Believe It

Elon Musk has claimed that AI is humanity’s “biggest existential threat.” Paradoxically, Musk is also working to create artificial intelligence. Why? Jill Lepore tours through a century of imagined robot rebellions, and argues that these stories are never only about robots. So wh ...  Show more

In 2022, Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, and renamed it X. When asked why he wanted to own the social media network, Musk talked a lot about something he called the “woke mind virus.” Where does the idea of a mind virus come from? Jill Lepore looks to Cold War science f ...  Show more

In 1938 Orson Welles produced a series of radio dramas, including one based on "War of the Worlds." The broadcast caused a mass panic, since many believed it was a real news program. In this episode, we discuss why so many mistook the show as real.

In 1923, a new periodical was launched to guide listeners through the BBC’s nascent radio offerings. Its name? The Radio Times. Across the coming decades, it not only featured radio and TV listings, but also offered a window into the nation’s changing media and social landscape. ...  Show more

The 1938 Orson Welles radio play of "War of the Worlds" allegedly created widespread panic among a gullible listening audience, but in the eight-plus decades since the program was broadcast, the public has acclimated itself to the possibility of visitation by an alien intelligenc ...  Show more

Back in 1982, Key West seceded from the United States. Don’t believe us? It’s true! Just listen to the episode, will you?

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