The WIRED Podcast

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 Team

https://www.wired.com/story/the-quest-to-find-twitters-elusive-bot-team/

The Problem With Mental Health Bots

https://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 Hnizdo

Produced 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 It

https://www.wired.com/story/denmark-google-schools-data/

Iran’s Internet Shutdown Hides a Deadly Crackdown

https://www.wired.com/story/iran-protests-2022-internet-shutdown-whatsapp/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced 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 Covid

https://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 Hnizdo

Produced 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 Addiction

Alternative 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 News

Samizdat 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 Hnizdo

Produced 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 Work

https://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 Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the tech behind a high-school prank, and the hunt for Covid’s origins

The stories we walked about this week:

The Origins of Covid-19 Are More Complicated Than Once Thought

https://www.wired.com/story/tracing-covid-pandemic-origins/

Inside the World’s Biggest Hacker Rickroll

https://www.wired.com/story/biggest-hacker-rickroll-high-school-prank/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how NFTs conquered football, and why captchas are getting more confusing

The stories we walked about this week:

NFTs Are Conquering Football

https://www.wired.com/story/nfts-conquering-soccer/

Smiling Dogs? Horses Made of Clouds? Captcha Has Gone Too Far

https://www.wired.com/story/smiling-dogs-horses-made-of-clouds-captcha-has-gone-too-far/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced 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 Short

https://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 Hnizdo

Produced 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 brain

The stories we walked about this week:

The Age of Brain-Computer Interfaces Is on the Horizon

https://www.wired.com/story/synchron-brain-computer-interface/

How Siestas Might Help Europe Survive Deadly Heat Waves

https://www.wired.com/story/how-siestas-might-help-europe-survive-deadly-heat-waves/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced 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 cables

The stories we walked about this week:

Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network

https://www.wired.com/story/the-wild-abortion-pill-supply-chain/

The Unsolved Mystery Attack on Internet Cables in Paris

https://www.wired.com/story/france-paris-internet-cable-cuts-attack/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess