2026-10-25 · Future-gazing
Can Machines Be War Criminals?
by Kylie Jones
If an algorithm targets a school, who stands trial for the war crime?
0:00 / 16:06 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-10-22 · Smart escape
Why We Should All Be Partying More
by Jonquilyn Hill
What happens to a culture when people stop gathering in crowded rooms to dance?
0:00 / 6:34 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-10-21 · Future-gazing
How Pakistan Became Trump’s Most Surprising Ally
by Joshua Keating
How did Pakistan become the only country that can get Washington and Tehran in the same room?
0:00 / 12:02 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-10-16 · Behind the news
Why Your Health Insurance is Dropping GLP-1 Coverage
by Dylan Scott
0:00 / 21:10 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-10-15 · Future-gazing
The Surprisingly Hopeful Quest to Fix Concrete
by Sara Herschander
What happens when the concrete beneath a city starts pulling carbon from the air?
0:00 / 10:25 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-10-10 · Future-gazing
Is This the Cure for Alzheimer’s?
by Dylan Scott
Could connecting a lymph node to a vein actually reverse years of memory loss?
0:00 / 11:11 · Narrator Charon
2026-10-06 · Behind the news
America’s Tallest, Most Spectacular Trees Are Getting…heat Stroke?
by Neel Dhanesha
What happens to a thousand-year-old tree when it gets too hot to breathe?
0:00 / 8:42 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-10-01 · Smart escape
The Unbridled Joy of Printing Your Favorite Photos
by Adam Clark Estes
If a phone holds thirty thousand photos, what happens when you finally print just one?
0:00 / 10:39 · Narrator Algieba
2026-09-28 · Smart escape
Is It “microcheating,” or Just Being Online?
by Jonquilyn Hill
If liking a photo counts as cheating, what happens to ordinary friendship?
0:00 / 6:46 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-09-26 · Future-gazing
Can You Spend Your Way Out of Loneliness?
by Allie Volpe
0:00 / 23:05 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-09-24 · Smart escape
Does My Pet Have a Soul?
by Casper ter Kuile
If animals don't have souls, why does losing a dog feel like losing a family member?
0:00 / 9:34 · Narrator Algieba
2026-09-19 · Smart escape
How to Be an Ethical Gossip
by Shayla Love
If a dinner party runs entirely on gossip, is anyone at the table actually connecting?
0:00 / 11:28 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-09-17 · Smart escape
How to Keep Your Cool When It Feels Like Everything is Going Wrong
by Allie Volpe
When a day starts to unravel, how do you keep from taking it out on everyone else?
0:00 / 6:12 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-09-15 · Smart escape
How to Bail on Plans Without Losing Friends
by Allie Volpe
How much of a friendship is just showing up when you'd rather stay home?
0:00 / 10:43 · Narrator Vindemiatrix
2026-09-12 · For the curious
Is It Wrong to Send Your Kid to Private School?
by Sigal Samuel
Does doing right by the neighborhood mean doing wrong by your child?
0:00 / 13:32 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-09-08 · Future-gazing
When Did Getting Prescriptions Start Feeling Like Online Shopping?
by Dylan Scott
If you can order a prescription with a single click, what happens to the diagnosis?
0:00 / 18:30 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-09-08 · For the curious
My Students Think It’s Fine to Cheat with AI. Maybe They’re Onto Something.
by Sigal Samuel
0:00 / 25:23 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-09-04 · Smart escape
Inside a Quest to Learn About the Ocean’s Mysterious “deep Reefs”
by Byrd Pinkerton
0:00 / 26:12 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-09-01 · Smart escape
How to Deal with Other People’s Kids
by Allie Volpe
How do you say no to a child when their parents are standing right there?
0:00 / 13:07 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-08-29 · Smart escape
“It’s the Fitness Space’s Eras Tour”: How Hyrox Became the Exercise Cult of the Moment
by Alex Abad-Santos
Why are people flying across the world to see who is best at going to the gym?
0:00 / 15:36 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-08-26 · Future-gazing
This Transplant Surgery Could Save Countless Lives. Why Aren’t We Doing More of Them?
by Anusha Subramanian
If a liver can grow back, why is it so hard to give part of it away?
0:00 / 19:05 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-08-26 · Smart escape
Pumpkin Spice Lattes — and the Backlash, and the Backlash to the Backlash — Explained
by Rebecca Jennings
When people complain about a sweet seasonal coffee, what are they actually angry about?
0:00 / 12:36 · Narrator Rasalgethi
2026-08-24 · Behind the news
Why Trump Can’t Rekindle the Spark with Kim Jong Un
by Joshua Keating
0:00 / 32:11 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-08-24 · Future-gazing
The Future of Medicine is Video Games
by Dylan Scott
When does a video game become a substitute for general anesthesia?
0:00 / 10:48 · Narrator Charon
2026-08-23 · Behind the news
America’s Murder Rate Hasn’t Been This Low in 70 Years
by Bryan Walsh
0:00 / 21:10 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-08-23 · Smart escape
Meta Glasses Are Killing the Vibe
by Alex Abad-Santos
What happens to a room when someone walks in wearing a camera on their face?
0:00 / 14:06 · Narrator Charon
2026-08-21 · Smart escape
The Moral Case for Being Less Online
by Shayla Love
If you stop posting about the world, do you lose your stake in the future?
0:00 / 11:48 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-08-20 · Smart escape
The Early-2000s Money Trend That’s Still Relevant Today
by Anna North
0:00 / 23:27 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-08-20 · Future-gazing
Why Scientists Are Using Cheap Picnic Coolers to Protect Some of the World’s Most Endangered Animals
by Benji Jones
If the ocean keeps getting hotter, how do you build a coral reef that actually survives?
0:00 / 26:04 · Narrator Charon
2026-08-16 · Future-gazing
Ozempic is Not Just a Weight-loss Story Anymore
by Bryan Walsh
0:00 / 27:39 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-08-15 · Small delights
We Think We Just Discovered Some New Species Living in New York City
by Benji Jones
0:00 / 9:00 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-08-15 · For the curious
This Hamster Has a Strava and Runs More Than You. It’s Not as Cute as It Sounds.
by Kenny Torrella
If a caged hamster runs six miles every night, where is it trying to go?
0:00 / 7:55 · Narrator Charon
2026-08-15 · Smart escape
Why You Grieve the End of Summer Before It’s Even Over
by Allie Volpe
Does bracing for the winter actually make the end of summer hurt any less?
0:00 / 6:54 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-08-12 · Behind the news
Americans Don’t Know How to Fight AI. So They’re Fighting Data Centers.
by Marina Bolotnikova
Can a town actually slow down artificial intelligence by blocking the warehouses that power it?
0:00 / 13:18 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-08-07 · Smart escape
Feel Like a Late Bloomer? You’re Not Alone.
by Allie Volpe
How do you keep clapping for your friends when your own life feels stuck in place?
0:00 / 11:33 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-08-03 · Small delights
The Glorious Burden of Stockpiling Little Glass Jars
by Rachel Kurzius
What makes an empty glass jar so hard to put in the recycling bin?
0:00 / 10:49 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-08-01 · Smart escape
Why Your Kid is Obsessed with Squishy Toys
by Anna North
Why do kids who spend their days touching screens suddenly need something soft to squeeze?
0:00 / 10:27 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-07-28 · For the curious
Why It Took so Long to Talk About Perimenopause
by Jonquilyn Hill
0:00 / 22:36 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-07-27 · Smart escape
The Surprisingly Undisciplined Trick to Escaping Social Media
by Constance Grady
How do you escape the endless scroll without turning your free time into homework?
0:00 / 10:19 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-07-25 · Future-gazing
How the Iran War Could Drive Conflicts in Countries Thousands of Miles Away
by Joshua Keating
Why are protests breaking out on a tiny island 3,000 miles away from the war in Iran?
0:00 / 11:50 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-07-20 · Smart escape
How to Slow Down Time When Life Keeps Speeding Up
by Shayla Love
Is it possible to stretch the hours of a day by simply letting yourself get bored?
0:00 / 12:14 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-07-19 · For the curious
What We Lost When Everything Became a Screen
by Sara Herschander
Can a single pane of glass replace the feeling of dirt, paper, and cold snow?
0:00 / 22:54 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-07-16 · Smart escape
How Singing with Other People Can Help You Move Through Grief and Despair
by Casper ter Kuile
If talking about pain isn’t enough, can singing with others help a person move through grief?
0:00 / 8:09 · Narrator Rasalgethi
2026-07-13 · Behind the news
The Forgotten Success Story of America’s Teenagers
by Bryan Walsh
If teenagers are safer now than their parents were in the 1990s, why is the victory so quiet?
0:00 / 11:41 · Narrator Charon
2026-07-10 · Smart escape
Why Neighbor Feuds Bring Out the Absolute Worst in Us
by Julia Sullivan
Why does a minor disagreement with the person next door feel like a direct threat to your identity?
0:00 / 10:24 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-07-07 · Smart escape
How to Actually Get to Know Your Neighbors
by Julia Sullivan
How can the small, awkward effort of meeting a neighbor change the way a person feels at home?
0:00 / 12:27 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-07-05 · Smart escape
The Secrets You Shouldn’t Keep From Your Doctor
by Dylan Scott
Why do people feel the need to protect themselves from a doctor trying to help them?
0:00 / 9:11 · Narrator Algieba
2026-07-04 · Future-gazing
The Fatal Flaw in How America Handles Heat Waves
by Sara Herschander
0:00 / 29:44 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-07-02 · Smart escape
Should You Keep Practicing a Religion Even if You Don’t Believe?
by Shayla Love
Can a religious ritual be a gesture of love when it is no longer about faith?
0:00 / 13:48 · Narrator Gacrux
2026-06-29 · Future-gazing
Why Young Men Are Killing Their Sperm
by Anna North
Why would a man trade his ability to have children for a sharper jawline and a muscular build?
0:00 / 9:09 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-06-26 · Smart escape
How to Turn Casual Friends Into Close Ones
by Kyndall Cunningham
Why is the shift from a casual acquaintance to a close friend so rarely accidental?
0:00 / 9:03 · Narrator Charon
2026-06-25 · Behind the news
Who Gave AI Companies the Right to Build the Future?
by Bryan Walsh
0:00 / 13:50 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-06-24 · Future-gazing
ChatGPT Probably Isn’t Conscious. But What if We’re Wrong?
by Eric Levitz
If a machine can mimic the signals of a brain, is there actually anyone inside?
0:00 / 13:23 · Narrator Vindemiatrix
2026-06-23 · Behind the news
The Next AI Safety Fight May Actually Be About DNA
by Shayna Korol
0:00 / 27:24 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-06-21 · For the curious
How to Pray When You Don’t Believe in God
by Casper ter Kuile
If prayer is a way of telling the truth, does it matter if anyone is listening?
0:00 / 8:46 · Narrator Algieba
2026-06-17 · Future-gazing
How AI Could Make Wars Go Nuclear
by Joshua Keating
Can the pause for diplomacy survive a war that moves faster than a human can think?
0:00 / 24:38 · Narrator Algieba
2026-06-05 · Future-gazing
The People Who Actually Want AI to Replace Humanity
by Sigal Samuel
0:00 / 56:32 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
2026-06-05 · Behind the news
Why We Need a Memorial Day for Civilian Victims of War
by Bryan Walsh
What does it mean to mourn those who died without a uniform?
0:00 / 11:13 · Narrator Charon
2026-06-03 · Behind the news
I Asked a Billionaire About His Environmental Philanthropy. It Didn’t Go Well.
by Sara Herschander
How do we reconcile giving to save nature with profiting from its destruction?
0:00 / 17:26 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-06-01 · For the curious
NYC is Full of Undiscovered Species — and We’ve Hatched a Plan to Find One
by Benji Jones
How do you search for life that's never been seen, right in the middle of New York?
0:00 / 7:59 · Narrator Vindemiatrix
2026-05-29 · For the curious
Should You Feel Guilty for Killing the Bugs in Your House?
by Sigal Samuel
How do we balance our reverence for all life with the need to clear a space of pests?
0:00 / 11:03 · Narrator Sulafat
2026-05-26 · Future-gazing
Renewable Energy Just Broke a 100-year-old Streak
by Bryan Walsh
What does it mean for a century-old energy habit to finally break?
0:00 / 10:54 · Narrator male
2026-05-24 · For the curious
What We See When We Look Into the Eyes of a Bird
by Jacob Brogan
If we stopped trying to turn animals into humans, what could we actually learn from them?
0:00 / 15:34 · Narrator male