For decades, flying cars have been a symbol of collective disappointment—of a technologically splendid future that was promised but never delivered. Whose fault is that?

Gideon Lewis-Kraus, a staff writer at The New Yorker who has spent 18 months researching the history, present, and future of flying car technology, joins the show. We talk about why flying cars don't exist—and why they might be much closer to reality than most people think.

If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. 

Host: Derek Thompson

Guest: Gideon Lewis-Kraus

Producer: Devon Baroldi

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices