We try to make sense of the world, one question at a time. No question too big, no question too small.Hosted by PJ Vogt, edited by Sruthi Pinnamaneni. Named one of the best podcasts of all time by Time Magazine
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Journalist Jesse Eisinger from ProPublica explains the origins of Trump's "anti-weaponization fund," tracing it back to an IRS leak exposing widespread tax avoidance by billionaires, including Trump. The discussion highlights Trump's unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit against the federal government he ran, which resulted in a secretive, discretionary fund. This episode explores the constitutional crisis, potential for abuse, and the broader implications for tax policy, government transparency, and the future of American democracy.
Presenting an episode of Family Lore, a new show on the Audacy network. The granddaughter of a prolific Jewish art collector who fled Europe during World War II embarks on a quest to recover the looted art.
This episode delves into the complex history of Taiwan, a tiny island democracy with immense global significance. Expert Shelley Rigger explains its evolution from indigenous roots and layered colonization to a high-tech manufacturing leader, particularly in AI chips. The discussion covers Taiwan's democratic transition, economic shifts, and the profound geopolitical implications of its indispensable role in the world economy amidst ongoing tensions with China.
This episode explores the surprising resurgence of nuclear power, driven by skyrocketing electricity demand from AI data centers and electric vehicles. It delves into the history of nuclear energy, from its discovery and post-war optimism to the public fear generated by accidents like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. The discussion highlights innovative new reactor technologies, including small modular and micro reactors, alongside persistent challenges like regulatory hurdles, fuel supply, and radioactive waste management. Ultimately, the episode argues that unprecedented demand may make nuclear power an unavoidable part of our energy future.
We're supposed to be buried there forever, right? Right?? Answers this week from writer David Sloane, who grew up in a cemetery and spent his adult life studying them. The surprising history of the place we go where we die and an answer to what happens when it runs out of money. Is the Cemetery Dead? by David Charles Sloane Support the show at searchengine.show...
An enterprising reporter goes on a quest to find the restaurant serving the absolute best free bread in this country, and finds it. She returns to Search Engine with her results. Read Caity Weaver’s story. Support the show! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
The United States has begun a conflict with Iran that two thirds of the American public does not understand. One question we can try to answer: how much is this conflict costing us? The surprising story of how the government learned to hide the costs of war, and how someone learned to get to the bottom of those costs anyway. Check out Professor Bilmes’ work. Additional listening: our episode on ballooning national debt and why it's a big deal Support the show! To learn more about listener data a...
Search Engine is breaking its cowardly three-year silence on GLP-1s. We have been curious about them. We have been afraid of getting in trouble. We are no longer afraid. A conversation with Dr. Rachael Bedard about the many mistakes in how the media covered these drugs and what the research shows about their surprising effects. Dr. Bedard’s story on the rise of Ozempic Support the show! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Le...
This episode delves into the heated debate surrounding driverless cars in Boston, where unions and politicians clash with tech companies like Waymo. It explores the perspectives of human drivers facing job displacement, local politicians concerned about worker livelihoods, and disability advocates who see autonomous vehicles as a path to greater independence. The narrative highlights the struggle to find compromise amidst inevitable technological advancement and differing visions of the future.
The podcast delves into the surprisingly long history of the self-driving car, tracing its origins from 19th-century dreams to DARPA's incentivizing challenges that brought together key engineers. It uncovers Google's secretive "Project Chauffeur," the internal conflicts and external competition with Uber that led to trade secret theft and a fatal accident, highlighting contrasting approaches to risk and safety. Finally, it assesses Waymo's current safety data, public perception challenges, and the looming societal impact on driving jobs, including labor's growing resistance.
This week, we’re sharing an episode from Odd Lots. An interview with The Economist's Mike Bird about how Chinese real estate became the biggest bubble in history. You can find more episodes from Odd Lots here . To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Anthropic hired philosophers to teach its AI to be good. In their tests, the AI blackmailed a human to keep itself alive. Writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus went inside the company to figure out what's going on with Claude, and whether anyone can actually control it. Read Gideon's story here Support Search Engine! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
This episode delves into the profound taboo of cannibalism, sparked by a child's innocent question. It examines historical uses of the "cannibal" label for political gain, Europe's own past with medical cannibalism, and survival cases like the Donner Party. The discussion further explores cultural perceptions of disgust, the ethical complexities of consensual cannibalism, and the Fore people's funerary rites, ultimately questioning whether these deeply held rules are instinctual or learned.
Two decades ago, bodybuilders on niche internet forums started injecting peptides. Now they're in the secret mini-fridges of some teenage boys. How did they get there? We track their crooked path from Silicon Valley to jaw-smashing influencers. Check out Jasmine Sun's work (and her piece on peptides ) Check out Ezra Marcus' work (and his piece on peptides ) Support Search Engine! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn mor...
A simple question leads us on a journey from the bowels of New York City through the courtrooms of South Carolina to the disgusting truth. Support Search Engine! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
The conclusion to our story about Venezuela. How a country goes from a prosperous democracy to a poverty-ravaged dictatorship. The End (our 2022 episode on Greenland) The Many Faces of Chavismo - Alejandro Velasco Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse - William Neuman To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
PJ Vogt explores Venezuela's turbulent history, featuring historian Alejandro Velasco who unpacks the country's "resource curse." The episode traces Venezuela from a pre-oil backwater to a petrostate, detailing the challenges of democracy amidst fluctuating oil prices and the "magical state" of economic illusions. It culminates in a personal recounting of the 80s and 90s crises, setting the stage for Hugo Chavez's dramatic rise to absolute power.
Frustrated with the current state of social media, PJ Vogt, Kevin Roose, and Casey Newton explore the Fediverse as a radical alternative. They decide to build their own federated social platform, The Forkiverse, using AI for setup, to test if a decentralized, non-algorithmic internet can offer a more positive and connected experience. The episode details their initial setup challenges, first impressions, and the idealistic and practical arguments for a future where users control their online communities and data.
As a very special holiday treat, we are sharing a story from one of our favorite podcasts, Heavyweight . Gregor's parents are pushing 90. Gregor wants to move them out of their big Victorian home. But they refuse. So, he's come up with a bold plan. Incognito Mode , our ad-free, no-rerun, bonus episode feed. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
This episode investigates why multiple men are repeatedly flagged by TSA airport body scanners for anomalies around their crotch and anus, despite reporting average bodies. The podcast explores various theories, from internet speculation about large genitals to expert insights on millimeter wave technology. Through personal experiments and listener tests, an initial solution points to moisture, but subsequent retesting reveals the mystery remains unsolved.
In their annual board meeting, the Search Engine podcast team reveals the realities of podcasting in 2025, from navigating a tough ad market to resisting the industry's push for video content. They share transparent internal statistics, including download growth and popular episodes, and discuss production challenges, the use of AI, and exciting news like a movie deal for one of their series. The episode emphasizes the vital role of listener support in allowing the show to maintain its audio-first mission and explore complex internet questions.
This episode uncovers the astonishing true story of AN0M, a supposedly secure encrypted phone used by international drug traffickers and organized crime, which was secretly developed and run by the FBI. Reporter Joseph Cox details how this unprecedented sting operation, Operation Trojan Shield, allowed law enforcement to gain unparalleled insight into the criminal underworld. The discussion delves into the ethical complexities of such surveillance, the impact on the drug trade, and the challenging privacy implications for consumer encrypted platforms in a post-AN0M world.
This week, in honor of the holiday season — can you, should you change your family’s politics through holiday conversation. If so, how? A conversation with Ezra Klein. Support Search Engine! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Part two of the "Colossus" story delves into Elon Musk's ambitious xAI expansion, revealing a vision of infinite AI intelligence requiring vast, constantly updated computing power. The episode uncovers the risky financial architecture supporting this boom, with trillions in debt backed by rapidly obsolescing GPUs and circular funding schemes. It also details the contentious battle between xAI and the Memphis community over the environmental impact of its data centers, highlighting a stark contrast between tech moguls' "digital god" aspirations and local residents' immediate, neglected concerns.
Tech billionaires are making an unprecedented bet on AI, driving a massive boom in data center construction. This episode follows reporter Sruthi Pinnamaneni as she investigates these physical manifestations of the "cloud," from the established "Data Center Alley" in Loudoun, Virginia, to Elon Musk's ambitious and rapidly built "Colossus" supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee. The narrative explores the economic forces, technological demands (especially for NVIDIA GPUs), and the surprising shift in how these once-invisible infrastructures are now central to an expensive, ego-driven AI arms race.
Reporter Daniel Kolitz spent a year embedded in the "gooning" subculture, a world of online communities, "goon caves," and "porn music videos." He details how members engage in communal masturbation, craft elaborate setups for hyper-stimulated viewing, and use "wank battling" to bond. The episode posits that gooning, while extreme, offers insights into the wider internet's impact on our minds and relationships, highlighting how digital overconsumption and a "post-literate" content landscape are reshaping modern sexuality.
Author Dan Wang offers a critical "review" of living in China and America, comparing their governance by engineers and lawyers. He highlights China's rapid infrastructure development and manufacturing innovation, often at a human cost, contrasting it with America's legal protections and individual freedoms but struggles with development and economic equality. Wang shares insights from his time in both countries, advocating for each to adopt aspects of the other's strengths for a more balanced future.
Can you tickle your way to victory in an MMA fight? An investigation into a sports scandal with journalist Pablo Torre. See videos mentioned in this episode. Check out Pablo Torre Finds Out on Youtube or Spotify . Support Search Engine! Comment on this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
This episode delves into OpenAI's controversial Sora 2 app, which generates realistic AI videos, examining its rapid ascent as a TikTok-like platform and the societal implications of convincing deepfakes. The discussion explores OpenAI's evolving motives, balancing its lofty mission of benefiting humanity with the need for capital, leading to a "Facebookification" of its products. It also addresses the tension between the growing prevalence of "AI slop" content and the enduring human desire for genuine connection amidst a rapidly changing digital landscape.
This week, we’re sharing something we loved. An interview with Fresh Air’s Terry Gross about a life made out of conversation. Check out Talk Easy Check out Fresh Air To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
