Rethink

BBC Sounds

Professor Ben Ansell asks some of the world's sharpest minds about the latest thinking, and what it might mean for policy and society.

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113 episodes
Updated June 25

Episodes113

Newest first

June 25 · 27 min
Rethink... the power of the US dollar
Could the US dollar lose its number one status?
June 18 · 27 min
Rethink... city streets
Should we rethink who our city streets are for?
June 11 · 28 min
Rethink... how we age
How scientists can now make old damaged cells young again.
June 4 · 28 min
Rethink... modern monarchy
"Neo-royalism" and why the world's newest monarchies may not be royal at all.
February 5 · 27 min
Rethink... authenticity
Is authenticity in the modern age in the eye of the beholder?
January 29 · 27 min
Rethink... the promise of AI
If you look online, AI now seems to be everywhere - but what is it for?
January 22 · 27 min
Rethink... regeneration
With building and land costs high can we avoid gentrification when reviving urban areas?
January 21 · 27 min
Rethink...middle age
People are living longer and settling down later. Should we rethink middle age?
Oct 2, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink... nightlife
The UK's nightlife sector is on its knees, so can - and should - it be saved?
Sep 25, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink... winners and losers
Why understanding zero-sum thinking can help explain modern politics and attitudes.
Sep 18, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink: should we stop flying?
Should we take individual responsibility for the polluting effects of aviation?
Sep 11, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink: how can flying be less polluting?
Aviation is fiendishly difficult to decarbonise - but how can it be made cleaner?
Sep 4, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink...the meaning of terrorism
Is the word 'terrorism' overused, and what do we mean when we use it?
Jun 30, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink... summer holidays
In an age of climate change and over-tourism, what's the future for our summer holidays?
Jun 19, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink... the UK's relationship with China
Should the UK seek closer diplomatic and trade links with China?
Jun 12, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink... productivity
What are the factors behind the UK’s chronically weak productivity growth?
Jun 5, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink...the civil service
Can the civil service be reformed or is it simply too old and unwieldy?
May 29, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink...social housing
What's stopping the UK from building the social housing we need?
Feb 27, 2025 · 29 min
Liberalism
Could we be witnessing the end of liberalism?
Feb 20, 2025 · 28 min
Rethink... the global economy
Forget tariffs, what are the systems and raw materials that underpin the global economy?