The WIRED Podcast

Election deniers are mobilizing their supporters and rolling out new tech to disrupt the November election. These groups are already organizing on hyperlocal levels, and learning to monitor polling places, target election officials, and challenge voter rolls. And though their work was once fringe, its become mainstreamed in the Republican Party. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we focus on what these groups are doing, and what this means for voters and the election workers already facing threats and harassment.

Listen to and follow WIRED Politics Lab here.
Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

We look back at the year in tech, science, business, and culture?through the medium of a quiz.

Amit hosts the annual WIRED podcast quiz, with Morgan, Matt R, Grace, and Matt B vying for the prestigious title.

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Hello, WIRED podcast listeners. We?re on a short break from producing new episodes at the moment, with some big plans for next year. In the meantime, we need your help. 

Tell us: What are your burning questions about the future. 

The future of what? Anything. Big or small, strange or serious. We want to hear your questions.

And they may even make it into a future episode of the show. 

Email us at the normal address: [email protected]

Coming up today: Morgan finds out what happens when an AI company steals your face, and Matt Burgess explores the most vulnerable place on the internet

This is going to be the last episode for a little while. We?re taking a short break to work on some exciting changes to the podcast for 2023, but we?ll be back with a new episode in a few weeks. We?ll see you then! 

The stories we talked about this week:

Clearview Stole My Face and the EU Can?t Do Anything About It

https://www.wired.com/story/clearview-face-search-engine-gdpr/

The Most Vulnerable Place on the Internet

https://www.wired.com/story/submarine-internet-cables-egypt/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by James Temperton

Coming up today: the WIRED podcast team weighs in on Elon Musk?s dramatic Twitter takeover.

The stories we talked about this week:

Unverify Me, Daddy

https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-elon-musk-verification/

Elon Musk Has Fired Twitter?s ?Ethical AI? Team

https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-ethical-ai-team/

Twitter Had a Plan to Fix Social Media. Will Elon Musk Follow It?

https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-had-a-plan-to-fix-social-media-bluesky-will-elon-musk-follow-it/

Coming up today: the deadly viruses lurking in the permafrost, and what the Bruce Willis deepfake means for the future of Hollywood.

The stories we talked about this week:

The Bruce Willis Deepfake Is Everyone?s Problem

https://www.wired.com/story/bruce-willis-deepfake-rights-law/

Thawing Permafrost Exposes Old Pathogens?and New Hosts

https://www.wired.com/story/arctic-spillover-risk/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how gig economy laws caused strip club chaos, and we assess your risk of dying in a nuclear war.

The stories we talked about this week:

The Gig Law Causing Chaos in California Strip Clubs

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/gig-economy-strip-clubs

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

We look at how social media platforms have responded to the death of Molly Russell and explain why Elon Musk is wrong about depopulation.

How A British Teen's Death Changed Social Media

https://www.wired.com/story/how-a-british-teens-death-changed-social-media/

Elon Musk Is Totally Wrong About Population Collapse

https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-population-crisis/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by James Temperton

Coming up today: as Elon Musk and Twitter (maybe) close in on a deal, we delve deep into the glorious, curious world of bots.

(This show was recorded before Elon Musk said he would, in fact, buy Twitter.)

The stories we talk about this week...

The Quest to Find Twitter?s Elusive Bot Team

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

The Problem With Mental Health Bots

https://www.wired.com/story/mental-health-chatbots/

Read all our bot coverage

https://www.wired.com/tag/series-bots-run-the-internet/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by James Temperton

Coming up today: the devastating impact of Iran?s internet shutdown and we find out what happened when a Danish city banned Google from its schools.

The stories we talk about this week:

A Danish City Built Google Into Its Schools?Then Banned It

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

Iran?s Internet Shutdown Hides a Deadly Crackdown

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

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we go on the hunt for the people who?ve never caught Covid and take a look at the wild logistics of replacing the Queen?s iconography on everything from bank notes to post vans.

The stories we talk about this week:

The Mystery of Why Some People Don?t Get Covid

https://www.wired.com/story/the-mystery-of-why-some-people-dont-get-covid/

What Happens to Everything With Queen Elizabeth II?s Image?

https://www.wired.com/story/updating-british-royal-iconography/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we talk about the juicy business of plant-based meat and the equally juicy business of Russian censorship.

The stories we talk about this week:

Plant-Based Burgers Aren?t Denting People?s Beef Addiction

Alternative proteins were meant to reduce the carbon footprint of our diets. But it doesn?t look like consumers are switching ... yet.

https://www.wired.com/story/plant-based-meat-replacing-animal-meat/

This Clever Anti-Censorship Tool Lets Russians Read Blocked News

Samizdat Online syndicates banned news sites by hosting them on uncensored domains?allowing people to access independent reporting.

https://www.wired.com/story/russia-internet-censorship-samizdat-online/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds on Russian gas supplies, and Grace on why the psychedelics bubble could be about to burst.

Europe?s Plan to Wean Itself off Russian Gas Just Might Work

https://www.wired.com/story/russian-gas-europe/

Is the Psychedelic Therapy Bubble About to Burst?

https://www.wired.com/story/psychedelic-hype-bubble/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

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

The stories we walked about this week:

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

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

Inside the World?s Biggest Hacker Rickroll

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

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

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

The stories we walked about this week:

NFTs Are Conquering Football

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

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

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

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Grace explores the monkeypox vaccine pipeline problems and Matt Burgess looks at Facebook's European data woes.

The stories we walked about this week:

The Chaotic Monkeypox Vaccine Pipeline Is Leaving Everyone Short

https://www.wired.com/story/monkeypox-vaccine-supply-chain/

Will Europe Force a Facebook Blackout?

https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-eu-us-data-transfers/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Morgan explores a plan to tackle deadly heatwaves through afternoon naps, and Grace investigates the technology hoping to tap into your brain

The stories we walked about this week:

The Age of Brain-Computer Interfaces Is on the Horizon

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

How Siestas Might Help Europe Survive Deadly Heat Waves

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

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Morgan explores the global trade in abortion pills, and Matt Burgess investigates the strange case of the severed internet cables

The stories we walked about this week:

Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network

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

The Unsolved Mystery Attack on Internet Cables in Paris

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

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how China took control of the world?s lithium supply and we explain why your next car could be a threat to national security. Western automakers built their fortunes on the internal combustion engine. Now China has ambitions to define the electric vehicle age.

The stories we talked about this week (and more!):

China Built Your iPhone. Will It Build Your Next Car?

https://www.wired.com/story/foxconn-apple-car-china/

The Rise and Precarious Reign of China?s Battery King

https://www.wired.com/story/catl-china-battery-production-evs/

Is Your New Car a Threat to National Security?

https://www.wired.com/story/china-cars-surveillance-national-security/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

After a brief pause last week, the WIRED podcast returns.

Coming up today: Natasha on what it?s like working at Twitter amid Elon Musk chaos, and Matt Reynolds on a mad plan to grow plants without sunlight.

The stories we talked about this week:

As Elon Musk Walks, Twitter Workers Say No One?s in Charge

https://www.wired.com/story/plants-growing-in-darkness/

Scientists Are Trying to Grow Crops in the Dark

https://www.wired.com/story/plants-growing-in-darkness/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how Covid tracking apps are pivoting for commercial profit and we talk about the future of genome sequencing.

The stories we talked about this week:

How Covid Tracking Apps Are Pivoting for Commercial Profit

https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-data-switch/

How Genome Sequencing Will Change Our Lives

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/112/1120653/genomics--wired-guides-/9781847943408.html

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we speak to the people picking up the slack after their colleagues quit and get stuck into a messy argument about microbe names.

The stories we talked about this week:

The Almighty Squabble Over Who Gets to Name Microbes

https://www.wired.com/story/microbe-names-fight/

They Quit. Now You're Picking Up the Slack

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/they-quit-now-youre-picking-up-the-slack

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how Russia is remaking Ukraine?s internet in its own image and the pros and cons of Canada?s bold new drug law.

The stories we talked about this week:

Canada Moves to Decriminalize Possession of ?Hard? Drugs

https://www.wired.com/story/canada-moves-to-decriminalize-possession-of-hard-drugs/

Russia Is Taking Over Ukraine?s Internet

https://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-russia-internet-takeover/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Morgan explores the problems facing Google in Russia, and Grace tells us all about the Great Reinfection

The stories we talked about this week:

Welcome to the Great Reinfection

https://www.wired.com/story/welcome-to-the-great-reinfection/

Google's Russian Empire Faces an Uncertain Future

https://www.wired.com/story/google-russia-exit/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Natasha reveals the latest trick to lure people back to the office and Amit unmasks the many problems with the lie detector.

The stories we talked about this week:

Employers Are Luring Workers Back to the Office?With Plants

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/office-plants-hybrid-working

Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector

https://twitter.com/amitkatwala/status/1513498832344174598

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the fallout from the impending fall of Roe v Wade and we look back at four years of Europe?s landmark data privacy law.

The stories we talked about this week:

Patients May Not Receive Miscarriage Care in a Post-Roe America

https://www.wired.com/story/miscarriage-care-roe-versus-wade/

The Ramifications of Roe v. Wade?s Fall Won?t Stop at Abortion Bans

https://www.wired.com/story/ramifications-of-post-roe-world/

All of WIRED's coverage on a Post-Roe America

https://www.wired.com/tag/reproductive-rights/

How GDPR Is Failing

https://www.wired.com/story/gdpr-2022/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: a potential roadblock on the route to nuclear fusion and how the Kremlin infiltrated Russia?s biggest social media network.

The stories we talked about this week:

Nuclear Fusion Is Already Facing a Fuel Crisis

https://www.wired.com/story/nuclear-fusion-is-already-facing-a-fuel-crisis/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we explain why the crypto world may be crumbling and look at the flaws in the European Union?s new plan to crack down on child sexual abuse images. 

The stories we talked about this week:

The EU Wants Big Tech to Scan Your Private Chats for Child Abuse

https://www.wired.com/story/europe-csam-scanning-law-chat-encryption/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: how Shanghai is rewriting the rules of Chinese censorship and we explain why Americans need to eat less cows.

The stories we talked about this week:

You Don?t Have to Quit Meat to Save the Planet

https://www.wired.com/story/beef-eating-deforestation/

Shanghai Is Rewriting Chinese Censorship Amid Lockdown

https://www.wired.com/story/shanghai-lockdown-china-censorship/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we delve into the latest European Big Tech regulation thriller and find out why a spike in hepatitis cases in kids has scientists hunting for answers.

The stories we talked about this week:

Ukraine War Prompts Europe's New Emergency Rules for the Internet

https://www.wired.com/story/europe-digital-services-act/

Europe Has Traded Away Its Online Porn Law

https://www.wired.com/story/digital-services-act-deepfake-porn/

Hepatitis Cases in Kids Have Scientists Hunting for Answers

https://www.wired.com/story/hepatitis-cases-in-kids-have-scientists-hunting-for-answers/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the future of mRNA vaccines, and how the gas crisis is creating a two-tier energy system in the UK.

The Energy Crisis Is Pushing Solar Adoption?for Those Who Can Pay

https://www.wired.com/story/uk-energy-crisis-solar/

For mRNA, Covid Vaccines Are Just the Beginning

https://www.wired.com/story/for-mrna-vaccines-covid-was-just-the-beginning/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess dives into Ukraine?s information war, and Grace meets a woman who was born without her temporal lobe.

She Was Missing a Chunk of Her Brain. It Didn?t Matter

https://www.wired.com/story/she-was-missing-a-chunk-of-her-brain-it-didnt-matter/

Russia Is Leaking Data Like a Sieve

https://www.wired.com/story/russia-ukraine-data/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we explain what Twitter?s future holds now Elon Musk is on its board and look at how a lithium mine in Serbia has become a key battleground for Europe?s green future.

The stories we talked about this week:

Elon Musk Is on Twitter's Board. What Could Go Wrong?

https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-twitter-board-future/

What Twitter Is Really Planning for Crypto

https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-crypto-strategy/

Europe?s Biggest Lithium Mine Is Caught in a Political Maelstrom

https://www.wired.com/story/serbia-europe-lithium-mining-electric-cars/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: We delve into the details of the EU?s big move against Big Tech power and tell the harrowing story of the destruction of Mariupol?s communications infrastructure.

The stories we talked about this week:

Europe's Digital Markets Act Takes a Hammer to Big Tech

https://www.wired.com/story/digital-markets-act-messaging/

Forcing WhatsApp and iMessage to Work Together Is Doomed to Fail

https://www.wired.com/story/dma-interoperability-messaging-imessage-whatsapp/

The Last Cell Tower in Mariupol

https://www.wired.com/story/mariupol-ukraine-war/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess investigates a mysterious satellite hack and Matt Reynolds reinvents the humble tree.

The stories we talked about this week:

A Mysterious Satellite Hack Has Victims Far Beyond Ukraine

https://www.wired.com/story/viasat-internet-hack-ukraine-russia/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess analyses the crypto dreams of a $180m ransomware gang, and Grace looks at how the war in Ukraine is affecting medical trials

The War Puts Ukraine's Clinical Trials?and Patients?in Jeopardy

https://www.wired.com/story/war-ukraine-clinical-trials-jeopardy/

The Workaday Life of the World?s Most Dangerous Ransomware Gang

https://www.wired.com/story/conti-leaks-ransomware-work-life/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess goes to the battlefront of Ukraine?s cyber war, and Grace explores the whitewashing problem within genetic research.

The stories we talked about this week:

Ukraine?s Volunteer ?IT Army? Is Hacking in Uncharted Territory

https://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-it-army-russia-war-cyberattacks-ddos/

Genetic Databases Are Too White. Here?s What It?ll Take to Fix It

https://www.wired.com/story/genetic-research-is-too-white/

Coming up today: Matt Reynolds goes on a denture adventure and we explain how the war in Ukraine could spur another global chip shortage.

The stories we talked about this week:

Russia?s War in Ukraine Could Spur Another Global Chip Shortage

https://www.wired.com/story/ukraine-chip-shortage-neon/

The True Story of the Viral False Teeth That Fooled the World

https://www.wired.com/story/false-teeth-viral-story/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Matt Burgess explains why all is not well at Firefox and we find out about the quest to make a digital replica of your brain.

Is Firefox OK?

https://www.wired.com/story/firefox-mozilla-2022/

The Quest to Make a Digital Replica of Your Brain 

https://www.wired.com/story/the-quest-to-make-a-digital-replica-of-your-brain/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: why NFT marketplace OpenSea can?t win and we look at the wild, woolly world of mammoth patents.

You're (Maybe) Gonna Need a Patent for That Woolly Mammoth

https://www.wired.com/story/de-extinction-patents/

Why OpenSea?s NFT Marketplace Can?t Win

https://www.wired.com/story/opensea-nfts-twitter/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

The latest on the porn block and why evolution is happening faster than anyone thought possible.

The stories we talked about this week:

A New Database Reveals How Much Humans Are Messing With Evolution

https://www.wired.com/story/database-humans-messing-with-evolution/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: Germany takes on Telegram and Matt Burgess dives deep inside a Russian ransomware gang.

The stories we talked about this week:

Germany Has Picked a Fight With Telegram

https://www.wired.com/story/germany-telegram-covid/

Inside Trickbot, Russia?s Notorious Ransomware Gang

https://www.wired.com/story/trickbot-malware-group-internal-messages/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: the agony and ecstasy of learning to live with Covid and we look at how gravity storage could help in the fight against the climate crisis.

The stories we talked about this week:

Politicians Say It?s Time to Live With Covid. Are You Ready?

https://www.wired.com/story/living-with-covid-new-normal/

Gravity Could Solve Clean Energy?s One Major Drawback

https://www.wired.com/story/energy-vault-gravity-storage/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today: we look at how countries can best count deaths caused by the climate crisis and look at the latest twist in the gig economy workers? rights saga.

The stories we talked about this week:

A Project to Count Climate Crisis Deaths Has Surprising Results

https://www.wired.com/story/uk-climate-change-deaths/

Gig Workers Were Promised a Better Deal. Then They Were Outsourced

https://www.wired.com/story/gig-economy-outsourcing-uk/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today it?s the final WIRED podcast of 2021. That can only mean one thing: it?s quiz time.

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, the big problem with Gorillas, and everything you need to know about the Omicron variant

The stories we talked about this week:

Europe Went Bananas for Gorillas. Then Its Workers Rose Up

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/gorillas-gig-economy-unions-germany

The Omicron Variant Is a Mystery. Here?s How Science Will Solve It

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/omicron-variant-facts

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, how humans have broken a fundamental law of the ocean and we look into the UK?s plan to sequence the genomes of up to 200,000 babies.

The stories we talked about this week:

Humans Have Broken a Fundamental Law of the Ocean

https://www.wired.com/story/humans-broken-fundamental-law-ocean/

The UK Government Wants to Sequence Your Baby?s Genome

https://www.wired.com/story/whole-genome-sequencing-newborn-screening/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, nuclear fusion, treadmill hacking and Norway?s electric vehicle headache. 

The stories we talked about this week:

Norway Is Running Out of Gas-Guzzling Cars to Tax

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/norway-electric-vehicle-tax

Locked Out of ?God Mode,? Runners Are Hacking Their Treadmills

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nordictrack-ifit-treadmill-privilege-mode

Finally, a Practical Use for Nuclear Fusion

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/finally-a-practical-use-for-nuclear-fusion

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, how RNA could help keep food fresh for longer and we explain why Salt Bae is the ultimate content machine.

The stories we talked about this week:

The Next Big Thing for RNA? Fixing Moldy Food

https://www.wired.com/story/rna-crop-sprays-presticides/

Salt Bae?s Next Great Act? Endless Content

https://www.wired.com/story/salt-bae-restaurant-viral-videos/

Music by Filip Hnizdo

Produced and edited (remotely) by Matt Burgess

Coming up today, we look into a dementia detection breakthrough and find out why the cops got involved when a group of vigilante parents tried to take on their school?s broken IT system.

These Parents Built a School App. Then the City Called the Cops

https://www.wired.com/story/sweden-stockholm-school-app-open-source