Episodes

  • Why doesn’t anybody come to my parties?
    Jun 15 2026

    Claire Haber-Harris has a question. When she sends out an invitation, why does she get a tidal wave of excuses and no's? How could someone claim to have had the same stomach virus three times in a row? Search Engine investigates why a random American mom might be annoying people in her community.

    Cartoons Hate Her on Substack

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    47 mins
  • Why is the pool at Buckingham Palace a secret? (classic)
    Jun 5 2026

    An investigation into a mysterious room. A room that the most famous family in England apparently does not want you to see.

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Why do we have to pay into the new Anti-Weaponization Fund?
    May 29 2026

    The President has created a 1.776 billion dollar fund of taxpayer money he can direct to whoever he wants. Huh? How did this happen, and what might happen next? We talk to Pro Publica’s Jesse Eisinger, an investigative reporter who has played a strange role in this whole story.

    Listen to our series with Jesse: Why is it so hard to tax billionaires? (Part 1) and (Part 2)

    Check out the new ProPublica podcast Paper Trail.

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    40 mins
  • Presenting: Family Lore
    May 27 2026

    Presenting an episode of Family Lore, a new show on the Audacy network. The granddaughter of a prolific Jewish art collector who fled Europe during World War II embarks on a quest to recover the looted art.

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    35 mins
  • The many lives of Taiwan
    May 22 2026

    We go deep into the story of Taiwan. How a tiny island escaped demise, chartered a course from colonial subjugation through mass Barbie production and into the technological powerhouse it is today.


    The Tiger Leading the Dragon: How Taiwan Propelled China's Economic Rise by Shelley Rigger

    Get tickets to hear PJ read live! Friends With Words at Roulette


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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Why are people excited about nuclear power again?
    May 8 2026

    Nuclear energy was a taboo for decades, but it’s coming back, it’ll power AI data centers for Google and Microsoft. What does new nuclear technology look like, and why do the nuclear optimists believe this new tech is superior? Meltdowns, reactors that can fit in your backyard, and one podcaster’s heroic attempt to describe nuclear fission.

    Rachel Slaybaugh

    Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow (check out her book Atomic Dreams)

    Adam Stein

    Search Engine’s episodes on data centers: Colossus 1 & Colossus 2

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    50 mins
  • What if the cemetery goes out of business? (classic)
    May 1 2026

    We're supposed to be buried there forever, right? Right?? Answers this week from writer David Sloane, who grew up in a cemetery and spent his adult life studying them. The surprising history of the place we go where we die and an answer to what happens when it runs out of money.

    Is the Cemetery Dead? by David Charles Sloane

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    50 mins
  • Where’s the best free restaurant bread in America?
    Apr 24 2026

    An enterprising reporter goes on a quest to find the restaurant serving the absolute best free bread in this country, and finds it. She returns to Search Engine with her results.

    Read Caity Weaver’s story.

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    39 mins