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Unreliable Narrator

Vladimir Putin's Forkiverse

The "Forkiverse," a federated social media experiment launched by PJ Vogt, Casey Newton, and Kevin Roose, is shutting down due to mounting administrative challenges and security risks. Initially conceived as a decentralized alternative to corporate-owned platforms, the network struggled with storage costs, waning host ...

Search Engine x Better in Person

Architecture serves as a tool for producing reality rather than merely reflecting it, demanding a balance between idealistic vision and practical constraints. Bjarke Ingels, founder of the architecture firm BIG, characterizes this approach as "pragmatic utopianism," where seemingly contradictory elements are synthesize...

Bollywood Dreams

Raja, a listener, suspects his retired father, Ranjith, is being scammed after the latter sends hundreds of thousands of dollars to an unknown director in India to fund a surreal Bollywood film titled Flower Valley. The project, which features a time-traveling teenager and a talking donkey, initially appears suspicious...

Why’s everybody going to Japan?

The recent surge in American tourism to Japan stems from a convergence of cultural, economic, and social factors. Japan’s long-standing soft power, transmitted through decades of globally influential pop culture like anime and video games, has built a deep-seated fascination among Western audiences. This interest is cu...

The Killing of the Gaza Chef

Mahmud Almadhoun, a Palestinian chef in northern Gaza, transformed from a local shopkeeper into a vital humanitarian figure by establishing a soup kitchen that fed thousands during the famine. His efforts expanded to include a makeshift school and medical point, positioning him as a central lifeline for the community. ...

The Chosen One

Wikipedia’s anatomy pages, particularly the article on the human penis, serve as a primary source of sexual education for millions globally, raising questions about how these images are selected and maintained. Editorial decisions are made through "talk pages," where volunteer editors debate content to ensure accuracy ...

A road trip through the data center debate

Data centers powering the AI boom have become flashpoints for local opposition in swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin, where residents fear corporate overreach and environmental degradation. Reporter Jasmine Sun’s investigation reveals that this backlash stems less from anti-technology sentiment than from a profou...

The machines are learning… to do crimes?

What’s in your cocaine and the questions Search Engine CAN’T answer

How to pursue excellence … in noodles (unlocked bonus)

The pursuit of culinary excellence requires a constant battle against the natural tendency for quality to decline. Jason Wang, CEO of Xi'an Famous Foods, maintains high standards across his 25-location empire by acting as a "control freak" who prioritizes the integrity of the dining experience over rapid, unchecked exp...

Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? Pt. 2 (classic)

Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? Pt. 1 (classic)

A Strange Voyage

The SpaceX IPO represents the latest evolution of the stock market, transforming from a mechanism for funding tangible, high-risk ventures into a "prism" that refracts and distorts reality through speculative attention. Originally invented by the Dutch East India Company to finance spice voyages, the stock market evolv...

Why doesn’t anybody come to my parties?

Claire Haber-Harris, a popular Substack writer, struggles to understand why her social gatherings consistently suffer from low attendance. Despite her efforts to host elegant, formal events, potential guests frequently decline or fail to return for future invitations. Investigations into her social dynamics reveal a fu...

Why is the pool at Buckingham Palace a secret? (classic)

Why do we have to pay into the new Anti-Weaponization Fund?

Presenting: Family Lore

The many lives of Taiwan

Taiwan’s transformation from a rugged colonial frontier into the world’s indispensable semiconductor hub stems from a complex history of layered identities and state-directed industrialization. Shelley Rigger, a professor of East Asian politics, explains that the island’s trajectory—shaped by indigenous roots, Japanese...

Why are people excited about nuclear power again?

Rising electricity demand, driven by AI data centers and the widespread electrification of vehicles and homes, has prompted a renewed interest in nuclear energy. Once a taboo subject, nuclear power now enjoys majority support as a carbon-free solution to grid strain. While historical disasters like Three Mile Island an...