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

January 26 · 8 min
Could social media be banned for under 16s in the UK?
With a vote of support in the house of Lords, the government is under increasing pressure to ban social media for under 16s. But will Keir Starmer back a ban? Writer: Ada Barumé Producer: Ada Barumé Host: Casey Magloire : Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 23 · 7 min
How far will Trump’s attacks on the Smithsonian go?
The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum. It has been in Donald Trump's cross-hairs since the start of his second term, as he vows to kill off ‘woke’. How far will Donald Trump go in using the Smithsonian to rewrite American history? Writer: Jess Swinburne Producer: Amalie Sortland Photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 22 · 7 min
Why are podcasters talking about birth rates?
Diary of CEO host Steven Bartlett faced backlash online following an interview with Christopher Williamson where they hypothesise the reason for the declining birth rate. Is the birth rate declining and should we be concerned? Writer: Casey Magloire Producer: Ada Barumé Host: Ada Barumé Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Gary Marshall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 21 · 8 min
Will Trump set his sights on the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard next?
President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland is part of a growing quest for influence in the Arctic, the planet’s coldest frontier, where Russia has interests in Norwegian archipelago Svalbard. Host: Casey Magloire Writer and Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Gary Marshall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 20 · 8 min
Is China’s new London ‘super-embassy’ a threat?
This week, the government is expected to decide whether to approve plans for a new Chinese embassy in London. Critics warn it could be used for cyber attacks or as a base for espionage. Could it pose a threat to national security? Writer: Jonathan Lewis Producer: Jonathan Lewis Host: Ada Barumé Episode photography: Sofia Fenton Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 19 · 8 min
Why are thousands of homes in South East England without water?
Tens of thousands of people in South East England have been without water for days. What’s gone wrong and how much is the water company South East Water, to blame? Host: Casey Magloire Writer: Ada Barumé Producer: Amalie Sortland Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 16 · 7 min
America’s war on immigration
A year into Donald Trump’s second term, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has become America’s most powerful – and in some quarters most feared – federal agency. Writer: Serena Cesareo Producer: Serena Cesareo Host: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 15 · 8 min
How applicants that failed vetting became Met police officers
On the 8th of January, the Metropolitan Police released a report into failures in vetting and recruitment of officers involved in misconduct or criminal offences. Host: Ada Barume Writer: Amalie Sortland Producer: Casey Magloire Additional reporting: Madeleine Parr Episode Photography: Sofia Fenton Executive producer: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 14 · 9 min
Is high protein food guidance a bad thing?
Last week the US inverted its food pyramid, placing high protein foods like meat and dairy at the top. How did we get here and is this good food guidance? Writer: Jonathan Lewis Producer: Jonathan Lewis Host: Ada Barume Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Gary Marshall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 13 · 7 min
A brutal crackdown in Iran
Hundreds have reportedly been killed in violent clashes with police as protests demanding regime change erupt across Iran. Host: Casey Magloire Writer & Producer: Amalie Sortland and Poppy Bullard Episode Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 12 · 13 min
Why do MPs want to boycott Elon Musk’s X over sexualised AI images?
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has been generating sexualised images of women and children on X. Can anything be done about it? Writer: Jonathan Lewis Producer: Jonathan Lewis Host: Casey Magloire Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 9 · 9 min
The seized oil tankers
On Wednesday, the US seized a Russian-flagged tanker in the Atlantic on the grounds that it threatened the “security and stability of the Western Hemisphere”. Host: Casey Magloire Writer & Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Poppy Bullard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 8 · 9 min
Why are Brits losing their citizenship?
Conservative and Reform MPs are calling for the British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah to be stripped of his citizenship. At the same time Shamima Begum, who joined Islamic State, is fighting to have hers reinstated. How and why does the government revoke citizenship? Writer: Casey Magloire Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Casey Magloire Reporters: John Simpson and Casey Magloire Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 7 · 9 min
Which countries in Latin America might Trump target next?
After attacking Venezuela Donald Trump has suggested he might target Colombia and Cuba, and he wants to get his hands on Greenland too. Host: Andrew Butler Writer & Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 6 · 8 min
Are high streets losing the battle against gambling?
For years, local authorities in England have found it difficult to stop the spread of slot machine arcades. But that could be about to change. Host: Ada Barumé Writer & Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Sofia Fenton Executive producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 5 · 8 min
Why did America attack Venezuela?
On Saturday morning, the United States of America bombed Venezuela and captured its President, Nicolás Maduro. What happened and why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 2 · 9 min
Can you spot the AI video?
With AI-generated videos and images spreading online, platforms are stepping up efforts to identify and label them. Writer: Casey Magloire Producer: Amalie Sortland Host: Ada Barume Episode photography: Sofia Fenton Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 1 · 8 min
Can ChatGPT replace my therapist? (Revisited)
Can ChatGPT replace my therapist? As people are turning to AI for mental health support and relationship advice, could chatbots replace the role of a trusted friend, or even a therapist? Writer: Ada Barume Producer: Amalie Sortland Host: Tomini Babs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 31, 2025 · 6 min
The downsides of weight-loss drugs (Revisited)
Weight loss drugs can be transformative for people who have struggled with obesity. But with a spike in hospital admissions experiencing adverse reactions to the drugs, should we be doing more to regulate this growing market? Writer: James Tapper Producer: Ada Barumé Host: Tomini Babs Executive producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 30, 2025 · 9 min
Is the hunt for the 100ft wave over? (Revisited)
The 100ft wave is a big wave surfing milestone that was supposed to be impossible. Now, a young surfer from California is rumoured to have achieved it, breaking the official world record at the same time. The problem? Nobody can agree how big the wave was. Writer: Claudia Williams, with additional reporting by Ada Barumé Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Claudia Williams Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Go to https://surfshark.com/sensemaker for 4 extra months of Surfshark. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.