Online, there is a name for the experience of finding sympathy with Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber: Tedpilling. To be Tedpilled means to read Paragraph 1 of Kaczynski’s manifesto, its assertion that the mad dash of technological advancement since the Industrial Revolution has “made life unfulfilling,” “led to widespread psychological suffering” and “inflicted ... Show More
Today
The Autism Diagnosis Problem
<p>Once primarily limited to severely disabled people, autism began to be viewed as a spectrum that included children and adults far less impaired. Along the way, the disorder also became an identity, embraced by college graduates and even by some of the world’s most successful p ... Show More
32m 40s
Yesterday
Sunday Special: Wicked, Good?
<p>“Wicked” was one of the biggest movies of 2024. It was culturally ubiquitous, a box office smash and an Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Now, a year later, “Wicked: For Good” arrives in theaters to finish the tale of the complicated friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and ... Show More
51m 44s
Jul 2023
Bad Vibes or Algorithms? w/ Jason Pargin 07.11.23
<p>In episode 1512, Jack and Miles are joined by author of <a href="https://read.macmillan.com/lp/zoey-is-too-drunk-for-this-dystopia/"><em>Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia</em></a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jasonkpargin/?hl=en">Jason Pargin</a>, to discuss… Modern M ... Show More
1h 4m
Jan 2025
Tech Talk: AI Supremacy, TikTok’s Fate, and Crypto Decadence
Today, tech talk with an old friend of the pod, Kevin Roose of The New York Times, who is also host of the 'Hard Fork' podcast.
This is a show about everything. And it’s going to remain a show about everything because I’m a little bit interested in everything. But one cost of th ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 2024
The Elon-ction + Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?
<p><i>Note: This episode contains mentions of suicide.</i></p><p> </p><p>This week, how Elon Musk became a main character in this year’s election, and what that means for the future of tech and of the country. Plus, the journalist Laurie Segall joins us to discuss the tragic case ... Show More
1h 10m
Jan 2024
Strange News: Three Deaths in Kansas City, AI Does Carlin, Corporate Sex Trafficking
Furious family members, community and friends demand answers when three men are found dead in Kansas City days after watching a football game. AI creates a full special inspired by the works of legendary philosopher and stand-up comic George Carlin. Prompted by in-depth, disturbi ... Show More
56m 38s
Jan 2025
The Epiphany: What Joyce, the Dead, Musk and Twitter Teach Us About Economic Power
We explore today's seismic changes in media and society, by tracing historical parallels between James Joyce’s <em>The Dead</em> (1907) and today’s digital age. Joyce’s observations on in The Dead about generational divides, the rise of newspapers, and societal shi ... Show More
33m 46s
Sep 19
F.C.C. Head Says Kimmel Not ‘the Last Shoe to Drop,’ and Musk Goes All In on A.I.
<p>Plus, your Friday news quiz. </p><p><strong>On Today’s Episode:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/us/politics/trump-fcc-licenses.html" target="_blank"><strong>Trump Pressures Broadcasters Over Critical Coverage, Escalating Attack on Speech</strong></a> ... Show More
14m 40s
Nov 2024
Anatomy of the Great Replacement Panic feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips
<p>Around the world, racist influencers have instigated a panic over shadowy global elites who have supposedly conspired to flood white-majority countries with immigrants from Latin America, Africa and Asia in order to destroy Western civilization. This idea, called the Great Re ... Show More
31m 44s