MIT Technology Review Narrated

MIT Technology Review

Welcome to MIT Technology Review Narrated, the home for the very best of our journalism in audio. Each week we will share one of our most ambitious stories, from print and online, narrated for us by real voice actors. Expect big themes, thought-provoking topics, and sharp analysis, all backed by our trusted reporting.

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190 episodes
Updated July 29

Episodes190

Newest first

Jun 11, 2025 · 19 min
The surprising barrier that keeps us from building the housing we need
Sure, there's too much red tape, but there is another reason building anything is so expensive: the construction industry's "awful" productivity. This story was written by David Rotman and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Jun 4, 2025 · 18 min
How DeepSeek became a fortune teller for China’s youth
AI-powered BaZi analysis has become the new oracle for a disillusioned generation seeking answers. This story was written by Caiwei Chen and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
May 28, 2025 · 19 min
Google, Amazon and the problem with Big Tech’s climate claims
How companies like Amazon and Google reach their emissions goals is more important than how fast. This story was written by James Temple and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
May 21, 2025 · 17 min
Congress used to evaluate emerging technologies. Let’s do it again.
A look back at the Office of Technology Assessment, the Congressional think tank that detected lies and tested tech. This story was written by Peter Andrey Smith and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
May 14, 2025 · 20 min
What’s next for our privacy?
The US still has no federal privacy law. But recent enforcement actions against data brokers may offer some new protections for Americans’ personal information. This story was written by Eileen Guo and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
May 7, 2025 · 16 min
How Trump’s tariffs could drive up the cost of batteries, EVs, and more
The incoming administration’s hostile trade plans threaten to slow the shift to cleaner industries, boost inflation, and stall the economy. This story was written by James Temple and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Apr 30, 2025 · 20 min
The second wave of AI coding is here
A string of startups are racing to build models that can produce better and better software. They claim it’s the shortest path to AGI. This story was written by Will Douglas Heaven and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Apr 23, 2025 · 24 min
Quantum computing is taking on its biggest challenge: noise
For a while researchers thought they’d have to make do with noisy, error-prone systems, at least in the near term. That’s starting to change. This story was written by Michael Brooks and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Apr 16, 2025 · 24 min
Will we ever trust robots?
If most robots still need remote human operators to be safe and effective, why should we welcome them into our homes? This story was written by James O'Donnell and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Apr 9, 2025 · 26 min
Exosomes are touted as a trendy cure-all. We don’t know if they work.
People are spending thousands of dollars on unproven exosome therapies for hair loss, skin aging, and acne, as well as more serious conditions like long covid and Alzheimer’s. This story was written by Jessica Hamzelou and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Apr 2, 2025 · 29 min
The quest to figure out farming on Mars
If we’re going to live on Mars we’ll need a way to grow food in its arid dirt. Researchers think they know a way. This story was written by David W. Brown and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Mar 26, 2025 · 29 min
How tracking animal movement may save the planet
Researchers have been dreaming of an Internet of Animals. They’re getting closer to monitoring 100,000 creatures—and revealing hidden facets of our shared world. This story was written by Matthew Ponsford and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Mar 19, 2025 · 30 min
Happy birthday, baby! What the future holds for those born today
An intelligent digital agent could be a companion for life—and other predictions for the next 125 years. This story was written by Kara Platoni and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Mar 12, 2025 · 32 min
How the Ukraine-Russia war is reshaping the tech sector in Eastern Europe
Startups in Latvia and other nearby countries see the mobilization of Ukraine as a warning and as inspiration. They are now changing consumer products—from scooters to recreational drones—for use on the battlefield. This story was written by Peter Guest and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Mar 5, 2025 · 13 min
AI search could break the web
At its best, AI search can better infer a user’s intent, amplify quality content, and synthesize information from diverse sources. But if AI search becomes our primary portal to the web, it threatens to disrupt an already precarious digital economy. Today, the production of content online depends on a fragile set of incentives tied to virtual foot traffic: ads, subscriptions, donations, sales, or brand exposure. By shielding the web behind an all-knowing chatbot, AI search could deprive creators of the visits and “eyeballs” they need to survive. This story was written by Benjamin Brooks and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Feb 26, 2025 · 40 min
The messy quest to replace drugs with electricity
“Electroceuticals” promised the post-pharma future for medicine. But the exclusive focus on the nervous system is seeming less and less warranted. This story was written by Sally Adee and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Feb 19, 2025 · 20 min
The weeds are winning
As the climate changes, genetic engineering will be essential for growing food. But is it creating a race of superweeds? This story was written by Douglas Main and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Feb 12, 2025 · 19 min
Why AI could eat quantum computing’s lunch
Tech companies have been funneling billions of dollars into quantum computers for years. The hope is that they’ll be a game changer for fields as diverse as finance, drug discovery, and logistics. Those expectations have been especially high in physics and chemistry, where the weird effects of quantum mechanics come into play. In theory, this is where quantum computers could have a huge advantage over conventional machines. But while the field struggles with the realities of tricky quantum hardware, another challenger is making headway in some of these most promising use cases. AI is now being applied to fundamental physics, chemistry, and materials science in a way that suggests quantum computing’s purported home turf might not be so safe after all. This story was written by Edd Gent and narrated by Noa - newsoveraudio.com.
Feb 6, 2025 · 27 min
The race to save our online lives from a digital dark age
We’re making more data than ever. What can—and should—we save for future generations? And will they be able to understand it? This story was written by Niall Firth and narrated by Noa.
Jan 29, 2025 · 22 min
Is this the end of animal testing?
More than 60 companies now produce organs on chips commercially, focusing on five major organs: liver, kidney, lung, intestines, and brain. They’re already being used to understand diseases, discover and test new drugs, and explore personalized approaches to treatment. Could this be the end of animal testing? This story was written by Harriet Brown and narrated by Noa.