Oct 6

Thompson Originals 💿 (A Chat with My Brother) [956]

My brother James joins me again on the podcast for a rambling chat about diverse topics such as: trousers 👖 sandwiches 🥪 gangster films 🍿 the work of Edgar Allan Poe 📖 vinyl and cassettes 🎵 memories of living together 🎮 annoying behaviour 😤 and English words and grammar th ... Show More

1h 37m

Sep 29

Let’s do a REAL C1 English Test! 🙇‍♂️ (CAE Use of English) [955]

In episode 949 I did an online test which claimed to be for C1 level, but let's be honest - it was more like an intermediate level, the questions were rubbish and it was ultimately a useless scam. This time I'm taking a proper C1 English test - the Use of English section from a C ... Show More

1h 18m

Sep 22

Holiday Hell 🔥 Serious Sandcastles 🏰 & AI Inbreeding 🤖 with Amber & Paul [954]

The Pod-Pals are back on the podcast for another catching up session! Recorded just after the summer holidays, there is talk of Paul's hatred of the beach 🏖️, the English tradition of building epic sandcastles 🏰, other famous people with our names (including an "evil" teacherlu ... Show More

58m 10s

Aug 4

Technology in Everyday Life [Part 2] ?‍? The Choices We Make / Topic Discussion & Vocabulary [947]

This episode is all about choices we have to make relating to technology in our everyday lives, and the vocabulary of technology today. This episode focuses on issues such as information quality & fact checking, digital sustainability, AI and automation, security, surveillance an ... Show More

1h 27m

Jul 28

Technology in Everyday Life [Part 1] ?‍? The Choices We Make / Topic Discussion & Vocabulary

This episode is all about choices we have to make relating to technology in our everyday lives. I'll be discussing contemporary tech-related issues such as privacy vs. convenience, data sharing, digital, detox, online behaviour, digital legacy, tech addiction, tech for children. ... Show More

1h 54m

Nov 2024

909. The Existential Threat of AI to Human Civilisation ? (Topic & Vocabulary)

This episode explores the important topic of AI and human civilisation, and teaches plenty of vocabulary on the subject. I analyse an interview with an AI expert and explore many words and phrases for talking about this subject. This includes discussion of the potential pros and ... Show More

1h 56m

Dec 2024

The Wild Robot: Technology Will Not Save Us

Roz! Today we cover The Wild Robot (dir Chris Sanders)! We get into narrative issues that both give this movie colonial undertones and undermine the themes it's trying to explore, the robotic emotional journey it takes the audience on, some philosophy on technology and the hierar ... Show More

1h 38m

Oct 2024

Is AI Optimism In the Air?

Today's episode explores the growing shift toward AI optimism, highlighted by Anthropics CEO Dario Amodei’s essay on the potential positive impacts of AI. Topics include advancements in biology, neuroscience, poverty reduction, and governance. Could AI truly transform society for ... Show More

18m 24s

May 2025

Episode 122: AI Horizons: Transforming Healthcare and Navigating Ethical Frontiers

In this episode with Luna Maroun, Product Manager and Adobe, and previous start-up coach and teamlead at MIT, we explore the transformative rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare — from streamlining data collection to reshaping clinical decision-making. As AI tools become ... Show More

41m 7s

May 2025

935. Terrible Traffic Jams & Self-Driving Cars ? (Topic & Vocabulary)

This episode is all about the exciting topic of driving, getting stuck in traffic jams, the future of our roads and how self-driving cars might be the solution. What is so annoying about traffic jams? Why do they even happen in the first place? Have you seen your first self-drivi ... Show More

1h 42m

Apr 2025

930. Can I eat my cat? ? Weird Google Questions, Answered (Topics + Vocabulary)

This episode is about the bizarre and funny questions that people input into Google. I explore and answer some of these questions, explaining some vocabulary. The result is an engaging and intellectually light-hearted discussion involving the usual mix of rambling, and English te ... Show More

1h 36m

Feb 2025

AI - State of Nation with Technologists Andreas Frangeskides And Will Snow

🔍 Key topics include: • The impact of AI on business, culture, and creativity• Ethical considerations in the rapidly advancing AI landscape• The U.S.-China AI arms race and its global implications• AI for social good: Can technology drive positive change?• The importance of huma ... Show More

35m 44s

Dec 2024

The Economics of AI: A Conversation with Larry Summers

In this episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds, hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam interview Larry Summers about artificial intelligence’s transformative potential and its implications for society. The conversation explores Summers’ perspective on AI as potentially the most significant tech ... Show More

38m 53s

Technology in Everyday Life [Part 2] 👨‍...