The Why? Curve

Epstein’s Hidden World

Champagne on the beach of a private island in return for cosy deals and confidential memos - has the Epstein saga lifted the lid on a world of elite partying and low morals at the heart of political and business decision-making? Could the conspiracy theories about global control by hidden cabals have a kernel of truth? Ronen Palan, Professor of International Politics at City St George’s University, tells Phil and Roger it’s not a new phenomenon in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creating Life

Have we just, quietly, passed a key stage in human evolution? Scientists in California say they have created - not adapted - a virus. Artificial intelligence has enabled them to write the genome from scratch, and while a virus isn't, by definition, alive, they say they have the means to go further - to create life. What this could bring is a massive leap forwarded in treating disease, but it could also bring terrible risks - designer babies, insuperable biological weapons. Is this a technology anyone can control? Adrian Woolfson, co-founder of the biotech company Genryo, and author of "On the Future of Species: Authoring Life By Means of Artificial Biological Intelligence" tells Phil and Roger about the astounding opportunities and dangers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right Going Wrong?

Is Reform UK looking increasingly like Conservatives 2.0? High-profile defections like Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman help add experience to Nigel Farage's party, but will they also mean it's not really the new force in UK politics many of its adherents want? And, as Kemi Badenoch's Tories drift further to the right, where do centre-conservative voters go? What is the future of the right in Britain? Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London, tells Phil and Roger. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chaos of Trump World

There has been a seismic and permanent shift in the international order, and the President of the European Commission says this new world is defined by raw power. So where do the pieces fall after Donald Trump's threats to take Greenland, and his intervention in Venezuela? Is the global order now just a matter of money and military force? Is Europe in any position to say no to the man in the White House? Phil and Roger ask Stefan Wollf, Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Teens Turned Off

Australia has launched itself into combatting the bad effects of social media on kids by banning under 16s from using them. It’s a world first, and a huge experiment that’s brought resentment from some young people, scepticism from many adults, and a collective shrug from most social media companies. So a month into the ban - is it working? Is it an infringement of free speech? And will youngsters just find a way around the restrictions? Or is it the start of a global push back against the power of Meta, TikTok and the rest? Phil and Roger have been speaking to Paul Wallbank, a tech journalist with the Sydney Daily Telegraph Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.