Episode Details

Prediction markets may look like simple betting, but Whitney Webb and guest Mark Goodwin show how they can evolve into tools for surveillance, power, and data extraction. In this condensed summary of the original Unlimited Hangout episode, we cut the conversation from the full-length interview down to a fast, focused listen so you can get the key ideas in minutes. Whitney opens by pushing back on “AI slop” and explaining why real, original video matters, then she and Mark trace prediction markets from the University of Iowa and Robin Hanson’s “idea futures” to DARPA’s failed Policy Analysis Market, Peter Thiel, Palantir, and Polymarket. They connect crypto, blockchain, sports betting, political forecasting, and national security to a bigger question: who profits when human behavior becomes tradable data? If you want the core reporting on Polymarket, prediction markets, and the changing relationship between journalism, markets, and truth, listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.