Episodes

  • How the Ukraine-Russia war is reshaping the tech sector in Eastern Europe

    How the Ukraine-Russia war is reshaping the tech sector in Eastern Europe
    Mar 12 2025
    Startups in Latvia and other nearby countries see the mobilization of Ukraine as a warning and as inspiration. They are now changing consumer products—from scooters to recreational drones—for use on the battlefield. This story was written by Peter Guest and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
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    31 mins
  • AI search could break the web

    AI search could break the web
    Mar 5 2025
    At its best, AI search can better infer a user’s intent, amplify quality content, and synthesize information from diverse sources. But if AI search becomes our primary portal to the web, it threatens to disrupt an already precarious digital economy. Today, the production of content online depends on a fragile set of incentives tied to virtual foot traffic: ads, subscriptions, donations, sales, or brand exposure. By shielding the web behind an all-knowing chatbot, AI search could deprive creators of the visits and “eyeballs” they need to survive. This story was written by Benjamin Brooks and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
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    11 mins
  • The messy quest to replace drugs with electricity

    The messy quest to replace drugs with electricity
    Feb 26 2025
    “Electroceuticals” promised the post-pharma future for medicine. But the exclusive focus on the nervous system is seeming less and less warranted. This story was written by Sally Adee and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
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    39 mins
  • The weeds are winning

    The weeds are winning
    Feb 19 2025
    As the climate changes, genetic engineering will be essential for growing food. But is it creating a race of superweeds? This story was written by Douglas Main and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
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    19 mins
  • Why AI could eat quantum computing’s lunch

    Why AI could eat quantum computing’s lunch
    Feb 12 2025
    Tech companies have been funneling billions of dollars into quantum computers for years. The hope is that they’ll be a game changer for fields as diverse as finance, drug discovery, and logistics. Those expectations have been especially high in physics and chemistry, where the weird effects of quantum mechanics come into play. In theory, this is where quantum computers could have a huge advantage over conventional machines. But while the field struggles with the realities of tricky quantum hardware, another challenger is making headway in some of these most promising use cases. AI is now being applied to fundamental physics, chemistry, and materials science in a way that suggests quantum computing’s purported home turf might not be so safe after all. This story was written by Edd Gent and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
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    18 mins
  • The race to save our online lives from a digital dark age

    The race to save our online lives from a digital dark age
    Feb 6 2025
    We’re making more data than ever. What can—and should—we save for future generations? And will they be able to understand it? This story was written by Niall Firth and narrated by Noa.
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    26 mins
  • Is this the end of animal testing?

    Is this the end of animal testing?
    Jan 29 2025
    More than 60 companies now produce organs on chips commercially, focusing on five major organs: liver, kidney, lung, intestines, and brain. They’re already being used to understand diseases, discover and test new drugs, and explore personalized approaches to treatment. Could this be the end of animal testing? This story was written by Harriet Brown and narrated by Noa.
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    21 mins
  • Meet the divers trying to figure out how deep humans can go

    Meet the divers trying to figure out how deep humans can go
    Jan 22 2025
    Figuring out how the human body can withstand underwater pressure has been a problem for over a century, but a ragtag band of divers is experimenting with hydrogen to find out. This story was written by Samantha Schuyler and narrated by Noa.
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    25 mins