Babbage from The Economist Podcast
1) Babbage: Havana syndrome
New cases of Havana syndrome are baffling scientists. Alok Jha investigates the theories behind the mysterious malady plaguing Western diplomats. Are microwave weapons to blame, or could the illness h...Show More
2) Herman Pontzer: what people get wrong about metabolism
Do you run, cycle or swim to lose weight? Herman Pontzer, an evolutionary anthropologist who specialises in understanding how humans use energy, thinks you’re probably wasting your time. His idea of t...Show More
3) Babbage: Deb Chachra on the value of great infrastructure
From roads to telecommunications, networks of infrastructure define people’s lives, but are often hidden from view. Our guest wants people to step back, look at and appreciate the infrastructure aroun...Show More
4) Babbage: How AI promises to revolutionise science
Discussions about artificial intelligence tend to focus on its risks, but there is also excitement on the horizon. AI tools, like the models beneath ChatGPT, are being increasingly used by scientists ...Show More
5) Babbage: Preparing for AI with Mustafa Suleyman
Generative artificial intelligence and biotechnology will usher in a new era of humanity, according to Mustafa Suleyman, who’s been at the centre of AI development for over a decade. Mustafa predicts ...Show More
6) Babbage: Are auctioned dinosaur fossils lost to science?
Natural history auctions are on the rise and are generating millions of dollars for private fossil hunters, but the commercialisation of ancient bones is worrying some palaeontologists. They argue tha...Show More
7) Babbage: How good can weather forecasting get?
In recent weeks, extreme heat, floods and storms have smashed records and caused devastation around the world. Freak weather events such as these will become more frequent due to climate change—but th...Show More
8) Babbage: Summer science lessons
How much science do you remember from school? Do you know how a simple electric motor works, or what the Doppler effect is? Basic physics is taught early in schools, but is easily forgotten.&nbs...Show More
9) Babbage: The debate over deep-sea mining
As the effects of climate change are increasingly being felt around the world, the need to transition away from fossil fuels is becoming more urgent. An electrified world requires more batteries, whic...Show More
10) Babbage: Vint Cerf on how to wisely regulate AI
Almost 50 years ago, Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn designed TCP/IP, a set of rules enabling computers to connect and communicate with each other. It led to the creation of a vast global network: the internet...Show More