SHORT BIO
Molly Wood is the former host and senior editor of "Marketplace Tech," a daily broadcast focused on demystifying the digital economy, and former co-host of "Make Me Smart," where she and co-host Kai Ryssdal would try to make sense of big topics in business, tech and culture.
What was your first job?
Grocery store checker (but I also drove an ice cream truck once).
Fill in the blank: Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you ______.
Time, the most precious thing of all.
What is something that everyone should own, no matter how much it costs?
A pet!
What’s the favorite item in your workspace and why?
My electric fireplace! It is both cute and cozy.
Episodes by Molly (3,464)
Latest Stories (2,747)
U.S. Marines go green in Afghanistan
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Molly Wood
Oct 8, 2010
The war in Afghanistan has cost a lot of lives and money. In an effort to save both, Company I of the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines is conducting an experiment using renewable energy technology like solar panels and LED lights, and training Marines to operate it. The idea is to cut back on the the risk and expense of transporting fossil fuels across Afghanistan.
Google and Apple want your TV
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Molly Wood
Oct 7, 2010
Big tech companies are not satisfied to just be on your computer or phone. They want to go where you really spend time -- on your TV. We take a look at the emerging Google TV technology as well as the recently released Apple TV. We also give you an update on new Facebook features and talk about how people are cheating their way through an English hedge maze.
Mere mortals can't defeat Zeus
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Molly Wood
Oct 6, 2010
More than 100 people in the U.S., England, and other countries have been arrested for stealing money online using a bit of malicious computer code called Zeus. But those arrests will not stop more of these attacks from happening. We learn what Zeus is, how it works, and how easy it is to purchase online.
Steven Johnson's 'Where Good Ideas Come From'
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Molly Wood
Oct 5, 2010
Here's a thought: What if all that time you waste on social networking websites isn't a waste of time at all? What if tweeting your tweets on Twitter and facebooking with your fake friends on Facebook is actually a path toward finding the next big idea, the next breakthrough A-ha(!) moment of your life?
We talk to author Steven Johnson. His new book Where Good Ideas Come From argues that we may be more likely to have our breakthrough on social networks than sitting alone at a desk.
Technology cases coming before the Supreme Court
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Molly Wood
Oct 4, 2010
The Supreme Court is opening its new session. On the docket: several cases that touch on technology. We talk with legal scholar Jeffrey Rosen about cases involving video games, privacy, and whether AT&T counts as a person in our conversation. Also in this show, the Senate wants commercials to be quieter. What might that sound like?
Scientists at work on rewiring human brains
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Molly Wood
Oct 1, 2010
Scientists in the Midwest are researching ways to rewire the brains of people who've suffered traumatic brain injuries. We speak with Pedram Mohseni and Randolph J. Nudo about their work, which has recently been given a $1.44 million grant by the Defense Department.
Bold Senate anti-piracy bill garners support, complaints
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Molly Wood
Sep 30, 2010
A new bill may change what you're able to see on the web. The bill is aimed at going after material online, like pirated movies, that violates copyright laws. It has bipartisan support in the Senate, but advocates of a freer, less regulated Internet say it takes too broad an approach to law enforcement. We explore the bill and get an update on it.
Can 911 find you if you call on a cell phone?
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Molly Wood
Sep 28, 2010
If you call 911 from a land line, dispatchers can identify your location and send someone to come help you. If you call 911 from a cell phone, you're a lot harder to track down. Find out what the FCC is doing to change that.
Stuxnet computer worm threatens power plants, not credit cards
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Molly Wood
Sep 28, 2010
Unlike common computer viruses that go after your personal data or simply mess with your computer, a new worm is on the loose called Stuxnet, which targets software that controls infrastructure. Experts weigh in on what this means for the debut of Iran's new nuclear power plant, which has been infected by Stuxnet.
Solar Roadways
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Molly Wood
Sep 27, 2010
There are only a few days left before voting ends for the GE Ecomaginations Challenge. And one of the ideas in the contest is to convert thousands of square miles of pavement into solar panels. We talk with Scott Brusaw about his idea and how it would work.