WSJ’s The Future of Everything

What does the brick and mortar bookstore of the future look like? For Barnes & Noble, it looks more like the indie bookstores they once threatened to put out of business 20 years ago. The company recently redesigned their national chain of over 500 bookstores, shedding the big box personality in favor of a look reminiscent of local bookshops. On this week’s Science of Success, WSJ columnist Ben Cohen speaks to Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt about the look, feel and idea behind Barnes & Noble’s new indie design. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching to a different podcast player. Further reading: That Cool New Bookstore? It’s a Barnes & Noble. New CEO Wants to Make Barnes & Noble Your Local Bookstore Barnes & Noble’s New Boss Tries to Save the Chain—and Traditional Bookselling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can technology help us design the perfect running shoe that’s stronger, faster and better for the environment? David Allemann, co-founder of On, thinks technology can get us part of the way there, but it’s not the whole story. The performance running shoe and sportswear company is experimenting with computer simulation and bio-based materials to design sneakers to advance both runners and sustainability goals. WSJ men’s fashion columnist Jacob Gallagher speaks with Allemann about the future of running shoe tech and how sneakers might redefine the design cannon. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Further reading: How On’s Running Sneakers Won Over Tech Bros and High Fashion Alike Where Did All the Crazy Sneakers Go? This Designer Knows What Sneakers You’ll Be Wearing Next Year These Grandpa Sneakers Are Made in America. They’re a Hit Overseas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3D printing isn’t just for hobbyists – it could be central to the future of manufacturing. Companies are turning to this technology to make everything from car and airplane parts to houses faster and cheaper than with traditional techniques. Now, as 3D printing – also known as additive manufacturing – is getting quicker, researchers are testing its limits. WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Danny Lewis take a look at how this tech is building the factory of the future. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching to a different podcast player. Further reading: This 3-D Printed Icelandic Fish-Gutting Machine Contains the Secret of a Future, Less-Globalized Economy Venture Investors Are Pumping Capital Into 3-D Printing Startups. Here’s Why. Energy Companies Turn to 3-D Printing to Bypass Snarled Supply Chains 3-D Printed Houses Are Sprouting Near Austin as Demand for Homes Grows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Tesla started developing the Cybertruck, CEO Elon Musk tasked the company's chief designer with creating a car that "feels like the future." But did it break the mold on what a pickup truck is? And how will it change truck design in the future? WSJ auto columnist Dan Neil test drove the Cybertruck. He spoke with WSJ’s Charlotte Gartenberg about his take on Tesla’s polarizing vehicle, and what it means for the future of EV design. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or email us: [email protected] Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching t o a different podcast player. Further reading: I Gave Tesla’s Cybertruck a 48-Hour Thrashing. It (Mostly) Survived. Tesla Hopes the Cybertruck Design Gives It an Edge Tesla Designer: Cybertruck’s Funky Design Gives It an Edge How Tesla’s Cybertruck Compares with Other Pickups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year, several high profile incidents have kept flying in the limelight. Yet air travel is currently safer than ever. The biggest U.S. commercial airlines have now gone 15 years without a fatal crash. So, how did hurtling through the sky in a giant metal tube become this safe? WSJ columnist Ben Cohen speaks with former FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization executive William Voss about the voluntary self-reporting programs that made flying the safest form of travel and asks if the airline industry’s safety measures could provide a blueprint for regulation in other fields. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Listening on Google Podcasts? Here's our guide for switching to a different podcast player. Further reading: Flying in America Has Actually Never Been Safer Boeing Tells Airlines to Check 787 Cockpit Seats After Mishap on Latam Flight Behind the Alaska Blowout: a Manufacturing Habit Boeing Can’t Break Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of promises that driverless cars were just over the horizon, one of the industry's biggest players is headed for the freeway. Now, for the first time, Alphabet’s Waymo is allowing robotaxis to take its employees on high-speed roads in Phoenix, Arizona without a human driver. The move comes just as the industry is facing a harsh reality after high-profile crashes: GM’s Cruise had its permits to operate driverless robotaxis pulled by the California DMV, and Waymo issued its first-ever recall after two of its cars collided with a pickup truck being towed. WSJ reporter Meghan Bobrowsky discusses what this could mean for the future of self-driving cars and where the industry is heading. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Further reading: Self-Driving Cars Enter the Next Frontier: Freeways Self-Driving Car Company Waymo Issues First-Ever Recall After Two Phoenix Crashes GM’s Cruise Says U.S. Is Investigating Driverless Car’s Collision With Pedestrian ​​America’s Most Tech-Forward City Has Doubts About Self-Driving Cars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine driving down a road that recharges your electric car as it moves. Companies around the world are experimenting with new technology that can wirelessly charge EVs while they drive, thanks to copper coils buried beneath the asphalt. It could mean less time spent plugging in at slow chargers, no need for heavy, expensive lithium-ion batteries and wave goodbye to range anxiety. WSJ’s Danny Lewis reports on what it would take for this tech to hit the road, and how it could change the way we refuel our vehicles. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Further reading: These Companies Want to Charge Your Electric Vehicle as You Drive No More Charging Stops? We Take a Road Trip in an Ultralong-Range EV The Big Year for EVs Gets Off to a Bumpy Start Electric Cars and Driving Range: Here’s What to Know About EV Range Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent months, an Alaska Airlines jet lost a door plug mid-flight, and a Japan Airlines plane collided with another aircraft at an airport in Tokyo. Accidents like these are uncommon, but they could help engineers design safer airplanes. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University associate professor Anthony Brickhouse tells WSJ’s Danny Lewis how advanced materials and computer systems could bring flight into a safer future, while making sure human pilots are still part of the equation. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Further reading: How Safe Is Flying Today? Answering Your Questions Boeing 737 MAX Missing Critical Bolts in Alaska Airlines Blowout, NTSB Says Boeing Finds New Problem With 737 MAX Fuselages Inside a Flaming Jet, 367 Passengers Had Minutes to Flee. Here’s How They Did It. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it an earworm or an icon? The Super Mario Bros. theme is the soundtrack to many childhoods and has remained resonant today. Recently inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, the song was not easy to write. Video game composer Koji Kondo faced musical and technical challenges in creating the song. Columnist Ben Cohen talks to New England Conservatory musicologist Andrew Schartmann about how Kondo created this lasting and genre-changing piece of music. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Further reading: The Mind Behind the Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI has brought new challenges for corporate executives in managing their workforces and supply chains. Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi tells WSJ reporter Emily Glazer how she is adjusting to uncertainty and gives her outlook on the future of the workplace and manufacturing. This conversation was recorded at WSJ’s CEO Council Summit on December 12, 2023. What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] Further reading: Leading in Uncertain Times Sam Altman Seeks Trillions of Dollars to Reshape Business of Chips and AI Logistics-Tech Startups Face Uncertain Future as Freight Slump Continues The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Generative AI in the Workplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices