Best Trendy Technology Podcasts (2026)

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What Next: TBD | 2025: The Meme of the Year 26:07

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15m ago26:07

26:07

With so much online content, it can be hard for a meme to stay in the collective consciousness for more than a few days. But one meme this year managed to capture seemingly everyone’s attention - and challenge the definition of a meme altogether. Guest: Kate Lindsay, host of Slate’s ICYMI podcast. If you want to support more of this reporting, in 2…

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ICYMI | Our Year of Brain Rot and Tech Dystopia 57:04

4m ago57:04

57:04

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by internet culture writer Kat Tenbarge to break down the most important internet moments of 2025. But not just any internet moments—specifically, the moments that fall under the three key themes that emerged in online culture over the past twelve months: brain rot, surveillance, and big tech dystopia…

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ICYMI | Encore: Jubilee Is Making Debating Worse 51:19

1d ago51:19

51:19

On today’s encore episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate staff writer Aymann Ismail to discuss the controversial YouTube channel, Jubilee. A video of political commentator Mehdi Hasan debating 20 far-right republicans has gone viral, but as Ismail argues in his piece for Slate, it also crossed a line. When political disagre…

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ICYMI | Side-Eyeing at H Mart 46:58

9d ago46:58

46:58

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by comedian and writer Youngmi Mayer to talk about a controversy that’s divided TikTok: How should Asian people feel about white people in Asian grocery stores? That’s the question creator Madeline Qi didn’t even mean to ask when she posted her now-viral video, which resulted in call-outs, doxxing, an…

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What Next: TBD | Data Center Space Race 26:17

6d ago26:17

26:17

While the A.I. boom has created a data center boom, rich guys are turning their computing dreams to the skies. With its impending IPO, SpaceX stands to lead the extraterrestrial data center boom. Will it work out for Elon and company? Guest: Eric Berger, space reporter at Ars Technica Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-fr…

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ICYMI | How "Hockey Romance" Went Viral 41:45

8d ago41:45

41:45

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by culture writer Angelina Mazza to discuss the online reaction to the new HBO series, Heated Rivalry. Before the Canadian show premiered, let alone was picked up in the U.S., a dedicated online fandom committed to helping it succeed. Why did this show become such a sensation, and what happens to a ni…

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What Next: TBD | Whole Shopping List 24:28

11d ago24:28

24:28

Whole Foods based its brand on a certain standard of quality—but there are some things that shoppers nevertheless want. Amazon believes it has found a way to keep the shelves looking like Whole Foods, while getting you the Tide PODS and Cheez-Its you deeply desire. Guest: Peyton Bigora, staff reporter for Grocery Dive Want more What Next TBD? Subsc…

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ICYMI | How “Millennial Cringe” Became “Millennial Optimism” 39:04

12d ago39:04

39:04

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Gen Z expert and After School writer Casey Lewis to talk about how Gen Z TikTok users are switching up on Millennials. After years of mocking the generation for being “cringe” online, now people are longing to return to the 2010s and the culture that came with it. But were Millennials really as “op…

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What Next: TBD | Ready for Chatbot Canvassers? 30:08

13d ago30:08

30:08

The good news is voters are more persuaded by factual claims than emotional appeals or appeals to fear. But the bad news is that A.I. chatbots, trying to convince you, will keep making factual claims long after it runs out of actual facts. Guest: David Rand, professor of information science, marketing and psychology at Cornell University Want more …

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What Next | His Mom Got Deported. Then He Went Viral. 31:40

14d ago31:40

31:40

Today’s TikTok influencers share every aspect of their lives: from their morning routines, to getting ready to go out, to their parents being detained and eventually deported by ICE. Guest: Tony Vara, TikTok creator @itonyvara Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your …

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ICYMI | Shopping on Etsy Sucks Now 53:13

15d ago53:13

53:13

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek, Amanda Mull, to talk about how the enshittification of online shopping came for Etsy. The platform used to be a thoughtful reprieve from the cheap, mass-produced products on Amazon, but now it’s plagued by a number of the same problems. With cheap junk and…

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What Next: TBD | ChatGOP? 23:22

18d ago23:22

23:22

Donald Trump—or at least the tech guys who have his ear—is ready to clear the regulatory runway for A.I. but other Republicans aren’t too sure. Can he bring them around? Or will the bubble burst first? Guest: Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for the Washington Post. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the w…

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ICYMI | Okay. Let’s Talk About "Everyone" Getting Skinny 59:14

19d ago59:14

59:14

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by culture writer Mikala Jamison to talk about the rise in online concern about celebrities’ bodies. Mikala writes the newsletter Body Type, and her forthcoming book The Forever Project details her recovery from an eating disorder. Following the premiere of movies like Wicked: For Good, fan concern an…

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What Next: TBD | The AI & Crypto Czar’s Conflicts 25:46

20d ago25:46

25:46

A tech mogul who made bank from Paypal with his Stanford buddies and has endeared himself to right-wing politicians and enriched himself the same way? No not him; this one’s South African..no, not him either. Guest: Ryan Mac, reporter for the New York Times. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole W…

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ICYMI | “Danish Deception” or Danish Delusion? 50:39

22d ago50:39

50:39

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario to unpack the 25-part TikTok saga titled the “Danish Deception.” After a former Bachelor contestant came forward with a story about her scamming ex, TikTok turned on her instead. Why didn’t Onyeka get the Reesa Teesa treatment? And who is the real villain of…

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What Next: TBD | If You Give A.I. a Nuke 28:21

25d ago28:21

28:21

As the U.S. upgrades and updates its defense and military systems, the question isn’t whether A.I. will be integrated, but where, how much, and how much decision-making are we ceding to the machine? Guest: Josh Keating, senior correspondent at Vox and a fellow at the Outrider Foundation where he’s reporting on nuclear weapons and AI. Want more What…

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ICYMI | Everyone Online Is Going Analog 50:33

26d ago50:33

50:33

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by creator and social media manager Carmen Vicente to chat about the rise of offline hobbies, and how crafts, DVDs, and something called an “analog bag” are being used as acts of rebellion against an overly plugged-in society. But does this really mean the beginning of the end of social media? Probably…

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What Next: TBD | Rebroadcast: Dupes! 34:01

27d ago34:01

34:01

Note: This episode was originally published on July 27, 2025. There’s an entire economy devoted to seeing what products are trending—clothing, skin care, even Greek Islands—and delivering you a cheaper knock-off to buy. Guest: Mia Sato, reporter for The Verge Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole …

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ICYMI | Why Are So Many Celebrities Joining Substack? 45:20

1M ago45:20

45:20

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by I <3 Mess writer Emily Kirkpatrick to discuss the influx of celebrities joining Substack. As two long-time Substack newsletter writers themselves, the pair dive into all of these new celebrity publications…including the parts they may not know readers can see. What does it say about the state of cel…

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Hang Up | Apple’s Soccer Shakeup 1:22:58

1M ago1:22:58

1:22:58

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh speak with the Athletic’s Paul Tenorio on why Apple TV and MLS revised their deal and removed the paywall for viewers. They’re then joined by Massachusetts state senator John Keenan about his proposal to regulate online sports betting and why he’s changed his views on the issue. Finally, they wr…

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What Next: TBD | The Surveillance Interstate 31:00

1M ago31:00

31:00

Tracking a license plate across the country has never been easier, which is good news if your car has been stolen, but in an era of ICE and Border Patrol raids, these warrantless searches feel increasingly invasive—and unconstitutional. Guest: Joseph Cox, co-founder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media podcast. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe …

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ICYMI | AI Is Changing How We Have Sex 48:54

1M ago48:54

48:54

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by porn historian Noelle Perdue, author of the Porn World newsletter. OpenAI announced that they’d allow adult users to have erotic conversations with ChatGPT, just one more way AI and porn are becoming intertwined. As sex becomes more online, not only does it become more solitary, but also more survei…

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What Next: TBD | Crypto Keeps Criming 24:57

1M ago24:57

24:57

Trump promised to stop the “persecution” of the cryptocurrency industry. He did call off the SEC investigations that began under Biden, and pardoned Binance cofounder and ex-CEO Changpeng Zhao. But is the crypto industry ultimately better off because of that? Guest: David Yaffe-Bellany, tech reporter for the New York Times. Want more What Next TBD?…

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ICYMI | The Two Internet Villains Staging a Comeback 49:04

1M ago49:04

49:04

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by New York Magazine feature writer, Rebecca Jennings, to discuss the two internet villains currently trying to get back in the internet’s good graces. First, there’s former Try Guy Ned Fulmer, who was ousted from the group after having an affair with an employee, and has now relaunched his YouTube cha…

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What Next: TBD | How Meta Profits Off Fraud 32:09

1M ago32:09

32:09

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, doesn’t (just) have a scam problem—with 10 percent of its revenue coming from scam ads, and a third of all successful scams in America using a Meta platform at some point, it’s more an interdependence with scammers. Guest: Jeff Horwitz, tech reporter for Reuters. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe…

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ICYMI | Yes, Having a Boyfriend Is Embarrassing 49:21

1M ago49:21

49:21

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and content creator Josh Lora, who also goes by TellTheBees. Josh’s Substack essay, Boyfriendland, was cited in the viral Vogue article written by Chanté Joseph, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” Many women are hiding their boyfriends online, or losing followers if they hard-launch. S…

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What Next: TBD | Data Centers on the Ballot 25:10

1M ago25:10

25:10

They don’t cut cleanly along party lines, but data centers, and where they get built, became an election issue in Virginia. With so many more data centers to build, are we looking at a new trend? Guest: Margaret Barthel, reporter covering northern Virginia for WAMU. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the…

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What Next | Wikipedia Enters the Culture Wars 26:28

1M ago26:28

26:28

Why would Elon Musk attempt to replace Wikipedia—which is already quite futuristic, utopian and accurate—with a faulty, hallucinatory A.I.-powered “Grokipedia”? Well, see, he called it “Wokepedia…” Guest: Stephen Harrison, writer, tech lawyer, author of “Why Editing Wikipedia Is Becoming More Dangerous” for Slate and The Editors, a novel about Wiki…

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ICYMI | Who TF Is Grammy-Nominated Alex Warren? 43:45

2M ago43:45

43:45

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by Yahoo News senior entertainment writer, Kelsey Weekman, to answer the question on everyone’s lips: Who is Alex Warren and why is every store playing his music? The Hype House OG is nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys, and is part of a growing wave of musicians making “secular praise music.”…

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What Next: TBD | Why Tesla Is Paying Elon a Trillion Bucks 30:45

2M ago30:45

30:45

Tesla shareholders just approved a trillion dollar (with a t!) pay package for Elon Musk. Is it enough incentive to keep him around the company and away from verbal spats with government officials? Because the whole Musk empire is still reeling from that dalliance. Guest: Faiz Siddiqui, tech reporter at The Washington Post and author of Hubris Maxi…

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ICYMI: The Internet Has A Gambling Problem 52:09

2M ago52:09

52:09

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by Manny Fidel, culture writer and cohost of the No Such Thing podcast, to explain how gambling took over the internet. A recent betting scandal not only exposed the chokehold that gambling has on the sports industry, but opened up a larger conversation about how everything on the internet is influence…

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What Next: TBD | The Nick Fuentes Problem 25:23

2M ago25:23

25:23

Nick Fuentes—an openly antisemitic, openly racist, openly sexist type who once was persona non grata in all but the unseemliest of online spaces—sat down with former Fox News star Tucker Carlson this week, setting off a debate between the “whoa whoa whoa, we’re not Nazis over here” branch of conservatives and the “well now, hold on a minute” wing. …

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ICYMI | The Alarm Clock That Woke Up #DemonTok 48:50

2M ago48:50

48:50

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate contributing editor Angelina Mazza to explain why Christian creators are throwing away their Hatch alarm clocks. The company’s Halloween commercial was so spooky that it was accused of having “demonic ties,” and now people are claiming they hear voices coming out of the device. The question is…

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ICYMI: Can The Internet Save Animation? 43:20

2M ago43:20

43:20

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by producer Vic Whitley-Berry, whose favorite animated shows like Hazbin Hotel have been funded by the internet—not big studios. In fact, as major studios consolidate and cut resources for animation, platforms like Patreon and YouTube are keeping the genre afloat. If we don’t continue to support indep…

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What Next: TBD | Inside the Goonerverse 29:52

2M ago29:52

29:52

One legacy of the internet is the millions of subcultures that it helps flourish. Another is pornography—and lots of it. At a “gooner meet-up,” the two collide. Guest: David Kolitz, author of “The Goon Squad” for Harper’s Magazine. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all you…

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ICYMI | Halloween Used to Be Fun Online 45:20

2M ago45:20

45:20

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox’s Explain It To Me podcast. The pair chat about how the internet used to celebrate Halloween, from spooky Twitter display names to Snapchat filters, and why no one wants to be earnest online anymore. However, today’s internet is still filled with plenty of scary stuff, w…

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What Next: TBD | Did The Trump Administration Censor Speech? 32:04

2M ago32:04

32:04

For years, conservatives claimed that the Biden administration was pressuring tech companies to censor conservative speech with no solid evidence. In Trump 2.0, the administration is explicitly bragging about doing the very same thing they accused democrats of. What gives? Guest: Renée DiResta, Associate Research Professor at the McCourt School of …

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ICYMI | TwitchCon’s Sexual Harassment Problem 50:40

2M ago50:40

50:40

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and streamer Laura Kate Dale to talk about what happened to Emiru at this year’s TwitchCon. The streamer was assaulted during a meet-and-greet, after a number of female streamers had already dropped out of the convention in fear for their safety. What is it about TwitchCon that makes creator…

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What Next: TBD | The AWS Outage is Only the Beginning 31:49

2M ago31:49

31:49

This week’s AWS outage illustrates just how fragile and vulnerable our interconnected world really is—and how far we’ve fallen from the vision of a decentralized internet. Guest: Samanth Subramanian, author of “The Web Beneath the Waves: The Fragile Cables That Connect Our World.” Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free l…

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ICYMI | The Streamer and the Shock Collar 42:11

2M ago42:11

42:11

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to talk about Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who some viewers have accused of shocking his dog on his livestream. Winkie spent time with Piker and his dog, Kaya, for Slate earlier this year, and helps debunk the misinformation currently being spread by cloutchasers and …

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Hang Up | Nate Silver and the NFL's Year of Parity 1:26:01

2M ago1:26:01

1:26:01

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh are joined by Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight and Silver Bulletin, to discuss his new NFL prediction model “ELWAY” and what it reveals about an unpredictable football league. Later in the show, OG Hang Up host Stefan Fatsis returns to talk about his new book on the dictionary, “Unabridge…

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What Next: TBD | Why Bands Are Leaving Spotify 21:02

2M ago21:02

21:02

Paying a fraction of a penny per stream and diminishing the value of music were bad enough for Xiu Xiu, but when Spotify owner Daniel Ek announced an investment in a German defense contractor, they decided it was time to take the music back. Guest: Jamie Stewart, musician in the band Xiu Xiu. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to acce…

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ICYMI | Candice Lim Logs Off 48:20

3M ago48:20

48:20

On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay celebrate Candice’s three years at ICYMI, and send her off onto her next chapter. They talk Dan and Phil’s hard launch, Connor Franta and Troye Sivan’s Instagram beef, and the major predictions Candice has for the internet in 2026. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus epi…

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What Next: TBD | Inside the MAGA Content Mill 27:00

3M ago27:00

27:00

As Trump throws out journalists and outlets that report anything negative about him, he’s limiting access to a group of right-wing influencers who work to further his agenda. Guest: Makena Kelly, tech and politics writer for WIRED. Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all you…

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ICYMI | Stop Trying To Make A.I. Trendy 42:20

3M ago42:20

42:20

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay get into tech’s latest effort to turn A.I. into a status symbol. Anthropic has been pushing “Thinking” caps into the trendy streets of New York. OpenAI has been handing out awards for power users akin to YouTube subscriber plaques. But one of the worst offenders is Friend, a $129 wearable necklace that spent a million d…

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What Next: TBD | A.I. for Cops 27:59

3M ago27:59

27:59

At this very moment, police departments can gather more data than they have time to actually go through — audio and video from crime scenes, cell phone and search data, vast digital dragnets. This is where artificial intelligence comes in…as well as the civil rights questions. Guest: Gerrit De Vynck, tech reporter for the Washington Post. Want more…

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What Next: TBD | The People Suing ICE 25:14

3M ago25:14

25:14

Though ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services denied their Freedom of Information Act requests, these journalists aren’t giving up without a fight—not until they get their hands on a document that outlines how much information Medicaid is sharing with ICE. Guest: Joseph Cox, cofounder of 404 Med…

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"Creatine and Your Crown: Does This Gym Staple Cause Hair Loss?" – Breaking down the debate on creatine, DHT, and its rumoured impact on hair... 37:27

3M ago37:27

37:27

Send us a text In this episode of Losing It, Jane and Bradley hit the weights—and the research—taking on one of the most debated gym rumors out there: Does creatine cause hair loss? With creatine supplements a mainstay in fitness circles, concerns have grown around its potential link to increased DHT levels and the onset of male pattern baldness. T…

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ICYMI | Taylor Swift Is Rewriting Her Internet History 45:42

3M ago45:42

45:42

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim wade through the negative reactions to Taylor Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl. From outdated meme references to clunky shots at other female artists, Swift’s album indicates an oddly distant relationship with the internet. However, is she a devious online mastermind or a blundering millennial? Plus, why it’s import…

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Hang Up | Everything Is Sports Betting 1:05:21

3M ago1:05:21

1:05:21

By Slate Podcasts