Well-Informed & Open-Minded

Political campaigns are slipping out of the studio and into the podcast feed. As trust in traditional media wanes, candidates from Donald Trump to Kamala Harris are embracing long-form conversations that let them sound relaxed, relatable, and largely unchallenged—sidestepping the fact-checking and friction of conventional interviews. In this episode, we explore why podcasts have become the new campaign trail, how their intimate, self-selecting audiences reshape political persuasion, and what this shift means for accountability in democracies from the United States to Europe. The rise of these digital fireside chats suggests a lasting change in political communication—one where connection may matter more than scrutiny.https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/10/31/how-podcasts-came-to-rule-americas-campaign-conversation

Leaders like to be judged on skill and strategy—but research suggests that chance and childhood matter far more than we admit. From prenatal exposure to pollution to growing up amid natural disasters, early experiences can quietly shape how much risk executives are willing to take decades later. In this episode, we explore how entering the job market during a recession fosters caution, how family and culture influence decisions on spending and social policy, and why leadership styles often reflect history as much as talent. The story reveals that today’s bosses are, in part, products of yesterday’s shocks—and that the crises of the present may already be shaping the leaders of the future.https://www.economist.com/business/2025/04/24/the-early-lives-of-bosses

Genius is often assumed to be a matter of sheer brainpower—but the link between intelligence and creativity turns out to be far messier. From early, dubious attempts to assign IQ scores to historical greats to modern tests that struggle to predict real-world originality, the evidence suggests that high intelligence is neither a guarantee nor a clear definition of genius. In this episode, we explore why divergent-thinking exams fall short, how figures with unremarkable test scores have produced extraordinary work, and what the shifting baseline of intelligence revealed by the Flynn effect tells us about the limits of measurement. The story ultimately asks whether traits like personality, motivation, and persistence matter more than IQ—and whether genius can ever be captured by a number at all.Robinson, Andrew, 'Intelligence and creativity', Genius: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (Oxford, 2011; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 Sept. 2013), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780199594405.003.0004

Creativity is often chased through stimulation—drugs, brainstorms, quirky offices—but the evidence suggests that many of these shortcuts miss the mark. Substances like cannabis and psilocybin may heighten the feeling of insight without improving the quality of ideas, while corporate efforts to engineer creativity can distract more than inspire. In this episode, we explore why boredom, mental downtime, and mind-wandering during mundane tasks may be far more powerful drivers of genuine originality. The story challenges the myth that creativity must be forced, suggesting instead that the most fertile ideas emerge when we stop trying so hard to produce them.https://www.economist.com/business/2023/01/12/how-to-unlock-creativity-in-the-workplace

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a quiet exodus has reshaped the Caucasus. In Georgia, thousands of young, highly educated Russians—engineers, journalists, artists—have rebuilt fragments of the civil society they left behind, forming charities, cultural spaces, and activist networks in exile. In this episode, we explore how guilt, opposition to war, and a desire to dismantle imperial ideas are shaping this diaspora, and why historians see echoes of Russia’s earlier intellectual flight. As the country loses a generation of talent and its émigrés experiment with building a values-based, borderless community, the story asks whether a nation can survive when its future is being imagined somewhere else.https://www.economist.com/international/2022/08/09/much-of-russias-intellectual-elite-has-fled-the-country

Job applications are no longer judged on résumés alone. Behind the scenes, many companies now rely on psychometric tests to sift vast applicant pools, mapping personalities through models like OCEAN in hopes of predicting who will thrive—and who might cause problems. In this episode, we explore how tools that began in military intelligence have become standard in corporate hiring, why repetitive questioning is used to spot inconsistency, and where these assessments fall short when detached from interviews and real-world skills. The story suggests that there is no single “ideal” personality at work—and that understanding fit may matter far more than chasing charisma or confidence on a score sheet.https://www.economist.com/business/2020/11/05/questionable-behaviour

The office suit is no longer the uniform it once was. From Wall Street banks loosening dress codes to the pandemic-era rise of camera-ready loungewear, professional clothing has shifted toward comfort, flexibility, and informality. In this episode, we explore why relaxed attire came to signal equality and modernity, how the collapse of old norms hurt traditional retailers, and why some employers are now rediscovering the value of dressing up. As workplaces renegotiate the boundary between home and office, the story asks whether what we wear to work is merely practical—or still a quiet ritual that shapes how seriously we take our roles.https://www.economist.com/business/2021/09/11/the-pandemic-has-refashioned-corporate-dress-codes

History often turns not on grand speeches, but on how those words are translated. In Dancing on Ropes, Anna Aslanyan reveals how interpreters and translators—working under intense pressure—have quietly shaped world events, from scientific misunderstandings to catastrophic diplomatic failures. In this episode, we explore why simultaneous interpretation is such a high-wire act, how literary translation becomes an act of cultural creation, and why technology still falls short of true understanding. As languages refuse to align perfectly, the story reminds us that communication is never neutral—and that the imperfect human effort to bridge meaning may matter more than flawless accuracy.https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/06/17/translators-are-the-unacknowledged-facilitators-of-the-world

The tech industry is locked in a bidding war for AI superstars, with eye-watering salaries and signing bonuses meant to buy an edge in a fast-moving race. Yet history offers a cautionary tale: brilliance does not always travel well. In this episode, we explore why star performers often stumble when transplanted into new firms, how success is shaped by culture, teams, and institutional support, and what studies from finance and law reveal about the hidden costs of the superstar strategy. As companies bet big on individual genius, the story asks whether competitive advantage is really something you can poach—or something you have to build.https://www.economist.com/business/2025/07/17/are-superstars-as-good-when-they-move-jobs

Formal education is meant to nurture talent—but for some of history’s greatest minds, it proved an obstacle rather than a pathway. From the self-taught mathematical brilliance of Srinivasa Ramanujan to innovators like Michael Ventris, many geniuses struggled within universities that failed to recognize or reward radical originality. In this episode, we explore why highly creative thinkers so often clash with academic systems, what psychology suggests about the limits of prolonged formal training, and how institutions built to transmit knowledge can end up filtering out the most unconventional ideas. The story asks whether schooling refines genius—or whether true originality survives only when education knows when to step aside.Robinson, Andrew, 'The schooling of genius', Genius: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (Oxford, 2011; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 Sept. 2013), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780199594405.003.0003

In India and China, a single exam can determine the course of an entire life. Entry into the civil service promises status, stability, and power—but the path runs through years of punishing study and elimination rounds that test everything from history to abstract reasoning. In this episode, we explore why these exams endure as symbols of meritocracy, how their reliance on rote learning may fail to identify the best administrators, and what the immense personal cost reveals about opportunity and pressure in two rising powers. As both countries tentatively experiment with alternative recruitment, the story asks whether an exam designed to be fair has become too blunt—and too costly—for the modern state.https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/06/19/indias-and-chinas-civil-service-exams-are-notoriously-difficult

Brazil is watching a generation of its most educated citizens quietly pack their bags. Since 2017, scientists, academics, and graduate students have been leaving in growing numbers, driven by economic instability, collapsing research budgets, and a political climate that treats universities with suspicion. In this episode, we explore how funding cuts and populist hostility have hollowed out Brazil’s scientific institutions, why earlier investments failed to translate into lasting careers at home, and what this brain drain means for the country’s future. The story follows individual researchers forced to choose between patriotism and survival—and asks how long a nation can afford to lose the people trained to understand, innovate, and explain it.https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/07/24/brazils-brain-drain-is-getting-worse

A university degree still promises higher pay on average—but for many students, the gamble is growing riskier. As tuition rises and earnings stagnate in some fields, the returns to higher education have become wildly uneven, leaving a significant share of graduates worse off than if they had never enrolled. In this episode, we explore why the college wage premium masks huge differences by subject and completion time, how new data is exposing which degrees deliver value and which do not, and why governments and employers are starting to rethink what education is really worth. The story suggests that the future of higher education may depend less on broad faith in college—and more on hard questions about outcomes, accountability, and choice.https://www.economist.com/international/2023/04/03/was-your-degree-really-worth-it

From sewing on a button to managing credit, a growing number of adults are admitting they were never taught the basics. Across libraries, community colleges, and online platforms, “adulting classes” are filling gaps left by families, schools, and an increasingly digital upbringing, offering practical lessons for navigating modern life. In this episode, we explore why demand for these courses is rising across generations, how financial complexity and social uncertainty have made everyday competence harder to acquire, and what it says about changing ideas of adulthood itself. The story suggests that learning how to live may now be a lifelong project—and that asking for help has become part of growing up.https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/04/10/too-many-adults-are-absolutely-clueless

In China, education has become both a promise and a pressure cooker. Although schooling is officially free through age fifteen, millions of families have poured money into private “cramming classes” to give their children an edge in brutally competitive exams, culminating in the gaokao. In this episode, we explore why the government has moved to clamp down on the tutoring industry, framing the crackdown as a way to ease family finances, boost falling birth rates, and restore order to a chaotic market riddled with dubious claims and uneven quality. Behind the social rationale lies a deeper story about control as well, as the new rules rein in powerful tech firms tied to education. The result is a sweeping intervention that reveals how anxieties about children, competition, and national priorities now intersect in China’s classrooms.https://www.economist.com/china/2021/06/24/china-is-clamping-down-on-cram-schools

Genius is often imagined as a family inheritance, passed down through bloodlines—but the evidence tells a stranger story. While talent may cluster, true genius rarely does, and many of history’s most creative minds emerged from families marked by loss, instability, or emotional distance. In this episode, we explore why early deprivation appears so frequently in the lives of exceptional figures, how trauma can fuel nonconformity and creative drive, and why the same conditions that shape greatness can also lead to delinquency. From Leonardo to Mozart, the story suggests that genius grows in tension—between support and absence—and that its defining trait may be not brilliance alone, but a lifelong pull toward solitude.Robinson, Andrew, 'Family affairs', Genius: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (Oxford, 2011; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 Sept. 2013), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780199594405.003.0002

Rising from the Negev Desert like a science-fiction monument, Israel’s Ashalim solar tower was once hailed as a triumph of renewable ambition—and soon after derided as an expensive mistake. Built with cutting-edge solar-thermal technology, the plant dazzled the world even as falling prices for photovoltaic panels made it look rapidly outdated. In this episode, we explore how the tower reshaped life in the nearby village of Ashalim, inspiring pride and unease in equal measure, and why concerns over cost, wildlife, and glare have fueled a broader national debate. The story uses this gleaming structure to ask a larger question facing the energy transition: how should societies balance technological boldness with practicality on the road to a low-carbon future?https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/world/middleeast/israel-solar-tower.html

In the Gulf’s vast family empires, succession is becoming the most dangerous moment of all. As founding tycoons age, businesses worth billions are sliding into paralysis, undone not by markets but by inheritance disputes that echo the drama of Succession. In this episode, we explore why traditional laws struggle to manage modern conglomerates, how sprawling family trees intensify rivalries, and what high-profile feuds reveal about the cost of getting succession wrong. As governments like the UAE step in with new legal frameworks for family firms, the story asks whether law can succeed where family harmony has failed—and whether these reforms can secure the future of some of the region’s most powerful companies.https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/06/01/business-families-in-the-gulf-need-modern-laws-of-inheritance

Each summer, Japan’s Obon festival brings the living and the dead together, as families return home to welcome ancestral spirits, clean graves, and dance in communal remembrance. But the pandemic broke that rhythm, severing travel and turning a deeply physical ritual into a source of anxiety and guilt. In this episode, we explore how Obon adapted under lockdowns, from virtual-reality grave visits to proxy mourners who clean tombs on behalf of absent families, sometimes livestreaming the act itself. Set against Obon’s Buddhist roots and enduring traditions, the story asks how rituals of remembrance survive when presence is impossible—and what it means when technology steps in to mediate our duties to the dead.https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/20/covid-19-has-made-it-hard-for-the-japanese-to-visit-family-graves

The world is becoming a place with more grandparents than ever before. Longer lives and smaller families have quietly reshaped the family tree, giving grandparents—especially grandmothers—a growing role in raising children and sustaining working parents. In this episode, we explore how this demographic shift affects women’s participation in the workforce, why grandparental care looks so different in countries from Senegal to Mexico, and what happens when older generations are stretched thin by competing demands. As some societies rely heavily on family support while others lean on the welfare state, the story reveals how grandparents have become an invisible pillar of modern economies—and why that support is both invaluable and increasingly strained.https://www.economist.com/international/2023/01/12/the-age-of-the-grandparent-has-arrived

Britain’s love affair with dogs has collided with a sudden turn toward prohibition. After a series of high-profile attacks, the government moved quickly to ban the Bully XL breed, turning a little-known pandemic-era pet into a national political issue almost overnight. In this episode, we explore why the data on dangerous dogs remains contested, how an already-criticized Dangerous Dogs Act became the tool of choice, and why campaigners and animal charities argue the problem lies with owners rather than breeds. As a social media campaign helped propel a niche concern into sweeping legislation, the story asks what this episode reveals about risk, emotion, and how rapidly policy can harden in response to public fear.https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/09/15/a-fight-over-dangerous-dogs-in-britain

Two visions are competing to define the cities of the future. One imagines vast “Robot Cities,” governed by data, sensors, and centralized systems designed to optimize traffic, energy, and efficiency across sprawling megaregions. The other looks smaller and more human, drawing on Jane Jacobs and New Urbanism to prioritize walkable neighborhoods, public life, and the everyday vitality of streets and “third places.” In this episode, we explore why each approach falls short on its own, what real-world experiments like Songdo reveal about the limits of top-down smart cities, and how fictional worlds—from Black Panther to Blade Runner—hint at a better synthesis. The story argues that the most successful cities will not choose between humans and machines, but learn how to design for both.Abbott, Carl, 'Epilogue Imagining future cities', City Planning: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190944346.003.0009

On the streets of San Francisco, the future of transport is already taking fares. Driverless taxis from Waymo and Cruise glide through traffic, offering a glimpse of artificial intelligence finally escaping the screen and entering the physical world. In this episode, we explore how robotaxis are being rolled out far more cautiously than past tech revolutions, why sensor-heavy systems have outpaced camera-only approaches, and what it would take for autonomous taxis to become truly affordable at scale. As regulators hesitate, the public remains wary, and an entire profession faces disruption, the story asks whether robotaxis represent a quiet inevitability—or a technological promise still struggling to earn society’s trust.https://www.economist.com/business/2023/08/31/cherish-your-uber-drivers-soon-they-will-be-robots

A new arms race is taking shape in the skies, as the world’s major powers design fighter jets for an era of drones, data, and long-range war. America’s F-47, China’s J-36, and Europe’s Tempest are being conceived not just as aircraft, but as flying command centers—larger, stealthier platforms built to control swarms of autonomous drones while surviving increasingly lethal air defenses. In this episode, we explore why sixth-generation fighters are becoming airborne supercomputers, what recent conflicts have taught militaries about range and survivability, and why the staggering cost of these machines is reviving an old question: as autonomy advances, will the future of air combat still need a human in the cockpit?https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/05/14/the-race-to-build-the-fighter-planes-of-the-future

The promise of personalized nutrition is seductive: eat what your body needs, guided by data rather than guesswork. What began with biohackers tracking blood sugar has evolved into a booming industry of glucose monitors, microbiome tests, and AI-driven advice that claims to tailor diets to each individual. In this episode, we explore how these technologies work, why early studies suggest real benefits for weight loss and energy, and why most health apps still fail at the hardest part—keeping people engaged. As companies race to turn streams of personal data into simple, sustainable habits, the story asks whether personalized health tech can truly change behavior, or whether knowing more about our bodies still isn’t enough to make us act differently.https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/05/02/apps-interpreting-data-from-wearable-devices-are-helping-people-to-live-better

The sleek touchscreen has become a symbol of the modern car—but it may also be one of its most dangerous features. What began with Tesla’s minimalist dashboard has spread across the industry, putting everything from climate control to navigation behind glass and menus. In this episode, we explore why researchers say touchscreens demand too much attention, how studies show they can slow reactions even more than alcohol, and why safety bodies like Euro NCAP are now pushing automakers back toward physical buttons. As drivers grow frustrated and manufacturers quietly reverse course, the story asks whether the future of car design has been looking in the wrong direction all along.https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/19/are-touchscreens-in-cars-dangerous

A growing techno-utopian movement believes the next frontier of innovation is not machines, but the human body itself. Backed by billionaires and venture capital, researchers and entrepreneurs are chasing ways to extend life, boost strength, and sharpen intelligence through supplements, gene therapies, and brain-computer interfaces—often racing ahead of regulation and solid clinical evidence. In this episode, we explore who is funding these enhancement projects, why figures like Elon Musk and Christian Angermayer see them as inevitable, and how experiments are increasingly moving to regulatory gray zones. As enthusiasm collides with ethical concern and public skepticism, the story asks whether human enhancement represents the future of progress—or a risky experiment driven more by ambition than proof.https://www.economist.com/briefing/2025/03/20/dreams-of-improving-the-human-race-are-no-longer-science-fiction

From ancient city walls to modern flood barriers, urban resilience has always been shaped by fear, risk, and adaptation. Cities today face a widening spectrum of threats—from terrorism and internal conflict to rising seas and unpredictable natural disasters—often responding with hardened infrastructure and defensive design. In this episode, we explore how these strategies can deepen division and overlook the social vulnerabilities that make disasters deadlier for the poor, and why planners are rethinking resilience beyond concrete and steel. By turning to local knowledge, community power, and small-scale solutions, the story argues that the most durable cities are not those that wall themselves off, but those that learn to adapt together.Abbott, Carl, 'Unnatural disasters and resilient cities', City Planning: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190944346.003.0008

Football once offered instant release—the eruption of a goal followed by unfiltered celebration. Today, that joy is often paused, as fans wait for a remote official to decide whether it really counts. Introduced to correct clear mistakes, VAR has gradually expanded into a system chasing microscopic perfection, replaying subjective calls and marginal offsides that drain momentum from the game. In this episode, we explore how video review has reshaped the fan experience, why support for VAR has soured since its introduction, and whether the pursuit of absolute accuracy has come at too high a cost. The story asks a simple question with complicated consequences: is football better served by flawless decisions—or by the freedom to celebrate without hesitation?https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/19/var-makes-fans-pine-for-the-days-of-wayne-rooney

Once a symbol of excess reserved for aristocrats, fruit is becoming luxury again—this time carefully branded, meticulously grown, and astonishingly expensive. From Japanese grapes that sell for thousands at auction to neatly packaged boxes of Omakase berries trending on social media, premium produce is being recast as a status gift rather than a staple. In this episode, we explore how food culture, Instagram aesthetics, and Japanese traditions of gift-giving have helped elevate fruit into a high-end commodity, and how companies are racing to meet demand through vertical farming and tight climate control. As growers navigate tariffs, climate risk, and branding, the story asks how something so ordinary came to rival wine and watches as a marker of taste—and what that says about luxury in an age of abundance.https://www.economist.com/business/2025/07/03/would-you-pay-19-for-a-strawberry

Protein has moved from the gym bag to the grocery aisle. Once the preserve of bodybuilders and fitness obsessives, high-protein eating has gone mainstream, amplified by social media, celebrity endorsements, and a booming market of fortified yogurts, drinks, and snacks. In this episode, we explore why protein now commands more attention than fiber or whole grains, how weight-loss drugs and fears of muscle loss are reshaping appetites, and why food companies are racing to load protein into everything they sell. As sales surge and supermarket shelves fill, the story asks whether this fixation reflects genuine nutritional need—or the latest cycle in our search for a dietary silver bullet.https://www.economist.com/business/2025/03/06/catering-to-protein-rich-diets-is-a-tasty-business

Seen from Hollywood, Crazy Rich Asians was a breakthrough; seen from Singapore, it looks far more complicated. Shot against the gleaming excess of Marina Bay Sands, the film was hailed for its all-Asian cast and box-office success, telling a glamorous story of love, wealth, and identity. In this episode, we explore how that triumph plays differently on the ground, where critics argue the film embraces conservative ideas about family, hierarchy, and dynastic power while sidelining Singapore’s Malay and Indian communities. The result is a sharp tension between representation and reality—raising the question of whether a victory for Asian-Americans in Hollywood can still feel like a loss for Southeast Asians watching from home.https://www.economist.com/asia/2018/09/01/for-a-different-take-on-crazy-rich-asians-cross-the-pacific

A new kind of workout is promising results not in the gym, but on the face. As facial exercise studios and apps gain popularity, clients are paying premium prices for hands-on massages and guided routines that claim to sculpt jawlines, reduce puffiness, and offer a needle-free alternative to cosmetic procedures. In this episode, we explore why facial workouts have found an eager audience—including a growing number of men—how the trend fits into broader ideas of wellness and self-optimization, and why dermatologists remain cautious despite calling the practice largely harmless. The story asks whether face fitness is a genuine beauty breakthrough, a placebo powered by touch and ritual, or simply the latest expression of our desire to train every part of the body.https://www.economist.com/business/2024/10/03/workouts-for-the-face-are-a-growing-business

The dates stamped on food packages look authoritative, but they are quietly driving mountains of unnecessary waste. In the United States, most “sell by” and “best before” labels were created to signal peak freshness—not safety—yet consumers often treat them as expiration warnings, tossing food that is still perfectly edible. In this episode, we explore how a confusing dating system born in the 1970s came to shape modern habits, why manufacturers tend to play it safe with early dates, and how our own senses are usually better guides to spoilage than the calendar. As experts push for clearer, standardized labels and policies that encourage food donation, the story reveals how a small change in language could keep millions of meals out of the trash.https://youtu.be/jDg8DQl7ZeQ?list=TLGGduU_D8HF95UxNzEyMjAyNQ

As Ukraine looks beyond the battlefield toward rebuilding, some of its most important lessons are coming from a country long shaped by catastrophe. Japan’s experience recovering from earthquakes, tsunamis, and wartime destruction has become a model for Ukrainian officials planning for a future that must be resilient by design. In this episode, we explore what Ukraine is learning from Japan’s disasters—from rebuilding communities quickly and planning reconstruction early, to treating destruction as a chance to build smarter and stronger. Through study tours, infrastructure know-how, and a shared acceptance of permanent risk, the story reveals how a nation can prepare for recovery even while crisis continues—and why resilience may be Ukraine’s most vital form of defense.https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/06/08/japan-offers-ukraine-a-lesson-in-reconstruction

Across Asia, disasters are striking more often and with greater force, yet responses still tend to arrive only after lives and livelihoods have been shattered. A growing movement argues that waiting is the costliest mistake of all. In this episode, we explore the rise of “anticipatory action”—policies that use early warnings to deliver cash and support before floods, droughts, or storms hit—and why evidence from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Mongolia suggests it can sharply reduce hunger, debt, and long-term damage. As climate change raises the stakes and governments hesitate to act on forecasts rather than facts, the story asks whether helping people before disaster strikes could become Asia’s most effective tool for saving lives and limiting loss.https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/11/20/where-being-antediluvian-pays

For generations, the American firefighter has been defined by flames and heroism—but the job is quietly being reinvented. As improved building codes and smoke alarms have driven structural fires sharply down, fire departments now spend much of their time responding to medical emergencies, rescues, and crises far removed from burning buildings. In this episode, we explore how this shift is reshaping training, morale, and budgets, from dissatisfaction among firefighters who joined to fight fires to questions about whether current physical standards and dispatch practices still make sense. As medical calls dominate daily work even while wildfires and complex modern blazes loom larger, the story asks what the future of firefighting should look like—and what it means when an iconic profession changes faster than its image.https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/08/03/americas-firefighters-mostly-do-not-fight-fires

Life in the Bangladesh Delta is shaped by water that never stays still. Along the Jamuna, Padma, and Meghna rivers, entire communities live with the constant threat of floods and erosion, as land appears and disappears with the seasons. In this episode, we explore how people adapt to a landscape defined by movement, from teardrop-shaped earthen plinths designed to let floodwaters flow past, to hospital ships and simple boats that keep communities connected. Focusing on the work of architect Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury and the nonprofit Friendship, the story reveals how resilience in the delta is built not through grand defenses, but through designs that accept change—and learn to live with it.https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/04/12/bangladeshs-riverine-villages-are-benefiting-from-clever-design

When powerful earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, the scale of destruction exposed more than a natural disaster—it revealed the deadly cost of human decisions made long before the ground shook. Tens of thousands were killed as buildings collapsed, particularly in Turkey, where corruption, weak enforcement, and decades of construction amnesties had normalized unsafe practices. In this episode, we explore how ignored building codes, substandard materials, and a system of political patronage turned seismic risk into mass tragedy. Drawing on expert testimony and eyewitness accounts, the story shows why earthquakes do not have to be this lethal—and how governance failures can be as devastating as the forces of nature themselves.https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/02/12/turkeys-earthquakes-show-the-deadly-extent-of-construction-scams

Cities often feel like the opposite of nature—but in reality, they are ecosystems of their own. From coyotes roaming urban streets to rivers buried and revived beneath concrete, the “natural city” reveals how deeply urban life is entwined with the environment around it. In this episode, we explore how planners and thinkers—from Frederick Law Olmsted’s park systems to today’s sustainability advocates—have tried to reconcile city growth with ecological limits. By tracing the hidden metabolism of cities, from energy and water to waste and inequality, the story shows why urban sustainability is not just about planting trees, but about rethinking how cities consume, connect, and coexist with the natural systems that sustain them.Abbott, Carl, 'Nature in the city', City Planning: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190944346.003.0007

A single tree species now sits at the center of a global cultural and environmental standoff. Brazilwood—also known as pernambuco—has long been prized for making the world’s finest violin bows, yet rampant logging and habitat loss have pushed it to the brink of extinction in Brazil’s Atlantic forest. In this episode, we explore why proposals to tighten international protections have alarmed musicians and bow makers, who fear onerous rules could make it nearly impossible to travel with historic instruments, and why conservationists insist such measures are essential to stop illegal trade. As record-setting bows collide with vanishing forests, the story asks whether music and nature must compete—or whether a sustainable future can preserve both the sound and the tree that makes it possible.https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/11/19/the-use-of-a-rare-wood-pits-violinists-against-environmentalists

The software job market is splitting in two. At the very top, a small cadre of AI specialists is being courted with extraordinary salaries and fierce competition, as companies treat elite talent as a strategic asset worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. For everyone else, hiring has slowed sharply, with layoffs and shrinking job listings reflecting the productivity gains promised by generative AI. In this episode, we explore how this widening gap is reshaping what it means to be a programmer, why most developers are increasingly viewed as a cost rather than a necessity, and how the future of the profession may lie less in writing code than in building—and guiding—the machines that do.https://www.economist.com/business/2025/07/01/superstar-coders-are-raking-it-in-others-not-so-much

The word “genius” carries a seductive power—but it may explain far less than we think. Drawing on Helen Lewis’s critique, this episode unpicks the idea of genius not as an innate quality, but as a status granted by society, shaped by fashion, power, and storytelling. In this episode, we explore how the myth evolved from Romantic suffering to pseudo-scientific rankings that once underpinned eugenics, and why familiar tropes still persist today: excusing bad behavior, fetishizing rebellion, and assuming brilliance transfers effortlessly from one domain to another. By shifting attention from people to the work itself, the story challenges how we assign authority—and why mistaking success for wisdom can be both misleading and dangerous.https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/06/17/donald-trump-elon-musk-and-the-age-of-the-genius

When 18-year-old Dommaraju Gukesh returned to Chennai as the youngest world chess champion in history, the celebration felt like more than a sporting triumph. His victory over China’s Ding Liren—the first all-Asian world championship final—marked a generational shift in a game long dominated by Europe and Russia. In this episode, we explore how Gukesh’s rapid rise, powered by relentless training and family sacrifice, reflects India’s growing confidence on the global stage. As grandmasters multiply, political leaders cheer from the sidelines, and sponsors take notice, the story asks whether this breakthrough could help turn chess into a mass aspiration in India—one where intellectual excellence carries the same prestige as athletic stardom.https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/12/19/dommaraju-gukeshs-win-will-accelerate-indias-chess-ambitions

Never before have two leading presidential candidates been so old—and so closely scrutinized for it. With Joe Biden and Donald Trump both well beyond the age of past presidents and most global leaders, concerns about health, stamina, and mental sharpness have moved from the margins to the center of political debate. In this episode, we explore what biology and social science actually say about aging, from the risks of stroke and cognitive decline to research suggesting that power, privilege, and even “super-ager” genetics can extend both lifespan and function. Drawing on expert insight and public moments that fuel anxiety on both sides, the story asks a sobering question: how much do we really understand about aging at the very top—and how much of the fear is scientific, political, or cultural?https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/01/09/heart-attacks-strokes-dementia-can-biden-and-trump-beat-the-odds

More than a century ago, Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago offered a bold idea: that cities should be planned not just block by block, but as regions, weaving beauty, infrastructure, and growth into a single vision. That ambition spread quickly, as planners grappled with sprawl, coined new ways to measure metropolitan scale, and experimented with governance models that could coordinate transport, housing, and services across fragmented jurisdictions. In this episode, we explore why regional planning has always been so hard to govern, from two-tier systems to single-purpose agencies, and how tools like greenbelts and urban growth boundaries aim to contain expansion. As cities fuse into conurbations, megalopolises, and today’s megaregions, the story asks whether planning at ever-larger scales can finally bring coherence to the urban landscapes we’ve created.Abbott, Carl, 'Metropolis and megaregion', City Planning: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190944346.003.0006

Rising from the desert with mathematical precision, the Great Pyramid of Giza remains one of humanity’s most astonishing feats of organization and belief. Built for Pharaoh Khufu under the direction of his architect Hemiunu, the monument demanded twenty years of relentless coordination—quarrying stone, hauling blocks across the Nile, and placing one massive block every few minutes. In this episode, we explore how a workforce of ordinary Egyptians, well fed and housed rather than enslaved, transformed limestone and granite into a perfectly aligned tomb, using ingenious engineering solutions that still provoke debate today. From the choice of bedrock on the Nile’s west bank to the hidden chambers and gleaming capstone that once crowned it, the story reveals not just how the pyramid was built, but what it tells us about power, labor, and ambition in the ancient world.https://youtu.be/fJBlEPOj4Fk?list=TLGGHTD3xLc-NCAxNjEyMjAyNQ

For more than a century, big cities have been celebrated as engines of growth, magnets for talent, and crucibles of innovation. Economists have long argued that crowding people together boosts productivity through “agglomeration,” making everything from public services to new ideas more efficient. In this episode, we explore a provocative challenge to that logic, examining research that suggests America’s largest cities may have contributed far less to economic output than commonly assumed. As critics debate whether innovation really depends on megacities, the story asks a deeper question: if the economic case is weaker than advertised, why do people keep flocking to dense, expensive, and often maddening urban centers? The answer, it turns out, may lie as much in human desire and culture as in growth statistics.https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2025/01/16/are-big-cities-overrated

When the pandemic shut the world down, it also stripped away the illusions of celebrity. As millions struggled with illness, isolation, and lost income, famous figures posting from vast homes and urging solidarity exposed the widening gap between wealth and reality—and sparked a furious backlash. In this episode, we explore how COVID-19 accelerated the unraveling of celebrity culture, from tone-deaf messages and viral hashtags calling out inequality to a broader questioning of meritocracy itself. Yet the story also asks what, if anything, remains valuable about fame, pointing to moments of genuine self-awareness and entertainment that still resonate. In a crisis that made inequality impossible to ignore, celebrity was forced to reckon with its own limits—and its meaning.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/arts/virus-celebrities.html

Not long ago, New York Harbor was treated as an open sewer, written off as biologically dead—but today, whales surface beneath the skyline. After decades of environmental regulation and conservation, sharks, dolphins, and even humpback and fin whales have returned, alongside the slow revival of oyster reefs that once defined the city’s waters. In this episode, we explore how laws like the Clean Water Act, limits on overfishing, and grassroots projects such as the Billion Oyster Project helped transform a polluted estuary into a living ecosystem once again. While sewage overflows and climate pressures still threaten that progress, the story offers a rare note of urban optimism: proof that long-term patience, policy, and persistence can bring nature back, even in the heart of a megacity.https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/01/new-yorks-waters-are-being-reborn