Bold Names

McDonald's CEO on Going Viral, the Big Arch and the Fast-Food Value War

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000

When McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski took a small bite out of a big burger on camera, the internet—and his rivals—pounced. But in an era where CEOs are the face of the brand, is there such a thing as bad publicity? In this episode of Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Kempczinski at McDonald's Chicago headquarters to discuss the fallout of his viral moment. Plus, they dive deep into the fast food giant’s strategy to compete by balancing a premium half-pound burger against the urgent need for meal deals in an economy where many customers are concerned with affordability.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Roses, Revenue, and Retention: Hinge’s Strategy for a $1 Billion Year

Southwest’s $1 Billion Pivot: CEO Bob Jordan on Bag Fees And Other Changes

The Five Step “Algorithm” Driving Tesla’s Success

How Athletic Brewing Sells Beer for a Post-Alcohol Generation

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

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Roses, Revenue, and Retention: Hinge’s Strategy for a $1 Billion Year

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000

For years, dating app Hinge’s slogan has been “Designed to be Deleted” — a bold mission for a company on track to hit $1 billion in annual revenue in the coming years. In this episode of Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Hinge’s new CEO, Jackie Jantos, to discuss the high-stakes evolution of digital romance. How is the company working to remain relevant with Gen Z? Is the rise of AI companions changing real-life dating? And what does the future hold for Hinge’s “Roses”?

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

The Five Step “Algorithm” Driving Tesla’s Success

Southwest’s $1 Billion Pivot: CEO Bob Jordan on Bag Fees And Other Changes

Can Zillow’s 'Super App' Fix a Broken Housing Market?

‘We Sell Scarcity:’ How Lamborghini Continues to Stay So Cool

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

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The Five Step 'Algorithm' Driving Tesla’s Success

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000

What is the trick behind the Elon Musk school of management? In this episode of Bold Names, host Tim Higgins sits down with Jon McNeill, the former president of Tesla and current GM board member, to deconstruct the operating system that powered Tesla’s growth during his tenure. McNeill explains why he thinks automation should always come last, how to inject urgency into a corporate culture, and whether companies need an Elon Musk to reach the heights of innovation.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Why Elon Musk’s Battery Guy Is Betting Big on Recycling

‘We Sell Scarcity:’ How Lamborghini Continues to Stay So Cool

How Uber Plans to Win the Self-Driving Car Race

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

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Southwest’s $1 Billion Pivot: CEO Bob Jordan on Bag Fees And Other Changes

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000

Southwest Airlines was built on three pillars: low fares, friendly service, and a quirky "sit anywhere" policy. But in a post-pandemic market, the rules are changing. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, CEO Bob Jordan joins host Tim Higgins to discuss one of the airline’s most transformational periods in its 60-year history.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

How SAP's CEO Is Remaking the European Tech Giant For The Age Of AI

How Corning Is Using Trump’s Tariffs To Its Advantage

How Athletic Brewing Sells Beer for a Post-Alcohol Generation

McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

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The SEAL Turned CEO: Brandon Tseng on the AI-Powered Future of War

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000

Former Navy SEAL and Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng is building the autonomous drones that are redefining global defense.This week on Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Tseng to discuss how Shield AI’s Hivemind software is currently overcoming GPS jamming in Ukraine, and why the future of the U.S. military depends on a mix of elite manned assets and swarms of affordable, autonomous drones.

Editor’s Note: This interview was recorded before the war with Iran.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

The AI Agent in Your Pocket: Qualcomm’s CEO on the Future of Mobile

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI Agent in Your Pocket: Qualcomm’s CEO on the Future of Mobile

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0000

The smartphone is everywhere, but its next evolution won’t look like the apps we use today. In this episode of Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon to discuss the seismic shift from apps to AI agents – and why this transition could reshape everything from your phone to your glasses.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

How SAP's CEO Is Remaking the European Tech Giant For The Age Of AI

How Corning Is Using Trump’s Tariffs To Its Advantage

This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung

Biden’s Antitrust Architect on How Big Tech Threatens U.S. Prosperity

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Zillow’s 'Super App' Fix a Broken Housing Market?

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000

"Depressed." That’s how Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman describes the current state of the U.S. housing market. With sales hitting 30-year lows and a deficit of nearly 5 million homes, the American dream of homeownership feels further away than ever for many. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Wacksman joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss how Zillow is pivoting to become a "housing super app" and why he believes the solution to affordability is a local supply revolution.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Why Cigna’s CEO Is Confident We Can Fix American Healthcare

How SAP's CEO Is Remaking the European Tech Giant For The Age Of AI

Affirm’s Max Levchin: Why ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Beats Credit Cards

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Cigna’s CEO Is Confident We Can Fix American Healthcare

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000

How do we fix the American healthcare system? On this episode of Bold Names, we ask David Cordani, the chairman and CEO of one of America’s biggest health insurers – the Cigna Group. He says rising healthcare costs are driven by two powerful forces: growing demand for care and increasingly expensive new drugs and treatments. But Cordani is still optimistic. He joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins and David Wainer to explain what role insurers play in bringing down costs and how the U.S. can make healthcare more affordable. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com. Check Out Past Episodes: Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI This Company Has a Plan to Beat Neuralink at the Brain-Computer Interface Game What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Read Tim Higgins’s column. Read David Wainer's column.

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Encore: Can IBM Beat Microsoft and Google in the Quantum Computing Race?

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000

IBM has made a comeback in the past six years under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna. That's thanks to success in its hybrid cloud business and consulting services. But even as the company is reinventing itself again for the AI era, Krishna is already betting that quantum computing is the next big thing. Will Big Blue succeed against rivals like Microsoft and Google who are racing to make their own quantum breakthroughs? And how is the company learning from its past mistakes with Watson AI? Krishna joins the WSJ's Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast.

To watch the video version of this episode of Bold Names, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘We Sell Scarcity:’ How Lamborghini Continues to Stay So Cool

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Lamborghinis dominate pop culture – from rap lyrics to blockbuster movies – but the reality is few people actually own them. Every year, the luxury carmaker delivers around 10,000 vehicles worldwide. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann says that scarcity is central to the brand’s appeal. On Bold Names, Winkelmann joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to explain how the company leans into exclusivity, why it’s choosing hybrids over a fully electric future, and how tariffs and global trade pressures are challenging the business.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

How SAP's CEO Is Remaking the European Tech Giant For The Age Of AI

Affirm’s Max Levchin: Why ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Beats Credit Cards

How Athletic Brewing Sells Beer for a Post-Alcohol Generation

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How SAP's CEO Is Remaking the European Tech Giant For The Age Of AI

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

In 2020, SAP CEO Christian Klein decided to shift the 50-year-old German software giant entirely to the cloud. The immediate result? The stock price dropped 20% in a single day. Fast-forward to today: SAP is one of the most valuable companies in Europe. In this episode of Bold Names, Klein joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss navigating that tumult, the cultural overhaul required to modernize the company, and why Europe needs to focus on applied AI to compete with the U.S. and China.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026

How Corning Is Using Trump’s Tariffs To Its Advantage

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Athletic Brewing Sells Beer for a Post-Alcohol Generation

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

When Bill Shufelt left Wall Street to make non-alcoholic beer, most people thought he was crazy. At the time, the category made up less than 1% of U.S. beer sales and was widely seen as a joke. But nearly a decade later, Shufelt’s company Athletic Brewing is at the center of a major cultural shift around health and wellness. On this episode of Bold Names, he joins Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to talk about the rise of non-alcoholic beer, how his company is navigating President Trump’s tariffs, and why beer giants like Heineken and Guinness are now chasing the category he helped create.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

How Corning Is Using Trump’s Tariffs To Its Advantage

The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026

McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour

How Tubi Is Coming for Netflix and YouTube in the New Streaming Wars

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Corning Is Using Trump’s Tariffs To Its Advantage

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Corning is everywhere: from the fiber optic cables powering the internet to the Gorilla Glass on your iPhone. Now, the 175-year-old company is making domestic manufacturing profitable. In this week’s episode of Bold Names, CEO Wendell Weeks sits down with WSJ's Christopher Mims to discuss how he plays the long game with technology investments and why his company is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the Trump administration’s tariffs and industrial policy.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

Biden’s Antitrust Architect on How Big Tech Threatens U.S. Prosperity

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Affirm’s Max Levchin: Why ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Beats Credit Cards

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Is "buy now, pay later" a debt trap or the future of finance? Affirm CEO Max Levchin says the real problem is the credit card in your wallet. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, Levchin joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss how his early days as a co-founder of PayPal led him to his latest venture: using “buy now, pay later” loans to reinvent how people buy things. We talk about why he thinks financing is more transparent than credit, the personal reason he hates late fees and how AI is changing shopping.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026

Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even More Bold Names in 2026

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Bold Names is gearing up to be bigger and bolder than ever in 2026. Get ready for another year of the best minds in business and tech going deep on the latest industry moves. From the C-suite of tech companies like SAP, Qualcomm and Affirm, to leaders from Lamborghini, Southwest Airlines and Chobani, WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins will be back next week to kick off a new year of conversations with the leaders shaping tomorrow.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026

McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour

This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Encore: This CEO Says Humanoid Robots Are The "Space Race" of Our Time

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Who will take care of you in old age? Jeff Cardenas, the CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, says the answer is robots. The startup founder set out to build a smart, dexterous robot after watching his grandfathers grow old and dependent in their later years. Beyond healthcare, Cardenas sees robots as essential to U.S. economic growth and national security with applications across industries. Even with the latest advances in artificial intelligence and hardware, what will it take for humanoid robots to make the leap from science fiction to reality? On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Cardenas tells WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins why Apptronik is betting it will create the home robot helper that everyone will want.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash

How the U.S. Stacks Up to China’s ‘Engineering State’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPECIAL WSJ’s Take On the Week: How This Fed Hawk Views the Economy, Inflation, AI and Jobs

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

As a special bonus, we’re bringing you an episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week. Co-host Telis Demos and guest host WSJ Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos are joined by Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, to discuss the state of the U.S economy, interest rates and the central bank itself.

Hammack shares her views on what she’s hearing from businesses in her district and what that could mean for consumer prices and the labor market. She emphasizes the importance of Fed independence and the chairman’s role in fusing differing viewpoints to create stable monetary policy. She also offers her perspective on the so-called neutral rate as well as artificial intelligence.

If you like what you hear, subscribe to WSJ’s Take On the Week for weekly market previews and analysis.

Visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI

Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this special episode, Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims revisit some of their favorite moments from the first year of Bold Names. We look back on conversations with guests including Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the explosive growth of AI and the complexities of the U.S.-China trade war. Then, Mims and Higgins flip the script to interview each other about the technological breakthroughs and geopolitical shifts that defined 2025 — and ask if the AI industry is heading toward a bubble burst next year. Plus, we answer your questions.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

How Microsoft’s AI Chief Defines ‘Humanist Super Intelligence’

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast

Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside PlayStation's Plans to Lead a $200 Billion Industry

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Gaming is a $200 billion industry that dwarfs Hollywood — and PlayStation is at the center of it all. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, Sony Interactive Entertainment SVP Eric Lempel joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to discuss how the company plans to compete in a mobile-first gaming world. We talk about keeping the “soul” of game development as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into businesses, the success of games like “Fortnite” and “The Last of Us,” and what the next decade holds for the console wars.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:
This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung

Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash

The Google-Backed Startup Taking on Elon Musk in Humanoid Robotics

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

What business lessons are forged at 200 miles per hour? On this week’s Bold Names, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown joins Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to talk about his new book, “Seven Tenths of a Second.” A racecar driver turned executive, Brown leads a global racing organization worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We talk about the pressure and focus required to run a winning Formula One team, and what racing has taught Brown about leading a competitive business.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

How Uber Plans to Win the Self-Driving Car Race

70,000 Bets a Minute: How FanDuel’s Parent Is Winning at Sports Gambling

How Tubi Is Coming for Netflix and YouTube in the New Streaming Wars

Space Trucks: One Startup’s Plan to Get the U.S. Back on the Moon

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPECIAL WSJ Tech Live: The Man Leading Trump’s AI Charge Against China (The Journal Podcast)

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000

This week, we’re bringing you an episode of The Journal, produced by Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. In this episode, recorded at WSJ’s Tech Live, host Jessica Mendoza sits down with Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, to discuss everything from chips to chatbots, how Kratsios thinks AI should be regulated, and whether or not the AI boom might be a bubble.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash

How the U.S. Stacks Up to China’s ‘Engineering State’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biden’s Antitrust Architect on How Big Tech Threatens U.S. Prosperity

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Are we becoming a nation mined for our money, data, and attention? Author and legal scholar Tim Wu certainly thinks so. A key architect of President Joe Biden’s antitrust policy, Wu joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on Bold Names to explain how a handful of tech platforms conquered the economy and why he fears Silicon Valley could become “inefficient, bloated, and bested by foreign competitors,” if the country doesn’t rein in monopoly power. Wu shares insights from his new book, “The Age of Extraction,” which maps out a path toward restoring competition and rebuilding an economy that works for everyone.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

The World’s Tech Giants Are Running Out of Power. This CEO Plans to Deliver.

Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash

Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World’s Tech Giants Are Running Out of Power. This CEO Plans to Deliver.

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Electricity demand is exploding, fueled by the rise of artificial intelligence and an unprecedented wave of data center construction. Some experts warn the U.S. grid won’t be able to handle it. But Scott Strazik, the CEO of GE Vernova, says his company can deliver. On this episode of Bold Names, Strazik joins the WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to talk about leading GE’s energy spin-off through its blockbuster first year, how gas turbines have become Silicon Valley’s hottest commodity, and whether nuclear can help power the future.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

The Google-Backed Startup Taking on Elon Musk in Humanoid Robotics

This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Uber Plans to Win the Self-Driving Car Race

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Driverless cars are no longer in the realm of science fiction. Nearly a decade after abandoning its own self-driving car unit, Uber is taking a hybrid approach, partnering with more than a dozen autonomous vehicle firms, including Alphabet’s Waymo and Chinese robotaxi company WeRide. But as the robotaxi market heats up, can Uber stay in the race? On the latest episode of Bold Names, Uber’s Chief Product Officer, Sachin Kansal, speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about the company's plans for a driverless future.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI

This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung

The Google Exec Reinventing Search in the AI Era

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Every second, tens of thousands of transactions cross Visa’s global network. Last year alone, the company processed more than $13 trillion in purchases – nearly triple the size of Japan’s economy. Now, one of the largest payment networks in the world wants to become even bigger. On this episode of Bold Names, Rajat Taneja, Visa’s president of technology, joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to discuss how the company is embracing digital currency and agentic AI to power the future of payments. Taneja says this is a natural evolution for a company built on innovation. But what does the future hold? Will Visa be the next everything platform?

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

The Google-Backed Startup Taking on Elon Musk in Humanoid Robotics

Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Can a startup beat Apple and Samsung on their own turf? Carl Pei, the founder and CEO of Nothing, is betting on it. Growing up in Sweden, Pei was captivated by American gadgets like Apple’s first iPod. But over time, he says, those products lost their edge. On the latest episode of Bold Names, Pei joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to explain why he believes his electronics company, Nothing, which is valued at $1.3 billion, can challenge Apple and Samsung. Pei believes that artificial intelligence and a new generation of design-savvy users will set Nothing apart.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

The Google Exec Reinventing Search in the AI Era

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

The artificial intelligence boom has sparked one of the costliest building sprees in history. By 2028, investment in chips, servers and data centers could hit nearly $3 trillion, according to Morgan Stanley. To help fund the build-out, tech companies are taking on huge amounts of debt, raising concerns of a possible bubble. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Martin Casado, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, who leads the firm’s $1.25 billion infrastructure practice, speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins, about whether the industry’s biggest bet in decades will deliver returns. Casado explains why he is optimistic about AI and how this moment compares to the internet buildout of the 1990s.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

The Google Exec Reinventing Search in the AI Era

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing

How Tubi Is Coming for Netflix and YouTube in the New Streaming Wars

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Google Exec Reinventing Search in the AI Era

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Every day, billions of searches flow through Google, making it not just the world’s most popular search engine, but one of history’s most valuable products. Yet for the first time in nearly 30 years, the company’s dominance is under threat. Generative artificial intelligence tools like Open AI’s ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how people find information. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Liz Reid, VP, head of Google Search, speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about transforming search for the age of AI. After more than two decades inside the company, Reid says that Google has weathered disruption before and believes this moment will expand, not erode, how people explore the web. But can Google Search survive in a world of AI chatbots and answer engines?

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

The Google-Backed Startup Taking on Elon Musk in Humanoid Robotics

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast'

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Condoleezza Rice’s experience navigating geopolitical tensions and uncertainty gives her a background few people have. The former secretary of state currently leads the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and is a founding partner at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a strategic consulting firm. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, she speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about why she says the U.S. needs to “run hard and run fast” and win the tech race with China. She also explains why executives can no longer afford to think of foreign policy as separate from strategy.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Google-Backed Startup Taking on Elon Musk in Humanoid Robotics

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Check Out Past Episodes:

Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the U.S. Stacks Up to China’s ‘Engineering State’

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000

The relationship between the U.S. and China is typically framed as competitive and even adversarial. Each superpower brings strengths and weaknesses to how it approaches its society, business and growth. In his new book "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future," author and China expert Dan Wang, frames the key differences between the two superpowers. He argues that China can be understood as an "engineering state" that builds at breakneck speed regardless of public opinion or dissent. He says the U.S., on the other hand, is a "lawyerly society" that offers civil and environmental protections, but blocks everything, good and bad. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Wang speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims about how this framework could help us understand which country ultimately has the upper hand in the current geopolitical and technological arms race.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com.

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0000

After spending much of the 2010s in the doldrums, IBM has made something of a comeback in the past five years under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna. That's thanks to a lot of the success in its hybrid cloud business, as well as its consulting services. All of this has led to a surge in the company's share price. Now, IBM is betting that quantum computing will be the next big thing. But will Big Blue succeed against rivals like Microsoft and Google who are racing to make their own quantum breakthroughs? And how is the company learning from its past mistakes with Watson AI? Arvind Krishna speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com.

Check Out Past Episodes:

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bold Names Is Back

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Every day, Wall Street Journal journalists talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. WSJ columnists Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins are bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Bold Names returns with new episodes on Fridays starting September 12 on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From AI and Defense Tech, to Tariffs and the New Streaming Wars: The Best of Bold Names

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins take a trip into the Bold Names podcast archives. They’ve covered everything from artificial intelligence and humanoid robots, to the online sports betting industry and the new streaming wars. Check out highlights from some of their favorite interviews. Plus, Tim and Christopher look back on what made these conversations memorable and share their own insights on guests including Anduril founder and CEO Palmer Luckey, venture capitalist Sarah Guo and Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman. Bold Names returns with new episodes on Fridays starting September 12 on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Booz Allen CEO on Silicon Valley’s Turn to Defense Tech: ‘We Need Everybody.’

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column .

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space Trucks: One Startup’s Plan to Get the U.S. Back on the Moon

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Longtime space rivals Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are vying to reach outer space with their giant rockets. Meanwhile, an ecosystem of other space-related startups are racing to be ready to set up shop on the moon and Mars. Lunar Outpost is one of three companies competing to build a space truck for NASA's Artemis missions. Founder and CEO Justin Cyrus is betting there will be a commercial rush to tap into the moon’s resources, including critical minerals. He says he wants his company to be the “mobility provider” for the lunar economy. On the latest episode of Bold Names, Cyrus joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to discuss why the U.S. and its biggest rivals are in a race to build permanent bases on the moon.

Check Out Past Episodes:

How Tubi Is Coming for Netflix and YouTube in the New Streaming Wars

Tariffs, EVs and China: A CEO Insider’s View of the Car Business

Booz Allen CEO on Silicon Valley’s Turn to Defense Tech: ‘We Need Everybody.’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Tubi Is Coming for Netflix and YouTube in the New Streaming Wars

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Tubi is a free ad-supported streaming service that's gaining ground on big players like Netflix and Amazon. It has the largest content library of any streaming platform, full of obscure gems and films by up and comers, including one starring TikTok influencer Noah Beck. Tubi CEO Anjali Sud says that by putting viewers first, the streamer is "expanding the definition of quality" when it comes to content. On the Bold Names podcast, Sud speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about how Tubi is thinking about original content, audience retention and strategy in a changing streaming landscape. Plus, why she says Tubi will be the home for the next generation of Hollywood talent.

Check Out Past Episodes:

70,000 Bets a Minute: How FanDuel’s Parent Is Winning at Sports Gambling

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

Why José Andrés Says We Need Leaders Who Believe in ‘Longer Tables’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are AI Agents the Future of Business? Salesforce Is Betting $8 Billion on It

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Informatica isn’t a household name, but it plays a crucial role in helping companies like Toyota and Unilever manage and organize vast amounts of data. As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, that data is like a gold mine. Customer relationship software company Salesforce recently struck a multibillion-dollar deal to acquire Informatica. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Informatica CEO Amit Walia speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about why his company is worth $8 billion to Salesforce’s AI ambitions.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Tariffs, EVs and China: A CEO Insider’s View of the Car Business

How Microsoft’s AI Chief Defines ‘Humanist Super Intelligence’

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Encore: Could Amazon’s Zoox Beat Tesla and Waymo in the Robotaxi Race?

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

With Elon Musk’s Tesla piloting its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas and Waymo expanding, it’s the perfect time to revisit our interview with Zoox CEO Aicha Evans. She went deep with WSJ’s Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims on her decisions to sell the company to Amazon for over $1.2 billion and to keep Zoox’s radical design for a driverless car that looks like a lounge on wheels. As she and her rivals work to win customers’ trust, Evans’s insights into robotaxi safety are even more timely.

Plus, in a brand-new segment Higgins and Mims dig into why this moment is so crucial for the robotaxi business to reach surprising new customers–like parents.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Tariffs, EVs and China: A CEO Insider’s View of the Car Business

How Microsoft’s AI Chief Defines ‘Humanist Super Intelligence’

How Zipline’s Drones Are Taking Off in the U.S. and Rivaling Amazon

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tariffs, EVs and China: A CEO Insider’s View of the Car Business

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

For months, the complex global auto industry has grappled with the added challenge of navigating the Trump administration’s trade war. That gives Swamy Kotagiri, the CEO of Magna International, a first-hand perspective of how tariffs, trade negotiations and shifting supply chains are reshaping the future of the business, today. How is the largest auto parts manufacturer in North America adjusting its plans now that the industry’s traditional patterns have been disrupted? Kotagiri speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why José Andrés Says We Need Leaders Who Believe in ‘Longer Tables’

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

José Andrés knows what it’s like to work under pressure. From managing the chaos of restaurant kitchens, to running a global business empire, to helping feed people in disaster zones, the celebrity chef doesn’t like to sit still, especially when it comes to food. On a special bonus episode of the Bold Names podcast, Andrés speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about his new book, why he’s investing in lab-grown meat and his belief that good meals and “longer tables” are the cure for what ails us.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Booz Allen CEO on Silicon Valley’s Turn to Defense Tech: ‘We Need Everybody.’

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

How Zipline’s Drones Are Taking Off in the U.S. and Rivaling Amazon

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Microsoft’s AI Chief Defines ‘Humanist Super Intelligence’

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Few people developing artificial intelligence have as much experience in the field as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. He co-founded DeepMind, helped Google develop its large language models and designed AI chatbots with personality at his former startup, Inflection AI. Now, he’s tasked with leading Microsoft’s efforts on its consumer AI products. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Suleyman speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about why AI assistants are central to his plans for Microsoft’s AI future. Plus, they discuss the company’s relationship with OpenAI, and what Suleyman really thinks about “artificial general intelligence.”

Check Out Past Episodes:

Booz Allen CEO on Silicon Valley’s Turn to Defense Tech: ‘We Need Everybody.’

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column .

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Booz Allen CEO on Silicon Valley’s Turn to Defense Tech: ‘We Need Everybody.’

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Horacio Rozanski says he is obsessed with speed. As the CEO of Booz Allen Hamilton, a company that helps government agencies leverage the latest advances in technology used by the private sector, he has insight into the global race to develop artificial intelligence, especially in the realm of warfare. How does Rozanski see the relationship between the U.S. government and Silicon Valley evolving? He speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next?

Fri, 23 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Evan Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Altana, one of a few companies that have a global view and insight into the world’s supply chains. Think LinkedIn, but with the ability to track every step of a product’s movement from raw materials to store shelves. That lets him see firsthand how President Trump’s tariffs have thrown global trade networks into chaos as companies rush to rework every step of the manufacturing process. And Smith says this is just the beginning. Is the era of global free trade over? And if so, what comes next? Smith speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Company Has a Plan to Beat Neuralink at the Brain-Computer Interface Game

Fri, 16 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

What if you could control computers with just a thought? Precision Neuroscience is one of several companies working to make that a reality. Michael Mager is the co-founder and CEO of the brain-computer interface company whose technology aims to give patients with severe mobility issues new ways to interact with the digital world. How does Precision plan to offer brain implants to millions of people who could benefit from them? And how is the company competing with rivals like Synchron and Elon Musk’s Neuralink? Mager speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Why Elon Musk’s Battery Guy Is Betting Big on Recycling

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

Could Amazon’s Zoox Beat Tesla and Waymo in the Robotaxi Race?

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Venture Capitalist Sarah Guo’s Surprising Bet on Unsexy AI

Fri, 09 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

What's next for artificial intelligence beyond autonomous agents and next-gen language models? Sarah Guo, the founder of venture capital firm Conviction, is a rising star among Silicon Valley investors. She says the next big wave of AI innovation could transform the business world. What is she looking for in investment opportunities? And why does Guo say enterprise software is prime for transformation in the AI era? She speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Zipline’s Drones Are Taking Off in the U.S. and Rivaling Amazon

Fri, 02 May 2025 10:00:00 -0000

After flying 100 million miles and making over 1.4 million deliveries using autonomous drones, Zipline CEO and co-founder Keller Rinaudo Cliffton is looking to transform how same-day delivery works in the U.S. His company has spent years shipping medical supplies across countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Kenya. But will Zipline become a household name by flying burritos and salads to backyards in the U.S.? And how is the startup competing with tech giants like Amazon and Alphabet? Cliffton speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Correction: Zipline has flown more than 100 million commercial autonomous miles. An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly stated that it's flown 50 million miles without human pilots. (Corrected on May 2.)

Check Out Past Episodes:

Could Amazon’s Zoox Beat Tesla and Waymo in the Robotaxi Race?

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

The Drone-Delivery Service Beating Amazon to Your Front Door

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

70,000 Bets a Minute: How FanDuel’s Parent Is Winning at Sports Gambling

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Peter Jackson, the CEO of Flutter Entertainment, leads a global sports betting empire. With the U.S.-based FanDuel as its crown jewel, he has a prime view of one of the fastest-growing and most profitable entertainment industries in the world. How is Flutter using technology to supercharge sports betting, while grappling with its potential harms? Jackson speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card

The CEO Who Says Cheaper AI Could Actually Mean More Jobs

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.

Read Tim Higgins’s column.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Rajiv Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former head of USAID, has spent his career on the frontlines of the fight against global poverty. That gives him unique insight into the rapidly changing world of foreign aid and philanthropy. How are NGOs attempting to fill the funding gaps left as the Trump administration turns inward? Shah speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming Soon: Bold Names Season Three

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Every day, Wall Street Journal reporters talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. On the next season of WSJ’s Bold Names podcast, columnists Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims are bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Join them, starting Friday, April 18.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0000

Few people sit at the nexus of business and politics like Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins. As head of a company that makes much of the infrastructure underlying the internet and artificial intelligence systems, and as chairman of the lobbying group Business Roundtable, Robbins has a unique perspective on the rapid changes facing both Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. How is he navigating this moment? And what lessons did he learn from playing basketball with an all-time legend? Robbins speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Could Amazon’s Zoox Beat Tesla and Waymo in the Robotaxi Race?

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could Amazon’s Zoox Beat Tesla and Waymo in the Robotaxi Race?

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0000

When Aicha Evans took over robotaxi startup Zoox from its founders in 2019, she made two big moves: selling the company to Amazon for over $1.2 billion, and keeping Zoox’s radical design for a driverless car that looks like a lounge on wheels, with no steering wheel or brake pedal. Now, as the robotaxi industry drives toward a pivotal moment in public acceptance, Zoox is preparing to launch its commercial service later this year. How does the company fit in alongside rivals like Google’s Waymo and Elon Musk ’s Tesla? And why does Evans take inspiration from the early days of aviation? She speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins in the latest episode of our interview series Bold Names.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Palmer Luckey's 'I Told You So' Tour: AI Weapons and Vindication

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Palmer Luckey, the founder of weapons manufacturer Anduril, was part of a minority in the tech sector that supported President Trump during his first run at the White House. Now, Luckey wields influence in both Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.–and he’s using it to secure U.S. military contracts while trying to remake the government’s approach to national security. Luckey speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins in the latest episode of our interview series Bold Names.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card

The CEO Who Says Cheaper AI Could Actually Mean More Jobs

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype.

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Ayanna Howard is dean of The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering, an IEEE Senior Member, and a top expert on two of the most hyped fields in tech: humanoid robots and artificial intelligence. Combining these technologies could allow advanced bots to take on all sorts of tasks, from helping pack boxes at warehouses, to taking care of the elderly, or even doing the dishes. But what will it take to get there, and how close are we to getting everyday robot helpers? Howard speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ But America Needs to Win

Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

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Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:00 -0000

LinkedIn co-founder and Silicon Valley venture capitalist Reid Hoffman is cautiously optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence. In his new book, “Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future,” he argues that the current state of AI is similar to the automobile at the start of the 20th century. What does that mean for what Hoffman calls the “cognitive Industrial Revolution” and its potential to create positive change, and who is best suited to regulate it? And what does he think of his old friend Elon Musk’s influence in the Trump administration? Hoffman speaks to WSJ’s Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Why Elon Musk’s Battery Guy Is Betting Big on Recycling

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

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Why Bilt’s CEO Wants You To Pay Your Mortgage With a Credit Card

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Bilt Rewards founder and CEO Ankur Jain took inspiration from American Express’s rewards programs when his company began offering people loyalty points for paying monthly rent. Now, he wants to add homeowners to his customer base by allowing them to get rewards points for their mortgage payments. What does that mean for Bilt’s business, and for its relationship with Wells Fargo over their co-branded credit card? And how could it affect the customers who’ve flocked to the card to earn points? Jain spea ks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the Bold Names podcast.

Check Out Past Episodes:

Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Why Elon Musk’s Battery Guy Is Betting Big on Recycling

The CEO Who Says Cheaper AI Could Actually Mean More Jobs

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

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Introducing: Bold Names

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:01:00 -0000

Every day, Wall Street Journal reporters talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. Now, we’re bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Introducing Bold Names, a new interview series where we hear directly from the leaders behind bold name companies. Hosted by WSJ columnists Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims. The new season starts Friday, February 14.

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The CEO Who Says Cheaper AI Could Actually Mean More Jobs

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:03:00 -0000

Cloud storage used to be a sleepy part of the computing world but, with artificial intelligence becoming cheaper than ever, the companies collecting and protecting that data are now a hot investment. That includes cloud storage company Box, which has seen its stock climb nearly 40% this year. Its customers include most of the Fortune 500, including movie studios, automakers, consumer electronics giants, marketing firms and the Pentagon. Box CEO Aaron Levie says AI is getting better at piecing through 90% of companies’ data that previously was an intractable mess, and is doing some tasks better than humans – from processing invoices and parsing contracts to building marketing campaigns. So why does he think that could actually lead to more jobs for humans? Plus, why his company plans to stay “model agnostic” and continue to work with all the major artificial intelligence models, including OpenAI ’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. He speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins in episode four of our interview series Bold Names.

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Further Reading

Amazon Invests an Additional $4 Billion in Anthropic, an OpenAI Rival

How to Make AI Less of a Power Guzzler

What Is AI Best at Now? Improving Products You Already Own

Elon Musk vs. Everyone: The New Fight in AI

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Why Elon Musk’s Battery Guy Is Betting Big on Recycling

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:02:00 -0000

JB Straubel was Elon Musk’s battery guy. Now he’s trying to turn what some see as trash into power for the electric vehicle revolution. Straubel was there at the earliest days of Tesla, and in his 15 years with the electric vehicle company, he played an integral role: he developed the battery pack used in the first Tesla vehicle, was the company’s Chief Technology Officer, and now sits on the board of directors. But his day job is running the battery-recycling startup Redwood Materials, and he envisions a future where recycled batteries power our cars, cell phones and power tools. So could companies like his one day replace the oil giants who fueled the last century? Why does he think humans have room to work harder? And can the Tesla board manage Musk as he takes on a growing role in U.S. politics, including advising the Trump administration? Straubel speaks to WSJ’s Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims in episode three of our interview series Bold Names.

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Further Reading

In the Desert With an EV Entrepreneur Who Insists Trump Will Be Good for Business

The Boom in Battery Metals for EVs Is Turning to Bust

Cost-Cutting Lessons From Musk World for DOGE

What Americans Get Wrong About Electric Cars

One of the Brains Behind Tesla May Have a New Way to Make Electric Cars Cheaper

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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:01:00 -0000

Marc Benioff is one of the most outspoken names in tech. The billionaire co-founder of customer relationship software company Salesforce has been pivoting the company’s focus to artificial intelligence agents to help its clients manage customer service and other needs. But he has some strong opinions about how others are promoting AI, from how Microsoft is selling its Copilot feature to companies like Amazon buying up nuclear power contracts for their data centers. And yet he says he’s as excited about AI as he was the day that Apple’s Steve Jobs sent him one of the first iPhones. So what can AI actually do, and what’s a ‘fantasy’? Benioff speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins in episode two of our interview series Bold Names.

Further Reading

The Secret Weapon Helping Businesses Get Results From AI: Humans

Salesforce Darkens the Skies for Cloud Software as AI Threat Looms

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Makes $150 Million Donation to Hawaii Hospitals

At Marc Benioff’s Salesforce, It’s One Big Family—Until Trouble Hits

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Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Tesla, and its CEO Elon Musk, are the big names in electric vehicles, but a lot of competitors are nipping at their heels, including one led by a former top Tesla engineer. Peter Rawlinson is the CEO of Lucid, a billion-dollar auto startup he says has better technology than its rivals. The company recently completed a $1.75 billion stock offering, and has backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Now, as major automakers such as Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford pull back on their EV ambitions, find out why Rawlinson says Lucid’s all-in on luxury vehicles with a high price tag and, eventually, smaller batteries. Plus, why he says he won’t be building a $20,000 EV any time soon. He speaks to WSJ’s Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims in episode one of our interview series Bold Names.

Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com

Further Reading

The Withering Dream of a Cheap American Electric Car

Elon Musk Plays a Familiar Song: Robot Cars Are Coming

Ultralong-Range Electric Cars Are Arriving. Say Goodbye to Charging Stops.

Used EVs Sell for Bargain Prices Now, Putting Owners and Dealers in a Bind

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An Update on The Future of Everything

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0000

A brief message about some changes coming to The Future of Everything.

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Nvidia’s Chips Power the Supercomputer That Could Change AI

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0000

A few months ago, AI supercomputer Gefion was plugged in for the first time in a ceremony featuring the Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, the King of Denmark and Nadia Carlsten, the CEO of the Danish Centre for AI Innovation. Carlsten and Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, join WSJ’s Ben Cohen to discuss what they hope to achieve with 1,500 of the most powerful graphics processing units on the planet, including innovations in drug discovery, protein design and digital biology.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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Could Ultrasound Help Treat Addiction?

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0000

The future of addiction treatment could be in treating the brain itself. A new trial at West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute is exploring whether using ultrasound waves on parts of the brain associated with addiction could disrupt connections that contribute to cravings. WSJ health reporter Julie Wernau explains how it works and how it could change the science of treating addiction.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Can Zapping the Brain Help Treat Addiction?

Ultrasound Isn’t Just for Pregnancy. How It’s Helping Treat the Brain.

A Generation of Drug-Addiction Survivors Is Entering Old Age

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How New Wearable Tech Targets Brain Waves for Better Sleep

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Do you have trouble falling asleep? If meditation apps and sleep trackers aren’t cutting it, now there’s technology designed to help users not only nod off more quickly but improve their slumber. WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg speaks with Science Bureau Chief Jo Craven McGinty about the latest wearable sleep tech that targets brain waves with sound and light to help you get a good night’s rest.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

New Wearable Devices Target the Brain to Bring Better Sleep

To Get a Better Night’s Sleep, First Fix Your Day

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Could Making a New Woolly Mammoth Help Human Health?

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 11:00:00 -0000

Colossal Biosciences wants to create new animals that resemble extinct creatures like the woolly mammoth, thanks to advancements in genetic engineering and synthetic biology. In this conversation from the WSJ’s Future of Everything Festival in May 2024, Colossal Biosciences co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm discusses how the de-extinction of species could help address the loss of biodiversity and benefit ecosystems. He tells Future of Everything editorial director Stefanie Ilgenfritz about his plans for monetizing the technology, and how it could be used for human health.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Return of the Woolly Mammoth?

Doctors Can Now Edit the Genes Inside Your Body

How Ancient Hunters Felled Massive Mammoths and Hungry Predators

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Science of Success: Who’s Winning the EV Market in 2025?

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Electric vehicle sales growthexperienced a slow down in 2 023 that continued into this year. Despite EV makers’ big bets on batteries, buyers seemed more hesitant to take the all-electric route. But EV sales are exp ected to keep growing in 2025, according to Cox Automotive. On the Science of Success, WSJ’s Ben Cohen speaks with Journal reporter Sean McLain about the companies he’s watching and his predictions for the EV race in 2025.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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Designing the EV Soundscape of the Future

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Electric motors are silent but electric vehicles are not. They make noise for safety, branding and to enhance the driving experience. And since they are no longer limited by the sound of the motor, these cars provide an acoustic blank slate. Jasper de Kruiff, co-founder and creative director of Impulse Audio Lab, has been working in interactive sound design for over a decade. He explains the tech and creative approaches that go into each vehicle’s sonic picture and why the roads of the future could sound like an electric symphony.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Driverless: Waymo and the Robotaxi Race—Under the Hood

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Waymo, the self-driving car startup owned by Google parent Alphabet, may be the front-runner in the race to lead the driverless car industry, but it’s got competition. Elon Musk’s Tesla and Amazon’s Zoox are also building out robotaxi technology and services to get riders in self-driving cars. On the second episode of our special series on the growing driverless car industry, host Danny Lewis looks at these companies’ efforts to catch up and where Waymo’s success could take it and its tech into the future.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

General Motors Scraps Cruise Robotaxi Program

Musk Shows Off Driverless Robotaxi to Be Priced Under $30,000

Waymo, Uber, Lyft Are Biggest Winners From Tesla’s Robotaxi Flop

Elon Musk Plays a Familiar Song: Robot Cars Are Coming

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How New Motors Could Transform the EV Industry

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Electric vehicles are a big part of the green energy transition but some of their most critical components are made using rare-earth elements. These can be highly toxic and environmentally destructive to mine and refine, with politically-complicated supply chains to boot. Engineers and automakers like Tesla, GM and Stellantis are now racing to build motors that don’t require magnets made from rare earths, but they must figure out how to match the efficiency. WSJ mining and commodities reporter Rhiannon Hoyle speaks with host Danny Lewis about why countries and companies are finding alternatives to rare earths. Plus, Oak Ridge National Laboratory engineer Burak Ozpineci tells us where new motors could take the EV industry.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

For EV Startups, Things Are Going From Bad to Worse

Rare-Earth Prices Are in the Doldrums. China Wants to Keep Them That Way.

Lynas Bets on New Rare Earths Products, Breaking China Stranglehold

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Driverless: Waymo and the Robotaxi Race—Waymo Takes the Lead

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Fifteen years ago, Google made a big bet that future cars will drive themselves. Now, billions of dollars later, that bet may finally be paying off. Waymo, Alphabet's driverless car company, has hit the accelerator in recent years as its technology has evolved, and its rivals have stumbled. On episode one of our special series on the growing driverless car industry, host Danny Lewis explores the roots of this technology and how Waymo took the lead in the race to a driverless future.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

How San Francisco Learned to Love Self-Driving Cars

GM’s Self-Driving Car Unit Skids Off Course

Self-Driving Cars Enter the Next Frontier: Freeways

All Hail Phoenix: America’s King of the Robo-Taxi

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How Drones Are Bringing Emergency Services to Remote Places

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Autonomous aviation is making medical aid more accessible and emergency response time shorter than ever. In this conversation from WSJ’s Future of Everything Festival in May, GoAERO CEO Gwen Lighter and Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton share how their respective companies are looking for ways to revamp medical access in hard to reach places. They tell WSJ’s Alex Ossola about the new industry they are forging without a roadmap.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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Bold Names: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and the AI ‘Fantasy Land’

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Future of Everything listeners, here's a special presentation of Bold Names, our interview series where you'll hear from the leaders of the bold-named companies featured in the pages of the Wall Street Journal.

Marc Benioff is one of the most outspoken names in tech. The billionaire co-founder of customer relationship software company Salesforce has been pivoting the company’s focus to artificial intelligence agents to help its clients manage customer service and other needs. But he has some strong opinions about how others are promoting AI, from how Microsoft is marketing its Copilot feature to companies like Amazon buying up nuclear power contracts for their data centers. And yet he says he’s as excited about AI as he was the day that Apple’s Steve Jobs sent him one of the first iPhones. So what can AI actually do, and what’s a ‘fantasy’? Benioff speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins in episode two of our interview series Bold Names.

Check out Episode 1 in the Tech News Briefing Feed: Bold Names: Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks'

Science of Success: AI Takes a Deep Dive Into Podcasting

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Have you heard the latest hit podcast? It’s called Deep Dive. It features two relatable hosts, and it’s about whatever you want. That’s because it’s created by you and artificial intelligence. Google released an experimental audio feature as part of its personalized AI research assistant, NotebookLM. On this week’s Science of Success, Ben Cohen speaks with WSJ reporter Deepa Seetharaman about how this tech works, when it doesn’t and what makes those AI voices so convincing.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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How AI Is Transforming Hollywood’s Visual Effects Industry

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Hollywood studios are making big bets that artificial-intelligence models could help make movie magic cheaper than ever, including in the visual effects industry. And after Lions Gate Entertainment announced a new partnership with Runway to develop new tools trained on its catalog, AI may be even more integrated in the production process. Host Danny Lewis speaks with editor, director and producer Jon Dudkowski, who has worked on shows including “Star Trek: Discovery,” “The Umbrella Academy” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” He gives us a peek behind the scenes at how movies and TV are made, and how AI could change the industry.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Lionsgate, Studio Behind ‘John Wick,’ Signs Deal With AI Startup Runway

Who Owns SpongeBob? AI Shakes Hollywood’s Creative Foundation

Meet Hollywood’s AI Doomsayer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

The Outlook for Streaming: How Netflix Sees It

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Will Cloud Streaming Kill the Videogame Console?

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Videogame cartridges and discs have mostly been replaced by downloads. Now, some console makers like Microsoft want to move videogames into the cloud-streaming business. Joost van Dreunen, an industry analyst and CEO of market research firm Aldora, joins WSJ’s Danny Lewis to talk about the new technology behind streaming complex, interactive videogames and how it could change the multibillion-dollar industry.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Xbox Lost the Console War. Now It’s Redefining Gaming.

The Tricky—but Potentially Lucrative—Task of Streaming Videogames

Microsoft Plans Boldest Games Bet Since Activision Deal, Changing How ‘Call of Duty’ Is Sold

The Road Ahead for Xbox with Phil Spencer

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Colin Kaepernick’s AI Startup Lumi and the Future of Storytelling

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick says we all have stories to tell and that artificial intelligence can help. This summer, the activist, author and CEO launched Lumi Story AI. Backed by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, Kaepernick says the platform is meant to “democratize storytelling.” WSJ’s Andrew Beaton interviewed Kaepernick last week at WSJ Tech Live about the new venture and what his many life experiences have taught him about being a CEO.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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Science of Success: Table-Tennis Star Ni Xia Lian’s Olympic Longevity

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Most athletes’ competitive years are in their 20s and 30s, but 61-year-old Ni Xia Lian has been playing professional table tennis for nearly 50 years. The Chinese-born Luxembourgish table-tennis player was one of the oldest athletes at this summer’s Paris Olympics. On the Science of Success, WSJ’s Ben Cohen speaks with Ni and Tommy Danielsson, her coach and husband, about how she’s maintained her longevity in competitive sports.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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The Longevity Business Is Booming, But Is There a Limit to Our Lifespan?

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Life expectancy has been increasing over the years, and so has the longevity business. WSJ health and wellness reporter Alex Janin tells WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg about the booming business of extending our healthy years and our lives overall. But, despite the increase in life expectancy in the past few generations, some scientists believe we’ve already reached a plateau. WSJ health and science reporter Amy Dockser Marcus looks at the debate over the limits to longevity and finds that, no matter the hype, some scientists think you won’t live to 100.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Think You Will Live to 100? These Scientists Think You’re Wrong

The Longevity Vacation: Poolside Lounging With an IV Drip

The Longevity Clinic Will See You Now—for $100,000

For This Venture Capitalist, Research on Aging Is Personal; ‘Bob Has a Big Fear of Death’

Outliving Your Peers Is Now a Competitive Sport

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The New Pharma Frontier: Could Drugs Made in Space Help You Live Longer?

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:00:00 -0000

In the future, the drugs helping you live healthier, happier and longer may have components manufactured in space. In this conversation with WSJ’s Danny Lewis from the Future of Everything Festival in May, Eric Lasker, an executive at Varda Space Industries, and Sita Sonty, former CEO of Space Tango, discuss the advantages and limitations of space manufacturing and how it can benefit pharmaceutical development.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Is Space the Next Manufacturing Frontier?

Varda Hopes New Research Draws More Drugmakers to Space Factories

How Research in Space Helps Doctors Treat People on Earth

Space Manufacturing: Building an Economy Beyond Earth

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People Are Living Longer. Can Old Age Be an Opportunity?

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 10:00:00 -0000

More and more people are living longer lives thanks to modern technology and medicine. But what does that mean for our mental health and making sure we’re living better as well as longer? Stanford University Center on Longevity founding director Laura Carstensen digs into how the milestones of life should be reworked, and tells WSJ’s Danny Lewis how society can adapt and plan for the 100-year lifespan to become common.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Keys to Aging at Home? Frank Conversations and Financial Planning

Outliving Your Peers Is Now a Competitive Sport

Star Scientist’s Claim of ‘Reverse Aging’ Draws Hail of Criticism

The Secret to Living to 100? It’s Not Good Habits

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Science of Success: Is Your Home Oversubscribed?

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0000

What makes your house a home? For starters, it’s spending time there, relaxing, cooking and watching TV. These days, that means lots of subscriptions, which also means lots of money. In fact, Americans spend billions of dollars on subscriptions they’ve actually forgotten about. On the Science of Success, WSJ’s Ben Cohen looks at the booming subscription business and ways to help you get that spending in check.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Real Reason You’re Paying for So Many Subscriptions

Americans Are Canceling More of Their Streaming Services

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Will AI Make Home Renovations Easier?

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Whether you’re sprucing up a kitchen or gutting a house, home renovations can be stressful, complicated and expensive. But new tools using artificial intelligence are trying to take some of the struggle out of the process by helping homeowners envision their dream home and communicate with architects and contractors. WSJ real estate, architecture and design reporter Nancy Keates joins host Danny Lewis to talk about how AI is making inroads into home renovations.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Stressing Over Your Next Home Renovation Project? Let AI Handle It.

The Big Risk for the Market: Becoming an AI Echo Chamber

United Arab Emirates Fund in Talks to Invest in OpenAI

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It Cooks, It Cleans! When Will Robots Be Doing Our Chores?

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0000

What if you had a robot that could take care of your household chores, from doing laundry to making dinner? When the Roomba came out over 20 years ago, it seemed like other autonomous robots for the home were not far off. But no other home robot has yet become a household name. WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg speaks with Charlie Kemp, co-founder and chief technology officer of Hello Robot, about his company's dexterous robot called Stretch 3.They also talk about the technological hurdles we’ll have to overcome before truly helpful robots move into our homes.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Elon Musk Says Tesla to Use Humanoid Robots Next Year

AI Startup Making Humanoid Robots Raises $675 Million With Bezos, Nvidia in Funding Round

Companies Brought in Robots. Now They Need Human ‘Robot Wranglers.’

Rise of the Restaurant Robots: Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Others Bet on Automation

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The Home-Solar Boom May Have Gone Bust. What’s Next for Solar Power?

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The amount of electricity generated by solar panels has surged over the last decade. But while rooftop solar panels are more common than ever, the balance of solar-power generation has shifted from power systems on individual homes to large-scale commercial arrays used by utilities. WSJ’s Danny Lewis sits down with energy and climate reporter Phred Dvorak and Pvilion CEO Colin Touhey to talk about the future of home solar, and the new role it might play in the power grid.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Home-Solar Boom Gets a ‘Gut Punch’

The Solar Breakthrough That Could Help the U.S. Compete With China

Why Californians Have Some of the Highest Power Bills in the U.S.

Coming Soon for Homeowners: Solar Panels That Actually Look Attractive

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Meet the CEO Bringing Seaweed to Your Grocery Store

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Seaweed has lots of practical applications. We use it as fertilizer, incorporate it into face creams and packaging as a plastic alternative, and we eat it. Very little of the seaweed used worldwide is grown in the U.S., which some proponents and regulators are looking to change because seaweed has been shown to have some positive effects on ecosystems. Maine-based Atlantic Sea Farms is one company looking to increase the amount of seaweed grown in U.S. waters. WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks with Atlantic Sea Farms CEO Briana Warner about how her company is making that happen, and what it will take for seaweed aquaculture to truly scale in the U.S.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

A Seaweed Crop Finds a Spot in Maine Waters

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Science of Success: A Better Way to Board a Plane

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0000

It seems like every airline has a different way of boarding a plane. But which way works best? Astrophysicist Jason Steffen has spent his career trying to crack the deepest mysteries of the universe, and 15 years ago he discovered and published what he says is the optimal boarding strategy. So why aren’t all commercial airlines using it? On the Science of Success, WSJ’s Ben Cohen looks at what goes into planning the most efficient boarding process and what airlines are doing to help customers have a smooth entry to their flights.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Astrophysicist Who Has a Better Way to Board Airplanes

Southwest Airlines Is Ditching Open Seating on Flights

Southwest Fans Wonder if the Airline Has Changed Forever

It Can’t Be This Hard to Board a Plane

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Pokémon Go as a Travel Guide? Meet the Fans Booking Trips to Catch 'Em All

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The Pokémon videogame series has always been about traveling the world. But eight years after the launch of the mobile-phone game Pokémon Go, some players are taking that to extremes by using the game as a tool to plan their real-life travels. Salvador Rodriguez joins host Danny Lewis to talk about the people circling the globe in order to catch and trade the digital monsters.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Adults Who Book Vacations Based on…. Pokémon?

Science of Success: The Mind at Work Behind an Iconic Song

How Pokémon Became a Monster Hit

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Are the Skies Going Hypersonic?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0000

The Concorde has long been retired, but future skies may be filled with aircraft that can go even faster, criss-crossing the world in a matter of hours. Hypersonic engines that are being developed for military and government applications, like defense, drones and missiles, could one day propel future planes much faster than conventional engines for less money. Host Danny Lewis looks at the technical and business obstacles, and finds out what it would take to make hypersonic air travel a reality.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Silicon Valley’s Next Mission: Help the U.S. Catch China and Russia in Hypersonic Weapons

How Hypersonic Flight Could Transform Transatlantic Flights

Hypersonic Missiles Are Game-Changers, and America Doesn’t Have Them

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Google’s AI Can Help Plan Your Next Vacation. Should You Rely On It?

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 10:00:00 -0000

From flights to hotels to entire itineraries, AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini Advanced can help you plan your next vacation. In fact, more than 30% of “active leisure travelers” have used artificial intelligence for travel planning, according to MMGY global, a travel marketing agency. But how soon might these bots go from travel planning tool to travel planning agent? WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg speaks with Google’s Amar Subramanya, vice president of engineering for Gemini experiences, about the future of using AI for travel planning.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

How Well Can AI Plan Your Next Trip? We Tested Gemini and ChatGPT

Don’t Trust an AI Chatbot With All Your Travel Plans Just Yet

AI Apps For Travel

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Science of Success: What It Takes to Make a Better Berry

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

What makes for a luxury strawberry? Is it the taste? Texture? Color? Around five years ago, berry company Driscoll’s released a new, premium line of berries with a higher price tag. Some consumers are shelling out almost 70% more to get their hands on this fancy fruit. But what are the qualities of a premium berry? On this Science of Success, we delve into the food science behind breeding and selling Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch, from creating more objective benchmarks for the highly subjective experience of taste to how the company works with supertasters and sensory analysts to create the best possible berry.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Why America’s Berries Have Never Tasted So Good

How Designer Fruit Is Taking Over the Grocery Store

Trying to Breed Better Fruit

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Can Robots Reinvent Fast Food?

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Restaurants are a tough business with tight margins, from the cost of food to paying for staff. Kernel, the new venture by Steve Ells, the founder and former CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, is trying to fix that by introducing food-making robots and a "digital-first" approach to restaurants. In this conversation from the WSJ Global Food Forum in June, reporter Heather Haddon talks with Ells about his new bet on consumers’ desire to eat less meat, and on a business model that could solve some of the industry’s thorny challenges.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Rise of the Restaurant Robots: Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Others Bet on Automation

How Chipotle’s Founder Is Moving Beyond Burritos

Chipotle’s Labor Costs Are Rising. Customers Will See It in Pricing.

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Why You Might Be Eating More Seaweed in the Future

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

To hear proponents talk about it, seaweed could solve a whole lot of problems. It could feed people, restore polluted habitats and be an economic boost for fishermen. Though seaweed aquaculture has grown in the U.S. in recent years, the country produced less than 1% of the global seaweed crop in 2019. Now, some companies are trying to get seaweed aquaculture to scale in the U.S. But there are regulatory hurdles to overcome, and researchers have questions about how a scaled industry would affect existing ecosystems. WSJ’s Alex Ossola looks at what it will take to make seaweed a bigger part of the American diet in the future.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Inside the Quest for a Super Kelp That Can Survive Hotter Oceans

Cows Make Climate Change Worse. Could Seaweed Help?

A Sargassum Bloom Is Hitting Florida: What to Know About the Seaweed Mass

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How Designer Fruit Is Taking Over the Grocery Store

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0000

No more mealy apples and flavorless oranges. There’s a growing category of produce available in your local grocery store: fruits and vegetables that have been carefully bred with flavor in mind. But these more delicious varieties tend to come in premium packaging—with a premium price to boot. WSJ contributor Elizabeth G. Dunn tells host Alex Ossola how this produce is bred and whether we can expect to see more of it in the future.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

This Strawberry Will Blow Your Mind: Inside the Startlingly Delicious World of Designer Produce

The Race to Save Ketchup: Building a Tomato for a Hotter World

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Science of Success: The Hot Window AC Making Summers Cool

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

They’re ugly. They’re clunky. They’re loud. And, worst of all, they spike your energy bills every summer. The window air conditioner is a dreaded summer staple in many homes. But one company is redefining how an AC functions by thinking outside the typical window box. For Science of Success, WSJ’s Ben Cohen tells the story of Midea’s U-shaped window AC that captured the collective consciousness for its noise reduction and energy efficiency.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

How Did the World’s Coolest Air Conditioner Get So Hot?

The Race to Build a Better Air Conditioner

Does Turning Off Your A/C When You’re Not Home Actually Save Money?

My Love Affair With Air-Conditioning

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How NASA Sees Climate Change From Space

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Our climate is changing. In the last 100 years, the planet has warmed about 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to NASA. But how can we learn more about our planet’s climate and what we can do to slow the changes? Gavin A. Schmidt, a top NASA climate scientist and director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, spoke with WSJ reporter Emily Glazer at the Future of Everything Festival on May 22, 2024 about the future of climate science and the data NASA is collecting on the Earth by looking at it from space.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

2023 Was the Hottest Year on Record

Extreme Heat, Floods, Fire: Was Summer 2023 the New Normal?

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Keeping Cities Cool in a Warmer Future

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

2023 was the world’s hottest year on record, and temperatures are expected to continue heating up. Cities, where more than half of the world lives, are contending with this extreme heat. But some places, such as Singapore, are looking for ways to modify aspects of their cities to make them more comfortable for people to live. The Cooling Singapore project is creating a hyper detailed digital twin of the city-state to be able to test the effectiveness of new methods the city would want to implement. WSJ’s Alex Ossola explains what they’ve learned, and how it can help us understand how more cities in the future might make changes to combat heat.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Cooling Singapore 2.0 project, funded by the Singapore Nat ional Research Foundation, is led by the Singapore ETH Centre in partnership with Cambridge CARES, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University (SMU), the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), and TUMCREATE (established by the Technical University of Munich).

2023 Was the Hottest Year on Record

Earth Just Had Its Hottest Month Ever. How Six Cities Are Coping.

How Reflective Paint Brings Down Scorching City Temperatures

These Photos Show How Urban Growth Fuels Extreme Heat

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Saving Ketchup: The Race to Breed a Tomato for a Warming World

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:00:00 -0000

What good is a future without ketchup or pasta sauce? These are just two potential casualties of a changing climate, as tomato growers face shrinking harvests due to hotter and drier weather. WSJ reporter Patrick Thomas takes us behind the scenes of how seed breeders are trying to make a tomato that can thrive with less water, and how that highlights the efforts going into protecting crops against the effects of climate change.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Race to Save Ketchup: Building a Tomato for a Hotter World

How to Eat Your Way to a Greener Planet

Sustainable Agriculture Gets a Push From Big Corporations

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Science of Success: Birkenstocks and the Promise of Healthy Feet

Fri, 24 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

How did a sandal that originally entered the U.S. market as a health product become a fashion staple and the crowning shoe of a multibillion dollar company? Margot Fraser originally brought Birkenstocks to the U.S. thinking that the comfort of the German sandal would appeal to women. But she couldn’t get shoe stores to sell them. They finally made it into the U.S. market through health food stores. Now, the seductively ugly shoe is a cultural icon and was valued at about $8.6 billion when the company went public last year. WSJ’s Ben Cohen explores the history of Birkenstock and how it paved the way for the future of women’s feet.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Why Americans Are Obsessed With These Ugly Sandals

A Key to Birkenstock’s Billion Dollar Success? Its Frumpiest Shoe

A Visual History of Birkenstock’s Rise, From Insoles to IPO

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Will a Treatment Work? Try the 'Digital Twin' First.

Fri, 17 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

How does your doctor know that a drug or procedure will work to treat a condition before they try it? Often, they don’t. Researchers are looking to create “digital twins,” digital versions of individual organs, to see how a patient will respond. Eventually there could be digital twins of entire bodies that are updated in real time with patient data. WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks with WSJ senior special writer Stephanie Armour about how that might change the way we treat diseases in the future.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading: A ‘Digital Twin’ of Your Heart Lets Doctors Test Treatments Before Surgery

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Ultrasound Isn’t Just for Pregnancy. How It’s Helping Treat the Brain.

Fri, 10 May 2024 10:30:00 -0000

Ultrasound is known for its use in imaging during pregnancy. But new advancements in the technology suggest that in the future, ultrasound could be used to disrupt the blood-brain barrier. This would allow doctors to more easily diagnose and directly treat illnesses like brain cancer without major surgery. WSJ’s Danny Lewis and Charlotte Gartenberg examine the new ways that ultrasound could be used more specifically and subtly to deliver accurate diagnoses and precise treatments.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

New Ultrasound Therapy Could Help Treat Alzheimer’s, Cancer

Treatment Breakthrough for an Intractable Brain Cancer

The ‘Mini Brains’ solving medical mysteries and raising concerns

We Can Now See the Brain Like Never Before

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Chip in the Brain? How Brain-Computer Interfaces Could Change Medicine

Fri, 03 May 2024 10:00:00 -0000

A day when people can interact directly with computers using their thoughts could be on the horizon. Several companies, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink, have begun preliminary human trials of brain-computer interfaces - devices that decode the electrical signals in their brain and translate them into digital bits. Neurosurgeon Benjamin Rapoport is a co-founder and chief science officer of Precision Neuroscience, a company working on brain-computer interfaces. He spoke with WSJ’s Danny Lewis about how the technology works and how these implants could improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who could gain the ability to independently engage with the digital world.

Correction: Dr. Benjamin Rapoport is the co-founder of Precision Neuroscience. An earlier version misspelled his name Rapaport. (Corrected on May 3)

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Inside the Operating Room: Doctors Test a Revolutionary Brain-Computer Implant

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Wants to Make ‘The Matrix’ a Reality. It Has a Lot to Prove First.

She Didn’t Speak for 18 Years. A Computer Helped Find Her Voice.

The Devices That Will Read Your Brain—and Enhance It

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Science of Success: How Barnes & Noble Is Redesigning the Bookstore Chain

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

What does the brick and mortar bookstore of the future look like? For Barnes & Noble, it looks more like the indie bookstores they once threatened to put out of business 20 years ago. The company recently redesigned their national chain of over 500 bookstores, shedding the big box personality in favor of a look reminiscent of local bookshops. On this week’s Science of Success, WSJ columnist Ben Cohen speaks to Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt about the look, feel and idea behind Barnes & Noble’s new indie design.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching to a different podcast player.

Further reading:

That Cool New Bookstore? It’s a Barnes & Noble.

New CEO Wants to Make Barnes & Noble Your Local Bookstore

Barnes & Noble’s New Boss Tries to Save the Chain—and Traditional Bookselling

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Designing the Sneaker of the Future

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

Can technology help us design the perfect running shoe that’s stronger, faster and better for the environment? David Allemann, co-founder of On, thinks technology can get us part of the way there, but it’s not the whole story. The performance running shoe and sportswear company is experimenting with computer simulation and bio-based materials to design sneakers to advance both runners and sustainability goals. WSJ men’s fashion columnist Jacob Gallagher speaks with Allemann about the future of running shoe tech and how sneakers might redefine the design cannon.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

How On’s Running Sneakers Won Over Tech Bros and High Fashion Alike

Where Did All the Crazy Sneakers Go?

This Designer Knows What Sneakers You’ll Be Wearing Next Year

These Grandpa Sneakers Are Made in America. They’re a Hit Overseas.

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How 3D Printing Could Drive the Factory of the Future

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

3D printing isn’t just for hobbyists – it could be central to the future of manufacturing. Companies are turning to this technology to make everything from car and airplane parts to houses faster and cheaper than with traditional techniques. Now, as 3D printing – also known as additive manufacturing – is getting quicker, researchers are testing its limits. WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Danny Lewis take a look at how this tech is building the factory of the future.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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Further reading:

This 3-D Printed Icelandic Fish-Gutting Machine Contains the Secret of a Future, Less-Globalized Economy

Venture Investors Are Pumping Capital Into 3-D Printing Startups. Here’s Why.

Energy Companies Turn to 3-D Printing to Bypass Snarled Supply Chains

3-D Printed Houses Are Sprouting Near Austin as Demand for Homes Grows

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Did Tesla’s Cybertruck Break the Mold on EV Pickup Truck Design?

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0000

When Tesla started developing the Cybertruck, CEO Elon Musk tasked the company's chief designer with creating a car that "feels like the future." But did it break the mold on what a pickup truck is? And how will it change truck design in the future? WSJ auto columnist Dan Neil test drove the Cybertruck. He spoke with WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg about his take on Tesla’s polarizing vehicle, and what it means for the future of EV design.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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Further reading:

I Gave Tesla’s Cybertruck a 48-Hour Thrashing. It (Mostly) Survived.

Tesla Hopes the Cybertruck Design Gives It an Edge

Tesla Designer: Cybertruck’s Funky Design Gives It an Edge

How Tesla’s Cybertruck Compares with Other Pickups

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Science of Success: How Self-Reporting Made Flying Safer

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

This year, several high profile incidents have kept flying in the limelight. Yet air travel is currently safer than ever. The biggest U.S. commercial airlines have now gone 15 years without a fatal crash. So, how did hurtling through the sky in a giant metal tube become this safe? WSJ columnist Ben Cohen speaks with former FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization executive William Voss about the voluntary self-reporting programs that made flying the safest form of travel and asks if the airline industry’s safety measures could provide a blueprint for regulation in other fields.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

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Further reading:

Flying in America Has Actually Never Been Safer

Boeing Tells Airlines to Check 787 Cockpit Seats After Mishap on Latam Flight

Behind the Alaska Blowout: a Manufacturing Habit Boeing Can’t Break

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Why Waymo's Robotaxis Are Hitting the Arizona Freeway

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0000

After years of promises that driverless cars were just over the horizon, one of the industry's biggest players is headed for the freeway. Now, for the first time, Alphabet’s Waymo is allowing robotaxis to take its employees on high-speed roads in Phoenix, Arizona without a human driver. The move comes just as the industry is facing a harsh reality after high-profile crashes: GM’s Cruise had its permits to operate driverless robotaxis pulled by the California DMV, and Waymo issued its first-ever recall after two of its cars collided with a pickup truck being towed. WSJ reporter Meghan Bobrowsky discusses what this could mean for the future of self-driving cars and where the industry is heading.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Self-Driving Cars Enter the Next Frontier: Freeways

Self-Driving Car Company Waymo Issues First-Ever Recall After Two Phoenix Crashes

GM’s Cruise Says U.S. Is Investigating Driverless Car’s Collision With Pedestrian

America’s Most Tech-Forward City Has Doubts About Self-Driving Cars

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Recharge as You Drive? The Future of EVs Could Be Wireless.

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Imagine driving down a road that recharges your electric car as it moves. Companies around the world are experimenting with new technology that can wirelessly charge EVs while they drive, thanks to copper coils buried beneath the asphalt. It could mean less time spent plugging in at slow chargers, no need for heavy, expensive lithium-ion batteries and wave goodbye to range anxiety. WSJ’s Danny Lewis reports on what it would take for this tech to hit the road, and how it could change the way we refuel our vehicles.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

These Companies Want to Charge Your Electric Vehicle as You Drive

No More Charging Stops? We Take a Road Trip in an Ultralong-Range EV

The Big Year for EVs Gets Off to a Bumpy Start

Electric Cars and Driving Range: Here’s What to Know About EV Range

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How Today’s Aircraft Accidents Could Make Future Planes Safer

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0000

In recent months, an Alaska Airlines jet lost a door plug mid-flight, and a Japan Airlines plane collided with another aircraft at an airport in Tokyo. Accidents like these are uncommon, but they could help engineers design safer airplanes. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University associate professor Anthony Brickhouse tells WSJ’s Danny Lewis how advanced materials and computer systems could bring flight into a safer future, while making sure human pilots are still part of the equation.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

How Safe Is Flying Today? Answering Your Questions

Boeing 737 MAX Missing Critical Bolts in Alaska Airlines Blowout, NTSB Says

Boeing Finds New Problem With 737 MAX Fuselages

Inside a Flaming Jet, 367 Passengers Had Minutes to Flee. Here’s How They Did It.

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Science of Success: The Mind at Work Behind an Iconic Song

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Is it an earworm or an icon? The Super Mario Bros. theme is the soundtrack to many childhoods and has remained resonant today. Recently inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, the song was not easy to write. Video game composer Koji Kondo faced musical and technical challenges in creating the song. Columnist Ben Cohen talks to New England Conservatory musicologist Andrew Schartmann about how Kondo created this lasting and genre-changing piece of music.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The Mind Behind the Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head

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Could AI Prevent the Next Global Supply Chain Crisis?

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

AI has brought new challenges for corporate executives in managing their workforces and supply chains. Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi tells WSJ reporter Emily Glazer how she is adjusting to uncertainty and gives her outlook on the future of the workplace and manufacturing. This conversation was recorded at WSJ’s CEO Council Summit on December 12, 2023.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Leading in Uncertain Times

Sam Altman Seeks Trillions of Dollars to Reshape Business of Chips and AI

Logistics-Tech Startups Face Uncertain Future as Freight Slump Continues

The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Generative AI in the Workplace

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How Face Scans and Fingerprints Could Become Your Work Badge

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Badge swipes and passwords are cornerstones of security in the modern workplace. But in a world where security is increasingly tied to biometrics and personal devices, your face or fingerprint may soon become the key to workplace security. While biometrics could provide better protection for sensitive information than an easily forgettable password, what are the privacy risks of biometric tech going mainstream? WSJ’s Danny Lewis explores the future of biometric security at work, and whether it could even go beyond face scans and fingerprints.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Your Face Is Your Ticket: A Creepy Convenience

Apple Makes Security Changes to Protect Users From iPhone Thefts

Rite Aid Banned From Using AI Facial Recognition in FTC Settlement

What Is the Future of Identity Verification?

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Is AI Taking the Human Out of the HR Department?

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Will the human resources department be replaced by robots? Not quite, but the use of generative artificial intelligence in HR is on the rise. WSJ reporter Chip Cutter tells us how companies are incorporating AI tools internally and what might change in the future. Plus, we hear from Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, who recently introduced paidleave.ai, a free AI-powered chatbot designed to help workers navigate paid family leave benefits. Saujani tells WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg about what she sees as the potential risks and benefits of AI in the workplace.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

New York City Passed an AI Hiring Law. So Far, Few Companies Are Following It.

How AI Will Change the Workplace

HR Departments Turn to AI-Enabled Recruiting in Race for Talent

The Do's and Don'ts of Using Generative AI in the Workplace

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Science of Success: The Nvidia CEO’s Lessons in Building a $1T Company

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Nvidia's Jensen Huang is Silicon Valley's longest tenured CEO, and his company recently joined the trillion dollar club. But if he knew at the start what he knows now, would he do it all again? WSJ Science of Success columnist Ben Cohen explains Huang’s approach to success and what that might mean for tomorrow's entrepreneurs.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or e mail us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

He Built a Trillion-Dollar Company. He Wouldn’t Do It Again.

Tech’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ Stocks Are Back on Top

Markets Analysis: Nvidia Stock Jumps to Record High

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Why AI Keeps Getting Better at Making Fake Images

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

Fake images are already turning heads online, and Hany Farid, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, says we’re only going to see more of it. Farid specializes in image analysis and digital forensics. He tells WSJ’s Alex Ossola why it’s so easy to use generative AI to create convincing fake images, and why it could cause problems in the future. Plus, he discusses the potential tech solutions that will help us decipher whether an image or video we’re seeing online is too good to be true.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Real or AI? The Tech Giants Racing to Stop the Spread of Fake Images

Reality Is Broken. We Have AI Photos to Blame.

A New Way to Tell Deepfakes From Real Photos: Can It Work?

AI-Created Images Are So Good Even AI Has Trouble Spotting Some

Sharing Fake Nude Images Could Become a Federal Crime Under Proposed Law

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Alexa, Can You Hear Me? Making AI Voice Assistants Better for Everyone.

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

AI voice assistants like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa have become part of our everyday lives. But for people with atypical voices, including those with conditions like Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy, these tools can be frustrating to use. Now a number of big tech companies including Amazon and Google, as well as research organizations are coming up with ways to make them more useful. What will it take to create voice assistants that work for everyone right out of the box?

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Tech Firms Train Voice Assistants to Understand Atypical Speech

Amazon Makes Alexa Chattier and More Capable Using Generative AI

Alexa, Siri, Cortana: Why All Your Bots Are Female

Deep Speech: Scaling up end-to-end speech recognition (2014, arXiv)

Librispeech: An ASR corpus based on public domain audio books (2015, IEEE International Conference)

Speech Accessibility Project from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Why AI Should Be Taught to Know Its Limits

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 11:00:00 -0000

One of AI’s biggest, unsolved problems is what the advanced algorithms should do when they confront a situation they don’t have an answer for. For programs like Chat GPT, that could mean providing a confidently wrong answer, what’s often called a “hallucination”; for others, as with self-driving cars, there could be much more serious consequences. But what if AIs could be taught to recognize what they don’t understand and adjust accordingly? Usama Fayyad, the executive director for the Institute for Experiential Artificial Intelligence at Northeastern University thinks this could be the algorithmic answer to making future AIs better at what they do, by doing something too few humans can: recognizing their own limits.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

How Did Companies Use Generative AI in 2023? Here’s a Look at Five Early Adopters.

Your Medical Devices Are Getting Smarter. Can the FDA Keep Them Safe?

Artificial: The OpenAI Story

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Are Sailboats the Future of Shipping? The New, Old Tech Making Waves.

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Sail-powered cargo ships are making waves on the seas. High-tech versions of old tools are being installed on existing cargo ships in order to reduce fuel costs and help decarbonize the industry, which currently generates 3% of all human-created greenhouse gasses. Retrofitting cargo ships with sails could make maritime shipping greener and cheaper, and even change how the complicated shipping industry works. WSJ host Danny Lewis reports.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Old-School Wind Power Is Back for Cargo Shipping

Shipping Regulator to Steer Clear of Stricter Rules on Carbon Emissions

Fertilizer Companies Are Betting on Ammonia as a Low-Carbon Fuel

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The Future of Baby Formula May Be Artificial Breast Milk

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Breast milk imparts a number of long-term health benefits to babies, including a lower risk of asthma, obesity, Type 1 diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But for a variety of reasons, many parents turn to formula. Now, several startups such as BIOMILQ and Helaina are working on new kinds of infant nutrition products that promise to better mimic parts of human breast milk—and may lead to advances in adult nutrition along the way. But to bring artificial breast milk to market, they’ll need to do some tough science and overcome regulatory and ethical hurdles.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

The ‘Arms Race’ to Build a Better Baby Formula

Baby-Formula Shortage Worsened by Drop in Breast-Feeding Rates

Baby-Formula Makers Face FTC Investigation for Collusion

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A Nuclear Power Plant in Your Backyard? Future Reactors Are Going Small

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

The next generation of nuclear power plants could be tiny, and that could mean big things for carbon-free electricity. Several companies including NuScale Power and Bill Gates’ TerraPower are developing small modular reactors that promise to be more adaptable than the towering conventional nuclear power plants. After years of development and growing investment, the first of these next-generation reactors could go online by 2030. But will their promises to provide safe and plentiful energy live up to the hype, and overcome the economic challenges of their predecessors? WSJ’s Danny Lewis looks at what small reactors could mean for the business of nuclear power and how you get your electricity.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

A Futuristic Plan to Make Steel With Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear Power Is Staging a Comeback, but Is It Affordable and Safe?

OpenAI’s Sam Altman Is Taking a Nuclear-Energy Startup Public

Nuclear Power Is Poised for a Comeback. The Problem Is Building the Reactors.

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Hearing Aid Tech Isn’t Just for Listening Anymore

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0000

There may come a day when everyone will be wearing hearing aids. That’s because today’s hearing aids can do much more than clarify and amplify sound. Companies like Starkey are adding features like cognitive activity tracking and exercise monitoring. They’re developing tech that aims to warn users before they might fall and predict aspects of mental health too. If barriers like high cost and social stigma are addressed, hearing aids could become a vital accessory, whether or not you’re one of the 55 million Americans projected to have hearing loss by 2030.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Wait, Are Hearing Aids Cool Now? Ask Millennials

Apple AirPods Could Help You Hear Better

Buying Help for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids—Whether You Spend $250 or $2,500

Cheaper Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Are Coming. Here’s How to Comparison Shop.

Cures for Hearing Loss May Be Found in New Drugs

Using Teeth to Help Restore Hearing

Better Hearing Can Lead to Better Thinking

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Beaming Solar Energy From Space Takes a Big Step Forward

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

What if there were a way to generate clean solar electricity from space and send it directly to Earth? It sounds like science-fiction, but Caltech engineers are working on ways to collect solar energy on orbiting satellites and wirelessly beam that power back to stations on the ground. The results of their experiments suggest that space-based solar power may have a bright future. But while they’ve been able to show it’s possible on a demonstration satellite, getting power from orbit to Earth is a big challenge. WSJ’s Danny Lewis talks with science journalist Corey S. Powell about what it will take to wirelessly transmit solar energy and how it could transform the future of the grid.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Beaming Solar Energy From Space Gets a Step Closer

The Next Bets for Renewable Energy

Solar Boom Spreads to Timberlands and Self-Storage Rooftops

Investments in Solar Power Eclipse Oil for First Time

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Going Electric? Why Future Power Could Come From Hot Rocks

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Want to go electric? We might need to dig a little deeper… into the Earth’s crust. Researchers and startups are testing new technology and drilling techniques to harness geothermal energy – heat from the Earth that can be used to generate electricity. It’s a renewable energy source that has been billed as a way to boost energy independence while reducing carbon emissions. But because of technical limitations, geothermal made up just 0.4% of all electricity generated in the U.S last year. The Biden Administration and energy giants such as Chevron are investing in geothermal, with the aim that your lights, your cell phone and your electric car might be powered by geothermal in the future. WSJ’s Alex Ossola explores what it will take for geothermal energy to scale.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Can the Oil-and-Gas Industry Crack Geothermal Energy?

‘Deep Geothermal’ Promises to Let Drillers Go Deeper, Faster and Hotter

The Next Bets for Renewable Energy

Fracking for Geothermal Energy? Not So Fast

The Race to Drill America’s Longest Oil and Gas Wells

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What Planets Outside Our Solar System Can Tell Us About Life on Earth

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Is there life on planets other than Earth? For generations, scientists have puzzled over the question, searching for planets that might have the right conditions both inside and outside the Milky Way. There are thousands of exoplanets – those beyond our solar system – ranging from gas giants, to balls of rock, to possible ocean worlds and so-called “super Earths.” But even as new technology has given scientists a glimpse at these distant worlds, one lingering question is whether any of them can support life and what forms it might take. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to University of Arizona astronomer Chris Impey about what makes a planet habitable and how learning about exoplanets can teach us more about our own world.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

A Moon of Saturn Has All the Ingredients Needed for Life

Jupiter Mission Launches on Journey to Explore Icy Worlds

Astronomers Catch a Star Swallowing a Planet

These Scientists Want to Send Space Aliens a Cosmic Road Map to Earth

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Real or AI? The Tech Giants Racing to Stop the Spread of Fake Images

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

AI-generated or manipulated images are quickly becoming a lot more realistic. Soon, it may be impossible to tell the difference. That could create an opportunity for people to spread misinformation, and make it difficult to know what’s real. Tech companies like Adobe, Microsoft and Google, academics and government agencies are coming up with frameworks to verify images and, in some cases, show how they’ve been altered. But, these techniques may come with security risks of their own. WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Charlotte Gartenberg explore the new technology solutions that will identify fake images online and the potential issues getting them in front of users.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

AI-Created Images Are So Good Even AI Has Trouble Spotting Some

Ask an AI Art Generator for Any Image. The Results Are Amazing—and Terrifying

Paparazzi Photos Were the Scourge of Celebrities. Now, It’s AI

AI, Art and the Future of Looking at a Painting

Some of the Thorniest Questions About AI Will Be Answered in Court

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No More Charging Stops? We Take a Road Trip in an Ultralong-Range EV

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The great American road trip has long been powered by gasoline. Gas stations are everywhere, making it easy to fill-up when your gas tank nears empty. But what if you’re trying to travel long-distance in an electric car and can’t find a charger? WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims about his recent road trip in an ultralong-range Lucid Motors EV. The car aims to eliminate range anxiety by traveling an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated range of more than 500 miles without needing to recharge.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: FOEPodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Ultralong-Range Electric Cars Are Arriving. Say Goodbye to Charging Stops

Why America Isn’t Ready for the EV Takeover

The Key to Widespread Adoption of EVs: Less Range

Big Automakers Plan Thousands of EV Chargers in $1 Billion U.S. Push Ford Venture Gets Record $9.2 Billion Government Loan for EV Batteries

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Meet the Soft Robots Doing the Hard Jobs of the Future

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

When you think of a robot, what comes to mind? A big metal arm in a car factory? A shiny android like C3PO from “Star Wars”? What about a robot that’s soft, floppy and looks a little more like the hot dog fingers from “Everything Everywhere, All at Once”? Soft robots are engineered for more delicate tasks that used to require a human touch – like handling food or conducting tests inside our bodies. But for now, they’re isolated to specific fields, like manufacturing and medicine, and haven’t really made their way into the daily lives of most people. WSJ’s Alex Ossola looks into what it will take to bring soft robots out of the factory and hospital and into our homes.

Further reading:

Robots Are Learning to Handle With Care

Robots Are Looking to Bring a Human Touch to Warehouses

What Picking Up an Apple Tells You About the Future of Robotics

First Autonomous, Entirely Soft Robot Developed

Amid the Labor Shortage, Robots Step in to Make the French Fries

The Quest for a Robot With a Sense of Touch

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The Sensors Helping Farmers Adapt to Extreme Weather

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Farmers across the U.S. are facing challenges from extreme weather. From intense heat and drought roasting crops to rain-delayed harvests, many who grow the food we rely on are having to find new ways to adapt. For some, that means going high-tech, using sensors that can tell them when their plants need more water or fertilizer. WSJ’s Jala Everett looks into how modern sensors are changing the world of farming and how some sensors the size of “bandages” could deliver even more precise data from individual plants.

Further reading:

Five Farming Technologies Tackle Climate Change Threats

Widespread Drought Creates Winners and Losers in U.S Agriculture

Harvesting Crews Hustle to Bring In Wheat Crop Hit by Drought, Late Rains

The Environmental Upside of Modern Farming

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How Vaccines Could Help Ease the Threat of Deadly Fungal Infections

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0000

The risks from fungal pathogens are increasing. Severe infections used to be rare, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 75,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized for fungal diseases each year, and the World Health Organization says rates of severe fungal infections are likely to increase as fungi adapt to warmer temperatures and become resistant to drugs. Could a vaccine be the answer? WSJ’s Danny Lewis explores how scientists are looking into new ways of reducing the threat from dangerous fungi.

Further reading:

Deadly Fungal Infections Confound Doctors—‘It’s Going to Get Worse’

Deadly Fungi Are Becoming More Common and We’re Running Out of Ways to Treat Them

Dangerous Fungi Are Spreading Across U.S. as Temperatures Rise

Fatal Fungi Threaten Global Health, WHO Says

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The Wrinkles in Getting ‘Forever Chemicals’ Out of Our Clothes

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

So-called “forever chemicals” are seemingly everywhere. A recent government study found close to half of U.S. tap water contains at least one PFAS chemical. They’re also on a lot of our clothes, where the chemicals are used to promote water resistance or repel stains. But some of the things that make PFAS so effective also means they stay in our bodies for years. And these chemicals have been linked to health issues, including high cholesterol and an increased risk of kidney cancer. Now, as clothing companies look to eliminate PFAS from their products, they’re facing another challenge: what to replace the chemicals with—ideally without sacrificing performance. WSJ’s Alex Ossola dives into the textile industry’s efforts to move on from PFAS and change our expectations around our clothing.

Further reading:

Lots of Tap Water Contains ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Take These Steps to Reduce Your Risk.

What to Know About ‘Forever Chemicals,’ or PFAS, and Your Health

How ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are All Around Us, From Winter Coats to Fast-Food Wrappers

EPA Proposes Limits for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water

Coastal Town Brings Mass Litigation—and an ‘Existential Threat’—to Chemical Giants

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How Drugs Like Ozempic Are Changing What We Think About Weight Loss

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

You may have heard about Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. It’s tough to miss the online chatter, the ads on TV and all the news coverage. They are part of a class of drugs originally designed to treat diabetes, and all three have been shown to help people lose significant amounts of weight. That’s leading to big sales for drug companies and helping change the way we think about weight loss. WSJ’s Ariana Aspuru digs into how these drugs work, the big money involved and what it means for millions of Americans who meet the criteria for obesity.

Further reading:

Pill for Obesity Has Wall Street Salivating

Will Ozempic Change ‘Body Positivity’ for Good?

No More Shots: Pill Versions of Ozempic-Like Drugs Are Coming

The Drugs That Are Gaining on Ozempic

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Astronaut Fashion Is Changing. This Is Not Your Grandpa’s Spacesuit

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:00:00 -0000

For the first time in decades, NASA is planning to send astronauts back to the moon. Their spacesuits will be very different from what Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore when they walked the lunar surface in 1969. Spacesuits today are thinner and lighter, while still making sure astronauts can complete tasks and stay alive. In this conversation from the Future of Everything festival in May, WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to Amy Ross, one of NASA’s top spacesuit engineers. She explains how the lessons learned from designing next-generation moon suits will eventually help astronauts explore Mars, while leading to other innovations here on Earth.

Further reading:

NASA, Canadian Space Agency Select Astronauts for Artemis Moon Mission

NASA's New Artemis Spacesuits Are Designed to Put a Woman on the Moon

NASA Plans to Bring Bits of Mars to Earth. It May Change How We See Space

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How Do You Make Hurricane Forecasts Better? Send In the Drones

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Forecasting hurricanes is an inexact science. That's why they're called forecasts. But government researchers and meteorologists are working to make their predictions better, to help people know when they should evacuate and when it's safe to stay put. And that means using all sorts of new technology, including drones that sail right into the storms. WSJ's Ariana Aspuru visited the National Hurricane Center in Florida to find out how those forecasts come together and see the new models in the works to improve accuracy and save lives.

Further reading:

The Science for Determining Climate-Change Damage Is Unsettled - WSJ

Atlantic Hurricane Seasons Are Starting Weeks Earlier, Raising Risks to Coastal Areas - WSJ Tornadoes, Hurricanes and Wildfires Racked Up $165 Billion in Disaster Damage in 2022 - WSJ

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Greener Planes Are Taking Flight. That Could Change How We Travel

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Some of the world’s biggest aviation companies, including Boeing and Airbus, are working on the next generation of planes. One big goal? Making air travel greener by cutting its carbon footprint. So, they're ditching traditional jet fuel in favor of other options, like hydrogen fuel cells, electricity from batteries, and “sustainable aviation fuels." That could mean major changes in how we fly and how much we pay to get to our destinations. WSJ’s Danny Lewis talks with Boeing, Airbus and others about how this push to change how planes are powered could shape the future of flight.

Further reading:

The Most Valuable U.S. Power Company Is Making a Huge Bet on Hydrogen

Electric Planes Could Soon Take Off, but They May Not Go Far

Fossil-Fuel Veterans Find Next Act With Green Hydrogen

United Airlines Creates Fund for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Airlines Push to Reduce Carbon Footprint With Greener Fuels

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Can Flying Taxis Get Off the Ground?

Fri, 26 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Imagine getting from your home to the airport and skipping all the traffic on the road in a flying taxi. They once were the domain of science fiction and Saturday morning cartoons, but a growing number of companies are working to make taxis in the sky a reality, and the FAA is coming up with regulations to keep them safe. In this conversation from the Future of Everything festival in May, WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Billy Nolen, the acting FAA administrator, about the business and technology behind air-taxi travel and the challenges facing regulators.

Further reading:

FAA Plans New Sky Lanes for Air Taxis

When Will Flying Taxis Get Off the Ground? The CEO of Boeing-Backed Wisk Aero Has Some Ideas.

United to Invest $15 Million in Flying-Taxi Maker Backed by Embraer

For eVTOLs to Really Take Off, Airspace Needs an Overhaul. Here’s Why.

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NASA Plans to Bring Bits of Mars to Earth. It May Change How We See Space

Fri, 12 May 2023 10:00:00 -0000

NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently collecting samples on the surface of Mars, and some of them will be coming to Earth—that is, if all goes well. NASA has a complex plan to bring bits of the Red Planet here, arriving in 2033, so scientists can study them to answer some burning questions. What’s the planet’s history? What is its dust like? And, are there any signs that life may have existed there? WSJ’s Alex Ossola speaks to Lindsay Hays, an astrobiologist at NASA and deputy lead scientist for the Mars Sample Return mission, about how this mission could help us better understand the history of our own planet and shape future missions to Mars and beyond.

Further reading:

NASA Lands Perseverance Rover Safely on Mars After ‘Seven Minutes of Terror’

NASA Collects Mars Rock Samples in Historic First for Perseverance Rover

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Begins Its Search for Life on Mars

Mars Photos: See NASA’s Perseverance Rover’s First Visions of Red Planet

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Forecasting Future Diseases With Every Flush

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, epidemiologists looked to our sewers to help figure out the scale of the virus’ spread. It worked, giving some public health officials a heads-up before Covid surges. Now, researchers are taking the lessons from that pandemic, and working to put the wastewater from bathing, toilets, laundry machines and dishwashers to use in monitoring the spread of other diseases. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks with environmental microbiologist, engineer and epidemiologist Marlene Wolfe about why it’s so important to look at wastewater if we want to stop the next pandemic.

Further reading:

For Future Viral Threats, Health Officials Look to Sewage - WSJ

From the Sewers, Clues to Covid-19’s Next Moves - WSJ

CDC Will Test Sewage for Polio in Some U.S. Communities - WSJ

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How Recycling Wastewater Could Help Quench the West’s Thirst

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Severe droughts in the American South and West are raising new questions about how to ensure millions of people have access to clean, safe water. That’s why several local water systems, including one that provides water to 19 million people in Southern California, are looking to a method of water recycling that brings treated wastewater back into the system. It’s called “direct potable reuse,” but many people have dubbed it “toilet to tap.” Can it succeed despite the ick factor? WSJ’s Alex Ossola visited Los Angeles to find out just how it would work, and how the public is reacting.

Further reading:

California Could Face Cuts to Colorado River Usage Under Federal Proposal

California Governor Lifts Most Drought Restrictions on Water Use

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How Smell is Helping Treat the Toughest Cases of Trauma

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

Our sense of smell is deeply linked to our emotions, due to the connections between the tissue structures that identify odors and the parts of the brain that govern our memories and feelings. But what if those smells are linked to traumatic memories? Researchers are finding success using a combination of artificial scents and virtual reality to treat people with severe cases of trauma. WSJ’s Danny Lewis examines how new innovations could make this therapy more accessible.

Further reading:

High-Tech Smell Sensors Aim to Sniff Out Disease, Explosives—and Even Moods - WSJ

The Metaverse’s Effects on Mental Health: Trivial or Troubling? - WSJ

The New Halloween Scare: ‘Oh, My God, That Smell Was Gross.’ - WSJ

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The ‘Mini Brains’ solving medical mysteries and raising concerns

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

It may seem like science fiction, but over the past decade scientists have been using stem cells to grow so-called “mini brains.” Researchers prefer the term brain organoids, a collection of human cells in a petri dish that mimic the structure and cell types of our own brains. They’ve been used to study diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s, and evaluate potential treatments, but now the research is becoming more sophisticated, and that’s raising big concerns. Could they become conscious? Should we even be experimenting on our own cells? WSJ’s Alex Ossola explores the advantages, and potential issues, as scientists look to use brain organoids to test new medicines or even replace the chips in our computers.

Further reading:

Scientists Grow Human Cells in Rat Brains to Study Autism, Schizophrenia

Engineered Mini Brain Models Show Patterns of Activity That Resemble Babies’

Startup Uses ‘Mini Brains’ and Software to Power Drug Research

Thomas Hartung’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins University

Paola Arlotta’s laboratory at Harvard University

The Brainstorm Project

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Melting Ice & Undersea Cables: How the Arctic Is Getting Fast Internet

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 11:00:00 -0000

High-speed internet is something many of us take for granted. But the FCC says millions of Americans lack access to broadband service. That includes many people who live in the northernmost parts of Alaska, where satellite internet has long been the only option. That’s changing, though, as melting sea ice is leading a rush of companies to step in and start laying new undersea cables. WSJ Pro reporter Isabelle Bousquette visited parts of the Arctic where high-speed internet has made it easier to learn and even saved lives. She speaks with WSJ’s Danny Lewis about the huge educational, medical and research implications for people in the Arctic and beyond.

Further reading:

A Warming Arctic Emerges as a Route for Subsea Cables - WSJ

Climate Change in Arctic Is Changing How People There Live and Work - WSJ

Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft Weave a Fiber-Optic Web of Power - WSJ

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Encore: Beyond Silicon? The New Materials Charting the Future of Microchips

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Microchips are in pretty much all of our electronic devices—if it’s got a plug or a battery, it’s probably got a chip. For the past 60 years, most of these have been made of silicon. But new devices demand faster, better, and more efficient processors, and engineers are hitting silicon’s physical limits. In this encore episode of the Future of Everything, WSJ’s Alex Ossola digs into the future of chips—how scientists are boosting silicon’s capabilities and looking for other materials that could take its place.

Further reading:

Graphene and Beyond: The Wonder Materials That Could Replace Silicon in Future Tech

The Microchip Era Is Giving Way to the Megachip Age

Chips Act Will Create More Than One Million Jobs, Biden Says

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Why the Future of Mental Health Care Could Be in Your Gut

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:00:00 -0000

A growing body of research suggests that the gut microbiome, the bacteria and other organisms that live in the gut, is linked to our mental health. But what if doctors could act on that information to treat mental illness by changing the gut microbiome? WSJ’s Alex Ossola talks to some of the top researchers in the emerging field of psychobiotics to explore how changing what’s in the gut could lead to future psychiatric treatments.

Help is available: Reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988.

Further reading:

Gut Bacteria Are Linked to Depression

What Is Your Microbiome? A Wellness Trend Taking On Post-Covid Urgency

Modern Life Is Messing With Our Microbiomes, but Science Is Fighting Back

Diets Engineered to Work With Your Microbiome Are Latest Startup Craze

Those Probiotics May Actually Be Hurting Your ‘Gut Health’

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How Football Tech May Change the Game for Head Injuries

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:00:00 -0000

When the game clock starts, football players aren’t just heading out with their pads and a game plan. Technology like helmet sensors that track the hits players take are becoming more common, especially for young players. They’re being used to figure out when a player might be at risk for a concussion or another brain injury. The data collected is helping researchers and doctors learn more about what happens to the brain over time. But could these innovations and research shape how we play football?

Further reading:

Tua Tagovailoa Is in the NFL’s Concussion Protocols Again - WSJ

Severity, Not Frequency, Sets Football Injuries Apart - WSJ

NFL and Nike Court a New Football Market: Girls - WSJ

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Algorithms Are Everywhere. How You Can Take Back Control

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Computer algorithms and artificial intelligence increasingly affect more and more of our lives, from the content we’re shown online, to the music we enjoy, to how our household appliances work. But the results these algorithms produce may be changing our world in ways users may not fully understand. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks with psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer, director of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam. He’s spent decades studying how people make choices and find patterns when faced with uncertainty, and has some ideas about how to navigate and improve the relationship between AI and our society.

Further reading:

The Backstory of ChatGPT Creator OpenAI

New York City Delays Enforcement of AI Bias Law

How AI That Powers Chatbots and Search Queries Could Discover New Drugs

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From Laundry to the Ocean: Fixing the Microplastics Problem in Clothes

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 11:00:00 -0000

Our clothes are in need of a refresh, but not in the way you might think. With each wash, everything from sweaters to socks are releasing tiny, microscopic fibers into our water. Almost 35% of the primary microplastics in oceans right now come from laundry, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

From filters in our washing machines to new materials for our clothes, alternatives are in the works to stop microplastics from coming off our clothes. But will it be enough? WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Ariana Aspuru speak about the steps researchers and companies are taking to solve the problem of microplastics in our wash.

Further reading:

The Tiny Plastics in Your Clothes Are Becoming a Big Problem - WSJ

Ocean Garbage Patches Have a Microscopic Problem - WSJ

Fashion Firms Look to Single-Fiber Clothes as EU Recycling Regulations Loom - WSJ

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Navigating The Future of Maps

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 17:00:00 -0000

From paper maps to smartphone apps, the way people navigate the world has changed tremendously due to the rise of the internet. Google Maps is the fourth most popular mobile app in the U.S. by unique visitors, according to Comscore. That makes it more popular than Instagram, Tiktok and Spotify or its closest competitor, Apple Maps. Christopher Phillips, who runs Google’s Geo team and oversees Google Maps, speaks with WSJ’s Danny Lewis about how his company is thinking about the role maps play in bringing more information to our fingertips.

Further reading:

WSJ: The Future of Transportation

Google Combines Maps and Waze Teams Amid Pressure to Cut Costs

Google Reaches $391.5 Million Settlement With States Over Location Tracking Practices

Slow Self-Driving Car Progress Tests Investors’ Patience

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Making It Rain: How Cloud Seeding Could Help Combat Future Droughts

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:00:00 -0000

This past summer, many parts of the world suffered from some of the worst drought conditions in decades. In an effort to create more rain, the government of China turned once again to cloud seeding, a controversial technique that aims to target precipitation in key areas. WSJ’s Alex Ossola talks to Dr. Katja Friedrich, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, about the advantages and disadvantages of using cloud seeding to get more water where it is needed.

Further reading:

China Extends Power Curbs Amid Heat Wave, Drought

China, Thirsty and Craving Rain, Lines Clouds With Silver Bullets

When the U.S. Tried to Control Hurricanes

Indonesian Snapshot: The Rainmakers of Riau

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Thanksgiving of the Future: What Climate Change Means for Your Plate

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Thanksgiving often centers around a meal: turkey, sides and a lot of desserts. This year, many Thanksgiving staples are more expensive due to inflation; in the future, many of those staples will cost even more due to the effects of climate change. WSJ’s Alex Ossola looks into how environmental conditions, alongside technological advances, will change what makes its way to our Thanksgiving tables, and how our individual choices may spark new traditions.

Further reading:

The Trouble With Butter: Tight Dairy Supplies Send Prices Surging Ahead of Baking Season

Record Turkey Prices Are Coming for Thanksgiving

Lab-Grown Poultry Clears First Hurdle at FDA

Sean Sherman’s 2018 op-ed in Time

The Essential Thanksgiving Playbook

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The Problem With Plastics: Could New Recycling Tech Help the Planet?

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 17:00:00 -0000

World leaders are still trying to figure out how to handle the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste generated every year. Back in the 1990s, it was tough to switch on the TV and not see ads or shows offering viewers a simple solution: to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastics. Nice words, but it turns out that wasn’t enough to solve the problem. New high tech methods have shown promise in breaking down plastics or creating new ones that are easier to recycle. But they’re expensive alternatives. Will the economics work out? WSJ’s Danny Lewis sorts through the future of plastics recycling.

Would you pay more for plastic products designed to be easily recycled? Email us at foepodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

U.S. Recycles 5% of Plastic Waste, Studies Show

The 100% Recyclable Running Shoe That’s Only Available by Subscription

‘Widely Recyclable’ Label Introduced to Plastic Packaging

Soda Brands Are About to Get Possessive of Their Trash

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Siddhartha Mukherjee on the Future of Cellular Medicine

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Cells are the basic unit of life, but you could be forgiven if you stopped thinking about them after high school biology. In his newest book, “The Song of the Cell,” physician and author Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee explores the myriad ways the humble cell is key to our world and our biology. He speaks to WSJ’s Alex Ossola about how our understanding of the cell is opening up a new frontier in medicine, how it is helping create new treatments for difficult diseases like cancer, and how it could one day help fix or even enhance our bodies.

What’s something you’re curious about that could shape the future? Email us at foepodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Book Review: The Emperor of All Maladies

Peeking Into Pandora’s Box

Publisher Tweaks ‘Gene’ Book After New Yorker Article Uproar

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Are Personal Pigs The Future of Human Medicine?

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 16:00:00 -0000

In the future, you might leave your doctor’s office with a prescription for a pig whose DNA has been modified to match your own. Scientists are already working on genetically engineering pigs to help predict the progression of a disease, or serve as an organ donor for those who need a transplant. But could pigs one day become keys to truly personalized medicine? WSJ’s Danny Lewis explores the promise and potential pitfalls of using animals to help human health.

What’s something you’re curious about that could shape the future? Email us at foepodcast@wsj.com

Further reading:

Growing a New Type of Organ Donor

Scientists to Study Pig-Organ Transplants in Brain-Dead People for Longer Periods

Scientists Transplant Human Tissue into Rat Brains, Opening Door to New Research

The Human Genome “Rosetta Stone” and The Future of Health

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Beyond Silicon? The New Materials Charting the Future of Microchips

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Microchips are in pretty much all of our electronic devices—if it’s got a plug or a battery, it’s probably got a chip. For the past 60 years, most of these have been made of silicon. But new devices demand faster, better, and more efficient processors, and engineers are hitting silicon’s physical limits. In this episode of the Future of Everything, WSJ’s Alex Ossola digs into the future of chips—how scientists are boosting silicon’s capabilities and looking for other materials that could take its place.

Further reading:

Graphene and Beyond: The Wonder Materials That Could Replace Silicon in Future Tech

The Microchip Era Is Giving Way to the Megachip Age

Chips Act Will Create More Than One Million Jobs, Biden Says Timeline of silicon’s development (Computer History Museum)

Christopher Mims’ tech column for the Wall Street Journal

Deji Akinwande's research page at the University of Texas at Austin

Stephen Forrest's profile page at the University of Michigan

Deep Jariwala's lab page the the University of Pennsylvania Wolfspeed's website

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The Conservation Conundrum: How Do We Decide Which Species to Save?

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0000

From “save the whales” to “protect the bumblebee,” animal conservationists rally advocates and officials to put resources toward ensuring the survival of a threatened species. But can we really save them all? Or are we overlooking the trade-offs as we decide which animals are protected to the detriment of others? WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to Dr. Rebecca Nesbit, ecologist and author of the book “Tickets for The Ark: From Wasps to Whales – How Do We Choose What to Save?” about the tricky ethical questions behind conservation.

Why Sound Could be Key to the Future of Coral Reefs

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0000

With climate change warming the oceans, coral reefs remain some of the most vulnerable ecosystems. Keeping an eye on them can be time-consuming and expensive, since it requires divers to do spot-checks to see if the reefs are bustling, lively environments or if they are degrading into abandoned neighborhoods. But some researchers are increasingly tuning in to how reefs sound to monitor the corals’ health and maybe even make them more resilient. In this episode of The Future of Everything, WSJ’s Danny Lewis explores how listening to reefs may be the next frontier in trying to save them.

Further reading:

Financing a Healthy Future for Coral Reefs

Listen: Scientists Are Recording Ocean Sounds to Spot New Species

Divers Discover Coral Reef in Pristine Condition

Google AI Tries to Save the Whales

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AI, Art and the Future of Looking at a Painting

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Three controversial paintings by Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt were lost to a fire in WWII. All that remained were black and white photos - and art historians have discussed what the paintings’ motifs and colors actually looked like for decades. Recently, the Google Arts and Culture Lab gave it a try ... by tapping into artificial intelligence. In this episode of the Future of Everything, WSJ's Ariana Aspuru explores how researchers are using AI to better understand art, artists and the creative process.

Further reading:

The Klimt Color Enigma — Google Arts & Culture

‘Klimt vs. Klimt: The Man of Contradictions’ Review: Exploring an Art-Nouveau Master Online - WSJ

Using AI to recreate how artists painted their masterpieces | MIT CSAIL

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How Gene-Edited Crops Could be the Future of Feeding the World

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 16:00:00 -0000

In the decade since CRISPR gene-editing technology was first developed, it has been used to address a host of issues, such as developing new cancer treatments, designing faster rapid COVID-19 tests and to make biofuel-producing algae. Proponents say CRISPR could also help solve some of the world’s biggest food-related problems: salad greens could be more nutritious, fruits could taste better, and crops of all kinds could be altered to grow using fewer resources. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently gave the go-ahead to bring gene-edited beef to market, and CRISPR-modified purple tomatoes could be coming later this year. But agricultural technology companies still have to figure out how to overcome consumer skepticism. In this session from the WSJ Global Food Forum, leaders from two firms working to scale-up gene-edited foods discuss what it takes to get the new technology out of the lab and into supermarkets.

Further reading:

Get Ready for Gene-Edited Food

GMO Tomatoes Could Be Returning After 25 Years. Will People Eat Them?

Crispr’s Next Frontier: Treating Common Conditions

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Making “Organic Architecture” Truly Organic

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Neri Oxman spends her time thinking about the future of materials science and how it should influence architecture and design. In this session from the Future of Everything Festival, the architect and former tenured professor at MIT’s Media Lab speaks with WSJ Health and Science coverage chief Stefanie Ilgenfritz about her vision of a future where science, technology and organic design work together to create products and buildings that may counteract climate change in urban areas.

Further reading:

A Science of Buildings That Can Grow—and Melt Away | WSJ

JPMorgan’s New Manhattan Headquarters to Be All Electric Powered | WSJ

Biophilic Design Is Helping Big-City Apartment Towers Get Back to Nature | WSJ

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Fertility and the Future of Health

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Welcoming a child into your family can be life changing, but for those struggling to get pregnant the process can be emotionally taxing and expensive. Reproductive science is quickly changing, as is society’s approach to the issues around fertility. In this episode, we bring you a conversation from the WSJ Future of Everything Festival, where a handful of medical practitioners and reproductive entrepreneurs discussed the future of fertility with WSJ’s Amy Dockser Marcus. Guests include: sociologist Rene Almeling, Stephen Krawetz, the Associate Director of the CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Daisy Robinton, the CEO of Oviva Therapeutics and Angela Stepancic, the founder of Reproductive Village Cryobank. This conversation was recorded before the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Useful Links:

See more videos from The WSJ Future of Everything Festival

GUYnecology: The Missing Science of Men’s Reproductive Health

Krawetz Lab at the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development

Oviva Therapeutics

Reproductive Village Cryobank

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Stocks Rise to Open Second Half of 2022

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 20:06:00 -0000

Also: GM shares rise 1.4% after automaker says profits won’t be affected by computer-chip supply shortages. Kohl’s shares fall 19.6% after calling off its sale to Franchise Group. J.R. Whalen reports.

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Building the Metaverse and the Future of the Internet

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 16:00:00 -0000

For decades, a virtual reality version of the internet has been a staple of science fiction. The metaverse is the latest iteration and it has the potential to become something more than a new gaming platform. But years before Facebook changed its name to Meta and launched huge investments into the space, Philip Rosedale was experiment ing with many of these same ideas in the virtual world he helped create: Second Life. In a conversation with Wall Street Journal reporter Christopher Mims during the WSJ Future of Everything Festival, Rosedale shared his vision for a metaverse where data privacy is more important than advertising, and our online and offline lives intersect in a healthier way.

Further reading:

From the Wall Street Journal:

Meta-morphosis or More Pain? Possible Futures for Facebook’s Parent Company | Christopher Mims

Second Life Founder Returns to Take On the Metaverse | Meghan Bobrowsky

The Facebook Files | WSJ Investigations

How TikTok's Algorithm Figures Out Your Deepest Desires | WSJ Investigations

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Waste Not, Want Not: A Future Without Food Waste

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 16:00:00 -0000

Every year, even as millions struggle with food insecurity, about a third of all the food produced for humans in the world is thrown away, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. That not only means wasting water and energy resources. The food, rotting in landfills, also emits methane gas linked to climate change. Attorney Emily Broad Leib, the director and founder of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, has dedicated her career to researching ways to end food waste. In this episode, she explains why food waste is such an issue around the world, how laws and regulations inadvertently lead to more food being wasted, and the simple changes to food labeling she says will make for a less wasteful future.

Further Reading:

The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic

Recent WSJ Food Coverage:

Sustainable Chocolate Made Without Cacao | Mary Holland

How to Read a Food Label: A Healthy Skeptic’s Guide to the Buzzwords | Elizabeth G. Dunn

Emily Broad Leib’s recommended reading:

Waste Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money By Wasting Less Food | Dana Gunders

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Designing the Office of the Future: Building Serendipity

Fri, 13 May 2022 16:00:00 -0000

The pandemic has changed the way we work and where we work. Now, as companies try to coax their employees back to the office, they are encountering new demands and shifting expectations. In this episode, we bring you a conversation from WSJ’s CEO Council Summit between world-renowned designer Thomas Heatherwick, who has spearheaded huge office complexes including Google’s new Charleston East headquarters in California, and London Business School professor Lynda Gratton, who studies how people and organizations interact. They detail why office spaces must be flexible, but also encourage “serendipity” to facilitate vibrant and productive work.
2022 WSJ CEO Council

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The Human Genome “Rosetta Stone” and The Future of Health

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 16:00:00 -0000

One person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Sometimes it’s even true in science. Nearly 20 years ago, researchers said they had completed a groundbreaking project, sequencing the human genome. But they were missing about 8%. Some researchers at the time called the missing pieces “junk.” Still, a team of about 100 researchers kept going and has now finished a truly complete sequence. It’s a genomic “Rosetta Stone,” a reference guide capable of revealing what makes humans, human. One of the lead authors, Dr. Evan Eichler, tells us how filling in the gaps will improve the way we understand disease and advance personalized medicine.

Full research article from the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium: The complete sequence of a human genome

Read more from the Wall Street Journal: First ‘Gapless’ Human Genome Map Is Unveiled, Years After Prior Effort

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Introducing ‘As We Work’

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 13:00:00 -0000

“As We Work” is a new podcast from the Wall Street Journal about the changing workplace and what you need to know to navigate it. Every week, we’ll speak with experts, Journal reporters, and you about how our jobs intersect with everything else. In season one, we break down how our relationship to work has evolved in the wake of the pandemic and other social phenomena. Hosted by Tess Vigeland. For further reading on pay transparency, check out WSJ reporter Chip Cutter's January article "You'll Soon Get to See Pay on NYC Job Postings," as well as Dr. Jake Rosenfeld's book "You're Paid What You're Worth – and Other Myths of the Modern Economy." Questions? Story ideas? Want to tell us how much you make? Email us at AsWeWork@wsj.com.

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After Higgs Boson: Physics’ Next Move to Understand the Universe

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 16:00:00 -0000

It’s been more than a decade since the European Organization for Nuclear Research (known as CERN) discovered the Higgs Boson, using their gigantic particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider. After three years of upgrades, they’re turning the world’s largest machine back on. What secrets of the universe are they hoping to discover? Will there be another “God Particle” moment? And are these expensive, high-energy colliders the best way forward in physics?

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Dark Matter, Public Enemy and the Future of Physics

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:00:00 -0000

Physicist Stephon Alexander was born in Trinidad and grew up in a working class household in the Bronx. Now he’s a professor at Brown University and president of the National Society of Black Physicists. Speaking with host Janet Babin, Alexander discusses how his latest book, "Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics" was inspired by cultural icons like the hip hop group Public Enemy and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and why being an "outsider" could help the world answer some of the most pressing questions for the future of physics.

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Migratory Birds Struggle and Adapt to a Challenging Future

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 17:00:00 -0000

Long-time naturalist and writer Scott Weidensaul has spent decades tracking migratory birds and studying their habits. But there's still a lot science doesn't know. In this episode of The Future of Everything, we talk to Weidensaul about the findings of his latest book, "A World On The Wing”, including the risks facing migrators and why unraveling their mysteries might have implications for the future of mankind.

To read Weidensaul's "A World On The Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds" visit: https://bit.ly/3rtvUJq

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Historical Soundscapes Reveal Quieter Future For Natural World

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 17:00:00 -0000

A group of researchers reconstructed historical soundscapes using bird data to hear the impact of dramatic declines in birds throughout the world. Host Janet Babin and former WSJ science writer Robert Lee Hotz explore how these declines in our natural soundscapes could have negative impacts on avian evolution, as well as humans in the future.

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Why Finding the Origins of Covid-19 Matters for the Next Pandemic

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0000

It's been more than two years since the global pandemic started, and the search for the origin of the virus continues. Scientists, government agencies and the World Health Organization-as well as our own Wall Street Journal reporters-have tried to nail down whether the pandemic began when an animal transferred the virus to humans, or if it came out of a laboratory accident. But the hunt has been marred by secrecy and confusion. In this episode: why it's so important to find answers, and what new monitoring systems are being developed to ease identification of future viral outbreaks.

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How Psychedelic Drugs Are Making A Comeback To Treat Depression

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0000

The hallucinogenic compound psilocybin is undergoing a renaissance-not as a recreational drug but as a potential treatment for mental health conditions. We follow the journey of one participant of a scientific study into the psychedelic drug's effect on depression.

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Superconductivity: One Step Closer

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 17:00:00 -0000

Superconductivity means zero wasted electricity; perfectly conducted energy. Typically it's been made using either super high pressure or extremely low temperatures. This makes it inefficient and expensive for practical use. But in an incremental first, researchers have managed to create a superconducting material that works at room temperature and with less pressure. If we could create this technology large-scale, it would completely revolutionize our energy grid and the way we travel.

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Zero Carbon Future 4: Adaptation and the Future of Climate Modeling

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 15:59:00 -0000

While world leaders and businesses are making pledges to mitigate climate change by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, many parts of the world are already struggling to adapt to a warming planet. The Far North - places like Siberia and Alaska, parts of which are warming three times faster than the global average - are ground zero. In this episode, we look at how they are dealing with thawing permafrost; the struggle to pay for adaptation in other U.S. cities; and why scientists say future climate models need to become more granular, to help communities prepare. Ann Simmons weighs in from Russia and Georgi Kantchev joins from Germany. Emily Schwing reports from Alaska. With science writer Robert Lee Hotz. Janet Babin hosts

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Zero Carbon Future 3: Suck it Up - Capturing Carbon from the Air

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:00:00 -0000

Experts agree that removing carbon from the atmosphere will be necessary, regardless of increases in clean energy production and storage. The process can be done both naturally and mechanically. Climate scientists say all types of carbon capture will be needed to bring down the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We explain what methods are being used now, explore the challenges of the technology, and how carbon pricing might impact innovation and the business of carbon capture.

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Introducing Bad Bets

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Bad Bets is a new podcast series from The Wall Street Journal that unravels big-business dramas that have had a big impact on our world. This season, we're delving into Enron. In 2001, energy company Enron was at the height of its power. Then, out of the blue, CEO Jeffrey Skilling resigned-just six months after he took the reins of a company he had helped turn into an innovation machine. Why? In this episode, we dive into the first cracks in the Enron facade. John Emshwiller is the host of this season of Bad Bets. John and his Journal colleague Rebecca Smith did the original reporting on which this season is based. Bad Bets is a production of The Wall Street Journal. This season was produced in collaboration with Neon Hum Media.

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Zero Carbon Future 2: How to Store Renewable Energy For a Rainy Day

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:01:00 -0000

One of the challenges of clean energy like wind or solar is that they fluctuate. And they're unreliable. So finding a better way to store this energy for dark seasons and doldrum days is the next hurdle to reaching goals for decarbonization. In this episode, we explore options that are already being used, and some new methods still in beta. WSJ Senior Energy Correspondent Sarah McFarlane joins host Janet Babin.

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An Archipelago Leads the Way on Clean Energy

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 16:01:00 -0000

A small Scottish community is perfecting new technologies that could help to power the green energy industry. Advances in wind and tidal power have turned the Orkney Islands into an exporter of renewable energy, instead of a fossil fuel importer. Rochelle Toplensky reports, Janet Babin hosts.

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Paying for College and Curbing Student Debt

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 19:30:00 -0000

Student loan debt is now around $1.6 trillion. Some economists fear that debt is irreparably harming the U.S. economy. But over the past 50 years, the availability of federal student loans has changed higher education. It's led to higher attendance rates, but also higher tuitions and higher expectations from the college experience. In this episode of The Future of Everything: what structural changes could improve the lending program going forward - and how that could change what college looks like in the future. With WSJ reporters Melissa Korn and Josh Mitchell. Janet Babin hosts.

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Outhacking the Hackers: The Future of Cybersecurity

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:01:00 -0000

A recent surge in high-profile cyber attacks has companies playing defense. Some are turning to ethical hackers to find software bugs before the bad guys do. But as Ava Sasani reports, researchers are also developing new hardware - to try and stop hackers in their tracks. Janet Babin hosts.

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No More Noise 2: Metamaterials Can Make the World a Quieter Place

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Materials scientists are getting creative in the quest to quiet our increasingly noisy world. Using metamaterials - man made materials with special properties not found in nature - researchers could soon reduce or eliminate unwanted industrial sounds.

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No More Noise: Turning Down The Volume on Cities - Part 1

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 13:00:00 -0000

The battle against noise has been waged, rather quietly, for decades. And yet, urban noise pollution is getting worse. A growing body of evidence indicates that it is more than a nuisance- persistent exposure to noise can cause chronic health issues. Anyone can be impacted, but marginalized communities most often live closer to sources of unwanted noise. In this episode, we look at the impacts of urban noise, new efforts to understand and track it and consider design solutions that can help mitigate unwanted sound.

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Grammy Award Winner Jacob Collier on Evolving in Place

Fri, 14 May 2021 21:00:11 -0000

Singer-songwriter and producer Jacob Collier grew up producing music in his bedroom. After years of touring the world, the pandemic allowed him to return to that space - to continue developing his genre-bending music. In this episode, the five-time Grammy Award winner shares with host Janet Babin how the pandemic impacted his creative process, and how participatory music along with social media kept him connected to his audience.

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Grammy-Award Nominated Music Producer Oak Felder Shares His Vision

Fri, 07 May 2021 13:00:00 -0000

The pandemic forced artists and musicians to learn how to collaborate remotely. Some of these newfound methods were so successful, they'll likely influence the future of music creation and performance in the post-pandemic world. In this episode we talk with record producer Oak Felder about what the pandemic year taught him and how it will continue to influence his creative process. He'll be leading a workshop at the up-coming Future of Everything Festival.

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How NFTs Could Disrupt the Art Market

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:30:00 -0000

After years of being a museum novelty, digital art is starting to sell like hotcakes--and in some cases for millions of dollars--because of a crypto asset called nonfungible tokens, or NFTs. And it isn't just art--sales of digital collectibles of all kinds are benefiting from these blockchain-based certificates of authenticity. NFTs are making the market more accessible for artists, but in the future, they also could disrupt the entire economy of the art market.

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What We Can Learn From 'Long Covid'

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Millions of people worldwide who survived an initial Covid-19 infection continue to struggle with debilitating symptoms months later. Physicians are unable to explain their illness. But there's now a name for it: Long Covid. The medical community is hoping that the data trove from Long Covid survivors can not only help them understand their conditions, but also how to treat illnesses with similar symptoms. In a previous version of this podcast released on March 26, we said that Body Politic published survey results in December. The Patient-Led Research Collaborative for Covid-19 published the paper.

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How Psychedelic Drugs Are Making a Comeback to Treat Depression

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 13:00:00 -0000

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Metals That Work Like Magic

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 13:00:00 -0000

Trains that run from New York to California in a few hours, laptops that never overheat, and rockets that fly to Jupiter: These are some of the possibilities of superconductivity. After decades of failed experiments, a new discovery may have just gotten us a step closer.

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How the Pandemic Fueled Scientific Discovery and Collaboration

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 13:00:00 -0000

When Chinese researchers published the draft genome of the virus that causes Covid-19 early last January, it altered the course of the pandemic--and possibly changed science forever. Will this spirit of information-sharing and collaboration persist beyond the current crisis?

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E-Ternal: New Technology and the Quest to 'Live' Forever

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 14:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we feature a short documentary by Wall Street Journal senior personal technology columnist Joanna Stern that explores how we can use technology to tell our stories long after we die.

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Making a Home on the Moon

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 13:00:00 -0000

For the vast majority of humans, earth is our home. But that could soon change. Global efforts are underway to build sustainable habitats on the moon within the next decade or two. But beyond covering the necessities in an otherwise uninhabitable environment, we'll also need to consider the psychological effects of living in space, and what it will take to make the moon feel more like home.

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Teacher's New Assistant: Artificial Intelligence

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 18:00:46 -0000

Schools around the world are slowly adopting artificial intelligence to better tailor teaching to individual kids. One program maps a student's mastery of math; another assesses literacy and screens for dyslexia. Critics are skeptical that this technology is as effective as promised. Could surveilling students in this way do more harm than good?

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Mobile Voting's Future

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 02:40:00 -0000

As the U.S. gets ready for an election during a pandemic, we report on in-person voting options and review the security threats inherent in mobile or blockchain assisted voting. In a previous version of this podcast released on Oct. 2, we said that Bradley Tusk was funding mobile voting apps, including the Voatz app. Tusk Philanthropies has given funding to voting precincts to launch mobile voting pilot programs - not to the apps themselves.

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The Blood of the Future Could be Made in a Lab

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 12:30:00 -0000

The coronavirus pandemic led to blood-donation shortages across the world, outlining the fragility of the pipeline. That has brought fresh urgency to research that has been decades in the making but is only now starting to become a reality: The production of artificial blood. Last year, researchers began a pioneering clinical trial, and more are on the way, bringing us closer to a world where blood factories augment supplies.

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How to Talk to Animals (and Know What They're Saying Back)

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 13:00:00 -0000

What if we could alert whales to stay away from oil spills? Or hear from dolphins directly when they want treats? Seamless conversation between animals and humans is still a far-off goal. But scientists think that machine-learning tools could open the door to communication with marine mammals. Listen to the first part of this two-part series, Google AI Tries to Save the Whales.

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Google AI Tries to Save the Whales

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 15:53:00 -0000

In the Pacific Northwest, an increase in shipping traffic is further threatening the orca population, which has already seen its numbers drop in the face of food shortages and climate change. One of the biggest threats from the boats is noise pollution, which interferes with the whales' ability to communicate. Engineers at a unit of Google may have an answer: An alert system that relies on artificial intelligence.

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Traveling With Tech Made for the World's Fastest Sailboats

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 13:00:00 -0000

The America's Cup, the world's oldest sailing competition, has a reputation for fostering innovation. In 2013, contestants began to use hydrofoils-underwater wings on the hull-to lift their boats out of the water during the race, allowing them to reach highway speeds and revolutionizing the sport. An Olympic sailor and a billionaire oil trader are now reimagining the technology to make passenger ferries faster and more eco-friendly.

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Technology Helps Train Police Officers

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 13:00:00 -0000

In recent weeks, protests have erupted in response to police violence against citizens - specifically communities of color - forcing departments to reconsider how officers do their jobs. Police forces have been using tech - like Tasers and body cameras - to try and reduce the use of lethal force and improve accountability. In this episode, we'll explore how emerging technology - like virtual reality training - could improve police training by boosting empathy and tackling racial bias.

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The Super Powers of Bats and the Fight to Stop Deadly Viruses

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:00:00 -0000

The tiny, flying creatures carry all sorts of viruses but don't get sick. How do they do that? We meet the researchers who are mapping bat genomes and studying the animal's ability to fend off inflammation. What they find could help humans better combat the next pandemic. Special thanks to Bradley Klein for allowing us to use his bat call sounds. He's given bat walks in New York's Central Park and surrounding areas for more than a decade.

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How Polio Research is Helping in the Hunt for a Vaccine

Fri, 22 May 2020 13:00:00 -0000

Research on a vaccine for the new coronavirus is progressing swiftly because of the legacy of scientists working on past diseases. Some of society's most devastating viruses ended up improving the way we study illness and search for cures. We explore the thread that connects research on polio and the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, and consider whether the pandemic will inform future generations of virologists.

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Dead or Alive, Viruses are Everywhere, and Here to Stay

Fri, 08 May 2020 13:00:00 -0000

Viruses are ubiquitous, found in every crevice on earth. Some, like SARS CoV 2, can end up killing their hosts. But researchers credit ancient viruses with helping us form long term memories. As parts of the world reopen for business, we consider how these little packets of genetic material are not just our enemy, but helped us to evolve. Viruses, it turns out, shaped our genome, and will like be part of our evolutionary future.

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Covid-19 and AI: Tracking a Virus, Finding a Treatment

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 13:00:00 -0000

Artificial Intelligence can speed up research and improve accuracy. Those qualities are also key to suppressing the spread of Covid-19. With the globe clamoring for solutions to the pandemic, institutions, governments, universities and startups are turning to AI to shave precious time off the quest for a Covid-19 cure.

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China is Ready for CBD. But Regulators Might Not Be.

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 14:00:00 -0000

The market for hemp-based CBD products is exploding. And China wants in on the potential profits. But CBD is highly regulated in China, and THC is illegal. Will China make room for this lucrative product?

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AI Hiring, Never Retiring: Working in the 21st Century

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 14:46:47 -0000

The nature of work is evolving. Technology is already an integral part of most jobs, but new developments are changing the way we navigate the workplace. From hiring managers using artificial intelligence and virtual reality, to apps that help workers find their way through maze-like mega offices, the office of tomorrow is already being tested. And lots of people are wondering if technological advancements will keep them working forever.

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Family Secrets: DNA Tests and the Future of Family

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The clues to heredity hidden in our DNA have long been the purview of scientists. But in recent years, commercial DNA tests have made unlocking those secrets cheaper and easily accessible for millions of people. While most just find out about their ancestry, for some, the tests have opened Pandora's box. WSJ's Amy Dockser Marcus introduces us to three different stories of DNA tests with unexpected consequences.

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On The Alert: The Next Generation Of Earthquake Early Warning Systems

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 18:10:01 -0000

For the past few decades, governments in earthquake-prone regions have built up early warning systems. Now, private tech companies are getting into the earthquake business. (Reporters Daniela Hernandez and Robbie Whelan)

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WSJ Tech Live: The State of Play

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The global videogame industry is worth an estimated $150 billion-and it's rapidly growing and evolving. As part of the WSJ Tech Live conference, columnist Jason Gay spoke with Andrew Wilson, chief executive of Electronic Arts, the maker of 'Apex Legends,' 'Need for Speed,' 'FIFA' and 'The Sims,' about how esports, mobile gaming on social networks and mixed-reality games are changing the way people play.

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WSJ Tech Live: Where AI Is Headed Next

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Artificial intelligence has been compared to electricity, meaning that it will soon be integral to the world as we know it. There's an arms race for global dominance in AI, especially between the U.S. and China. But what do experts in the field have to say? Where are they optimistic, where do they see challenges-and where are they raising red flags?

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WSJ Tech Live: The Next Big Thing

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 19:00:00 -0000

What will keep the engine of tech innovation running in an era of skeptical users and wary regulators? From driverless cars to outer-space colonies, two moonshot thinkers talk about their cutting-edge work and how calculated risks may spark the next giant leap for mankind.

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Custom Parts: The Future of Transplanted Organs

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 07:30:00 -0000

Demand for donated organs far outstrips supply. But researchers are working to remedy the crisis using everything from gene-edited pigs to 3D-printed tissue.

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Customized Kids: Are Designer Babies on the Way?

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 07:30:00 -0000

Advances in gene editing and DNA analysis are allowing parents unprecedented control over the traits their children will inherit. We explore the science-and ethics-behind the movement.

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Get Ready for Gene-Edited Food

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 07:30:00 -0000

Vegetables engineered with the gene-editing technology Crispr are moving closer to supermarket shelves. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has decided these genetically altered foods won't require a special label. But will they curry favor with consumers?

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Can Gene-Edited Mice Solve the Lyme Crisis?

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 07:30:00 -0000

Lyme disease is rampant on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. MIT scientists believe that releasing genetically altered mice on the islands could curb-and even wipe out-the disease. A close look at an unprecedented environmental intervention.

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The De-Extinction Movement Comes to Life

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 07:30:00 -0000

In labs around the world, scientists are using gene-editing technology to revive species that disappeared from the face of the Earth long, long ago. In this episode, we talk to the researchers working on a project straight out of science fiction.

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How Robots Will Feed Our On-Demand Culture

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 07:30:00 -0000

For decades, we've dreamt of an all-purpose robot that can cater to our every need. Silicon Valley is trying to catch up with that vision. One company is starting with a task already consuming our economy: home delivery.

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Moonshot: How Apollo Launched the Digital Revolution

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 07:30:00 -0000

The Apollo program to go to the moon marks the only time humans have left our home planet to set foot on another world. The biggest effect of this voyage was transforming the civilization it left behind.

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Adapting Medicine for Outer Space

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 07:30:00 -0000

What happens when an injury occurs on a commercial space flight or manned mission to Mars? Meet the scientists and astronauts studying how to keep us safe where routine care is impossible-and the closest hospital is a million miles away.

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How to Build an Island

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 07:30:00 -0000

Self-assembly could be a boon for manufacturing in extreme and resource poor environments. Meet the scientist experimenting with the tech to develop adaptive materials and land masses.

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The Future of Everything Festival: What's Next for Alexa?

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 23:25:00 -0000

The duo behind Alexa and Amazon's in-home devices explain what's coming in the next wave of voice technology and machine learning that will power connected homes, search and shopping.

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The Future of Everything Festival: Building an Artificial Human

Wed, 22 May 2019 07:10:00 -0000

As tech giants embrace voice-enabled AI assistants to power purchases, play songs and deliver the weather report, hear the latest on Mica, Magic Leap's AI-powered virtual human, who wants to help you do more.

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Frozen Frontiers: The Alien, Iron-Breathing Microbes of Blood Falls

Wed, 08 May 2019 08:30:00 -0000

Scientists are looking to Earth's most extreme environments for clues about what alien lifeforms might look like. The data they gather could help future space explorers to understand the origins of life in the universe.

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Frozen Frontiers: Meet the Robot Explorers Hunting for Alien Life

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 07:00:00 -0000

In Antarctica, robots are helping scientists explore how life evolves in extreme environments. Such missions are dress-rehearsals for future space exploration to the ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn, where alien life could be thriving.

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Instant Message: How Amazon Changed Delivery

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 20:25:09 -0000

This week, it's all about how we buy stuff and how that stuff gets to us. David, Joanna and Christopher bring on WSJ reporter Katie Bindley to talk about how to make sure you're getting the best deals on Amazon-and all the ways what you see on the page might not be what you think. Next, Julie Jargon, the team's new Family & Tech columnist, comes on to talk about a project she worked on before she took up her new gig: The Journal's Delivery Wars series looked at the tension between customers who want everything on their doorstep and businesses who want to actually make money. Finally, Christopher interviews Yariv Bash, CEO of Flytrex, about whether drones could one day deliver everything we need right into our hands.

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The Next Battlefield: Connected, Augmented and Urban

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 06:30:00 -0000

Encore edition: The wars of the future will be fought in megacities around the world by soldiers connected - and possibly even augmented - by neural implants and AI. In this episode, we examine how military leaders are preparing for a radical shift in combat.

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How AI is Augmenting Therapy

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 06:30:00 -0000

Encore edition: Millions of people suffering from mental health issues are left untreated and undiagnosed. In this episode, we meet the psychologists and scientists studying how artificial intelligence can help.

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IBM CEO Ginni Rometty on Reskilling Workers in the Age of AI

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 07:30:00 -0000

Artificial intelligence will change all of our jobs, according to IBM's Chief Executive. But will the technology augment workers or replace them? Ms. Rometty spoke with WSJ Editor in Chief Matt Murray at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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Machine Love: Dating in the Digital Age

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 06:30:00 -0000

Algorithms are the new matchmakers. Apps have turned dating into a game. And unlimited options have confounded digitally savvy singles. We spoke to the technologists and social scientists reshaping romantic connection.

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The Price of Climate: The Northern Farming Frontier

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 09:16:53 -0000

Shifting weather patterns and rising temperatures are altering what crops farmers can plant. In the last of a three-part series on climate, we examine how advancements in AI and genetics could help farms battle drought and crop disease.

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The Price of Climate: Producing Heat-Resistant Beef

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 07:56:48 -0000

As cattle farmers struggle with rising temperatures, scientists are scrambling to find solutions. In the second of a three-part series on climate, we meet a calf genetically engineered to withstand heat and get a taste of lab-grown beef.

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The Price of Climate: Is Commercial Fishing in Hot Water?

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 07:30:00 -0000

Demand for wild seafood is rising-but so is the cost of bringing it ashore. In the first of a three-part series on climate, we meet the fishermen and scientists grappling with warming waters, shifting currents and rapidly changing economics.

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Losing Our Wallets: The Rise of Mobile Payments

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:30:00 -0000

Encore edition: Kenya and China have rapidly embraced mobile wallets. Why are Americans still reaching for cash and credit cards? We speak to the experts and explore a future where making a payment could be as easy as nodding your head.

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WSJ Tech D.Live: The Connected Devices That Will Rule Our Homes

Sat, 17 Nov 2018 03:09:03 -0000

The WSJ's David Pierce sits down with David Limp, Amazon's Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, to discuss Alexa's next moves. Plus, an inside look at how Amazon chose its newest headquarter locations.

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WSJ Tech D.Live: In the Driver's Seat at Uber

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 12:00:00 -0000

Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of the ridesharing giant, talks with the WSJ's Gerard Baker about expanding Uber's reach, fixing its work culture and setting the course for an initial public offering.

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WSJ Tech D.Live: The Downside to Social Success

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 06:31:01 -0000

Instagram Co-Founder Kevin Systrom sits down with Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Matt Murray to discuss social media's evolution amid increased content scrutiny.

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WSJ Tech D.Live: Investing in a Data-Driven Future

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 01:02:47 -0000

The WSJ's Jason Anders sits down with Ruth Porat, CFO of Alphabet and Google, to discuss Google's equity culture, collaborating with the military and understanding AI bias.

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WSJ Tech D.Live: The Chips That Power Our Devices

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:00:00 -0000

The WSJ's Jason Anders sits down with Richard Clemmer of NXP Semiconductors and Renee J. James of Ampere to discuss life in the fast-paced semiconductor industry, the impact of U.S.-China relations and the future of computing.

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WSJ Tech D.Live: Are We There Yet? The Future of Driverless Cars

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 07:18:40 -0000

The global race for autonomous vehicles is on-but roadblocks lie ahead. Waymo CEO John Krafcik tells WSJ's Jamie Heller about his company's plans to launch a commercial self-driving car service in the coming months.

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Customized Kids: Are Designer Babies on the Way?

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 07:30:00 -0000

Advances in gene editing and DNA analysis are allowing parents unprecedented control over the traits their children will inherit. In this episode, we explore the science-and ethics-behind the movement.

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The Sparkling Future of Lab-Grown Diamonds

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 06:30:00 -0000

The days of diamond mining may be numbered, and lab-grown stones have become almost indistinguishable from those pulled from the earth. In this episode, we talk to the diamond dealers and growers hedging against a future in which the mines run dry.

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The Next Battlefield: Connected, Augmented and Urban

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 07:30:00 -0000

The wars of the future will be fought in megacities around the world by soldiers connected - and possibly even augmented - by neural implants and AI. In this episode, we examine how military leaders are preparing for a radical shift in combat.

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Robot Restaurants: Good or Gimmicky?

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 07:30:00 -0000

The restaurant industry is embracing automation, from robot-staffed espresso bars to fully automated burger chefs. In this episode, we explore what this means for workers, diners and--most importantly--the quality of our food.

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The De-Extinction Movement Comes to Life

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 07:30:00 -0000

In labs around the world, scientists are using gene-editing technology to revive species that disappeared from the face of the earth long, long ago. In this episode, we talk to the researchers working on a project straight out of science fiction.

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Tech Gets in the Game

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 07:30:00 -0000

Football-playing robots. Algorithmic umpires. Neurological performance enhancement. In this episode, we look at how science and technology are reshaping the playing field - and how these advances could benefit life beyond sports.

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Robot Growers: How AI Will Change Farming

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 07:30:00 -0000

Agriculture is turning to automation as it grapples with growing demand and a shrinking labor force. In this episode, we meet the robots making farms more efficient.

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Hack the Vote: How Safe Are Elections?

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 07:30:00 -0000

In this episode, we watch hackers compromise voting machines and hear from technologists hoping to safeguard democracy with help from blockchain and mobile voting. Can tech protect our democratic process from foreign interference?

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Welcome to Your 3-D Printed Home

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 07:30:00 -0000

The construction industry has remained essentially unchanged since the invention of the nail gun. But can a labor shortage force builders to embrace technology? In this episode, how drones, automation and prefabrication are changing housing.

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Eating Insects for Your Health (and the Planet's)

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 08:30:25 -0000

Billions of people around the world include protein-rich bugs in their diet. But are crickets really a sustainable alternative to chicken? This episode, we talk to the scientists and startup founders looking to put bugs in everything we eat.

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Battling the Superbugs

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Encore edition: What happens when antibiotics stop working? With drug-resistant infections on the rise, scientists are scrambling to develop new weapons in the fight against evolved bacteria-from cutting-edge diagnostic tests to revolutionary gene-editing techniques. Programming note: All new episodes resume in early September.

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Smart Cities: Safer Living or Cyber Attacks?

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Urban areas around the world are increasingly equipped with sensors to track-and control-everything from traffic patterns to wastewater. But this increased connectivity and data collection opens us up to devastating hacks and unwanted surveillance.

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Living Smarter: How Tech Is Disrupting the Home

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 05:38:38 -0000

What if our homes took care of us and not the other way around? In this episode, a look inside the smart homes that could transform everything from entertaining to eldercare.

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Adapting Medicine for Outer Space

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 06:12:10 -0000

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Can Gene-Edited Mice Solve the Lyme Crisis?

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 05:30:00 -0000

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How AI is Augmenting Therapy

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Millions of people suffering from mental health issues are left untreated and undiagnosed. In this episode, we meet the psychologists and scientists studying how artificial intelligence can help.

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Can Blockchain Fix Our Food Chain?

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 05:30:00 -0000

When a deadly E.coli outbreak sickened hundreds, it took investigators months to determine the source. In this episode, we look at how sensors, digital ledgers, and genome sequencing could reduce that window to seconds-and make our food supply safer.

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How Lab-Grown Materials Are Changing Manufacturing

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Rebroadcast: Adidas sneakers made from vegan spider silk. Mushroom-based Dell computer packaging. Today, biofabrication--the science of growing raw materials in a lab--is producing everything from furniture to fabric.

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The Next Battlefield: Hacking as Warfare

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Foreign governments are targeting our information, our infrastructure and even our democracy. But what constitutes an act of war in the digital age? When does espionage become an outright attack? Meet the soldiers in the fight for cyber security.

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Losing Our Wallets: The Rise of Mobile Payments

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Countries such as Kenya and China have rapidly embraced mobile wallets. So why are Americans still reaching for cash and credit cards? We speak to the experts and explore a future where making a payment could be as easy as nodding your head.

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Fishy Business: Fixing Seafood's Fraud Problem

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 05:30:00 -0000

As much as a third of seafood sold in the U.S. is mislabeled. But can technology and tracking keep the industry honest? Meet the fishermen, chefs and government agents working to ensure that the fish on your plate is the one you ordered.

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Hacking the Brain's Code

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 16:02:33 -0000

Today, paraplegics can move robotic limbs using only their thoughts. But when it comes to our understanding of how the brain works, we still have a long way to go. Meet the scientists attempting to hack the world's most complex computer.

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Get Ready for Gene-Edited Food

Wed, 23 May 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Vegetables engineered with the gene-editing technology Crispr are moving closer to supermarket shelves. But will these genetically altered foods carry labels to alert consumers? Or is gene editing, as some scientists argue, just a way to speed up evolution?

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The Future of Everything Festival: Futuristic Farm-to-Table

Thu, 17 May 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Restauranteur Kimbal Musk wants to feed America with hyper-local produce and robot-equipped kitchens. Anya Fernald, CEO of Belcampo, is rethinking the way animals are raised and slaughtered. We asked them how we'll be eating in the years ahead.

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The Future of Everything Festival: When Humans Invade Space

Wed, 16 May 2018 05:30:00 -0000

How will we travel to outer space? And what will we do when get there? Relativity Space CEO Tim Ellis and TransAstra founder Joel C. Sercel explain how everything from 3D-printed rockets to asteroid mining will help us explore, live and work in the final frontier.

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The Future of Everything Festival: The Case for Universal Basic Income

Sat, 12 May 2018 02:38:38 -0000

There's a record wealth gap in the U.S. today. Entrepreneur and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes says it's time to talk about providing at least $500 a month to every American worker making less than $50,000 a year.

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The Future of Everything Festival: Sarah Jessica Parker Says Time's Up

Sat, 12 May 2018 00:19:40 -0000

The actress and activist was joined by Tina Tchen, a partner at Buckley Sandler and leader of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, to discuss the far-reaching effects of the #metoo movement.

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The Future of Everything Festival: Wine Returns to Its Roots

Fri, 11 May 2018 23:43:46 -0000

Today, natural wine dominates the cellars of forward-thinking restaurants and collectors. But what is it exactly? And why is it suddenly everywhere? We asked Isabelle Legeron, founder of the RAW Wine Fairs, and Jordan Salcito, director of wine special projects at Momofuku, to explain why ancient winemaking techniques could be the industry's future.

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The Future of Everything Festival: China's Digital Currency Experiment

Thu, 10 May 2018 23:28:09 -0000

Join the team from WSJ's Heard on the Street for a look at China's futuristic adoption of digital payments and cashless transactions.

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The Future of Everything Festival: The Case for a Cashless Economy

Thu, 10 May 2018 19:51:25 -0000

Can digital payments make physical currency a thing of the past? Cryptpocurrency pioneer Charlie Shrem, founder of Crypto.IQ, says it's only a matter of time.

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The Future of Everything Festival: Garry Kasparov on AI Making Us Free

Thu, 10 May 2018 01:34:59 -0000

Twenty years after losing to Deep Blue, the former world chess champion says that intelligent machines will promote their human makers to management rather than replace them.

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The Future of Everything Festival: What's Next for AI?

Wed, 09 May 2018 20:52:25 -0000

Amy Webb calls herself a quantitative futurist. A professor at NYU's Stern School of Business, she uses her knowledge of game theory, sociology, programming and economics to imagine what's next. And she's deeply concerned about the lack of controls around artificial intelligence.

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The Future of Everything Festival: Beauty, Wellness in the Digital Age

Wed, 09 May 2018 13:17:24 -0000

Beauty and wellness are more than just a state of mind. They're also big business. From next-gen wearables and 3-D printed skin to products serving all shades of society, we look at how the beauty industry's future is more than just skin deep.

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Can Blockchain Keep Us Honest?

Wed, 02 May 2018 05:30:00 -0000

From big banks to diamond dealers, companies are experimenting with blockchain, an open and distributed ledger, to make transactions more transparent and trustworthy. Could this technology mean the end of cooked books?

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It's Complicated: Our Evolving Relationship with AI Assistants

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Thanks to advances in artificial intelligence and big data, voice assistants like Siri and Alexa touch more of our lives than ever before. But what happens when these relationships become personal? And could a smart speaker be used to outsmart us?

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Custom Parts: The Future of Transplanted Organs

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Demand for donated organs far outstrips supply. But researchers are working to remedy the crisis using everything from gene-edited pigs to 3D-printed tissue.

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The Criminal's Guide to Cryptocurrency

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Crime involving digital currencies has skyrocketed in lockstep with their valuations. From bitcoin stickups to global money laundering, tech-savvy criminals are becoming increasingly anonymous. And law enforcement is scrambling to keep up.

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The High-Tech Approach to Human Fertility

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 05:30:00 -0000

The world's first test-tube baby turns 40 this year, but human reproduction is still one of medical science's great mysteries. From artificial sperm to AI-powered analysis of embryos, a look at how science is changing the way we make babies.

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Artificial Intelligence - With Very Real Biases

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 05:30:00 -0000

AI is already helping decide who gets a job or whether somebody gets out of jail. But how objective are the algorithms behind these often life-altering decisions? And what happens when technology inherits all the biases of its creators?

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The Global Race for Quantum Computing Supremacy

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Companies and countries are battling to create the first universal quantum computer - a machine so powerful it could crack our current methods of encryption. In part-two of our series, we go inside the labs racing to bring us into the quantum age.

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The Age of Quantum Computing is (Almost) Here

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 05:30:00 -0000

Quantum computers are no longer the stuff of science fiction. In the first of a two-part series, we talk to industry executives who are experimenting with this revolutionary technology and take you inside a lab racing to make it a reality.

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The Disappearing Act of the Music Producer?

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 05:30:00 -0000

For decades, music producers worked behind the scenes, supporting artists in the studio and shaping their hits. In the age of streaming, will the old-school record producer become obsolete?

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A Look Back as We Looked Ahead in 2017

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 05:30:15 -0000

In our inaugural year, we explored everything from urban farms to space law to Wall Street quants and 3-D printing. Highlights as we traveled in search of groundbreaking trends in science and technology.

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The Very Risky Business of Underwriting Innovation

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 05:30:00 -0000

Who's responsible for a driverless car crash? How does a bank protect itself against the reputational damage of a cyber attack? An in-depth look at how big data and new technologies are changing the way insurance companies assess new risks.

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Battling the Superbugs

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 05:30:00 -0000

What happens when antibiotics stop working? With drug-resistant infections on the rise, scientists are scrambling to develop new weapons in the fight against evolved bacteria-from cutting-edge diagnostic tests to revolutionary gene-editing techniques.

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The Rise of Experiential Retail

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 05:36:43 -0000

Brick-and-mortar store closures could result in one billion square feet of empty retail space. From modern art installations to stores with nothing for sale, a look at how brands are attempting to fill the void.

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In Bitcoin We Trust?

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 05:30:00 -0000

Digital, decentralized money is quickly coming of age. What began as an experiment from a mysterious internet persona has become a force to be reckoned with, prompting banks to adapt. But how does cryptocurrency work? And where is it headed?

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In the Eye: Technology Versus Deadly Storms

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 05:30:00 -0000

Scientists are gathering new forms of data to deliver increasingly accurate hurricane predictions. But since technology cannot solve the problem of hurricanes, what happens in the wake of a storm?

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Coming October 25th: Season 2 of The Future of Everything

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 05:45:00 -0000

How can technology fight deadly hurricanes? Can modern medicine defeat superbugs? What's the future of bitcoin? Will retailers survive the digital age? Join Jennifer Strong as she looks at science and technology shaping our lives today, tomorrow and beyond.

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Get Ready for 3-D-Printed Everything

Tue, 29 Aug 2017 05:30:00 -0000

Today it's mostly prototypes and plastic trinkets. But additive manufacturing - aka 3-D printing - is poised to produce everything from airplane parts and auto bodies to sneaker soles and human organs.

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The Markets Are Run by Robots

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 05:30:00 -0000

Quantitative models, and the investors who build them, are the new kings of Wall Street. But their rise has ramifications for everything from daily trading to how companies themselves are run.

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How Lab-Grown Materials Are Changing Manufacturing

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 05:30:00 -0000

Adidas sneakers made from vegan spider silk. Mushroom-based Dell computer packaging. Today, biofabrication--the science of growing raw materials in a lab--is producing everything from furniture to fabric.

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Can Food Waste Save the World?

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 05:30:00 -0000

A comprehensive look at how the food we throw out daily could instead change the world for the better, featuring Anthony Bourdain, chef Massimo Bottura and Global Citizen's version of an Ed Sheeran song.

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How Videogames Make AI Smarter

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:44:51 -0000

Engineers of artificial intelligence are using videogames to teach machines about humans and our world. And it's working. Autonomous vehicles may someday save lives using skills learned from popular games like 'Grand Theft Auto."

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Everyone Needs a (Robot) Companion

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 05:30:00 -0000

Meet the next generation of very friendly robots: a battery-powered cat that helps with eldercare, a smart grocery cart that carries your purchases, a social robot that recognizes your face when you enter the room.

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Law and Order in the Final Frontier

Fri, 19 May 2017 04:25:00 -0000

Outer space is starting to look like the Wild West. As more and more private businesses seek profits in the final frontier, serious questions are emerging about the legality of their plans. Who will write the rules beyond Earth?

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Has the Smart Gun Revolution Begun?

Fri, 19 May 2017 04:23:00 -0000

Americans love tech. Americans love guns. But high-tech guns? The subject remains incredibly controversial and the debate is more complex than tech-savvy versus tech-phobic. We unveil the latest smart gun aimed at the U.S. market.

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Are We Ready for Manufactured Meat?

Fri, 19 May 2017 04:20:00 -0000

Is the boutique burger scene ready for vegan patties that bleed like meat? What about chicken and beef grown in tanks? With the global population expected to exceed 9-billion by 2050, scientists and executives are looking for sustainable and delicious ways to replicate meat.

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The Urban, Indoor Future of Farming

Fri, 19 May 2017 04:17:00 -0000

Imagine walking around your office with a tray as you harvest vegetables for your company's cafeteria. How about a grocery store where the produce is grown upstairs? Or a refurbished shipping container with the growing power of two acres of farmland? All of these exist. With urban populations likely to explode in the coming decades, what is the future of farming?

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Meet One of the First Human Cyborgs

Fri, 19 May 2017 04:15:00 -0000

Meet Emily Borghard, one of the world's first true cyborgs thanks to a chip implanted in her brain. In the not too distant future, there could be millions more like her. These high-tech implants have implications for treating Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, depression and even behavioral disorders.

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Coming May 19th: The Future of Everything from WSJ

Fri, 05 May 2017 20:10:10 -0000

Prepare for a new podcast experience from The Wall Street Journal on Friday, May 19th. Introducing The Future of Everything. Join Jennifer Strong as she examines what's ahead for space exploration, high-tech guns, brain implants, meat production and urban farming.

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