Best PJ Vogt Podcasts (2024)

1
Genesis 1:08:50

1h ago1:08:50

1:08:50

This week: Bitcoin. We trace it from its humble origins in a .PDF to the movement it has spawned, all over three days at an enormous Bitcoin conference in Miami. (This summer we’re publishing some of our favorite episodes from our previous series, Crypto Island.) Support the show over at searchengine.show! To learn more about listener data and our …

1
The Bidding War 51:18

1d ago51:18

51:18

A story about a strange auction for perhaps the most valuable piece of paper in America. This summer we’re publishing some of our favorite episodes from our previous series, Crypto Island. Support the show over at searchengine.show! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn mor…

51
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? (Part 2) 1:13:34

17d ago1:13:34

1:13:34

We travel to Germany to trace techno's history from Detroit to Berlin. The story of how, after the Wall fell, Berlin exorcised its brutal past with a very strange, decade-long party. A mission that takes us all the way to the gates of Berghain. Music Credits: Original composition in this episode by Armen Bazarian. Additional Tracks: Game One - Infi…

51
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? (Part 1) 55:18

23d ago55:18

55:18

Two Americans embark on a quest: fly across an ocean to try to get into the most exclusive nightclub in the world – Berghain. A German techno palace where the line outside can last 8 hours, and the bouncers are merciless in their judgments. The club does not explain how it makes its decisions about who can enter, but one foolish podcaster will try …

1
What does it feel like to believe in God? 1:07:06

29d ago1:07:06

1:07:06

This week, we try to understand an experience that 74% of Americans routinely report having. The first of many conversations (perhaps?). This one, an interview with Zvika Krieger. Support the show: searchengine.show To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad c…

1
How much glue should you put in your pizza? 45:44

1M ago45:44

45:44

An internet breaking news story. As we told you last week, Google has begun offering AI-generated answers to search questions. But some answers, it turns out, are strange. Users were told, for instance, that glue was an appropriate ingredient for homemade pizza. We talk to reporter Katie Notopolous, who baked and ate her own homemade glue pizza. Su…

1451
How do we survive the media apocalypse? (Part 2) 1:04:22

2M ago1:04:22

1:04:22

Last week, Google announced a fundamental change to how the site will work, which will likely have dire effects for the news industry. When you use Google now, the site will often offer AI-generated summaries to you, instead of favoring human-written articles. We talk to Platformer’s Casey Newton about why this is happening, why publishers are nerv…

1701
Should this creepy search engine exist? 1:00:56

2M ago1:00:56

1:00:56

After stumbling on a new kind of search engine for faces, we called privacy journalist Kashmir Hill. She’s been reporting on the very sudden and unregulated rise of these facial search engines. Here’s the story of the very first one, the mysterious person who made it, and the copycats it helped spawn. Support the show: searchengine.show To learn mo…

1851
What do trigger warnings actually do? 59:29

3M ago59:29

59:29

A listener’s brother dies by suicide, and afterwards, she finds herself angered by trigger warnings about suicide. She wants to know — are these actually helping other people? Or is it just something we do because we think we’re supposed to? Support the show: searchengine.show To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https…

2201
Where's my flying car? 55:40

3M ago55:40

55:40

Since not long after the car was invented, we have wanted to stick wings on them and fly them through the sky. This week, we interview writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus about the surprisingly long history of actual, working flying cars in America. Plus, what it's like to actually fly in a modern flying car. Read Gideon's article! Support the show! To learn…

2351
Do political yard signs actually do anything? 37:09

3M ago37:09

37:09

It’s an election year and so Search Engine’s campaign desk is answering the questions you really want answers to: all the political yard signs in your neighbors’ yards … do they do anything besides make everyone like each other less? An experiment that definitively answers this question. Support the show! To learn more about listener data and our p…

1
Why are there so many illegal weed stores in New York City? (Part 2) 1:08:42

4M ago1:08:42

1:08:42

In part two of our story, we watch the state of New York try to pull off something we rarely see in America: a kind of reparations. A very ambitious dream encounters a thicket of details and complications. The whole time, cameras roll, broadcasting the meetings on YouTube. Help support the show! To learn more about listener data and our privacy pra…

1
Why are there so many illegal weed stores in New York City? (Part 1) 52:19

4M ago52:19

52:19

In 2021, New York legalized cannabis for adults. It was supposed to be the start of a legal market, led by people arrested during prohibition. Instead, a strange new market has flourished, seemingly every formerly empty store in the city now sells weed. How'd that happen? In part one, the history of prohibition and how it helps explain the mess we'…

1
A big announcement from Search Engine plus, "What's in your cocaine?" 13:51

4M ago13:51

13:51

We've launched a new premium feed called Incognito Mode. It includes bonus episodes of Search Engine and some other very special features. We're including a preview episode here: an interview with a very candid, high-level drug dealer about adulterants in the illicit drug supply. Sign up now, at searchengine.show or go there to learn more. (More th…

1
How do we survive the media apocalypse? 1:02:37

4M ago1:02:37

1:02:37

Something strange, new, and unsettling is happening in media right now. Huge institutions, both newspapers and online outlets, are being severely transformed by layoffs. As a person just trying to find good information on the internet, what are you supposed to do? We’re joined this week again by Ezra Klein, who has an explanation for why this is ha…

1
Who's behind these scammy text messages we've all been getting? 1:11:52

5M ago1:11:52

1:11:52

"Hi David, I’m Vicky Ho. Don’t you remember me?" An investigative reporter travels halfway around the world to find out who is sending him random wrong number texts and why. After you hear this story, you'll never look at these messages the same way again. You can grab a copy of Zeke's book, Number Go Up, here. If you want to support Search Engine,…

1
How do you make an addictive video game? 53:43

5M ago53:43

53:43

This episode will change how you look at games. We talk to Ben Brode, the designer behind Hearthstone and Marvel Snap, about how a creative person learns to make the things they love, and about the secret ideas hiding in games as simple as rock-papers-scissors. If you'd like to support the show, head to our newsletter. To learn more about listener …

1
Where did all the roaches go? 42:07

5M ago42:07

42:07

Cockroaches were a scourge that scuttled through the cracks and crevices of homes all throughout America. And then one day, large numbers of them mysteriously disappeared. A miracle for humankind? Sure. But for cockroaches: the world's grimmest true crime story. This story is a collaboration with our friends over at Radio Atlantic. If you want to s…

1
What are we gonna do about all these cats? 53:39

5M ago53:39

53:39

A question that has launched a battle between bird-loving ecologists and ardent, cat-defending activists. What should we do about an invasive species beloved by many Americans -- cats? We hear from people on both sides of the war, and from one person who sits exactly in the middle. Support the show! To learn more about listener data and our privacy…

1
How do you survive fame? 1:12:50

6M ago1:12:50

1:12:50

Actor Molly Ringwald joins us to talk about a time in her life when her job was to pretend to be a normal American teenager, a job which made it impossible to actually be a normal American teenager. How did she learn to survive? In an era when the internet has turned many more people into public figures, what can everybody else learn from her? Plus…

1
Why are there so many chicken bones on the street? (Part 2) 35:23

6M ago35:23

35:23

This week, the shocking finale of our investigation into who -- or what -- has been leaving chicken bones strewn across the sidewalks of American cities. Our team of investigators returns with surveillance footage, and a recording of a superintendent with a rat-hitting stick. Plus, an exclusive interview with a public servant with a vision for a re…

1
Why are there so many chicken bones on the street? (Part 1) 40:51

6M ago40:51

40:51

A team of investigators with an unusual set of skills joins us this week to solve a mystery that haunts dog owners across modern American cities. On our journey, we'll have video surveillance, thousands of years of poultry history, and some hard truths about highway apples. Check out Manny, Noah, and Devan online. And if you'd like to support Searc…

1
When do you know it’s time to stop drinking? 1:00:44

6M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

This week, a question a podcast has no business trying to answer. We talk to writer A.J. Daulerio about his own story of recovery, and the story of how he found himself opening a very unusual community on the internet. You can find the Search Engine newsletter here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.auda…

1
Am I the victim of an international sushi scam? (Part 2) 42:24

7M ago42:24

42:24

We bring you the shattering conclusion to our investigation into whether a New York City sushi restaurant is swapping their tuna rolls for “the ex-lax fish.” The DNA test is in. Can we trust anyone? Are our fish safe to eat? What’s the email address where you submit for the Pulitzers? We have answers. Plus a bonus this week — the 5-second rule is p…

1
Am I the victim of an international sushi scam? (Part 1) 45:01

8M ago45:01

45:01

We investigate unsettling rumors that fish purveyors may be mislabeling fish to save a buck. Our path leads us deep into the shadowy world of blackmarket fish sales, and sends us hot on the trail of the infamous ex-lax fish. Plus, we look back to antiquity for the first ever recorded emergency podcast. Support the show at pjvogt.com! To learn more …

1
Who should be in charge of AI? 56:45

8M ago56:45

56:45

This week, the story of a very brief, very absurd revolution at the world’s leading artificial intelligence company, OpenAI. And we try to answer the quite real question that might be animating all of the drama. Check out Casey Newton's newsletter Platformer and our newsletter, too. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit:…

1
Why don’t we eat people? 1:01:13

8M ago1:01:13

1:01:13

A question from a four-year-old tips us into an investigation of one of our most fundamental taboos: cannibalism. With help from New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield and writer Kelefa Sanneh. Support the show! at pjvogt.substack.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn …

1
The Bull of Wall Street 51:27

9M ago51:27

51:27

Every day in Manhattan, about 1,000 people will stand outside in a long line waiting for their chance to take a picture with a bronze bull. On many of those days, PJ Vogt stares at the scene trying to decode what exactly is going on here. This week, he get answers, and a story that leads back to one of the most peculiar art crimes of the 1980s. If …

1
Why'd I take speed for twenty years? (Part 2) 48:50

9M ago48:50

48:50

In part two of our story about ADHD medications, we approach the question from a different angle. We meet a doctor who spent two decades convinced that her brain does not work correctly, and who struggled to find someone who believed her. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Lea…

1
Why'd I take speed for twenty years? (Part 1) 58:49

9M ago58:49

58:49

One of the millions of millennials given prescription stimulants to treat ADHD decides to quit. And afterwards wonders -- how did these drugs becomes so popular, so fast? This week, the story of amphetamine's birth, life, death, and rebirth in America. (Methylphenidates, too.) If you want to comment on this episode or financially support the show, …

1
Is there a sane way to use the internet? 59:59

9M ago59:59

59:59

Ezra Klein joins Search Engine this week to answer a question that's increasingly confounded us: how do I use the internet now? How do I get information about the things I care about, without getting sucked into a vortex of opinion, unearned certainty, and yelling? If you'd like reading recommendations based on this episode, or if you'd like to sup…

1
Heavyweight x Search Engine 41:44

10M ago41:44

41:44

Search Engine is VERY EXCITED to share the news that Heavyweight, one of our favorite shows, is now available wherever you download podcasts. To celebrate, and to herald the release of their new season, we're sharing one of our favorite episodes of the show. We will be back with a new episode of our own on October 21. To learn more about listener d…

1
The Fond Du Lac Apartment Mystery 56:23

10M ago56:23

56:23

Why would the government give Korianne a coupon for a free apartment that she can’t find? We have a question from a listener who finds herself very lost in Wisconsin. And a bonus question, from the internet’s own Taylor Lorenz: What happens when you pay someone else to surf your internet? If you want to see the images & videos referenced in this ep…

1
Where did the 8 billion dollars go? 1:07:44

10M ago1:07:44

1:07:44

This week, the story of former crypto wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried. The government alleges he stole over eight billion dollars from the customers of the crypto exchange he started, FTX. Our question ... how do you blow eight billion dollars? Investigative financial reporter Zeke Faux helps us answer our question. Be sure to check out Zeke's book, N…

1
Why are we still buying diamonds? 58:03

10M ago58:03

58:03

They’re shiny rocks that we’ve somehow agreed embody romance and eternity. But diamonds, it turns out, are not as rare as we think. And these days, they can be made in a lab. So why do we continue to spend so much money on them? This week, the story of a century-long, international scheme. And the story of how it fell apart. If you want to see the …

1
Why’s it so hard to figure out how many people watch Stranger Things? 58:04

10M ago58:04

58:04

Maya Hawke, of Stranger Things, would like to know why won’t Netflix just tell her how many people watch the show? Plus the question underneath that question … might the internet have broken our TV industry? We get answers with help from Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw. Review the show! Check out my newsletter this week for some thoughts about how this stor…

1
Does anyone actually like their job? 43:28

11M ago43:28

43:28

... Or, am I being lied to by a Brooklyn-based musician? At twenty-five, I had a question for The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn. This week, I finally got to ask it. If you have questions or comments about this episode, or if you'd like to support the show, head to our newsletter: pjvogt.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices vis…

1
Why are drug dealers putting fentanyl in everything? (Part 2) 49:04

11M ago49:04

49:04

We speak to Luis, a former fentanyl dealer and user who tells us why a dealer might want to put fentanyl in less lethal drugs. Luis also tells us how he learned the rules of dealing, and how the rules changed over his multi-decade career. If you have questions or comments about this episode, or if you'd like to support the show, head to our newslet…

1
Why are drug dealers putting fentanyl in everything? (Part 1) 38:19

12M ago38:19

38:19

Isn't it bad business to kill your own customers? In part one of our answer to this question, we talk to reporter Ben Westhoff, who helps us understand how Fentanyl became a street drug in the first place. He'll share recordings taped in a Chinese Fentanyl lab, and explain why some dealers might want to poison their own customers with the drug. If …

1
Why can’t we just turn the empty offices into apartments? 46:44

12M ago46:44

46:44

Our quest for answers this week sends us over a hundred years into the past. We learn about the invisible rules and fights that determine what our neighborhoods look like. We also learn about houses with backyard roller coasters, tiny apartments inside of shopping malls, and then we think a little bit about death. Happy Friday! If you have question…

1
What's it like to slowly go blind? 57:49

12M ago57:49

57:49

We interview writer Andrew Leland, who has been gradually losing his sight for two decades. Andrew takes us inside the blind internet, and teaches us how you deal with anxiety about the things you can't control that aren't going away. Check out Andrew's new book, The Country of the Blind. If you have questions or comments about this episode, or if …

1
What's going on with Elon Musk? 1:00:34

1y ago1:00:34

1:00:34

Search Engine investigates the erratic behavior of the world’s wealthiest man with Hard Fork’s Casey Newton. The three top theories for why Elon Musk has begun to act strangely, including one theory that upset our understanding of reality itself. If you'd like to read more about this episode or support the show financially, go here. To learn more a…

1
How do I find new music now that I’m old and irrelevant? 45:02

1y ago45:02

45:02

We enlist a very overqualified person to answer this question, writer Kelefa Sanneh, author of Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres. Kelefa listens to more music than practically anyone on earth, and this week he breaks down how even a normal person can find new stuff when they feel like their ears have rusted. Check out the Sea…

1
Wait, should I not be drinking airplane coffee? 53:16

1y ago53:16

53:16

Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski has heard a disgusting rumor — that the coffee on airplanes is unsafe to drink because the onboard water tanks are only cleaned once a year. We investigate and learn some disgusting lessons along the way. Go to our newsletter here to see the images referenced in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our pri…

1
How sad are the monkeys in the zoo? 40:31

1y ago40:31

40:31

To answer this question, we’ll unpack a scientific battle centuries in the making, one that involves a serial killer elephant and a suicidal dog. We’ll also learn a new way that people who are ambivalent about zoos can now go to zoos in good conscience. Guest: Dr. Laurel Braitman, author of Animal Madness. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Ani…

1
Introducing: Search Engine 1:09

1+ y ago1:09

1:09

No question too big, no question too small. A new show that’ll be out soon. You can hear it here, on this feed. The one you're on now. Question you'd like answered? Email pjvogt85@gmail.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podc…

1
09 The End 55:29

1+ y ago55:29

55:29

A trip to Greenland, a chance encounter with Coolio, and the end of the world. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesBy PJ Vogt, Audacy, Jigsaw

1
08 The Kidnapping of Ape #8398 40:55

2y ago40:55

40:55

An art heist in the crypto world plunges us headfirst into another mystery — why did so many celebrities suddenly start selling us on NFTs last year? (To help support the show or subscribe to the free newsletter, check out http://www.pjvogt.com) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-pol…