Podcast Episodes

Why Do Governments Do Stupid Things?

Trust in government is at an all-time low in many countries. From failed healthcare policies to missed intelligence, government blunders happen often – and visibly. But successful policy-making is ha…

Published on 9 years ago

Why Did The Polls Get it Wrong (Or Did They)?

Hillary Clinton lost the US election despite some polls putting her chances of winning at 99%.

In the run up to the vote pollsters spent huge sums of money speaking to thousands of Americans. They wer…

Published on 9 years, 1 month ago

Why Does Anyone Still Smoke?

Smoking tobacco is the single most dangerous voluntary activity in the world. It kills six million people a year, and if current trends continue that figure is expected to rise to 8 million people by…

Published on 9 years, 1 month ago

After the Electoral Shocks of Brexit and the US Election - What Next?

On 8 November, as they stood in line to cast their votes, Americans were told by pollsters and pundits that, while close, the presidential race would be won by Hillary Clinton. As the results came in…

Published on 9 years, 1 month ago

Was this the Most Divisive US Election Ever?

The Clinton–Trump race has been extraordinary. Two of the most unpopular presidential candidates ever have slugged it out through a bitter campaign. They are both – for different reasons – deeply pol…

Published on 9 years, 1 month ago

How Do We Fix Antibiotics?

By 2050, experts predict that drug-resistant infections will kill one person every three seconds unless the world’s governments take drastic steps now. But given the complexity of antibiotics resista…

Published on 9 years, 2 months ago

Can a Corrupt Country Get Clean?

The International Monetary Fund says corruption siphons $2 trillion a year out of the global economy, slowing growth and fuelling poverty. Endemic corruption is very hard to deal with. But not imposs…

Published on 9 years, 2 months ago

Why are 10,000 Children Missing in Europe?

Earlier this year Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, announced 10,000 children had arrived in Europe, part of the wave of migration that has swept through the continent in recent years. They h…

Published on 9 years, 2 months ago

Is Islamic State Finished?

So-called Islamic State is on the run. Caught in a pincer movement in Syria and Iraq, the group has lost large swathes of territory over the past year. With its revenues and numbers of fighters also …

Published on 9 years, 3 months ago

Who Wins in a Cashless Economy?

The death of cash has been predicted many times over the years. But in the last decade a future without coins and notes has become a real possibility thanks to the global development and adoption of …

Published on 9 years, 3 months ago