Search Engine podcast

Search Engine

·

  PJ Vogt  

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 of all time by Time Magazine

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 of all time by Time Magazine

 

#128

The Trial of the Driverless Car

In blue cities throughout the country, unions and politicians are fighting to ban driverle... more

26 Mar 2026

1 HR 06 MINS

1:06:55

26 Mar 2026


#127

Are you a good driver?

The story of how a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads. And,... more

23 Mar 2026

1 HR 10 MINS

1:10:02

23 Mar 2026


#126

Odd Lots x Search Engine

This week, we’re sharing an episode from Odd Lots. An interview with The Economist's Mike ... more

06 Mar 2026

51 MINS

51:24

06 Mar 2026


#125

Mysteries of Claude

Anthropic hired philosophers to teach its AI to be good. In their tests, the AI blackmaile... more

27 Feb 2026

52 MINS

52:09

27 Feb 2026


#124

Why don’t we eat people? (classic)

A question from a four-year-old tips us into an investigation of one of our most fundament... more

20 Feb 2026

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:47

20 Feb 2026


#123

How Peptides Conquered the Internet

Two decades ago, bodybuilders on niche internet forums started injecting peptides. Now the... more

13 Feb 2026

48 MINS

48:20

13 Feb 2026


#122

Are flushable wipes actually flushable?

A simple question leads us on a journey from the bowels of New York City through the court... more

30 Jan 2026

59 MINS

59:09

30 Jan 2026


#121

The Venezuelan Curse (Part 2)

The conclusion to our story about Venezuela. How a country goes from a prosperous democrac... more

20 Jan 2026

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:05

20 Jan 2026


#120

The Venezuelan Curse (Part 1)

For the past year, there's been a steady drumbeat of headlines about Venezuela. Now the US... more

16 Jan 2026

1 HR 09 MINS

1:09:33

16 Jan 2026


#119

The Fediverse Experiment

Our present version of the internet is arguably the worst it’s ever been. Which means – an... more

09 Jan 2026

41 MINS

41:53

09 Jan 2026


#118

Heavyweight x Search Engine

As a very special holiday treat, we are sharing a story from one of our favorite podcasts,... more

26 Dec 2025

39 MINS

39:13

26 Dec 2025


#117

A Perfectly Average Anomaly

A man walks into an airport body scanner, and with eerie consistency, the machine flags th... more

19 Dec 2025

59 MINS

59:04

19 Dec 2025


#116

Unlocked: The State of Search Engine 2025

As a special, one-time holiday treat, we're sharing something we only usually offer on our... more

12 Dec 2025

52 MINS

52:16

12 Dec 2025


#115

What's the best phone to do crimes on? (classic)

For years, the must-have phone for the discerning drug trafficker or hitman was a brand yo... more

05 Dec 2025

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:46

05 Dec 2025


#114

How to talk (or not talk) politics at family holidays

This week, in honor of the holiday season — can you, should you change your family’s polit... more

27 Nov 2025

38 MINS

38:53

27 Nov 2025


#113

Colossus 2

In part two of our story about Elon Musk’s growing data center empire, we visit the battle... more

21 Nov 2025

46 MINS

46:31

21 Nov 2025


#112

Colossus 1

Tech billionaires have made an enormous bet on AI, the biggest bet that tech has made on a... more

21 Nov 2025

45 MINS

45:18

21 Nov 2025


#111

An Anthropology of Gooners

A reporter spends a year diving into a subculture of young men online who unite around the... more

12 Nov 2025

47 MINS

47:04

12 Nov 2025


#110

America vs. China

People review everything, but they almost never review what it’s like to live in another c... more

31 Oct 2025

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:15

31 Oct 2025


#109

The Rage in the Cage

Can you tickle your way to victory in an MMA fight? An investigation into a sports scandal... more

17 Oct 2025

55 MINS

55:20

17 Oct 2025


#108

Cocomelon For Adults

Last week, OpenAI released an app that quickly shot to the #1 spot in Apple's App Store. S... more

10 Oct 2025

50 MINS

50:06

10 Oct 2025


#107

Talk Easy x Search Engine

This week, we’re sharing something we loved. An interview with Fresh Air’s Terry Gross abo... more

03 Oct 2025

1 HR 41 MINS

1:41:24

03 Oct 2025


#106

Is my favorite new TV show this year a ripoff?

The makers of the medical drama The Pitt have been sued. The allegation: that the show is ... more

26 Sep 2025

50 MINS

50:13

26 Sep 2025


#105

The Obituary

Not long after Alex’s wife Whitney dies, he looks at her obituary and discovers something ... more

19 Sep 2025

56 MINS

56:23

19 Sep 2025


#104

How does a rationalist make a baby?

A member of an unusual Bay Area community decides to try to have a baby in an unusual way ... more

05 Sep 2025

50 MINS

50:50

05 Sep 2025


#103

A Dubai Chocolate theory of the internet

Garbage Day's Ryan Broderick traces the rise of this goopy green chocolate, and explains h... more

22 Aug 2025

42 MINS

42:14

22 Aug 2025


#102

Are microplastics really a problem?

Our listener Louisa is very annoyed by her sister’s preoccupation with keeping her childre... more

15 Aug 2025

49 MINS

49:37

15 Aug 2025


#101

What does it feel like to believe in God? (classic)

This week, we try to understand an experience that 74% of Americans routinely report havin... more

25 Jul 2025

1 HR 07 MINS

1:07:59

25 Jul 2025