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5 days ago

You bet your life insurance

Some of the biggest firms on Wall Street are, at this very moment, waiting for thousands of strangers to die to reap their returns. Because there’s a market for life insurance policies. And it’s legal. You don’t have to actually die to get some of your life insurance money. Thanks to a secondary market for life insurance policies, you might be able to claw back money from beyond the grave. You just sell your policy to an investor. So when you die, the payout goes to them, instead of your family or beneficiary. On today’s show, how the wheels of finance transformed a desperate deal made during the AIDS crisis into a multi-billion dollar industry. Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your LifeOur weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode was produced by Willa Rubin with help from Emma Peaslee. It was edited by Marianne McCune and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
2 days ago

Could future wars be fought by AI?

This year, the Department of Defense announced that they’d entered agreements with eight artificial intelligence companies. It follows decades of popular media exploring the idea of artificial intelligence in war – from the computer threatening global thermonuclear conflict in the movie WarGames to the Skynet neural net in Terminator. In 2026, when Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are just a click away, the concept of AI-supported war is suddenly much closer to reality. So what does it really mean for militaries to use AI? And what are the potential implications if they succeed? Short Wave producer Hannah Chinn reports. Listen to the whole Tech Camp series. Interested in more military science and/or tech episodes? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
5 days ago

The price of creativity

The words "content creator" may make you roll your eyes. But in part 1 of our series, Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler explains how the creator economy is changing work, art and what we value. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
7 Aug

Older workers aren’t retiring. Should they be forced to?

When workers past retirement age can’t afford to retire — that’s one thing. When they can, and just don’t want to — that’s trickier. It used to be legal to force people to retire when they hit a certain age. The trend used to be earlier and earlier retirement. Now it’s later and later retirement. And younger workers say it’s impacting their career advancement and their ability to save for their own retirement. At the same time, older workers are living longer, Social Security and Medicare funding are less secure than ever … and many people want to keep working. Age in the workplace is a tricky thing to talk about. But today on the show, we’re talking about it. On the latest Planet Money, a law professor who says retirement should be mandatory at age 70. And an economist who says, actually … people should delay retirement even longer. Show notes: More of Planet Money’s coverage of the lump of labor fallacySamuel Moyn: Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth? And What to Do About It.Gerhard Casper and Saunders Mac Lane: “Older Doesn’t Mean Wiser” Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly long-form Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletter Follow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. This episode was reported by Sarah Gonzalez. It was produced by Willa Rubin, edited by Eric Misitzis Mennel, and fact-checked by Charlotte Isidore. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Jimmy Keeley. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. Music: NPR Source Audio: “Don’t Cross The Line,” “Aventure Burlesque,” and “Hollywood.” See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
12 Aug

What's with all the testosterone talk?

Do you have what it takes to be "High-T?" Service members are about to find out, as Defense secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military will be screening men for low testosterone, a hormone found in both women and men that supports bone mass development, red blood cell production, energy levels, and more. It's an important marker of overall health in men, but will it push the United States military to the 'leading edge of lethality' as promised by Hegseth? To get into the facts and fictions around testosterone, Brittany is joined by NPR health correspondent Will Stone, and Dr. Helen Bernie, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Medicine and associate professor of urology at Indiana University. Want more on gender and health? Check out these episodes:Boundaries, bodies, and better sexThe key to thriving later in life: menopause Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
5 days ago

Two planes, a president and a catering truck

When President Trump left the NATO summit in Turkey last month, he covertly switched planes because the government had received reports of an Iranian threat on Trump’s life. We discuss the significance of the president’s maneuver, which left the traveling White House press corps out of the loop. And we discuss how the pro-Israel group AIPAC’s increased spending on elections may not be yielding the results the group was hoping for. This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, and congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
12 Aug

The race for tech supremacy: The U.S. vs. China

China produces at least 70% of the world’s drones, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. And with the U.S. stockpile of munitions diminished from the Iran war, would the U.S. have what it needs to defend Taiwan if China invaded? Terry Gross talks with New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos about his latest story, “The Future Made in China.” “The irony here is that we are in some ways beholden right now to the Chinese factory in order to produce the munitions that we need to defend American interests from China. That’s the exquisite problem that we've found ourselves in,” Osnos says. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube channel Check out the Fresh Air Archives See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
12 Aug

Currency Chaos in Argentina (Summer School)

Just about everyone in Argentina is an expert in inflation and whether they like it or not, economic flexibility. Can we learn from them? Over the years, we at Planet Money have checked in on Argentina as it tried to recover from economic collapse in 2001 and 2002, and as inflation shot up and the country defaulted on its debts. This week on our Summer School World Tour, we fly to Buenos Aires, mapping the moves of their economy through the eyes of people who live there – from tango classes and shoe shopping to a Coldplay concert that sparked a special exchange rate. We’ll consider the different attempts from the government to staunch inflation and why they’ve led to so many unintended consequences. But the heart of this week’s trip is the resilience of everyday economic actors, regular people. When the value of your currency is so in flux, average people become monetary contortionists just to navigate work, shopping, saving and to keep small businesses afloat. This adaptability becomes a special kind of skill and wisdom. So, we’re harvesting that everyday economic insight for tips on how we can all face uncertainty a little better. And, to appreciate the high costs of volatility. Featured Episodes: Messi economics (2022)A black market, a currency crisis and a tango competition in Argentina (2023)The high cost of a strong dollar (2022) Featured Terms: VolatilityInflation expectationsCapital controlsAusteritySupport: NPR+ (sponsor-free listening & bonus episodes) And please click “follow” in your podcast app so you don’t miss an episode. Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (Audiobook here) Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator link round-up newsletter Follow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebook This episode of Planet Money Summer School is hosted by Robert Smith. It was produced by Sophia Paliza-Carre and Schuyler Swenson and edited by Planet Money Executive Producer Alex Goldmark. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Jimmy Keeley. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
10 Aug

Mirror cells could threaten life on Earth. Why are we building them?

For people with two hands, one is usually dominant. On a molecular level, earthly life takes this to the extreme. All of the DNA in living things twists to the right, whereas the protein building blocks favor a kind of left-handed chemistry. The rules of life are based on this chemistry. In recent years, scientists have worked toward a kind of mirror version of life. Currently, the technology doesn't exist to make mirror life at the cellular level — and likely won't for at least a decade. Still, a group of scientists is concerned enough about the possibility that they've published a 299-page technical report calling for a stop to the science. In this encore episode for our Tech Camp series, host Regina Barber talks to Carl Zimmer, a science reporter at The New York Times, about his reporting on mirror cells — and why creating them could lead to devastating consequences for life on Earth. Check out Carl's full article. Curious about other controversial research? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
11 Aug

Feeling short on time? Do a time audit

Many of us feel overwhelmed by life's obligations — work, family, friends and relationships. In a culture fixated on busyness, time always seems in short supply. What if we could find more time for what really matters to us? This episode, Niro Feliciano, psychotherapist and author of This Book Won’t Make You Happy: Eight Keys to Finding True Contentment, explains how to take a time audit of your life and ensure your time is going where you want it to. Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekitSign up for our newsletter here.Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at lifekit@npr.orgSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening and convenient playlists of popular help topics like personal finance, getting healthy, and more. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Planet Money.

5.0 (3)

Business
New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — in just under 15 minutes. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Short Wave.

5.0 (1)

Life Sciences
Want in on a secret? Your likes and dislikes didn't develop by accident. There are subtle and not-so-subtle forces around you, shaping what you think, how you act, and even who you think you are. Brittany Luse is here to break the spell and help you feel wiser in a society that makes things blurry.THE BEST POP CULTURE PODCAST AWARD WINNER AT THE 2025 SIGNAL AWARDSIt’s Been A Minute with Brittany Luse is the best podcast for understanding what’s going on in culture right now, and helps you consume it smarter. From how politics influences pop culture to how identity influences tech or health, Brittany makes the picture clearer for you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.It’s Been A Minute reaches millions of people every week. Join the community and conversation today. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for It's Been A Minute.

4.0 (2)

Society & Culture
Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for TED Radio Hour.

0.0 (0)

Technology
Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including weekly bonus episodes and curated playlists of archive interviews from Fresh Air.And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

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Books
Everyone needs a little help being a human. From sleep to saving money to parenting and more, host Marielle Segarra talks to experts to get the best advice out there. Life Kit is here to help you get it together. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening and helpful curated playlists by topic for Life Kit.

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Self-Improvement

Step into the universe of NPR Podcasts. It’s a place where curiosity leads, stories unfold, and every voice deserves a mic. From deep-dives that reshape how you see the world, to intimate conversations that feel like they’re meant just for you, we’ve got a show for whatever you’re looking for (and shows that you didn't know you needed). Want to get clued in to what’s happening today? Start your morning with our news podcasts. Looking to get to know the world around you? You’re in luck. From narrative storytelling, to self-help tips; from history shows, documentary investigations, science features, incredible music, and human interest from every genre - we’re a living, evolving soundscape of ideas and perspectives. Stay here to hear - to listen - because there’s always more to discover.

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NPR Podcasts

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You bet your life insurance

Could future wars be fought by AI?

The price of creativity

Older workers aren’t retiring. Should they be forced to?

What's with all the testosterone talk?

Two planes, a president and a catering truck

The race for tech supremacy: The U.S. vs. China

Currency Chaos in Argentina (Summer School)

Mirror cells could threaten life on Earth. Why are we building them?

Feeling short on time? Do a time audit

Support public radio. Get bonus episodes & more.

Hormuz blockade / Trump’s mixed messages / Who is Jay Clayton?

Starmer’s successor / Reset on UK-US relationship? / Strait latest

How far should the government go to protect America?

#2640: Flunking Physics Again

Homer Simpson vs. the economy

#1212: Catzilla's Great Adventure

Frank Bruni On Vision Lost & Found

#1841: If You Don't Think Too Good, Don't Think Too Much

The M&M anomaly (Classic)

Are We Witnessing The Death Of Movie Stars?

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