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In this engaging discussion, producer Maya Cueva shares her nostalgic memories of playing games from Purple Moon, a groundbreaking studio founded by Brenda Laurel. Brenda, a pioneer in interactive media, reveals how Purple Moon aimed to empower girls through narratives and emotional experiences. They discuss the male-dominated gaming industry of the '90s, the unique ways girls play, and the innovative features of Purple Moon's games. Brenda also reflects on the studio's sudden closure and its lasting impact on girls in tech.

In this engaging discussion, investigative journalist Erica Hellerstein guides us through Ukraine's tech-powered resistance, spotlighting the incredible contributions from volunteer groups. Oleksandr Kosovan, CEO of the software company MacPaw, shares insights on wartime tech innovations, including the recent missile damage to their office. Irina Shlukdenko, co-founder of Zyga's Paw, reveals how grassroots efforts are delivering essential tech gear and drones to the front lines. Together, they illustrate an inspiring blend of creativity and resilience in the face of adversity.

In this discussion, Ross Scott, a passionate filmmaker and founder of the Stop Killing Games movement, highlights the need for better preservation regulations in the gaming industry. Nicole Carpenter, an insightful freelance reporter, shares fascinating anecdotes about the emotional bond gamers formed with titles like Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. They delve into the reasons behind game shutdowns, the financial motivations of publishers, and the rise of player-driven preservation efforts, all while exploring how communities grieve their lost virtual worlds.

When wildfire engulfed much of Los Angeles earlier this year, artist and game designer Alice Bucknell found themselves stuck inside, replaying “Firewatch,” a quiet game about exploring the wilderness in anticipation of an impending wildfire. It helped them process emotions that felt too overwhelming in real life. “Firewatch,” and other games like it that focus on exploration rather than fighting or competing, are known as walking simulators. Throughout their career, Alice has used this approach to craft exploratory games that invite players to stretch their imagination and emotional capacity. In this episode, Morgan talks with Alice about how walking simulators and other virtual worlds can reframe our understanding of failure, climate grief, and our connection to one another. From simulating life as a moth to wandering through abandoned metaverses like Second Life, they explore how digital spaces can become sites of mourning, reflection, and hope. Guests: Alice Bucknell, artist, writer, and game designer Further reading/listening: The video game that makes the climate apocalypse look good — Erin X. Wong, High Country News Second Life’s loyal users embrace its decaying software and no-fun imperfections — Alice Bucknell, Document Journal Playing with Feelings: Video Games and Affect — Aubrey Anable, University of Minnesota Press Read the transcript here Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org You can also follow us on Instagram Credits: This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung and produced by Francesca Fenzi. Our team includes producer Maya Cueva, editor Chris Hambrick and senior editor Chris Egusa. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathan Grayson, co-founder of Aftermath and author of *Stream Big*, dives into the complexities of Twitch as a political platform. He discusses the recent assault incident at TwitchCon and the growing concerns over safety for streamers. Grayson highlights how political commentary has surged on Twitch, with streamers like Hassan Piker gaining significant audiences during the pandemic. The conversation also tackles the challenges of moderation and the financial implications of political content on the platform, raising questions about Twitch’s future.

What do colorful and plush Labubu dolls have in common with Mesopotamian mythology? If you believe some viral TikToks, everything. Recent conspiracy theories have linked the toys to everything from ancient demonic spirits to Satan worship. But behind those ideas flooding online feeds is something older and darker: the return of moral panic. In this episode, host Morgan Sung digs into how a new generation of “satanic panic” has gone digital, from fears of occult rituals in song to online crusades against queer and trans people. Journalist Sarah Marshall, host of the new podcast series The Devil You Know, joins Morgan to help trace how misinformation and moral outrage keep recycling the same fears — just with new villains.  Guests:  Sarah Marshall, journalist and host of the You're Wrong About podcast Further reading/listening: The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall — CBC Podcasts You're Wrong About podcast — Sarah Marshall The right’s moral panic over “grooming” invokes age-old homophobia — Aja Romano, Vox  The strange origins of the Satanic Panic: How one Canadian book started a worldwide witch hunt — Leah Collins, CBC Arts Read the transcript here Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org You can also follow us on Instagram Credits: This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Chris Hambrick is our Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When ChatGPT launched in 2022, it kicked off what some have called the “AI hype machine” — a frenzy of promotion and investment that has sent some tech companies’ valuations soaring to record heights. Meanwhile, computational linguist Emily M. Bender and AI researcher and sociologist Alex Hanna have proudly worn the titles of “AI hype busters,” critiquing the industry’s loftiest claims and pointing out the real-world harms behind this wave of excitement. What began as a satirical podcast is now a book, The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want. In this episode, Alex and Emily explain why the very term “AI” is misleading, how AI boosters and doomers are really flip sides of the same coin, and why we should question the AI inevitability narrative. Guests: Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics the University of Washington Alex Hanna, director of research at the Distributed AI Research Institute Further reading/listening: The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want — Emily Bender and Alex Hanna The Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 Podcast — Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna “AI” Hurts Consumers and Workers -- and Isn’t Intelligent — Emily Bender and Alex Hanna, Tech Policy Press On the Very Real Dangers of the Artificial Intelligence Hype Machine: Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna Explore AI History, the Cold War, and a Fatally Overhyped Idea — Emily M. Bender, LitHub People Are Crashing Out Over Sora 2’s New Guardrails — Samantha Cole, 404 Media Sora 2 Has a Huge Financial Problem — Victor Tangermann, Futurism We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard. — James O'Donnell and Casey Crownhart, MIT Technology Review Read the transcript here Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org You can also follow us on Instagram Credits: This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Our editor is Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brian Douglas and Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens to dating when every misstep has the potential to go viral? That’s what happened in 2022, when social media posts warning about a few bad dates with a man named “West Elm Caleb” blew up on TikTok in 2022, and became a cautionary tale on the culture of public shaming. In this episode, Morgan speaks with tech journalist Tanya Chen and culture writer Magdalene Taylor about the rise of the “dating panopticon” — a world in which love, gossip, and surveillance collide. From ghosting to the hacked “Tea App,” they explore how online whisper networks meant to protect women have turned into digital minefields, and what it takes to opt out of turning our romantic lives into content. Guests:  Magdalene Taylor, writer, culture critic, and senior editor at Playboy Tanya Tianyi Chen, independent tech writer and editor Further reading/listening: Reject the Digital Dating Panopticon — Magdalene J. Taylor, Many Such Cases Gender Relations Have Made Dating a Hostile Act — Magdalene J. Taylor, Many Such Cases Women’s ‘red flag’ app Tea is a privacy nightmare — Tanya Tianyi Chen, The Verge     West Elm Caleb: The TikTok mob's latest target might not deserve its wrath. — Madison Malone Kircher, Slate  Read the transcript here Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org You can also follow us on Instagram Credits: This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brian Douglas. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Clacky,” “Poppy,” and "Thocky" may sound like the latest cereal elves, but they’re actually terms to describe the sounds of typing on a mechanical keyboard. What started as a niche hobby blew up during the pandemic, with a huge influx of creators posting tutorials, reviews, and soothing ASMR videos on social media. Many hobbyists are so enthusiastic about achieving the perfect sound, feel and response from their personal keyboards that they design and build their own, sometimes spending hundreds of dollars on custom parts. Lately though, the industry has been hitting some serious roadblocks. In this episode Morgan examines how the mechanical keyboard craze took off, and why it may now be starting to fade. We’ll hear from creators about how tariffs and the end of the de minimis rule are affecting everyone — from consumers to indie designers, to content creators.  Guests:  Frank Lee, keyboard streamer and organizer of KeebLife Hipyo Tech, YouTube creator Betty Van, YouTube creator Further reading/listening:  The Twitch streamer behind Tfue’s custom $3,500 mechanical keyboard — Nick Statt, The Verge Looming tariffs are making it extra hard to be a tech geek — Scharon Harding, Ars Technica Read the transcript here Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org You can also follow us on Instagram Credits: This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio Engineering by Brendan Willard and Brian Douglas. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miles Klee, a culture writer for Rolling Stone, investigates the alarming rise of AI-induced spiritual delusions, where users engage with chatbots that lead to troubling beliefs. He discusses how companionship and perceived authority from these bots can spiral into dangerous encounters with faith. Rachael Myrow from KQED dives into the appeal of AI theology apps and why they're popular for seekers of spiritual guidance. Together, they explore the real-world impacts of these phenomena and urge the importance of human community in faith.