B.I.A.S.

Balanced Information, Actual Stories

Biased toward calm.

history current-affairs context ⏱ 50 min

War by remote control, how drones changed modern warfare

Throughline (NPR) US

As drone swarms dominate battlefields from Ukraine to the Middle East, this episode traces how unmanned warfare evolved from niche military tool to game-changing technology that's reshaping modern conflict. War historian James Rodgers explains why drone warfare is fundamentally different—cheap, autonomous, and accessible to state and non-state actors alike—and what that means for the future of combat. Timely, substantive exploration of a technology that's redefining geopolitics in real-time.

▶ Listen Now Picked 2026-05-15

Previous picks

Revisionist History (Malcolm Gladwell)
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Revisionist History (Malcolm Gladwell) US · 32 min · 2026-05-14
Stuff You Missed in History Class
SYMHC Classics: Insular Cases
Stuff You Missed in History Class US · 43 min · 2026-05-13
Freakonomics Radio
Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger? (Update)
Freakonomics Radio US · 68 min · 2026-05-12
Pivot (Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway)
GameStop's eBay Bid, AI and the Midterms, and Senate Prediction Market Ban
Pivot (Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway) US · 67 min · 2026-05-11
Science Vs
Tattoos: Are They Toxic?
Science Vs US · 29 min · 2026-05-09
99% Invisible
Enshittification
99% Invisible US · 35 min · 2026-05-08
The Documentary Podcast (BBC)
Russia's 'nyet' to the internet
The Documentary Podcast (BBC) GB · 35 min · 2026-05-07
The Ezra Klein Show
The Book That Changed How I Think About Liberalism
The Ezra Klein Show US · 65 min · 2026-05-06
Intelligence Squared
What Will Trigger the Next World War? With Peter Apps
Intelligence Squared GB · 32 min · 2026-05-05
Future Perfect (Vox)
“Staged”
Future Perfect (Vox) US · 26 min · 2026-05-04
Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)
Bondi inquiry calls for better policing of Jewish events
Global News Podcast (BBC World Service) GB · 30 min · 2026-05-03
Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Beware Tech Tycoons with Piranha Tanks - with Katie Prescott
Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford GB · 40 min · 2026-05-01
Pivot (Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway)
Tucker Carlson's Rebrand, Apple’s New Era, and SpaceX’s AI Deal
Pivot (Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway) US · 62 min · 2026-04-27
Throughline (NPR)
The billionaires' utopia blueprint
Throughline (NPR) US · 48 min · 2026-04-25
Science Vs
Vaping: Does It Really Cause Cancer?
Science Vs US · 42 min · 2026-04-24
The Documentary Podcast (BBC)
Under the influence of AI
The Documentary Podcast (BBC) GB · 27 min · 2026-04-23

How we pick

Each morning our pipeline scans recent episodes from 22 curated shows spanning technology, science, history, culture, politics, and long-form journalism. An AI model scores each episode for intellectual depth, timeliness, and broad appeal — with a deliberate bias toward episodes that engage with something happening right now.

Unlike the news feed (which favours calm and constructive stories), the podcast pick is chosen to be compelling and current — strong opinions, lively debate, and challenging ideas are all welcome here, provided the content is substantive and evidence-based.

We avoid repeating the same show within a two-week window so you get genuine variety. Episodes must have been published in the last seven days, and run between 10 and 180 minutes.

Have a podcast you'd like us to consider? Let us know.