The 1997 science fiction film Gattaca depicts a dystopian future where genetic technology creates a two-tier society: people who were born with the “best” genes selected vs. people who were conceived naturally. This was a cautionary tale, showing us a future we don’t want. But now, Silicon Valley is heavily investing in making this technology real. Dexter talks to Amanda Gerut, West Coast editor at Fortune, about the rise of polygenic screening companies, the investment in gene editing of embryos, and how close we are to creating designer babies.

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

Read + Watch: 
Amanda’s article, “Silicon Valley sets its sights on building the perfect baby” - https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/
WSJ's reporting, “Genetically Engineered Babies Are Banned. Tech Titans Are Trying to Make One Anyway.” - https://www.wsj.com/tech/biotech/genetically-engineered-babies-tech-billionaires-6779efc8
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

The 1997 science fiction film Gattaca depicts a dystopian future where genetic technology creates a two-tier society: people who were born with the &ldquo;best&rdquo; genes selected vs. people who were conceived naturally. This was a cautionary tale, showing us a future we don&rsquo;t want. But now, Silicon Valley is heavily investing in making this technology real. Dexter talks to Amanda Gerut, West Coast editor at Fortune, about the rise of polygenic screening companies, the investment in gene editing of embryos, and how close we are to creating designer babies.
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Amanda&rsquo;s article, &ldquo;Silicon Valley sets its sights on building the perfect baby&rdquo; - <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/">https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">WSJ's reporting, &ldquo;Genetically Engineered Babies Are Banned. Tech Titans Are Trying to Make One Anyway.&rdquo; - https://www.wsj.com/tech/biotech/genetically-engineered-babies-tech-billionaires-6779efc8</li>
<li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, 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.

 

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 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.
&nbsp;

kill switch

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, 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.

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 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

silicon valley’s plan to make the “perfect baby”

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/47e687fe-a8be-4bb7-9ebb-b3fb0149b4e4/transcript

This week, we have a special collab episode with our friends at Panic World: From research to vibe coding to therapy to girlfriends and boyfriends, how are we using AI these days? Dexter joins Ryan Broderick on Panic World to talk about the interesting relationships people are forming with AI — for better and (mostly) worse.

Check out Panic World wherever you get your podcasts, or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@panicworldpod

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

Read + Watch: 
Our episode on AI therapy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-switch/id1449757372?i=1000725849687
Our episode on Only Fans chatters: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-onlyfans-girlfriend-might-be-a-guy-or-a-robot/id1449757372?i=1000731948555
Our episode on VTubers: https://youtu.be/8bCU8MkO420?si=RXwh0aP8_BVcYXAT
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

This week, we have a special collab episode with our friends at Panic World: From research to vibe coding to therapy to girlfriends and boyfriends, how are we using AI these days? Dexter joins Ryan Broderick on Panic World to talk about the interesting relationships people are forming with AI &mdash; for better and (mostly) worse.
Check out Panic World wherever you get your podcasts, or on YouTube at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@panicworldpod">https://www.youtube.com/@panicworldpod</a>
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Our episode on AI therapy: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-switch/id1449757372?i=1000725849687">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-switch/id1449757372?i=1000725849687</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Our episode on Only Fans chatters: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-onlyfans-girlfriend-might-be-a-guy-or-a-robot/id1449757372?i=1000731948555">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-onlyfans-girlfriend-might-be-a-guy-or-a-robot/id1449757372?i=1000731948555</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Our episode on VTubers: <a href="https://youtu.be/8bCU8MkO420?si=RXwh0aP8_BVcYXAT">https://youtu.be/8bCU8MkO420?si=RXwh0aP8_BVcYXAT</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

are we all going to end up in AI relationships? [panic world special]

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b13e273e-9543-4498-8322-b3f401426819/transcript

Tech companies are constantly putting out new products to chase the hype – but they’re not all winners. Each year, nonprofit consumer advocates put on an award ceremony recognizing the lousiest of the bunch, called the Worst in Show. Dexter talks with Liz Chamberlain, who runs Worst in Show, about this year’s awards, the products that earned them (spoiler: a product featured during the Super Bowl is on the list), and what we risk when we chase the hype (read: add AI to everything).

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

Read + Watch: 
This year’s Worst In Show: https://www.ifixit.com/News/115344/worst-in-show-returns-at-ces-2026-calling-out-gadgets-that-make-things-worse
Worst In Show website: https://www.worstinshowces.com/ 
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

Tech companies are constantly putting out new products to chase the hype &ndash; but they&rsquo;re not all winners. Each year, nonprofit consumer advocates put on an award ceremony recognizing the lousiest of the bunch, called the Worst in Show. Dexter talks with Liz Chamberlain, who runs Worst in Show, about this year&rsquo;s awards, the products that earned them (spoiler: a product featured during the Super Bowl is on the list), and what we risk when we chase the hype (read: add AI to everything).
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">This year&rsquo;s Worst In Show: <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/News/115344/worst-in-show-returns-at-ces-2026-calling-out-gadgets-that-make-things-worse">https://www.ifixit.com/News/115344/worst-in-show-returns-at-ces-2026-calling-out-gadgets-that-make-things-worse</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Worst In Show website: <a href="https://www.worstinshowces.com/">https://www.worstinshowces.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

a tour of the year’s worst new tech

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/98c30773-cbbe-46e1-a2fb-b3ed015c7dae/transcript

For a while, the internet felt like it might actually work. Dexter talks with legal scholar and author Tim Wu about his new book The Age of Extraction and how that early optimism faded as companies learned how to extract value from just about everything. 

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

Read + Watch:
The Age of Extraction, by Tim Wu: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

For a while, the internet felt like it might actually work. Dexter talks with legal scholar and author Tim Wu about his new book The Age of Extraction and how that early optimism faded as companies learned how to extract value from just about everything.&nbsp;
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:
<ul>
<li>The Age of Extraction, by Tim Wu:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/">https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/</a></li>
<li>kill switch on YouTube:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

how the internet learned to extract

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/15bb2b3a-45b6-4023-8d0b-b3e60161730b/transcript

silicon valley’s plan to make the “perfect baby”

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