The story of how an alternative theory of dentistry made its way from medicine's fringes to an audience of young... more

A mortal human being finds himself stuck between two impressive organizations: the DMV, and an internet start-up called Carvana. He... more

Gone South, the Edward R. Murrow award-winning podcast, is back. Unlike previous seasons, writer and host Jed Lipinski brings listeners... more

The story of the first people who invented democracy, and what it did to them. What's Wrong With Democracy? by Loren... more

What if there was an event in the future, the outcome of which you couldn’t personally control, but it was... more

A year ago, we saw a stand-off between OpenAI's non-profit board and its leader, Sam Altman. Since then, the board... more

We reveal the one weird trick some billionaires use to pay less in federal income taxes than you do. And... more

A rogue IRS contractor leaks the private tax returns of the country’s wealthiest citizens to a reporter. That reporter, ProPublica’s... more

This week, we're sharing an episode of a show we love, Death, Sex & Money. We hope you enjoy it... more

This week we have for you ... not a whodunnit, but a what did I do? A listener tries a... more

The single issue that might decide the upcoming presidential election also happens to be: very confusing. Political economist Mark Blyth... more

25 years ago, The Sopranos, the best television show ever created, premiered. This week, a new documentary called Wise Guy asks... more

If you care about animals, but don't want to stop eating them... what's the least you could do while doing... more

For years, the must-have phone for the discerning drug trafficker or hitman was a brand you may not have heard... more

We are in an eighty-eight day sprint to the Presidential election. How would you follow this story if you wanted... more

A trip to Greenland, a chance encounter with Coolio, and the end of the world. (This summer we’re publishing some... more

An art heist in the crypto world plunges us headfirst into another mystery — why did so many celebrities suddenly... more

This week: Bitcoin. We trace it from its humble origins in a .PDF to the movement it has spawned, all... more

A story about a strange auction for perhaps the most valuable piece of paper in America. This summer we’re publishing... more

We travel to Germany to trace techno's history from Detroit to Berlin. The story of how, after the Wall fell,... more

Two Americans embark on a quest: fly across an ocean to try to get into the most exclusive nightclub in... more

This week, we try to understand an experience that 74% of Americans routinely report having. The first of many conversations... more

An internet breaking news story. As we told you last week, Google has begun offering AI-generated answers to search questions.... more

Last week, Google announced a fundamental change to how the site will work, which will likely have dire effects for... more

After stumbling on a new kind of search engine for faces, we called privacy journalist Kashmir Hill. She’s been reporting... more

A listener’s brother dies by suicide, and afterwards, she finds herself angered by trigger warnings about suicide. She wants to... more

Since not long after the car was invented, we have wanted to stick wings on them and fly them through... more

It’s an election year and so Search Engine’s campaign desk is answering the questions you really want answers to: all... more

In part two of our story, we watch the state of New York try to pull off something we rarely... more

In 2021, New York legalized cannabis for adults. It was supposed to be the start of a legal market, led by... more

We've launched a new premium feed called Incognito Mode. It includes bonus episodes of Search Engine and some other very... more

Something strange, new, and unsettling is happening in media right now. Huge institutions, both newspapers and online outlets, are being... more

"Hi David, I’m Vicky Ho. Don’t you remember me?" An investigative reporter travels halfway around the world to find out who... more

This episode will change how you look at games. We talk to Ben Brode, the designer behind Hearthstone and Marvel... more

Cockroaches were a scourge that scuttled through the cracks and crevices of homes all throughout America. And then one day,... more

A question that has launched a battle between bird-loving ecologists and ardent, cat-defending activists. What should we do about an... more

Actor Molly Ringwald joins us to talk about a time in her life when her job was to pretend to... more

This week, the shocking finale of our investigation into who -- or what -- has been leaving chicken bones strewn across the... more

A team of investigators with an unusual set of skills joins us this week to solve a mystery that haunts... more

This week, a question a podcast has no business trying to answer. We talk to writer A.J. Daulerio about his own... more

We bring you the shattering conclusion to our investigation into whether a New York City sushi restaurant is swapping their... more

We investigate unsettling rumors that fish purveyors may be mislabeling fish to save a buck. Our path leads us deep... more

This week, the story of a very brief, very absurd revolution at the world’s leading artificial intelligence company, OpenAI. And... more

A question from a four-year-old tips us into an investigation of one of our most fundamental taboos: cannibalism. With help... more

Every day in Manhattan, about 1,000 people will stand outside in a long line waiting for their chance to take... more

In part two of our story about ADHD medications, we approach the question from a different angle. We meet a doctor... more

One of the millions of millennials given prescription stimulants to treat ADHD decides to quit. And afterwards wonders -- how... more

Ezra Klein joins Search Engine this week to answer a question that's increasingly confounded us: how do I use the... more

Search Engine is VERY EXCITED to share the news that Heavyweight, one of our favorite shows, is now available wherever... more

Why would the government give Korianne a coupon for a free apartment that she can’t find? We have a question... more

This week, the story of former crypto wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried. The government alleges he stole over eight billion dollars from... more

They’re shiny rocks that we’ve somehow agreed embody romance and eternity. But diamonds, it turns out, are not as rare... more

Maya Hawke, of Stranger Things, would like to know why won’t Netflix just tell her how many people watch the show?... more

... Or, am I being lied to by a Brooklyn-based musician? At twenty-five, I had a question for The Hold... more

We speak to Luis, a former fentanyl dealer and user who tells us why a dealer might want to put... more

Isn't it bad business to kill your own customers? In part one of our answer to this question, we talk... more

Our quest for answers this week sends us over a hundred years into the past. We learn about the invisible... more

We interview writer Andrew Leland, who has been gradually losing his sight for two decades. Andrew takes us inside the... more

Search Engine investigates the erratic behavior of the world’s wealthiest man with Hard Fork’s Casey Newton. The three top theories... more

We enlist a very overqualified person to answer this question, writer Kelefa Sanneh, author of Major Labels: A History of Popular... more