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kill switch

kill switch

Written by: Kaleidoscope
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About this listen

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

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Episodes
  • everything’s a game… even baptisms

    everything’s a game… even baptisms
    Jan 14 2026

    From language learning to investments to Amazon leaderboards, it seems like everything has become a game. But are these gamified things actually fun, or are we the ones being played? Dexter talks to philosopher C. Thi Nguyen, who recently wrote a book about why gamification can suck the life out of things called The Score. They talk about why the same mechanism in games and gamified metrics – the scoring system – works so differently, why gamification can trick you into caring about the wrong thing, and how this phenomenon hits everything… even baptisms.

    Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

    Read:

    • C. Thi Nguyen’s book, The Score: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735252/the-score-by-c-thi-nguyen/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    33 mins
  • how to: protect yourself from online harassment

    how to: protect yourself from online harassment
    Jan 7 2026

    Journalists, public figures, and just about anyone with an online presence today can suddenly face harassment: ranging from nasty posts and replies to real life threats like doxxing. Dexter talks with Ramy Ghaly, a security professional, about how online harassment has gotten worse, how to respond if it happens to you, and what you can do, right now, to prepare and protect yourself.

    Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

    Read:

    • Pen America’s Online Harassment Field Manual: https://onlineharassmentfieldmanual.pen.org/

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    33 mins
  • The App Where Strangers Lend Each Other Money | What’s Your Problem? Podcast

    The App Where Strangers Lend Each Other Money | What’s Your Problem? Podcast
    Dec 31 2025

    We’re sharing a preview of another podcast we think you’ll enjoy: What’s Your Problem?

    Hosted by former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein, What’s Your Problem? asks entrepreneurs and engineers about the problems they’re trying to solve to build a bigger and brighter future.

    In this episode: How do you build an app where strangers lend each other money? Nina Mohanty, CEO of Bloom Money, explains how centuries-old saving and lending global traditions—often used by immigrant communities—are being rebuilt for the modern financial system. It’s a conversation about trust, access, and what the future of money might look like when banks aren’t the center of it.

    Find What’s Your Problem? on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

    Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    46 mins
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