Sensemaker

The Observer

The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.

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1,388 episodes
Updated June 19

Episodes1388

Newest first

Jan 20, 2025 · 8 min
Inside the fight to shut down an AI-powered “nudify” network
This month, the UK government vowed to crack down on explicit AI deepfakes by going after the people who create them. But the story of a popular “nudify” app highlights why tackling the issue is so challenging.
Jan 17, 2025 · 8 min
A prospect of peace between Israel and Hamas
After 15 months of conflict, could this week’s ceasefire deal mark the beginning of the end of one of the deadliest wars in modern history?
Jan 16, 2025 · 6 min
How windfarms unwittingly cause chaos to the UK’s air defences
Offshore windfarms are powerful generators of clean energy and are a key part of Labour’s green energy pledge. But these colossal turbines can blind the UK’s defence systems. What does this mean, and what can be done about it?
Jan 15, 2025 · 7 min
TikTok’s fate: the countdown to a US ban
The ongoing legal battle over TikTok’s future could see the app banned from Sunday. As political and legal pressures mount, TikTok's 170 million American users are left wondering if their beloved platform will survive.
Jan 14, 2025 · 8 min
Mark Zuckerberg bows to Donald Trump
Silicon Valley is changing. Big tech executives are looking at another term under Donald Trump and deciding its time for a shake-up. It’s out with the old and in with the new.
Jan 13, 2025 · 8 min
How Pokémon Go Powers AI
Niantic, the company behind the game that took the world by storm in 2016, is building a massive geospatial AI model that could end up powering robots – all using player data.
Jan 10, 2025 · 6 min
Why rising borrowing costs spell trouble for Rachel Reeves
What are bond yields and why does their rise risk derailing the Labour government’s plans for the UK?
Jan 9, 2025 · 8 min
The MAGA Effect on South Korea’s Democracy
South Korea faced a major crisis when President Yoon imposed martial law late last year. Why do his supporters rally behind him with American ‘Stop the Steal’ flags?
Jan 8, 2025 · 7 min
How do you free a killer whale?
Following the closure of the marine zoo they live in, France's last two captive orcas, Wikie and Keijo, face an uncertain future. Could relocating them to a proposed whale retirement home in Canada be their best option?
Jan 7, 2025 · 7 min
Gisèle Pelicot – a historic rape trial
At the end of last year fifty one men went on trial in France in connection with the drugging, rape and assault of 72-year-old Gisele Pelicot. After a trial which lasted nearly four months, all were convicted and sentenced, including her ex-husband.
Jan 6, 2025 · 8 min
Will 2025 be the breakthrough year for AI adoption?
Despite Silicon Valley promising Artificial Intelligence would revolutionise our daily lives, the reality has been slower to unfold.
Jan 3, 2025 · 6 min
Denmark’s gold rush town
2024 was the year weight-loss injections went global. What does that mean for Novo Nordisk, the Danish company making them? And can it live up to the hype?
Jan 2, 2025 · 5 min
A hard year for King Charles
The King's first full year on the throne has been marked by his illness. Along with that of his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales. What does this year tell us about the state of the royal family?
Jan 1, 2025 · 5 min
Joe Root – the greatest gets better
How England cricket’s greatest batter got even better in 2024
Dec 31, 2024 · 8 min
Nara Smith and the trad wife renaissance
The tradwife movement, led by influencers like Nara Smith, sparked intense online debate throughout 2024, particularly following Donald Trump's presidential election victory. What does it tell us about the year?
Dec 30, 2024 · 8 min
The rise and rise of Kneecap
The Belfast rap trio has taken the world by storm. But who are they and how have they managed to capture the zeitgeist?
Dec 27, 2024 · 8 min
How Baby Reindeer rocked British TV
How the fallout from the TV show sparked a nearly two hundred million dollar lawsuit.
Dec 26, 2024 · 7 min
Gaza’s Vlogger
How a young woman from Gaza who chronicled life in the Strip after October 7th and became one of the most influential women in the world.
Dec 25, 2024 · 9 min
Chappell Roan and the price of fame
In 2024, Chappell Roan went from relative obscurity to playing to some of the biggest crowds in festival history. What toll did this meteoric rise take on her?
Dec 24, 2024 · 6 min
The woman behind ITV’s Mr Bates vs. The Post Office
The Post Office scandal was one of the largest miscarriages of justice in the UK with hundreds of people wrongly prosecuted for theft or false accounting. So why did it take an ITV drama to bring about change?