What Next: TBD

A twice weekly podcast about tech, power, and the future.

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About the Show

Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

Host

  • Lizzie O’Leary is the host of What Next: TBD, Slate’s show about technology, power, and the future. Previously, she created and hosted Marketplace Weekend. She has reported for CNN, Bloomberg News, and the New York Times Magazine, among others. She is also a contributing writer at the Atlantic.

Will Google Get Broken Up?

The tech giant’s online ad business has printed money for more than a decade. The Justice Department is coming for it.

Does Meta Even Care When Its Users Get Hacked?

The surest way to get your Instagram account back is to know somebody who works there.

An Antivax Dog Whistle Goes Viral

A data scientist and epidemiologist is just answering questions.

Tesla’s No Good, Very Bad Year

Elon Musk promised an “epic end of year” to Tesla investors in 2022. But the stock crashed instead. What happened?

Why the Feds Want to Kill Noncompetes

How the proliferation of noncompete clauses hurts workers and costs the economy billions.

How War in Taiwan Could Short-Circuit U.S. Tech

Why the Biden administration views microchip manufacturing as an issue of national security.

Will Southwest Be Held Accountable?

Why consumers can’t vote with their feet when it comes to flying.

Are You Ready for Lab-Grown Meat?

Many of the issues with lab-grown meat directly contradict what makes enthusiasts excited in the first place.

SBF’s Worst Week Yet

Legal action against the former head of FTX and hearings on Capitol Hill expose just how bad things are at the once-dominant crypto exchange.

San Francisco’s Self-Driving Mess

Self-driving cars are here. And there. And on the sidewalk. Oh boy.

Let’s Talk, Chatbots

ChatGPT is better than any chatbot that came before it.

Big Tech’s Boogeymen In Washington

Is the most aggressive antitrust team in decades capable of reining in Silicon Valley?

Twitter’s Vulnerabilities, Exposed

Elon’s Twitter had its first test against bad actors from a foreign country. It didn’t go well.

The Trap of Buy Now, Pay Later

They’re billed as a safe alternative to credit. But only if you use it responsibly.

The End of the Tech Boom

After decades of growth, tech companies are now focusing on profits.

The Case Against Climate Reparations

There’s a great moral argument. Practically, it falls apart.

Is This the Cryptocalypse?

How will the demise of the third-largest crypto exchange affect the industry?

Sen. Chris Murphy on Elon’s Acquisition of Twitter

Why he asked the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to review Saudi Arabia’s considerable stake in Twitter.

Why Are So Many Little Kids Sick Right Now?

Those born under pandemic restrictions are getting their first “normal” autumn, replete with all the sniffles that entails.

So How’s It Going, Elon?

From canning executives to a plan to charge for blue checks, Twitter has entered the Musk Era.