Episode 8: Robots, Piers Full of Robots
In the conclusion of this series, we peer into the future of human-robot combinations on the waterfront and in the rest of the supply chain....
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Containers
Containers is an 8-part audio documentary about how global trade has transformed the economy and ourselves. Host and correspondent Alexis Madrigal leads you through the world of ships and sa...
Episodes
9 episodesEpisode 7: The Lost Docks
It’s 1979 and containerization is sweeping through the San Francisco waterfront, leaving the old docks in ruins. As global trade explodes, a...
Episode 6: And They Won, They Won Big
It started with a puzzle: why were people in West Oakland dying 12-15 years earlier than their counterparts in the wealthier hills? The peop...
Episode 5: The America-First Ships
American companies pioneered container shipping, but now the ocean freight business is dominated by foreign firms. Thanks to the Jones Act,...
Episode 4: The Hidden Side of Coffee
The coffee world has changed since Starbucks rose to prominence. Not only has the sourcing of beans acquired wine-like precision, but now th...
Episode 3: The Ships, The Tugs, and the Port
You know you’ve always wanted to ride in a tugboat as it pushes around a huge cargo ship, right? Well, that’s what we do in Episode 3. We go...
Episode 2: Meet the Sailors
What is life like as a modern sailor, a tiny person on a huge ship in a vast ocean? Here is your answer. Episode 2 brings you a rare look in...
Episode 1: Welcome to Global Capitalism
Alexis Madrigal brings you the gripping story of how a new way of shipping stuff across the ocean fed the Vietnam War, destroyed America's g...
Introducing Containers
Containers provides an illuminating, deep, and weird look at how capitalism works now. It's about huge ships and global trade and the work p...