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Slate Podcasts

4.5 (546)
TECHNOLOGY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Technology coverage from across the Slate Podcast network Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09/04/2019

S2E10: New Media, Old Story

Radio was originally a social medium, as early radio sets (each of which could transmit as well as receive) turned cities into giant chatrooms, populated by Morse Code-tapping enthusiasts. But the excitement of this democratic, digital platform did not last, and radio was tamed by corporate interests in the 1920s. The utopian dream of platforms that are open and meritocratic has been reborn in the internet era in the form of blogging, and more recently podcasting. But can it ever come true? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

38 min
08/28/2019

S2E9: A Brief History Of Timekeeping

The first mechanical clocks were made to summon monks to prayer. Ever since, timekeeping technology has often been about control and obligation. But underneath a mountain in Texas, a new kind of clock is being built that’s meant to alter the way we think about time. Can it force us to connect our distant past with our distant future, tick by tick? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

33 min
08/21/2019

S2E8: Salvation In The Air

At the dawn of the 20th century, chemists dreamed of extracting nitrogen from the air and turning it into a limitless supply of fertiliser. Sceptics thought they were crazy -- it was possible in theory, but it was unclear if it could be done in practice. What happened next changed the course of 20th-century history, and provides inspiration to innovators pursuing a different dream today: sucking carbon dioxide out of the air to avert climate change. Might they not be quite so crazy after all? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

34 min
08/14/2019

S2E7: A Bug In The System

The first ever computer program was written in 1843 by Ada Lovelace, a mathematician who hoped her far-sighted treatise on mechanical computers would lead to a glittering scientific career. Today, as we worry that modern systems suffer from “algorithmic bias” against some groups of people, what can her program tell us about how software, and the people who make it, can go wrong? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

33 min
08/07/2019

S2E6: Dots, Dashes, and Dating Apps

In the 19th century, young people wooed each other over the telegraph. But meeting strangers on the wires could lead to confusion, disappointment, and even fraud. Do modern online dating apps have anything to learn from telegraph romances? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

37 min
07/31/2019

S2E5: Mars on Earth

Polar exploration was the Victorian equivalent of the space race. Major powers vied to outdo each other, funding expeditions to the most inhospitable parts of the world as demonstrations of their supremacy over nature and each other. Today, the resulting tales of triumph and tragedy hold valuable lessons about what to do—and what not to do—as human explorers plan missions to Mars. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

34 min
07/24/2019

S2E4: Meat and Potatoes

The potato seemed strange and unappetizing when it first arrived in Europe. But it grew into a wonder food that helped solve the continent’s hunger problems. Can its journey tell us what to expect from current efforts to replace animal meat with societally healthier meat alternatives made from plants, insects, or cells grown in petri dishes? Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

36 min
07/17/2019

S2E3: Unreliable Evidence

In the early 20th century a new forensic technique—fingerprinting—displaced a cruder form of identification based on body measurements. Hailed as modern, scientific, and infallible, fingerprinting was adopted around the world. But in recent years doubts have been cast on its reliability, and a new technique—DNA profiling—has emerged as the forensic gold standard. In assuming it is infallible, are we making the same mistake again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 min

See All (22)

Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.6 (7386)

RELATIONSHIPS
Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks.Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.4 (8194)

POLITICS
The problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why we created What Next. This short daily show is here to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Look for new episodes every weekday morning. Get more of What Next with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of What Next and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit slate.com/whatnextplus for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.3 (2340)

NEWS
A show about the law and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America.Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.6 (3311)

NEWS
Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.Get more of Decoder Ring with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of Decoder Ring and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Decoder Ring show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.6 (2028)

DOCUMENTARY
Slow Burn illuminates America’s most consequential moments, making sense of the past to better understand the present. Through archival tape and first-person interviews, the series uncovers the surprising events and little-known characters lurking within the biggest stories of our time.Want more Slow Burn? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Slow Burn and your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.Season 10: The Rise of Fox NewsHow a cable news channel became a cultural and political force—and how a whole bunch of people rose up to try and stop it.Season 9: Gays Against BriggsA nationwide moral panic, a California legislator who rode the anti-gay wave, and the LGBTQ+ people who stepped up and came out to try and stop him.Season 8: Becoming Justice ThomasWhere Clarence Thomas came from, how he rose to power, and how he’s brought the rest of us along with him, whether we like it or not. Winner of the Podcast of the Year at the 2024 Ambies Awards.Season 7: Roe v. WadeThe women who fought for legal abortion, the activists who pushed back, and the justices who thought they could solve the issue for good. Winner of Apple Podcasts Show of the Year in 2022.Season 6: The L.A. RiotsHow decades of police brutality, a broken justice system, and a video tape set off six days of unrest in Los Angeles.Season 5: The Road to the Iraq WarEighteen months after 9/11, the United States invaded a country that had nothing to do with the attacks. Who’s to blame? And was there any way to stop it?Season 4: David DukeAmerica’s most famous white supremacist came within a runoff of controlling Louisiana. How did David Duke rise to power? And what did it take to stop him?Season 3: Biggie and TupacHow is it that two of the most famous performers in the world were murdered within a year of each other—and their killings were never solved?Season 2: The Clinton ImpeachmentA reexamination of the scandals that nearly destroyed the 42nd president and forever changed the life of a former White House intern.Season 1: WatergateWhat did it feel like to live through the scandal that brought down President Nixon? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.6 (23790)

HISTORY

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Seth Stevenson

Host
Tom Standage

Host

4.5

out of 5

546 Ratings

Fascinating and easy to follow

10/01/2020

hColette

Listening to podcasts has become my way to have my own moment and space while riding out the pandemic at home with my family. I’ve learned that discovering new podcasts is very hit-or-miss. This podcast is a delightful find—each episode has a fascinating topic that is well-researched and supported with interesting sources. The hosts have a clear delivery and (seemingly to me) their presentation is mostly scripted and well-edited, which means there’s not a bunch of filler or banter, and the podcast becomes about their topic and not their personalities. Listening to each podcast does provide an escape, as I really need to focus on the information to process it, which takes me away from current events.
TBD has so much potential

10/10/2023

Samd199

I am confused because TBD frames their episodes like deep dives into current tech issues but turns out to be less than 20 mins of surface level reporting when you count in the enormous amount of ads they play (seriously?! Ads at the start and then again right after the intro??) Their stuff on AI for example basically summarizes what NYT and others already report on without adding anything new. If they framed this podcast as a brief morning report type show i wouldnt be upset. Otherwise i would love to see longer episodes that set up the history of the topic and then an actual deep dives into the issue that plays both sides. And picking weird but interesting original topics instead of regurgitating the mainstream topics that already get reported on
What Next is solid - ICYMI needs new hosts

08/20/2022

Tyfgnm

Solid podcast concepts but ICYMI needs to be split off into its own feed so that I can ignore it completely. The self-absorbed hosts reading their copy is insufferable.
KIDS ARE NOT AT RISK! (unless they’re obese)

11/12/2021

liberal-tarian

Why is Slate pushing FDA propaganda? The only reason kids are now approved to get jabbed is because big pharma couldn’t sell enough to the adult population! It’s the flu! So please stop the fear mongering!