logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
22m 30s

The chips are down: will diet drugs devo...

The Economist
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Today
Snap judgement: Japan PM’s electoral landslide
Takaichi Sanae’s gamble to call a general election has paid off. How will the prime minister’s thumping victory change Japan? New legislation in Republican states could imperil academic freedom. And why “Taxi Driver” resonates 50 years after the film’s release.Guests and host:Ros ... Show More
23m 9s
Feb 6
Elon shot: will Musk’s mega-merger work?
This week Elon Musk announced the merger of two of his companies: SpaceX and xAI, which makes chatbots. Is the new firm viable? As migrant workers return home for lunar new year, the Chinese Communist Party tells migrant workers not to stay for too long. And our culture editor’s ... Show More
22m 58s
Feb 5
Nukes of hazard: US-Russia arms treaty expires
The New START nuclear deal was signed in 2010 to restrict the number of strategic warheads and missiles America and Russia could amass. Will there be a new deal – and what will happen if not? How social media has helped fuel recruitment to cults. And our baldness correspondent br ... Show More
24m 33s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
Hot shot: the wider promise of weight-loss jabs
<p>First they treated diabetes. Then obesity. Now <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/24/its-not-just-obesity-drugs-like-ozempic-will-change-the-world?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.t ... Show More
23m 58s
Apr 2024
Money Talks: Why weight-loss drugs will reshape the world
<p>More than 1bn people around the world are obese. That means there should be extraordinary demand for drugs to cure or mitigate the condition. Novo Nordisk is now Europe’s most valuable company and Eli Lilly’s market value has more than doubled. Both make the “miracle” drugs th ... Show More
36m 59s
Dec 2024
A Turning Point for Ultraprocessed Foods
<p>A new study has found that nearly three-quarters of American adults are now obese or overweight, and there’s growing concern — among politicians, scientists and consumers — about one potential culprit: ultraprocessed foods.</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/alic ... Show More
29m 52s
Oct 2025
Wrong side of the hack: cybercrime grows
Cyberattacks have brought firms like Jaguar Land Rover and Asahi to a standstill. Our correspondent asks what companies and governments should do about a rising problem. Why it is getting harder to count deaths in Africa. And is eating dark chocolate actually good for you? Listen ... Show More
21m 45s
May 2025
May-poll dance: Poland’s presidential race
<p>Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor expected to win the first round cleanly only <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/05/18/the-liberal-favourite-stumbles-in-polands-presidential-election?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_c ... Show More
22m 29s
Jul 2025
The smaller C: progress in beating cancer
<p>Overall, more people are dying from cancer. But a closer look at the numbers reveals just how much <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/07/17/the-world-is-winning-the-war-on-cancer?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content= ... Show More
21m 56s
Sep 2025
Honey, we shrunk the kids: population fall
Falling fertility makes a global decline in population inevitable. That will change the shape and make up of societies. But it may not make us poorer. Are large language models really woke? And reading is on the wane – and why that matters. Listen to what matters most, from globa ... Show More
23m 46s
Nov 11
Home alone: the relationship recession
People are spurning marriage and any other kind of romantic relationship in record numbers. Our correspondents explore the non-dating market. The rise of AI companions could also have profound implications for society. And why tobacco companies are thriving. Listen to what matter ... Show More
24m 34s
Aug 2025
Stake and chips: will America take 10% of Intel?
Intel was once synonymous with chip-making, but in recent years it has fallen behind. Now the Trump administration may become its biggest shareholder. A political assassination in Colombia raises fears about a return to violence. And what an annual snail race tells us about rural ... Show More
21m 2s
Sep 2025
Combative, conservative, cut down: Charlie Kirk
America’s most prominent young conservative was assassinated while conducting one of his signature campus events. His death might only widen political divides. In Asia a broad trend of deflation points to lower prices but unhealthy economies. And what happens when spiritual leade ... Show More
23m 1s