logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2025
23m 6s

Buns in ovens: heatwaves and maternal he...

The Economist
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Today
An act of self-harm: Trump’s latest war might be his undoing
A rash entry into a war of choice exposes President Donald Trump in a number of ways—and he may prove more dangerous as he becomes weaker. Turkey’s foreign entanglements mask the democratic backsliding at home; that is bad news for an opposition figure whose trial just began. And ... Show More
24m 43s
Yesterday
Flagging carriers: war shuffles the Gulf-airline flight deck
Cancelled flights, longer routes, higher prices: the war in Iran is taking its toll on the airline industry. The conflict may force lasting change on the big Gulf carriers. We ask why the once-frothy fake-meat industry is losing its bite. And why PDFs, one of technology’s most pe ... Show More
18m 40s
Mar 17
Barrel vault: a Nigerian refining giant rises
Nigeria sorely needed the enormous oil refinery built by Aliko Dangote, who was already Africa’s richest man. We ask what that new capacity means for him, for Nigeria and for the continent. We speak to the surprisingly large and diverse Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles. And how a ... Show More
21m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2025
Buns in ovens: heatwaves and maternal health
There is a growing awareness of how high temperatures affect expectant mothers and their babies. We look at the evidence for a climate-change effect that is already manifest. Marks and Spencer, a beloved retail chain, is emerging from sales slumps and recovering handily from a cy ... Show More
23m 6s
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
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
Aug 2024
Landing padded: the global-recession risk
Inflation, interest rates and jobless numbers are on healthy trends; markets are gaining back ground. As the spectre of global recession fades we ask why fear has persisted. In the second instalment of our series on dating we look at what singles are doing beyond the apps (10:23) ... Show More
26m 33s
Oct 2025
Chainsaw out of gas? Milei’s experiment wobbles
A telling local-election loss, persistent allegations of scandal and an American pledge to prop up the peso: much is chipping away at the experiment of Argentina’s President Javier Milei. Long after the twin troubles of a pandemic and interest-rate rises, America’s commercial-pro ... Show More
25m 43s
Nov 2025
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
Dec 2024
Minds blown: are we getting dumber?
Many adults perform worse in tests of literacy and numeracy than the average ten year old. And results have worsened in the past decade. Are our brains rotting? Russia’s economy could finally be nosediving (7:20). And remembering Eichmann’s jailer, Shalom Nagar (14:00).  Listen t ... Show More
21m 52s
Oct 2024
Yuan for the money: China stimulates its economy
After years of slowing growth, the Chinese government is finally attempting to bolster consumer demand, business confidence and the stock market. Our correspondent analyses the surprise shift in policy (10:25). How will immigration policy play with swing voters in Arizona? And Sa ... Show More
26m 54s
Aug 2025
Just getting started: El Salvador’s president for life
First he came for the gangs; then, for his critics. Now Nayib Bukele has come for El Salvador’s constitution, and there is little to stop him staying in office indefinitely. America’s paltry fertility numbers show a counterintuitive pattern: births are falling fastest where they ... Show More
23m 7s
Sep 2025
Home truths: Ukraine’s internal strains
A snapshot of the country reveals deepening military and economic problems—and, perhaps above all, political ones. America’s efforts to clamp down on skilled-worker visas will have far-reaching unintended consequences. And globally, more children today are obese than underweight. ... Show More
21m 15s