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30 episodes
A road trip through the data center debate
Ep 146 · Aug 11, 2026 · 41 min
The midterms are approaching, and as the discourse heats up, one of big new villains is: a kind of building. Data centers. Reporter Jasmine Sun took a road trip through two swing states to meet the people living at the center of these debates, and to understand where this all might be headed. no data centers in my backyard by Jasmine Sun
The machines are learning… to do crimes?
Ep 145 · Aug 6, 2026 · 38 min
For the first time, an AI model has autonomously hacked a company. This week, an evolving story, a postcard from a strange, frightening moment in the story of our technology. A big week for AI denialism by Casey Newton Its AI agent spent days hacking a company, but sources say OpenAI did not notice for a week by Deepa Seetharaman, Raphael Satter, and Kenrick Cai Cheating behaviour in frontier model evaluations by AI Security Institute More On An Internal OpenAI Model Hacking Into HuggingFace by…
What’s in your cocaine and the questions Search Engine CAN’T answer
Jul 24, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
An interview with a cocaine salesman about cocaine adulterants, plus – questions Search Engine can’t answer, with special guest Kelefa Sanneh. Become a premium subscriber!
How to pursue excellence … in noodles (unlocked bonus)
Jul 17, 2026 · 48 min
The world right now, seems tilted towards the good enough. The AI-written wedding toast, the half-assed attempt. Despite this, a handmade noodle shop is trying to make perfect noodles. Trying so hard that they have signs admonishing their customers to ONLY EAT THEIR SPICY NOODLES THE CORRECT WAY, DO NOT TAKE THEM TO-GO, THE EXPERIENCE WILL BE RUINED. Why do some people still want to do small things perfectly, even at the expense of profits? An interview with Jason Wang, of Xi'an Famous Foods. Be…
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? Pt. 2 (classic)
Jul 10, 2026 · 1 hr 11 min
We travel to Germany to trace techno’s history from Detroit to Berlin. The story of how, after the Wall fell, Berlin exorcised its brutal past with a very strange, decade-long party. A mission that takes us all the way to the gates of Berghain. Music Credits: Original composition in this episode by Armen Bazarian. Additional Tracks: Game One - Infiniti, Dead Man Watches The Clock - Marcel Dettmann & Ben Klock, The Call - Marcel Dettmann & Norman Nodge, Quicksand - Marcel Dettmann. Full playlist…
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? Pt. 1 (classic)
Jul 3, 2026 · 53 min
Two Americans embark on a quest: fly across an ocean to try to get into the most exclusive nightclub in the world – Berghain. A German techno palace where the line outside can last 8 hours, and the bouncers are merciless in their judgments. The club does not explain how it makes its decisions about who can enter, but one foolish podcaster will try to explain anyway. Become a premium member!
A Strange Voyage
Ep 144 · Jun 25, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
This month, SpaceX had the largest IPO in all of human history. In a mission to understand a bewildering moment, we trace the story of the stock market itself. From its very beginnings in the Netherlands, to its supersizing in America, through the prism of crypto and widespread speculation that has led to this moment with SpaceX. What happened? The World's First Stock Exchange by Lodewijk Petram The Wisdom of Finance by Mihir Desai Liftoff and Reentry by Eric Berger Search En…
Why doesn’t anybody come to my parties?
Ep 143 · Jun 15, 2026 · 47 min
Claire Haber-Harris has a question. When she sends out an invitation, why does she get a tidal wave of excuses and no's? How could someone claim to have had the same stomach virus three times in a row? Search Engine investigates why a random American mom might be annoying people in her community. Cartoons Hate Her on Substack Become a premium member!
Why is the pool at Buckingham Palace a secret? (classic)
Jun 5, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
An investigation into a mysterious room. A room that the most famous family in England apparently does not want you to see. Support the show!
Why do we have to pay into the new Anti-Weaponization Fund?
Ep 142 · May 29, 2026 · 40 min
The President has created a 1.776 billion dollar fund of taxpayer money he can direct to whoever he wants. Huh? How did this happen, and what might happen next? We talk to Pro Publica’s Jesse Eisinger, an investigative reporter who has played a strange role in this whole story. Listen to our series with Jesse: Why is it so hard to tax billionaires? (Part 1) and (Part 2) Check out the new ProPublica podcast Paper Trail. Support the show!
Presenting: Family Lore
May 27, 2026 · 35 min
Presenting an episode of Family Lore, a new show on the Audacy network. The granddaughter of a prolific Jewish art collector who fled Europe during World War II embarks on a quest to recover the looted art.
The many lives of Taiwan
Ep 141 · May 22, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
We go deep into the story of Taiwan. How a tiny island escaped demise, chartered a course from colonial subjugation through mass Barbie production and into the technological powerhouse it is today. The Tiger Leading the Dragon: How Taiwan Propelled China's Economic Rise by Shelley Rigger Get tickets to hear PJ read live! Friends With Words at Roulette
Why are people excited about nuclear power again?
Ep 140 · May 8, 2026 · 50 min
Nuclear energy was a taboo for decades, but it’s coming back, it’ll power AI data centers for Google and Microsoft. What does new nuclear technology look like, and why do the nuclear optimists believe this new tech is superior? Meltdowns, reactors that can fit in your backyard, and one podcaster’s heroic attempt to describe nuclear fission. Rachel Slaybaugh Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow (check out her book Atomic Dreams) Adam Stein Search Engine’s episodes on data centers: Colossus 1 & Colossus 2 Support…
What if the cemetery goes out of business? (classic)
May 1, 2026 · 50 min
We're supposed to be buried there forever, right? Right?? Answers this week from writer David Sloane, who grew up in a cemetery and spent his adult life studying them. The surprising history of the place we go where we die and an answer to what happens when it runs out of money. Is the Cemetery Dead? by David Charles Sloane Support the show at searchengine.show
Where’s the best free restaurant bread in America?
Ep 139 · Apr 24, 2026 · 39 min
An enterprising reporter goes on a quest to find the restaurant serving the absolute best free bread in this country, and finds it. She returns to Search Engine with her results. Read Caity Weaver’s story. Support the show!
The Cost of War
Ep 138 · Apr 17, 2026 · 49 min
The United States has begun a conflict with Iran that two thirds of the American public does not understand. One question we can try to answer: how much is this conflict costing us? The surprising story of how the government learned to hide the costs of war, and how someone learned to get to the bottom of those costs anyway. Check out Professor Bilmes’ work. Additional listening: our episode on ballooning national debt and why it's a big deal Support the show!
What we got wrong about GLP-1s
Ep 137 · Apr 10, 2026 · 46 min
Search Engine is breaking its cowardly three-year silence on GLP-1s. We have been curious about them. We have been afraid of getting in trouble. We are no longer afraid. A conversation with Dr. Rachael Bedard about the many mistakes in how the media covered these drugs and what the research shows about their surprising effects. Dr. Bedard’s story on the rise of Ozempic Support the show!
The Trial of the Driverless Car
Ep 136 · Mar 26, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
In blue cities throughout the country, unions and politicians are fighting to ban driverless cars. We travel to Boston, where the fight has reached a fever pitch, and where the cars themselves will create some very unusual political alliances. (This is part two of a two part series, listen to the beginning here.) Support Search Engine!
Are you a good driver?
Ep 135 · Mar 23, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
The story of how a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads. And, an answer to the question: are the robots actually safer drivers than we are? Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car , Alex Davies Support Search Engine!
Odd Lots x Search Engine
Mar 6, 2026 · 48 min
This week, we’re sharing an episode from Odd Lots. An interview with The Economist's Mike Bird about how Chinese real estate became the biggest bubble in history. You can find more episodes from Odd Lots here.
Mysteries of Claude
Ep 134 · Feb 27, 2026 · 49 min
Anthropic hired philosophers to teach its AI to be good. In their tests, the AI blackmailed a human to keep itself alive. Writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus went inside the company to figure out what's going on with Claude, and whether anyone can actually control it. Read Gideon's story here Support Search Engine!
Why don’t we eat people? (classic)
Feb 20, 2026 · 58 min
A question from a four-year-old tips us into an investigation of one of our most fundamental taboos: cannibalism. With help from New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield and writer Kelefa Sanneh.
How Peptides Conquered the Internet
Ep 133 · Feb 13, 2026 · 45 min
Two decades ago, bodybuilders on niche internet forums started injecting peptides. Now they're in the secret mini-fridges of some teenage boys. How did they get there? We track their crooked path from Silicon Valley to jaw-smashing influencers. Check out Jasmine Sun's work (and her piece on peptides) Check out Ezra Marcus' work (and his piece on peptides) Support Search Engine!
Are flushable wipes actually flushable?
Ep 132 · Jan 30, 2026 · 56 min
A simple question leads us on a journey from the bowels of New York City through the courtrooms of South Carolina to the disgusting truth. Support Search Engine!
The Venezuelan Curse (Part 2)
Ep 131 · Jan 20, 2026 · 59 min
The conclusion to our story about Venezuela. How a country goes from a prosperous democracy to a poverty-ravaged dictatorship. The End (our 2022 episode on Greenland) The Many Faces of Chavismo - Alejandro Velasco Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse - William Neuman
The Venezuelan Curse (Part 1)
Ep 130 · Jan 16, 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
For the past year, there's been a steady drumbeat of headlines about Venezuela. Now the US has invaded, arrested its president, and installed itself in charge. To understand how we got here, we talked to Venezuelan historian Alejandro Velasco, who grew up there and has spent years trying to understand why a country with so much promise has proven so difficult to govern. The Many Faces of Chavismo - Alejandro Velasco Hard Fork with Casey Newton and Kevin Roose
The Fediverse Experiment
Ep 129 · Jan 9, 2026 · 39 min
Our present version of the internet is arguably the worst it’s ever been. Which means – any shot at changing things, even an unlikely one – is worth trying out. Three podcasters who’ve spent years critiquing social media companies try to build their own small alternative social media. A collaboration with Hard Fork’s Kevin Roose and Casey Newton: join The Forkiverse here.
Heavyweight x Search Engine
Dec 26, 2025 · 36 min
As a very special holiday treat, we are sharing a story from one of our favorite podcasts, Heavyweight. Gregor's parents are pushing 90. Gregor wants to move them out of their big Victorian home. But they refuse. So, he's come up with a bold plan. Incognito Mode, our ad-free, no-rerun, bonus episode feed.
A Perfectly Average Anomaly
Ep 128 · Dec 19, 2025 · 56 min
A man walks into an airport body scanner, and with eerie consistency, the machine flags the exact same part of his body. What could be going on? Search Engine investigates a Bermuda Triangle. Incognito Mode, our ad-free, no-rerun, bonus episode feed.
Unlocked: The State of Search Engine 2025
Dec 12, 2025 · 49 min
As a special, one-time holiday treat, we're sharing something we only usually offer on our premium feed, Incognito Mode. Our annual board meeting! We talk about what shopping a podcast has been like in this environment, our internal stats, and… Yes, Yes, No. Incognito Mode, our ad-free, no-rerun, bonus episode feed.
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