2026-09-04 · For the curious
Why You Won’t Get a Flying Car
by Noah Smith
If people already close the window shades on airplanes, would they actually want a flying car?
0:00 / 26:27 · Narrator Charon
2026-08-18 · Behind the news
Are You Finally Ready to Admit It's the Phones?
by Noah Smith
When did a screen in your pocket become the only way to reach another person?
0:00 / 11:39 · Narrator Algieba
2026-08-11 · Future-gazing
Should We "pace" AI Self-improvement?
by Tim Fist
If a machine can build a smarter version of itself, how do you slow it down?
0:00 / 25:53 · Narrator Charon
2026-08-09 · Future-gazing
Banning Data Centers Would Blow up the U.S. Economy
by Noah Smith
What happens when the machines that run the economy start outbidding humans for electricity?
0:00 / 9:50 · Narrator Charon
2026-08-02 · Behind the news
America Needs Liberal Nationalism Back
by Noah Smith
What exactly does a citizen owe the strangers who happen to share their country?
0:00 / 20:11 · Narrator Charon
2026-07-26 · Future-gazing
What Will More Intelligence Actually Do for Us?
by Noah Smith
If machines can outsmart mathematicians, why haven't they replaced truck drivers?
0:00 / 21:12 · Narrator Charon
2026-07-20 · Behind the news
The UK is a Cautionary Tale for the U.S.
by Noah Smith
How does a wealthy country end up with crumbling hospitals and the world’s most expensive trains?
0:00 / 21:37 · Narrator Charon
2026-07-14 · Behind the news
The American Suburbs Are Better Than You Think
by Noah Smith
Does a house with a yard and a car offer something a city apartment cannot?
0:00 / 17:55 · Narrator Charon
2026-07-09 · Behind the news
Insurers Aren't the Main Villain of the U.S. Health Care System
by Noah Smith
If insurance companies aren't the ones getting rich, where does all that money go?
0:00 / 17:42 · Narrator Charon
2026-07-02 · Future-gazing
Will AI Make Companies Outsource More, or Less?
by Noah Smith
If technology makes it easier to work alone, why might companies end up growing larger?
0:00 / 13:51 · Narrator Algieba
2026-06-26 · Behind the news
What Defines Japan's National Identity?
by Hiroko Yoda
When ethnicity no longer defines a nation, can reading the air be enough to hold it together?
0:00 / 13:51 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-06-20 · Behind the news
I'm Kind of Over the Whole "Anti-monopoly" Movement
by Noah Smith
What happens to a political movement when it starts seeing the same villain behind every problem?
0:00 / 25:58 · Narrator Algieba
2026-06-09 · Future-gazing
How Much More Software Do We Really Need?
by Noah Smith
With AI creating so much code, where are all the new products?
0:00 / 8:55 · Narrator Charon