Endless Thread

4.4 (128)
TECHNOLOGY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson dig into the internet's vast and curious ecosystem of online communities to find untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL.

2 DAYS AGO

Introducing On Point: The Internet Archive is in danger

We’re coming to you with a special offering today. It’s an episode about the internet… from our friends just a few cubicles over here at WBUR: On Point. Hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, On Point is a unique, curiosity-driven combination of original reporting, newsmaker interviews, first-person stories, and in-depth analysis, making the world more intelligible and humane. When the world is more complicated than ever, we aim to make sense of it together. We loved their recent episode about one of our favorite pieces of how the internet gets recorded and remembered — and we thought you might love it too. So kick back and take a listen. We’ll bring you the usual shenanigans next week. More than 900 billion webpages are preserved on The Wayback Machine, a history of humanity online. Now, copyright lawsuits could wipe it out. Guests Brewster Kahle, founder and director of the Internet Archive. Digital librarian and computer engineer. James Grimmelmann, professor of digital and information law at Cornell Tech and Cornell Law School. Studies how laws regulating software affect freedom, wealth, and power.

31 min
14 FEB

Love in 60 Seconds

Wanda Brewer was grieving. After losing her brother, she found comfort in an unexpected place: a soap-opera-esque story on Instagram told in 60-second increments. The story? A mafia boss torn between power, family and love. Wanda’s not alone. Millions are bingeing these bite-sized, ultra-dramatic vertical shorts, where sexy werewolves, ruthless billionaires, and love triangles unfold one minute at a time — hooking viewers with cliffhangers and high-stakes drama. From China’s multi-billion-dollar booming industry to your TikTok feed, these soapy, over-the-top dramas are changing the way we watch — and pay for — entertainment. This Valentine’s Day, Endless Thread explores the rise and Americanization of vertical short dramas. Show notes: “Werewolf Billionaire CEO Husbands Are Taking Over Hollywood” (Rolling Stone) “Minute-Long Soap Operas Are Here. Is America Ready?” (The New York Times) “2024 Short Drama Overseas Marketing White Paper” (TikTok) Credits: This episode was produced by Cici Yu. It was co-hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski and Paul Vaitkus.

34 min
10 FEB

DeepSeek's Diss Track

In 2022, people around the world freaked out at the advent of ChatGPT, OpenAI's chatbot. In under three years, artificial intelligence has been incorporated almost everywhere in our online lives. But training the large language models, or LLMs, that power these AI assistants is hugely expensive. Or is it? Last month, a Chinese startup called DeepSeek released their own AI app for much less money, potentially with huge economic and geopolitical implications. Endless Thread hosts a rap battle to help you understand why these AI companies are beefing. Show notes: "Trying to get Deepseek to talk about 'Tank Man'" (Reddit) "DeepSeek Doesn’t Want to Talk About Tiananmen Square. Here’s What to Know" (Bloomberg) "DeepSeek is giving the world a window into Chinese censorship and information control" (CNN) Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly identified the brand of specialized chip used by DeepSeek. This episode now includes an update explaining the error. Credits: This episode was produced by Ben Brock Johnson. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus. It was hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.

28 min
7 FEB

Little Big RedNote

Sometimes, after a long day speaking English, former WBUR podcast fellow Cici Yu just wants to zone out and spend time on the internet where everyone is speaking her native language, Chinese. Her app of choice? Xiaohongshu, or RedNote. So, when Cici logged on recently to find a feed filled with English-speaking Americans, she was surprised. Show notes: "The great social media migration: Sudden influx of US users to RedNote connects Chinese and Americans like never before" (CNN) "More speech and fewer mistakes" (Meta) "Instagram hides search results for 'Democrats'" (BBC) "Instagram and Facebook Blocked and Hid Abortion Pill Providers’ Posts" (The New York Times) Credits: This episode was produced by Grace Tatter. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus. It was hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.

19 min
31 JAN

Does Steven Seagal really know karate?

There's a burning question that keeps coming up in internet communities, YouTube explainers, and interviews with stunt people from the film industry: does Steven Seagal actually know martial arts? In our current news environment, where conspiracy theories abound and the truth can feel elusive, this somewhat silly question keeps getting asked. But as we explore the answer, we find that perhaps the confusion about Steven Seagal's own personal story has relevance for how we navigate the year of 2025, whether or not we're talking about Hollywood action heroes.

38 min
24 JAN

Butlerian Jihad

It's 2025. HBO's "Dune: Prophecy" is one of the most popular shows streaming, and the federal government just announced massive spending on artificial intelligence. The inspiration for "Dune: Prophecy" is in part a prophecy, of sorts, from 1872: One about humans becoming subservient to "thinking machines." What can a 150-year-old text teach us about the current AI revolution? Credits: This episode was produced by Ben Brock Johnson and Grace Tatter. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. It was hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.

23 min
17 JAN

Episodes we love: The Scream

If you typed “inauguration” into your web browser anytime between 2017 and 2020, you likely saw an image of a person in a neon green jacket, black winter hat and glasses screaming “Nooooooooooo!” That person was Jess, who was in Washington D.C. on January 20, 2017 to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Jess told their story to Endless Thread in 2021. This week, we're revisiting that episode in advance of Donald Trump's second inauguration, just as the Internet has been resurfacing this poignant — and, for some, highly relatable — meme.

36 min
10 JAN

Dox Glasses

Kashif Hoda was getting onto a Southbound train at Harvard Square when a young man said he recognized him. The doors closed before he got a chance to ask the young man how, or who he was. A month later, the answer came in the form of a viral video. Harvard students AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardefyio modified Meta's smart glasses so that you can search someone's face quickly, almost without them knowing, and pull up personal internet flotsam that they might no longer remember even exists. Think: pictures and articles from decades ago. Addresses. Voting records. Are we prepared for a future where this tool goes mainstream? Show notes: IXRAY (Google Doc) Two Students Created Face Recognition Glasses. It Wasn’t Hard. (The New York Times) Credits: This episode was produced by Grace Tatter. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus. It was hosted by Ben Brock Johnson, Amory Sivertson, and Grace Tatter.

29 min

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4.4

out of 5

128 Ratings

Thought Leaders

30 Jan

Marc's Fan

Ben and Amory are great, they make me listen to and enjoy random subjects I have no interest in and then actually enjoy . Don't be fooled by the great rapport of these two or the silliness that sometimes ensues, these two really do bring deep thought and intelligence to their subjects . Entertaining but also educational . I keep coming back to endless thread .
Fun and absorbing

03/11/2022

Invisiblecity!

As a chronically online I enjoy new takes on “internet phenomena” but I also think it’s engaging as storytelling for newcomers. One issue however is the background music it can be distracting and annoying. Suggest toning that down!
My favourite podcast

10/05/2022

Rociwiththenewthrusters

I drive around a lot for work and listen to podcasts all day, this is by far my favourite podcast and I actually get a little jolt of excitement when I see a new ep is up.
Good times

08/05/2022

1357n

Kind of feels like Endless Thread picked up where Reply All fell off the ledge - internet weird with thoughtful journalism. Like it :)

Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson dig into the internet's vast and curious ecosystem of online communities to find untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL.