Love this. Brain-stretching

I love the style and content of this show

This is jimmy 🤠 -l- /\ He likes to travel, so spread him to other podcasts

I followed PJ here from Reply All. At first I thought this podcast was going the way of the crypto-bro, but luckily once we left crypto island the topics were a nice mix. I really enjoyed the recent look into autonomous driving vehicles, it cleared up a lot of sketchy information from the news and made me hopeful for safer and more eco friendly driving in the future.

Well researched, properly fact checked, fascinating topics - every time. Have been listening to their seemingly endless archive of great episodes for weeks now, and I'm not running out anytime soon! The structure is intellectually stimulating while not being overwhelmingly pessimistic or jargon-y, a balance that's hard to find when looking to be productive with what I'm listening to, wanting to learn about the world without becoming emotionally destroyed by the level of awful things happening around us. Search Engine is able to talk about those difficult subjects (plus a healthy balance of less serious, still fascinating topics) without making me want to crawl into a cave and never listen to the news again! Looking forward to the newest episode. Thanks for the great work you guys do.

I will change this rating and review if/when things go back to normal. I don’t know why this Great Ball of Money episode is hosted by someone who just had dental surgery and has a mouth full of gauze or perhaps has his jaw wired shut. I appreciate The Show Must Go On attitude and I never thought I’d be someone to complain about someone’s voice, but this one is hard for me to truly listen. I hear voices but I have zero retention. I just keep wondering what the heck is wrong with this guy and why didn’t he call in sick instead of recording this episode? Am I the only one who hears this?

Currently my fav podcast. It’s always been good but now it’s great. A rationalist want to have a baby. Peptides. Thank you search engine team for the original thinking and reporting.

PJ does a great job at grabbing my interest on topics that normally I wouldn’t be interested in. I will say this podcast will help you become more interesting as you learn these random topics with PJ.

love this podcast. have been here since the start

I used to like this podcast and rated it very highly a long time ago and followed. Then I stopped following and would only catch a stray episode because the quality seemed to be going down. It seemed like PJ just had all his friends on and the questions were just from all of his friends and it was some vanity project. This episode was not much different, as PJ sat there with another one of his friends. And the guy heavily insinuated that being autistic makes a person A-moral. Being neurodivergent himself, PJ should’ve checked him on this or at least done an aside! Such a disappointment

I recently found Search Engine. I’m so happy to have this podcast with PJ Vogt. New episodes brighten my day.

Really interesting topics that I can engage with. Have you done or thought about doing an episode on why it’s IMPOSSIBLE to unsubscribe to emails?

An excellent, entertaining, thought-provoking show. A good PJ laugh always helps brighten my day!

There are some good episodes of this show, but it’s become weirdly simpatico with the AI industry, basically just being an uncritical, toothless mouthpiece for billionaires who are trying to ruin our lives. Gross, don’t think I’m going to tuning in much anymore.

Search Engine is one of my all time favorite podcasts. The reporting is smart and thoughtful. They explore questions that draw you in with honesty and humor. I’m always excited to see a new episode in my feed. (Listen for PJ’s great and unmistakable laugh)

First, I’m a “voice snob” and only follow pods that have hosts I love to listen to! PJ has a soothing voice. Second, you never know how much stuff you needed to know until you listen to PJs reporting! Engaging, informative, always entertaining! I’m a long time fan!

I love this podcast so much! However… I am trying to force my way through the cannibalism episode… it’s like they left that four-year-old on the microphone making mouth noises for the entire episode. I was getting more and more angry on the way to work listening to it :( Not sure if they were trying to be funny by leaving it in? It was agony

This podcast tickles the curious part of my brain. Super interesting and random topics (like my search engine queries), and stories researched and told really well. 100% recommend. I found it in a random Reddit comment, and my god I wish I could find the redditor who recommended it so I could thank them.

I always loved Reply All and think PJ Vogt has interesting stories and insights. I’m so tired of true crime, politics, cocky pundits, bro podcasts. I want to LEARN things. I want to know how things work. It’s so hard to find a really good, interesting podcast like this one.

I learned of this Pod from Heavyweight, and I have missed hearing PJ Vogt’s perspective on things. This podcast is engaging and different each week, and PJ shares his whole self in his work. PJ’s newest pod does not disappoint! I first heard PJ on his former podcast Reply All. It was a polished production that disappeared after the Gimlet/Spotify merger. When that happened , I found the precursor to Reply All; TL|DR. At this point I have listened to all three of PJ’s historical shows and I’m so excited to have found his newest project. If you’re all caught up on the Search Engine content - be sure to check out PJ’s other content too!

I wish every podcast had this level of research, commentary and insights! A work of ART. The Berghain episode is forever etched into my brain (and btw - I got in a few weeks later — the ep really helped lol). Excited for more!

Sadly I had to stop listening, the pausing followed by swallowing sounds of the host and guests became so cringing that I just couldn’t stop hearing them more and more. Really wish they were edited out so I could enjoy the actual content :( good show otherwise.

This is the podcast that got me into podcasts! It’s also the only podcast that I listen to consistently. It’s refreshing, informative, and thought-provoking. I love the deep dives into niche topics and internet mysteries, and the interviews are always great. I recommend it to people all the time.

Thank you for this great info. I love Jonathon Goldstein and you are a close second. No wonder the two of you get along. Great topics and interesting answers.

Wait till these dudes find out what a mammogram is.

Take a trivial topic, add some eerie minor key music, and talk in a conspiratorial tone of voice: that is Search Engine. It is an utter waste of time.

So longtime listen first time caller (so to speak) - PJ we go back a couple podcasts ❤️ I jumped off midway into the first third of the Body Scanner episode to chime in that I am a (gay) female that has been setting off the same scanners in the EXACT SAME WAYs for as long as they have been in use (and as routinely. I am cracking up over here! Fascinating stuff!

I don’t write many reviews, but felt compelled to for this one. I love search engine it’s my favorite podcast by far. If you’re looking for something relatable, thought provoking, and entertaining give it a shot.

I found your podcast through Heavyweight. I was looking forward to similar content and different stories. Instead, what I found was a left wing propaganda machine that is completely disregarding facts and evidence to support the so called ‘conspiracy theorists’. You are doing everything that you blame the ‘right wing’ for. Brittney’s death and the events that Alex went through were upsetting to be sure, but the lengths you went through to do the very thing you despised on the right were disgraceful and disingenuous. You had a chance to really have an impact by sticking to the damage that behavior can do to people, instead you alienated the people who have lost people to the vaccine, or those who have lost their livelihoods to the mandates. You did the exact same thing.

The obituary episode was beautiful, and the end portion was very tastefully done. Thank you for giving Whitney’s family a voice.

I’m so happy to have found this podcast. It’s the perfect balance between pure entertainment (ex: the episode about “Berghain”) and educational (“Cuddly Killers”). Love the work! Thanks so much for enlightening us on so many fascinating subjects.

So sick of Ezra Klein. What a blowhard.

This is my favorite podcast. Their approach to storytelling keeps me engaged and they do a great job explaining concepts and bringing in interesting experts who I sometimes end up following (Matt Levine of Money Stuff and Joseph from 404 media). Keep up the great work!

I didn’t realize how much I missed PJ’s laugh until I was checking in on my favorite podcast, Heavyweight, and heard the best laugh I haven’t heard since PJ’s last show. So happy to have that back in my laugh.

I genuinely like this podcast, but the Thanksgiving Ezra Klein episode was nauseating; it gave Klein just another space for his trademark intellectually limp, condescending “both side-ism.” His analysis ignores real power asymmetries while lecturing “the left” about being out of touch, and this conversation amplified that. Please bring on guests who don’t mistake cowardice posing as insight.

Again?!?

Great topics, great interviews. Only let down by bringing Ezra Klein on - he’s such a hack and it brings this neolib elite intellectual vibe that is so white and out of touch

The gift of storytelling with words and music that creates an image in each listener’s mind without any visual display by the presenter is rare indeed. PJ & Sruthi produce episodes that conjure those images as though they have been doing this their entire working lives, and it shows . Search Engine is the perfect template of podcast production.

Search Engine took some time to find its stride, but has solidified itself into the standards of my podcasts for about 2 years now. The way the stories are written and told connects topics like technology to a very human attribute of curiosity. The search engine team, and PJ in particular are doing an excellent job and hope we continue to see them thrive.

I get needing to have ads to fund your show, but they were like half the episode. When the third ad in a row started to play I gave up.

Two men talk about pornography and never once mention women or misogyny. The start of a joke I didn’t find funny. Daniel Kolitz has no integrity as a journalist. Participating in wank battles himself. This isn’t a morbid curiosity for him. It was an excuse to intellectualize a perverseness. No talk about how pornography is genuinely harming western society either? No critique? He came out of that pro-porn? Didn’t look into the cross between substance abuse and porn addiction? Again. Not a journalist. Tough listen. And terrible thoughtless questions from PJ.

Incredible storytelling. PJ has a worldview that feels familiar and honest. The types of stories he tells are fascinating. Huge fan!

Something is starting to feel different about how the episodes of Search Engine are written and researched. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I find myself rolling my eyes more often at what the guests say and PJ taking their words at face value. Maybe I’m just itching for a much deeper dive into a topic like how some of the older episodes were written and researched. 
This most recent episode (America vs. China) felt like it had some holes in its central argument and seemed myopic in its understanding of infrastructure. Like, if you’re going to do the ’Fresh Air’ style of interview, stop making sweeping statements about a very complicated system of public policies. Either do a deeper dive into the context or make it more explicit that this is your guest’s point of view.

Great insightful interview by PJ with Oliver Letwin, writer of China vs America. Enlightening description of fundamental differences between the two countries and how these differences impact the quality of life and advancement of public infrastructure.

I like it

I like the show! Well made, good stories.

I was a replyAll listener and recently found out PJ created Search Engine. PJ and his team found a way to create a new formula that keeps you engaged. He dives deeper into topics that he finds interesting or compelling while putting his two cents. It’s more personal yet still has a bit for everyone. Been binging episodes and am almost caught up. 10/10 would recommend and I recommend to all my friends. Keep up the great work y’all 🤘 (Side note: I don’t even use Apple Podcasts, I use Spotify but wanted to give y’all your flowers)

Search engine is a very enjoyable and bingeable show. It spans all kinds of topics and questions, and the team finds ways to keep it interesting. I find myself going back for a re-listen on some of the more concrete questions (that episode on inflation from 2024 was really insightful). Even with the more existential questions, the host makes sure the listener ends the ep with some degree of closure.

Probably one of my favorite podcasts.

Not only do I love Search Engine and the interesting and thoughtful questions that PJ asks of the world and of his guests, but I have also been introduced to some of my favorite podcasts through this show. Thank you guys!