What Next: TBD | Are We Over the Moon?

What Next: TBD | Are We Over the Moon?

The Trump administration wants NASA to land astronauts on the moon by 2027. They also want them to do it with their budget slashed, a leadership carousel and competing views that Mars is more important.  Guest: Joel Achenbach, freelance journalist and author of Moondoggle [https://slate.com/technology/2025/12/moon-space-nasa-mars-life-trump-elon-musk.html] If you want to support more of this reporting, in 2026 and beyond, consider signing up for Slate Plus. You’ll enjoy ad-free listening across the Slate network, early access to tickets for live events, and you’ll never hit the paywall on the site. Visit Slate.com/whatnextplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_content=What_Next&utm_campaign=plus_pod&tpcc=podcast-audio-plus_pod-What_Next] to sign up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

ICYMI | Twitter Is Dead (Really, We Mean It)

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by The Atlantic staff writer and host of the Galaxy Brain podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/galaxy-brain/id1378618386], Charlie Warzel. Charlie has been following the demise of Twitter, now called X, since Elon Musk took over in 2022. While many of Musk’s decisions have prompted people to declare the end of the app, the introduction of a new location feature undermines almost all of what was left of its relevance. Can we finally call it? Is this Twitter’s official time of death? This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

What Next: TBD | 2025: Dystopian Tech of the Year

Artificial intelligence boosters spent the year wedging the tech into our lives – whether we wanted it or not. But one new product brought A.I. from every app and website into the meatspace, forcing you to face it eye-to-eye. Guest: Nitish Pahwa, staff writer at Slate covering business and technology Want more What Next: TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/tbdplus [http://slate.com/whatnextplus] to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

What Next: TBD | 2025: The Meme of the Year

With so much online content, it can be hard for a meme to stay in the collective consciousness for more than a few days. But one meme this year managed to capture seemingly everyone’s attention - and challenge the definition of a meme altogether.  Guest: Kate Lindsay [https://slate.com/author/kate-lindsay], host of Slate’s ICYMI podcast.  If you want to support more of this reporting, in 2026 and beyond, consider signing up for Slate Plus. You’ll enjoy ad-free listening across the Slate network, early access to tickets for live events, and you’ll never hit the paywall on the site. We’re on a mission to get 100 people to join Slate Plus before the new year—and we’re even offering a 50-percent-off deal to folks who join us right now. Visit Slate.com/whatnextplus [https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_content=What_Next&utm_campaign=plus_pod&tpcc=podcast-audio-plus_pod-What_Next] and use the code TBD50 to get a year of Slate Plus for $59. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

ICYMI | Our Year of Brain Rot and Tech Dystopia

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by internet culture writer Kat Tenbarge to break down the most important internet moments of 2025. But not just any internet moments—specifically, the moments that fall under the three key themes that emerged in online culture over the past twelve months: brain rot, surveillance, and big tech dystopia. These themes not only defined how we lived life online in 2025, but have set the stage for what to expect in 2026. Were we wrong about the Astronomer CEO debacle? Will TikTok ever get banned? Is 6-7 finally over? This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from AC Valdez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]