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A show for curious minds. Join us each week as academic experts tell us about the fascinating discoveries they're making to understand the world, and the big questions they’re still trying to answer. A podcast from The Conversation, hosted by Gemma Ware.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 160 - What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa part 2: Tasting the fruits of freedom
In the second part of our special series What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa?,marking 30 years of democracy in South Africa post-apartheid, we talk to two experts about the economic policies introduced to transform the country under Mandela's successor, Thabo Mbeki, and the ensuing turmoil of the Jacob Zuma presidency that followed.
Featuring Mashupye Maserumule, a professor of public affairs at Tshwane University of Technology and Michael Sachs, adjunct professor of economics at the University of Witwatersrand.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with assistance from Gary Oberholzer and Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
After the euphoria of Nelson Mandela’s election, what happened next? PodcastJacob Zuma, the monster South Africa’s ruling ANC created, continues to haunt itSouth Africa’s first election was saved by a Kenyan: the fascinating story of Washington Okumu, the accidental mediatorHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 18 Apr 2024 - 37min - 159 - What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa part 1: Liberation, transition and reconciliation
It was a moment many South Africans never believed they'd live to see. On 10 May 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of a democratic South Africa, ending the deadly and brutal white minority apartheid regime.
To mark 30 years since South Africa's post-apartheid transition began, we're running a special three-part podcast series, What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa? In this first episode, two scholars who experienced the transition at first hand reflect to Thabo Leshilo, The Conversation's politics editor in Johannesburg, on the initial excitement around Mandela's election, the priorities of his African National Congress in the transition and the challenges that lay ahead for South Africa as it set out to define its post-apartheid future.
Featuring Steven Friedman, professor of political studies at the University of Johannesburg and Sandy Africa, associate professor of political sciences at the University of Pretoria.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with assistance from Gary Oberholzer and Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
What happened to Nelson Mandela’s South Africa? A new podcast series marks 30 years of post-apartheid democracy South Africa’s election management body has done a good job for 30 years: here’s whyHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 11 Apr 2024 - 40min - 158 - Trailer: What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa?
It's been 30 years since Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa and the country's brutal and deadly apartheid system came to a formal end. As part of The Conversation's coverage of the anniversary, we're running a special three-part podcast series this month on The Conversation Weekly.
In What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa?,Thabo Leshilo, politics and society editor at The Conversation Africa, speaks to prominent political scholars who experienced South Africa's post-apartheid transition, about the country's journey over the past three decades.
Listen to the trailer for What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa?The first episode will be available on April 11.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 - 1min - 157 - The Anthropocene epoch that isn't
For almost 15 years, scientists have debated whether the Anthropocene should be an official geological epoch marking the profound influence of humans on the planet. Then in March, an international panel of scientists formally rejected the proposal for a new Anthropocene epoch.
In this episode, two scientists give us their different opinions on whether that was the right decision and what it means for the future use of the word Anthropocene.
Featuring Jan Zalasiewicz, professor of palaeobiology at the University of Leicester in the UK, and Erle C. Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the US. Plus an introduction from Will de Freitas, environment and energy editor at The Conversation in the UK.
This episode was written and produced by Tiffany Cassidy with assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading
The Anthropocene is not an epoch − but the age of humans is most definitely underwayWhat the Anthropocene’s critics overlook – and why it really should be a new geological epochAnthropocene or not, it is our current epoch that we should be fighting forThe Anthropocene already exists in our heads, even if it’s now officially not a geological epochHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 04 Apr 2024 - 23min - 156 - Don't Call Me Resilient: starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza
We’re bringing you an extra episode this week from Don’t Call Me Resilient, another podcast from The Conversation. Hosted by Vinita Srivastava at The Conversation in Canada, Don’t Call Me Resilient is your weekly dose of news and current events through a sharply-focused anti-racist lens.
In this episode, Vinita talks to Hilal Elver about the use of hunger as a tool of war in Gaza. Hilal is a former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food and a research professor of Global Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara in the US. This episode originally aired on March 21, 2024.
You can listen to or follow Don’t Call Me Resilient on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Further reading and listening:
Starvation is a weapon of war: Gazans are paying the priceGaza conflict: rising death toll from hunger a stark reminder of starvation as a weapon of war Jewish doctors in the Warsaw Ghetto secretly documented the effects of Nazi-imposed starvation, and the knowledge is helping researchers today – podcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 01 Apr 2024 - 31min - 155 - Invisible lines: how unseen boundaries shape the world around us
Our experiences of the world are diverse, often changing as we move across borders from one country to another. They can also vary based on language or subtle shifts in climate. Yet, we rarely consider what causes these differences and divisions.
In this episode we speak to geographer Maxim Samson at De Paul University in the US about the unseen boundaries that can shape our collective and personal perceptions of the world – what he calls "invisible lines".
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading
Removing urban highways can improve neighborhoods blighted by decades of racist policies Wallacea is a living laboratory of Earth’s evolution – and its wildlife, forests and reefs will be devastated unless we all actAfrica’s got plans for a Great Green Wall: why the idea needs a rethinkHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 28 Mar 2024 - 22min - 154 - Climate quitting: the people leaving their fossil fuel jobs because of climate change
As the climate crisis gets ever more severe, the fossil fuel industry is struggling to recruit new talent. And now a number of existing employees are deciding to leave their jobs, some quietly, some very publicly, because of concerns over climate change. In this episode we speak to a researcher about this phenomenon of climate quitting.
Featuring Grace Augustine, associate professor in business and society at the University of Bath in the UK, and Sam Phelps, commissioning editor for international affairs at The Conversation in the UK.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
Why young workers are leaving fossil fuel jobs – and what to do if you feel like ‘climate quitting’Quarter Life: a series about issues affecting those in their twenties and thirtiesFossil fuel workers have the skills to succeed in green jobs, but location is a major barrier to a just transitionListen: The fossil fuel era must end – so what happens to the communities it built? Climate Fight podcast part 3Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 21 Mar 2024 - 23min - 153 - How conspiracy theories help to maintain Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in Russia
As Russians head to the polls for presidential elections, conspiracy theories are swirling everywhere. In this episode we speak to a disinformation expert about the central role these conspiracy theories play in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Featuring Ilya Yablokov, lecturer in journalism and digital media at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Plus an introduction from Grégory Rayko, international editor at The Conversation in France.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware and Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
The Conversation's Expert guide to conspiracy theories podcastPutin has no successor, no living rivals and no retirement plan – why his eventual death will set off a vicious power struggleWhat can we expect from six more years of Vladimir Putin? An increasingly weak and dysfunctional RussiaRussian conspiracy theories: how Kremlin-backed yarns help keep Vladimir Putin in power En Russie, la plainte étouffée des mobilisés et de leurs famillesHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 14 Mar 2024 - 25min - 152 - How North Korea is turning into a matriarchy
High heels, lace and handbags. In recent decades, there’s been a huge shift in the role of North Korean women and the choices they’re able to make – including what they wear. In this episode, we hear about new research on how North Korean women are driving a new form of grassroots capitalism, and changing the country in the process.
Featuring Bronwen Dalton, head of the department of management at the University of Technology Sydney Business School in Australia, and Kyungja Jung, Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. Plus an introduction from Justin Bergman, international affairs editor at The Conversation in Australia.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany with assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
From sexual liberation to fashionable heels, new research shows how women are changing North KoreaWhat North Korean defectors say about women’s lives under the Kim regimeNorth Korea steps up efforts to stamp out consumption of illegal foreign media – but entertainment-hungry citizens continue to flout the banHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 07 Mar 2024 - 26min - 151 - Intellectual humility: the rewards of being willing to change your mind
With unlimited information at our fingertips and dozens of platforms on which to share our opinions, it can sometimes feel like we’re supposed to be experts in everything. It can be exhausting. In this episode, we talk to a psychologist whose research and experiences of intellectual humility have taught him that acknowledging what we don’t know is as important as asserting what we do know.
Featuring Daryl Van Tongeren, associate professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan, and Maggie Villiger, senior science and technology editor at The Conversation in the US.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
A series of articles on intellectual humilityThe curious joy of being wrong – intellectual humility means being open to new information and willing to change your mindHow to depolarise deeply divided societies – podcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 29 Feb 2024 - 21min - 150 - Israel-Gaza: how opinion polls used in Northern Ireland could pave a way to peace
When the war in Gaza eventually ends, pressure will mount for negotiations to begin for a deal. When that day comes, how can opposing sides in the Israel-Palestine conflict find enough common ground to reach an agreement? In this episode, we hear about a method called peace polling, tried out successfully in Northern Ireland, that could offer a blueprint for how to reach a settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.
Featuring Colin Irwin, a research fellow at the Department of Politics at the University of Liverpool in the UK, and Jonathan Este, senior international editor at The Conversation in the UK.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written by Gemma Ware and produced by Mend Mariwany with assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Subscribe to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation, and a fortnightly Gaza Update email.
Further reading and listening:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 - 22min - 149 - As we dream, we can listen in on the waking world
Humans spend about one third of our lives asleep and while most of us dream regularly, some people remember their dreams more than others. But scientists still know surprisingly little about why or how we experience dreams. In this episode we find out about new research from a sleep lab in France that has unlocked a way to find out more by communicating with people as they dream.
Featuring Başak Türker, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute du Cerveau in Paris, and Lionel Cavicchioli, health and medicine editor at The Conversation in France.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Sign up to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
The study of dreams: Scientists uncover new communication channels with dreamersI’m a lucid dream researcher – here’s how to train your brain to do itDreaming may have evolved as a strategy for co-operative survivalHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 15 Feb 2024 - 19min - 148 - Deepfakes and disinformation swirl ahead of Indonesian election
Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, goes to the polls on February 14 to elect a new president. It’s one of the largest elections to take place since an explosion of generative AI tools became available that can manipulate video and audio – and a number of deepfake videos have gone viral during the campaign.
In this episode, we look at what Indonesia’s experience is revealing about the disinformation battleground ahead in 2024, when an estimated four billion voters will be eligible to vote in an election.
Featuring F.X. Lilik Dwi Mardjianto, a journalism researcher at Universitas Multimedia Nusantara in Inodnesia and Nuurrianti Jalli, assistant professor of Professional Practice, School of Media and Strategic Communications, Oklahoma State University in the US.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware with assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Sign up to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
Indonesia’s presidential election may go to run-off, despite what the polls sayFake Biden robocall to New Hampshire voters highlights how easy it is to make deepfakes − and how hard it is to defend against AI-generated disinformationDisinformation is often blamed for swaying elections – the research says something elseHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 12 Feb 2024 - 22min - 147 - Environments can shape the differences between cultures
In some cultures, people are frugal while in others they tend to be generous. Some cultures favour meticulous planning while others favour living in the moment. Theories abound about how and why differences like these between cultures emerge and, increasingly, researchers are looking to the environments people live in for answers.
In this episode, Mend Mariwany explores what role ecological factors, including the climate, play in shaping cultural norms and behaviour. Featuring Michael Varnum, associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University in the US.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written by Mend Mariwany, and produced by Mend Mariwany and Meher Batia with assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Sign up to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
Nearly 20% of the cultural differences between societies boil down to ecological factors – new researchWhy rice growers in China are more sexually liberal than wheat growersHow culture informs people’s emotional reaction to music – podcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 08 Feb 2024 - 19min - 146 - The complicated journey toward a list of all life on Earth
In our chaotic, rapidly changing modern world, many of us have come to rely on science for objectivity and to provide sense of order. So it may be disconcerting to learn that there is no single, definitive list of all life on Earth. And there never has been.
In this episode, we take you inside the world of taxonomy, where competing lists, rogue taxonomists and recent accusations of anarchy have revealed the messy struggle to classify the world around us.
Featuring Stephen Garnett, professor of conservation and sustainable livelihoods at Charles Darwin University in Australia, and Signe Dean, science and technology editor for The Conversation in Australia.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Sign up to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation and to The Conversation's Science Wrap newsletter.
Further reading:
We need a single list of all life on Earth – and most taxonomists now agree on how to startHow a scientific spat over how to name species turned into a big plus for natureWhat makes a good bird name?Thousands of undiscovered mammal species may be hidden in plain sight, new research findsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 01 Feb 2024 - 21min - 145 - Descendants of Holocaust survivors explain why they are replicating Auschwitz tattoos on their own bodies
Nearly eight decades on from the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27 1945, the number of concentration camp prisoners forcibly tattooed, remains, for many, the symbol of the Holocaust. The Nazis murdered six million Jews, one million of whom died at Auschwitz. Today, there are ever fewer survivors still alive to bear witness to this genocide.
In this episode, brought to us by Dale Berning Sawa, we find out what motivates some descendants of Holocaust survivors to replicate the Auschwitz tattoo of their parent or grandparent on their own bodies, and hear about the reactions they’ve had. Featuring Alice Bloch, professor of sociology at the University of Manchester, Orly Weintraub Gilad and David Rubin.
This episode was written by Dale Berning Sawa and produced by Mend Mariwany, with assistance from Gemma Ware and Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly. Sign up to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Descendants of Holocaust survivors explain why they are replicating Auschwitz tattoos on their own bodiesHolocaust Memorial Day shouldn’t be about ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ – unsung, ordinary people made the biggest differenceAuschwitz: Women used different survival and sabotage strategies than men at Nazi death campHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 25 Jan 2024 - 19min - 144 - Women lifestyle influencers are changing the face of the far right
When you think about the far right, you probably picture groups of young, white men carrying images of swastikas or torches. But the face of the far right is changing, at least on social media. In this episode, we hear about new research into a cohort of women influencers pushing far right ideology on mainstream platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
The Conversation's Avery Anapol speak to Eviane Leidig, a postdoctoral research fellow at Tilburg University in the Netherlands who focuses on far right ideology, gender and the internet.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with production assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Full credits available here. A transcript is also available. Sign up to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Far-right ‘tradwives’ see feminism as evil. Their lifestyles push back against ‘the lie of equality’Jan. 6 was an example of networked incitement − a media and disinformation expert explains the danger of political violence orchestrated over social mediaHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 18 Jan 2024 - 23min - 143 - Interoception: the sixth sense we use to read hidden signals from our body
At every moment, your body’s internal organs are sending signals to your brain. You’ll be mostly unaware of them, but sometimes they cut through: for example when you’re hungry, or when you need to go to the bathroom. Our ability to tap into these hidden signals is called interoception – sometimes known as a sixth sense. In this episode, we speak to a cognitive neuroscientist and expert on interoception about how new research on this connection between our minds and bodies could lead to breakthroughs in mental and physical healthcare.
Featuring Sarah Garfinkel, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London in the UK, and Vivian Lam, associate health and biomedicine editor at The Conversation in the US.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood with production assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Full credits available here. A transcript is now available. Sign up to afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
Do you eat with your eyes, your gut or your brain? A neuroscientist explains how to listen to your hunger during the holidaysHow signals from your body could be making you anxiousMonkeys can sense their own heartbeats, an ability tied to mental health, consciousness and memory in humansHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 11 Jan 2024 - 21min - 142 - Wolves return to Europe: what to do about them is a people problem
Wolves are making a comeback across Europe. As their populations grow, 65,000 livestock are killed each year by wolves. Now, moves are underway to change the protection status of the wolf in the European Union. In this episode we speak to a social scientist researching the best ways for humans and wolves to coexist.
Featuring Hanna Pettersson, a postdoctoral research associate at the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity at the University of York in the UK and Jack Marley, environment and energy editor at The Conversation in the UK.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood with production assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Full credits available here. A transcript will be available shortly.
Sign up to Imagine, a newsletter from The Conversation in which researchers imagine a world where climate action is the norm.
Further reading and listening:
Wolf protection in Europe has become deeply political – Spain’s experience tells us whyWolves are returning to European farmland – but they’re not motivated by a taste for sheepEurope has a wolf problem, and a late Norwegian philosopher had the solutionWolf restoration in Colorado shows how humans are rethinking their relationships with wild animalsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 04 Jan 2024 - 22min - 141 - Social media drains our brains and impacts our decision making
Ever found yourself scrolling through social media late at night and accidentally buying something you regretted? In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we talk to an advertising expert about research into how social media can overload ours brains and make us buy products we don’t need or want.
Featuring Matthew Pittman, a professor of advertising at the University of Tennessee in the US, and Kate Kilpatrick from The Conversation in the US.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with production assistance from Katie Flood and our intern Jusneel Mahal. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. The executive producer is Gemma Ware.Full credits available here. A transcript is now available.
Further reading and listening:
Too many digital distractions are eroding our ability to read deeply, and here’s how we can become aware of what’s happening — podcastHow social media can distort and misinform when communicating scienceMounting research documents the harmful effects of social media use on mental health, including body image and development of eating disordersHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 21 Dec 2023 - 17min - 140 - Israel-Gaza war on campus part 2: a chilling effect on academic freedom
Across parts of academia, concerns are mounting that the Israel-Gaza war is having a chilling effect on academic freedom. In the second of two episodes exploring how the war is affecting life at universities, we speak to an Israeli legal scholar, now based in the UK, about the pressures that academics and students are facing to rein in their views about the war.
Featuring Neve Gordon, professor of international law and human rights, Queen Mary University of London in the UK.
This episode was written by Gemma Ware and produced by Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits available here. A transcript is now available.
Further reading and listening:
American universities in the spotlight over reaction to Israel-Gaza war – podcastIsrael-Gaza: what the term genocide means under international law – podcastDefending space for free discussion, empathy and tolerance on campus is a challenge during Israel-Hamas warWhy university presidents find it hard to punish advocating genocide − college free speech codes are both more and less protective than the First AmendmentHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 18 Dec 2023 - 21min - 139 - Israel-Gaza war on campus part 1: American universities in the spotlight
Tensions have been running high at many universities around the world since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza. In the first of two episodes exploring how the war is affecting life at universities, we explore what's been happening at one American public college campus.
Featuring David Mednicoff, chair of the Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies and an associate professor of Middle Eastern studies and public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Naomi Schalit, senior politics and society editor at The Conversation in the US.
This episode was written by Gemma Ware and produced by Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits available here. A transcript is now available.
Further reading and listening:
Defending space for free discussion, empathy and tolerance on campus is a challenge during Israel-Hamas warWhy university presidents find it hard to punish advocating genocide − college free speech codes are both more and less protective than the First AmendmentIsrael-Gaza: what the term genocide means under international law – podcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 14 Dec 2023 - 24min - 138 - Kenya at 60: the patriotic choral music used to present one version of history
Kenya is marking 60 years since its independence from British colonial rule on December 12, 1963. Each year, the country celebrates the occasion with a national holiday, Jamhuri Day. And for much of the past 60 years, patriotic choral music has been a regular feature of those celebrations. In this episode, we explore how much one song can tell you about the politics of a new nation – and who controls what gets remembered and what gets forgotten.
Featuring Doseline Kiguru, a research associate in cultural and literary production in Africa at the University of Bristol in the UK, plus Julius Maina, East Africa editor at The Conversation based in Nairobi.
This episode was produced by Katie Flood and Mend Mariwany. It was written by Gemma Ware, who is the executive producer of the show. Full credits for this episode are available here. A full transcript is now available.
Further reading:
Kenya at 60: the shameful truth about British colonial abuse and how it was covered upHumiliation and violence in Kenya’s colonial days – when old men were called ‘boy’ and Africans were publicly beatenKenya’s ‘patriotic’ choral music has been used to embed a skewed version of historyHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 11 Dec 2023 - 21min - 137 - Why unprecedented drought in the Amazon is so dangerous for the planet
As world leaders and their climate negotiators gathered at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in early December, on the other side of the world, Brazil was experiencing an unprecedented drought in the Amazon. Scientists fear it could release of billions of additional tons of carbon into the atmosphere. In this episode, we speak to an ecologist who has spent 45 years living and studying in the Amazon about the causes of the drought, why it’s so dangerous for the planet and what can be done to protect the rainforest.
Featuring Philip Fearnside, ecologist and professor at the National Institute of Amazonian Research in Brazil.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood with production assistance from Mend Mariwany. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of the show. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is also available.
Further reading:
Amazon region hit by trio of droughts in grim snapshot of the century to comeDeforestation jeopardises agribusiness and food security in Brazil and worldwideClimate tipping points are nearer than you think – our new report warns of catastrophic riskUN’s ‘global stocktake’ on climate offers a sobering emissions reckoning − but there are also signs of progressHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 07 Dec 2023 - 25min - 136 - Genocide: the history of the term and what it means under international law
In the weeks since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the Israeli bombardment and ground assault on Gaza, both sides have traded accusations of genocide. Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostage, while Israel’s subsequent aerial and ground attack on Gaza have killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced millions. In this episode we speak to an expert on genocide about the history of the term and what’s needed to prove it under today’s international legal definition.
Featuring Alexander Hinton, distinguished professor of anthropology and director for the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights at Rutgers University Newark in the US.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with production assistance from Katie Flood. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of the show. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is also available.
Further reading:
Both Israel and Palestinian supporters accuse the other side of genocide – here’s what the term actually meansGaza’s next tragedy: Disease risk spreads amid overcrowded shelters, dirty water and breakdown of basic sanitationHamas isn’t the first military group to hide behind civilians as a way to wage warHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 30 Nov 2023 - 26min - 135 - Brandalism: the environmental activists using spoof adverts to critique rampant consumerism
Amid the flurry of billboards promoting cut price deals in the run up to Black Friday, some activists have slipped in the odd spoof advert. By subverting public advertising space, they’re risking legal action to try and make serious points about the excesses of consumer culture and the perilous state of the environment. In this episode, we find out about the subvertising movement and its links to a wider conversation about mass consumerism and the environment.
Featuring Eleftheria Lekakis, a senior lecturer in media and communication at the University of Sussex in the UK.
This episode was written, produced and sound designed by Eloise Stevens, with production assistance from Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of the show.. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is now available.
Further reading:
Why artists installed 600 fake adverts at COP21Artists are not at the negotiating table at COP26 but art is everywhere. What can they accomplish through their work?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 23 Nov 2023 - 26min - 134 - Antibiotic resistance: microbiologists turn to new technologies in the hunt for solutions
The rise of drug-resistant infections is one of the biggest global threats to health, food security and development. Antibiotic-resistant superbugs were estimated to kill 1.27 million people in 2019, and the UN projects that drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths a year by 2050. In this episode, we hear from a microbiologist at a hospital in Nigeria working on the frontlines against antibiotic resistance, and find out about the new scientific techniques, including artificial intelligence, being deployed to find new potential antibiotics.
Featuring Nubwa Medugu, a clinical microbiologist at Nile University of Nigeria and André O. Hudson, dean of the College of Science and professor of biochemistry at Rochester Institute of Technology in the US.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware with assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of the show. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is also available.
Further reading:
Will we still have antibiotics in 50 years? We asked 7 global expertsResistance to antibiotics in northern Nigeria: what bacteria are prevalent, and which drugs work against themAntibiotic resistance is at a crisis point – government support for academia and Big Pharma to find new drugs could help defeat superbugsMore reading from our series on The dangers of antibiotic resistanceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 16 Nov 2023 - 26min - 133 - After Morocco's earthquake, artisans in Marrakech’s old medina face an uncertain future
Two months after the earthquake, we hear why Marrakech and its medina are so important to Islamic heritage – and why some researchers are worried that the expertise of the city's traditional artisans could being overlooked in the reconstruction.
Featuring Abbey Stockstill, assistant professor of art history at Southern Methodist University in the US; Nour Eddine Nachaoune, professor of heritage at Université Mohammed V in Rabat; and Kalpana Jain, senior religion and ethics editor and director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative at The Conversation in the US.
This episode was written and produced by Gemma Ware and Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany, who also recorded the English voiceover in this episode. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of the show. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is now available.
Further reading:
Marrakech artisans – who have helped rebuild the Moroccan city before – are among those hit hard in the earthquake’s devastationTinmel – Morocco’s medieval shrine and mosque – is one of the historic casualties of the earthquakeWhat caused Morocco’s earthquake? A geologist studying the Atlas mountains explainsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 - 21min - 132 - The wildfires that led to mass extinction. A warning from California's Ice Age history
In recent years, Californians have had to deal with some deadly and destructive wildfires. But in fact, this part of the western United States has been shaped by fire for millennia. And in this episode we hear about new research from California into a decades-old mystery about the extinction of large animals at the end of the Ice Age, which is providing some worrying lessons from history about the way humans, fire and ecosystems interact.
Featuring Emily Lindsey, associate curator at La Brea Tar Pits and adjunct faculty at University of California, Los Angeles, and Stacy Morford, environment and climate editor at The Conversation in the US.
This episode was produced and written by Katie Flood Gemma Ware. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
A changing climate, growing human populations and widespread fires contributed to the last major extinction event − can we prevent another?‘Zombie fires’ in the Arctic: Canada’s extreme wildfire season offers a glimpse of new risks in a warmer, drier futureWhat 2,500 years of wildfire evidence and the extreme fire seasons of 1910 and 2020 tell us about the future of fire in the WestHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 02 Nov 2023 - 24min - 131 - When domicide razed my city: a view from Homs in Syria
Homs was once the centre of the Syrian revolution. Today, 12 years on, much of the city remains scarred and deserted after years of siege and heavy bombardment. In this episode we speak to an architect from Homs about what the deliberate destruction of homes and neighbourhoods, known as domicide, does to people displaced by conflict – and his perspective on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Featuring Ammar Azzouz, research fellow in geography and the environment at the University of Oxford in the UK.
This episode was produced and written by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
‘My home city was destroyed by war but I will not lose hope’ – how modern warfare turns neighbourhoods into battlefieldsHow Syrian architects can start to rebuild – even in the devastation of warOngoing coverage from The Conversation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflictHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 26 Oct 2023 - 26min - 130 - Don't Call Me Resilient: why are brown and Black people supporting the far right?
We’re bringing you an extra episode this week to share an interview from Don’t Call Me Resilient, another podcast from The Conversation. Hosted by Vinita Srivastava at The Conversation in Canada, Don’t Call Me Resilient is your weekly dose of news and current events through a sharply-focused anti-racist lens.
In this episode which we're running in full, Vinita talks to Daniel Martinez HoSang, a professor of ethnicity, race and migration and American studies at Yale University about why brown and Black people are being drawn to far-right politics in the United States. It originally aired in early October 2023.
You can listen to or follow Don’t Call Me Resilient on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Further reading:
Republicans are trying to build a multiracial right – will it work?All episodes of Don't Call Me ResilientHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, 24 Oct 2023 - 31min - 129 - Quantum dots: Louis Brus on the discovery that won him the Nobel prize
Imagine a particle so small that it’s the same relative size to a soccer ball as that football is to the planet Earth. That’s the size of a quantum dot – a type of nanocrystal that changes colour depending on its size, and was once thought impossible to actually make. Now, three scientists who helped discover and synthesise these quantum dots have been awarded the 2023 Nobel prize in chemistry.
In this week’s episode we speak to Louis Brus, one of these new Nobel laureates, and an emeritus professor of chemistry at Columbia University in New York, about his work on quantum dots and what winning the accolade means.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Gemma Ware and Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Quantum dots − a new Nobel laureate describes the development of these nanoparticles from basic research to industry applicationNobel prize in chemistry awarded for ‘quantum dot’ technology that gave us today’s high definition TVsFull coverage of the 2023 Nobel prizesIranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, in prison for speaking up against human rights violations, has been a voice for women for almost two decades Jon Fosse: Nobel prize in literature winner is a playwright who puts outsiders centre stageHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 19 Oct 2023 - 21min - 128 - Neanderthals: what their extinction could tell us about Homo Sapiens
For generations, Neanderthals have been a source of fascination for scientists. This species of ancient hominim inhabited the world for around 500,000 years until they suddenly disappeared 42,000 years ago. Today, the cause of their extinction remains a mystery.
Archaeologist Ludovic Slimak at the University of Toulouse III, Paul Sabatier in France and his team have spent three decades excavating caves, studying ancient artefacts and delving into the world of Neanderthals and they've recently published provocative new findings. In this week’s episode he tells us more about how Neanderthals lived, what happened to them and why their extinction might hold profound insights into the story of own species, Homo Sapiens.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany with assistance from Katie Flood. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is now available. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Q&A with Ludovic Slimak, the archeologist who wants to rewrite the history of early humans in EuropeColonisation de l’Europe par Homo sapiens : une nouvelle étude rebat les cartes (in French)Neanderthals: the oldest art in the world wasn’t made by Homo sapiensHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 12 Oct 2023 - 26min - 127 - Why Australia is putting a First Nations Voice to Parliament to a referendum
Australia goes to the polls on October 14 in a referendum on whether to enshrine an Indigenous advisory body, known as the Voice to Parliament, into the country's constitution.
In this episode, a political theorist from the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago between Australia and Papua New Guinea, explains the background to the Voice and the arguments for and against it. Plus, we hear a view from Canada on how the Voice proposal compares with Indigenous systems of representation elsewhere in the world.
Featuring Sana Nakata, principal research fellow at James Cook University in Australia. And Kiera Ladner, professor of Indigenous politics and Canadian politics at the University of Manitoba in Canada. Hosted by Gemma Ware with Carissa Lee, First Nations and public policy editor at The Conversation in Melbourne.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
A divided Australia will soon vote on the most significant referendum on Indigenous rights in 50 yearsThe Voice to Parliament explained The Voice: how do other countries represent Indigenous voices in government? Crowdsourcing new constitutions: How 2 Latin American countries increased participation and empowered groups excluded from politics – podcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 05 Oct 2023 - 31min - 126 - New malaria vaccine: a step closer to eradication
The world has waited decades for a malaria vaccine, and now two have come along in quick succession. On October 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that a new malaria vaccine developed by the University of Oxford be rolled out for the prevention of malaria in children, just two years after another vaccine, the RTS,S, got their endorsement. We find out why it's been so hard to find a malaria vaccine – and hear from the scientists behind the new breakthrough. We’ve been waiting for the official announcement to publish this story, so listeners will hear from former hosts Daniel Merino and Nehal El-Hadi.
Featuring Faith Osier, co-director of the Institute of Infections at Imperial College London; Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University, and Alassane Dicko, professor of epidemiology and public health at the Malaria Research and Training Center at the University of Bamako.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Katie Flood. The hosts are Dan Merino and Nehal El-Hadi. The executive producer was Mend Mariwany. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is now available. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
How genetically modifying mosquitoes could strengthen the world’s war on malariaNigeria has Africa’s highest malaria death rate - progress is being made, but it’s not enoughHope is on the horizon for a malaria-free AfricaHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, 03 Oct 2023 - 38min - 125 - Spain's egg donation boom
Spanish women are having fewer and fewer children, and yet the country has become the egg donation capital of Europe. We find out about the experiences of women who decide to donate their eggs, and whether there are enough protections in place to prevent them from being exploited.
Featuring Anna Molas, research fellow in anthropology at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain.
This episode was produced and written by Katie Flood with assistance from Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of The Conversation Weekly. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Spain is the egg donation capital of Europe – here’s what it’s like to be a donorScience experiments traditionally only used male mice – here’s why that’s a problem for women’s healthMore from The Conversation’s Women’s Health Matters seriesHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 28 Sep 2023 - 20min - 124 - Inside the Oslo Accords part 3: the legacy
In part 3 of Inside the Oslo Accordswe explore the legacy of the Oslo peace process and the future of a two-state solution for Israel-Palestine.
Hanan Ashrawi is a Palestinian political and civil society leader and in the 1990s was the official spokesperson of a joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation to the Middle East peace process. Yossi Beilin was Israel's deputy foreign minister and one of the key participants during the secret negotiations in Oslo.
This series is made in collaboration with James Rodgers, reader in international journalism and Amnon Aran, professor of international politics, both at City, University of London in the UK.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware with production assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is now available. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Jan Egeland remembers the secret negotiations that led to the Oslo accords – podcastHanan Ashrawi and Yossi Beilin on what happened after the Oslo accords handshake – podcastOslo accords: 30 years on, the dream of a two-state solution seems further away than ever30 years after Arafat-Rabin handshake, clear flaws in Oslo Accords doomed peace talks to failureHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, 26 Sep 2023 - 32min - 123 - Inside the Oslo Accords part 2: after the handshake
In part 2 of Inside the Oslo Accords, a special series marking the 30th anniversary of the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, we hear from two negotiators about what happened in the years after the famous handshake on the White House lawn.
Hanan Ashrawi is a Palestinian political and civil society leader and in the 1990s was the official spokesperson of a joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation to the Middle East peace process. Yossi Beilin was Israel's deputy foreign minister and one of the key participants during the secret negotiations in Oslo.
This series is made in collaboration with James Rodgers, reader in international journalism and Amnon Aran, professor of international politics, both at City, University of London in the UK.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany with production assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is now available. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Jan Egeland remembers the secret negotiations that led to the Oslo accords – podcastOslo accords: 30 years on, the dream of a two-state solution seems further away than ever30 years after Arafat-Rabin handshake, clear flaws in Oslo Accords doomed peace talks to failureHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, 19 Sep 2023 - 38min - 122 - Inside the Oslo Accords part 1: why Norway was in the Middle East
Inside the Oslo Accords is a three-part series marking the 30th anniversary of the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. It's hosted in collaboration with James Rodgers, reader in international journalism and Amnon Aran, professor of international politics, both at City, University of London in the UK. They'll revisit the history of this moment in history, through conversations with leading participants in the Oslo process.
In part 1, we hear from Jan Egeland, who was deputy foreign minister of Norway in the early 1990s, about his role in the secret negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany with production assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is now available. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading
Oslo accords: 30 years on, the dream of a two-state solution seems further away than ever30 years after Arafat-Rabin handshake, clear flaws in Oslo Accords doomed peace talks to failureHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tue, 12 Sep 2023 - 25min - 121 - Fear and Wonder: how species are responding to climate change
Around half of all life on Earth is on the move because of climate change. It's another staggering statistic from the recent synthesis report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a shift explored in a recent episode of Fear & Wonder, a new podcast from The Conversation. We're running that full episode through our channel this week. It features Finnish fisherman scientist Tero Mustonen and Australian marine ecologist Gretta Pecl from the University of Tasmania.
Fear and Wonder is hosted by IPCC lead author Joelle Gergis and journalist Michael Green. It's produced by Michael Green and is sponsored by the Climate Council, an independent, evidence-based organisation working on climate science, impacts and solutions.
Further listening:
Fear and Wonder podcast: how climate action can create a more liveable future for allFear and Wonder podcast: how climate change is affecting rainfall, droughts and floodsFrom radiation to water pollution to cities, humans are now a driver of evolution in the ‘natural’ worldHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 31 Aug 2023 - 46min - 120 - Production break
The Conversation Weekly will be taking a production break in August and will be back in September with new episodes. Stay tuned and subscribed!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 27 Jul 2023 - 0min - 119 - Discovery: Thirty years after Jurassic Park hit movie screens, its impact on science and culture remains as strong as ever
Based on Michael Crichton's novel by the same name, Jurassic Park told the story of an ambitious theme park that used resurrected dinosaurs as its attractions. But as the story unfolds, things start to go wrong. We speak to Travis Holland, who researches media and fan studies,at the popular and scientific cultural impact Jurassic Park continues to have today.
Featuring Travis Holland, Senior Lecturer in Communication at Charles Sturt University in Australia.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
How Jurassic Park changed film-making and our view of dinosaurs‘Jurassic Park’ made a dinosaur-sized leap forward in computer-generated animation on screen, 25 years agoHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 20 Jul 2023 - 19min - 118 - The bacteria and microbes in your gut can affect your body and mental health, and engineering them promises new forms of treatment
The human body is a complex organism, made up of trillions of cells. But not all of them are human. About half of them are fungi, microbes and bacteria. Scientists are starting to understand how and why these communities — referred to as microbiomes — are crucial to the functioning of various body systems. We speak to three experts who study the gut microbiome: a gastroenterologist, a neuroscientist and a biological engineer. Their research considers how these microbiomes are important, what the relationship is between microbiomes and well being, and how synthetically engineered microorganisms promise new forms of therapies.
Featuring Chris Damman, a gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor at the University of Washington, Andrea Merchak, an incoming postdoctoral scholar at the University of Florida, who studies the gut biome as it affects and is affected by various conditions, and Tae Seok Moon, a biological engineer at Washington University at St. Louis, who looks at how synthetic biology can be employed within the gut.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. With production assistance from Katie Flood. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Fermented food: why eating sauerkraut helps your gut stay healthyBile acids and gut microbes could potentially treat multiple sclerosis, according to new research in miceFiber is your body’s natural guide to weight management – rather than cutting carbs out of your diet, eat them in their original fiber packaging insteadHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 13 Jul 2023 - 37min - 117 - How fine dining in Europe and the US came to exclude immigrant cuisine
The history of restaurants, food and, especially, fine dining, is deeply tied to the history of immigration to the U.S. and French cultural power in the early 20th century. Not surprisingly, the story that leads to Yelp and Anthony Bourdain is not without its share of racism that the modern food world and its taste makers are still grappling with today. We speak to three experts who study food culture and fine dining about the perceptions and definitions of what’s considered good food. We explore how food trends are deeply tied to immigration, how the history of western culinary techniques limits the creativity and authenticity of modern restaurants and how social media compares to the Michelin Guide as a tool in the quest for "good food."
Featuring Krishnendu Ray, a professor of food studies at New York University in the US, Zeena Feldman is a professor of digital culture at King's College in London, in the UK, and Gillian Gualtieri is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Barnard College in the US.
This episode was produced and written by Dan Merino and Katie Flood. Mend Mariwany is the executive producer of The Conversation Weekly. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation. Full credits for this episode available here.
Further reading:
Why celebrity, award-winning chefs are usually white menNoma to close: why it’s so hard to run a sustainable innovation-focused restaurantRed meat and imported wine: why ethical eating often stops at the restaurant doorHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 06 Jul 2023 - 43min - 116 - Debunking migration myths: the real reasons people move, and why most migration happens in the Global South
Around the world, borders between countries are getting tougher. Governments are making it more difficult to move, especially for certain groups of vulnerable people. This comes with a message, subtle or not: that people are moving to higher-income countries to take advantage of the welfare system, or the jobs of people already living there. But research shows that much of what we think about migration in the Global North is wrong, and political narratives shape the conversation and public attitudes toward migration. We speak to three experts who explain what migration really looks like around the world, what drives people to uproot their lives and move, and how some countries in Africa are welcoming refugees.
Heaven Crawley is a researcher at UN University Centre for Policy Research based in New York in the US, Valentina Di Iasio is a research fellow at the University of Southampton in the UK, and Christopher Nshimbi is a researcher at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
This episode was written and produced by Avery Anapol and Mend Mariwany. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Migrant numbers are rising: conflict, climate and harassment are forcing tens of millions to leave their homes Albania’s brain drain: why so many young people are leaving and how to get them to stayWhy Europe’s ‘fortress’ approach to migration crisis won’t workLeaving Hong Kong after China’s clampdown: where are people thinking of going and why? – The Conversation Weekly podcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 29 Jun 2023 - 38min - 115 - How protest movements use feminine images and social media to fight sexist ideologies of authoritarian regimes
Modern protest movements, like the ongoing protests in Iran, often center around women who have been killed or harmed by agents of authoritarian governments. While it can be easy to chalk up this consistent, state-sponsored abuse of women to simple sexism, researchers say there is a deeper story at play. We speak to three experts who have studied protests and the role of gendered ideology, images and social media as tools of resistance as well as of oppression.
Parichehr Kazemi is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Oregon, in the US, Aliaksei Kazharski researches international politics and security at Charles University in Prague, in the Czech Republic, and Michaela Grančayová is an independent researcher who focuses on language and politics, at Comenius University in Slovakia.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Senegal’s internet shutdowns are another sign of a democracy in perilIranian protesters remain defiant in the face of violent and brutal regime oppressionIranian protesters turn to TikTok to get their message past government censorsHow Gen Z is using social media in Iran’s Women, Life, Freedom movementHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 22 Jun 2023 - 38min - 114 - Crowdsourcing new constitutions: how 2 Latin American countries increased participation and empowered groups excluded from politics
Over the past few decades, countries across Latin America have witnessed a surge in demands by its people for increased political participation and representation. Colombia and Chile stand out as notable examples of countries responding to these calls through constitutional reform. We speak with two researchers about Latin America’s ongoing democratic transition, with a particular focus on the involvement of populations in democratic processes in Colombia and Chile. We examine how countries are looking to empower their populations through crowdsourcing participation, what the implications of these reforms for marginalized communities are and how Chile’s rejection of a progressive constitution remains a significant step for empowering citizens.
Featuring Carlos Bernal, professor of Law at the University of Dayton in the United States, and commissioner of the America Human Rights Commission, and Jennifer Piscopo, associate professor of politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles, in the United States.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. With assistance from our producer Katie Flood. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Chile’s progressive new constitution rejected by voters after campaign marred by misinformationThe 1967 referendum was the most successful in Australia’s history. But what it can tell us about 2023 is complicatedPeru protests: What to know about Indigenous-led movement shaking the crisis-hit countryIs International Women’s Day a catalyst for change or just a symbolic gesture?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 15 Jun 2023 - 38min - 113 - Beauty procedures from manicures to cosmetic surgery carry risk and the potential reward of a better life
Making yourself more beautiful can result in tangible, material rewards. Pretty privilege, as it is called, can lead to greater access to money and social capital, resulting in a better quality of life.
In Brazil, this understanding that beauty is important to one’s social status and mental and emotional wellbeing has prompted the state to subsidize cosmetic surgery. But this pursuit of beauty carries a dark side, and can often mean exposure to harm. We speak to an anthropologist and a cancer researcher about the potential harm inherent in seeking beauty treatments.
Featuring Carmen Alvaro Jarrín, associate professor of anthropology at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, in the US, and Maria Zhivagui, a postdoctoral researcher in environmental toxicology and cancer genomics at the University of California, in the US.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Nehal El-Hadi and Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer, and with assistance from our producer Katie Flood. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
In Brazil, patients risk everything for the ‘right to beautyThe ugly side of beauty: Chemicals in cosmetics threaten college-age women’s reproductive healthToxic chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products remain in our bodies and environments for a very, very long timeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 08 Jun 2023 - 31min - 112 - Governments and environmental groups are turning to international courts to combat the impacts of climate change
A number of activist groups, mostly from developing nations already facing the realities of a changing climate, are taking a new legal approach to climate action. They are arguing that climate change cases are human rights cases and in doing so are wading into unprecedented legal waters. We speak with three scholars about current legal cases tying climate change and human rights together, what these cases might mean for the climate movement and how human rights law can produce real change on the ground.
Featuring Niak Sian Koh, postdoctoral researcher in Sustainability Science at the Stockholm Resilience Center at Stockholm University in Sweden; Zoe Nay, PhD candidate with Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne, Australia; and Jackie Smith, professor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh, in the US.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Biodiversity: one way to help countries stick to their commitments to restore natureThe UN is asking the International Court of Justice for its opinion on states’ climate obligations. What does this mean?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 01 Jun 2023 - 41min - 111 - Improving how the IMF does business could help billions of people worldwide
In countries across the Global South, the launch of IMF programs often sparks considerable concern. This is because of the IMF’s reputation: during the 1980s, many nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America turned to the IMF seeking loans to mitigate economic challenges. These loans were accompanied by stringent conditions, and countries faced pressure to reduce public subsidies and social spending, downsize the public sector workforce, and increase taxes. We speak with two researchers about the impact of IMF loans on recipient countries and why countries continue to rely on IMF loans. We also discuss potential alternatives to this system.
Featuring Danny Bradlow, a professor of International Development Law and African Economic Relations and senior fellow at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and Attiya Waris is Ambassador of Fiscal Law and Policy at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
When the IMF comes to town: why they visit and what to watch out forIMF says it cares about inequality. But will it change its ways?Government debt won’t necessarily burden future generations – but austerity willAfrican debt: how to break unequal relationships in financing dealsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 25 May 2023 - 36min - 110 - The solutions needed to address climate change already exist – Fear and Wonder podcast
One of the key findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Synthesis Report is that there are solutions available right now, across all sectors of the economy, that could at least halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. “The problem is getting worse,” explains Greg Nemet, a Canadian renewable policy expert and IPCC author. “But we’ve got solutions now that are so much more affordable than they were.”
Fear & Wonder is a new podcast from The Conversation that takes you inside the UN’s era-defining climate report via the hearts and minds of the scientists who wrote it. In this episode, we’re delving into one of the major shifts in the public communication of climate change – the attribution of extreme weather events to climate change.
Featuring Gregory Nemet, Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, and Yamina Saheb, Senior Energy Policy Analyst at OpenEXP.
Fear and Wonder is produced by Michael Green and is sponsored by the Climate Council, an independent, evidence-based organisation working on climate science, impacts and solutions.
Further reading:
Global warming to bring record hot year by 2028 – probably our first above 1.5°C limitFor developing world to quit coal, rich countries must eliminate oil and gas faster – new studyClimate tipping points could lock in unstoppable changes to the planet – how close are they?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 18 May 2023 - 44min - 109 - Fast Fashion: Why garment workers’ lives are still in danger 10 years after Rana Plaza
Ten years ago this month, much attention turned to the global garment industry when a group of garment factories collapsed at Rana Plaza near Dhaka, Bangladesh. The accident, called a “mass industrial homicide” by unions in Bangladesh, killed 1,124 people and injured at least 2,500 more. Most of the people who went to work that day were young women, almost all were supporting families with their wages and all were at the bottom of the global production chain.
We feature an episode from our colleagues of the series Don’t Call Me Resilient, to look back at the Rana Plaza disaster to explore how much — or how little — has changed for garment worker conditions since.
Featuring Dina Siddiqi, Clinical Associate Professor of Liberal Studies at New York University in the US, and Minh-Ha T. Pham, Associate Professor at Pratt Institute, also in the US.
This episode of Don’t Call Me Resilient was produced by Vinita Srivastava, the associate producer is Boke Saisi, with contributions from Jennifer Moroz and Ateqah Khaki. Sound design is by Rehmatullah Sheikh and the show’s student journalist this year was Ollie Nicholas. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
10 years after the Rana Plaza collapse, fashion has yet to slow downFast fashion still comes with deadly risks, 10 years after the Rana Plaza disaster – the industry’s many moving pieces make it easy to cut cornersRana Plaza: ten years after the Bangladesh factory collapse, we are no closer to fixing modern slaveryHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 11 May 2023 - 43min - 108 - Cloud seeding can increase rain and snow, and new techniques may make it a lot more effective
Small amounts of rain can mean the difference between struggle and success. For nearly 80 years, an approach called cloud seeding has, in theory, given people the ability to get more rain and snow from storms and make hailstorms less severe. But only recently have scientists been able to peer into clouds and begin to understand how effective cloud seeding really is. We speak with three researchers about the simple yet murky science of cloud seeding, the economic effects it can have on agriculture and research that may allow governments to use cloud seeding in more places.
Featuring Katja Friedrich, Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder; Dean Bangsund, Research Scientist in Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State Univeristy; andLinda Zou, Professor of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering at Khalifa University.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Katie Flood. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Cloud seeding might not be as promising as drought-troubled states hopeWhat would it feel like to touch a cloud?Does cloud seeding work? Scientists watch ice crystals grow inside clouds to find outHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 04 May 2023 - 43min - 107 - Dangerous and dirty – but cheap – used cars exported from the US and Europe are filling roads in Africa
In countries across Africa and Latin America, old used cars from places like the U.S. and Europe provide vital access to transportation to people who would otherwise be unable to afford their own vehicles. While this process extends the lives of these cars, the practice is not without problems, in particular with regards to pollution and passenger safety. We speak with two researchers about why richer countries export used cars, what impacts they have in developing nations and whether import restrictions are effectively stemming the rise in pollution and accidents caused by this practice.
Featuring Festival Godwin Boateng, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Sustainable Urban Development at The Earth Institute at Columbia University in the US, and Paul Bledsoe, Professional Lecturer at American University in the US.
This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany, who is also the executive producer of The Conversation Weekly. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Ghana wants fewer polluting old cars on the road. But it’s going about it the wrong wayStandard responses to road accidents haven’t worked in Ghana: here are some alternativesNairobi’s new expressway may ease traffic woes – but mostly for the wealthyHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 27 Apr 2023 - 30min - 106 - Fear and Wonder podcast: how scientists attribute extreme weather events to climate change
Last month the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report. It showed global temperatures are now 1.1℃ above pre-industrial levels. This warming has driven widespread and rapid global changes, including more frequent and intense weather extremes that are now impacting people and ecosystems all over the world. But when an extreme weather event hits, how certain can we be that it was made more likely by climate change? How do we know it wasn’t just a rare, naturally-occuring event that might have happened anyway?
Fear & Wonder is a new podcast from The Conversation that takes you inside the UN’s era-defining climate report via the hearts and minds of the scientists who wrote it. In this episode, we’re delving into one of the major shifts in the public communication of climate change – the attribution of extreme weather events to climate change.
Featuring Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London in the UK, David Karoly honorary Professor at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Tannecia Stephenson, Physics Professor at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.
Fear and Wonder is produced by Michael Green and is sponsored by the Climate Council, an independent, evidence-based organisation working on climate science, impacts and solutions.
Further reading:
Have climate change predictions matched reality?Is climate change to blame for extreme weather events? Attribution science says yes, for some – here’s how it worksHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 20 Apr 2023 - 50min - 105 - How recognising cultural practices in environmental regulation can help protect natural resources like sandalwood
Conserving or protecting natural resources, like landscapes or products, can involve limiting people's access or use. When natural resources are connected to cultural, religious or spiritual practices, conservation needs to consider both biological and cultural diversity. Indian or red sandalwood, highly valued for its wood and oil, is a natural resource with significant economic and cultural value. The fragrant wood is used for carvings, furniture and in buildings, while the oil distilled from its heartwood has perfume, incense and medicinal applications. We speak with a chemist, an environmental historian and an environment and society researcher on why cultural preservation is key to the sustainable management of natural resources like sandalwood.
Featuring Danny Hettiarachchi, chemist and adjunct research fellow at the University of Western Australia, Ezra Rashkow, an environmental and South Asian historian at Montclair State University in the US,, and Jules Pretty, professor of environment and society at the University of Essex in the UK.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Nehal El-Hadi and Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Loved to death: Australian sandalwood is facing extinction in the wildHanding power to fishers could lead to more sustainable fishingWhy haven’t Madagascar’s famed lemurs been saved yet?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 13 Apr 2023 - 32min - 104 - Do glitzy awards like the Earthshot Prize actually help fight climate change?
We speak with three researchers who study how climate research is funded to find out whether the pomp and circumstance of high-profile climate innovation prizes outweighs the actual research they fund, or whether they actually play an important role in the larger effort to find climate solutions.
Featuring David Reiner, University Senior Lecturer in Technology Policy at the Cambridge Judge Business School; Abbas Abdul, Researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex; and Mark Maslin, professor of Earth System Science at University College London.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Earthshot prize: five winners that will help solve major environmental problemsLongitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His TimeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 06 Apr 2023 - 33min - 103 - Too many digital distractions are eroding our ability to read deeply
In an era of ceaseless notifications from apps, devices and social media platforms, as well as access to more information than we could possibly consider, how do we find ways to manage? And is the way that we think, focus and process information changing as a result? We speak with three researchers who study human-computer interaction, technology design and literacy about how all of these demands on our attention are affecting us, and what we could possibly do about it.
Featuring Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the University of California, in the United States, Kai Lukoff, assistant professor at Santa Clara University, US, and Daniel Le Roux, a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Ping, your pizza is on its way. Ping, please rate the driver. Yes, constant notifications really do tax your brainCan reading help heal us and process our emotions – or is that just a story we tell ourselves?There are challenges but also potential benefits of digital distractionsTo navigate the dangers of the web, you need critical thinking – but also critical ignoringHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 30 Mar 2023 - 44min - 102 - Back to the Moon
Both the U.S. and China have plans to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon. You might be wondering: why now? The answer to that is the relatively recent discovery of water on the Moon. The question of how humanity will establish a Moon base is perhaps a deeper and more important one. We speak with two people, a planetary scientist who studies lunar geology and a scholar who works on space law and politics, about the challenges facing nations as humanity heads to the Moon.
Featuring Mahesh Anand, Professor of Planetary Science and Exploration at The Open University in the UK, and Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi in the US.
This episode was written by Katie Flood and produced by Dan Merino and Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Lunar mining and Moon land claims fall into a gray area of international law, but negotiations are underway to avoid conflict and damage to spacecraftSpace law hasn’t been changed since 1967 – but the UN aims to update laws and keep space peacefulWater on the Moon: research unveils its type and abundance – boosting exploration plansIf you like The Conversation Weekly, we encourage you to check out two limited series podcasts produced by The Conversation: Fear & Wonder and Great Mysteries of Physics. Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 23 Mar 2023 - 45min - 101 - Iraq 20 years on: researchers assess how US invasion shapes lives today
On March 19, 2003, the United States led an unlawful invasion into Iraq, occupying the country for over eight years until the official withdrawal of troops throughout 2011. It is estimated that around 405,000 deaths occurred as a direct result. Most of these deaths were of Iraqi civilians, hundreds of thousands of others were injured, and over nine million displaced. The invasion was followed by the rise of sectarian violence that followed between 2006 and 2010, and the Islamic State group’s occupation in parts of the country from 2013-17. We speak to two researchers who examine the impact the invasion and conflict have had on the lives of Iraqis.
Featuring Sana Murrani, associate professor in spatial practice with a background in architecture and urban design at the University of Plymouth, UK, and Inna Rudolf, senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Divided Societies, King's College London in the UK.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
It’s been 20 years since the US invaded Iraq – long enough for my undergraduate students to see it as a relic of the pastYoung people in the Middle East struggle to see a promising futureIraq food protests against spiralling prices echo early stages of the Arab SpringHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 16 Mar 2023 - 47min - 100 - Is time an illusion?
Without a sense of time, leading us from cradle to grave, our lives would make little sense. But on the most fundamental level, physicists aren't sure whether the sort of time we experience exists at all. We talk to three experts and find out if time could potentially be moving backwards as well as forwards.
Featuring Sean Carroll, Homewood professor of natural philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, Emily Adlam, postdoctoral associate of the philosophy of physics at Western University and Natalia Ares, Royal Society university research fellow at the University of Oxford.
This episode was presented by Miriam Frankel and produced by Hannah Fisher. Executive producers are Jo Adetunji and Gemma Ware. Social media and platform production by Alice Mason, sound design by Eloise Stevens and music by Neeta Sarl. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Quantum mechanics: how the future might influence the pastFour misconceptions about quantum physicsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 09 Mar 2023 - 45min - 99 - Three AI experts on how access to ChatGPT-style tech is about to change our world
When ChatGPT burst onto the technology world in November 2022, it gained 100 million users within just two months after its launch. The technology itself is fascinating, but part of what makes ChatGPT uniquely interesting is the fact that essentially overnight, most of the world gained access to a powerful generative artificial intelligence that they could use for their own purposes. We speak with researchers who study computer science, technology and economics to explore how the rapid adoption of technologies has, for the most part, failed to change social and economic systems in the past – but why AI might be different, despite its weaknesses.
Featuring Daniel Acuña, Associate Professor of Computer Science, at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US, Kentaro Toyama, Professor of Community Information at the University of Michigan, also in the US, and Thierry Rayna, Professor of Innovation and Entrepeneurship Management, École polytechnique in France.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Katie Flood and Dan Merino, and also written by Katie Flood. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Mend Mariwany is the show's executive producer. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
AI could make more work for us, instead of simplifying our livesUnlike with academics and reporters, you can’t check when ChatGPT’s telling the truthI tried the Replika AI companion and can see why users are falling hard. The app raises serious ethical questionsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 02 Mar 2023 - 41min - 98 - Discovery: Biologists discovered a new species of tiny owl on the forested island of Príncipe, and it's already under threat
An international team of biologists has discovered a tiny new species of owl, called the Príncipe scops owl, living in a remote forest on an island off the west coast of Africa.
Featuring Bárbara Freitas, a Ph.D. fellow who studies bird evolution at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid.
This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood and hosted by Dan Merino. The interim executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.
Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
We discovered a new species of owl – but we already think it’s in dangerMini creatures with mighty voices know their audience and focus on a single frequencyHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 27 Feb 2023 - 21min - 97 - After oil: the challenge and promise of getting the world off fossil fuels
Our dependence on fossil fuels is one of the biggest challenges to overcome in the fight against climate change. But production and consumption of fossil fuels is on the rise, and expected to peak within the next decade. We speak to two researchers who examine the political challenges of transitioning to a world after oil, and what it means for those states who rely on oil for resources.
Featuring Caleb Wellum, Assistant Professor of U.S. History, at the University of Toronto in Canada, and Natalie Koch, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Heidelberg, in Germany.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany who is also the show's executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
For developing world to quit coal, rich countries must eliminate oil and gas faster – new studyCOP27 flinched on phasing out ‘all fossil fuels’. What’s next for the fight to keep them in the ground?Ending the climate crisis has one simple solution: Stop using fossil fuelsHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 23 Feb 2023 - 37min - 96 - Loneliness is making us physically sick, but social prescribing can treat it
Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly becoming a societal problem, as they increase polarization and impact on our physical health. In 2018, two years before the pandemic, the United Kingdom created a ministerial portfolio for loneliness. Japan, where nearly 40 per cent of the population report experiencing loneliness, began a similar position in 2021. We speak to three researchers who invite us to more deeply consider loneliness and social isolation, and their impacts on our health and society.
Featuring Ananya Chakravarti, an associate professor of the history of emotions at Georgetown University in Washington in the US, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University in the US, and Kate Mulligan, an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Health in Canada.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Why loneliness is both an individual thing and a shared result of the cities we createTechnology is alienating people – and it’s not just those who are olderPeople feel lonelier in crowded cities – but green spaces can helpHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 16 Feb 2023 - 36min - 95 - Lack of diversity in clinical trials is leaving minority patients behind and harming the future of medicine
Despite the many biological differences between people of different sexes, races, ages and life histories, chances are that if two people walk into a doctors office with the same symptoms, they are going to get the same exact treatment. As you can imagine, a whole range of treatments – from drugs to testing – could be much more effective if they were designed to work with many different kinds of bodies, not just some abstract, generic human. We speak to three researchers who are looking at ways to make medicine more precise. It starts with simply making sure that clinical trial participants look like the actual patients a drug is meant to treat. And in the future, precision medicine could help each person get medical care that is tailored to their own biology, just like a custom shirt.
Featuring Jennifer Miller, professor of medicine at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in the US, Julia Liu, professor of medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, in the US, and Keith Yamamoto, head of Precision Medicine at the University of California San Francisco in the US.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Katie Flood. Mend Mariwany is the show's executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Yes, Black patients do want to help with medical research – here are ways to overcome the barriers that keep clinical trials from recruiting diverse populationsWomen are 50–75% more likely to have adverse drug reactions. A new mouse study finally helps explain whyHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 09 Feb 2023 - 40min - 94 - Influencers are getting hired by smaller cities to attract new residents and generate revenue
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demographics of cities shifted. As stay-at-home orders, remote work and bubbling reduced social interaction, and restaurants, venues and arts destinations shut down temporarily, people started reconsidering their decision to remain in a big city. We spoke with two urban theorists about why people were leaving larger cities for smaller ones, how authenticity was marketed using social media influencers, and why smaller and mid-sized cities are underrated.
Featuring Avi Friedman, a professor of architecture at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, and David A. Banks, lecturer in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Albany in New York, US.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany who is also the show's executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Kampala, Kigali and Addis Ababa are changing fast: new book follows their distinct pathsTo build sustainable cities, involve those who live in themThe era of the megalopolis: how the world’s cities are mergingAs big cities get even bigger, some residents are being left behindHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 02 Feb 2023 - 28min - 93 - Beavers and oysters are helping restore lost ecosystems with their engineering skills
Whether you’re looking at tropical forests in Brazil, grasslands in California or coral reefs in Australia, it’s hard to find places where humanity hasn't left a mark. The scale of the alteration, invasion or destruction of natural ecosystems can be mindbogglingly huge. Thankfully, researchers, governments and everyday people around the world are putting more effort and money into conservation and restoration every year, but the task is large. How do you plant a billion trees? How do you restore thousands of square miles of wetlands? How do you turn a barren ocean floor back into a thriving reef? In some cases, the answer lies with certain animals – called ecosystem engineers – that can kick start the healing. We talk to three experts about how ecosystem engineers can play a key role in restoring natural places and why the human and social sides of restoration are just as important as the science.
Featuring Josh Larsen, associate professor in water science at the University of Birmingham in the UK, Dominic McAfee, a postdoctoral researcher in marine ecology at the University of Adelaide in Australia, and Andy Kliskey, professor of landscape architecture and Co-director of the Center for Resilient Communities at the University of Idaho in the US.
This episode was produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Beavers can do wonders for nature – but we should be realistic about these benefits extending to peopleBeavers are back: here’s what this might mean for the UK’s wild spacesPlaying sea soundscapes can summon thousands of baby oysters – and help regrow oyster reefsOnce the fish factories and ‘kidneys’ of colder seas, Australia’s decimated shellfish reefs are coming backHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 26 Jan 2023 - 39min - 92 - Discovery: Secretly documenting starvation in the Warsaw Ghetto
During the years of suffering and tragedy that defined the Warsaw Ghetto in the midst of World War II, a team of Jewish doctors secretly documented the effects of starvation on the human body when the Nazis severely limited the amount of food available in the Jewish ghetto.
Featuring Merry Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor at Tufts University who studies food security and malnutrition.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and hosted by Dan Merino. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.
Further reading:
Warsaw Ghetto’s defiant Jewish doctors secretly documented the medical effects of Nazi starvation policies in a book recently rediscovered on a library shelf Starving civilians is an ancient military tactic, but today it’s a war crime in Ukraine, Yemen, Tigray and elsewhereHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 23 Jan 2023 - 19min - 91 - Social welfare services are being cut across the world – but providing them is about more than just money
Across the globe, health-care workers have gone on strike to protest the stress placed on them by the global COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, pushing already-strained services beyond their limits. These labour actions are part of the challenges faced by countries attempting to provide welfare services to their populations. We talk to three experts about why social welfare services are being cut, and what actions governments may need to take to ensure better access.
Featuring Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, senior economics lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London in the UK, Christine Corlet Walker, a research fellow at the Center for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity at the University of Surrey, also in the UK, and Erdem Yörük, assistant professor at Koç University in Istanbul in Turkey.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Better income assistance programs are needed to help people with rising cost of livingCOVID-19 holds lessons for the future of social protectionDegrowth: why some economists think abandoning growth is the only way to save the planet – podcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 19 Jan 2023 - 36min - 90 - Discovery: Reindeer's fascinating color-changing eyes
Reindeer's noses may not glow red, but these cold-loving creatures have evolved the ability to change the color of their eyes to help them thrive in northern winters. A neuroscientist explains how he discovered that a part of the reindeer eye called the tapetum lucidum is perfectly adapted to the dim, blue in the Arctic.
Featuring Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at the Institute of Opthamology at University College London in the UK.
This episode was produced by Katie Flood. The interim executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading
How reindeer eyes transform in winter to give them twilight vision
Five ways reindeer are perfectly evolved for pulling Santa’s sleigh
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, 21 Dec 2022 - 18min - 89 - James Webb Telescope reveals unexpectedly busy early universe
If you want to know what happened in the earliest years of the universe, you are going to need a very big, very specialized telescope. Much to the joy of astronomers and space fans everywhere, the world has one – the James Webb Space Telescope. In this episode, we talk to three experts about what astronomers have learned about the first galaxies in the universe and how just six months of data from James Webb is already changing astronomy.
Featuring Jeyhan Kartaltepe, Associate Professor of Astrophysics at Rochester Institute of Technology, Jonathan Trump, Associate Professor of Physics at University of Connecticut and Michael J. I. Brown, Associate Professor in Astronomy at Monash University.
This episode was produced by Katie Flood and Daniel Merino, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. It was written by Katie Flood and Daniel Merino. Mend Mariwany is the show’s executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for thisepisode are available here. Sign up here for afree daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
James Webb Space Telescope: what astronomers hope it will reveal about the beginning of the universe – podcastBlueWalker 3, an enormous and bright communications satellite, is genuinely alarming astronomersIs the James Webb Space Telescope finding the furthest, oldest, youngest or first galaxies? An astronomer explainsTwo experts break down the James Webb Space Telescope’s first images, and explain what we’ve already learntHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 15 Dec 2022 - 38min - 88 - Changing a nation's diet
How do you get a country to change its national diet? That’s what China has been trying by introducing potato as a staple as part of an effort to improve food security. In this episode, we talk to three experts about why countries need to shift what their citizens eat, and what the optimum diet for our planet might be.
Featuring Xiaobo Xue Romeiko, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at University at Albany, State University of New York in the US, Paul Behrens, associate professor of energy and environmental change at Leiden University in The Netherlands and Marco Springmann, professor of climate change food systems and health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK, and a senior researcher at the University of Oxford.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood with sound design by Eloise Stevens. It was written by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware is the show's executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Our food system is at risk of crossing ‘environmental limits’ – here’s how to ease the pressureWar in Ukraine is pushing global acute hunger to the highest level in this centuryOffering more plant-based choices on menus can speed up diet changeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 08 Dec 2022 - 35min - 87 - Discovery: how celebrity footballers can help reduce prejudice against minorities
In the latest episode of Discovery, an ongoing series where we explore the stories behind new research discoveries from around the world, we hear about how a Muslim celebrity footballer helped reduce Islamophobia. In this episode, Salma Mousa, assistant professor of political science at Yale University in the US, explains how she found a "Mo Salah effect" and why she's now testing how durable it is.
This episode was produced and written by Gemma Ware, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Our other producers are Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.
More episodes of our Discovery series will be published via The Conversation Weekly every couple of weeks.
Further reading and listening:
How to depolarise deeply divided societies – podcast
Brazil’s iconic football shirt was a symbol of Bolsonaro – here’s how the World Cup is changing that
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 05 Dec 2022 - 19min - 86 - Young people’s shifting relationship with alcohol
The amount of alcohol young people drink in many high-income countries has seen a marked decline since the early 2000s. But in many developing countries, the opposite is happening. In this episode we talk to three experts studying trends in youth drinking to find out why and explore the questions this raises about the way young people see themselves and their place in the world.
Featuring Amy Pennay, research fellow at La Trobe University in Australia, Jonas Raninen, a researcher at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Emeka Dumbili a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria.
This episode was produced by Katie Flood, Dan Merino and Mend Mariwany. It was written by Katie Flood and Dan Merino. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Why are young people drinking less than their parents’ generation did?Some young Nigerians say heavy drinking is fun: controls must keep pace with cultureShould I give my teen alcohol? Just a sip, the whole can, or none at all?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 01 Dec 2022 - 38min - 85 - Treating mental illness with electricity
Mental illnesses like obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and addiction are notoriously hard to treat and often don't respond to drugs. But a new wave of treatments that stimulate the brain with electricity are showing promise on patients and in clinical trials. We talk to three experts and one patient about the history of treating mental illness, how new technology and deeper understanding of the brain are leading to better treatments and where the neuroscience of mental illness is headed next.
Featuring Rachel A. Davis, a psychiatrist and researcher at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the US and her patient Moksha Patel, a physician and professor at the University of Colorado who has severe obsessive compulsive disorder. We also hear from Joseph J. Fins, a neuroethicist and professor of medicine at Wei Cornell Medical College, part of Cornell University in the US and Jacinta O'Shea, a neuroscientist and associate professor at the University of Oxford.
This episode was produced by Katie Flood, Dan Merino and Mend Mariwany. It was written by Katie Flood and Dan Merino. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Deep brain stimulation can be life-altering for OCD sufferers when other treatment options fall shortPatients suffering with hard-to-treat depression may get relief from noninvasive magnetic brain stimulationBrain stimulation can rewire and heal damaged neural connections, but it isn’t clear how – research suggests personalization may be key to more effective therapiesHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 24 Nov 2022 - 38min - 84 - Uncharted Brain 3: the role viruses may play in Alzheimer’s
There are many competing theories about what causes Alzheimer's disease. For more than 30 years, Ruth Itzhaki has been accumulating evidence that viruses are involved in its development in the brain. We investigate in the In the third and final part of Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia.
Featuring Ruth Itzhaki, professor emeritus of molecular neurobiology at the University of Manchester in the UK, Dana Cairns, a postdoctoral research fellow at Tufts University in the US and Davangere P. Devanand, director of geriatric psychiatry and professor of psychiatry and neurology, Columbia University Medical Center in the US.
The series is hosted by Paul Keaveny and Gemma Ware and was initially published via The Anthill podcast from the team at The Conversation in the UK.
Uncharted Brain was produced by Tiffany Cassidy with sound design by Eloise Stevens. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. The Conversation Weekly theme music is by Neeta Sarl.
Further reading:
My work investigating the links between viruses and Alzheimer’s disease was dismissed for years – but now the evidence is buildingWe’ve been studying the same people for 76 years – this is what we’ve found out about Alzheimer’s diseaseAlzheimer’s disease: surprising new theory about what might cause itHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sat, 19 Nov 2022 - 27min - 83 - Uncharted Brain 2: the family trauma of dementia from sports injuries
In the second of a three-part series, Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia, we explore chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a form of dementia that athletes from a whole range of sports can develop. We hear about the toll it can take on family members, who are often unaware of what’s happening to their loved ones.
Featuring Matthew Smith, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at the University of Winchester in the UK and Lisa McHale, director of family relations at the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
The series is hosted by Paul Keaveny and Gemma Ware and was initially published via The Anthill podcast from the team at The Conversation in the UK.
Uncharted Brain was produced by Tiffany Cassidy with sound design by Eloise Stevens. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. The Conversation Weekly theme music is by Neeta Sarl.
Further reading:
Sport-induced traumatic brain injury: families reveal the ‘hell’ of living with the conditionThe risk of concussion lurks at the Super Bowl – and in all other sportsTackling in children’s rugby must be banned to curb dementia risksHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fri, 18 Nov 2022 - 25min - 82 - Uncharted Brain 1: a lifelong study unlocks clues to Alzheimer’s
This week we're running a three-part series called Uncharted Brain: Decoding Dementia exploring new research searching for answers to how dementia works in the brain and the damage it leaves behind.
The series is hosted by Paul Keaveny and Gemma Ware and was initially published via The Anthill podcast from the team at The Conversation in the UK.
In the first episode, we explore how a study which began just after the end of the second world war is revealing new insights into the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Featuring Marcus Richards, professor of psychology in epidemiology and Jonathan Schott, professor of neurology, both at UCL in the UK and David Ward, one of the cohort study participants.
Uncharted Brain was produced by Tiffany Cassidy with sound design by Eloise Stevens. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. The Conversation Weekly theme music is by Neeta Sarl.
Further reading:
We’ve been studying the same people for 76 years – this is what we’ve found out about Alzheimer’s diseaseAlzheimer’s disease: surprising new theory about what might cause itNew Alzheimer’s drug slows cognitive decline – and may be available as early as next yearHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 17 Nov 2022 - 29min - 81 - Africa's stolen objects: what happens after they return
Momentum is growing for objects stolen during the colonial era that are now held in museums in Europe and North America to be returned to the places and communities that they were taken from. We talk to three experts about what happens to these objects once they're returned and the questions their restitution is raising about the relationship between communities and museums in Africa.
Featuring John Kelechi Ugwuanyi, senior lecturer in archaeology and tourism at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Farai Chabata, visiting lecturer in heritage studies at the University of Zimbabwe and senior curator of ethnography for the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe and Aribiah David Attoe, lecturer in philosophy at the University of Witwatersrand.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading
Germany is returning Nigeria’s looted Benin Bronzes: why it’s not nearly enough3D printing is helping museums in repatriation and decolonisation efforts‘Restitution’ of looted African art just continues colonial policies - much more is at stakeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 10 Nov 2022 - 33min - 80 - How to depolarize deeply divided societies
From the US, to Brazil, to India, deepening political polarisation is used as a frame through which to see a lot of 21st century politics. But what can actually be done to depolarise deeply divided societies, particularly democracies? In this episode we speak to a political scientist and a philosopher trying to find answers to that question.
Featuring Jennifer Lynn McCoy, professor of political science at Georgia State University in the US and Robert B. Talisse, professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University in the US.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. The executive producer is Gemma Ware. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Read a transcript of this episode. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
Democratic and Republican voters both love civility – but the bipartisan appeal is partly because nobody can agree on what civility isExtreme political polarization weakens democracy – can the US avoid that fate?Brazil election: what I saw on the streets made me cautiously optimisticHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 03 Nov 2022 - 39min - 79 - Discovery: celibacy's surprising evolutionary advantages
Welcome to the first episode of Discovery, a new series via The Conversation Weekly where we hear the stories behind new research discoveries from around the world. In this episode, Ruth Mace, professor of anthropology at University College London in the UK, explains how her research with the families of Tibetan monks in China suggests celibacy might have some surprising evolutionary advantages.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. The executive producer was Gemma Ware. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl.
More episodes of our Discovery series will be published via The Conversation Weekly every couple of weeks.
Further reading:
Celibacy: its surprising evolutionary advantages – new researchHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, 31 Oct 2022 - 16min - 78 - Radiation, pollution and urbanization are taking over natural selection
Humans do a lot of different things to the environment, and there aren’t many natural processes that can rival the scale of changes brought on by human activity. In this episode, we speak to three experts who study different ways that human action – from radiation to pollution to urbanization – is affecting how plants and animals evolve, and how humanity has become the single biggest driver of evolutionary changes on Earth.
Featuring Germán Orizaola, a biologist at the University of Oviedo in Spain, Andrew Whitehead, a professor of environmental toxicology at University of California, Davis in the US and Marc Johnson, a professor of biology at the University of Toronto in Canada.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Daniel Merino and the executive producer is Gemma Ware. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
Chernobyl black frogs reveal evolution in actionRussian capture of Ukraine’s Chornobyl nuclear plant threatens future research on radioactivity and wildlifeTo avoid humans, more wildlife now work the night shiftHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 27 Oct 2022 - 40min - 77 - When digital nomads come to town
Digital nomads who work as they travel are often attracted by a life of freedom far removed from the daily office grind. Many head to cities that have become known hotspots for remote workers. In this episode, we find out what impact digital nomads have on these cities and the people who live there, and how governments are responding to the phenomenon.
Featuring Dave Cook, PhD candidate in anthropology at UCL in the UK, Adrián Hernández Cordero, head of sociology at Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico and Fabiola Mancinelli, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Barcelona in Spain.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Read a transcript of this episode. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
As countries ranging from Indonesia to Mexico aim to attract digital nomads, locals say ‘not so fast’Digital nomads have rejected the office and now want to replace the nation state. But there is a darker side to this quest for global freedomThe great remote work experiment – what happens next? PodcastHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 20 Oct 2022 - 40min - 76 - Inside Brazil’s divisive gun debate
Soon after Jair Bolsonaro’s election as president of Brazil in 2018, he began making it a lot easier for people in the country to buy guns. In this episode, we speak to two experts about Brazil’s boom in private gun ownership and why it’s exacerbating fears about political violence ahead of a run-off presidential election on October 30.
Featuring Erika Robb Larkins, associate professor of anthropology and director of the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies at San Diego State University in the US and Juliano Cortinhas, professor of international relations at the University of Brasilia in Brazil.
This episode was produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Read a transcript of this episode. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading and listening:
Brazil: inside Jair Bolsonaro’s militarised democracy – podcast Bolsonaro’s first-round election bounce back reminds us why populist leaders are so popularAnother stress test for democracy: The imminent election crisis in BrazilBrazil election: how the political violence of the country’s history has re-emergedHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 13 Oct 2022 - 35min - 75 - Secretive lawsuits by fossil fuel companies could hold back climate action
A new barrier to climate action is opening up in an obscure and secretive part of international trade law which fossil fuel investors are using to sue countries if policy decisions go against them. We speak to experts about the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism and how it works. Many are worried that these clauses in international trade deals could jeopardise global efforts to save the climate – costing countries billions of dollars in the process.
Featuring Kyla Tienhaara, Canada research chair in economy and environment at Queen's University, Ontario in Canada, Emilia Onyema, reader in international commercial Law at SOAS, University of London in the UK, Lea Di Salvatore, PhD researcher at the University of Nottingham in the UK and Maria-Rita D'Orsogna, anti-oil activist and professor of mathematics at California State University, Northridge in the US.
This episode was produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is also available. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
How treaties protecting fossil fuel investors could jeopardize global efforts to save the climate – and cost countries billionsEnergy charter treaty makes climate action nearly illegal in 52 countries – so how can we leave it?British investors could sue Australia over climate action if UK joins trans-Pacific trade pactHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 06 Oct 2022 - 41min - 74 - Psychedelic research: balancing trippyness with a new scientific rigor
As research into psychedelics and their medical uses makes a comeback, scientists are having to deal with the legacy – both scientific and social – of a 40-year near total freeze on psychedelic research. In this episode, we speak with three experts about the early rise and fall of psychedelics in western science and culture, how the mystical and often vague language of the 60s and 70s still pervades research today and what it’s like to actually run clinical trials using psilocybin.
Featuring Robin Carhart-Harris at the University of California, San Francisco in the US; Wayne Hall, at the University of Queensland in Australia; and Josjan Zijlmans at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is also available. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Psychedelic drugs: how to tell good research from badAI maps psychedelic ‘trip’ experiences to regions of the brain – opening new route to psychiatric treatmentsPsychedelics: how they act on the brain to relieve depressionHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 29 Sep 2022 - 33min - 73 - Thwaites Glacier: the melting, Antarctic monster of sea level rise
The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is one of many bodies of ice that are melting, but this massive glacier is uniquely important when it comes to sea level rise. In this episode we talk to three experts studying the glacier in Antarctica to find out what's happening and why it's so significant.
Featuring Yixi Zheng, a PhD candidate in Oceanography at the University of East Anglia in the UK, Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and Paul Holland, an ocean and ice scientist at the British Antarctic Survey.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is also available. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Ice world: Antarctica’s riskiest glacier is under assault from below and losing its gripAntarctica’s ‘doomsday’ glacier: how its collapse could trigger global floods and swallow islandsIce shelves hold back Antarctica’s glaciers from adding to sea levels – but they’re crumblingHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 22 Sep 2022 - 38min - 72 - Keeping buildings cool as it gets hotter
For thousands of years, people living in parts of the world used to high temperatures have deployed traditional passive cooling techniques in the way they design their buildings. But "modern" styles of architecture using concrete and glass often usurped local building techniques better suited to hotter climates. In this episode, we explore why that happened, and how some architects are championing traditional techniques to help keep buildings cool.
Featuring Anthony Ogbuokiri, senior lecturer in architectural design at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, Vyta Pivo, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Michigan in the US and Susan Abed Hassan, professor of architectural engineering at Al-Nahrain University in Baghdad, Iraq.
This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Gemma Ware is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.
Further reading:
Cities like Lagos need building designs that don’t just copy global stylesTiny algae could help fix concrete’s dirty little climate secret – 4 innovative ways to clean up this notoriously hard to decarbonize industryHow to keep buildings cool without air conditioning – according to an expert in sustainable designHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 15 Sep 2022 - 33min - 71 - The cold war double agent abandoned by the spy agencies he risked his life for
M was a double agent during the cold war, working on the side of the west. But when the Iron Curtain fell, he felt abandoned by the secret services he risked his life for.
M's story is told by Eleni Braat, associate professor of international history at Utrecht University and Ben de Jong, research fellow at Leiden University. They've been interviewing him in depth for their research on what happens to spies when their secret service days come to an end.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here.
Further reading:
John Le Carré: authentic spy fiction that wrote the wrongs of post-war British intelligenceHow ordinary people are convinced to become spiesRevealed: the panic that followed the defection of the Cambridge spiesHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, 27 Jul 2022 - 35min - 70 - What did dinosaurs actually look like?
As the latest Jurassic World Dominion film hits cinemas, we’re re-running a story originally aired in 2021 about what dinosaurs really looked liked – and how scientists' understanding of their appearance keeps evolving.
Featuring Maria McNamara, professor of palaeobiology at University College Cork in Ireland and Nicolas Campione, senior lecturer in paleaobiology at the University of New England in Australia.
The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.
Read a transcript of the original version of this story.
Further reading:
Jurassic World Dominion: a palaeontologist on what the film gets wrong about dinosaursDinosaur embryo discovery: rare fossil suggests dinosaurs had similar pre-hatching posture to modern birdsNocturnal dinosaurs: Night vision and superb hearing in a small theropod suggest it was a moonlight predatorThe discovery of two giant dinosaur species solves the mystery of missing apex predators in North America and AsiaHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 16 Jun 2022 - 23min - 69 - A brief update
A little update about The Conversation Weekly podcast and what we'll be up to over the next few months.
If you've not yet completed ourlistener survey, we'd love to hear what you think about the show. It should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, 01 Jun 2022 - 0min - 68 - India and Pakistan heatwave is a sign of worse to come
India and Pakistan have been sweltering under an unprecedented heatwave, the severity of which scientists attribute to climate change. In this episode we explore how much worse heatwaves in the region could get and how farmers can prepare for it.
Featuring Alan Thomas Kennedy-Asser, a research associate in climate science at the University of Bristol in the UK, Andrew King, a senior Lecturer in climate science at the University of Melbourne in Australia and Shruti Bhogal, who's just finished working as a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge in the UK.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available shortly.
Further reading
India heatwave: why the region should prepare for even more extreme heat in the near future How to survive a heatwave A climate scientist on India and Pakistan’s horror heatwave, and the surprising consequences of better air qualityYoung Indian farmers are turning to an ancient crop to fight water stress and climate changeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 26 May 2022 - 43min - 67 - Australian election: how the country’s political landscape is shifting
As Australians prepare to vote in federal elections on May 21, in this episode we explore how the country’s political landscape is shifting – and why it's not looking good for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Featuring Michelle Grattan, a professorial fellow at the University of Canberra and political correspondent for The Conversation in Australia. Grattan, who is one of Australia's most respected political journalists, also hosts the Politics with Michelle Grattan podcast for The Conversation.
We'd love to hear what you think about The Conversation Weekly. Please let us know via ourlistener survey, which should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you!
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here.
Further reading
How does Australia’s voting system work?In a year of endless floods, why isn’t disaster governance front and centre in the election campaign?If the polls are right, he may soon be the next Australian prime minister. So who is Anthony Albanese?‘His beating heart is a focus group’: what makes Scott Morrison tick?Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wed, 18 May 2022 - 30min - 66 - What is adult ADHD and how to treat it
We'd love to hear what you think about The Conversation Weekly. Please let us know via ourlistener survey, which should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you!
Parents and doctors have known about childhood ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – for decades, but it is only recently that the medical field has started to recognise, diagnose and seriously study ADHD in adults. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we explore what adult ADHD looks like, how it is diagnosed today and the many new treatments available to help those with the disorder live better lives.
Featuring Laura E Knouse an associate professor of psychology a theUniversity of Richmond in the US, and Tamara May, senior research fellow at Monash University in Australia.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here.
You can alsoread a full transcript of this episode too.
Further reading
ADHD looks different in adults. Here are 4 signs to watch forWhy many women with autism and ADHD aren’t diagnosed until adulthood – and what to do if you think you’re one of themADHD in adults: what it’s like living with the condition – and why many still struggle to get diagnosedThese strategies and life hacks can help anyone with ADHD, as well as those who struggle with attention problems but don’t have a diagnosisHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 12 May 2022 - 35min - 65 - Neutrality: why countries choose not to join a war – and what responsibilities come with it
We'd love to hear what you think about The Conversation Weekly. Please let us know via ourlistener survey, which should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you!
When war breaks out, what does it mean for a country to remain neutral? In this episode we explore the advantages and disadvantages of neutrality – and what responsibilities come with the choice not to take sides. We talk to an historian about how an age of neutrality emerged in the 19th century and what lessons it has for the war in Ukraine. And we dig down into the reasons why one country – India – has decided to remain neutral on the conflict.
Featuring Maartje Abbenhuis, professor of history at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and Swaran Singh, professor of diplomacy and disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. You can read a transcript on The Conversation's website.
Further reading
Why India chose a path of ‘proactive neutrality’ on UkraineWhat does it mean to be ‘neutral’ over Ukraine – and what responsibilities come with it?As Ukraine war deepens great-power divisions, a revitalized non-aligned movement could emergeRussia’s war with Ukraine: Five reasons why many African countries choose to be ‘neutral’History may explain South Africa’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of UkraineHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 05 May 2022 - 44min - 64 - Ukraine invasion threatens international collaboration in space – is current space law equipped to handle a new era of shifting power structures?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is challenging the structures of international collaboration in space. In this episode, we talk to two experts about how space is entering a new era of international competition – and whether the existing laws are ready for what comes next.
Featuring Kuan-Wei (David) Chen, executive director of the Centre for Research in Air and Space Law at McGill University in Canada and Svetla Ben-Itzhak, assistant professor of space and international relations at Air University in the US.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here. A transcript is also available to read.
Further reading
Space Blocs: The future of international cooperation in space is splitting along lines of power on EarthRussia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens space co-operation, business and securityUkraine war: how it could play out in space – with potentially dangerous consequencesRussian invasion of Ukraine and resulting US sanctions threaten the future of the International Space StationHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 28 Apr 2022 - 40min - 63 - How your culture informs your emotional reaction to music
How much does your cultural background influence the way you react to music? Or whether you think a piece of music sounds happy or sad? That's what George Athanasopoulos and his colleagues decided to investigate. They travelled to a remote part of northwest Pakistan to spend time with the Kalash and Kho people who live there and find out how they reacted to western music. Athanasopoulos, an ethnomusicologist at Durham University in the UK, tells us what they discovered.
This episode is an extended version of an interview first published on February 3.
The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.
Further reading:
How your culture informs the emotions you feel when listening to musicThe global music community must help Afghan musicians resist a Taliban music banHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 21 Apr 2022 - 19min - 62 - Why Indonesia plans to relocate its capital from Jakarta to a new forest city on the island of Borneo
Indonesia plans to move its capital city from Jakarta on the island of Java to a new forest city on the island of Borneo called Nusantara. We talk to three experts in urban planning and ecology to find out why, what the problems are with Jakarta – and what the environmental impacts of the project could be.
Featuring Eka Permanasari, associate professor in urban design, Monash University Australia, Hendricus Andy Simarmata, lecturer in urban planning at the University of Indonesia and Alex Lechner, associate professor in landscape ecology at Monash University Indonesia.
The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.
Further reading
How not to build a capital: what Indonesia can learn from other master-planned cities’ mistakesDoes Indonesia really need to move its capital?Assessing Jokowi’s $33-billion project to move Indonesia’s capital for the country’s economic developmentMoving Indonesia’s capital city won’t fix Jakarta’s problems and will increase fire risk in BorneoHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 14 Apr 2022 - 36min - 61 - Could lead makeup really have killed an 18th century socialite? A scientist investigated
Can makeup really kill you? That’s the myth attached to Maria Gunning, the Countess of Coventry, an 18th century socialite who reportedly died from her lead-based makeup in 1760, aged just 27. In this episode, we speak to Fiona McNeill, a professor of physics at McMaster University in Canada, who has recreated some centuries-old recipes for white lead makeup to test how dangerous these cosmetics really were.
Plus, an extract from a special episode of The Conversation's Don't Call Me Resilient podcast, about Will Smith's Oscar slap.
The Conversation Weekly is produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware, with reporting from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra by Ellen Duffy. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode available here.
Further reading
Dying for makeup: Lead cosmetics poisoned 18th-century European socialites in search of whiter skinThere’s a complex history of skin lighteners in Africa and beyondHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thu, 07 Apr 2022 - 27min
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