WSJ’s The Future of Everything

The hallucinogenic compound psilocybin is undergoing a renaissance-not as a recreational drug but as a potential treatment for mental health conditions. We follow the journey of one participant of a scientific study into the psychedelic drug's effect on depression.

Trains that run from New York to California in a few hours, laptops that never overheat, and rockets that fly to Jupiter: These are some of the possibilities of superconductivity. After decades of failed experiments, a new discovery may have just gotten us a step closer.

When Chinese researchers published the draft genome of the virus that causes Covid-19 early last January, it altered the course of the pandemic--and possibly changed science forever. Will this spirit of information-sharing and collaboration persist beyond the current crisis?

In this episode, we feature a short documentary by Wall Street Journal senior personal technology columnist Joanna Stern that explores how we can use technology to tell our stories long after we die.

For the vast majority of humans, earth is our home. But that could soon change. Global efforts are underway to build sustainable habitats on the moon within the next decade or two. But beyond covering the necessities in an otherwise uninhabitable environment, we'll also need to consider the psychological effects of living in space, and what it will take to make the moon feel more like home.

Schools around the world are slowly adopting artificial intelligence to better tailor teaching to individual kids. One program maps a student's mastery of math; another assesses literacy and screens for dyslexia. Critics are skeptical that this technology is as effective as promised. Could surveilling students in this way do more harm than good?

The U.S. is holding the general election during a pandemic. Many voters are eager to vote by mail, while others remain wary of mail-in ballots. Just about everyone longs for a faster, more secure method to cast their vote without exposing themselves to SARS CoV 2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Many wonder why, if we do everything else on our phones, including banking, we can't vote with them. Some communities already tried blockchain assisted mobile voting but with mixed results. Many academics are stridently opposed to mobile voting. This episode will consider whether new technologies can help us find a more secure way to vote. We report on some options to in-person voting and review the security threats inherent in mobile or blockchain assisted voting. In a previous version of this podcast released on October 2nd, we said that Bradley Tusk was funding mobile voting apps, including the Voatz app. Tusk Philanthropies has given funding to voting precincts to launch mobile voting pilot programs - not to the apps themselves.

The coronavirus pandemic led to blood-donation shortages across the world, outlining the fragility of the pipeline. That has brought fresh urgency to research that has been decades in the making but is only now starting to become a reality: The production of artificial blood. Last year, researchers began a pioneering clinical trial, and more are on the way, bringing us closer to a world where blood factories augment supplies.

What if we could alert whales to stay away from oil spills? Or hear from dolphins directly when they want treats? Seamless conversation between animals and humans is still a far-off goal. But scientists think that machine-learning tools could open the door to communication with marine mammals. Listen to the first part of this two-part series, Google AI Tries to Save the Whales.

In the Pacific Northwest, an increase in shipping traffic is further threatening the orca population, which has already seen its numbers drop in the face of food shortages and climate change. One of the biggest threats from the boats is noise pollution, which interferes with the whales' ability to communicate. Engineers at a unit of Google may have an answer: An alert system that relies on artificial intelligence.

The America's Cup, the world's oldest sailing competition, has a reputation for fostering innovation. In 2013, contestants began to use hydrofoils-underwater wings on the hull-to lift their boats out of the water during the race, allowing them to reach highway speeds and revolutionizing the sport. An Olympic sailor and a billionaire oil trader are now reimagining the technology to make passenger ferries faster and more eco-friendly.

In recent weeks, protests have erupted in response to police violence against citizens - specifically communities of color - forcing departments to reconsider how officers do their jobs. Police forces have been using tech - like Tasers and body cameras - to try and reduce the use of lethal force and improve accountability. In this episode, we'll explore how emerging technology - like virtual reality training - could improve police training by boosting empathy and tackling racial bias.

The tiny, flying creatures carry all sorts of viruses but don't get sick. How do they do that? We meet the researchers who are mapping bat genomes and studying the animal's ability to fend off inflammation. What they find could help humans better combat the next pandemic.

Research on a vaccine for the new coronavirus is progressing swiftly because of the legacy of scientists working on past diseases. Some of society's most devastating viruses ended up improving the way we study illness and search for cures. We explore the thread that connects research on polio and the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, and consider whether the pandemic will inform future generations of virologists.

Viruses are ubiquitous, found in every crevice on earth. Some, like SARS CoV 2, can end up killing their hosts. But researchers credit ancient viruses with helping us form long term memories. As parts of the world reopen for business, we consider how these little packets of genetic material are not just our enemy, but helped us to evolve. Viruses, it turns out, shaped our genome, and will like be part of our evolutionary future.

Artificial Intelligence can speed up research and improve accuracy. Those qualities are also key to suppressing the spread of Covid-19. With the globe clamoring for solutions to the pandemic, institutions, governments, universities and startups are turning to AI to shave precious time off the quest for a Covid-19 cure.

The market for hemp-based CBD products is exploding. And China wants in on the potential profits. Some farmers are trading their corn crops for hemp in hopes of cashing in. But CBD is highly regulated in China, and THC is illegal. Will China make room for this lucrative product?

The nature of work is evolving. Technology is already an integral part of most jobs, but new developments are changing the way we navigate the workplace. From hiring managers using artificial intelligence and virtual reality, to apps that help workers find their way through maze-like mega offices, the office of tomorrow is already being tested. And lots of people are wondering if technological advancements will keep them working forever.

The clues to heredity hidden in our DNA have long been the purview of scientists. But in recent years, commercial DNA tests have made unlocking those secrets cheaper and easily accessible for millions of people. While most just find out about their ancestry, for some, the tests have opened Pandora's box. WSJ's Amy Dockser Marcus introduces us to three different stories of DNA tests with unexpected consequences.

For the past few decades, governments in earthquake-prone regions have built up early warning systems. Now, private tech companies are getting into the earthquake business. (Reporters Daniela Hernandez and Robbie Whelan)

The global videogame industry is estimated to be worth $150 billion dollar. And it's rapidly growing - and evolving. As part of the WSJ's Tech Live conference, Sports Columnist Jason Gay spoke with Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts - the makers of Apex Legends, Need for Speed, FIFA and The Sims - about how e-sports, mobile gaming on social networks and mixed reality games are changing the way people play.

Artificial intelligence has been called the "new electricity" - meaning that it will soon become a standard and integral part of the world as we know it. There's a growing arms race over the global dominance in AI - especially between the US and China. But what do experts in the field have to say? Where are they optimistic, where do they see challenges - and where are they raising red flags?

What will keep the engine of tech innovation running in an era of skeptical users and wary regulators? From driverless cars to outer-space colonies, two moonshot thinkers talk about their cutting-edge work and how calculated risks may spark the next giant leap for mankind.

Demand for donated organs far outstrips supply. But researchers are working to remedy the crisis using everything from gene-edited pigs to 3D-printed tissue.

Advances in gene editing and DNA analysis are allowing parents unprecedented control over the traits their children will inherit. We explore the science-and ethics-behind the movement.

Vegetables engineered with the gene-editing technology Crispr are moving closer to supermarket shelves. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has decided these genetically altered foods won't require a special label. But will they curry favor with consumers?

Lyme disease is rampant on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. MIT scientists believe that releasing genetically altered mice on the islands could curb-and even wipe out-the disease. A close look at an unprecedented environmental intervention.

In labs around the world, scientists are using gene-editing technology to revive species that disappeared from the face of the Earth long, long ago. In this episode, we talk to the researchers working on a project straight out of science fiction.

For decades, we've dreamt of an all-purpose robot that can cater to our every need. Silicon Valley is trying to catch up with that vision. One company is starting with a task already consuming our economy: home delivery.

The Apollo program to go to the moon marks the only time humans have left our home planet to set foot on another world. The biggest effect of this voyage was transforming the civilization it left behind.

What happens when an injury occurs on a commercial space flight or manned mission to Mars? Meet the scientists and astronauts studying how to keep us safe where routine care is impossible-and the closest hospital is a million miles away.

Self assembly could be a boon for manufacturing in extreme and resource poor environments. Meet the scientist experimenting with the tech to develop adaptive materials and land masses.

The duo behind Alexa and Amazon's in-home devices explain what's coming in the next wave of voice technology and machine learning that will power connected homes, search and shopping.

As tech giants embrace voice-enabled AI assistants to power purchases, play songs and deliver the weather report, hear the latest on Mica, Magic Leap's AI-powered virtual human, who wants to help you do more.

Scientists are looking to Earth's most extreme environments for clues about what alien lifeforms might look like. The data they gather could help future space explorers to understand the origins of life in the universe.

In Antarctica, robots are helping scientists explore how life evolves in extreme environments. Such missions are dress-rehearsals for future space exploration to the ice-covered moons of Jupiter and Saturn, where alien life could be thriving.

This week, it's all about how we buy stuff and how that stuff gets to us. David, Joanna and Christopher bring on WSJ reporter Katie Bindley to talk about how to make sure you're getting the best deals on Amazon-and all the ways what you see on the page might not be what you think. Next, Julie Jargon, the team's new Family & Tech columnist, comes on to talk about a project she worked on before she took up her new gig: The Journal's Delivery Wars series looked at the tension between customers who want everything on their doorstep and businesses who want to actually make money. Finally, Christopher interviews Yariv Bash, CEO of Flytrex, about whether drones could one day deliver everything we need right into our hands.

Encore edition: The wars of the future will be fought in megacities around the world by soldiers connected - and possibly even augmented - by neural implants and AI. In this episode, we examine how military leaders are preparing for a radical shift in combat.

Encore edition: Millions of people suffering from mental health issues are left untreated and undiagnosed. In this episode, we meet the psychologists and scientists studying how artificial intelligence can help.

Artificial intelligence will change all of our jobs, according to IBM's Chief Executive. But will the technology augment workers or replace them? Ms. Rometty spoke with WSJ Editor in Chief Matt Murray at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Our relationship with artificial entities is evolving. From quantifying romantic chemistry with AI to an app that gamifies dating, we explore how connections are made in a world where real-life encounters are increasingly shaped by our digital lives.

Shifting weather patterns and rising temperatures are altering what crops farmers can plant. In the last of a three-part series on climate, we examine how advancements in AI and genetics could help farms battle drought and crop disease.

As cattle farmers struggle with rising temperatures, scientists are scrambling to find solutions. In the second of a three-part series on climate, we meet a calf genetically engineered to withstand heat and get a taste of lab-grown beef.

Demand for wild seafood is rising--but so is the cost of bringing it ashore. In the first of a three-part series on climate, we meet the fisherman and scientists grappling with warming waters, shifting currents and rapidly changing economics.

Encore edition: Kenya and China have rapidly embraced mobile wallets. Why are Americans still reaching for cash and credit cards? We speak to the experts and explore a future where making a payment could be as easy as nodding your head.

The WSJ's David Pierce sits down with David Limp, Amazon's Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, to discuss Alexa's next moves. Plus, an inside look at how Amazon chose its newest headquarter locations.

Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of the ridesharing giant, talks with the WSJ's Gerard Baker about expanding Uber's reach, fixing its work culture and setting the course for an initial public offering.

Instagram Co-Founder Kevin Systrom sits down with Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Matt Murray to discuss social media's evolution amid increased content scrutiny.

The WSJ's Jason Anders sits down with Ruth Porat, CFO of Alphabet and Google, to discuss Google's equity culture, collaborating with the military and understanding AI bias.