next TBD: Will Banning Social Media Help Kids?
A new law in Utah that goes into effect next year states that anyone under 18 needs parental permission to use social media. Is it a necessary step to protect children from harms associated with social media, or are we blunting a tool of expression for the youth?
Guest: Dr. Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at American Psychological Association
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Apr 15, 2023
Slate Money: The China Problem
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers go over China’s expanding role in the international debt market. They discuss a new problem with the American mortgage system, and dive into the wild world of the collectibles market.
In the Plus segment, Rupert Murdoch’s email divorce.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Apr 15, 2023
ICYMI: Meet the Internet’s Princess
For the third installment of Internet Diaries, Rachelle is joined by 21-year-old cultural critic and internet essayist Rayne Fisher-Quann, who has amassed a devoted following on TikTok, Substack, Instagram and Twitter. The two discuss Fisher-Quann’s online work around leftism, feminism, mental illness, along with her ethics of posting and how she resists brandification even as her star continues to rise.
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Apr 14, 2023
What Next TBD: How Gamers Leaked Classified Pentagon Docs
Discord is a place to share a community online. Most often, it's for gaming. So why did classified intelligence from the Pentagon end up on a small server whose main interests seem to be video games, military equipment and memes? And how?
Guest: Shane Harris, national security reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Apr 12, 2023
ICYMI: The Free Trial Period of Social Media Is Over
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Alex Kantrowitz, the writer behind the Big Technology newsletter and podcast. The two discuss the recent changes to Twitter Blue and how paying for Twitter might be a joke, it won’t be for other platforms like Instagram and TikTok. As paid verification models become de rigueur in a bid to woo content creators, what will that mean for the average social media user? Is this all just a giant protection racket? Or is it platforms catering to the people who actually create content for them?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
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Apr 11, 2023
Hi-Phi Nation: The Digital Future of Grief
When Justin’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he wanted to keep talking to her after she died. So together they made an AI version of her, training it on her speech patterns and memories. Now he is scaling his findings so that anyone can continue their relationships with loved ones after their deaths. Justin even believes this can one day lead to digital immortality.
Grief experts are only now dealing with bereaved people who create digital versions of their loved ones. We look at what they say about the phenomenon, and what philosophers think about whether the best AI version of a person can actually be them.
Guests include Alexandra Salmon, Justin Harrison, CEO of You, Only Virtual, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, and Dr. Debra Bassett.
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Apr 10, 2023
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep3: Logan F---s Off
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Slate’s Lizzie O’Leary to go over the shocking third episode of the last season of HBO’s Succession. Are Tom and Shiv going to get back together? What was in the “Logistics” folder? And was Connor’s wedding actually nice?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Ben Richmond.
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Apr 9, 2023
What Next TBD: Why Flying Is So Bad Now
U.S. air travel is being strained on all sides—travel demand is back to 2019 levels, but the number of pilots and planes and ground crew hasn’t caught back up, and a rash of close calls are raising safety concerns about America’s aging flying infrastructure.
Guest: Jon Ostrower, editor in chief of The Air Current.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Apr 8, 2023
ICYMI: Blac Chyna and the New Plastic Surgery Era
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Terry Nguyen, a culture writer and critic and staff writer for the digital culture newsletter Dirt. The two discuss Angela White, better known as Blac Chyna, who has taken to Instagram to document the process of her cosmetic surgery reversal. She’s been met with near universal praise which raises the question: are we entering a new plastic surgery era where less is more? If we are, what does that mean for the IG baddie of yore? And what does it mean for the increasing amounts of Americans who are receiving cosmetic surgery?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton.
Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Apr 8, 2023
Slate Money: How to Win at Roulette
Slate Money hosts Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the podcasting economy and if the bubble has burst—or if it will soon. They also talk about Anthony Scaramucci’s hedge fund troubles, and a story about how to win at roulette.
In the Plus segment: The implications of Supreme Court Justice Thomas’ ties to a billionaire, and the broader politicization of the American judicial system.
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Podcast production by Patrick Fort, with technical assistance from Ben Richmond.
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Apr 7, 2023
What Next TBD: Wait, TikTok Has a Sister App?
While TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, is fighting to keep its flagship app from being banned in the United States, it’s also pushing a new app into the marketplace—Lemon8. One part Pinterest, one part Instagram and a dash of its sister app, Lemon8 is most likely saddled with the same security concerns that led lawmakers to consider banning TikTok.
Guest: Sapna Maheshwari, business reporter for the New York Times.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Apr 6, 2023
Hi-Phi Nation: Ethics and the Future - Trailer
Coming April 11, 2023, Season 6 of Hi-Phi Nation will look at the future; of work, of love and sex, life and death, our relationship with animals, creativity in music, and philanthropy. Stories include people trying to create digital avatars of dead loved ones, people in exclusive relationships with AI chatbots, animals who are seeking legal protection in courts, the gig economy, AI music, and effective altruism. The episodes will draw out the most interesting moral and philosophical issues from the current path of artificial intelligence technology, data science, and cultural and legal trends.
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Apr 5, 2023
ICYMI: Buying Concert Tickets Online is Still a Hellscape
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Justin Richmond, co-host of the music podcast Broken Record and host of the new podcast Started From the Bottom. The two discuss what, if anything, has changed with the online ticketing giant Ticketmaster since ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominated headlines. How did Ticketmaster come to account for 70% of the ticketing and live event market? Now that it does, what responsibility do artists have to their fans to keep ticket prices accessible? Can real lasting change be made to system that most agree is broken?
This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton.
Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Apr 4, 2023
How To Succeed at Social Media
Emily is a successful career and executive coach in Ohio, who has done well finding clients through word-of-mouth. But in order to expand her business she knows she has to up her online marketing game. The only catch? She is terrified of social media. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Suzy Wagner, president of Brand & Buzz. Suzy has some surprising advice for creating a social media strategy that cuts through the noise while being realistic and authentic to yourself.
If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.”
Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.
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Apr 3, 2023
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep2: F---ing Pirates
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by The New Yorker’s Clare Malone to recap the latest episode of HBO’s Succession. Will Kerry get on ATN? Will the Kids squash the GoJo deal? Is anyone going to come to Connor’s wedding?
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort and Ben Richmond.
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Apr 2, 2023
What Next TBD: Seeking Asylum Via App
CBP One, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's app that is supposed to make crossing the border more efficient, is littered with bugs. But even a perfectly functional smartphone app would pose problems for people seeking asylum on the southern U.S. border.
Guest: Arelis Hernández, Washington Post reporter
Gia Del Pino, director of communications at the Kino Border Initiative
Felicia Rangel Samponaro, director of the Sidewalk School
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Apr 1, 2023
Slate Money: The Layoff Dopamine Hit
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kevin Delaney, co-founder of Charter. They discuss the layoffs that have swept across multiple industries, and if letting workers go actually solve the issues CEOs say they are. They also take a look at how work has changed during the pandemic, digging into how middle managers have the worst jobs, and how having too many meetings sucks.
In the Plus segment: Who does the radical candor system actually help?
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Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort.
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Apr 1, 2023
ICYMI: Succession’s Kendall Roy is the Internet’s Girlboss
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined once again by BuzzFeed internet culture report Kelsey Weekman. The two discuss the fandom surrounding Succession’s Kendall Roy, the second son of billionaire Logan Roy, played by Jeremy Strong.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton.
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Mar 31, 2023
What Next TBD: When A.I. Denies Your Health Care
As Medicare Advantage plans have increased their reliance on software to determine what their customers require—and, therefore, receive—elderly patients are being denied coverage for care they need. What happens when an algorithm — not a doctor — decides how much care you need and it’s not enough?
Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent at STAT
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 29, 2023
ICYMI: Live from Copenhagen
On today’s episode, ICYMI goes international! Rachelle Hampton is joined by Lucia Odoom of Poptillægget, a Danish podcast about pop culture. On stage at CPH:DOX, the two discuss growing up online as black women in predominately white environments, the joys of fandom and answer the question of whether you can keep up with internet culture without being on TikTok.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario.
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Mar 28, 2023
How To!: Bounce Back From a Layoff
On a recent workday, Pauline woke up and logged into her computer from home … only to find an email saying she was being laid off — effective immediately. She and her entire team, many of them working remotely, instantly lost access to all of their company accounts. Pauline was shell-shocked, hurt, and wondering what to do next. In the wake of massive tech layoffs, it’s a story that’s now all-too familiar. On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings in Susan Peppercorn, a career coach who writes for the Harvard Business Review and is the author of Ditch Your Inner Critic At Work. She has some tried-and-true tactical tips for making the most of a sudden job loss.
If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Make the Leap to Your Dream Job.”
Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.
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Mar 27, 2023
Slate Money: Succession S4 Ep1: High-Calorie Infosnacks
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by author and journalist Jim Stewart to recap episode one, season four of HBO’s Succession. They talk architecture, business deals, and parallels between the television drama and real-life media moguls.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort.
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Mar 26, 2023
What Next TBD: Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Woes
Elon Musk has been promising fully self-driving Teslas to the public for years and the beta version of Full Self-Driving is already in over 300,000 cars. But as a recent recall attests, the software still isn’t ready to take the wheel—and Musk himself may be a big reason why.
Guest: Faiz Siddiqui, tech reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 25, 2023
ICYMI: Gwyneth Paltrow and the Ozempic Craze
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Kate Lindsay of the Embedded newsletter to talk about the latest in diet discourse. They discuss Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent interview and the flak she got for revealing she drank bone broth most days for lunch, the recent rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, and how the ways people are talking about them sound all too familiar.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Mar 25, 2023
Future Tense Fiction: Can a Pandemic Story Have a Happy Ending?
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Annalee Newitz about “When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis.” Annalee’s short story follows a disease-fighting robot—and its companions, both human and crow—on a quest to track an outbreak and develop a vaccine before it's too late. The story was published in December 2018, but now, three years after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, it offers a look at how public health responses could better reflect the needs of the communities they serve. Plus, Annalee shares how they learned to speak crow language.
Guest: Annalee Newitz, author of the Terraformers, the Future of Another Timeline, and Autonomous.
Story read by Gin Hammond
Podcast production by Tiara Darnell
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Mar 25, 2023
Slate Money: Too Big, To Fail, Too Furious
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the rescue of Credit Suisse. They also break down the politics behind federal deposit insurance, and what will come out of this week’s Congressional hearings about TikTok.
Podcast production by Patrick Fort.
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Mar 24, 2023
What Next TBD: The Case Against TikTok
To most of its 150 million American consumers, TikTok is a fun app. To some creators, TikTok is a job and their platform. But to members of the US government, TikTok is a national security risk. As the fight over TikTok’s future comes to Capitol Hill this week, what’s next for the embattled social media platform?
Guest: Emily Baker-White, senior writer, tech reporter at Forbes
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 22, 2023
ICYMI: Encore: Someone’s Selling Human Bones on TikTok?
Today, we’re revisiting one of our early favorite episodes from August 2021 about selling bones on TikTok.
In the episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher try to figure out if it’s legal to buy and sell human remains. They’re joined by Tanya Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest who specializes in funeral and cemetery law, to find out what the legal system says about the human bone market, the ethical questions surrounding such a market, and why we still have rights even after we die. If you’d like to know more about the history of the human bone trade, check out this video, “Can You Legally Buy a Real Human Skeleton?”
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.
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Mar 19, 2023
What Next TBD: When A.I. Steals Your Voice
Using just what you’ve posted to social media, generative A.I. can create a “puppet version” of your voice—one that’s close enough to scam your family into paying thousands in, say, bail money. And imitating public officials to create “deep fakes” who say whatever they’re told is even easier.
Guest: Pranshu Verma, tech reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 18, 2023
ICYMI: Pedro Pascal Is the Internet’s Daddy
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Madeline Ducharme to talk about the internet’s thirst for Pedro Pascal. They discuss how he started edging into the role of Internet Daddy with Game of Thrones, his recent turns in The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us, and why his own surprise as this online adoration makes people love him even more.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Mar 18, 2023
Slate Money: Normal Bank Failure
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers dive into the drama in the banking world. They discuss the fallout of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and its subsequent government takeover. They also take some listener questions about SVB! Felix, Emily and Elizabeth also discuss Credit Suisse, and how government policy may change for banks that are “too big to fail”.
In the Plus segment: What was it like to have an SVB bank account in the last week?
Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort.
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Mar 18, 2023
Future Tense Fiction: Coming March 25
When you imagine how science and technology will reshape our future, does it excite you, or scare you, or both? Each month, the Future Tense Fiction podcast will introduce you to a short work of science fiction, one that will challenge, surprise and intrigue you. Then host Maddie Stone will talk with the author to explore how their own experiences with technology—from smart weapons, to electronic pets, to virtual reality—informed their writing and their vision.
That’s every month on Future Tense Fiction, a podcast from Slate, Arizona State University, and New America. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. See you in the future.
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Mar 18, 2023
Gabfest Reads: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Semiconductors?
John Dickerson talks with author Chris Miller about his new book, Chip War: The Fight for The World’s Most Critical Technology. They discuss how semiconductor chips became so important, why everyone is so dependent on Taiwan for chips, and what lessons China can glean from what’s happening in Ukraine.
Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.
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Mar 17, 2023
What Next TBD: Where Is Silicon Valley Going to Bank Now?
The economy is doing well almost every but in tech, where headlines about layoffs have been replaced with news about Silicon Valley Bank’s demise. The collapse of “the central artery for the tech industry” looks like the end of an era. Where do venture capitalists, start-ups—and the industry writ large—go now?
Guest: Priya Anand, reporter at Bloomberg covering venture capital and start-ups.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.
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Mar 15, 2023
ICYMI: Dear Prudence: Sister Wants Me to Be Her Surrogate. Help!
Today, we’re bringing you an episode of the recently relaunched Dear Prudence podcast hosted by Jenée Desmond-Harris.
In this episode, Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) is tackling questions about text etiquette, whether or not to allow children at a wedding, and weighing the heavy decision of surrogacy for a sibling. Slate’s own Rachelle Hampton (host of ICYMI) joins dole out some words of wisdom.
Podcast production by Kayla Lattimore and Daisy Rosario. Production help from Se’era Spragley Ricks.
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Mar 15, 2023
What Next: Why Silicon Valley Bank Collapsed
The downfall of Silicon Valley Bank marks the second largest bank collapse in American history.
Why and how did SVBgo under? Where were the regulators? And how do we stop this from happening again?
Guest: Annie Lowery,staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Give People Money.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 12, 2023
What Next TBD: Would You Let A.I. Date For You?
The online dating world can be brutal and repetitive—just the kind of thing you might want to automate. But, in one tech writer’s experience, artificial intelligence isn’t ready to make real connections—at least, not without a lot of help.
Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, covers business and technology at Slate
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 11, 2023
ICYMI: Vanderpump Rules’ War of the Roses
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Deepti Sahrawat, the host of Pop Culture Prisoner, to discuss a shocking cheating scandal within the cast of the Bravo reality series Vanderpump Rules, and why it blew up on the internet in such a big way. They talk about how the history of the show led us up to this point, the ways it’s so different from the usual cycle of reality scandals, and where the show can go from here.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Mar 11, 2023
Slate Money: The Banks Special
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by American Banker national editor Kevin Wack to discuss all things banking, including retail banking, why it’s so difficult to switch banks and why neobanks aren’t more successful. They also discuss the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal.
In the Plus segment: the lead up to the Silicon Valley Bank downfall.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort.
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Mar 10, 2023
What Next TBD: When Meta Tells Law Enforcement About Your Abortion
Just weeks before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a Nebraska woman and her daughter were charged with performing an illegal abortion, thanks to information that law enforcement uncovered by going through their Facebook accounts.
Guest: Johana Bhuiyan, senior reporter on tech and surveillance for The Guardian
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 8, 2023
ICYMI: The Internet Should Be Fun
On today’s episode, Daisy Rosario is joined by Nitish Pahwa and they’re talking about the places they go to when they need online comfort. They discuss cute cartoon affirmations, the need for satisfaction, and hear from a few Slate colleagues about their own comforting online enclaves.
Some of our recommendations:
@unclogging_drains on TikTok
@catsofyore on Instagram
@itslennie, an animated blob sharing affirmations on TikTok
@Jesssoweird, the baby that tries on wigs on TikTok
ASMR rug cleaning
Florian Gadsby, a ceramicist on Instagram and YouTube
@cosmetic_repair on TikTok
Lady Gaga’s music video for, “Marry the Night”
Girl With the Dogs on YouTube
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Mar 5, 2023
What Next TBD: The Hollywood Weight Loss Wonder Drug
The diabetes medication Ozempic has exploded in popularity, particularly amongst those in Hollywood looking to lose a few extra pounds. But a silver bullet for weight loss leads to a number of questions: Is “buying weight loss” via injection somehow worse than diet and exercise? Are so many people buying and using this drug that people who need it for its intended purpose are missing out? What happened to body positivity?
Guest: Matthew Schneier, feature writer for New York Magazine.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 4, 2023
ICYMI: The Internet Hates Hogwarts Legacy
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Gita Jackson to talk about a video game that has stirred up anger across the internet, Hogwarts Legacy. They discuss the controversy surrounding it, how the game reveals so many holes in JK Rowling’s world building, and why it’s not even fun to play.
Instead of playing Hogwarts Legacy, Gita’s got some recommendations.
Books:
Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer
Vita Nostra, by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko
Magic for Liars, by Sarah Gailey
Games:
Persona 5
Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side
Magical Diary
Life Is Strange
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Elden Ring
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Mar 4, 2023
Slate Money: Microchips and Child Care
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss a stipulation in the CHIPS Act that requires companies who take federal funding from the CHIPS Act to provide child care options for their employees. They also discuss the political controversy over ESG investing, and the confusion over a new partnership that will allow Amazon employees to pay for their mortgage with Amazon stock.
In the Plus segment: restaurant ordering etiquette.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
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Mar 3, 2023
What Next TBD: What Would Convince a Lab Leak Skeptic?
It was reported this week that the U.S. Department of Energy now believes, “with low confidence,” that the COVID-19 virus came from a lab. But is there enough evidence for the “lab leak theory” to convince those who believe the virus emerged from animals in a wet market?
Guest: Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Mar 1, 2023
ICYMI: Selena Gomez Loves Logging Off
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Time’s Moises Mendez II to talk about Selena Gomez’s internet history. They look at her early days on YouTube, discuss her tumultuous relationship with Justin Bieber, and explain why TikTok has blown up with commentary on the recent feud between Gomez and Justin’s wife, Hailey Bieber.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Feb 26, 2023
What Next TBD: Is a 25-Year-Old’s Brain Mature?
New understandings of how our brains develop are changing how the law considers who is mature and who isn’t. But If our brains are still developing, when can the law treat us like adults?
Guest: Jane C. Hu, independent science journalist.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 25, 2023
ICYMI: North West Is TikTok’s New Queen
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by WAMU’s Aja Drain to discuss North West’s TikTok presence. They talk about how North got started on the app like going live without her mother’s permission, the controversies that’ve bubbled up around her TikTok account, and what makes her so different from the other kids posting online.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Feb 25, 2023
Amicus: SCOTUS on the Internet: “It’s Complicated”
For every person screaming about Section 230 (looking at you, Ted Cruz), there are approximately 0.0000001 Danielle Citrons, i.e. folks who actually understand it, what it does, and how it might be tweaked or interpreted to do better. Luckily, we have a whole Professor Danielle Citron on this week’s show. Professor Citron not only manages to make sense of Section 230 for us, she also takes us through this week's internet cases involving Twitter and Google, and content moderation and liability. She explains how eight out of nine justices apparently failed to read the briefs, instead deciding on an "it's so hard" shruggy head-scratch strategy instead. Danielle Citron’s latest book is The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age.
In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern to look ahead to next week’s arguments about the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness program, and to romp through s…
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Feb 24, 2023
What Next TBD: Why A.I. Says the Darndest Things
Microsoft has been testing out their new artificial intelligence on their long-ridiculed search engine Bing. The results? A chatbot that lies brazenly and confidently, and has a penchant for manipulation. What are the risks and rewards of letting bots loose on the world?
Guest: Drew Harwell, Washington Post tech reporter covering artificial intelligence
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 22, 2023
ICYMI: Tumblr Revived the Welcome to Night Vale Fandom
On today’s episode Rachelle Hampton is joined by journalist and podcaster Wil Williams to discuss the podcast Welcome to Night Vale, and how its faceless narrator just won the poll as top “Tumblr Sexyman.” They talk about the show’s origins and importance in the early 2010s podcasting scene, the ways it deftly navigated queerness, and its impact on the audio fiction space.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Feb 19, 2023
What Next TBD: The Baby-Sleep Industrial Complex
The tech-laden, luxury bassinet “Snoo” has been presented as preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, helping babies sleep longer, and a totally reasonable way to spend $1,700. Is any of that true?
Guest: Kate Taylor, senior features correspondent for Business Insider
John Collins, Lizzie’s husband.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 18, 2023
ICYMI: The Influencer Even Skeptics Love
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Candice Lim to discuss the online rise of Emma Chamberlain. They discuss her origins as a YouTuber in 2017, how she kept evolving her brand so it never got stale, and why she’s so different from her fellow it girls.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Feb 17, 2023
What Next TBD: What Made the Balloon Drama Pop Off?
Come to think of it, a giant balloon seems like a pretty conspicuous way to spy on another country. So what was that Chinese spy balloon doing above the U.S.—and what have American planes been shooting down since?
Guest: Shane Harris, Washington Post reporter covering intelligence and national security.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 15, 2023
ICYMI: The Internet’s Black Emo Renaissance
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss Rihanna and Paramore. First, they talk about the Super Bowl halftime show and the discourse that Rihanna sparked, and what she does or doesn’t owe her fans. Then, they look at the new album from Paramore, This Is Why, discusses how the band respects and embraces Black culture, and why Black people feel so connected to the pop punk genre. And don’t miss Rachelle and Nadira’s roundtable discussion with Allegra Frank about Paramore’s latest album.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Feb 12, 2023
What Next TBD: Contraband Tech Behind Bars
It’s hard to put a number on it but judging from the number of videos emerging online, there are more and more contraband cell phones finding their way into the hands of people in prison, who use them to record TikTok dances, take online courses, and alert the outside world to what’s happening on the inside.
Guest: Keri Blakinger, criminal justice reporter at the Los Angeles Times, author of Corrections in Ink.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 11, 2023
ICYMI: Is Weight Lifting a Diet Culture Escape Hatch?
On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with writer and cultural critic Casey Johnston about weight lifting. They discuss what led Casey to pick up the barbell, how she found her way into the online weight lifting space and the following she built there, and the ways weight lifting might be able to break us out of diet culture’s torturous cycle.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
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Feb 11, 2023
Slate Money: Will A.I. Kill the Internet?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Microsoft’s attempt to break into artificial intelligence assisted search with a revamp of their Bing search engine. They also talk about record high profits for oil companies and Bed Bath & Beyond’s financial shenanigans.
In the Plus segment: Tether.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
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Feb 10, 2023
What Next TBD: Why Ban TikTok?
TikTok was banned on government agency devices in December; several schools and universities have banned it on their devices and wifi networks, and the governor of Texas unveiled a plan to ban it in the state. Can “Project Texas” stem the anti-TikTok tide? And would banning the app actually achieve…anything?
Guest: Louise Matsakis, reporter for Semafor covering tech and China
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 8, 2023
ICYMI: How a 9-Year-Old Took Over TikTok
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa, this time to open up the mailbag. They answer questions about a child named Topher whose loud presence has swept across TikTok, Twitter’s bad bot decisions, and recent drama surrounding TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Feb 5, 2023
What Next TBD: Did a Twentysomething Con America’s Biggest Bank?
JP Morgan Chase is getting an education on FAFSA and financial aid–which would’ve been helpful before they acquired a now, quite dubious seeming start-up.
Guest: Ron Lieber, New York Times journalist, author of the “Your Money” column.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 4, 2023
ICYMI: The Anal Bead Cheating Scandal That Rocked the Online Chess World
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa to discuss a major cheating scandal in the chess world this past fall between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann, and how the story just keeps going. They talk about Niemann’s rise on Chess.com, ways people have tried to cheat in the past, and why anal beads entered the conversation. Plus, they talk about Mittens, the evil chess bot cat.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Feb 3, 2023
What Next TBD: How COVID Changes Our Immune Systems
Last fall it seemed like everyone got sick—not just with COVID, but from a slew of respiratory diseases, from the mild to the severe. Researchers are trying to untangle how our immune systems have changed in the COVID era, and if we’re paying back an “immunity debt” or are victims of “immunity theft.”
Guest: Tim Requarth, contributing writer to Slate.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Feb 1, 2023
ICYMI: Has the Internet Made Parenting Easier?
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Jamilah Lemieux, one of the columnists for Slate’s Care and Feeding advice column, and the host of Mom and Dad Are Fighting. They open up Jamilah’s internet diary, discussing how she got her career started online, what changed for her online after becoming a parent, and what sorts of online advice parents need right now.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 29, 2023
What Next TBD: Did A.I. Write This Headline?
The proliferation of chatbots and A.I.-generated art has consumers and tech companies alike convinced that artificial intelligence is ready to be integrated into consumer electronics, products, homes, and across industry. In fact, it’s already in progress. What’s the worst that can happen?
Guest: Will Oremus, technology reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 28, 2023
Slate Money: Chip War
This week, Chris Miller joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss his new book, Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. They discuss the crucial role of microchips, the global dynamics of microchip design and manufacturing, and how chips factor into US-China relations.
In the Plus segment: Moore’s Law.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
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Jan 28, 2023
ICYMI: TikTok Isn’t For Creators Anymore
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by journalist and author Cory Doctorow to discuss his latest piece, “The Enshittification of TikTok,” in Wired. They talk about the life cycles of online platforms, why nobody on the platforms have any understanding of the rules of the game, and why we’re in dire need of better regulations.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 27, 2023
What Next TBD: Will Google Get Broken Up?
The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it is suing Google over its ad technology. What do they contend Google has been doing? And does this mean Alphabet is headed for a Bell Telecom-style bust-up?
Guest: Leah Nylen, reporter covering antitrust for Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 25, 2023
ICYMI: American Girl’s Addy Is More Than a Slave
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Aisha Harris to talk about the return of the discourse about Addy Walker, the first Black American Girl doll. They discuss Aisha’s great piece from 2016, “The Making of an American Girl,” their own histories with the doll, and why this discourse pops up so frequently.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 22, 2023
What Next TBD: Does Meta Even Care When Its Users Get Hacked?
It can feel very personal to have your Facebook or Instagram page hacked—they’re your pictures and your friends after all. But Meta, the social media parent company, handles hacks with anything but a personal touch.
Guest: Kirstin Grind, investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 21, 2023
Slate Money: It’s Not TV
This week, Felix Gillette joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to talk about his new book It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO and discuss the state of streaming, the relationship between sports and advertisers, and the decline of the movie theater industry.
In the Plus segment: YouTube.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.
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Jan 21, 2023
ICYMI: The Internet Won’t Let Austin Butler Forget Vanessa Hudgens
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Nadira Goffe to talk about Austin Butler and Kerrygold butter. First, High Speed Downloads return so Rachelle can explain why everybody was melting down about Irish butter online, and Nadira takes us through Austin Butler’s persistent Elvis accent. Then, they discuss the fact that Vanessa Hudgens’ online fans won’t let Austin Butler forget his ex-girlfriend so quickly.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 20, 2023
What Next TBD: An Antivax Dog Whistle Goes Viral
The idea that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to sudden deaths among young people has no scientific support, but the theory nevertheless has a lot of traction on social media.
How can public health officials educate the public—especially on subject like vaccines, where their effectiveness renders them effectively invisible?
Guest: Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and data scientist
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 18, 2023
ICYMI: MrBeast Dethroned a Child to Become the Most Successful YouTuber
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman for a crash course in the history and significance of YouTuber MrBeast. Kelsey tells Rachelle all about how he first got started counting numbers to camera, his wild philanthropic stunts, and why his blandness is so arresting and unnerving at the same time.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 15, 2023
What Next TBD: Tesla’s No Good, Very Bad Year
Elon Musk was promising an “epic” Q4 at Tesla last year. But 2022 ended closer to what might be considered an “epic fail,” with the stock price down 65 percent. In an uncertain economic environment like this one, how much blame goes to Musk for unloading $40 billion worth of stock and focusing on his shiny new social media network? Or are these just growing pains that every company goes through as they mature?
Guest: Dana Hull, automotive and technology reporter for Bloomberg News in San Francisco
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 14, 2023
ICYMI: RuPaul’s Drag Race Has Finally Logged On
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the premiere of season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. They talk about how the season seems to understand more than ever how the pandemic has affected the lives of its contestants, how the series’ relationship with the internet has changed over the years, and if this is the real way forward for the show.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 13, 2023
What Next TBD: Why the Feds Want to Kill Noncompetes
You might think of noncompete agreements as mostly limited to highly skilled, highly paid tech workers to protect trade secrets. But one-third of workers bound by noncompetes make $13/hour or less: fast-food workers, security guards, and the like.
Noncompete clauses not only give employers leverage over their employees—both during and after their employment—but studies have shown the agreements are a weight on the economy, which is why the FTC is angling for a federal ban.
Guest: Elizabeth Wilkins, director of the Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 11, 2023
ICYMI: Who Is Alix Earle And Why Are People Mad at Her?
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is back in the host chair. She’s joined by Daisy Rosario as they open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about Greta Thunberg’s involvement in the arrest of Andrew Tate, the rise of the corecore aesthetic, and TikTok drama about hair oil.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 8, 2023
What Next TBD: How War in Taiwan Could Short-Circuit U.S. Tech
Roughly 95 percent of advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing happens in Taiwan, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to supply chain shocks and national security threats. Is the Biden administration’s $280 billion bill, signed in August last year, enough to boost domestic chip manufacturing?
Guest: Don Clark, freelance reporter specializing on chips and enterprise tech.
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 7, 2023
ICYMI: The Untalented Mr. Ripley
On today’s show, Daniel Schroeder is joined by Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos to talk about the gay scammers that emerged at the end of the year. First we answer a listener’s question about some gay drama on Twitter, then we discuss the wild rise of Congressman George Santos. We also cover the darker side of gay scams both on Grindr and in real life.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jan 7, 2023
Slate Money: Burning Platforms
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers discuss the FTC’s proposed non-compete ban, the bank run at Silvergate, and the cause of Southwest’s absolute meltdown this holiday season.
In the Plus segment: E-bikes.
Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.
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Jan 6, 2023
What Next TBD: Will Southwest Be Held Accountable?
Over the holidays, thousands of passengers were left stranded or delayed when Southwest Airline’s outdated re-booking software broke down. Who can be held accountable, and why don’t airlines invest more in their own infrastructure?
Guest: Heather Tal Murphy, business and technology reporter for Slate.
Host: Mary C. Curtis
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Jan 4, 2023
ICYMI: Fans Ran the World Last Year
On today’s episode, Nadira Goffe and Daisy Rosario are in the host chairs ready to talk all things fandom. They discuss the important moments like the Swifties’ battle with Ticketmaster, and John Fetterman’s wildly successful online campaign. Then, they get into the darker side of fandom where people like Elon Musk and Kanye reside.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Dec 28, 2022
ICYMI: Encore: We Talked to BYU’s Black Menaces
Today, we’re revisiting our episode from April 16, 2022 when we interviewed BYU’s Black Menaces.
The Black Menaces are a group at Brigham Young University who have recently gained popularity on TikTok for their videos in which they ask their fellow students about political and social issues. On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher talk to Rachel Weaver and Nate Byrd, two members of the Black Menaces, about what it’s like to film these interviews, how they’ve been received on campus and online, and what it’s like to be a Black student at BYU.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Dec 24, 2022
ICYMI: Encore: All Hail the Liver King
Today, we’re revisiting our episode from March 9, 2022 on the Liver King, his philosophy, and his online presence.
Brian Johnson, aka the Liver King, has amassed millions of followers with his bizarre yet addictive workout and raw-meat-diet videos. On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher comb through the king’s core tenets, his obsession with explosives, and of course his taste for liver with a side of maple syrup. Later in the show, science communicator Jonathan Jarry joins for a discussion of why we look to people like the Liver King, and why we can’t look away.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, Jasmine Ellis, and Kevin Bendis.
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Dec 23, 2022
What Next TBD: One Year - 1942: The Most Hated Man in America
At the beginning of World War II, the greatest threat to the American war effort wasn’t the Nazis or the Japanese—it was runaway inflation. The man in charge of stopping it was the country’s “price czar,” Leon Henderson. In 1942, he controlled how much coffee ordinary people could drink and how many tires they could buy. Those rules made him a nationwide villain. But would they save the country?
One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Josh Levin.
Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.
Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.
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Dec 21, 2022
ICYMI: Decoder Ring: The New Age Hit Machine
Today, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring that we think you’re going to love.
For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of other surprising acts made it big in the 1990s. It’s a throwback to a simpler time— when musicians struggled to find their big break, but discovered it was possible with a telephone, a television, and our undivided attention.
This story originally aired in 2019 on Studio 360 from PRX.
We hear from George Veras, Pat Callahan, and John Tesh.
This episode was written and produced by Slate’s Evan Chung. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.
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Dec 18, 2022
What Next TBD: Are You Ready For Lab-Grown Meat?
The Food and Drug Administration gave an important thumbs up to lab-grown chicken, which means we could start seeing it in stores as soon as next year. While billions of dollars have been spent developing lab-grown meat, important questions remain: Is the production of it actually greener than raising livestock? Can it be made affordably? Is it healthy? And will anyone eat it?
Guest: Chloe Sorvino, staff writer on food and agriculture at Forbes, and the author of Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Dec 17, 2022
ICYMI: Who Gets to Complain About Their Job Online?
Earlier this month, a group of nurses were fired after posting a TikTok where they shared their complaints or “icks” about their patients. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by health and wellness journalist Julia Craven to talk about this recent news, the proliferation of “ick” content on TikTok, and why healthcare workers (and everybody else) should keep their work complaints in the group chat.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario, and Derek John.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Dec 17, 2022
Slate Money: Should You Care About the Dot Plot?
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers explain what the Fed’s interest rate dot plot means. They also talk about Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of video game developer Activision, and the latest details of the SBF scandal.
In the Plus segment: the revival of the office holiday party.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
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Dec 16, 2022
What Next TBD: SBF's Worst Week Yet
Even in a crazy year for crypto, Sam Bankman-Fried’s story is undeniably the most bananas. And even in the context of the implosion of FTX, getting arrested has got to make this week his worst yet. What charges does SBF face?
Guest: Stacy-Marie Ishmael, managing editor on crypto for Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Dec 14, 2022
ICYMI: Why Did NBC’s Internet Culture Reporter Spend So Much Time on Reddit?
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is is joined by NBC’s Morgan Sung to talk about how she lives online as an internet culture reporter. They talk about early internet loves like Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction, who Morgan thinks you need to follow on social media, and her and Rachelle’s favorite online conspiracy theories.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Dec 11, 2022
What Next TBD: San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess
Self-driving cars and robotaxis are starting to appear on the streets of San Francisco. While we have a whole regulatory system in place for drivers, who’s making sure these new cars are safe?
Guest: David Zipper, Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Dec 10, 2022
Slate Money: The NYT Strike: End of the Wordle Streak
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the Trump Organization’s tax fraud conviction, why workers at The New York Times went on strike and ChatGPT, a shockingly articulate AI chatbot.
In the Plus segment: How to tackle holiday gifting.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com
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Dec 10, 2022
ICYMI: Goodbye to All That 2022 Internet
The internet has been as wild as ever this year, delivering stories like West Elm Caleb, the Liver King, the Bridgerton musical and its legal woes, and more. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Time’s Moises Mendez II and BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman to talk about everything they lived through online in 2022, discussing the good, the bad, and the truly cursed.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Dec 9, 2022
What Next TBD: Let’s Talk, Chatbots
Artificial intelligence is growing in leaps and bounds, and everywhere from Big Tech companies like Google to small teams like OpenAI are developing more and more convincing chatbots. Is the world ready for convincing, talking computers?
Guest: Alex Kantrowitz, host of the Big Technology podcast.
Host: Emily Peck
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Dec 7, 2022
ICYMI:What Is a Kevsexual?
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined yet again by Nadira Goffe, this time to unpack the mailbag. First they discuss the convoluted mess over a guy on TikTok named Kevin who may or may not understand what the female gaze is. Then, they talk about chili, a Brazilian puppet, and inflation in TikTok’s doubloons economy.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Dec 4, 2022
What Next TBD: Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington
The Biden administration’s Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are both staffed with accomplished progressives who are proving more aggressive than their predecessors in either the Trump or Obama eras. But can Big Tech be tamed?
Guest: Leah Nylen, reporter for Bloomberg News
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Dec 3, 2022
ICYMI: Online for the Holidays
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by one of our favorites, Slate associate culture writer Nadira Goffe, and they’re talking all about the holidays online. They discuss Christmas movies like the Lindsay Lohan vehicle Falling for Christmas, Mariah Carey’s genius business sense, and the importance of family both online and off.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Dec 2, 2022
A Word: Bot Battling in the Age of Elon
For many years, tech professionals dismissed the threat of disinformation. Christopher Bouzy was one of them, until the 2016 election changed his mind. Bouzy founded and leads the organization Bot Sentinel to fight online disinformation. On today’s episode of A Word, he talks with host Jason Johnson about how best to detect lies and false narratives in social media, and how Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter complicates his mission.
Guest: Christopher Bouzy, founder and C.E.O. of Bot Sentinel
Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola
You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.
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Dec 2, 2022
What Next TBD: Twitter's Vulnerabilities, Exposed
Dating back to the Arab Spring, Twitter’s potential for real-time organizing has been a selling point. But trying to find information on China’s “Zero COVID” protests reveals just how vulnerable the now-understaffed platform is to manipulation.
Guest: Joseph Menn, cybersecurity reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Nov 30, 2022
ICYMI: Goncharov, Tumblr’s Fake Scorsese Film
Over the past few weeks, Tumblr has been filled to the brim with content about the Martin Scorsese film Goncharov, but the best part is the film never existed. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario explain the wild and weird way Tumblr invented this film, how committed Tumblr users are to this bit, and what Marty thinks about it, too.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Nov 27, 2022
What Next TBD: The Trap of Buy Now, Pay Later
The option to “buy now and pay later” over installments exploded over the past two years, thanks to people being flush with stimulus cash and shopping online during the pandemic. But is this new, underregulated industry a useful line of credit or another path into debt?
Guest: Paulina Cachero, personal finance reporter for Bloomberg.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Nov 26, 2022
ICYMI: Decoder Ring: The Truth About #TheDress
On today’s episode, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast that we think you’re going to love.
In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a party dress kicked off a global debate when people realized they were seeing it completely differently. Is it black and blue, or white and gold? In today’s episode, we’ll talk to someone who was there when the photo was first taken, and the BuzzFeed writer whose post briefly broke the internet. Then we go down the optical rabbit hole with a neuroscientist who’s been studying the The Dress for years. What does it reveal about the nature of truth?
This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrew Adam Newman. Derek John is Slate’s senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.
We’ll hear from Paul Jinks, Cates Holderness, Pascal…
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Nov 24, 2022
Political Gabfest: What If Twitter Dies?
This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss the future of Twitter, the ghoulish World Cup, and a minister’s allegation that Justice Alito leaked the outcome of the Hobby Lobby case.
Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:
Jodi Kantor and Jo Becker for The New York Times: “Former Anti-Abortion Leader Alleges Another Supreme Court Breach”
Jodi Kantor for The New York Times: “Allegation of Supreme Court Breach Prompts Calls for Inquiry and Ethics Code”
Rob Schenck for The New York Times: “I Was an Anti-Abortion Crusader. Now I Support Roe v. Wade”
Kara Voght and Tim Dickinson for Rolling Stone: “SCOTUS Justices ‘Prayed With’ Her — Then Cited Her Bosses to End Roe”
Here are this week’s chatters:
John: Variety: “Bob Dylan Fans Who Bought $600 ‘Hand-Signed’ Books With Replica Autographs Will Receive Refunds From Publisher”
Emily: Rozina Ali for The New York Times Magazine: “‘How Did This Man Think He Had the Ri…
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Nov 23, 2022
ICYMI: An ICYMI Friendsgiving with Normal Gossip
As we all prepare to gather around the Thanksgiving table with our friends and families, we thought it was a great time for our second annual Friendsgiving special. On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin of Normal Gossip to share in the online riches of 2022. They discuss the first memes they encountered this year, the internet jokes they’re most thankful for, and so much more.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Nov 20, 2022
What Next TBD: The End of the Tech Boom
After decades as America’s booming industry, tens of thousands of tech workers have been laid off in November alone. Is the venture-capital, low-interest-rate wind leaving the sails temporary or is this the end of the hunt for “the next big thing?”
Guest: Timothy B. Lee, reporter for Full Stack Economics covering labor markets, technology, and housing.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Nov 19, 2022
ICYMI: What's Going to Happen to Twitter?
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Lizzie O’Leary, the host of Slate’s tech podcast What Next: TBD. The two discuss Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, whether or not Musk has broken any laws and what the future of the platform might look like.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario, Emily Charash and Rachelle Hampton.
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Nov 18, 2022
What Next TBD: The Case Against Climate Reparations
At this year’s annual UN conference on climate change, they are discussing “climate reparations,” wherein the rich countries that grew their wealth burning fossil fuels pay money to poorer and more vulnerable countries. It sounds sensible, but is the UN capable of administering something like this? And how much money are we talking here?
Guest: Vijay Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Nov 16, 2022
ICYMI: Who’s Invited to the Cookout?
On today’s episode, Rachelle is once again joined by Daisy. The pair dive deep into the digital etymology of the phrase “invited to the cookout” which, in the past few years, has been applied to figures from Bill Nye the Science Guy to Justin Timberlake. They discuss the phrase’s roots in African American Vernacular English and the future of The Cookout.
This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Daniel Schroeder
Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com
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Nov 15, 2022
Decoder Ring: The Truth About #TheDress
In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a party dress kicked off a global debate when people realized they were seeing it completely differently. Is it black and blue, or white and gold? In today’s episode, we’ll talk to someone who was there when the photo was first taken, and the BuzzFeed writer whose post briefly broke the internet. Then we go down the optical rabbit hole with a neuroscientist who’s been studying the The Dress for years. What does it reveal about the nature of truth?
This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrew Adam Newman. Derek John is Slate’s senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.
We’ll hear from Paul Jinks, Cates Holderness, Pascal Wallisch, and David McRaney author of the book How Minds Change. Here’s the optical illusion of the strawberries mentioned in the epi…
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Nov 13, 2022
What Next TBD: Is This The Cryptocalypse?
The (once) second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, collapsed in stunning fashion this week, highlighting why consumers really do want regulation, and why old financial institutions remain wary of crypto.
Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money, chief financial correspondent for Axios.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Nov 12, 2022
ICYMI: The Internet Wouldn’t Exist Without Sex
On today’s episode Rachelle interviews Vice senior editor Samantha Cole about her forthcoming book How Sex Changed the Internet. The two talk about the role of sex in internet technology like videoconferencing, affiliate links and online credit card transactions. Cole also explains how lifecaster Jennifer Ringley is a predecessor to modern vloggers and livestreamers.
This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton.
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Nov 11, 2022
What Next TBD: Senator Chris Murphy on Elon's Acquisition of Twitter
The second largest investor in Twitter, after Elon Musk, is the Saudis, which raises questions about what kinds of “free speech” Musk is really committed to. But it also raises questions around national security in the U.S.
Guest: Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator from Connecticut
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Nov 9, 2022
ICYMI: A Man Ate Rotisserie Chicken for 40 Days Straight
On today’s episode, Rachelle is back with Daisy to read your letters and answer all your burning questions. They get into everything from Johnny Depp’s rumored appearance in Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty show to why hundreds of people turned out to abandoned Philadelphia dock to watch a man eat a rotisserie chicken.
This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton
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Nov 6, 2022
What Next TBD: Why Are So Many Little Kids Sick Right Now?
It’s been a rough autumn for parents of little kids, as non-COVID respiratory diseases are taking advantage of the first fall since 2019 where schools and daycares are full again, and America’s strained pediatric health care system is once again put to the test.
Guest: Katherine Wu, science writer for The Atlantic.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary.
Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Nov 5, 2022
ICYMI: How Are the Midterms Affecting Social Media?
On today’s episode, Daisy is sitting in the host chair and she’s joined by Slate’s own Nitish Pahwa, who covers business and tech for the site, and has written a lot about these upcoming elections. They’ll be talking about which candidates are and aren’t using TikTok well, how easy it is to encounter election misinformation, Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, and the state of right wing social media platforms.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Nov 4, 2022
What Next TBD: So How’s It Going, Elon?
One week in as head honcho of Twitter and Elon Musk is in a tight spot: how do you balance the desires of advertisers with your ostensible zeal for free speech? How do you make something for which you’ve already overpaid turn a profit? How do you convince Stephen King to pony up for a blue check?
Guest: Alex Kirshner, contributing writer at Slate.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme.
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Nov 2, 2022
ICYMI: Did Deplatforming Andrew Tate Work?
Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and star of Big Brother in the UK, was deplatformed earlier this year because of his offensive and misogynistic talking points, but that didn’t stop him from spreading his message. On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with journalist Ikran Dahir who recently wrote, “Andrew Tate’s Hustlers University 2.0 Has Made at Least $11 Million in Just One Month,” in BuzzFeed. Ikran discusses what it was like being on the platform, the quality of the classes being offered, and the vibes of the user base, revealing Tate might be savvier than anybody wants to admit.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Oct 30, 2022
What Next TBD: Big Brother, Big Tech and China
There are some 400 million surveillance cameras installed in China, one for every three to four civilians. Built with the help of American tech companies, the surveillance state was pitched to the public as a way to make society safer and more efficient. But after severe lockdowns during COVID, the public has been objecting out of the eye of the camera lens. Protests are being written on bathroom walls.
Guest: Josh Chin, deputy bureau chief, China, for the Wall Street Journal
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Oct 29, 2022
Slate Money: Memelord Takeover
This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Matt Levine to talk about his Bloomberg Businessweek article The Crypto Story. They also discuss Elon Musk finally closing his Twitter deal and restructuring at Credit Suisse.
In the Plus segment: more crypto!
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
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Oct 29, 2022
ICYMI: Inside the Online Life of a Health & Wellness Reporter
We all spend so much of our lives online these days, and so we figured we’d start interviewing people about theirs. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by health and wellness journalist Julia Craven to talk about Julia’s past online, how she would curate her feeds if she could only follow three people, and the best and worst wellness trends she’s currently seeing. And, of course, we continue to wonder, was Jesus hot?
This podcast was produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Oct 28, 2022
What Next TBD: Twitter Is Dead; Long Live Twitter
Twitter has been a lot of things—where you posted your lunch, where you met your people, where you were subjected to a harassment campaign. Now, as Elon Musk prepares to take the reins, where is it headed?
Guest: Will Oremus, technology reporter for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Oct 26, 2022
ICYMI: How a Lesbian Emu Influencer Got Milkshake Ducked
One TikTok famous emu was allegedly struggling with avian flu last week, but the story is a bit more complicated when it comes to public health. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about Emmanuel the emu, the racist past of his owner Taylor Blake, and the confusing and risky tale she spun online about her bird’s illness.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus
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Oct 23, 2022
What Next TBD: Can We Make an Alzheimer’s Drug That Works?
Alzheimer’s treatment hasn’t changed much in the past two decades, and the way researchers have been thinking about and approaching the disease may be to blame.
Guest: Damian Garde, reporter for Stat covering the biotech industry.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Oct 22, 2022
ICYMI: What’s It Like Being a Twitch Streamer?
A lot has been happening around Twitch, a platform that really seems to live in its own world on the internet. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Gita Jackson who explains exactly why Twitch can feel so insular even though the audience is enormous. They also talk about the poorly planned TwitchCon, and the horrible things that have led streamer Amouranth to take a break from the site.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at https://slate.com/icymiplus
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Oct 21, 2022
What Next TBD: When An Algorithm Raises Your Rent
One company’s software is helping set prices for apartments across the country. But when does an algorithm telling landlords how much to charge—by drawing on property data—cross the line from “handy tool” to “illegal price-fixing”?
Guest: Heather Vogell, reporter with ProPublica
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Oct 19, 2022
ICYMI: What’s the Deal With Broadway’s 1776?
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to discuss what’s been happening online. First they scrape heaps of butter off their cutting boards, and then Daisy explains all the drama surrounding actor Sara Porkalob’s recent interview in Vulture where they tear into their own production. And then Rachelle gets powered up to tell Daisy exactly what a linewife and a bucket bunny are, and why they’ve taken over TikTok.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Oct 16, 2022
What Next TBD: Are You Ready to Be Composted When You Die?
The idea of composting a human body may seem unsettling—or even gross—and it runs counter to the normal American funeral rites of embalming and internment, which preserve the body. But advocates say it’s a greener and more peaceful way to return our bodies to the Earth.
Guest: Eleanor Cummins, science journalist
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Oct 15, 2022
ICYMI: What Makes Online Advice Good?
On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Slate’s Dear Prudence, Jenée Desmond-Harris to talk all about online advice. They discuss what her online life was like before she took over as Dear Prudence, how she decides what sort of advice to give out, and why she really enjoys being on Twitter. And Rachelle continues to wonder, was Jesus hot?
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Oct 15, 2022
Slate Money: We Can’t Quit Elon
This week, Emily Peck, Elizabeth Spiers and guest host Ed Lee discuss inflation, the first policymaker to win an economics Nobel Prize, and begrudgingly, updates in the Elon Musk Twitter saga.
In the Plus segment: introducing a new anti-woke bank.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.
Podcast production by Anna Phillips.
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Oct 14, 2022
A Word: How Tech Can Help—or Harm—Racial Justice
From Ferguson to Minneapolis, protests against racist policing have been catalyzed by videos of the brutality being spread on social media. On today’s A Word, Jason Johnson sits down with Dr. Ruha Benjamin to talk about her book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, and where social sciences and technology intersect.
Guest: Ruha Benjamin
You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.
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Oct 14, 2022
What Next TBD: The Next Amazon Union Fight
Following their victory in Staten Island, the Amazon Labor Union is still facing an uphill battle. Both the company and the union are closely watching the organizing vote at a warehouse outside of Albany, NY.
Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New York Times.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Oct 12, 2022
ICYMI: The Internet Is an Invisible Force
On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Kia Miakka Natisse and Yowei Shaw, the hosts of NPR’s Invisibilia podcast. They discuss how they found themselves in the hosting chairs, the ways they spend their own time online, and the places podcasting and influencing intersect.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Oct 9, 2022
What Next TBD: When Your Church Surveils Your Phone
Churches are using accountability apps to keep tabs on their members' behavior. But if your pastor wants to monitor your phone, can you truly consent?
Guest: Dhruv Mehrotra
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Oct 8, 2022
ICYMI: The Bling Ring Wasn’t Possible Without the Internet
The early years of social media were a wild place where people weren’t really thinking about what they were posting, which is something the teenagers of the Bling Ring took advantage of when they started using celebrity gossip sites, Facebook, MySpace and Google Maps to target their famous victims. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Moises Mendez II to talk about the new Netflix documentary The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist, which details this group’s tactics, crimes, and conflicting stories. Rachelle and Moises discuss how the internet played such an important role in these crimes, the chaos in the courtroom, and the desperation for attention these teens had.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Oct 7, 2022
What Next TBD: Could the Supreme Court Kill the Internet As We Know It?
Twenty-six words defined the internet as we know it today. What happens if they’re deleted?
Guest: Jeff Kosseff
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet
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Oct 5, 2022
ICYMI: Why an Orthodox Jewish Boys Choir Is Going Viral
The Miami Boys Choir is currently having a moment on TikTok with videos of their performances going viral on the platform. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Daisy explain who the Miami Boys Choir is, why they’re based in Brooklyn and not Miami, and what’s so appealing about their songs. They also talk about Lena Dunham’s latest wild tweet, and why the revelation of anonymous YouTuber Dream’s face was such a big deal online.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Oct 2, 2022
What Next TBD: The Philosopher With Silicon Valley's Ear
Longtermism, the idea that positively influencing the future is a key moral priority of our time, is hot in Silicon Valley. But does it miss the bigger picture?
Guests: William MacAskill, Robert Wright
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Oct 1, 2022
ICYMI: BuzzFeed Set the Try Guys Up to Fail
The internet has been abuzz with news that the Try Guys have ended their relationship with Ned Fulmer after it was revealed earlier this week that he cheated on his wife with a work colleague. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Devin Lytle, a director, producer, and former BuzzFeed colleague of the Try Guys who appeared in BuzzFeed’s Ladylike series. She and Rachelle discuss the heyday of BuzzFeed’s video department, the ways the Try Guys and Ladylike were treated differently, and how BuzzFeed created and trapped these performers in their online personalities.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 30, 2022
What Next TBD: When Climate Change Makes You Sell Your House
With disaster relief funds from Hurricane Harvey, Houston's Harris County instituted a mandatory buyout program for residents in flood-prone areas. But some residents didn't want to leave.
Guest: Amal Ahmed, Dolores Mendoza
Host: Mary C. Curtis
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Sep 28, 2022
ICYMI: Jojo Siwa Did What on TikTok?
A lot of stuff has been happening online so we figured it was a perfect time for another mailbag. On today’s episode, Nadira is back with Rachelle to read your letters and answer your burning questions. They get into everything from Jojo Siwa’s lesbian TikTok drama, to why we’re all laughing about Adam Levine’s sexts, and whether or not influencers are allowed to complain about being influencers.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 25, 2022
What Next TBD: Can Nuclear Power Be Green?
Nuclear technology has become more important than ever, thanks to a global energy crisis and climate change. But it also has a complicated history.
Guest: Joshua Keating
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Sep 24, 2022
ICYMI: Serial Didn’t Free Adnan Syed
In 2015, Serial launched the case against Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee in to the national conversation, but over the years the mistakes that show made continued to add up. Adnan Syed’s release from prison earlier this week would have been a great chance for the Serial team to admit their wrongs, but that was not the case.
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to talk about the impact Serial had on the culture, and the case itself. They speak with Rebecca Lavoie, a writer and host of Crime Writers On…, about what's missing from the podcast, the New York Times continuing to ignore its journalistic responsibilities, and how Serial is responsible for the current state of true crime culture.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 23, 2022
What Next TBD: The Fight Over Online Speech Headed to the Supreme Court
Conservative lawmakers in Florida and Texas are taking aim at content moderation on social media, with implications that go far beyond just the platforms.
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Sep 21, 2022
ICYMI: It’s OK to Criticize the Dead
It was impossible to get anything done the day the Queen died because Twitter was just too lively. All sorts of takes were had including the sympathetic, the critical, and the just plain funny. One specific strain of opinion criticized those who were laughing or rejoicing because they weren’t respecting the grief of the royal family. On today’s show, Nadira is back to talk to Rachelle about exactly what the trouble is with that train of thought. They discuss why people are so quick to jump to the dead’s defense, and how that gets in the way of really remembering the full picture of a person’s life.
This podcast is produced by Ahyiana Angel, Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Sep 18, 2022
What Next TBD: The Hidden Abuse Behind Those Spam Texts You're Getting
Victims of a new and high tech kind of human trafficking are forced to scam people all around the world.
Guest: Cezary Podkul
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Human Trafficking’s Newest Abuse: Forcing Victims Into Cyberscamming
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Sep 17, 2022
ICYMI: Where AI Art Can Go Wrong
Rachelle knows a lot about internet culture, but tech…not so much. On today’s episode, Rachelle asks Lizzie O’Leary (host of What Next, TBD) about the latest developments in art created by artificial intelligence and whether or not TikTok is listening, before helping clear up a question about a popular video trope.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 16, 2022
What Next TBD: How Big Internet Keeps Small Communities Disconnected
A small parish in Louisiana tried to get affordable, fast internet. An incumbent ISP stopped them.
Guest: Issie Lapowsky, Wanda Manning
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Sep 14, 2022
ICYMI: Harry Styles Knows Exactly What He’s Doing
Harry Styles has recently been in the news for saying some silly things and allegedly spitting on Chris Pine. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to talk through Harry’s wild history as an online character, what led us to recent events surrounding the new film Don’t Worry Darling, and why he might want to just stop talking and get back to work.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 11, 2022
What Next TBD: The Chaos That Made YouTube a Juggernaut
An inside look at the rise of YouTube into a social media behemoth.
Guests: Mark Bergen and Claire Stapleton
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Sep 10, 2022
ICYMI: Everyone Wants to Be a Food Influencer…or Do They?
On today’s episode, Rachelle gets into the world of cooking videos. She speaks with Eater’s Bettina Makalintal about how online food content has changed over the years, taking something that we all do for ourselves and turning into a consumable performance. They discuss how this has changed our own approach to food offline and online, the expectations these videos engender in their viewers, and why everything is content.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 9, 2022
What Next TBD: Can A.I. Make Great Art?
Technology is transforming the creative economy and ideas about what "art" even is.
Guest: Drew Harwell
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Sep 7, 2022
ICYMI: A Texas Church Did What With Hamilton?
The Broadway musical Hamilton did not originally contain much of a Christian message, but then the Door McAllen Church in McAllen, Texas got a hold of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the latest TikTok sensation known as “Scamilton,” an unauthorized production of Hamilton staged by the Door McAllen Church and livestreamed on Youtube in early August. They get into copyright law, how the Church lied about its right to perform the musical, and the tragically tone-deaf cast.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 6, 2022
How To!: Have a Healthier News Diet
In the second of a two-part episode on reimagining the news we continue our conversation with Nicole Lewis, Senior Editor of Jurisprudence at Slate, and a longtime reporter on the criminal justice beat; and David Bornstein, co-founder/CEO of the Solutions Journalism Network, and former contributor to the New York Times’ Fixes column. The discussion picks up where we left off on how journalists can regain the trust of their audience, and how news consumers can find stories that inspire hope, agency and dignity — our democracy may depend on it.
Resources:
https://trustingnews.org
https://wearehearken.com
https://results.org
If you liked this episode, check out Part 1: “How To Unbreak the News”
Do you have a burning question? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, and Kevin Bendis.
Slate Plus mem…
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Sep 4, 2022
What Next TBD: The Summer Vaccine of the Future
LYMErix, the first vaccine against Lyme, was pulled from the market amid poor sales and pressure from the public. Now, over 20 years later, a new vaccine is in late-stage trials.
Guest: Cassandra Willyard
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Sep 3, 2022
ICYMI: Encore: Is BYU Virginity Club Real? An ICYMI Investigation.
Instagram has seen a recent influx of college “virginity club” accounts featuring sharp, funny memes about remaining chaste. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle put these accounts under the microscope. Is anything about these accounts real, or are they just a grift for merchandise and music promotion? After some internet sleuthing, they track down the creator of the most popular account, for “Brigham Young Virginity Club,” and put him on the spot.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.
This episode originally aired on July 21, 2021.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Sep 2, 2022
What Next TBD: A.I. Made to Fight Child Porn Ensnared an Innocent Dad
A father took a photo of his son for their doctor. He wound up being investigated by the police.
Guest: Kashmir Hill
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Aug 31, 2022
ICYMI: Encore: Who Weekly? Explains Bennifer 3.0
On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle have a short discussion of the recent beekeeper drama on TikTok. Then, they’re joined by Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the Who Weekly? podcast, to discuss Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting back together. They talk about what it was like when the pair first got together in the early 2000s, and why it feels so exciting to see these two stars indulge again in their past romance, and how Bennifer 3.0 will play in a new era of social media gossip.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.
This episode originally aired on June 5, 2021.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Aug 30, 2022
How To!: Unbreak the News
About five or six years ago, host Amanda Ripley started noticing that her normal news diet left her feeling depleted and depressed. She tried mixing up her news habits, even avoiding it for awhile, but nothing helped. It felt like a shameful secret. Shouldn’t journalists love consuming the news? She began to wonder, is it me....or is it the news itself? On this episode of How To!, the first of two parts, we’ll hear from several of our listeners who feel the same way. We’ll also talk with Nicole Lewis, Senior Editor of Jurisprudence at Slate, and a longtime reporter on the criminal justice beat; and David Bornstein, co-founder/CEO of the Solutions Journalism Network, and former contributor to the New York Times’ Fixes column. Together they’ll discuss how the news became so broken, and how we can put it back together again.
Resources:
Solutions Story Tracker®
Fear of Rampant Crime Is Derailing New York City’s Recovery by Fola Akinnibi and Raeedah Wahid
I stopped reading…
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Aug 28, 2022
What Next TBD: The Streaming TV Bloodbath
Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival?
Guest: Julia Alexander
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Aug 27, 2022
ICYMI: Encore: Did TikTok Find Gabby Petito, or Exploit Her?
While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics of using tragedy for clicks. They’re joined later in the show by Haley Toumaian, a TikTok creator and novice true crime podcast host who says the rapid pace of the news genre means sometimes getting things wrong in front of an audience of millions and willfully sharing misinformation.*
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.
This episode originally aired on September 22, 2021.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Aug 26, 2022
What Next TBD: The Hacker Blowing the Whistle on Twitter
Legendary hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko’s reputation in the cybersecurity world is unmatched. His allegations against Twitter’s security are all the more damning because of it.
Guest: Joseph Menn
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Aug 25, 2022
One Year - 1986: The Ultimate Field Trip
This week, Evan Chung tells the story of the American teachers who competed for an unprecedented prize: a spot on the January 1986 launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Three of the finalists describe the grueling selection process and the tragedy that killed one of their own.
One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin.
Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.
Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.
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Aug 24, 2022
ICYMI: Encore: How a Harry Potter Fanfic Took Over the Internet
The realm of fan fiction is a wild, magical place to be, especially if that fan fiction is set at Hogwarts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about All the Young Dudes, an extensive Harry Potter fan fiction that has inspired a fandom all its own, and just how that fandom came to be. But first, they chat about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and spend time listening to the first line of some listeners’ NaNoWriMo novels.
Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis, Daniel Schroeder, and Derek John.
This episode originally ran on November 20, 2021.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Aug 21, 2022
What Next TBD: We're Expecting the Wrong Things From the CDC
There's no way to remove politics from public health.
Guest: Tim Requarth
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Aug 20, 2022
ICYMI: Tumblr Changed How We Watch Movies
Last week, Maya Cade, the creator and curator of the Black Film Archive tweeted about how Tumblr, specifically screengrabs and gifsets, has changed the way we watch movies. On today’s show, Daisy Rosario is back with Rachelle and they decided to give Maya a call. They ended up talking about the communal nature of encountering film through social media screenshots, how Maya was inspired to create the Black Film Archive, and why Tumblr might be the best current online archive tool.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Aug 19, 2022
What Next TBD: What All That Money for Green Tech in the Climate Bill Is Buying
The Inflation Reduction Act is spurring progress towards new climate technology that, at times, sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. Will it make a dent in the fight against climate change?
Guest: Pranshu Verma
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Aug 17, 2022
ICYMI: What Is a Clean Girl?
Three lifestyle trends with surprisingly retrograde ideas have been popping up on TikTok. On today’s show, Nadira Goffe is back with Rachelle to discuss what’s going on. They talk about the problems with the “clean girl” aesthetic, people who shouldn’t be trying to imitate the Kennedys and the like, and why being a housewife isn’t the “soft life” TikTokkers might want you to believe it is.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus
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Aug 15, 2022
What Next: Who Influences the Influencers?
During his presidency, Donald Trump demonstrated the power that social media can have in politics. Now, influencers are taking money to spread messages from across the spectrum. Unlike political ads in older media, though, influencers don’t have to disclose who is paying them—or even that they’re being paid at all.
Guest: Ben Wofford, writer based at Stanford Law School, contributor to Wired.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
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Aug 14, 2022
What Next TBD: Big Pharma’s Bet on Psychedelics
The psychedelic renaissance is here. But not everyone’s on board.
Guest: John Semley
Host: Sonari Glinton
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Aug 13, 2022
ICYMI: Was Black Twitter a Mistake?
Exclusively Black spaces online have faded away as platforms with wider audiences have taken over, but what, if anything, has been lost with those spaces? On today’s show, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to discuss their own experiences growing up online as Black women, and they speak with Dr. Meredith D. Clark, a professor at Northeastern University who studies Black online spaces, about Black online history, how and why we interact the way we do, and what it means to know that non-Black people are watching.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Aug 12, 2022
What Next TBD: Crypto Could Leave Texas in the Dark
Crypto mining is booming in Texas. Will the power grid be able to handle it?
Guest: Russell Gold
Host: Sonari Glinton
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Aug 10, 2022
ICYMI: What Makes a Good Internet Boyfriend?
Everybody loves indulging in thirst online. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss exactly what makes internet thirst so much fun. They talk about the qualities of a good internet boyfriend, when thirsting can go wrong, and how much these thirst objects really owe us.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Aug 7, 2022
What Next TBD: The Monkeypox Vaccine Monopoly
It makes intuitive sense for companies that develop a technology to hold its intellectual property rights. But in the case of vaccines and medical treatments, IP laws slow down manufacturing and distribution and give private companies the power to make huge decisions that affect public health globally.
Guest: Zain Rizvi, researcher for advocacy group Public Citizen, specializing in pharmaceutical innovation and access to medicine.
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Aug 6, 2022
ICYMI: Does Nicki Minaj Really Owe the IRS $173 Million?
On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to open up the mailbag for another session of Read Receipts. They get into drama surrounding Nicki Minaj’s alleged former assistant airing the rapper’s alleged dirty laundry, Diane Warren stirring up trouble with Beyoncé, satisfying restocking videos, and an explanation of Ana Mardoll.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Aug 5, 2022
What Next TBD: The Homes We Forgot to Build a Decade Ago
The US has been in a housing shortage for decades. Can it ever be fixed?
Guest: Conor Dougherty
Host: Emily Peck
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Aug 3, 2022
ICYMI: Dipping Marcel the Shell in Pink Sauce
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On was a viral sensation when he first popped up on the internet in 2010, and now he’s back in a major motion picture. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to discuss Will Smith’s sneaky news dump, do some High Speed Downloads on the Pink Sauce, and the Little Miss meme, and get into why Netflix is suing the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Then, Rachelle speaks to Marcel the Shell With Shoes On director and co-writer Dean Fleischer-Camp to discuss what it’s been like translating an internet character to the big screen, what gets lost when things go viral, and how the internet virality to mainstream success pipeline has changed over the years.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.
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Jul 31, 2022
What Next TBD: The Dark Web of Online Spider Sales
Researchers have untangled a world of illicit trade that threatens ecosystems and endangers species.
Guest: Dr. Alice Hughes, Richard Stewart
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 30, 2022
ICYMI: We Have Some Gossip For You
Everybody loves to gossip, especially when it comes to celebrities. On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Normal Gossip host Kelsey McKinney to talk about the state of internet gossip. They discuss the early days of online gossip from Gawker, Perez Hilton, and Reality Steve, how social media changed the gossip landscape, and why those changes have made it so we all have the chance to be the subject of online gossip.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jul 29, 2022
What Next TBD: Paging Dr. Bezos
In buying One Medical, Amazon is primed to be your doctor. Are they disrupting health care, or just collecting more data?
Guest: Rebecca Pifer
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 27, 2022
ICYMI: What is "Hitting the Strip"?
On today’s show: more scams! Rachelle is joined by Daily Beast entertainment editor and former Slatester Allegra Frank; the two discuss the launch and social media rollout of the new multi-level marketing company Elomir. Later in the episode they examine how, despite the abundance of information on MLMs predatory nature, they still manage to pull people in.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Kevin Bendis.
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Jul 24, 2022
What Next TBD: Smart City: Dumb Idea?
Toronto’s Quayside project is a telling example of how smart cities have failed. Could it also show how to make them better?
Guest: Ben Green, Jennifer Keesmaat
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 23, 2022
ICYMI: Madison Malone Kircher Logs Off
It’s been a great run, but Madison is leaving ICYMI for new ventures. On today’s show, Rachelle interviews Madison about her time working on ICYMI, her own internet habits, and her first online scams. Plus, they’ve got a round of High Speed Downloads, perhaps the greatest one ever recorded, so get ready to be shocked and astonished in the best way.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jul 22, 2022
What Next TBD: Europe Is Burning
The continent's deadly heat wave is only the tip of the melting iceberg.
Guest: Henry Grabar
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 20, 2022
ICYMI: Frog Eggs, Pheromones, and Yassified Ed Sheeran, Oh My!
On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle open up the mailbag to answer some more listener questions. They’ve got people wondering about a giant frog army on TikTok, Christy Carlson Romano doing sponcon cameos, dubious hygienic practices, and more.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jul 17, 2022
What Next TBD: Silicon Valley's Hidden Discrimination
Thenmozhi Soundararajan was scheduled to give a talk at Google for Dalit History Month. It led to vicious attacks against her from some of its employees.
Guest: Thenmozhi Soundararajan
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 16, 2022
ICYMI: Our CEO Tried to Scam Me
Recently, it seems like our phones won’t stop buzzing with texts and phone calls about our expired car warranties or supposed IRS delinquency. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss their own recent brushes with scams, a recent piece in the Washington Post about how scams take more than an economic toll on us, and why none of us should feel bad if we get taken in by them.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jul 15, 2022
What Next TBD: Can Twitter Sue Elon Musk Into Submission?
Dysfunction is nothing new to Twitter. But Elon Musk pulling his offer to buy the company adds a new layer of chaos.
Guest: Alex Kantrowitz
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 13, 2022
ICYMI: Doja Cat and Cardi B Are Fighting, But Not With Each Other
This past week Doja Cat started fighting with Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, and Cardi B beefed with the gossip blog the Shade Room. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle break down what’s really going on in these two fights, and how the Shade Room became a toxic behemoth of internet gossip. Plus, they talk about Beanie Feldstein bowing out of Funny Girl on Broadway, and what it means now that Lea Michele is taking the stage.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario.
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Jul 10, 2022
What Next TBD: Paxlovid's Mysteries
There's still a lot unknown about COVID's new wonder drug.
Guest: Rachel Gutman-Wei
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 9, 2022
ICYMI: The Rise of the Gentleminions
Last weekend, Minions: The Rise of Gru premiered and a bunch of teens showed up to see it dressed up in suits, launching the #Gentleminions trend across TikTok. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about why teens are putting on suits to go to the movies, and how the minions became such a dominant cultural and capitalistic force. Then, they’re joined by Vox’s Rebecca Jennings to discuss her latest piece on what the minions reveal about labor exploitation.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Jul 8, 2022
What Next TBD: Can FEMA Keep Up With Climate Change?
Climate change is causing unprecedented severe weather. Is the agency prepared for it to get worse?
Guest: Craig Fugate and Ashley Nerbovig
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 6, 2022
ICYMI: How a Social Justice Instagram Weaponized Cancel Culture
The Instagram account No White Saviors presented itself as an organization that exposed missionaries, aide workers, and influencers who were actively harming the communities they were in, but the story is much darker and more confusing than that. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison are joined once again by journalist Jessica Lucas to talk about her latest piece for Input magazine on the dubious nature and recent implosion of No White Saviors.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Jul 3, 2022
What Next TBD: The Good Hackers
According to the Justice Department, there’s a right way — and a wrong way — to be a hacker.
Guest: Josephine Wolff
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jul 2, 2022
ICYMI: Daily Harvest Is Crumbling
In the past month, customers of the meal delivery service Daily Harvest have been suffering from gastrointestinal distress after eating the company’s French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, and some have even required surgery. The company is currently investigating the cause of these medical issues but has yet to find anything conclusive. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison speak to Luke Pearson, an influencer who received the product in a PR package from Daily Harvest and has since had to have his gallbladder removed. They discuss his medical journey, what it was like finding a community online that was also suffering from these problems, and how it’s affected his future plans for brand partnerships.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Jul 1, 2022
What Next TBD: TikTok’s Mental Health Influencers
Social media makes mental health information accessible. But it's not a perfect solution.
Guest: Lindsay Lee Wallace
Host: Mary C. Curtis
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Jun 29, 2022
ICYMI: This Episode Will Not Bum You Out
On this week’s episode, Rachelle and Madison decided that, because of the recent Supreme Court news, it was time to take respite in some good online fun. They talk about the Olsen twins making pizza, Adam Lambert’s stellar vocals, plastic bags, musicals, and plenty more. Make sure to check out our Twitter for a thread with all the things mentioned in today’s episode.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 26, 2022
What Next TBD: Does Crypto Investment Need to Be Regulated?
Fidelity made headlines when they announced you could invest your retirement savings in Bitcoin. Then the crypto market crashed.
Guest: Anthony Lee Zhang
Host: Sonari Glinton
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Jun 25, 2022
ICYMI: There Are No New Jokes On the Internet
Log onto any social app and you’ll quickly find content that’s been ported over from another platform. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk about the homogenization of internet humor and how every platform is trying to copy its competition. Then they discuss the return of anonymous online spaces with the new app NGL, an app that allows people to solicit anonymous comments and questions from Instagram, and why these anonymous spaces always tend toward toxicity.
Make sure to check out our episode on period trackers, and the newest season of Slow Burn.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Jun 24, 2022
What Next TBD: Can the Law Keep Up With the Internet?
The openness of the internet is its greatest strength. Or a glaring weakness, depending on who you ask. Does something need to change?
Guest: Jared Schroeder
Host: Sonari Glinton
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Jun 22, 2022
ICYMI: Why Can’t Lesbians Escape Men on Dating Apps?
Lesbians on dating and hookup apps aren’t looking for men, but that’s what platforms like Bumble and Tinder are serving them. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle speak to some queer women who’ve had this problem and what sorts of issues it creates. Then they discuss the women-focused apps that’ve tried to fill that space, and why it’s so difficult to find safe queer dates online.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 19, 2022
What Next TBD: From the Vault: It's Hot. It's Flooding. Is This the New Normal?
This episode originally aired in July 2021.
Last year, North Americans saw record-breaking heat, droughts, wildfires, and floods. The science is clear: we are living through the effects of climate change. Now scientists are trying to answer: is this the new normal?
Guest: Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA
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Jun 18, 2022
ICYMI: American Girl Just Outed One of Their Dolls?
Earlier this month, the American Girl Doll Instagram account announced the return of the classic Molly doll, and because it was announced during Pride month everybody started wondering, “Is Molly gay?” On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss the recent gay panic of the conservative American Doll Instagram community, the online life of American Girl memes, and their own histories with these beloved childhood treasures. Plus, they discuss the drama around Lizzo’s “GRRRLS” and why she’s one of the few celebrities to nail the Notes app apology.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, and Rachelle Hampton.
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Jun 17, 2022
What Next TBD: The Culture War Over Electric Cars
One state wants to stop people from buying one. But can electric vehicles be stopped?
Guest: Ryan Cornell
Host: Sonari Glinton
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Jun 15, 2022
ICYMI: Did One Direction Create the Internet?
Throughout the 2010s, the One Direction fandom was inescapable online. On today’s show, Atlantic writer Kaitlyn Tiffany is here to discuss her new book all about that subject, Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It. Rachelle and Madison talk to Kaitlyn about why she chose One Direction, how fan theories get out of hand, and why neither she nor Rachelle would ever want to meet Harry Styles.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Jun 12, 2022
What Next TBD: Sheryl Sandberg’s Complicated Legacy
She wanted to be an icon for working women. What went wrong?
Guest: Sheera Frenkel
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jun 10, 2022
A Word: Black Crypto Boom
The market for cryptocurrency crashed in May, losing billions of investor dollars. That’s a special concern for African Americans, who are twice as likely as white people to invest in crypto. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by economist Darrick Hamilton to discuss the unique appeal of cryptocurrency among Black Americans, and whether the potential rewards outweigh the risks.
Guest: Darrick Hamilton, the founding director of the Institute for the Study of Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School.
Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis and Eric Aaron
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Jun 10, 2022
What Next TBD: Bots! What Are They Good For?
Elon Musk isn't wrong that Twitter has a bot problem. But he's kind of missing the point.
Guest: Samuel Woolley
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jun 8, 2022
ICYMI: The Musician TikTok Hostage Crisis
Over the past few months, musicians have been posting on TikTok about how their record labels are forcing them to make TikTok videos to promote their new music. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison look at what all these famous musicians like Charli XCX, Florence Welch, and Ed Sheeran are posting, why the music industry is so desperate for viral hits, and who we should feel sorry for in all of this.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Jun 5, 2022
What Next TBD: Is Elon Musk Any Good at Business?
Some call him revolutionary. Others call him a hack. Is his success warranted?
Guest: Ashlee Vance
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
Thanks Avast.com!
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Jun 4, 2022
ICYMI: Are the Mormon TikTok Moms Really Swingers?
The Mormon moms on TikTok are accused of “soft swinging,” or engaging in sexual acts with people other than their spouses while their spouses are in the room, and people cannot stop asking about it. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about Liam Payne’s recent comments about his former One Direction bandmates, and then they’re back with High Speed Downloads about the Early American Youtube channel, and the drama surrounding the Mormon moms of TikTok.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher.
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Jun 3, 2022
What Next TBD: Can an Algorithm Spot a Shooter?
Schools have spent millions to detect threats online. It mostly doesn’t work.
Guest: Arijit Sen
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Jun 3, 2022
A Word: Black to the Future Online
Like so much of pop culture, online culture is largely rooted in the work of Black and other marginalized people. Writer and activist Bridget Todd celebrates their stories on her podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet. On today’s episode of A Word, she joins Jason Johnson to talk about the challenge of preserving that history, and building communities for women, LGBTQ people, and Black folks in an increasingly hostile online world.
Guest: Bridget Todd, host of the “There Are No Girls on the Internet” podcast.
Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis
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Jun 1, 2022
ICYMI: How Depp v. Heard Broke the Internet
Since it started over six weeks ago, the court battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has been impossible to escape online. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison look at the troubling ways people are discussing the trial, the cottage industry of lawyers reacting to the trial, and the stakes that have been lost in the breathless coverage and endless meme-ing of Heard and Depp.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher.
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May 29, 2022
What Next TBD: Online Privacy in a Post-Roe World
What can current surveillance infrastructure tell us about online privacy after the fall of Roe?
Guest: Lily Hay Newman
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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May 28, 2022
ICYMI: The Real Story Behind The Viral Makeup All Over TikTok
Earlier this month, Bobbi Brown’s new foundation line blew up on TikTok thanks to some rather ungenerous videos from beauty influencers. In an effort to defend her new Jones Road line, Brown took to TikTok and filmed her own response, rocketing the drama into the TikTok mainstream. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle dig through the drama to explain why this isn’t just a story about one makeup company, and what it reveals about the state of the influencer industry.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.
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May 27, 2022
What Next TBD: Will Bitcoin Ruin El Salvador?
Is El Salvador heading for default after going all in on crypto?
Guest: Anna-Cat Brigida
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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May 25, 2022
ICYMI: Oh No, Not Another Couch Guy
On today’s episode, it’s mailbag time! Rachelle and Madison answer listener questions on a very important Haley Kiyoko relationship status update, if the Apple Health app is also selling your biological data, and – shudder – whether there is a new Couch Guy. Plus, Madison herself has a very important question about resizing your jeans.
Mentioned in the Show:
“I’m the TikTok Couch Guy. Here’s What It Was Like Being Investigated on the Internet” by Robert McCoy
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Cheyna Roth and Derek John.
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May 24, 2022
Better Life Lab: The Future of Wellbeing in an Automated World
This season of Better Life Lab, we’ve been taking a close look at work stress and the future of work and wellbeing.
Parts of the American economy are looking tough for many workers — even “dystopian. People are quitting their jobs at record rates.
We know what many of the problems are. Yet the fixes are not so simple. So on this closing episode of our fourth season, we ask: Are bad jobs an inherent part of the workplace — or can we actually do what it takes to make the jobs of the future good jobs, big enough to support real human life for all of us?
Guests
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Ct, chair of the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth
Zeynep Ton, founder, Good Jobs Institute
Warren Valdmanis, private equity investor and partner with Two Sigma Impact, who will only invest in companies that provide good jobs
Resources
What if Progress meant Wellbeing for All?, The Metropolitan Group
Making wellbeing a policy priority. Lessons from the 2021 World H…
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May 22, 2022
What Next TBD: North Korea's Hacking Army
They’ve stolen billions of dollars. Is the U.S. ready to crack down?
Guest: Jason Bartlett, research associate in the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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May 21, 2022
ICYMI: The Trial That Ruined TikTok
While TikTok’s “For You” page is designed to get inside users’ heads—and only show them videos about their niche interests—certain trends and sounds on the app can become too big to avoid. On this week’s episode, Madison and guest host Moises Mendes II break down the disturbing ubiquity of TikToks making fun of the Depp v. Heard defamation trial. Then, they offer insight into the app’s newest dance craze and our strongest contender for 2022 song of the summer, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.” Finally, they trace the origins of TikTok’s strangest earworm, the “Jiggle Jiggle” rap.
Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme and Derek John.
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May 20, 2022
What Next TBD: How Buffalo Could Transform Social Media
The shooting in Buffalo raises questions about the effectiveness of content moderation. Is the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism the answer to how social media can moderate extremist content?
Guest: Emma Llansó, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology
Host: Ray Suarez
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May 18, 2022
ICYMI: Tumblr’s “This Is White Privilege” Stays Ahead of Its Time
In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher speak with Dion Beary, a writer and online community builder who founded the Tumblr blog This Is White Privilege. They talk with Beary about where that blog began, its impact on online discourse, and why he stepped away.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John.
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May 15, 2022
What Next TBD: Inside Trump’s Twitter Clone
Trump's Truth Social network was supposed to be the right's answer to Twitter. What happens to the company if Elon takes over?
Guest: Drew Harwell, reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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May 14, 2022
ICYMI: The TikTokkers Taking Down the Troubled Teen Industry
The “troubled teen” industry, which refers to a network of private wilderness youth programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and residential treatment centers has recently come under scrutiny thanks to TikTok. Survivors of this industry have taken to the app to post stories of their traumatic experiences. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk to Kendee and Daniel, two TikTokkers who’ve become voices of the “troubled teen” industry survivor movement. They take us through what they refer to as “legal kidnapping”, the harsh conditions and manual labor they were subjected to, what life’s been like since they got out, and how TikTok has helped them heal.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.
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May 13, 2022
What Next TBD: Can A.I. Know What You're Feeling?
Companies are developing and selling A.I. products intended to tell your boss or your teacher how you're feeling.
Guest: Kate Kaye, reporter for Protocol
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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May 13, 2022
A Word: Is Big Tech Pro-Choice?
In light of the threat to Roe v. Wade, abortion rights advocates are asking many companies –including in the tech industry– to take a stand. But many industry leaders are silent, and could be poised to profit from data that tracks abortion providers, advocates, and patients. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Bärí Williams, an expert on diversity in tech and artificial intelligence. They talk about the political, financial, and social priorities that may be keeping tech leaders quiet about the abortion issue.
Guest: Bärí Williams, an expert on diversity in tech and AI. She’s also the COO of Bandwagon Fan Club, Inc., a data and identity analytics tech company focused on sports and entertainment.
Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis
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May 11, 2022
ICYMI: The “Am I the A**Hole” Economy Is Thriving
“Am I the asshole?” The provocative question lies at the heart of a wildly popular subreddit whose reach has spread far beyond the platform. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison dig into the history and legacy of the 4-million-subscriber-strong advice forum that is the “Am I the Asshole” subreddit. They speak with Mallola Khalidi, a TikTokker who’s blown up on the platform after she started filming herself reading AITA posts. They discuss how she got started, how her videos have been received, and some of the wildest stories she’s ever read aloud.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.
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May 8, 2022
What Next TBD: Is Free Speech Online Just a Myth?
A conversation with one of the smartest First Amendment lawyers in the country.
Guest: Jameel Jaffer
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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May 7, 2022
ICYMI: Your Period Tracker Is Not Your Friend
After the Supreme Court opinion dismantling Roe v. Wade was leaked earlier this week, social media has been flooded with people telling you to delete your period tracker apps. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk about their own experiences using period tracking apps, the ways your personal data can be purchased and used against you, and why data privacy in this country is nothing but a joke.
Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.
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May 6, 2022
What Next TBD: Can the Internet Rescue Abortion Access?
The pandemic changed the way abortion care could be provided online. So what happens now?
Guest: Dr. Mai Fleming, family medicine physician and Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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May 1, 2022
What Next TBD: The Fantasy of Internet for All
Today on the show: Can Starlink ever fulfill its promise of connecting the world, especially places left behind by traditional internet? Or will it be just another toy for the rich?
Guest: Meaghan Tobin, reporter at Rest of World
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 29, 2022
What Next TBD: What Elon Wants With Twitter
Twitter is the platform of choice for politicians, journalists, academics, and many other agenda-setters. Twitter influences conversations that take place in newsrooms and statehouses. What happens if the company’s placed in the hands of a pugnacious, provocative plutocrat like Elon Musk?
Guest: Will Oremus, tech reporter for the Washington Post
Host: Seth Stevenson
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Apr 24, 2022
What Next TBD: A New High-Tech Weapon in Ukraine
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia is uncovering new wartime applications for facial recognition technology.
Guest: Aric Toler, director of research and training at Bellingcat
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 22, 2022
What Next TBD: The COVID Data Disaster
Are we facing down yet another COVID wave right now? Does it matter?
Guest: Katherine Wu, staff writer for The Atlantic
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 17, 2022
What Next TBD: How TurboTax Tricks Taxpayers
How did Intuit build its TurboTax empire?
Guest: Justin Elliott, reporter for ProPublica
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 15, 2022
What Next TBD: Elonnnnnnnnnnnnn!
Is Musk's bid to take Twitter private a genuine attempt to mold the social network in his image? Or is he just going to have some fun, make some money, and walk away?
Guest: Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money and chief financial correspondent for Axios
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 10, 2022
What Next TBD: Uber Makes Nice With Cabs
The rideshare company's founder once called taxis “evil.” Now, Uber might need them to survive.
Guest: Preetika Rana
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 8, 2022
What Next TBD: Elon Trolls the SEC
With 9.1% ownership of Twitter—and a board seat—Elon Musk is the new master of Twitter's future. Why did the wealthiest man in the world just take over the world's most influential platform?
Guest: Ranjan Roy, writer of the Margins newsletter
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 3, 2022
What Next TBD: A Conversation With Europe's Top Tech Cop
For nearly a decade, Margrethe Vestager has led Europe's efforts to rein in big tech. One newspaper article described Vestager as putting the fear of God into Silicon Valley. How is she thinking about fairness in tech in 2022?
Guest: Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the Digital Age
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Apr 1, 2022
What Next TBD: The White House's Favorite Tech Billionaire
Why did Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt spend over a decade building relationships with the most powerful Democrats in America?
Guest: Alex Thompson, reporter at Politico
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Mar 27, 2022
What Next TBD: The Cost of Going Off-Grid
Going off-grid can seem appealing in lots of ways. But are there consequences if everyone unplugs from the system? Are there costs we haven’t considered?
Guest: Ivan Penn, renewable energy correspondent for the New York Times
Host: Seth Stevenson
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Mar 25, 2022
What Next TBD: Why the Zelensky Deepfake Failed
The FBI warned that Russia would use deepfakes to support its invasion of Ukraine. Are they missing the real threat?
Guest: Noah Giansiracusa, professor of math and data science at Bentley University.
Host: Seth Stevenson
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Mar 20, 2022
What Next TBD: The Startup Delivering Adderall
In just two years, the mental-health startup Cerebral has grown to operate in 50 states, registered more than 200,000 patients, and reached a $4.8 billion valuation. Has it prioritized growth over patient care?
Guest: Caleb Melby
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Mar 18, 2022
What Next TBD: Hong Kong’s Covid Crisis
Hong Kong's zero-COVID policy got enviable results, but inadvertently set the stage for disaster. What will it take to change course?
Guest: Dr. Karen Grépin, Associate Professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Mar 13, 2022
What Next TBD: How Minnesota Spied On Protesters
When Minnesota's Operation Safety Net, a coordinated effort among nine Minnesota law enforcement agencies, was announced in February 2021, its mission was to ensure the trial of Derek Chauvin would proceed peacefully. It also promised to protect people's right to gather and demonstrate peacefully.
Did Operation Safety Net keep its promise?
Guest: Tate Ryan-Mosley, reporter for MIT Tech review
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Mar 11, 2022
What Next TBD: Putin's Internet Crackdown
Vladimir Putin has always regarded the internet with suspicion. Now, with western tech companies pulling out of Russia and control of the war narrative slipping, he sees an opening. Will Putin wall off Russia from the rest of the digital world?
Guests:
Yana Pashaeva, Moscow-based journalist
Justin Sherman, fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative
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Mar 6, 2022
What Next TBD: When Your Retina Needs a Software Update
Second Sight restored partial vision to hundreds of patients around the world through retinal implants. Then, on the verge of bankruptcy, they abandoned the project. Now, over 300 patients with Second Sight technology in their bodies are asking: what will happen to us?
Guest: Eliza Strickland, senior editor at IEEE Spectrum
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Mar 4, 2022
What Next TBD: Ukraine’s Information War
Up against one of the world's most effective propaganda operations, Ukraine has taken control of the online narrative. With Russian troops closing in, how important is winning the information war?
Guest: Casey Newton, writer at Platformer
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Feb 27, 2022
What Next TBD: Peter Thiel, Patron of the Populist Right
Peter Thiel spent the better part of two decades molding the tech industry in his image. Now, he's leaving Facebook behind and turning his attention to politics. Is Thiel the next kingmaker for the populist right?
Max Chafkin, writer for Bloomberg and is the author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power
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Feb 25, 2022
What Next TBD: Russia's Other Battlefront
For seven years, Ukraine has served as a virtual testing ground for a generation of cyber weaponry capable of taking down power grids, networks, and supply chains. With an invasion of Ukraine underway, will these weapons come into play?
Guest: Andy Greenberg, senior writer at WIRED and the author of the book Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Feb 20, 2022
What Next TBD: The COVAX Fantasy
Over two years into the pandemic, much of the world remains either unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or lacking access to mRNA vaccines entirely. How did the leading effort to vaccinate the world go so wrong?
Guest: Achal Prabhala, coordinator of the AccessIBSA project and a fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation, in Bangalore.
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Feb 18, 2022
What Next TBD: "Rampant Racism" at Tesla
Last week, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued Tesla. It accuses the electric vehicle maker of fostering a workplace rife with racism and discrimination.
What's happening inside Tesla's Fremont plant?
Guest: Dana Hull, reporter for Bloomberg
Host: Lizzie O'Leary
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Feb 15, 2022
How To: Beat Hackers at Their Own Game
Susan was concerned when she first learned that someone was impersonating her on Facebook, but that soon turned to anger when she realized the imposter had sent inappropriate photos to her real life friends. Susan tried and failed to get the account taken down. Then came the extortion letter...and now she’s freaking out a bit. On this episode of How To!, Jack Rhysider, host of Darknet Diaries and cybersecurity veteran, talks about the time he was stalked on the internet. Jack no longer shares much online—he won’t even show his face. You don't have to go that far, but there are things you can do to protect your online data and your emotions in real life. If you’re worried about being exposed, Jack has some great resources for battling stalkers and online harassment.
If you liked this episode, check out “How To Steal Back Your Identity.”
Do you have a hacker horror story with a happy ending? Or some other problem we can help solve? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave…
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Feb 13, 2022
What Next TBD: The Rise of a Fast Fashion Juggernaut
In just a few short years, the Chinese fast fashion company Shein upended the way countless young women shop online. It’s approach could soon shape the way everyone else shops, too.
Guest: Louise Matsakis, freelance technology reporter
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Feb 11, 2022
What Next TBD: How Safe is the Metaverse?
Facebook’s first crack at the metaverse has a problem: kids. Underage users seem to be flooding Horizon Worlds, potentially putting themselves at risk.
Is Meta doomed to repeat Facebook’s mistakes?
Guest: Will Oremus, technology news analysis writer for the Washington Post.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Feb 6, 2022
What Next TBD: The Code That Runs Your Life
Banks, healthcare providers, and retailers around the world still rely on COBOL, a programming language originally developed in the 1960s. By all accounts the code is powerful, practical, and very rarely problematic. But the small group of people who still know the language are aging out of the workforce.
What happens when there are no more COBOL coders left?
Guest: Clive Thompson, journalist and author of "Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World."
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Feb 4, 2022
What Next TBD: Spotify’s Joe Rogan Mess
For Spotify, the last month has seen a cascade of controversies around its exclusive podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Is it time for the streaming service to rethink its role as a podcast publisher? And is it even possible to moderate podcast misinformation?
Guest: Evelyn Douek, lecturer at Harvard Law School, and Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Jan 28, 2022
What Next TBD: The Downfall of One of the World's Biggest Brains
Ten years ago, IBM made a gamble. Through a monumental advertising and PR campaign, it promised that its AI technology–Watson–would transform the health care industry as we know it. A decade and billions of dollars later, Watson Health is being sold for parts.
What went wrong with IBM’s “moonshot?” And what does Watson’s failure tell us about the promise of AI for health care?
Guest: Casey Ross, national technology correspondent for STAT
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Jan 21, 2022
What Next TBD: Why Does Matt Damon Want Me to Buy Crypto?
A recent advertisement for crypto.com, featuring Matt Damon, was met with widespread mockery online. But Damon’s ad is only the most visible example of a much broader—and more insidious—trend of celebrity cryptocurrency endorsements. Is the partnership between crypto and Hollywood really dangerous? And what separates the trend from run-of-the-mill salesmanship?
Guests: Jacob Silverman, staff writer for the New Republic and Ben McKenzie, actor, writer, and director.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Jan 14, 2022
What Next TBD: Where Are The Little Kids' Vaccines?
Today on What Next TBD: What is going on with little kids' vaccines? Why don’t they seem to be a priority for the government or the pharmaceutical companies, while parents are stressed to a breaking point? We discuss with Meg Tirrell, health and science correspondent for CNBC, and co-host of the Readout Loud podcast.
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Jan 7, 2022
What Next TBD: The Aftermath of Elizabeth Holmes
Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty of defrauding investors this week in federal court. The former CEO, wunderkind, and blood mogul has been the subject of intense legal interest and public fascination ever since her company, Theranos, was beset by scandal in 2015. Today on What Next: TBD we follow-up with Rebecca Jarvis, host of “The Dropout” podcast and ABC News Chief Business, Technology & Economics Correspondent. We dig into the verdict and ask if Silicon Valley will finally confront the elements of its culture that allowed Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos to run wild with investor’s money, and patient’s health. You can listen to “The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial” now wherever you get your podcasts.
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Dec 17, 2021
What Next TBD: The Carbon Capture Fantasy
Using experimental technology to pull gigatons of carbon out of the air and bury it deep beneath the Earth sounds like a bad sci-fi plot point. If things don’t change soon, it also might be one of our only options.
Guest: Clive Thompson, journalist and author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Dec 10, 2021
What Next TBD: Who Online Justice Leaves Behind
The U.S. civil court system doesn’t get as much attention as the criminal courts, but it would be hard to overstate its importance. In 2018, for example, 47 percent of respondents to a Pew survey said they had dealt with the system in one way or another; from eviction proceedings, to debt collection, to child-support modifications.
What happened when the pandemic upended such an important pillar of the justice system? Did new technologies fix existing problems—or just create new ones?
Guest: Qudsiya Naqui, officer at the Pew Charitable Trust
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Dec 3, 2021
What Next TBD: Did @jack Ruin Twitter?
On Monday, Jack Dorsey stepped down as CEO of Twitter. It’s not the first time he’s left the job.
Is this really the end for the man who guided Twitter through the Trump era? And how will the platform change without him at the helm?
Guest: Nick Bilton, special correspondent at Vanity Fair
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Nov 26, 2021
What Next TBD: Best of 2021 | Inside the Subreddit That Blew Up GameStop
This episode originally aired in January 2021
The story of how GameStop went from the verge of a bankruptcy to a $15 billion market value isn’t an easy one to wrap your head around. But it helps to go back to the beginning; almost three years ago, in a subreddit called r/wallstreetbets.
Guests:
Brandon Kochkodin, reporter at Bloomberg
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Nov 19, 2021
What Next TBD: Space Junk! (And Space Wars?)
Over the weekend, Russia tested a new weapon—a type of missile that can fly into space and destroy a satellite in orbit.
The test created thousands of pieces of debris, which will hurtle around the Earth’s orbit for years to come. What’s the real risk of the rapid increase in space junk? And is there anything to be done about it?
Guest:
Laura Grego, Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at MIT
Host: Seth Stevenson
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Nov 12, 2021
What Next TBD: The Kid-Vaccine Holdouts
A recent poll showed that about a third of parents of younger children would get their kids vaccinated, a third would not, and the final third said they wanted to wait and see how the vaccines worked.
Public health officials are asking: what will it take to convince that third group that now is the time to vaccinate?
Guests:
Julie Hamill
Dr. Aaron Carroll, pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Nov 5, 2021
What Next TBD: How Schools Surveil Your Kids
In schools across the country, tighter digital controls were put in place to keep kids on task during the pandemic. Are they here to stay?
Guests: Priya Anand, reporter at Bloomberg
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Oct 29, 2021
What Next TBD: Why Are Bots Buying Sneakers?
The bots aren’t just buying cool sneakers. They’re buying concert tickets. Tickets to basketball games and Broadway shows. At the beginning of the pandemic, they were buying hand sanitizer and face masks. And later, they were booking vaccine reservation spots.
Why are bots taking over certain markets? And is there anything we can do to slow them down?
Guests:
Derreck Johnson, designer at Slate
Eric Budish, economics professor at the University of Chicago
Host: Seth Stevenson
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Oct 22, 2021
What Next TBD: Honey, I Sold the House to Zillow
Between April and June of this year, Zillow bought nearly 4,000 homes. And they had no intention of holding onto them. The plan was to flip houses, often and at scale, joining the ranks of companies like Opendoor and Offerpad, also known as iBuyers.
So, why did Zillow put their plans on pause last weekend? Can online middlemen really change the way we buy and sell houses?
Guests:
Tony Santos, homeowner
Patrick Clark, reporter at Bloomberg
Host: Henry Grabar
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Oct 15, 2021
What Next TBD: The Return of Hacktivism
Over the last month, the domain company Epik and the streaming service Twitch have fallen prey to massive-scale hacks. The hackers revealed not just email addresses, but detailed personal information too. For Twitch, it was the entire source code for their site.
But the attackers aren’t holding this data for ransom. In fact, they don’t seem to want much of anything. What’s motivating this new wave of activist hacks? And who suffers?
Guest: Drew Harwell, tech reporter at the Washington Post
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Oct 8, 2021
What Next TBD: Will the Facebook Whistleblower Make a Difference?
The last month has seen a steady drip of leaked documents from inside Facebook, each seemingly more damning than the next. This week, the whistleblower behind the leaks revealed her identity.
What motivates Frances Haugen? And can she do real damage to the social media giant?
Guest: Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Oct 1, 2021
What Next TBD: What Instagram Does to Teens
Since 2018, internal research teams at Facebook have been studying the effect on Instagram on mental health. Their results couldn’t be more clear: Instagram is causing problems, especially for teen girls.
Why has it taken so long for their research to surface? And what can be done to improve the relationship between kids and the platform?
Guest: Georgia Wells, tech reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Sep 24, 2021
What Next TBD: Are We Getting COVID Testing All Wrong?
In the U.S., the PCR test is the gold standard for COVID testing. Common knowledge would have it that the test is more accurate—and therefore more effective at containing the spread of the dease—than the rapid antigen test.
What if that isn’t quite true?
Guest: Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Sep 17, 2021
What Next TBD: China vs. Video Games
Recently, China restricted video game playing to just three hours a week for its young people: 8pm to 9pm, Friday through Sunday.
And that’s not the only change. Over the last few months, private tutors, diehard celebrity fans, and tech giants have all faced fresh restrictions from Beijing. What’s behind this new wave of crackdowns?
Guest: Brenda Goh, technology correspondent for Reuters
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
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Aug 21, 2021
What Next: TBD: Will Booster Shots Make a Difference?
Hey Secret History fans! We thought you might like this episode of What Next: TBD. What Next is Slate’s daily news show. And every Friday, What Next: TBD turns the news of the present into a glimpse of what tomorrow holds. From fake news to fake meat, augmented reality to MRNA, in each episode host Lizzie O'Leary talks to an expert about the technology that’s reshaping our world.
In this episode: The Biden administration says a third dose of vaccines for all American adults will end the pandemic faster. And experts say there is evidence of waning vaccine effectiveness against mild-to-moderate disease. But globally, what’s the best use of the next available dose?
If you like this episode, subscribe to What Next or What Next: TBD on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Guest: Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health.
Host: Lizzie O’Leary
This episode was produced by Alyssa Edes.
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May 27, 2020
Introducing: Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism
Hey Secret History listeners! We'd like to introduce a new show from Slate, Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism. Each episode dives into the history of a brand that shapes the way we live and work. This first episode is about The Carnival Corporation, the biggest cruise company in the world. Carnival made headlines at the start of the covid-19 crisis when its ships harbored some of the world’s first coronavirus outbreaks. But it turns out the cruise industry is no stranger to disaster--on the contrary, mishaps have plagued Carnival since its very first voyage. How has cruising remained a popular way to vacation, in the face of one disaster after another? Listen to find out, and if you like it, subscribe to Thrilling Tales of Modern Capitalism on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
Podcast production by Jess Miller and Asha Saluja.
Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.
Lear…
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Dec 16, 2019
Introducing Cautionary Tales
Hello, Secret History fans! Here's an episode of another show we think you might like: Cautionary Tales from Pushkin Industries.
Learning from our mistakes can be hard. Learning from other people’s mistakes...well, that’s a lot more fun.
In Cautionary Tales, from Pushkin Industries, economist and journalist Tim Harford retells true stories of unexpected outcomes, from the development of tanks in modern warfare to the accidental crowning of La La Land at the 2017 Oscars. Some of these tales are tragic, some are comic, but like the great fables and parables, each has a moral.
Tim takes you aboard a doomed airship, sits you on a concert stage in front of a broken piano, and puts you in a room with cult members counting down the final seconds before the end of the world. A cast of actors joins him in telling these stories. You’ll hear the famous Alan Cumming, Archie Panjabi, who won an Emmy award for The Good Wife, and Russell Tovey from The History Boys.
Cautionary Tales from P…
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Nov 26, 2019
Introducing What Next: TBD
Hey Secret History of the Future fans! We're excited to introduce you to another show we think you'll like. It's called What Next: TBD, and it's a weekly show about tech, power, and the future. Secret History's very own Seth Stevenson guest hosted this episode. Check it out, and then subscribe here: https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next-tbd or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Sep 4, 2019
S2E10: New Media, Old Story
Radio was originally a social medium, as early radio sets (each of which could transmit as well as receive) turned cities into giant chatrooms, populated by Morse Code-tapping enthusiasts. But the excitement of this democratic, digital platform did not last, and radio was tamed by corporate interests in the 1920s. The utopian dream of platforms that are open and meritocratic has been reborn in the internet era in the form of blogging, and more recently podcasting. But can it ever come true?
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Aug 28, 2019
S2E9: A Brief History Of Timekeeping
The first mechanical clocks were made to summon monks to prayer. Ever since, timekeeping technology has often been about control and obligation. But underneath a mountain in Texas, a new kind of clock is being built that’s meant to alter the way we think about time. Can it force us to connect our distant past with our distant future, tick by tick?
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Aug 21, 2019
S2E8: Salvation In The Air
At the dawn of the 20th century, chemists dreamed of extracting nitrogen from the air and turning it into a limitless supply of fertiliser. Sceptics thought they were crazy -- it was possible in theory, but it was unclear if it could be done in practice. What happened next changed the course of 20th-century history, and provides inspiration to innovators pursuing a different dream today: sucking carbon dioxide out of the air to avert climate change. Might they not be quite so crazy after all?
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Aug 14, 2019
S2E7: A Bug In The System
The first ever computer program was written in 1843 by Ada Lovelace, a mathematician who hoped her far-sighted treatise on mechanical computers would lead to a glittering scientific career. Today, as we worry that modern systems suffer from “algorithmic bias” against some groups of people, what can her program tell us about how software, and the people who make it, can go wrong?
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Aug 7, 2019
S2E6: Dots, Dashes, and Dating Apps
In the 19th century, young people wooed each other over the telegraph. But meeting strangers on the wires could lead to confusion, disappointment, and even fraud. Do modern online dating apps have anything to learn from telegraph romances?
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Jul 31, 2019
S2E5: Mars on Earth
Polar exploration was the Victorian equivalent of the space race. Major powers vied to outdo each other, funding expeditions to the most inhospitable parts of the world as demonstrations of their supremacy over nature and each other. Today, the resulting tales of triumph and tragedy hold valuable lessons about what to do—and what not to do—as human explorers plan missions to Mars.
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Jul 24, 2019
S2E4: Meat and Potatoes
The potato seemed strange and unappetizing when it first arrived in Europe. But it grew into a wonder food that helped solve the continent’s hunger problems. Can its journey tell us what to expect from current efforts to replace animal meat with societally healthier meat alternatives made from plants, insects, or cells grown in petri dishes?
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Jul 17, 2019
S2E3: Unreliable Evidence
In the early 20th century a new forensic technique—fingerprinting—displaced a cruder form of identification based on body measurements. Hailed as modern, scientific, and infallible, fingerprinting was adopted around the world. But in recent years doubts have been cast on its reliability, and a new technique—DNA profiling—has emerged as the forensic gold standard. In assuming it is infallible, are we making the same mistake again?
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Jul 10, 2019
S2E2: Second Wind
For thousands of years we sailed our cargo across oceans using zero-emission, 100 percent renewable wind. Then we switched to ships that run on oil, creating a global maritime fleet that pumps greenhouse gases into the sky. Could we go back to wind-powered ships by rediscovering a clever nautical innovation that we abandoned a century ago?
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Jul 3, 2019
S2E1: A Familiar Tune
The 19th century invention of the phonograph left composers worried they might not be paid for recordings. The 20th century proliferation of digital sampling outmoded old copyright laws. Can these previous tech disruptions of the music business teach us how to handle a 21st century onslaught of computers that can compose their own songs?
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Jun 26, 2019
Season 2 Trailer
What can 19th century polar exploration teach us as humans plan missions to Mars? Do modern online dating apps have anything to learn from romances over the telegraph wires? Dig into the past, and you’ll find surprising lessons about what’s next for our modern world. Season 2 of The Secret History of The Future drops July 03, 2019. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.
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Nov 7, 2018
S1E10: Infinite Scroll
The Renaissance scholars couldn’t keep up with new information (“Have you read the latest Erasmus book?” “I don’t have time!”) and needed a better way to organize it. Thus came the invention of tables of contents, indexes, book reviews, encyclopedias, and other shortcuts. What kinds of technological solutions might help us cope with the information overload we all experience today? Guests include: Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack; Nathan Jurgenson, Snapchat sociologist.
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Oct 31, 2018
S1E9: A Little Less Conversation
Some people thought the laying of the transatlantic cable might bring world peace, because connecting humans could only lead to better understanding and empathy. That wasn’t the outcome, and recent utopian ideas about communication (Facebook might bring us together and make us all friends!) have also met with a darker reality (Facebook might polarize us and spread false information!). Should we be scared of technology that promises to connect the world? Guests include: Robin Dunbar, inventor of Dunbar’s Number; Nancy Baym, Microsoft researcher.
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Oct 24, 2018
S1E8: VR or It Didn’t Happen
In the Victorian era, plaster casts became a way to preserve important artifacts in 3-D. Now, virtual reality promises to preserve places and experiences. But who decides what gets preserved? And is the technology an accurate recreation of the experience, or does it fool us into thinking we’ve encountered the real thing when we’ve done nothing of the sort? Guests include: Jaron Lanier, VR pioneer; Nonny de la Pena, VR artist; Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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Oct 17, 2018
S1E7: A Clock in the Sky
In 1714, British parliament offered a huge cash prize to anyone who could find a way to determine longitude at sea. And it worked, sort of ... several decades later. Are modern contests (DARPA challenges, the X Prize) offering riches and glory an effective way to spur technological innovation? Guests include: Dava Sobel, author of Longitude.
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Oct 10, 2018
S1E6: From Zero to Selfie
In 1969, an anthropologist introduced photographs and films to people in Papua New Guinea who’d never seen themselves represented in media before. It changed their conception of the world. In modern society, social media floods us with imagery at a pace we’ve never encountered before, and powerful video manipulation technology threatens to blur the line between real and fake. Are we the new Papuans, about to be overwhelmed by a wholesale media shift? Guests include: Nathan Jurgenson, Snapchat’s in-house sociologist; Hany Farid, Dartmouth computer science professor.
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Oct 3, 2018
S1E5: Human Insecurity
The French telegraph system was hacked in 1834 by a pair of thieves who stole financial market information -- effectively conducting the world’s first cyber attack. What does the incident teach us about network vulnerabilities, human weakness, and modern-day security? Guests include: Bruce Schneier, security expert.
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Sep 26, 2018
S1E4: The Fault In Our Cars
The first pedestrian killed by a car in the western hemisphere was on New York’s Upper West Side in 1899. One newspaper warned that “the automobile has tasted blood.” Today, driverless cars present their own mix of technological promise and potential danger. Can the reaction to that 1899 pedestrian tragedy help us navigate current arguments about safety, blame, commerce, and public space? Guests include: Missy Cummings, Navy fighter pilot and head of the Duke Humans and Autonomy Lab.
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Sep 19, 2018
S1E3: Fork Fashions and Toilet Trends
It took a long time for the fork to go from weird curiosity to ubiquitous tool. How long will it take for current technologies -- like the Japanese-style bidet toilet, or heads-up displays such as Google Glass -- to go from oddities to everyday necessities? Guests include: Astro Teller, Google’s Captain of Moonshots; Margaret Visser, author of The Rituals of Dinner.
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Sep 12, 2018
S1E2: The Body Electric
We’ve used electricity to treat our brains for thousands of years, from placing electric fish on our heads to cure migraines to using electroconvulsive therapy to alleviate depression. But over time, our focus has shifted from restoring health to augmenting our abilities. Should we be wearing battery-powered caps to improve our concentration, or implanting electricity-emitting devices to expand our thinking capacity? Guests include: Brian Johnson, CEO of Kernel.
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Sep 5, 2018
S1E1: The Box That A.I. Lives In
In the 18th century, a device called the Mechanical Turk convinced Europeans that a robot could play winning chess. But there was a trick. It’s a trick that companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook still pull on us today. Guests include: Jaron Lanier, futurist. Luis von Ahn, founder of CAPTCHA and Duolingo.
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Aug 6, 2018
Season 1 Trailer
Examine the history of tech to uncover stories that help us illuminate the present and predict the future.
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