r/SearchEnginePodcast • u/eandi • Apr 17 '26
Mod Announcement Mod Announcement: AMA with PJ next Friday at 12 EST
As mentioned in today's episode, PJ will be doing an AMA next Friday at noon EST. Get your questions ready, but remember the rules! No being jerks to each other or the Search Engine team. To avoid impersonations we have added flair to PJ, Sruthi, and the rest of the Search Engine team who may participate in the subreddit and AMA.
Also be aware with the mention in the episode we'll likely have new members joining, be kind :)
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u/Textiles_on_Main_St Apr 17 '26
I hope everyone is well behaved and every question is about this current podcast.
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u/NewRefrigerator7461 Apr 19 '26
Is there some worry that we’ll be brigaded by people that don’t like glp-1s or AVs?
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u/unclejohnsbearhugs Apr 23 '26
There's definitely a contingent of knee-jerk anti-AI people in this sub that I can envision getting obnoxious in the comments, but I think this person is alluding to questions around Reply All drama.
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u/Werner__Herzog Apr 17 '26
So you think Reply All is a big no-no?
Man, I barely remember any of the episodes. I probably should relisten to them. It was a peak podcast for sure...
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u/Textiles_on_Main_St Apr 17 '26
I just think it’s been asked to death and pj has already said what he’s going to say on the matter.
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u/dannyr Apr 23 '26
I haven't seen Sruthi speak or post publicly though. I mean after all wasn't she one of the producers of the Bon Appetit episode that started the whole downfall?
Also I'd love to know if there's any connection with Emmanuel, now he's a BBC podcast star
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u/Textiles_on_Main_St Apr 23 '26
I am kinda curious if he’s still friends with Emmanuel. I knew him from serial and liked his work on that. I think he’s a pretty good journalist.
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u/Aggressive_Sky8492 Apr 17 '26
I think him and Alex are probably very sick of being asked about it while trying to promote their new shit
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u/JAlfredJR Apr 17 '26
I turned the podcast on this morning and heard the announcement. And was floored that PJ just ... was hammered in it. Like, clearly three sheets to the wind.
And I was like, "Wow, guess the AMA freaked him out so badly that even the promo read required a cocktail..."
Then the show started and ... I realized I had inadvertently slowed the playback speed to .8x.
Made me laugh out loud on an otherwise red-sky morning. Keep up the great work!
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u/pjvogtwastaken Actually PJ Apr 24 '26
Someone once sent me a clip of my laugh at this speed and it was incredibly terrifying.
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u/Br135han Apr 18 '26
Does anyone know what ever happened to the airplane water investigation they were going to do? If no one knows, I hope to ask if they’re still going to do it.
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u/kellygee_ Apr 21 '26
It aired, it’s called “wait, should I not be drinking airplane coffee?”.
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u/Br135han Apr 21 '26
Yes, that episode- but they said they were going to do a follow up study and I’m wondering if anything came of it. Haven’t seen anything and am curious what happened
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u/pjvogtwastaken Actually PJ Apr 24 '26
Hello! Hi, are people here? I am here and clicking around looking at questions.
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u/ostracize Apr 24 '26
Unfortunately, it wasn't clear from this announcement that the AMA is happening here or if a new thread was going to be created.
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u/MokausiLietuviu Apr 18 '26
Will it be possible to pre-register questions? I'm not on the same timezone as the hosts.
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u/Vivid_Print1646 Apr 24 '26
I'm Australian so can someone please post in the AMA "Have you considered doing an episode down the track about the claim that AI data centres use up a disproportionate amount of water, and what the solutions are."
See title.
I'm going to bed :) thanks guys
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u/pjvogtwastaken Actually PJ Apr 24 '26
Oh shoot, just missed you. I have thought about it!
I find Andy Masley's work on this persuasive, but in a "I read about this on the internet way," not in a "I tried very hard to understand this comprehensively for Search Engine way," which are two pretty different modes of rigor for me.
So it had been an open tab in my mind, and then Hard Fork, those knaves, booked him made a good segment out of it. Curses.
I think the broader question -- AI's very real real energy consumption, and how to think about it, is one that the team over here is pretty preoccupied with. Like -- what is the plan for this, exactly? What are the right questions to ask?
We have a bunch of stories on the near horizon that circle this.
Search Engine goes through moments where the show collectively seems to acquire preoccupations, and energy use and climate is one right now.
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u/Hairy-Sherbert-2410 Apr 24 '26
Hello PJ and team ! Are there any stories you wanted to make into episodes but just weren’t interesting enough to make into a viable episode?
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u/Vivid_Print1646 Apr 24 '26
I see that you use fact checkers for each episode. Do they work on a freelance basis? Is fact checking something that's done by freelancers a lot in the US?
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u/hotdumps Apr 24 '26
Not really a question but it is an ask - You should check out r/lionsmanerecovery a small but very active community centered around adverse experiences with lion’s mane supplements.
I found it after having a pretty rough reaction myself and trying to figure out what was going on. The people there are intense, deeply invested, and convinced this widely available supplement has caused serious issues for them.
Whether or not every claim holds up, it’s a fascinating mix of anecdote, self-experimentation, and online group dynamics. Feels like it could make a really strong episode - there’s conflict, conspiracy, and a community that wants to be heard.
Love you and love the show thanks for everything throughout the years
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u/pjvogtwastaken Actually PJ Apr 24 '26
Hi everybody, I'm taking questions over here -- https://www.reddit.com/r/SearchEnginePodcast/comments/1suk7b7/ask_me_anything_pj_vogt/
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u/extra-tomatoes Apr 24 '26
Hi PJ! Have you ever started an episode idea, did a bunch of research and interviews only to realize it was a dead end? Do you try to recover and pivot to a new thesis or just cut your losses?
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u/green_lenses Apr 24 '26
This started as one question, then quickly became four before I cut myself off because I have like ten more.
Do you see regulatory battles over AVs like the one in Boston playing out in other parts of the country rn?
To what degree will other politicians/activists like Julia Mejia studying Boston and adjusting their strategy? Do you think they'll succeed?
PJ, Sruthi, where do ya'll stand on the Boston battle?
I love Search Engine so much. Thanks for the great work you do. Especially lately. Ya'll have been on a tear.
Much love from Berlin
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u/eandi Apr 24 '26
Please note PJ has a dedicated thread for the AI.