With the new Mission Impossible film playing in cinemas, the Unexpected Elements team is channelling Tom Cruise’s energy to see if scientists can push the boundaries of what is considered ‘impossible.’
First up, we fuse medieval alchemy with particle physics and explore a method to turn lead into gold. We then look at the latest research that uses artificial intelligence to help us humans communicate with animals.
We put the spotlight on a favourite trope of science-fiction films – time travel! String theorist Brian Greene of Columbia University explains how going to the past, or back to the future, may or may not be hypothetically possible.
We also ponder ancient auroras, whether ants can plan a Hollywood-style heist, and what it takes to understand our consciousness.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Affelia Wibisono and Andrada Fiscutean
Producer: Imaan Moin, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Studio engineer: Mike Mallen
In April 1945, in the last days of the war in Europe, everything was falling apart for the Third Reich.
Adolf Hitler and his closest advisors holed up in a bunker in Berlin and issued delusional orders until the Russians arrived. Hitler, his wife, and other high ranking Nazi officials took their own lives rather than be captured.
However, what happened to Hitler’s remains has been the genesis of theories and conspiracies for decades.
Learn more about the death of Hitler and what then happened to his remains on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
This is a bit of a strange episode. It’s an attempt to explore the difficulty of everything we’re supposed to feel in a day. We’re in a time when to open the news is to expose yourself to horrors — ones that are a world away, others that are growing ever closer, or perhaps have already made landfall in our lives. And then many of us look up from our screens into a normal spring day. What do you do with that?
But that’s not new or exceptional. It’s the human condition. It exists for all of us, and it always has: life intermingling with death, grief coexisting with joy. Kathryn Schulz’s memoir, “Lost & Found,” is all about this experience — the core of her book isn’t losing a parent or finding a life partner. It’s the “and” that connects them both. How do we hold all that we have to hold, all at once? How do we not feel overwhelmed, or emotionally numbed?
I found this to be a beautiful conversation. But it’s also a conversation — particularly at the beginning — about loss and grief. That was the part that felt truest to me, and so I hope noting it doesn’t warn you off. But I wanted to note it.
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.
You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html
This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Rollin Hu, Elias Isquith, Marina King, Jan Kobal, Kristin Lin and Jack McCordick. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to the Talbot County Free Library.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
On this episode: Trump’s tariffs get blocked, Elon exits the White House, and Harvard, NPR, and PBS scramble to keep their funding. Plus, the U.S. and Israel work to get aid into Gaza, and San Francisco unveils a radical new grading scale. Until we meet again!
OA1162 - It’s all good news from our favorite branch of government today! We review recent judicial wins in everything from illegal deportations to tariffs to the Trump administration’s wars on international students, private law firms, and common-sense understandings of the expression “foreign policy.” Plus, Matt shares a footnote from the front lines of Trump’s mass deportation efforts to explain why an immigration judge 2000 miles away just left him an angry voicemail.
There's a provision tucked into the Big Beautiful Bill, among the tax cuts and Medicaid cuts, that would bar states from passing laws to regulate artificial intelligence for a decade. Plus, Meta is reshuffling its AI team again in an apparent attempt to catch up to the competition. But first, this week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law requiring age verification for Apple and Google app stores. It also requires parental consent for app downloads and in-app purchases by minors. But it raises some legal questions. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino is joined by Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, to discuss all this.
Ethereum co-founder Anthony Di Iorio joins Consensus 2025 to explore the ongoing tension between decentralized and centralized technologies in both crypto and AI. And, he shares his perspective on Ethereum's historical price surge, its evolving leadership, and Canada's missed opportunity in fostering crypto innovation.
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This content should not be construed or relied upon as investment advice. It is for entertainment and general information purposes.
The team at Lemonada Media is excited to introduce Worth It, a new series created in partnership with the Minnesota Star Tribune. There’s a reason compasses point north — the North Star State is full of surprises, and hosts Nicole Norfleet and Aaron Brown are here to help you find them. Each week, they cut through the noise to spotlight hidden gems, can’t-miss events, local eats, and the places that might not be worth your time. Whether it’s farm camp or gourmet cotton candy, a must-see concert or a skip-it venue — they’ll help you decide what’s truly worth it.
In this episode, they uncover the best spots for dirty soda, unpack U.S.-Canada tensions spilling into a Grand Marais bike race, and dig into the hype behind a couple of $10 cereal brands. Plus, a St. Cloud amphitheater that might just be your new summer go-to.
