logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
27m 25s

How the future of shopping was shaped by...

THE CONVERSATION
About this episode

How pop-ups, home delivery and fast fashion go back as far as the 1800s. Rachel Bowlby, professor of comparative literature at UCL tells the story of how the pandemic changed the way we shop – with many ‘new’ initiatives actually reinventing old ways of doing things.


You can read the text version of this in-depth article here. The audio version is read by Jane Wing in partnership with Noa, News Over Audio. Listen to more articles from The Conversation, for free, on the Noa app


The music in In Depth Out Loud is Night Caves by Lee Rosevere. In Depth Out Loud is produced by Gemma Ware. This story was edited by Paul Keavney and Mike Herd and came out of a project at The Conversation called Insights. You can read more stories in the series here.



Up next
Dec 2022
The inside story of the CIA v Russia
The inside story of the CIA v Russia – from cold war conspiracy to ‘black’ propaganda in Ukraine. Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, a professor emeritus of American history at the University of Edinburgh, on what history tells us about the CIA's influence today. You can read the text versio ... Show More
30m 23s
Jun 2022
The 12 best ways to get cars out of cities
What is the best way to reduce car use in cities? Kimberly Nicholas, an associate professor of sustainability science at Lund University, looks at the evidence from across Europe. You can read the text version of this in-depth article here. The audio version is read by Adrienne W ... Show More
26m 19s
Jan 2022
The discovery of insulin: a story of monstrous egos and toxic rivalries
A tale of monstrous egos, toxic rivalries and injustices behind the discovery of insulin. Kersten Hall, author and honorary fellow at the school of philosophy, religion and history of science at the University of Leeds, recounts the story of feuding scientists behind the discover ... Show More
27m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Little Happier: A Famous Art Historian Experiences a Spiritual Epiphany with a Surprising Result
Art historian Kenneth Clark describes his experience of an intense spiritual awakening—a “flood of grace”—and what resulted from it. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @Gre ... Show More
3m 53s
Feb 2025
STORY: The Science Behind Humanity’s Superpower (Part 1)
Today, we’re sitting down with Will Storr, author of the dazzling new book A Story Is a Deal, to talk about humanity’s greatest invention: story. More than just entertainment, Will argues, story is what we do and who we are. It’s how we make sense of the world, captivate, and per ... Show More
54m 54s
Sep 19
Algorithmic Social Media Is Driving New Slang
From viral slang such as “skibidi” to the rise of so-called brain rot, linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic, aka the “Etymology Nerd,” and associate editor Allison Parshall, who covers the mind and brain, unpack how social media and algorithms are reshaping the way we commun ... Show More
26m 55s
Oct 2024
Little Happier: A Story About Love from “A Wrinkle in Time”
A passage from “A Wrinkle in Time,” a masterpiece of children’s literature, holds a subtle but important lesson about human nature and the transformative power of love. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on Tik ... Show More
3m 15s
Nov 2024
More Happier: Finding Happiness in the Bittersweet with Susan Cain [Revisited]
We revisit a conversation with bestselling author Susan Cain, renowned author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. We also talk about why we should be the one t ... Show More
33m 11s
Feb 2025
228 | Advanced - Short Story: The Phantom Librarian [English Listening Practice]
Title: The Phantom LibrarianLevel: Advanced (C1)#Story :Lydia, a young woman from the quiet town of Ridgewood, stumbles upon the mysterious library that no one in the town seems to talk about. Inside, she finds the enigmatic librarian, a ghostly figure shrouded in silence. Drawn ... Show More
8m 35s
Jun 2025
941. The Man Who Could Work Miracles ✨ (Learn English with a Short Story)
Learn English with a short story on LEP. In this episode I am reading "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" by HG Wells (adapted into modern English). First you can listen to the story, then I summarise it again in my own words, discuss my interpretations of its meaning, explain how ... Show More
2h 3m
Jun 2025
941. The Man Who Could Work Miracles ✨ (Learn English with a Short Story)
Learn English with a short story on LEP. In this episode I am reading "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" by HG Wells (adapted into modern English). First you can listen to the story, then I summarise it again in my own words, discuss my interpretations of its meaning, explain how ... Show More
2h 6m
Oct 2024
Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari Book Summary and Review | Free Audiobook
🎧 Exclusive extended Ad-free Audiobook Summary, PDF & Infographic / 📝 Show notes (Free Book Summary) / PDF & Infographic / 🎧 Free audiobook / Discover how human history was shaped—and our future will be rewritten—by the rise of information networks and artificial intelligence ... Show More
18m 39s