A lot of sci-fi is dystopian. Solarpunk flips that on its head. The subgenre imagines a brighter future where humans have fostered a better relationship with technology, the environment, and each other, in spite of climate disaster. On today’s show, writer and academic Phoebe Wagner joins Kimberly to make us smart about solarpunk, its connection to the green energy transition, and why you should check it out if you want to shake off climate doom.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Solarpunk: A Container for More Fertile Futures" from Solarpunk Magazine
• "Tired of Dystopian Sci-Fi? You Might Like Solarpunk." from Mother Jones
• "Sunshine and Seedlings" from Hydroponic Trash
• "Underground" from Tractor Beam
• Chobani ad on YouTube

We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

A series of suspiciously well-timed Iran war bets placed on Polymarket have revived concerns about insider trading on prediction markets. But enforcement is something of a gray area. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino joins Kimberly to explain the relatively recent history of insider trading laws at the CFTC and what it could mean for prediction market platforms. Plus, the debate over whether insider trading on these markets is actually a good thing.

Doorbell cameras, license plate readers, and social media platforms are just a few of the tech products that make up an ever-growing surveillance network in the United States. ICE’s use of surveillance tools as part of its immigration crackdown has brought that into focus. On today’s show, Kimberly talks with investigative journalist and co-founder of 404 Media Joseph Cox about the growth of the American surveillance state and simple steps you can take to protect your privacy.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet" from 404 Media
• "Surveillance company Flock generates controversy, and L.A. customers" from The L.A. Times
• "Ring Ends Deal to Link Neighborhood Cameras After Backlash to Super Bowl Ad" from The New York Times
• "All the Ways Big Tech Fuels ICE and CBP" from Wired
• "Inside a Powerful Database ICE Uses to Identify and Deport People" from 404 Media

We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.