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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
Stop Planting Trees, Says Guy Who Inspired World to Plant a Trillion Trees
December 14, 2023 12:00 - 10 minutesEcologist Thomas Crowther’s research inspired countless tree-planting campaigns, greenwashing, and attacks from scientists. Now he’s back with a new plan for nature restoration. 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
YouTube Is Now Hiding Which Channels Get a Cut of Ad Revenue
December 13, 2023 12:00 - 11 minutesYouTube removed a snippet of code that publicly disclosed whether a channel receives ad and subscription payouts, obscuring which creators benefit most from the platform. 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
Can Rock Dust Soak Up Carbon Emissions? A Giant Experiment Is Set to Find Out
December 12, 2023 12:00 - 11 minutesThe idea that sprinkling rock dust on farmland can soak up atmospheric carbon will be tested at large scale thanks to a $57 million purchase from corporations including Stripe and Alphabet. 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 It Took Meta 7 Years to Turn on End-to-End Encryption for All Chats
December 11, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesMark Zuckerberg personally promised that the privacy feature would launch by default on Messenger and Instagram chat. WIRED goes behind the scenes of the company’s colossal effort to get it right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Elijah Wood and Mike Tyson Cameo Videos Were Used in a Russian Disinformation Campaign
December 08, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesVideos featuring Elijah Wood, Mike Tyson, and Priscilla Presley have been edited to push anti-Ukraine disinformation, according to Microsoft researchers. 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 Just Launched Gemini, Its Long-Awaited Answer to ChatGPT
December 07, 2023 12:00 - 10 minutesGoogle says Gemini, launching today inside the Bard chatbot, is its “most capable” AI model ever. It was trained on video, images, and audio as well as text. 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
Spotify Is Screwed
December 06, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutesSpotify is the world’s biggest music streamer, but rarely turns a profit and just cut 17 percent of its workforce. Its business model looks increasingly precarious. 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 Committed to Buying $51 Million of AI Chips From a Startup Backed by CEO Sam Altman
December 05, 2023 12:00 - 11 minutesDocuments show that OpenAI signed a letter of intent to spend $51 million on brain-inspired chips developed by startup Rain. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously made a personal investment in Rain. 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 Race to Find What’s Making America’s Dogs Sick
December 04, 2023 12:00 - 10 minutesHundreds of dogs across multiple states have been struck down with a severe respiratory illness. Veterinarians suspect a mystery bacteria but are still grasping for clues. 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 Life-Extension Drug for Big Dogs Is Getting Closer to Reality
December 01, 2023 12:00 - 7 minutesThe FDA has yet to approve any drugs for life extension. But biotech company Loyal is now a step closer to bringing one to market—for dogs. 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 Weirdest Reason the Poles Are Warming So Fast? Invisible Clouds
November 30, 2023 12:00 - 8 minutesClouds way up in the stratosphere act like a blanket, trapping heat in the Arctic and Antarctica. That could help explain why models keep underestimating how fast they’re warming. 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 Damning Report Claims a Major Gig Economy Union Had a Culture of Abuse and Toxicity
November 29, 2023 12:00 - 8 minutesAn independent report obtained by WIRED claims a UK union that won a major case against Uber mistreated its staff and grappled with incidents of racism. Two of its most senior figures have now stepped down. 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 US Wants Vietnam to Be Its New Tech Best Friend
November 28, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesTeaming up with Vietnam may help the US lessen its dependence on China’s tech supply chain. But decoupling from a chipmaking giant like China won’t be easy. 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
Here’s What’s Next for SpaceX’s Starship
November 27, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutesA second Starship test flight advanced a bit further than the first, with the rocket reaching the edge of space but blowing up soon after. Industry experts say it’s still a step forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New Orleans Tried to Control Short-Term Rentals With a Lottery System. It Was a Mess
November 22, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesIn trying to limit the impact of short-term rentals like Airbnbs, New Orleans used an elaborate lottery system to pit neighbors against each other. A lawsuit from angry hosts has put it in 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
The Precarious Rise of Disposable Vapes
November 21, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesDisposable vapes from brands like Elf Bar and Lost Mary have taken over the ecigarette market and become a hit among young people. Governments are trying to figure out what to do. 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 Need a Heat Pump. Soon You’ll Have More American-Made Options
November 20, 2023 12:00 - 7 minutesThe Biden administration is announcing $169 million to supercharge domestic production of a device beloved by climate and energy nerds. 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
YouTube Shorts Challenges TikTok With Music-Making AI for Creators
November 17, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutesYouTube creators will get to test a new AI tool that generates and remixes music in the style of several famous musicians, including Sia, Demi Lovato, and T-Pain. 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
Think You Have SAD? Think Again
November 16, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesResearch has questioned whether seasonal depression actually exists. Maybe that doesn’t matter. 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
Ann McKee Is on a Quest to Save Humanity’s Brains
November 15, 2023 12:00 - 8 minutesThe medical community's leading authority on traumatic brain injuries wants to make contact sports—which she loves—safer for everyone. 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
Skiing Is Getting Riskier
November 14, 2023 12:00 - 8 minutesThe threat of avalanches is rising with global warming, but technology can help protect skiers on and off the slopes. 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
Obamacare Call Center Staff Strike Over Steep Health Care Costs and Scarce Bathroom Breaks
November 13, 2023 12:00 - 10 minutesStaff at US federal contractor Maximus claim they only get six minutes a day to use the bathroom, are monitored by an AI system that reports them for going off-script, and can’t afford health care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Police Use of Face Recognition Is Sweeping the UK
November 10, 2023 12:00 - 12 minutesFace recognition technology has been controversial for years. Cops in the UK are drastically increasing the amount they use it. 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 Tech Ditched Trust and Safety. Now Startups Are Selling It Back As a Service
November 09, 2023 12:00 - 10 minutesThe burgeoning trust and safety industry promises to help tech companies navigate scrutiny and regulation. But these services bring problems of their own. 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 Major Alarm Is Flashing Under Greenland’s Ice
November 08, 2023 12:00 - 9 minutesGreenland’s northern ice shelves—long thought to be relatively stable—have lost more than a third of their volume since 1978, new research finds. 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 You Can’t Stop Reading About Daylight Saving Time
November 07, 2023 12:00 - 6 minutesIn the US, Daylight Saving Time ends and the clocks go back one hour on November 5. You know this. Google knows this. But here we all are. Again. 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
YouTube’s Ad Blocker Crackdown Spurs Record Uninstalls
November 06, 2023 15:11 - 12 minutesYouTube expanded a “test” that threatens to cut off users who don't turn off their ad blocker. Developers of the tools are scrambling to respond. 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
Facebook Finally Puts a Price on Privacy: It’s $10 a Month
November 03, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesMeta is about to roll out ad-free subscriptions on Instagram and Facebook. But critics say privacy should not be turned into a luxury. 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 Second Person to Get a Pig Heart Transplant Just Died
November 02, 2023 11:00 - 6 minutesLawrence Faucette died six weeks after undergoing the experimental procedure involving a genetically engineered organ. 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 Vampire Bat Is Moving Closer to the US. That’s a Problem
November 01, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesAs the climate changes, the bloodthirsty creatures are moving north from Latin America, bringing the threat of rabies with them. 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 Personalized Brain Implant Curbed a Woman’s OCD
October 31, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesA device in her brain delivers jolts of electricity when it detects abnormal neural activity associated with obsessive thoughts. 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
Inside Elon Musk’s First Election Crisis—a Day After He ‘Freed’ the Bird
October 30, 2023 11:00 - 12 minutesLess than 48 hours after Musk bought Twitter, staff was scrambling to avert a potential legal crisis. 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 Store Workers Fear the Tech Giant Is Dodging Accountability for Shady Labor Practices
October 27, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesApple agreed to an independent audit of its US labor practices. Workers at the only unionized Apple Stores say they haven’t yet been contacted, and fear the report will be skewed. 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 AI-Generated Child Abuse Nightmare Is Here
October 26, 2023 11:00 - 11 minutesThousands of child abuse images are being created with AI. New images of old victims are appearing, as criminals trade datasets. 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 Spot Abortion-Related Misinformation
October 25, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesBetween pregnancy “crisis centers” and “abortion pill testing,” there's a lot of questionable info out there. Here's how to tell what's evidence-based and what's not. 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
History Says the 1918 Flu Killed the Young and Healthy. These Bones Say Otherwise
October 24, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesA study of bones held in a Cleveland museum reveals a new side to the pandemic’s story—and a new way to think about pandemics to come. 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 Vaccine Protects Against Cancer—but Not Enough Boys Are Getting It
October 23, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesThe HPV vaccine can effectively prevent a range of cancers if administered at the right age. But boys still can't access it in most countries. 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
Amazon Let Its Drivers’ Urine Be Sold as an Energy Drink
October 20, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesAmazon sold bottles of urine marketed as an energy drink, a new documentary reveals. The company also makes it alarmingly easy to sell dangerous items to children. 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 Chatbots Can Guess Your Personal Information From What You Type
October 19, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesThe AI models behind chatbots like ChatGPT can accurately guess a user’s personal information from innocuous chats. Researchers say the troubling ability could be used by scammers or to target 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
Why Scientists Are Bugging the Rainforest
October 18, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesScientists use microphones and AI to automatically detect species by their chirps and croaks. This bioacoustics research could be critical for protecting ecosystems on a warming planet. 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 Hop Nerds Are Saving Your Favorite Beer From Climate Change
October 17, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesExtreme heat and droughts are cutting into hop plants’ yields and making them less bitter. But scientists and farmers are brewing up clever solutions. 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
X’s Sneaky New Ads Might Be Illegal
October 16, 2023 15:10 - 6 minutesExperts say a new advertising format on the platform formerly known as Twitter is misleading for users and could fall foul of FTC rules. 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
Hydro Dams Are Struggling to Handle the World’s Intensifying Weather
October 13, 2023 11:00 - 12 minutesClimate change is robbing some hydro dams of water while oversupplying others—forcing managers to employ new forecasting technology and clever strategies to capitalize on what they have. 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 Do We Owe the Octopus?
October 12, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesMounting research suggests that cephalopods experience pain. Now, the National Institutes of Health is considering new animal welfare rules that would put them in the same category as monkeys. 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 AI Is Making Traffic Lights More Efficient and Less Annoying
October 11, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesGoogle is analyzing data from its Maps app to suggest how cities can adjust traffic light timing to cut wait times and emissions. The company says it’s already cutting stops for millions of drivers. 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
New York’s Airbnb Ban Is Descending Into Pure Chaos
October 10, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesPeople are listing short-term rentals on social media and lesser-known platforms, bolstering a rental black market in New York City. 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 Game Theory of the Auto Strikes
October 09, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesAs the United Auto Workers strike against Detroit’s Big Three drags on, a classic behavioral theory provides a way to figure out how long they may continue. 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
Chatbot Hallucinations Are Poisoning Web Search
October 06, 2023 11:00 - 7 minutesUntruths spouted by chatbots ended up on the web—and Microsoft's Bing search engine served them up as facts. Generative AI could make search harder to trust. 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 Team Helping Women Fight Digital Domestic Abuse
October 05, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutesLocation-enabled tech designed to make our lives easier is often exploited by domestic abusers. Refuge, a UK nonprofit, helps women to leave abusive relationships, secure their devices, and stay safe. 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
India Is Using Terrorism Laws to Target Journalists
October 04, 2023 11:00 - 6 minutesPolice seized laptops and phones from reporters working for the anti-establishment Newsclick website—the latest outlet to be raided during a crackdown on media in India. 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