Molly Wood

Host and senior editor

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.

Latest from Molly Wood

Sep 24, 2010
NASA helps map air pollution from space
Air pollution has been a killer since the dawn of the industrial age, yet until recently scientists didn't know how dirty the air was in most of the world. New maps from satellite images and computer modeling are finally giving researchers a clearer view of this global problem.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 23, 2010
Dark fiber could provide faster Internet to schools and libraries
The FCC is deciding whether to approve a plan to make unused fiber optic cable, or dark fiber, available to schools and libraries. That move could have a big impact on how you use the Internet. We talk with Christian Sandvig from the Project on Public Policy and Advanced Communication about the plan.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 22, 2010
Facebook is making you a friend request you can’t refuse
It's become harder to turn down a friend request on Facebook. You used to be able to just click "accept" or "ignore," but the social network site has changed those options to "accept" or "not now." That may change the way you Facebook. We talk with B.J. Fogg at Stanford University and Clary Shirky, who's written on the social effects of technology, to get their perspectives.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 21, 2010
What will we do with all this "white space?"
Soon, the FCC is expected to open up unused parts of the broadcast spectrum, also known as "white space." We talk with Glenn Fleishman from Wi-Fi Networking News about how the spectrum works. And Tim Wu from Columbia Law School weighs in on companies that may use that space and what it means for Internet users.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 20, 2010
Can social networks help prevent the flu?
A recent study explores how the flu spreads among groups. Dr. Nicholas Christakis and Dr. James Fowler found that by closely tracking popular people, they can see a flu coming. We talk with them to find out how their findings may apply to online social networks.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 18, 2010
The Wikipedia entry on the Iraq War in 12 handy bound volumes
The history of the Iraq War is still being written. And it is being written, every day, on Wikipedia. Writer, editor, and publisher James Bridle about his 12-volume set of books compiling Wikipedia material related to the war from 2004 to 2009.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 17, 2010
Free public domain classical music on the way
Aaron Dunn, of the organization Musopen, talks about his project to build a royalty-free library of classical music played by symphony orchestras that you can listen to, make a movie with, and use to sell stuff.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 16, 2010
Microsoft and political repression in Russia
Microsoft has granted free software licenses to Russian protest groups targeted by the government after Russian authorities raided their offices under the pretense of software piracy. Experts weigh in on the implications of Microsoft's actions.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 14, 2010
Your car and your concentration are at issue in Washington
With OnStar announcing new features and a tech company urging for distracted driving laws, the car is on its way to a more technologically advanced and safer future.
Read MoreDownload
Sep 13, 2010
What if you could declare online reputation bankruptcy?
With so much of our personal information now available on the web via social networking, we wonder if it's possible to declare reputation bankruptcy — and start your online life all over.
Read MoreDownload

Marketplace®

Molly Wood

Latest from Molly Wood