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2,520 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★ - 51 ratingsThe latest in-depth coverage covering the intersection of technology and culture will help you make sense of a world in constant transformation. Join us as we explore the ways technology is changing our lives.
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Episodes
RIP Apple Car. This Is Why It Died
February 29, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesAny tech company moving into the auto space needs a manufacturing partner. But the Apple's EV died as it lived: alone. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Discarded Plan to Build Underwater Cities Will Give Coral Reefs New Life
February 28, 2024 12:00 - 4 minutesA 1970s plan to grow underwater limestone objects has been repurposed as a way of regenerating the seabed, reestablishing corals, and stopping coastal erosion. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Neuralink’s First Brain Implant Is Working. Elon Musk’s Transparency Isn’t
February 27, 2024 12:00 - 9 minutesElon Musk says Neuralink’s first human trial subject can control a computer mouse with their brain, but some researchers are frustrated by a lack of information about the study. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google Tweaked Search to Comply With EU Rules. Yelp Says It Makes Results Even More Unfair
February 26, 2024 12:00 - 10 minutesGoogle says its new designs comply with the Digital Markets Act, which bars platforms from favoring their own tools. Yelp says tests show one tweak made people even more likely to stick with Google. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Small Wearable Device Reduces Parkinson’s Symptoms
February 23, 2024 12:00 - 5 minutesPeople with Parkinson’s have fewer tremors when they receive rhythmic physical stimulation—so a UK startup has created a coin-sized vibrating device to help patients move more easily. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Climate Finance Is Targeting the Wrong Industries
February 22, 2024 12:00 - 5 minutesRoughly half of the world’s emissions currently can’t be reduced, yet green investment continues to avoid the sectors that need the most help—manufacturing, agriculture, and the built environment. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI Is Coming for the Experts. First, It Needs Their Help
February 21, 2024 12:00 - 11 minutesA new workforce of language experts, creative writers, and nuclear physicists are turning to data labor—and potentially making their future jobs obsolete in the process. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Virus Found in Wastewater Beat Back a Woman’s ‘Zombie’ Bacteria
February 20, 2024 12:00 - 10 minutesViruses called phages offer a promising treatment option for bacterial infections when antibiotics stop working, but they have limitations. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Feds Just Bet Even Bigger on American-Made Heat Pumps
February 19, 2024 12:00 - 6 minutesThe US Department of Energy is announcing another $63 million to supercharge domestic manufacturing of the devices—in the name of national, energy, and climate security. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Smoking Alters Your Immune System for Years After You Quit
February 16, 2024 12:00 - 9 minutesBy switching genes on and off, cigarettes have a long-lasting effect on immunity, and appear to shape your immune system just as much as aging. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI Is Rewiring Coders’ Brains. Yours May Be Next
February 15, 2024 12:00 - 6 minutesThe CEO of GitHub says half of all code produced by users of the Copilot programming helper is now AI-generated—but that there’s no sign the technology will replace human coders. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Who Tests If Heat-Proof Clothing Actually Works? These Poor Sweating Mannequins
February 14, 2024 12:00 - 6 minutesThese mannequins undergo daily torture at the hands of textile scientists, but their suffering means we humans can have future-proofed clothing capable of handling our warming world. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Developers Are in Open Revolt Over Apple’s New App Store Rules
February 13, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesEuropean app makers are seething, comparing Apple to “the Mafia” and piling pressure on lawmakers to act. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Far-Right's Favorite Web Host Has a Shadowy New Owner
February 12, 2024 12:00 - 10 minutesKnown for doing business with far-right extremist websites, Epik has been acquired by a company that specializes in helping businesses keep their operations secret. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google Prepares for a Future Where Search Isn’t King
February 09, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesCEO Sundar Pichai tells WIRED that Google's new, more powerful Gemini chatbot is an experiment in offering users a way to find information and get things done without a search engine. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Study at the Center of the Abortion Pill Battle Was Just Retracted
February 08, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesA scientific publisher found serious flaws in a paper that links the medication mifepristone to more emergency room visits.Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mystery Company Linked to Biden Robocall Identified by New Hampshire Attorney General
February 07, 2024 12:00 - 4 minutesThe FCC has issued a cease and desist and is working on a new proposal banning AI-generated robocalls. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Startup Allegedly ‘Hacked the World.’ Then Came the Censorship—and Now the Backlash
February 06, 2024 12:00 - 12 minutesA loose coalition of anti-censorship voices is working to highlight the legal threats aimed at making reports of one Indian company’s hacker-for-hire past disappear. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
You Can’t Buy Lab-Grown Meat Even If You Wanted To
February 05, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesAll of the restaurants that once sold cultivated meat have stopped offering it, leaving the industry in a strange limbo. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Cheaper Tesla Model Is Coming in 2025 as Chinese Competition Intensifies
February 02, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesA low-cost model of Tesla will launch in 2025, CEO Elon Musk told investors. It could help the EV maker compete with BYD and other surging Chinese automakers. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Comcast’s Xfinity Stores Your Sensitive Data. You Can Kind of Opt Out
February 01, 2024 12:00 - 5 minutesOne of America’s largest internet providers may collect data about your political beliefs, race, and sexual orientation to serve personalized ads. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Big-Name Targets Push Midnight Blizzard Hacking Spree Back Into the Limelight
January 31, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesNewly disclosed breaches of Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise highlight the persistent threat posed by Midnight Blizzard, a notorious Russian cyber-espionage group. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apple Isn’t Ready to Release Its Grip on the App Store
January 30, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesIn response to new rules, the iPhone maker announced drastic changes for users in Europe. But criticism is mounting that Apple’s new system only recreates old problems. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Researchers Say the Deepfake Biden Robocall Was Likely Made With Tools From AI Startup ElevenLabs
January 29, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesTwo fake-audio experts say that the deepfake robocall of President Biden received by some voters was likely created with technology from Silicon Valley’s favorite voice-cloning startup. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Chatbot Screens Your Dating App Matches for You
January 26, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesUsers of the new dating app Volar train a chatbot to go on virtual first dates for them with the bots of potential matches. We tested it out. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No, the Great Tech Layoffs of 2023 Aren’t Happening Again
January 25, 2024 12:00 - 6 minutesAmazon, Discord, Duolingo, and Google all started 2024 with job cuts. But the tech job market isn’t facing the same trouble it did last year. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Chinese Startup Is Winning the Open Source AI Race
January 24, 2024 12:00 - 11 minutesKai-Fu Lee, an AI expert and prominent investor who helped Google and Microsoft get established in China, says his new startup 01.AI will create the first “killer apps” of generative AI. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ChatGPT's Hunger for Energy Could Trigger a GPU Revolution
January 23, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesWith AI projects booming and the physical limits of silicon looming, some startups are challenging Nvidia's dominance and say it’s time to reinvent the computer chip entirely. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trawling Boats Are Hauling Up Ancient Carbon From the Ocean Depths
January 22, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesThe world’s trawlers are stirring carbon dioxide into the water—and into the atmosphere. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Murky Campaign to Discredit Lab-Grown Meat
January 19, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesA new ad campaign is targeting the cultivated meat industry on TV and online. Industry supporters criticize it as unscientific. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why Tech Workers Are Ditching Big Cities for Boise
January 18, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesIdaho’s capital city is seeing an influx of young people as they apply for tech jobs away from big coastal cities amid massive layoffs and a disillusion with Big Tech. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
These Mining Companies Are Ready to Raid the Seabed
January 17, 2024 12:00 - 8 minutesOcean exploration to prepare for deep-sea mining has been greenlit in Norway. These are the startups hoping to benefit. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Congress Wants Tech Companies to Pay Up for AI Training Data
January 16, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesAt a Senate hearing on AI’s impact on journalism, lawmakers backed media industry calls to make OpenAI and other tech companies pay to license news articles and other data used to train algorithms. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon
January 15, 2024 12:00 - 9 minutesAuthors keep finding what appear to be AI-generated imitations and summaries of their books on Amazon. There's little they can do to rein in the rip-offs. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The White House Just Announced a $623 Million EV-Charging Bonanza
January 12, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesElectric vehicle charging stations are still scarce in many parts of the US. The White House announced grants totaling $623 million to top up electric cars, bikes, and scooters. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Air Pollution Is Ruining Your Skin
January 11, 2024 12:00 - 6 minutesWildfire smoke and exhaust fumes are triggering spikes in eczema and other skin conditions. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In Defense of AI Hallucinations
January 10, 2024 12:00 - 11 minutesChatbots’ habit of spewing untruths is a big problem—but we should also celebrate these hallucinations as prompts for human creativity and a barrier to machines taking over. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Spying on Beavers From Space Could Help Save California
January 09, 2024 12:00 - 12 minutesA group of scientists taught an algorithm to spot beaver ponds in satellite imagery, which has the potential to help drought-ridden areas like California bounce back. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
They Had PTSD. A Psychedelic Called Ibogaine Helped Them Get Better
January 08, 2024 12:00 - 9 minutesIbogaine, a plant-based psychoactive drug, drastically reduced symptoms of depression and PTSD in veterans with traumatic brain injuries. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Plan to Put Pig Genes in Soy Beans for Tastier Fake Meat
January 05, 2024 12:00 - 6 minutesMolecular farming company Moolec has inserted pig genes into soy beans to generate meaty-tasting proteins that can be grown in plants. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Ultrasound Bra Could Detect Cancer Sooner
January 04, 2024 12:00 - 5 minutesInspired by her aunt’s battle with cancer, Canan Dağdeviren developed a wearable ultrasound monitor that can screen women between regular checkups. She says it could save 12 million lives a year. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What Are ‘Missed Period Pills,’ and How Do They Work?
January 03, 2024 12:00 - 9 minutesMenstrual regulation—sometimes referred to as “missed period pills"—is a new front in women's battle for bodily autonomy. Here's how it works and what you need to know. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Your Money Is Funding Fossil Fuels Without You Knowing It
January 01, 2024 12:00 - 7 minutesBanks use your deposits to make loans to carbon-intensive industries. A new analysis finds that $1,000 in your account creates emissions equal to a flight from NYC to Seattle. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How to Stop Another OpenAI Meltdown
December 25, 2023 12:00 - 14 minutesOpenAI designed its governance structure to protect humanity—and it imploded. The company could take pointers from Mozilla and other projects combining lofty goals with for-profit ventures. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sorry California, Amazon Will No Longer Sell You Donkey Meat
December 22, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutesAs part of a settlement with a horse welfare nonprofit, Amazon will no longer sell products containing “ejiao,” which is made with donkey skin. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What Happens When Facebook Heats Your Home
December 21, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesBig Tech data centers are not only being used to power the internet but also to heat people’s homes. But who’s really winning when Facebook keeps you warm at night? Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google’s App Store Monopoly Ruled Illegal as Jury Sides With Epic
December 20, 2023 12:00 - 5 minutesA jury in San Francisco unanimously found that Google stifled competition for its app store. A judge will now decide on what fixes to require at the company, but appeals could delay the impact of the case for years. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
My Surprisingly Unbiased Week With Elon Musk's 'Politically Biased' Chatbot
December 19, 2023 12:00 - 7 minutesSome Elon Musk fans are concerned that Grok, xAI's answer to ChatGPT, is too politically liberal. The nature of the underlying AI technology will make “fixing” its outlook difficult. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In a World First, a Patient’s Antibody Cells Were Just Genetically Engineered
December 18, 2023 12:00 - 7 minutesB cells are prolific producers of antibodies, but for the first time, scientists have modified them to make other proteins to counteract a serious genetic disease. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OpenAI’s Ilya Sutskever Has a Plan for Keeping Super-Intelligent AI in Check
December 15, 2023 12:00 - 8 minutesThe “superalignment” team led by OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever has devised a way to guide the behavior of AI models as they get ever smarter. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices