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

Aug 9, 2021 · 5 min
Ep 148: The dating app that cares?
Bumble has announced it will be offering free therapy to anyone who experiences sexual assault from someone they meet on the app. Is this a meaningful change, or just smart PR?
Aug 6, 2021 · 5 min
Ep 147: The end of Covid?
With coronavirus cases and hospitalisations both falling in the UK ... could we really have sent Covid packing?
Aug 5, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 146: Dying in the line of duty
Four police officers have taken their own lives since the Capitol riots in Washington DC in January, but their deaths are not considered "in the line of duty". Why?
Aug 4, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 145: The Olympian who won't go home
Krystina Timanovskaya is a Belarusian sprinter who fell out with her coaches in Tokyo. She got so worried about the fall-out that she's applied for political asylum.
Aug 3, 2021 · 7 min
Ep 144: India's rape crisis
India has a terrible track record at dealing with sexual violence against women. The case of a high-ranking politician helps explain why.
Aug 2, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 143: The Stormzy effect
Grime artist Stormzy has been supporting Black students at Cambridge university. He's making an impact, and it's part of a wider change at elite British universities.
Jul 30, 2021 · 5 min
Ep 142: The mind Games
Simone Biles is the greatest female gymnast ever. By talking openly about mental health she may have changed elite sport forever.
Jul 29, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 141: Donald Trump and the truth about January 6th
When protestors invaded the US Capitol on Jan 6th the country was shocked. Why do some of its politicians not seem to want to get to the truth about that day?
Jul 28, 2021 · 5 min
Ep 140: Money for medals
If the UK does well at the Tokyo Olympics, there's a reason why: money. Britain pays for its elite sports to do well. But it turns the taps off if they don't.
Jul 27, 2021 · 5 min
Ep 139: Israel - vaccine battleground
Israel was best in the world at vaccinating its people against Covid. Now, as the country opens up, sceptics are claiming that what's happening in Israel means vaccines aren't very effective. They're wrong.
Jul 26, 2021 · 5 min
Ep 138: The next Olympics
After Tokyo comes Paris in 2024. If these Olympic games are difficult because of Covid, what legacy will they hand on?
Jul 23, 2021 · 8 min
Ep 137: The end of Guantanamo?
There were 40 prisoners left in the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. Until one was released this week.
Jul 22, 2021 · 7 min
Ep 136: A spy called Pegasus
Pegasus is a piece of spyware that can infiltrate your phone and steal its secrets. This week we learned how governments are using it.
Jul 21, 2021 · 5 min
Ep 135: Climate catastrophe in Germany
Floods in Germany have left more than a hundred dead and wrecked whole towns. It's not just a freak event, it's a climate-change catastrophe.
Jul 20, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 134: The pingdemic
As Covid infections in the UK multiply, the NHS app is pinging hundreds of thousands of people to tell them to self-isolate. Businesses are wondering how they can cope.
Jul 19, 2021 · 8 min
Ep 133: Why South Africans are rioting
South Africa has seen an outbreak of widespread violence and looting. What's going on?
Jul 16, 2021 · 8 min
Ep 132: The meaning of taking the knee
Rarely has a gesture been as misunderstood as taking the knee. We've looked into its history.
Jul 15, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 131: The truth about Sputnik V
Sputnik V is the Russian vaccine against Covid. The world isn't sure it's getting the whole truth about it.
Jul 14, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 130: A horror in Haiti
Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in his own home last week. But who was behind it all? And why did they want to kill him? 
Jul 13, 2021 · 6 min
Ep 129: A masked U-turn
At first Boris Johnson said that after the great unlocking, masks would no longer be mandatory. Just days later, he changed his mind. Why?