The WIRED Podcast

Election deniers are mobilizing their supporters and rolling out new tech to disrupt the November election. These groups are already organizing on hyperlocal levels, and learning to monitor polling places, target election officials, and challenge voter rolls. And though their work was once fringe, its become mainstreamed in the Republican Party. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we focus on what these groups are doing, and what this means for voters and the election workers already facing threats and harassment.Listen to and follow WIRED Politics Lab here.Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

We look back at the year in tech, science, business, and culture—through the medium of a quiz.Amit hosts the annual WIRED podcast quiz, with Morgan, Matt R, Grace, and Matt B vying for the prestigious title.Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Hello, WIRED podcast listeners. We’re on a short break from producing new episodes at the moment, with some big plans for next year. In the meantime, we need your help. Tell us: What are your burning questions about the future. The future of what? Anything. Big or small, strange or serious. We want to hear your questions.And they may even make it into a future episode of the show. Email us at the normal address: podcast@wired.co.uk

Coming up today: Morgan finds out what happens when an AI company steals your face, and Matt Burgess explores the most vulnerable place on the internetThis is going to be the last episode for a little while. We’re taking a short break to work on some exciting changes to the podcast for 2023, but we’ll be back with a new episode in a few weeks. We’ll see you then! The stories we talked about this week:Clearview Stole My Face and the EU Can’t Do Anything About Ithttps://www.wired.com/story/clearview-face-search-engine-gdpr/The Most Vulnerable Place on the Internethttps://www.wired.com/story/submarine-internet-cables-egypt/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by James Temperton

Coming up today: the WIRED podcast team weighs in on Elon Musk’s dramatic Twitter takeover.The stories we talked about this week:Unverify Me, Daddyhttps://www.wired.com/story/twitter-elon-musk-verification/Elon Musk Has Fired Twitter’s ‘Ethical AI’ Teamhttps://www.wired.com/story/twitter-ethical-ai-team/Twitter Had a Plan to Fix Social Media. Will Elon Musk Follow It?https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-had-a-plan-to-fix-social-media-bluesky-will-elon-musk-follow-it/

Coming up today: the deadly viruses lurking in the permafrost, and what the Bruce Willis deepfake means for the future of Hollywood.The stories we talked about this week:The Bruce Willis Deepfake Is Everyone’s Problemhttps://www.wired.com/story/bruce-willis-deepfake-rights-law/Thawing Permafrost Exposes Old Pathogens—and New Hostshttps://www.wired.com/story/arctic-spillover-risk/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how gig economy laws caused strip club chaos, and we assess your risk of dying in a nuclear war.The stories we talked about this week:The Gig Law Causing Chaos in California Strip Clubshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/gig-economy-strip-clubsMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

We look at how social media platforms have responded to the death of Molly Russell and explain why Elon Musk is wrong about depopulation.How A British Teen's Death Changed Social Mediahttps://www.wired.com/story/how-a-british-teens-death-changed-social-media/Elon Musk Is Totally Wrong About Population Collapsehttps://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-population-crisis/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by James Temperton

Coming up today: as Elon Musk and Twitter (maybe) close in on a deal, we delve deep into the glorious, curious world of bots.(This show was recorded before Elon Musk said he would, in fact, buy Twitter.)The stories we talk about this week...The Quest to Find Twitter’s Elusive Bot Teamhttps://www.wired.com/story/the-quest-to-find-twitters-elusive-bot-team/The Problem With Mental Health Botshttps://www.wired.com/story/mental-health-chatbots/Read all our bot coverage https://www.wired.com/tag/series-bots-run-the-internet/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by James Temperton

Coming up today: the devastating impact of Iran’s internet shutdown and we find out what happened when a Danish city banned Google from its schools.The stories we talk about this week:A Danish City Built Google Into Its Schools—Then Banned Ithttps://www.wired.com/story/denmark-google-schools-data/Iran’s Internet Shutdown Hides a Deadly Crackdownhttps://www.wired.com/story/iran-protests-2022-internet-shutdown-whatsapp/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we go on the hunt for the people who’ve never caught Covid and take a look at the wild logistics of replacing the Queen’s iconography on everything from bank notes to post vans.The stories we talk about this week:The Mystery of Why Some People Don’t Get Covidhttps://www.wired.com/story/the-mystery-of-why-some-people-dont-get-covid/What Happens to Everything With Queen Elizabeth II’s Image?https://www.wired.com/story/updating-british-royal-iconography/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we talk about the juicy business of plant-based meat and the equally juicy business of Russian censorship.The stories we talk about this week:Plant-Based Burgers Aren’t Denting People’s Beef AddictionAlternative proteins were meant to reduce the carbon footprint of our diets. But it doesn’t look like consumers are switching ... yet.https://www.wired.com/story/plant-based-meat-replacing-animal-meat/This Clever Anti-Censorship Tool Lets Russians Read Blocked NewsSamizdat Online syndicates banned news sites by hosting them on uncensored domains—allowing people to access independent reporting.https://www.wired.com/story/russia-internet-censorship-samizdat-online/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds on Russian gas supplies, and Grace on why the psychedelics bubble could be about to burst.Europe’s Plan to Wean Itself off Russian Gas Just Might Workhttps://www.wired.com/story/russian-gas-europe/Is the Psychedelic Therapy Bubble About to Burst?https://www.wired.com/story/psychedelic-hype-bubble/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the tech behind a high-school prank, and the hunt for Covid’s originsThe stories we walked about this week:The Origins of Covid-19 Are More Complicated Than Once Thoughthttps://www.wired.com/story/tracing-covid-pandemic-origins/Inside the World’s Biggest Hacker Rickrollhttps://www.wired.com/story/biggest-hacker-rickroll-high-school-prank/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how NFTs conquered football, and why captchas are getting more confusingThe stories we walked about this week:NFTs Are Conquering Footballhttps://www.wired.com/story/nfts-conquering-soccer/Smiling Dogs? Horses Made of Clouds? Captcha Has Gone Too Farhttps://www.wired.com/story/smiling-dogs-horses-made-of-clouds-captcha-has-gone-too-far/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Grace explores the monkeypox vaccine pipeline problems and Matt Burgess looks at Facebook's European data woes.The stories we walked about this week:The Chaotic Monkeypox Vaccine Pipeline Is Leaving Everyone Shorthttps://www.wired.com/story/monkeypox-vaccine-supply-chain/Will Europe Force a Facebook Blackout?https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-eu-us-data-transfers/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Morgan explores a plan to tackle deadly heatwaves through afternoon naps, and Grace investigates the technology hoping to tap into your brainThe stories we walked about this week:The Age of Brain-Computer Interfaces Is on the Horizonhttps://www.wired.com/story/synchron-brain-computer-interface/How Siestas Might Help Europe Survive Deadly Heat Waveshttps://www.wired.com/story/how-siestas-might-help-europe-survive-deadly-heat-waves/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Morgan explores the global trade in abortion pills, and Matt Burgess investigates the strange case of the severed internet cablesThe stories we walked about this week:Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Networkhttps://www.wired.com/story/the-wild-abortion-pill-supply-chain/The Unsolved Mystery Attack on Internet Cables in Parishttps://www.wired.com/story/france-paris-internet-cable-cuts-attack/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how China took control of the world’s lithium supply and we explain why your next car could be a threat to national security. Western automakers built their fortunes on the internal combustion engine. Now China has ambitions to define the electric vehicle age.The stories we talked about this week (and more!):China Built Your iPhone. Will It Build Your Next Car?https://www.wired.com/story/foxconn-apple-car-china/The Rise and Precarious Reign of China’s Battery Kinghttps://www.wired.com/story/catl-china-battery-production-evs/Is Your New Car a Threat to National Security?https://www.wired.com/story/china-cars-surveillance-national-security/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

After a brief pause last week, the WIRED podcast returns.Coming up today: Natasha on what it’s like working at Twitter amid Elon Musk chaos, and Matt Reynolds on a mad plan to grow plants without sunlight.The stories we talked about this week:As Elon Musk Walks, Twitter Workers Say No One’s in Chargehttps://www.wired.com/story/plants-growing-in-darkness/Scientists Are Trying to Grow Crops in the Darkhttps://www.wired.com/story/plants-growing-in-darkness/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how Covid tracking apps are pivoting for commercial profit and we talk about the future of genome sequencing.The stories we talked about this week:How Covid Tracking Apps Are Pivoting for Commercial Profithttps://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-data-switch/How Genome Sequencing Will Change Our Liveshttps://www.penguin.co.uk/books/112/1120653/genomics--wired-guides-/9781847943408.htmlMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we speak to the people picking up the slack after their colleagues quit and get stuck into a messy argument about microbe names.The stories we talked about this week:The Almighty Squabble Over Who Gets to Name Microbeshttps://www.wired.com/story/microbe-names-fight/They Quit. Now You're Picking Up the Slackhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/they-quit-now-youre-picking-up-the-slackMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how Russia is remaking Ukraine’s internet in its own image and the pros and cons of Canada’s bold new drug law.The stories we talked about this week:Canada Moves to Decriminalize Possession of ‘Hard’ Drugshttps://www.wired.com/story/canada-moves-to-decriminalize-possession-of-hard-drugs/Russia Is Taking Over Ukraine’s Internethttps://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-russia-internet-takeover/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Morgan explores the problems facing Google in Russia, and Grace tells us all about the Great ReinfectionThe stories we talked about this week:Welcome to the Great Reinfectionhttps://www.wired.com/story/welcome-to-the-great-reinfection/Google's Russian Empire Faces an Uncertain Futurehttps://www.wired.com/story/google-russia-exit/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Natasha reveals the latest trick to lure people back to the office and Amit unmasks the many problems with the lie detector.The stories we talked about this week:Employers Are Luring Workers Back to the Office—With Plantshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/office-plants-hybrid-workingMurder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detectorhttps://twitter.com/amitkatwala/status/1513498832344174598Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the fallout from the impending fall of Roe v Wade and we look back at four years of Europe’s landmark data privacy law.The stories we talked about this week:Patients May Not Receive Miscarriage Care in a Post-Roe Americahttps://www.wired.com/story/miscarriage-care-roe-versus-wade/The Ramifications of Roe v. Wade’s Fall Won’t Stop at Abortion Banshttps://www.wired.com/story/ramifications-of-post-roe-world/All of WIRED's coverage on a Post-Roe Americahttps://www.wired.com/tag/reproductive-rights/How GDPR Is Failinghttps://www.wired.com/story/gdpr-2022/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: a potential roadblock on the route to nuclear fusion and how the Kremlin infiltrated Russia’s biggest social media network.The stories we talked about this week:Nuclear Fusion Is Already Facing a Fuel Crisishttps://www.wired.com/story/nuclear-fusion-is-already-facing-a-fuel-crisis/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we explain why the crypto world may be crumbling and look at the flaws in the European Union’s new plan to crack down on child sexual abuse images. The stories we talked about this week:The EU Wants Big Tech to Scan Your Private Chats for Child Abusehttps://www.wired.com/story/europe-csam-scanning-law-chat-encryption/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how Shanghai is rewriting the rules of Chinese censorship and we explain why Americans need to eat less cows.The stories we talked about this week:You Don’t Have to Quit Meat to Save the Planethttps://www.wired.com/story/beef-eating-deforestation/Shanghai Is Rewriting Chinese Censorship Amid Lockdownhttps://www.wired.com/story/shanghai-lockdown-china-censorship/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we delve into the latest European Big Tech regulation thriller and find out why a spike in hepatitis cases in kids has scientists hunting for answers.The stories we talked about this week:Ukraine War Prompts Europe's New Emergency Rules for the Internethttps://www.wired.com/story/europe-digital-services-act/Europe Has Traded Away Its Online Porn Lawhttps://www.wired.com/story/digital-services-act-deepfake-porn/Hepatitis Cases in Kids Have Scientists Hunting for Answershttps://www.wired.com/story/hepatitis-cases-in-kids-have-scientists-hunting-for-answers/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the future of mRNA vaccines, and how the gas crisis is creating a two-tier energy system in the UK.The Energy Crisis Is Pushing Solar Adoption—for Those Who Can Payhttps://www.wired.com/story/uk-energy-crisis-solar/For mRNA, Covid Vaccines Are Just the Beginninghttps://www.wired.com/story/for-mrna-vaccines-covid-was-just-the-beginning/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess dives into Ukraine’s information war, and Grace meets a woman who was born without her temporal lobe.She Was Missing a Chunk of Her Brain. It Didn’t Matterhttps://www.wired.com/story/she-was-missing-a-chunk-of-her-brain-it-didnt-matter/Russia Is Leaking Data Like a Sievehttps://www.wired.com/story/russia-ukraine-data/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we explain what Twitter’s future holds now Elon Musk is on its board and look at how a lithium mine in Serbia has become a key battleground for Europe’s green future.The stories we talked about this week:Elon Musk Is on Twitter's Board. What Could Go Wrong?https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-twitter-board-future/What Twitter Is Really Planning for Cryptohttps://www.wired.com/story/twitter-crypto-strategy/Europe’s Biggest Lithium Mine Is Caught in a Political Maelstromhttps://www.wired.com/story/serbia-europe-lithium-mining-electric-cars/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: We delve into the details of the EU’s big move against Big Tech power and tell the harrowing story of the destruction of Mariupol’s communications infrastructure.The stories we talked about this week:Europe's Digital Markets Act Takes a Hammer to Big Techhttps://www.wired.com/story/digital-markets-act-messaging/Forcing WhatsApp and iMessage to Work Together Is Doomed to Failhttps://www.wired.com/story/dma-interoperability-messaging-imessage-whatsapp/The Last Cell Tower in Mariupolhttps://www.wired.com/story/mariupol-ukraine-war/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess investigates a mysterious satellite hack and Matt Reynolds reinvents the humble tree.The stories we talked about this week:A Mysterious Satellite Hack Has Victims Far Beyond Ukrainehttps://www.wired.com/story/viasat-internet-hack-ukraine-russia/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess analyses the crypto dreams of a $180m ransomware gang, and Grace looks at how the war in Ukraine is affecting medical trialsThe War Puts Ukraine's Clinical Trials—and Patients—in Jeopardyhttps://www.wired.com/story/war-ukraine-clinical-trials-jeopardy/The Workaday Life of the World’s Most Dangerous Ransomware Ganghttps://www.wired.com/story/conti-leaks-ransomware-work-life/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess goes to the battlefront of Ukraine’s cyber war, and Grace explores the whitewashing problem within genetic research.The stories we talked about this week:Ukraine’s Volunteer ‘IT Army’ Is Hacking in Uncharted Territoryhttps://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-it-army-russia-war-cyberattacks-ddos/Genetic Databases Are Too White. Here’s What It’ll Take to Fix Ithttps://www.wired.com/story/genetic-research-is-too-white/

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds goes on a denture adventure and we explain how the war in Ukraine could spur another global chip shortage.The stories we talked about this week:Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Spur Another Global Chip Shortagehttps://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-chip-shortage-neon/The True Story of the Viral False Teeth That Fooled the Worldhttps://www.wired.com/story/false-teeth-viral-story/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess explains why all is not well at Firefox and we find out about the quest to make a digital replica of your brain.Is Firefox OK?https://www.wired.com/story/firefox-mozilla-2022/The Quest to Make a Digital Replica of Your Brain https://www.wired.com/story/the-quest-to-make-a-digital-replica-of-your-brain/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: why NFT marketplace OpenSea can’t win and we look at the wild, woolly world of mammoth patents.You're (Maybe) Gonna Need a Patent for That Woolly Mammothhttps://www.wired.com/story/de-extinction-patents/Why OpenSea’s NFT Marketplace Can’t Winhttps://www.wired.com/story/opensea-nfts-twitter/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

The latest on the porn block and why evolution is happening faster than anyone thought possible.The stories we talked about this week:A New Database Reveals How Much Humans Are Messing With Evolutionhttps://www.wired.com/story/database-humans-messing-with-evolution/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Germany takes on Telegram and Matt Burgess dives deep inside a Russian ransomware gang.The stories we talked about this week:Germany Has Picked a Fight With Telegramhttps://www.wired.com/story/germany-telegram-covid/Inside Trickbot, Russia’s Notorious Ransomware Ganghttps://www.wired.com/story/trickbot-malware-group-internal-messages/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the agony and ecstasy of learning to live with Covid and we look at how gravity storage could help in the fight against the climate crisis.The stories we talked about this week:Politicians Say It’s Time to Live With Covid. Are You Ready?https://www.wired.com/story/living-with-covid-new-normal/Gravity Could Solve Clean Energy’s One Major Drawbackhttps://www.wired.com/story/energy-vault-gravity-storage/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we look at how countries can best count deaths caused by the climate crisis and look at the latest twist in the gig economy workers’ rights saga.The stories we talked about this week:A Project to Count Climate Crisis Deaths Has Surprising Resultshttps://www.wired.com/story/uk-climate-change-deaths/Gig Workers Were Promised a Better Deal. Then They Were Outsourcedhttps://www.wired.com/story/gig-economy-outsourcing-uk/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today it’s the final WIRED podcast of 2021. That can only mean one thing: it’s quiz time.Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, the big problem with Gorillas, and everything you need to know about the Omicron variantThe stories we talked about this week:Europe Went Bananas for Gorillas. Then Its Workers Rose Uphttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/gorillas-gig-economy-unions-germanyThe Omicron Variant Is a Mystery. Here’s How Science Will Solve Ithttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/omicron-variant-factsMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, how humans have broken a fundamental law of the ocean and we look into the UK’s plan to sequence the genomes of up to 200,000 babies.The stories we talked about this week:Humans Have Broken a Fundamental Law of the Oceanhttps://www.wired.com/story/humans-broken-fundamental-law-ocean/The UK Government Wants to Sequence Your Baby’s Genomehttps://www.wired.com/story/whole-genome-sequencing-newborn-screening/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, nuclear fusion, treadmill hacking and Norway’s electric vehicle headache. The stories we talked about this week:Norway Is Running Out of Gas-Guzzling Cars to Taxhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/norway-electric-vehicle-taxLocked Out of ‘God Mode,’ Runners Are Hacking Their Treadmillshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/nordictrack-ifit-treadmill-privilege-modeFinally, a Practical Use for Nuclear Fusionhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/finally-a-practical-use-for-nuclear-fusionMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, how RNA could help keep food fresh for longer and we explain why Salt Bae is the ultimate content machine.The stories we talked about this week:The Next Big Thing for RNA? Fixing Moldy Foodhttps://www.wired.com/story/rna-crop-sprays-presticides/Salt Bae’s Next Great Act? Endless Contenthttps://www.wired.com/story/salt-bae-restaurant-viral-videos/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, we look into a dementia detection breakthrough and find out why the cops got involved when a group of vigilante parents tried to take on their school’s broken IT system.These Parents Built a School App. Then the City Called the Copshttps://www.wired.com/story/sweden-stockholm-school-app-open-source

Coming up today, we delve into Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse dream and look at an AI tool for verifying the age of children online.The stories we talked about this week:Look Over Here, Kids, It’s the Metaversehttps://www.wired.com/story/facebook-connect-metaverse/Inside the race to use hydrogen to heat our homeshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/hydrogen-uk-heatingThis AI Predicts How Old Children Are. Can It Keep Them Safe?https://www.wired.com/story/ai-predicts-how-old-children-are/Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, drones versus horses and Berlin versus Elon MuskThe stories we talked about this week:Elon Musk flew to Berlin to woo the locals. He failedhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/tesla-berlin-gigafactory-openingThe horse, the drone and the epic fight for gambling successhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/horse-racing-droneMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, we ask a simple question: should we kill trillions of animals to save the planet? And try and work out why Squid Game became such a runaway success The stories we talked about this week:Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… a fun week at Facebook and the end of the zero-Covid dream.The stories we talked about this week:Why Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp All Went Down Todayhttps://www.wired.com/story/why-facebook-instagram-whatsapp-went-down-outage/Whistle-Blower Unites Democrats and Republicans in Calling for Regulation of Facebookhttps://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/10/05/technology/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugenNew Zealand, Delta and the end of zero-Covidhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/new-zealand-zero-covidMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by James Temperton

Coming up today… we profile the climate crisis innovators and find out about the race for Cornish lithiumThe stories we talked about this week:This company is reinventing the lithium-ion batteryhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-ion-batteries-sila-nanotechnologiesThe race for Cornish lithiumPublished October 5, 2021Music by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by James Temperton

Coming up today… big tech competition and why we need to rethink fish as foodThe stories we talked about this week:Microsoft is heading for a new antitrust showdownhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/microsoft-antitrust-dmu-dma-bundling-slackThe race to stop fish becoming the next factory farming nightmarehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/future-of-food-fishMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… vaccine passports in France, and the unique loneliness of quitting your job during Covid.The stories we talked about this week:France’s vaccine passport worked – sort ofhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/france-vaccine-passport-health-passRemote workers are trapped in a quitting nightmarehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/remote-working-quit-jobMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… the weird link between YouTube videos and a rise in Tourette’s-like symptoms in young women and we explore the fight for control of Afghanistan’s internet.The stories we talked about this week:They saw a YouTube video. Then they got Tourette’shttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/tourettes-youtube-jan-zimmermannThe battle for control of Afghanistan’s internethttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/afghanistan-taliban-internetThe Taliban’s vast propaganda machine has a new targethttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/taliban-propaganda-news-afghanistanMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… Zoom dysmorphia is following us into the real world, plus animal abuse on YouTubeThe stories we talked about this week:Zoom dysmorphia is following us into the real worldhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/zoom-dysmorphiaOn YouTube, you’re never far from a dying kittenhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/youtube-animal-abuse-rescueMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… the startups selling ball boosting supplements, and is your name ruining lifeThe stories we talked about this week:Is your name ruining your life?https://www.wired.co.uk/article/name-discriminationThey wanted big balls. This startup said it could helphttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/microbiome-testicles-umzuMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Welcome to Food People, a show from Bon Appétit made by, for, and about people who love food. Each week, BA’s editorial director Amanda Shapiro asks a serious or not-so-serious food question: What’s the best way to grill chicken? Can meal prep be less terrible? Are air fryers worth the hype? In search of answers or at least a spirited debate, she’ll bring in staffers, chefs, writers, and experts from across the culinary universe. Expect strong opinions, tons of recipe inspiration, and more food puns than we'd like to admit.Listen and subscribe at http://listen.bonappetit.com/foodpeople-trailer or wherever you get your podcasts: http://listen.bonappetit.com/foodpeople Apple Podcasts: http://listen.bonappetit.com/ba-apple Spotify: https://link.chtbl.com/ba-spotify Stitcher: http://listen.bonappetit.com/ba-stitcher

Coming up today… how Afghans are racing to erase their online lives, and the wild logistics of the Istanbul canalThe stories we talked about this week:Afghans are racing to erase their online liveshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/afghanistan-social-media-deleteThe wild logistics of the Istanbul Canal megaprojecthttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/istanbul-canal-logisticsMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… Apple’s controversial new child safety tool and we look at the rise of office tribes The stories we talked about this week:Apple Walks a Privacy Tightrope to Spot Child Abuse in iCloudhttps://www.wired.com/story/apple-csam-detection-icloud-photos-encryption-privacy/Hybrid office tribes are here, and they’re a problemhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/hybrid-working-office-tribes

Coming up today… we reveal the slow collapse of Amazon’s drone delivery dream and go inside the fungi renaissance  The stories we talked about this week:The slow collapse of Amazon’s drone delivery dreamhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-drone-delivery-prime-airForget Impossible, the fungi renaissance is herehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/fungi-protein-meatMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… Simone Biles and the brutal pressure of elite sport and how the UK’s NHS App became an unofficial Covid passport.Simone Biles will not be the lasthttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/simone-biles-tokyo-olympicsThe NHS App has quietly become a vaccine passporthttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/nhs-app-covid-vaccine-passportMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… Germany looks to block one of the world’s biggest porn websites and we look at where cryptocurrency and bitcoin are going next. The stories we talked about this week:Germany is about to block one of the world’s biggest porn siteshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/germany-porn-laws-age-checksThe future of cryptocurrency – Cryptocurrency (WIRED guides): How Digital Money Could Transform Financehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Cryptocurrency-WIRED-guides-Digital-Transform-ebook/dp/B08LPGH9ZMMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we unveil the best day of the week to go into the office and discuss the biggest rule change in Formula 1 historyThe stories we talked about this week:The best day to go into the office is…https://www.wired.co.uk/article/best-day-return-officeInside Formula 1’s biggest ever rule changehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/f1-rules-2022-carsMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we dig deep into the biometric surveillance tech boom and Natasha has a fun day out at a farm.This week James and Matt B ask whether we should ban biometric surveillance? Improvements in artificial intelligence mean it’s possible to analyse and identify people by their walk, their veins, their face, their fingers and even the shape of their ears. As a result, the biometrics industry is booming – it’s expected to grow to between $60 billion and $80bn in the coming years. However, the technology has a creepy side: it’s being used to group people by ethnicity, gender and try to predict their emotions.Read more: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/europe-ai-biometricsFor our second story, Vicki and Natasha look at the effort to build the biggest biobank of animal cells in Europe. Nature’s SAFE aims to collect 50 million genetic samples and "freeze them in time", storing cells from critically endangered species including the Amur leopard, black rhino and mountain chicken frog in cryogenic tanks. The idea is to harvest and preserve samples of semen – as well as ova and other tissue – that could one day be used to regenerate dwindling animal populations and prevent them from going extinct.Read more: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/natures-safe

Coming up today... we revisit the idea of herd immunity for Covid-19 and consider how the Delta variant is causing travel chaos.The stories we talked about this week:The UK’s summer of travel chaoshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/uk-green-list-travel-holidaysWe might never reach herd immunityhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/covid-19-herd-immunityMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today... we explain how the Delta variant took over and delve deep into the mysteries of the golden triangle.The stories we talked about this week:How the Delta variant took overhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/delta-variant-ukWarehouses are taking over the Earthhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/warehouses-next-day-deliveryMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today... how Apple might eat the newsletter industry, and why quantum computing could unravel some of the mysteries of the universeThe stories we talked about this week:Quantum computers are already detangling nature’s mysterieshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/quantum-computingIt looks like Apple is after Substack’s email empirehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/apple-newsletter-trackingMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today... we explain what really went down when the internet went down and ask a big question: should you ditch Google Chrome?The stories we talked about this week:What really went down when the internet went downhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/fastly-internet-outageIt’s time to ditch Chromehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/google-chrome-browser-dataMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today... we look at the future of mRNA vaccine revolution and explore the use of brain training apps as a tool for tackling police brutality.The stories we talked about this week:The mRNA vaccine revolution is just beginning:https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mrna-vaccine-revolution-katalin-karikoBrain training games are here to end police brutalityhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/brain-training-stop-police-shootingsMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, the rise and rise of astrology apps and we delve deep into the controversies surrounding India’s faltering vaccination drive.The stories we talked about this week:India’s CoWin vaccine booking system is a nightmarehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/india-covid-vaccine-cowinLonely men are driving an online astrology boomwired.co.uk/article/online-astrology-menMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by James Temperton

Coming up today the wild rise LadBaby and the Facebook Famous and we look at what’s cooking in the world of cultured meat.The stories we talked about this week:LadBaby and the wild rise of the Facebook Famoushttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/ladbaby-facebook-famousWhat’s cooking in the world of cultured meatPublished on 25.05.21, check WIRED.co.uk for the full storyMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by James Temperton

Coming up today… it’s Uber versus cabbies once again and we try to untangle the complex future of end-to-end encryption.The stories we talked about this week:An epic row is brewing over Uber’s Soho ‘taxi rank’https://www.wired.co.uk/article/uber-soho-taxi-rankPolice caught one of the web’s most dangerous paedophiles. Then everything went darkhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/whatsapp-encryption-child-abuseMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we talk about the weather and try to get the bottom of the weird world of dumb corporate rebrands.The stories we talked about this week:Why brands ditching vowels are rlly stpdhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/abrdn-rebrand-vowelsBad weather forecasts are a climate crisis disasterhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/solar-weather-forecastingMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we investigate football’s social media boycott and hear about how Māori are trying to save their language from Big Tech. The stories we talked about this week:Māori are trying to save their language from Big Techhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/maori-language-techSocial media managers are on the frontline of football’s racism problem [Available May 1, 2021]https://www.wired.co.uk/article/premier-league-social-media-boycottMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we get acquainted with the mutant rats taking over the office you abandoned a year ago and ask a seemingly simple question: robots… humans or animals?The stories we talked about this week:Your office has been taken over by an army of mutant ratshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/office-mutant-ratsRobots are animals, not humanshttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/robots-animals-kate-darlingMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we delve into golf’s existential crisis and have a very serious chat about puppies.The stories we talked about this week:Golf is facing an existential crisishttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/golf-crisis-masters-bryson-dechambeauHow to stop your pandemic puppy from going loco as lockdown lifts (available from April 17, 2021)https://www.wired.co.uk/article/pandemic-puppies-loneliness-anxiety-dogsMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we go on a quest to find out how to make cheesy cheese-free cheese and we delve into New Zealand’s Covid-19 bin mystery.The quest to make genuinely cheesy dairy-free cheesehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/dairy-free-cheeseWhat the world can learn from New Zealand’s Covid-19 bin mysteryhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/new-zealand-zero-covid-transmissionMusic by Filip Hnizdo. Show produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… F1 supremo Lewis Hamilton on the science of success, activism and what comes next and we explore the future of artificial intelligence.The stories we talked about this week:Lewis Hamilton opens up about activism and life beyond F1https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lewis-hamiltonGetting AI to work in a fleshy, messy world is harder than you thinkhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/artificial-intelligence-futureMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

How one of the world's largest tech trade shows still plans to go ahead this year and we explore the fascinating future of personalised medicine.MWC's biggest exhibitor is a tiny startup nobody's ever heard ofhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/mwc-2021-exhibitorsA dying child, a mother's love and the drug that changed medicinehttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/milasen-aso-gene-therapyMusic by Filip HnizdoProduced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today… we chart the rise and fall of Football Index and explain what the hell is going on with non-fungible tokens.

Coming up today… the long-term psychological impacts of surviving ICU with Covid-19 and how Slack can actually fix workplace communications.

Coming up today: we explain why anecdotal benefits of microdosing might only be a placebo effect and find out how a bunch of deepfakes could one day replace the cast of The Simpsons.

The Uber lawsuit feeding frenzy, how growing grapes in space can make wine better on Earth and the reality of life under Myanmar’s internet shutdown.

Coming up today: What Uber’s loss in the Supreme Court means for the gig economy, why Facebook was right to ban news in Australia and we go inside the UK’s controversial Covid-19 challenge trial

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds delves into the origins of the UK Covid-19 variant, Natasha looks at how Amazon saved Deliveroo from disaster and Amit charts the strange demise of Habbo Hotel

Coming up today: we explain how QAnon took over yoga, look at Google’s plan to rewrite the rules of the web and investigate the scammers getting rich from the lockdown puppy boom.

Coming up today: we delve deep into WeWork’s financials, look at what’s really happening with Covid-19 in North Korea and get moderately angry about generic startup adverts

Coming up today: a Covid crisis for sommeliers and bakers, the tragic rise of instant loan apps and that data that shows why April is going to be a tough month for everyone.

Coming up today: we’re 500 today so we’re all feeling terribly old. Come celebrate

Coming up today: lucid dreams, lonely penguins and our predictions for 2021

Coming up today: it’s the final podcast of 2020, so we’re having a party...

Coming up today: How a coronavirus vaccine will affect the return to work, what we learned from F1’s biggest crash in recent history, and how will Santa deal with lockdown?

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds lays on a Covid Christmas, Amit explains why Netflix is elbowing in on linear TV, and Matt Burgess explores the issue of work burnout.

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds dissects China’s coronavirus strategy, Amit asks why games are getting shorter, and we discuss the security faux pas you’re probably making

Amit and Matt Reynolds talk us through the Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough and Natasha explores the weird world of pandemic office Christmas parties

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds explains why Africa has been spared the worst of the pandemic, Natasha reveals the middle-class private jet boom and Matt Burgess looks at the worrying rise of police fingerprint scanners

Coming up today: Natasha looks into Uber’s robo-firings, Matt Burgess charts the grim rise of stalkerware and Vicki explains why there might not be signs of life on Venus after all

Coming up today: Sweden’s pandemic gamble; the deepfake bot being weaponised against women; and Natasha tries to put the ‘interesting’ in negative interest rates

Coming up today: Natasha investigates the UK’s broken housing algorithm, Matt Burgess reveals how universities are snooping on students and Amit witnesses The grim demise of the cinema industry.

How to recycle your pee, astronaut selection, and the great revival of the home printer

Coming up today: Natasha talks to Deliveroo’s struggling ‘heroes’, Amit explains why historians are annoyed at YouTube and Matt Reynolds looks at how Italy got to grips with Covid-19

Coming up today: Vicki tries to make sense of Trump versus TikTok, Natasha tries to make business liability interesting and Matt Reynolds explains why humans are so bad at understanding risk

Coming up today: Have we found evidence of alien life? Plus how banks are tackling financial abuse, and holidays in the time of Covid

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds meets the coronavirus long-haulers, Matt Burgess tracks the rise and fall of Pret and Amit explains why lie detectors are creeping into British policing.

Natasha explains the rise of the four-day working week, Matt Burgess on the return of ID cards and Matt Reynolds on what the animal kingdom can teach us about social distancing.

Natasha looks at two of the big problems with people returning to offices, Matt Reynolds examines how artificial snow is being used to save a glacier and Matt Burgess explores the troubling rise of deepfake pornography videos

Coming up today: Matt Burgess picks over the fallout from the A-level algorithm debacle, Matt Reynolds explains how breast milk is being grown in the lab Natasha meets the digital nomads swapping office life for paradise

Coming up today: exam chaos, how your boss is spying on you and the great QR code revival

Coming up today: Vicki takes a look at the wild rise of Zoom, Amit fills up on discount fast food and Natasha explains the hygiene theatre coming to a workplace near you soon

Coming up today: Matt Burgess advises on how to up your lockdown running game, I examine the latest covid vaccine progress, and Matt Reynolds tackles the UK’s big cat mystery

Coming up today: Matt Burgess on Covid-19 hackers, Amit looks at how musicians are taking on Spotify (again) and Natasha explains why we’re all stuck in a work from home purgatory.

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds explains how coronavirus may actually be airborne, Matt Burgess looks at a grim future for Huawei and Vicki tells us all to wear face masks

Matt delves into the failed promise of antibody tests, Amit explains how to eat lots of hot dogs and Vicki reminds us all what a train is

Coming up today: the plight of museums, the surge in plastic and why cinemas are engaged in an elaborate game of post-lockdown chicken

Coming up today: the rise of mask shaming, the hunt for coronavirus heads to the sewers and how climbing became the next big competitive sport

Coming up today: coronavirus super-spreaders, how Beijing crushed a spike in cases and the death of the great British office sandwich

Coming up today: ducks, eels and simulated shouting.

Sweden's coronavirus response, anti-vaxxers and the pandemic collide and we explain how pubs can reopen safely

The case for infecting healthy people with coronavirus, a big week for SpaceX and we explain how weird your summer holidays are going to be.

What we now know about how coronavirus attacks your body, how the school shutdown will affect kids for years and why we’re entering the golden era of nepotism

Coming up today: the first ever WIRED podcast pub quiz. Fun not guaranteed.

Coming up today: coronavirus treatments, we dig deeper into contact tracing apps and look at the surprising science of playing sport behind closed doors

Coming up today: why we’re all hungry for skin, why everyone is getting in a flap over apps and some depressing economic news

We explain why coronavirus is hitting startups so hard, investigate the crisis facing Airbnb and its hosts and find out how researchers have cracked a secret paedophile code

Coming up today: how blood could be key in the fight against coronavirus, we explain how to level-up your Zoom pub quiz experience and explain why you’ve been having so many weird lockdown dreams

How the 5G coronavirus conspiracy tore through the web, the UK’s worrying police state creep and how a volunteer army is stitching to fix the UK’s scrubs shortage

The next year under coronavirus, the takeaway food conundrum and we delve into the zoom privacy fears

The UK locks down, wedding planners pivot to crisis comms and our take on Disney+

How to cope with working from home, the behavioural science behind handling a pandemic and an opportunity to witness our rapid descent into news overload madness