KQED Science News Podcast
1) In Search of Thock: The Quest for the Perfect Keyboard
“Clicky,” “Clacky,” and “Poppy” may sound like the latest cereal elves but they’re actually ways to describe the sounds of typing on a mechanical keyboard. What started as a niche hobby blew up during...Show More
2) AI Prophets and Spiritual Delusions
AI delusions, chatbot psychosis, AI-induced religious mania… The phenomenon goes by many names, but the common thread is the same: someone starts talking to an AI chatbot, the conversation turns spiri...Show More
3) Groypers, Doxxing and Charlie Kirk’s Death as a S***post
What is a “groyper?” The term began trending on Google in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death. Kirk, the right-wing podcaster and Turning Point USA co-founder, was fatally shot last Wednesday during...Show More
4) 23andMe (andGeneticPrivacy)
When 23andMe filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, it set off alarm bells among privacy experts and consumers alike. According to a 2025 survey, about 1 in 5 Americans has taken a home DNA test. Amo...Show More
5) From MIT’s TeachLab: The Homework Machine
The Close All Tabs team is taking the week off, but we wanted to share something else we think you’ll be into: a new mini series from MIT’s TeachLab Podcast. It’s called The Homework Machine, and it d...Show More
6) Teachers Strike Back Against AI Cheating
Cheating in school isn’t new. But with AI making it easier than ever, teachers face a new challenge: where to draw the line and how to make sure students are still learning. In this episode, we’ll tak...Show More
7) Before ChatGPT, There Were 'Shadow Scholars'
Thousands of writers in Kenya make their living ghostwriting academic papers for wealthy Western students. It’s an industry known as “contract cheating” or “essay mills,” and is the subject of a new ...Show More
8) Does Gen Z Have A Staring Problem?
Have you heard of the “Gen Z stare”? It’s the blank look some Gen Zers seem to give instead of the usual greetings or small talk—and it’s the latest skirmish in a years-long generation war between Gen...Show More
9) Is Algospeak Coming for Us?
Social media creators started using words like “unalive” and “seggs” to dodge algorithmic filters that might suppress “inappropriate” content. But these workarounds aren’t staying online. They’re leak...Show More
10) Save or Scroll: ICE + Influencers, Data Hygiene on Grindr, and Labubu Desserts
In another installment of Save or Scroll, Morgan teams up with internet culture writers Daysia Tolentino and Moises Mendez II to dig into the stories they can’t stop thinking about. From people callin...Show More