Close All Tabs

Close All Tabs Presents Snap Judgment: Runaway Car

Close All Tabs is on break this week, but we’re sharing a captivating episode about technology gone wrong from our friends at KQED’s Snap Judgment.  A 19 year old picks

What Happened to the Quantified Self Movement?

Before Apple Watches, Oura Rings and Fitbits delivered mountains of health data to the masses, a group of obsessive self-tracking enthusiasts in Silicon Valley started a

Going Down the AI Music Slop Chute with Camilo Landau | Dream Machines

Can people tell the difference between a song made by human musicians, and one prompted by AI? Oftentimes not, it turns out. But that doesn’t make the distinction any les

AI Agents Are Turning Marxist Under Stress

In an effort to study how AI agents respond to different working conditions, three researchers ran an experiment: one set of AI agents received grinding work to complete

Could AI Transform How Science Gets Done? with Jungwon Byun | Dream Machines

What happens when AI moves beyond answering questions and starts helping scientists decide what to investigate next? Dream Machines hosts Alexis Madrigal and Robin Sloan

The Emily Hart Saga, Part 2: The AI Thirst Trap Grift

Emily Hart, the bikini-wearing right-wing AI influencer, had captured the hearts, minds and more of MAGA men online. But her creator, Sam, had grown sick of the creepy me

AI Will Create Enormous Wealth — But Who Benefits? with Erik Brynjolfsson | Dream Machines

AI is advancing at a breakneck pace, but how quickly will that actually transform the economy? Dream Machines hosts Alexis Madrigal and Robin Sloan talk to Stanford econo

The Emily Hart Saga, Part 1: MAGA’s AI Dream Girl

Emily Hart was a pickup-driving, Trump-supporting blonde bombshell who frequently posted photos on Instagram along with captions about “deporting illegals.” Within a few

Language, Landscapes and Robot Minds with Annalee Newitz | Dream Machines

San Francisco has been at the center of successive waves of technological and cultural change —  from the literal Gold Rush days to the current gold rush-like AI boom. Dr

Why The Ethan Klein Fair Use Lawsuits Are Way More Than Internet Beef

When Twitch streamer Denims made a reaction video about Ethan Klein's nearly two-hour takedown video of Hasan Piker, she wasn’t expecting to be sued for copyright infring

Introducing: Dream Machines from KQED

We’ve got guests in the feed all August — a new series from KQED called Dream Machines! Today Morgan talks to co-hosts Alexis Madrigal and Robin Sloan about this podcast

The Pink Pill Pipeline and the Online War Against Birth Control

It starts with aspirational lifestyle content about “embracing your femininity,” but ends with alt-right ideology and conspiracy theories about reproductive care. This is

How the Furry Fandom Says Goodbye (Reload)

Anthrocon, the largest gathering of furries in the world, just celebrated its 20th anniversary in July — so we’re re-airing one of our favorite episodes yet.  Furries ar

Are We Doomed If The Internet Goes Dark?

What are the chances that the internet could go down forever? How bad for humanity would it be if it did? And what would a shift back to the before-times look like? These

'Get The Flock Out': The Fight Over License-Plate Readers Heats Up

Flock Safety’s license plate readers have become a flashpoint for a debate across the country. On one side: law enforcement and their supporters, who say the cameras redu

Meet the Grads Grappling With AI and Their Futures

Everyone seems to have an opinion about AI, but what about those who will likely be affected most — recent graduates? This cohort of grads is unique. They remember what

The $55B Deal That Has Sims Players Worried

When shareholders of gaming giant Electronic Arts approved an acquisition of the company by a group that includes Jared Kushner’s private equity firm and the Saudi Public

A Queer History of The Sims

“Did The Sims make you gay?” is a long-running joke among Sims players. For millions, The Sims has been more than a video game — it’s been a place to experiment, tell sto

How To Prove You're Not AI

During a recent phone call,  BBC tech columnist Thomas Germain couldn’t convince his aunt that he wasn’t AI. Being unable to distinguish a real person from a fabricated v

Escaping the Surveillance Pricing Trap

When JetBlue replied to an angry customer on X that they should clear their cookies for a better flight price, it seemed to confirm a long-held consumer belief: companies