PODCAST · news
Let's Know Things
by Colin Wright
A calm, non-shouty, non-polemical, weekly news analysis podcast for folks of all stripes and leanings who want to know more about what's happening in the world around them. Hosted by analytic journalist Colin Wright since 2016. letsknowthings.substack.com
Episodes
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Measles Resurgence
This week we talk about polio, malaria, and smallpox. We also discuss vaccines, the CDC, and the HHS. Recommended Book: Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon Transcript In 2000, the United States declared measles eliminated. That didn’t mean nobody in the country would ever catch it again, it…
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Ethiopia’s Fraying Peace
This week we talk about Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan. We also discuss the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, ports, and journalism. Recommended Book: The Infinity Machine by Sebastian Mallaby Transcript In 2018, Ethiopia reopened its embassy in Eritrea. The two countries had fought a border war in the...
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Canada and Europe
This week we talk about EU membership, trade deals, and association. We also discuss Australia, Ursula von der Leyen, and Brussels. Recommended Book: Being You by Anil Seth Transcript Just off the coast of Newfoundland, there’s a small group of islands that belongs to France. Saint-Pierre and...
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Clean Energy Super PAC
This week we talk about lobbying, renewables, and the NRA. We also discuss implied threats, midterm elections, and political action committees. Recommended Book: Sunward by William Alexander Transcript For much of the late 20th century and the first few decades of the 21st, one of the most feared...
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AI Cyber Insurance
This week we talk about AI agents, cyberattacks, and insurance claims. We also discuss OpenAI, Hugging Face, and policy language. Recommended Book: The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester Transcript Two broad categories of cyberattack have become especially visible this year, and only one of…
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US Treasury Twist
This week we talk about money policies, yield curves, and government bonds. We also discuss the Fed, the Treasury Department, and a WWII accord between them. Recommended Book: Paved Paradise by Henry Grabar Transcript In April of 1942, a few months after the United States entered World War 2, the...
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Virtual Power Plants
This week we talk about peaker plants, blackouts, and at-home battery backups. We also discuss energy resiliency, solar panels, and hydro. Recommended Book: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett Transcript Peaking power plants, often just called peaker plants, are power plants that are turned...
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US-Canada Tariffs
This week we talk about borders, trade wars, and belligerence. We also discuss Trump’s tariffs, inflation, and nationalism. Recommended Book: Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakeley Transcript The US and Canada share the longest international border in the world, totaling more than 5,500 miles, or...
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English Hepatitis C Progress
This week we talk about the liver, viral infections, and the NHS. We also discuss blood scandals, needle usage, and Nobel Prizes. Recommended Book: A World Appears by Michael Pollan Transcript The term “hepatitis” refers to the inflammation of the liver, which can result from all kinds of things,...
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AI-Designed Viruses
This week we talk about Evo 2, bacteriophages, and antibiotics. We also discuss AI models, medical innovations, and the Red Army. Recommended Book: The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman Transcript A bacteriophage, sometimes just called a phage, is a type of virus that only infects...
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Ceuta Migrant Wave
This week we talk about Melilla, hybrid warfare, and migration. We also discuss Morocco, civil conflict, and immigration politics. Recommended Book: Playground by Richard Powers Transcript Ceuta is a Spanish-owned territory located in northwestern Africa, along the top of Morocco. It’s…
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Hugging Face Hack
This week we talk about Fable, sandboxes, and the Jacobian conjecture. We also discuss counterexamples, X, and ChatGPT. Recommended Book: After the Fall by Edward Ashton Transcript In mathematics, a conjecture is a proposition, something like a guess by someone who knows what they’re talking…
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Cyclosporiasis
This week we talk about cyclospora, FoodNet, and Taylor Farms. We also discuss iceberg lettuce, Taco Bell, and foodborne pathogens. Recommended Book: Babel by R.F. Kuang Transcript Foodborne pathogens cause about 48 million illnesses and around 3000 deaths in the US alone each year. The Centers…
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NATO Summit 2026
This week we talk about Russia, Ukraine, and the Warsaw Pact. We also discuss Patriot interceptors, Hungary, and Article 5. Recommended Book: The Alternative by Nick Romeo Transcript The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was founded in the wake of WWII, in 1949, in order to affirm…
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Digital Gaming
This week we talk about Sony, Nintendo, and the Playstation. We also discuss Grand Theft Auto, the 3DO, and digital dark ages. Recommended Book: 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi Transcript The earliest video game consoles that were made to be used in the home, as opposed to being set up…
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2026 European Heat Wave
This week we talk about air conditioners, pressure systems, and heat stress. We also discuss weather memes, climate change, and dirty grids. Recommended Book: Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore Transcript An air conditioner, or AC, or maybe air con if you’re in the UK, is a device that...
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Balcony Solar
This week we talk about plug-in power, renewables, and Germany. We also discuss inverters, solar arrays, and microgrids. Recommended Book: Consider This by Chuck Palahnuik Transcript Most climate scientists and knowledgable folks in adjacent fields will tell you that, as a species, we’re way…
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Cholesterol Therapies
This week we talk about LDL, HDL, and cardiovascular issues. We also discuss one-time therapies, statins, and pharmaceutical economics. Recommended Book: Blood by Dr. Jen Gunter Transcript Cholesterol is the most common type of what’s called a sterol, which is a type of steroid, but also...
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SpaceX IPO
This week we talk about initial public offerings, Anthropic, and investment flywheels. We also discuss AI, financial entanglements, and backstops. Recommended Book: Superconvergence by Jamie Metzl Transcript An initial public offering, or IPO, is what happens when a private company goes public…
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Jones Act Waiver
This week we talk about the Merchant Marine Act, trade routes, and incentives. We also discuss Wesley Jones, foreign competition, and artificial monopolies. Recommended Book: The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi Transcript In 1920, the then-Senator for the state of Washington, Wesley Jones, who…
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2026 DRC Ebola Outbreak
This week we talk about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, malaria, and healthcare infrastructure. We also discuss militants, Uganda, and the Bundibugyo virus. Recommended Book: We Should Get Together by Kat Vellos Transcript Ebola, which is more formally called Ebola Virus Disease or Ebola...
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Super El Niño
This week we talk about oceanic surface temperatures, trade winds, and global climate change. We also discuss the Polar Jet Stream, hurricanes, and climate models. Recommended Book: Kleptopia by Tom Burgis Transcript Under normal circumstances, the Pacific Ocean’s average surface temperature, the...
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2026 UK Local Elections
This week we talk about Keir Starmer, Labour, and the Reform UK party. We also discuss Tories, the Lib Dems, and two-party systems. Recommended Book: Peak by K. Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool Transcript For more than 100 years, the British political system has been dominated by two parties…
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Child Mortality
This week we talk about industrialization, antibiotics, and child mortality rates. We also discuss corruption, instability, and progress. Recommended Book: Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio Transcript Demographic transition is a social sciences theory that posits, based on all sorts of...
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Iran War Costs
This week we talk about the Strait of Hormuz, oil, and Russia. We also discuss Patriot missiles, expensive weapons, and peer rivals. Recommended Book: Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Transcript During 2025 and early 2026, about 20 million barrels of crude oil and other petroleum products...
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2026 Hungarian Election
This week we talk about Orbán, Hungary, and reformers. We also discuss Fidesz, Tisza, and illiberalism. Recommended Book: I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin Transcript Hungary is a Central European country that was formed in the aftermath of WWI as part of the…
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Mythos
This week we talk about Project Glasswing, Anthropic, and Q Day. We also discuss exploit markets, vulnerabilities, and zero days. Recommended Book: The Culture Map by Erin Meyer Transcript In the world of computer security, a zero-day vulnerability is an issue that exists within a system at...
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US Router Ban
This week we talk about modems, WiFi, and kinda sorta bribes. We also discuss Huawei, government subsidies, and the FCC. Recommended Book: Replaceable You by Mary Roach Transcript Many homes, those with WiFi connections to the internet, have two different devices they use to make that…
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Ukraine and Iran
This week we talk about cheap drones, energy resources, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We also discuss the Strait of Hormuz, the war in Iran, and economic asymmetry. Recommended Book: The Age of Extraction by Tim Wu Transcript Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been pretty universally bad for...
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Cuban Oil Blockade
This week we talk about the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and decapitation attacks. We also discuss Venezuela, Iran, and the Platt Amendment. Recommended Book: The Will of the Many by James Islington Transcript Cuba is a large island nation, about the same size as the US state of Tennessee,...
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Better Batteries
This week we talk about BYD, Tesla, and the Blade Battery 2.0. We also discuss EVs, internal-combustion engines, and autonomous vehicles. Recommended Book: Blank Space by W. David Marx Transcript Petroleum-powered vehicles, cars and trucks and SUVs of the kind that have become the standard since...
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2026 Iran War
This week we talk about Khamenei, Trump, and Netanyahu. We also discuss Venezuela, Cuba, and cartels. Recommended Book: Plagues upon the Earth by Kyle Harper Transcript Ali Hosseini Khamenei was an opposition politician in the lead-up to the Iranian Revolution that, in 1979, resulted in the...
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Killer Robots and Mass Surveillance
This week we talk about Anthropic, the Department of Defense, and OpenAI. We also discuss red lines, contracts, and lethal autonomous systems. Recommended Book: Empire of AI by Karen Hao Transcript Lethal autonomous weapons, often called lethal autonomous systems, autonomous weapons systems, or...
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Tariff Ruling
This week we talk about Trump’s tariffs, the Supreme Court, and negotiating leverage. We also discuss trade wars, Greenland, and the IEEPA. Recommended Book: Smoke and Ashes by Amitav Ghosh Transcript I’ve spoken on this show before about tariffs and about US President Trump’s enthusiasm for...
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Ring and Flock
This week we talk about mass surveillance, smart doorbells, and the Patriot Stack. We also discuss Amazon, Alexa, and the Super Bowl. Recommended Book: Red Moon by Benjamin Percy Transcript In 2002, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the US…
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Grok's Scandals
This week we talk about OpenAI, nudify apps, and CSAM. We also discuss Elon Musk, SpaceX, and humanistic technology. Recommended Book: Who’s Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler Transcript xAI is an American corporation that was founded in mid-2023 by Elon Musk, ostensibly in response to several...
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Mother of All Deals
This week we talk about the European Union, India, and tariffs. We also discuss trade barriers, free trade, and dumping. Recommended Book: The Kill Chain by Christian Brose Transcript A free trade agreement, sometimes called a free trade treaty, is a law that reduces the cost and regulatory…
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TikTok Deal
This week we talk about social networks, propaganda, and Oracle. We also discuss foreign adversaries, ByteDance, and X. Recommended Book: Rewiring Democracy by Bruce Schneier and Nathan E. Sanders Transcript In 2021, TikTok, a short-form video platform that’s ostensibly also a social network,...
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Iranian Protests
This week we talk about war, inflation, and currency devaluation. We also discuss tyrants, police violence, and social media threats. Recommended Book: Post-Growth Living by Kate Soper Transcript Back in mid-June of 2025, a shooting war erupted between Iran and Israel, with Israeli military…
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Operation Absolute Resolve
This week we talk about Venezuela, Maduro, and international law. We also discuss sour crude, extrajudicial killings, and Greenland. Recommended Book: The Keep by F. Paul Wilson Transcript Back in mid-November of 2025, I did an episode on extrajudicial killings, focusing on the targeting of...
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Sports Betting
This week we talk about prediction markets, incentives, and gambling addiction. We also discuss insider trading, spot-fixing, and Gatorade. Recommended Book: The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory by Tim Alberta Transcript Prediction markets are hundreds of years old, and have historically been…
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Data Center Politics
This week we talk about energy consumption, pollution, and bipartisan issues. We also discuss local politics, data center costs, and the Magnificent 7 tech companies. Recommended Book: Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth Transcript In 2024, the International Energy Agency estimated that data...
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Chip Exports
This week we talk about NVIDIA, AI companies, and the US economy. We also discuss the US-China chip-gap, mixed-use technologies, and export bans. Recommended Book: Enshittification by Cory Doctorow Transcript I’ve spoken about this a few times in recent months, but it’s worth rehashing real quick...
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Digital Asset Markets
This week we talk about in-game skins, investment portfolios, and Counter-Strike 2. We also discuss ebooks, Steam, and digital licenses. Recommended Book: Apple in China by Patrick McGee Transcript Almost always, if you buy an ebook or game or movie or music album online, you’re not buying that...
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Climate Risk
This week we talk about floods, wildfires, and reinsurance companies. We also discuss the COP meetings, government capture, and air pollution. Recommended Book: If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares Transcript The urban area that contains India’s capital city…
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Thorium Reactors
This week we talk about radioactive waste, neutrons, and burn while breeding cycles. We also discuss dry casks, radioactive decay, and uranium. Recommended Book: Breakneck by Dan Wang Transcript Radioactive waste, often called nuclear waste, typically falls into one of three categories: low-level...
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Extrajudicial Killing
This week we talk about Venezuela, casus belli, and drug smuggling. We also discuss oil reserves, Maduro, and Machado. Recommended Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Transcript Venezuela, which suffered all sorts of political and economic crises under former president Hugo Chávez, has...
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Nitazenes
This week we talk about OxyContin, opium, and the British East India Company. We also discuss isotonitazene, fentanyl, and Perdue. Recommended Book: The Thinking Machine by Stephen Witt Transcript Opioids have been used as painkillers by humans since at least the Neolithic period; there’s…
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Supersonic Flight
This week we talk about Mach 1, the Bell X-1, and the Concorde. We also discuss the X-59, the Tu-144, and Boom Supersonic. Recommended Book: Red Team Blues by Cory Doctorow Transcript The term “supersonic,” when applied to speed, refers to something moving faster than the speed of sound—a speed...
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Workplace Automation
This week we talk about robots, call center workers, and convenience stores. We also discuss investors, chatbots, and job markets. Recommended Book: The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton Transcript Though LLM-based generative AI software, like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, are becoming more and more...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A calm, non-shouty, non-polemical, weekly news analysis podcast for folks of all stripes and leanings who want to know more about what's happening in the world around them. Hosted by analytic journalist Colin Wright since 2016.
letsknowthings.substack.com
HOSTED BY
Colin Wright
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How many episodes does Let's Know Things have?
Let's Know Things currently has 540 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Let's Know Things about?
A calm, non-shouty, non-polemical, weekly news analysis podcast for folks of all stripes and leanings who want to know more about what's happening in the world around them. Hosted by analytic journalist Colin Wright since 2016. letsknowthings.substack.com
How often does Let's Know Things release new episodes?
Let's Know Things releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 540 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
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You can listen to Let's Know Things on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Let's Know Things?
Let's Know Things is created and hosted by Colin Wright.
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