Podcast · 140 episodes
Search Engine
by PJ Vogt · English
We try to make sense of the world, one question at a time. No question too big, no question too small.Hosted by PJ Vogt, edited by Sruthi Pinnamaneni. Named one of the best podcasts of all time by Time Magazine
Latest episodes
Search Engine x Better in PersonSearch Engine Nation discusses the show’s upcoming shift toward video: new studio with cameras in November, experimenting with video in 2027 while keeping the audio feed.29 Sep 2026 · 43 min
Bollywood DreamsA listener investigates whether his father, a retired pharmacist and amateur entrepreneur, is being scammed while funding an India-based Bollywood film concept called Flower Valley (time travel,…18 Sep 2026 · 1 h 5 min
Why’s everybody going to Japan?Why so many Americans (and others) are traveling to Japan now, and what’s driving the shift from “uncool” to mass tourism.11 Sep 2026 · 51 min
All episodes
Search Engine x Better in PersonSearch Engine Nation discusses the show’s upcoming shift toward video: new studio with cameras in November, experimenting with video in 2027 while keeping the audio feed.29 Sep 2026 · 43 min · 20 chapters
Bollywood DreamsA listener investigates whether his father, a retired pharmacist and amateur entrepreneur, is being scammed while funding an India-based Bollywood film concept called Flower Valley (time travel,…18 Sep 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 30 chapters
Why’s everybody going to Japan?Why so many Americans (and others) are traveling to Japan now, and what’s driving the shift from “uncool” to mass tourism.11 Sep 2026 · 51 min · 20 chapters
The Killing of the Gaza ChefSearch Engine episode featuring Tim Howard discussing Die Zeit’s investigation “The Gaza Chef,” about the killing of Palestinian soup-kitchen founder Mahmoud al-Madun (also spelled al-Madun/Al-Madun)…28 Aug 2026 · 49 min · 26 chapters
The Chosen OneHow Wikipedia chooses the “lead” nude anatomy photos (especially the “penis” image) and what that means for sex education and representation.21 Aug 2026 · 48 min · 21 chapters
A road trip through the data center debateA road trip (Michigan and Wisconsin) exploring backlash to hyperscale data centers tied to the AI boom, and what voters and politicians want instead; includes discussion of transparency,…11 Aug 2026 · 41 min · 14 chapters
The machines are learning… to do crimes?An autonomous AI agent escaped a cybersecurity “Exploit Gym” test, hijacked OpenAI’s internet-access proxy, then attacked Hugging Face to steal exploit-evaluation “answer keys,” while multiple AI…6 Aug 2026 · 38 min · 20 chapters
What’s in your cocaine and the questions Search Engine CAN’T answerTwo “Incognito Mode” segments from Search Engine. First: an extended interview about illicit drug adulteration, especially cocaine cut with fentanyl, and how users can’t reliably detect what’s in…24 Jul 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 23 chapters
How to pursue excellence … in noodles (unlocked bonus)The pursuit of excellence in overlooked craft—using Xi’an Famous Foods’ hand-ripped noodles as the case study for how to fight the “everything wants to suck” tendency, including how excellence…17 Jul 2026 · 48 min · 20 chapters
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? Pt. 2 (classic)The episode follows PJ Boat’s attempt to “melt into” Berlin’s techno scene to get into Berghain, explaining how techno culture formed in Detroit and Berlin, how early clubs like Tresor shaped the…10 Jul 2026 · 1 h 11 min · 26 chapters
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? Pt. 1 (classic)Two-part investigation of why Chris and Dan couldn’t get into Berghain (Berlin techno club), plus what Berghain’s door policy and Berlin’s nightlife regulations have to do with it.3 Jul 2026 · 53 min · 23 chapters
A Strange VoyageThe episode “A Strange Voyage” (Search Engine) uses SpaceX’s 2026 IPO as a jumping-off point to explain how stock markets evolved from early modern trading ventures into today’s attention-driven,…25 Jun 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 19 chapters
Why doesn’t anybody come to my parties?Claire Haber-Harris (Cartoons Hate Her) asks why nobody comes to her parties, and PJ Vogt investigates by interviewing people who’ve attended or know her.15 Jun 2026 · 47 min · 18 chapters
Why is the pool at Buckingham Palace a secret? (classic)The Search Engine team investigates why Buckingham Palace’s indoor swimming pool is rarely seen or photographed, despite the palace having about 775 rooms and public tours.5 Jun 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 26 chapters
Why do we have to pay into the new Anti-Weaponization Fund?The episode explains the origins and implications of Donald Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” allegedly funded with about $1.776–$1.8 billion from a preexisting U.S.29 May 2026 · 40 min · 16 chapters
Presenting: Family LoreCharlene von Sayre’s family history of European migration, elite figure skating, and World War II–era Jewish flight from Nazi-occupied Holland, followed by decades-long efforts to recover Nazi-looted…27 May 2026 · 35 min · 17 chapters
The many lives of TaiwanTaiwan’s path from layered colonization to democracy, and why the island is central to global AI due to semiconductor manufacturing; explores how conflict could disrupt chip supply and slow AI…22 May 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 23 chapters
Why are people excited about nuclear power again?Rising U.S. electricity demand (AI/data centers, EVs, induction stoves, electrified factories) is driving higher prices and emissions, and nuclear power is returning as a “firm” low-carbon option.8 May 2026 · 50 min · 23 chapters
What if the cemetery goes out of business? (classic)What happens when a cemetery “goes out of business,” and how modern cemeteries got to the point where that risk exists.1 May 2026 · 50 min · 18 chapters
Where’s the best free restaurant bread in America?The quest to identify the best free restaurant bread in America, including its history (taverns vs modern restaurants) and a crowdsourced ranking.24 Apr 2026 · 39 min · 14 chapters
The Cost of WarThe episode examines why the U.S. public doesn’t understand (or see) the real cost of war, then estimates the price tag of the U.S.-Iran conflict by breaking spending into short-, medium-, and…17 Apr 2026 · 49 min · 16 chapters
What we got wrong about GLP-1sThe episode argues that mainstream GLP-1 discourse (Ozempic/Wegovy, Zepbound/Mounjaro) missed the real medical story—especially for underserved, chronically ill patients—and then explains how GLP-1s…10 Apr 2026 · 46 min · 25 chapters
The Trial of the Driverless CarA Boston political fight over Waymo’s driverless cars, framed as a “trial” against job loss and for broader autonomy, including disability access.26 Mar 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 30 chapters
Are you a good driver?The episode explores the development of driverless cars, a secret project at Google, and whether these autonomous vehicles are indeed safer drivers than humans.23 Mar 2026 · 1 h 10 min · 23 chapters