Best Pixel Recess Podcasts (2025)

1
How the Furry Fandom Says Goodbye 35:31

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3d ago35:31

35:31

Furries are often known for wearing full-body animal suits at conventions — but the characters they inhabit, called “fursonas,” are much more than costumes. They’re deeply personal expressions of identity and creativity. So when someone in the furry fandom dies, how does the community say goodbye? In this episode, Morgan explores a virtual memorial…

1
Curls, Coils, and Pixels: Researchers Crack the Code on Black Hair Animation 33:56

10d ago33:56

33:56

The animation industry has long struggled to get Black hair right — from the infamous “Killmonger locs,” named after the Black Panther character and copied across video games, to the stiff, oversized afros of The Sims 4. As it turns out, hair animation tools were built almost exclusively with straight hair in mind. Two researchers, A.M. Darke and T…

1
The Spotify Effect, Pt 2: Micro-Genre Madness 36:16

17d ago36:16

36:16

Spotify didn’t just change how we listen to music — it changed what a genre even is. In this episode, producer and rapper Quinn reflects on being thrust into the spotlight at age 15 as one of the breakout faces of Spotify’s meteoric Hyperpop playlist.. Then, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds breaks down how Spotify’s made-up micro-genres—like …

1
Elon's Great Crash-Out / Unmasked in LA 27:03

24d ago27:03

27:03

Elon Musk and President Trump breaking up? LA protesters clashing with law enforcement? Waymos on fire (again)? Things have been moving fast the last few days — and like you, our feeds are on overload. Today, we’re bringing you a quick reaction episode to catch you up on a couple stories we’ve covered before that are suddenly back in the news. Clos…

1
The Spotify Effect, Pt 1: Ghosts in the Playlist 34:53

1M ago34:53

34:53

Spotify has morphed from a straightforward music library and search engine into a data-driven system built to feed you songs to match your mood and optimize your time on the platform. In this episode, Morgan is joined by music journalist and author Liz Pelly to break down how Spotify built its playlist empire, the rise of so-called “ghost artists” …

1
Do You Hear What I Hear? Audio Illusions and Misinformation 33:07

1M ago33:07

33:07

Are you old enough to remember the “Magic Eye” optical illusion mania that gripped the nation in the 90’s—random patterns that you had to squint at just right for the 3D image to pop out? It turns out it's not just our eyes that can be fooled. Our ears can play tricks on us too. There's a whole world of auditory illusions that seem to say one thing…

1
Why Can’t Hentai Go Legit? 33:38

2M ago33:38

33:38

Hentai, sexually explicit Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga), is a genre that’s been criticized for depicting violent or ethically questionable scenarios. But some fans also see it as a space for expanding the boundaries of art, culture, and sexuality in a way that reverberates beyond its status as a niche subculture. In this episode, Mo…

1
The Surveillance Machine, Pt 2: No Opt-Out 32:49

2M ago32:49

32:49

Think you can opt out of surveillance? Think again. Our locations, behaviors, and images are being tracked at unprecedented levels — and private tech companies are at the center, selling that information directly to the government. In this episode, Morgan talks with Nicol Turner Lee, Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at The Brookings…

1
The Surveillance Machine, Pt 1: How We Got Here 33:19

2M ago33:19

33:19

The tools of high tech surveillance are increasingly all around us: security cameras in public and embedded in doorbells, location data on your phone, online ad tracking. A lot of this has become normalized, utterly mundane. But in the year since nationwide student protests for Palestine, heightened scrutiny of and retaliation against activists in …

1
Recession Indicator Memes Are Getting Too Real 31:52

2M ago31:52

31:52

Recession indicator memes are everywhere, pointing to everything from office wear at the club to Lady Gaga’s return to pop music as signs of looming economic doom. But with the stock market sinking and tariffs piling up, the jokes are starting to hit closer to home. In this episode, KQED community reporter Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí joins Morgan to unpa…

1
How Safe is AI Therapy? 31:57

2M ago31:57

31:57

After a divorce, KQED health reporter Lesley McClurg felt anxious over the prospect of dating again. On a whim, she turned to ChatGPT for a little emotional support — and found herself unexpectedly comforted. That experience launched her investigation into the fast-growing world of AI therapy. In this episode, Lesley joins Morgan to explore the pro…

1
Twitter on a Vape: Puff, Post, Pollute 38:28

3M ago38:28

38:28

In this episode, tech reporter Samatha Cole shares what happened when she tried to “vape the internet” after seeing a viral post about a disposable touchscreen vape with built-in social media. We also hear from environmental philosopher and public health researcher Yogi Hale Hendlin, who says these high-tech disposables are made possible by a legal…

1
Save or Scroll: Manosphere Mornings, Luigi Sex Tape Rumors, and the Art of the Hard Launch 33:40

3M ago33:40

33:40

We can’t cover every wild post from every corner of the internet — and not everything online warrants a full multi-tab journey. That’s where Save or Scroll comes in: our series where we team up with a guest for a rapid-fire roundup. In this episode, Morgan is joined by ICYMI co-host Candice Lim to dig into the stories they haven’t been able to stop…

1
The Broligarchy Pt 2: Is this Techno-Fascism? 38:17

3M ago38:17

38:17

The ”broligarchy” didn’t come together in a vacuum — this combination of extreme wealth, right wing leanings, and an anti-establishment point of view has been brewing for decades. There are lots of names for this ideology coming up in the news: techno-fascism, techno-feudalism, tech oligarchy, cyber-populism, authoritarian technocracy. What does it…

1
The Broligarchy Pt 1: Chronicles of the PayPal Mafia 38:29

3M ago38:29

38:29

The term “broligarchy” refers to the Silicon Valley elite tech leaders who have accumulated vast amounts of wealth, power, and now, political control over the last quarter century. In the first of a two-part series, Morgan dives deep into one highly influential subset of this “broligarchy,” the so-called PayPal Mafia. Joined by The Guardian reporte…

1
What Happens if the Internet Archive Goes Dark? 35:29

4M ago35:29

35:29

For decades, the Internet Archive has preserved our digital history. Lately, journalists and ordinary citizens have been turning to it more than ever, as the Trump administration undertakes an ideologically-driven purge of government websites. But the Archive itself faces an existential threat. In this episode, Close All Tabs Senior Editor Chris Eg…

1
Waymo Problems 31:59

4M ago31:59

31:59

Self-driving Waymo robotaxis have become a familiar sight in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, but not everyone is happy about that. These “ghost-like” autonomous vehicles have made a lot of people uneasy, some even going as far as to vandalize the cars. But what’s behind this hostility? In this episode, Morgan speaks with Bloomberg journa…

1
Children of the Vlog 32:31

4M ago32:31

32:31

The world of family vlogging is under scrutiny after the release of two new documentaries: HBO’s “An Update on Our Family” and Hulu’s “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.” The attention around Myka Stauffer and Ruby Franke has brought up questions about the dark side of family channels, and whether child influencers should have more say i…

1
TikTok's Vibe Shift 31:10

4M ago31:10

31:10

On January 18, 2025, TikTok went down for U.S. users. After just 14 hours, it was back. Since then, questions have been swirling online. Has the algorithm changed? Was the ban just a ruse? Has TikTok gone… conservative? In this episode, internet culture expert Taylor Lorenz joins Morgan to break down the answers to those questions. They’ll dig into…

1
Introducing Close All Tabs 2:00

5M ago2:00

2:00

New episodes drop weekly starting February 26! Tech journalist Morgan Sung spends most of her day online—so you don’t have to. Each week, Morgan tackles a new topic that might seem niche on the surface but is destined to impact our lives—both online and off. She pulls from experts, creators, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the…

1
Ryan Essmaker Wants You To Remain Miserable 8:26

5M ago8:26

8:26

Our very special Monday guest is Ryan Essmaker, the mind behind The Great Disconnect, sorry, The Great Connect Four, sorry, The Great Discontent, a blog about depressed and unhappy creative people. Ryan also works at Crush + Lovely, where he probably makes wine. When Ryan isn't canoeing around the streets of lower Manhattan dressed as a viking, he …

1
Influencer Endorsements Gone Wild 37:43

6M ago37:43

37:43

This episode was originally published November 2, 2024. In this final episode of the Close All Tabs miniseries, host Morgan Sung examines the increasing power of social media influencers in politics. Joined by WIRED senior tech and politics writer Makena Kelly, Morgan dives into the growing tensions between influencers and traditional journalists a…

1
Stan Wars, The Fandom Menace 34:52

6M ago34:52

34:52

This episode was originally published October 26, 2024. In this episode of Close All Tabs, host Morgan Sung examines the rise of “stan culture” in politics, where passionate supporters rally around political figures with the same fervor typically reserved for pop stars. Morgan is joined by tech and culture reporter Kat Tenbarge to unpack the evolut…

1
Couch F***** Memes vs The Truth 37:47

6M ago37:47

37:47

This episode was originally published October 19, 2024. In this episode of Close All Tabs, host Morgan Sung dives into the world of viral political memes with TechCrunch senior writer Amanda Silberling, unraveling the origins of the infamous JD Vance “couch rumor.” What began as a seemingly frivolous post on X about the Republican VP nominee spiral…

1
From the Dean Scream to Brat Memes 41:02

6M ago41:02

41:02

This episode was originally published October 12, 2024. Welcome to Close All Tabs, a special KQED podcast series exploring the intersection of internet culture and politics. In this first episode, host Morgan Sung takes us through the evolution of online campaigning—from the early days of dial-up modems to today’s Twitch streams. We’ll revisit icon…

1
Chris Glass Wants Your Gratuity 9:43

6M ago9:43

9:43

On Today's special live edition of the show I welcome fellow Cincinnatian Chris Glass. When Chris isn't busy making various goods from fire and wine, you might find his beard performing magic or attempting to find the perfectly fitting bathrobe. ‍ In his spare time Chris is a high security designineer for The President and the gatekeeper to Aaron D…

1
Dave Rupert Is Fun Time USA 8:08

7M ago8:08

8:08

If you've ever wondered how weird and crazy this show could get, then you'll love today's episode with Austin treasure hunter Dave Rupert. Dave is best known for having the first successful animatronic beard transplant and for creating nearly lifelike portraits purely from CSS code. When Dave isn't practicing foreign accents, he can be found writin…

1
Jay Fanelli Weaves T-shirts Made of Paper and Gold 6:31

8M ago6:31

6:31

On today's very special Friday edition we have the man of the sea Jay Fanelli. You might know Jay for his work making gold encrusted t-shirts with United Pixel Workers, making design things at Full Stop Intercreative Things and doing voice-over work for trampolines and broccoli. When Jay isn't weaving and sowing, he spends his time in the City of P…

1
Greg Storey Is The MENSA Eskimo 8:23

8M ago8:23

8:23

There's no need to introduce our guest today because I don't feel like it. Regardless, he's Gergory Storey, a beardless Eskimo who came to America on the back of a whale looking for gold in California but became best known for wearing Jeffery Zeldman's blue beanie on the first Thursday and third Monday of every other month. Greg is also known for e…

1
Kyle Steed Might Give You A Sponge Bath 6:42

9M ago6:42

6:42

Today's guest is Kyle Steed, best known for his work with the photo iPhone application program Over where he makes hand-drawn typewriters. Kyle is also known for his illustrations of cereal and pizza. Kyle is a tall man with a hat who enjoys juggling on his unicycle and watching Tom Cruise films. Today's episodes is not sponsored by Frito's or John…

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Josh Long Is A Teleporting Executioner 7:53

9M ago7:53

7:53

Josh Long is best known for the fictional story about his time as an executioner (of ideas) and his ability to teleport &mdash allowing him do tackel an inhuman number of side projects. In his spare time Josh creates bonsai trees, spends hours marveling at the majesty of horses, is a master treehouse architecture or something and also mentors futur…

1
Krystyn Heide Is Neither Square Nor A Girl 8:26

9M ago8:26

8:26

On today's show thing I welcome the lady Krystyn Heide, better known as Nicki Clyne's best friend or as SquareGirl™ on Twitter. Krystyn is a Designer at SquareSpace, just recently ended a long term affair with Papyrus. In her free time she designs websites for spas and lesbian coffeehouses. While Krystyn might only (approximately) 2,300 followers o…

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Yaron Schoen Wants You To Enjoy The Whitespace 5:17

9M ago5:17

5:17

Today's Pixel Recess has guest Yaron Schoen also known as Ron Stone. Ron is best known for creating Twitter and killing people with design while serving in the Israeli Army. Yaron currently works at home, naked, while wearing just a yarmulke. He also probably makes an app and website and eats McDonald's while watching reruns of Murder She Wrote.…

1
Noah Stokes Thinks That Awesome Takes Practice 5:07

9M ago5:07

5:07

Noah Stokes, perhaps better known by his birth name Mother Futon, is the founder and partner at Bold, where he creates "vintage" websites made out of balsa wood or something. Sadly Noah had no involvement in LOST, but does live in California (almost near Hollywood) and has long hair like a 80s metal god.…

1
Adam Clark Has A Tender Anger 5:30

9M ago5:30

5:30

Adam Clark is the host of the podcast The Gently Mad and is also a designeper at Bottlerocket Creative. I was once on his podcast, and I was amazing. Adam is a thoughtful and analytical man, with the quiet rage of a seagull. He also has a beard and the mouth of a sailor.By Pixel Recess

1
Phil Coffman Is The Non Texan Texan 6:45

9M ago6:45

6:45

Phil Coffman is better known for his huge failure, Method & Craft — a site, which aside from once being awesome, taught people how to craft things with a method and cure cancer and save lives. Phil currently is a partner (but not pardner, get it? GET IT?) at Element Creative in Austin TX where he might get drunk. Phil is also a hipster by requireme…

1
Lawrence Gellerstedt IV of Southsource Advisors 45:00

4y ago45:00

45:00

LG from Southsource exploring the importance of real estate to startups, the mistakes they make, WeWork in the Southeast, and helping to fund the next generation of technology leaders in Atlanta.By Renew Venture Capital

1
Bogdan Constantin of Voxie (Part 2) 34:00

4y ago34:00

34:00

Voxie's founding, $7M raise, and what it takes to be successfulBy Renew Venture Capital

1
Bogdan Constantin of Voxie (Part 1) 33:10

4y ago33:10

33:10

Bogdan's experience as a serial entrepreneur and the founding and funding of VoxieBy Renew Venture Capital

1
John Yates of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP 44:00

4y ago44:00

44:00

The history of startups and funding in Atlanta going back to the 1980sBy Renew Venture Capital

1
Sean O'Brien & Michael Cohn of Overline VC 35:00

4y ago35:00

35:00

Techstars and the history of Overline VCBy Renew Venture Capital

1
Allyson Eman of Venture Atlanta 32:05

4y ago32:05

32:05

Venture Atlanta's CEO on the history and future of the conferenceBy Renew Venture Capital

1
Sean Banks of TTV Capital 37:41

4y ago37:41

37:41

Conversation with Sean Banks of TTV Capital about how he got into Venture Capital and the history and future of TTVBy Renew Venture Capital

1
Blake Patton of Tech Square Ventures & Engage Ventures 45:34

4y ago45:34

45:34

Learn the history of early-stage fund Tech Square Ventures and the story behind Engage VenturesBy Renew Venture Capital

1
Aaron Hurst of Endeavor Atlanta 35:35

4y ago35:35

35:35

How Endeavor fits into the Southeast's funding and startup ecosystem. How to leverage Endeavor's resources to scale your business.By Renew Venture Capital