Hi-Phi Nation is philosophy in story-form, integrating narrative journalism with big ideas. We look at stories from everyday life, law, science, popular... more
On this show we explore three different AI and machine-generated music technologies; vocal emulators that allow you to deep fake... more
Curtis is setting aside a large chunk of money to donate to charity, and it is up to us to... more
Willy and Heidi were both gig workers for Shipt, the fast-delivery app for groceries or same-day shopping. In 2020, they... more
We explore the lives of people who are in love with their AI chatbots. Replika is a chatbot designed to... more
A zoopolis is a future society that philosophers envision where wild, domesticated, and denizen animals have full political and legal... more
When Justin’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he wanted to keep talking to her after she died. So... more
Coming April 11, 2023, Season 6 of Hi-Phi Nation will look at the future; of work, of love and sex,... more
In our final episode on monsters, we investigate why people who eat people are the funkiest people in the afterlife.... more
The second in a three-part series on monsters in philosophy. We trace the cultural history of zombies from voodoo folklore,... more
The first in a three-part series on monsters in philosophy. We trace the cultural history of vampires from Eastern European... more
When tragedy strikes an individual, a nation, or an entire people, artists and architects are tasked with designing a public... more
The first two gene-edited species meant to be introduced into the wild are currently in their final stages of approval,... more
Barry invites Willa Paskin of Slate's Decoder Ring podcast to talk about their recent episode, The Alberta Rat War, as... more
Penny Lane gave up months of wages and weeks of her life to have her kidney cut out and given... more
David Lewis steps off a plane from Australia in 2000 and falls seriously ill. In the final year of his... more
In 1968, David Lewis decides that one truth can unify every theory he's had about the nature of the universe.... more
What was David Lewis like as a person? The consensus is that he did not know how to converse. At... more
David Lewis was one of the greatest minds of the 20th century, who few outside of academia know much about.... more
Barry updates listeners on what to expect in Season 5 of the show, currently in production. In the meantime, he... more
A woman spends 40 years in and out of prison for shoplifting and finally gets a break from a judge... more
Two men committed a double murder in rural Maine in 1990. Only one pulled the trigger. The state prosecutor decided... more
A teen-aged girl gets caught with a suitcase stuffed with powdered cocaine, and she comes before a federal judge. That... more
Erick Williams tells the story of how one bad night in the chow hall got him into solitary confinement at... more
On this episode, we look at feminist and progressive prosecution; how does a prosecutor balance the aims of prosecuting more... more
This week we go inside investigative operations in NYPD internal affairs and in the war and drugs to look at... more
Is a mobile home a home or a car? Is a car parked inside a home part of the home?... more
In this Slate Plus segment, Barry is joined by Sarah Lustbader to discuss the issues raised in Episode 1: Criminal... more
One place where law and morality are supposed to agree is that there should be no crime without a criminal... more
When it comes to closing a deal, generating client referrals, or getting repeat business, understanding how to elevate the customer’s... more
From writing criminal laws to rights denied to the formerly incarcerated, every single stage of the criminal justice system runs... more
Drake coined “YOLO,” short for “you only live once” in 2011, and then later apologized for all the douchiness it... more
Pyotr Tchaikovsky composed and conducted his final symphony in 1893. He died 9 days later, after having knowingly drunk an... more
In Australia, vegan and animal liberation activism has recently become intense and disruptive, invading farms, restaurants, and city centers. They’re... more
In the 40 years since the events at Olivia Records, gender categorization seems to pop up sporadically in the mainstream... more
It is currently very difficult to get your gender legally changed in the U.K, That might change. In recent months,... more
Preschool kids get their first taste of democratic participation when they vote on their class name, and democratic private schools... more
A few days after the New Zealand Mosque massacre, Dr. Thaya Ashman heard about a woman who was too afraid... more
This year will mark the 18th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, the forever war characterized by regime change, a... more
What if you could sue someone for calling you a racial slur? In the 90s, one country that always looked... more
How many innocent people should we be allowed to arrest and jail in order to prevent a single dangerous person... more
On this bonus episode, I go into some of the history between the LAPD police commission and the Stop LAPD... more
Predictive policing technology is spreading across the country, and Los Angeles is the epicenter. A small group of LA activists... more
After two successful seasons, philosophy in story form comes to Slate on January 31st, 2019. On Season 3, we look... more
Do people of opposing political parties believe in different facts? The mantra at the moment is that they do, because... more
Hi-Phi Nation stays overnight at the Brooklyn Public Library during the 2018 Night of Philosophy. From 7pm to 7am on... more
Army veteran Jim McKelvey applied for his VA benefits and was denied for willful misconduct. Thirty years later, Julie Eldred... more
Dave has been hunting for the one decisive piece of scientific evidence that will settle one of Christianity's most challenging... more
In ordinary life, it is usually not hard to know who you are and who you used to be. For... more
When Lori Lieberman was 19 years old, she went to a concert of a singer she didn't know, and ended... more
Some acts of expression are awesome, while others suck, and one philosopher has a new theory about the difference. Using... more
In the process of preparing to testify in a divorce case, Brian had to study one of the strangest books... more
High school students from around the country converge on the University of North Carolina for a weekend of moral dilemmas.... more
At the beginning of their adult lives, millennials are trying to find out what it means to be happy in... more
On our season finale, we follow a mother's love through the stages of life to seek wisdom about what love... more
Documentary film and science do not appear to have much in common, except that, philosophically, they have everything in common.... more
Our ideas of manhood and womanhood determine the ways in which we raise and socialize our children, but how much... more
One scientist decided to put the entire field of psychology to test to see how many of its findings hold... more
After years of unusual episodes dating back to her childhood, Anita went to the doctor and was told there was... more
Two records from 1983 achieved minor novelty fame, and then faded away, only to emerge 20 years later as the... more
With a small gesture of good will toward Syrian refugees, one woman incurred the wrath of evangelical Christians on social... more
At the beginning of their adult lives, millennials are trying to find out what it means to be happy in their 20s,... more