logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
42m 46s

The Story presents: Planet Hope - Improv...

THE TIMES
About this episode

This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Each episode is hosted by The Story released as a bonus weekly series on Saturdays.


Over a billion people live with preventable vision loss. Eye surgeon and Rolex Awards Laureate Andrew Bastawrous has created a smartphone app that is transforming eyecare, facilitating sight restoration for millions and changing lives. He tells Tom Whipple, how glasses – a 700-year-old invention – have transformed his own life, and why he’s determined no one should lose their sight for lack of access.


Planet Hope is brought to you in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. 


Guest: Andrew Bastawrous, eye surgeon and founder, Peek Vision.

Host: Tom Whipple, science writer, The Times.

Series Producer: Priyanka Deladia.

Sound Designer: David Crackles.


This podcast is advertiser funded.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
The financial fight for Ukraine
Donald Trump announced sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies, saying he hoped it may push Putin to be ‘reasonable’ over ending the Ukraine war. The EU swiftly followed suit, and discussed using seized Russian assets to help fund Ukraine. Could the financial pressure bri ... Show More
28m 15s
Oct 23
Is Trump trying to sway Argentina's election?
Donald Trump is promising to give Argentina $20 billion to save its struggling economy but only if incumbent President Javier Milei holds onto power in the midterm elections this weekend. So why does Trump care about a country 5,000 miles away? And is this part of a broader swing ... Show More
26m 52s
Oct 22
Europe’s plan to fight Putin’s drones
On the night of September 9, sirens sounded across eastern Poland. Around 20 Russian drones had crossed the border, and NATO aircraft were scrambled to shoot them down. The incident became a wake-up call for Europe and the US, where further sightings of drones over airports and m ... Show More
29m 39s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
What Trump and Musk think they can learn from Argentina’s Javier Milei
Donald Trump may have ruffled feathers with his closest neighbors in recent weeks, but he has a willing ally in South America. Argentina’s President Javier Milei has become something of a hero in the MAGA movement for his populist style and radical economic reforms. Will the love ... Show More
24m 19s
Nov 2024
What Trump's win means for the rest of the world
On today’s “Post Reports,” how foreign leaders are reacting to Trump’s victory, and how they are preparing for a second Trump presidency. Read more: For months, foreign leaders have been anxiously awaiting the results of the United States’ presidential election. Now, with Donald ... Show More
27m 10s
Jul 9
Trump Calls Out Putin Over Ukraine
A.M. Edition for July 9. As Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine, President Trump is losing his patience with Vladimir Putin. Journal correspondent Matthew Luxmoore says the president is now considering sending an additional patriot missile system to Kyiv. Plus, the Trump ad ... Show More
15m 11s
Apr 2025
Americans to Trump: You’ve Gone Too Far
Warning: This episode contains strong language.One question that has hung over the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term: Is his aggressive approach to everything from deportations to tariffs what most Americans want — or has he simply gone too far?In a major new nation ... Show More
29m 53s
Aug 15
How Trump Could Win a Nobel Peace Prize (ft. Hillary Clinton)
Jessica sits down for a wide-ranging conversation with Hillary Clinton to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time. They explore how Donald Trump could attempt to broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, how Democrats should navigate their relationship with Israel ... Show More
1h 9m
Oct 23
Is the U.S. Trying to Oust the Government in Venezuela?
For months, President Trump has been ratcheting up the pressure on Venezuela with increasingly aggressive military actions that the administration claims are about targeting drug traffickers.But behind the scenes, some U.S. officials are pushing toward a regime change.Anatoly Kur ... Show More
29m 57s
Aug 22
Is Donald Trump losing his Latino base?
One of the biggest stories of last year’s presidential election was Donald Trump’s success with Latino voters which led him to win crucial swing states in the battle for the White House.While the Democrats still won the popular vote nationwide, there was no question that Trump’s ... Show More
27m 51s
Feb 2025
Trump’s tariffs, Rubio in Panama, Grammys and a reservation’s fentanyl crisis
President Donald Trump says sweeping tariffs that he has imposed on Mexico, Canada and China may cause "short term" pain for Americans, with global stock markets tumbling over concerns of a damaging trade war. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Panama to reduce what Tr ... Show More
12m 42s
May 2025
Trump Said Peace in Ukraine Would Come Easy. It Hasn’t.
President Trump once approached the challenge of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine as a straight-ahead deal that he could achieve easily. But after months of trying, he’s signaling that he might actually walk away.Michael Crowley, who covers U.S. foreign policy for The New York Time ... Show More
24m 27s
Nov 2024
'If Trump wins, many Democrats will blame Israel': U.S. election special with Susan Glasser
Normally, foreign policy doesn't play a major role in presidential politics, but the 2024 race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has been an exception. Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon have become hotly debated issues. Susan Glasser, a staff ... Show More
36m 49s