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kill switch

kill switch

Kaleidoscope 71 Episodes May 18, 2026

Were we sleeping when everything changed? The technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, host Dexter Thomas explains the right NOW of our supercharged technological lives, answering questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer? The podcast also brings the DIY back to tech with a “How to Now” segment covering everything from running your own LLM to tips for keeping your data safe. The goal is to help listeners take back control in a world where devices are increasingly user-friendly but less understood.

Episodes

From Uncanny Valley: ‘Stop Trying to Unmask Satoshi Nakamoto’ Says Actor Ben McKenzie May 18, 2026 2066 Here’s a recent favorite of ours from our friends at the Uncanny Valley podcast. Actor Ben McKenzie (The O.C.) is out with a new documentary, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, which follows his journey into becoming an anti-cryptocurrency advocate. He says we should all stop trying to unmask the presumed original developer(s) of bitcoin known as Satoshi Nakamoto because it benefi
it's not sci-fi. mind-reading tech is here May 6, 2026 2446 Your brain is the last place companies don’t have access to… yet. But that’s changing fast. Nita Farahany, professor of law and philosophy at Duke University and author of The Battle for Your Brain, explains why the sci-fi future of mind-reading technology is here, and already sitting on the shelves at Best Buy. Dexter talks to Nita about how AI is learning to decode your mental
discord’s new age verification is about to spy on every message Apr 29, 2026 1996 Discord announced it would start scanning users' account data to guess their age and if it couldn't figure out how old you were, it would ask for your government ID or a face scan. Gamers lost it, and within weeks, Discord backed down. But the fight isn't over. Dexter talks with Rin Alajaji of the Electronic Frontier Foundation about why age verification doesn't actually protect kids, how Californ
new from kaleidoscope: two percent with michael easter Apr 27, 2026 1802 This week, we’re sharing a clip from another podcast we’re excited about. Two Percent with Michael Easter is a deep dive into the science of living better, balancing rigorous evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism to cut through the noise of the modern wellness industry. In this episode, Michael takes a nuanced look at vices and whether some of them might actually enhance your life
this is the wellness wild west Apr 22, 2026 2374 The wellness and health tech space is more crowded and confusing than ever – influencers are selling dubious health and beauty products and tech companies are developing wearables that track everything, from your sleep to your blood. Victoria Song, senior reviewer at The Verge, calls it the “wellness wild west.” Dexter talks to Victoria about the growing wellness trends online, t
why are AI agents everywhere? and how useful are they, actually? Apr 15, 2026 2580 AI agents can do stuff for you: like organize meetings or, accidentally delete your hard drive. Is this the future Silicon Valley wants for us? To get a preview of what it might be like, Evan Ratliff launched a startup with almost exclusively AI employees and documented the whole thing in his podcast Shell Game. Dexter talks with Evan about what it feels like to have a robot apologize for interrup
why the IRS killed a free, easy way to file your taxes Apr 8, 2026 1797 Direct File promised a free and easy way for Americans to file their taxes, but after two successful tax seasons, it was shut down. Dexter talks with Merici Vinton, who helped build Direct File, about the project's development, why it was an example of a good government program, and how lobbying from private tax companies and DOGE’s involvement ultimately led to its downfall. Could Direct Fi
why Iran is winning the AI propaganda war Apr 1, 2026 2154 Wartime propaganda isn’t new – but the use of AI slop in churning out propaganda videos is. And in this proxy war, Iran is winning. Dexter talks to Matthew Gault, who recently wrote about the Iran-US slopaganda war for 404 Media, about the strategy behind Iran’s videos, why the US is losing online, and how AI has amplified an age-old war tactic. Read Matthew’s piece for 404
he monetized the web. now he has a plan to fix it Mar 25, 2026 2308 Ethan Zuckerman helped design the amateur web as we know it. In the 90s, he worked at Tripod, providing free web space for anyone to build their own site. His invention, pop-up ads, helped make that possible. The industry ran with it, and the Internet was never the same.Since then, Ethan’s been on a mission to fix the Internet and bring it back to what he hoped it would be – he even su
how the tech boom is killing India’s best coders Mar 18, 2026 2055 India’s tech industry was supposed to be a ticket to the middle class, a way out of poverty. Instead, for many workers, it’s become something else: long hours, intense competition, and a growing mental health crisis. Dexter talks to journalist Parth MN about the mounting pressure inside India’s tech workforce, the rise in suicides among engineers, and how a system built for relen
who is palantir, and why are they involved with ICE? Mar 11, 2026 2202 Do you know what Palantir does? Don’t feel bad: neither do a lot of their employees. In fact, WIRED senior writer Makena Kelly recently uncovered company chat logs showing how angry and confused Palantir workers are about the company’s involvement with ICE. Dexter talks to Makena about this new reporting, what exactly the company is providing ICE, and how the company creates mystery be
why is the government fighting with claude? Mar 5, 2026 1827 kill switch went live on March 4th to cover one of the newsier topics of the week: the fight between the US government and Anthropic, the company behind Claude. Dexter talked to WIRED senior writer, Will Knight, to discuss what exactly is happening, why, and the stakes for all of us. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to catch our next live episode: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod Got someth

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