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We try to make sense of the world, one question at a time. No question too big, no question too small. Hosted by PJ Vogt, edited by Sruthi Pinnamaneni.
***Named one of the best podcasts by Vulture, Time, The Economist, & Vogue. (OK, in 2023, but still...)***
104 Episodes
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3A member of an unusual Bay Area community decides to try to have a baby in an unusual way – by putting out a very large prize for anyone who can help her find a mate. How the internet shaped one person’s decision-thinking.
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Garbage Day's Ryan Broderick traces the rise of this goopy green chocolate, and explains how Chinese social media is beginning to tug on US culture in unexpected ways.
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Our listener Louisa is very annoyed by her sister’s preoccupation with keeping her children away from microplastics. Louisa wonders: are people with microplastics anxiety kind of overdoing it?
Search Engine investigates.
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This week, we try to understand an experience that 74% of Americans routinely report having. The first of many conversations (perhaps?). This one, an interview with Zvika Krieger.
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A question that has launched a battle between bird-loving ecologists and ardent, cat-defending activists. What should we do about an invasive species beloved by many Americans -- cats? We hear from people on both sides of the war, and from one person who sits exactly in the middle.
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In part two of our story about ADHD medications, we approach the question from a different angle.
We meet a doctor who spent two decades convinced that her brain does not work correctly, and who struggled to find someone who believed her.
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One of the millions of millennials given prescription stimulants to treat ADHD decides to quit. And afterwards wonders -- how did these drugs becomes so popular, so fast? This week, the story of amphetamine's birth, life, death, and rebirth in America. (Methylphenidates, too.)
Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong? by Paul Tough
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A journalist finds out that many of his vaunted mentors are seeing a psychic. The same psychic. He decides to pay her a visit.
Check out the 10% Happier podcast
See more of Dan's work at DanHarris.com
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Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski has heard a disgusting rumor — that the coffee on airplanes is unsafe to drink because the onboard water tanks are only cleaned once a year. We investigate and learn some disgusting lessons along the way. Go to our newsletter to comment on the episode and to see the images referenced in the story.
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A woman gets a disquieting piece of information about her pregnancy, and turns to technology to try to control her future.
Second Life - Amanda Hess ( Bookshop )
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A playlist of Recommended Search Engine episodes
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A high school teacher has a question, but he wants his skeptical teenage students to answer it. Reporter Garrott Graham rides along as they investigate the motives of an international yogurt brand.
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This week, we're presenting an episode of a new show we like called What We Spend, one of Vulture's best podcasts of 2025.
Also, news for our Incognito Mode listeners. Today, we're having an online, live event with Heavyweight's Jonathan Goldstein at noon Eastern time.
Sign up for Incognito Mode at searchengine.show. Details about the event in the beginning of the episode!
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This week we ask a slightly absurd question – is there technology to stop you from using addictive technology – and get some surprising answers from The Verge's David Pierce. New developments in the anti-technology field, and a partial history of how our phones got so oppressive.
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A small group of Americans becomes convinced they’ve discovered something strange about their iPhones: a forbidden phrase the phone will refuse to transmit. A crack podcasting team searches for answers, wherever they may lead.
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In a moment of deep economic uncertainty created by our tariff-loving president, suddenly, our national debt has become much more important. Important enough that, this week, we have decided to teach ourselves everything about it – how America first created its national debt, and how it got out of control.
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Explore a colonial merchant ledger
Brendan Greeley
Noahpinion
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A re-air from August 2023:
Our quest for the answer to this one sends us over a hundred years into the past. We learn about the invisible rules and fights that determine what our neighborhoods look like. We also learn about houses with backyard roller coasters, tiny apartments inside of shopping malls, and then we think a little bit about death. Happy Friday!
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A group of teenagers agrees to allow a filmmaker to record the things they do on their phones for a year-long experiment. To see the world they see through their phones, to encounter their algorithms. The results are honest, at times pretty upsetting, and tell us a lot about the internet that Gen-Z finds itself on. In the middle of our big, confusing, national argument about teenagers and their phones, a few answers.
Lauren Greenfield's documentary series, Social Studies
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A beloved American rock band’s Spotify page appears to have been taken over by Russian rappers. Is this a scam? A mistake? A strange third act from some beloved alt-rockers? Kelefa Sanneh investigates.
Bye-Bye - Cake, PulyaNaVetru
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Reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi has the story of an unusual website you’ve likely never heard of. A website that has been responsible for rapidly making the world of Dogecoin and other memecoins become even more unhinged, all while generating small fortunes for foul-mouthed children.
The Parable of Peanut the Memecoin
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In the 1930s, two scientists made a very important discovery, but their breakthrough idea failed to spread. In large part because the two were considered so deeply annoying. Reporter Carl Zimmer brings us a story of the scientific process and its very human constraints.
Airborne by Carl Zimmer
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just build more housing
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’ve really been enjoying the episodes here—tons of helpful tips on SEO and web strategies! One thing I’ve noticed lately is that a lot of people are struggling with Instagram login issues (especially when trying to integrate their social media into their marketing efforts). If you’ve ever been locked out of your account or run into strange login errors, I found a great resource that covers step-by-step fixes: Instagram Login Help. It’s been a lifesaver for me, especially when managing client accounts.
I’ve really been enjoying the episodes here—tons of helpful tips on SEO and web strategies! One thing I’ve noticed lately is that a lot of people are struggling with Instagram login issues (especially when trying to integrate their social media into their marketing efforts). If you’ve ever been locked out of your account or run into strange login errors, I found a great resource that covers step-by-step fixes: Instagram Login Help. It’s been a lifesaver for me, especially when managing client accounts.
tangerine 🙂
tangerine
They call me the man who listens to podcasts about phone addiction while playing games on my phone (I have 27 hours in daily screentime)
tangerine
36:21 changes to a different episode
Pay per call tracking is an important technique through which calls are monitored. It helps businesses track various marketing channels as well as campaigns through which these calls are generated. When using this process, a business is charged only for the calls that these mediums generate. Considering this, pay per call tracking is a vital approach to determine how impactful such mediums are. To determine their impact, pay per call tracking software is put into use. Its functionalities are varied to assess this impact and indicate it through insightful information. Such software is useful for businesses across diverse industries.
great episode. reminded me of the episode of The Case of the missing hit
Great episode. The problem is not AI technology, is homework and what we intend to teach.
What a great illustration of the challenges of manufacturing in the US- I had not thought about the issue of all the intellectual property to make the machinery that makes things being sent overseas. 💡
you left out one example of what happens when a cemetery goes out of business. here in Pima county Arizona there are two cemeteries that they built on. presumably no one cared that much and eventually it was forgotten that there were cemeteries there. it was only when they had to do a a archaeological clearance when the land was being redeveloped that they discovered that there were graves there and they brought to life the cemetery
Fascinating. David was so interesting! Great ep!
Renting a cemetery plot!? On second thought, it seems like a judicious use of land, but only in a world where people aren't paying 💰💰💰💰 for major embalming and fancy coffins that stop the circle of life from taking place.
Flying is hard on everyone- I never understand people who become enraged at their fellow flyers for just living- having kids, being fat, or otherwise just trying to cope. Now, being annoyed with those who lean back their seats, bring stinky food, or don't wear headphones? Go for it!
Good podcast, but please omit the phoney yuk-yuks. They're annoying.