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Tuesday

Big tech companies hope nuclear power can solve their energy problems. Will it?

Three Mile Island was closed because it wasn't economical to operate. Now Microsoft wants it restarted in the hopes it can one day supply carbon-free energy for its datacenters. Walter Bibikow/Getty Images hide caption

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Walter Bibikow/Getty Images

Short Wave

Big tech companies hope nuclear power can solve their energy problems. Will it?

AI uses a lot of power. Some of the next generation data centers may use as much power as one million U.S. households. Technology companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta hope nuclear power will offer a climate solution for this energy use. Nuclear power plants can deliver hundreds of megawatts of power without producing greenhouse gas emissions. But some long-time watchers of the nuclear industry are skeptical that it's the right investment for big tech companies to make.

Big tech companies hope nuclear power can solve their energy problems. Will it?

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Friday

A supermarket beef, a quantum leap, and Christmas trees for cheap
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

A supermarket beef, a quantum leap, and Christmas trees for cheap

It's the most wonderful time of year, er, week, because it's that time when we look at the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.

A supermarket beef, a quantum leap, and Christmas trees for cheap

Listen · 10:00
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Thursday

Who's powering nuclear energy's comeback?
Kairos Power

The Indicator from Planet Money

Who's powering nuclear energy's comeback?

Nuclear energy hasn't been a growing industry in decades. But now, it seems to be making a comeback. This week, the Biden administration announced a goal to triple nuclear energy capacity in the US by 2050. And over the past few months, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have all made deals to use nuclear energy to power their artificial intelligence appetites. Today on the show, could nuclear energy work differently this time?

Who's powering nuclear energy's comeback?

Listen · 9:24
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Saturday

Monday

Various Google logos are displayed on a Google search on Sept. 11, 2023, in New York. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Monday that Google's ubiquitous search engine has been illegally exploiting its dominance to squash competition and stifle innovation in a seismic decision that could shake up the internet and hobble one of the world's best-known companies.

Various Google logos are displayed on a Google search on Sept. 11, 2023, in New York. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Monday that Google's ubiquitous search engine has been illegally exploiting its dominance to squash competition and stifle innovation in a seismic decision that could shake up the internet and hobble one of the world's best-known companies. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

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Richard Drew/AP

Business

Google loses massive antitrust case over its search dominance

The highly anticipated decision comes nearly a year after the start of a trial pitting the U.S. Justice Department against Google in the country's biggest antitrust showdown in a quarter century.

Thursday

Is Google search getting worse?
Don Ryan/AP Photo

The Indicator from Planet Money

Is Google search getting worse?

There are many anecdotal complaints about Google search not being what it used to be. A German computer scientist and his colleagues put this theory to the test recently focusing on product reviews. Today on the show, we bring their findings to Google's chief search scientist.

Is Google search getting worse?

Listen · 9:05
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Monday

AI gets scientists one step closer to mapping the organized chaos in our cells

The inside of a cell is a complicated orchestration of interactions between molecules. Keith Chambers/Science Photo Library hide caption

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Keith Chambers/Science Photo Library

Short Wave

AI gets scientists one step closer to mapping the organized chaos in our cells

As artificial intelligence seeps into some realms of society, it rushes into others. One area it's making a big difference is protein science — as in the "building blocks of life," proteins! Producer Berly McCoy talks to host Emily Kwong about the newest advance in protein science: AlphaFold3, an AI program from Google DeepMind. Plus, they talk about the wider field of AI protein science and why researchers hope it will solve a range of problems, from disease to the climate.

AI gets scientists one step closer to mapping the organized chaos in our cells

Listen · 14:05
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Thursday

U.S. v. Google: As landmark 'monopoly power' trial closes, here's what to look for

The Department of Justice and a group of 35 states sued Google in 2020 for allegedly using anticompetitive tactics to monopolize online search. The trial is over and closing arguments are under way. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Business

U.S. v. Google: As landmark 'monopoly power' trial closes, here's what to look for

Is Google an illegal monopoly that's thwarted rivals to remain on top or is it simply a beloved search engine? Now it's up to the judge to decide.

Friday

Google worker says the company is 'silencing our voices' after dozens are fired

Google has a contract with the Israeli government where it provides the country with cloud computing services. Not all Google employees are happy about that. Alexander Koerner/Getty Images hide caption

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Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

Business

Google worker says the company is 'silencing our voices' after dozens are fired

The tech giant fired 28 employees who took part in a protest over the company's Project Nimbus contract with the Israeli government. One fired worker tells her story.

Google worker says the company is 'silencing our voices' after dozens are fired

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Friday

Google blocks California news in response to bill that would force tech giant to pay

Some California users of Google were not able to access local news on Friday after the tech giant restricted news links in the state in response to a bill that would force the tech giant to pay publishers. Don Ryan/AP hide caption

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Don Ryan/AP

Technology

Google blocks California news in response to bill that would force tech giant to pay

The company on Friday said it has started blocking California-based news outlets to protest a pending bill that supporters say would extend a lifeline to the ailing news industry.

Friday

From left: didn't stop, can't stop, won't stop

From left: didn't stop, can't stop, won't stop Leon Neal/Getty Images; Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images; David Becker/Getty Images hide caption

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Leon Neal/Getty Images; Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images; David Becker/Getty Images

The NPR news quiz

How much money do you need to earn to buy a house these days? Find out in the quiz

This week, the April 8 total solar eclipse inspired Barbie-level coverage mania at NPR. But it turns out other things happened too! Were you paying attention?

Monday

Wednesday

Chinese national arrested and charged with stealing AI trade secrets from Google

A former Google engineer was charged with stealing AI technology while secretly working with two China-based companies. Carl Court/Getty Images hide caption

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Carl Court/Getty Images

National Security

Chinese national arrested and charged with stealing AI trade secrets from Google

Prosecutors say at the same time that Linwei Ding was working for Google and stealing the building blocks of its AI technology, he was also secretly employed by two China-based tech companies.

Wednesday

Thursday

From Amazon to Facebook and Google, here's how platforms can 'decay'

Tech journalist Cory Doctorow outlines how sites can change the deal with users. Getty Images hide caption

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Interview highlights

From Amazon to Facebook and Google, here's how platforms can 'decay'

If you feel like some important places on the internet have been getting worse, you're not alone. In fact, there has been a whole lot of action in the last 12 months.

From Amazon to Facebook and Google, here's how platforms can 'decay'

Listen · 4:25
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