The Conversation Weekly

The Conversation

A show for curious minds, from The Conversation. Each week, host Gemma Ware speaks to an academic expert about a topic in the news to understand how we got here.

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288 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes288

Newest first

May 4, 2023 · 43 min
Cloud seeding can increase rain and snow, and new techniques may make it a lot more effective
Small amounts of rain can mean the difference between struggle and success. For nearly 80 years, an approach called cloud seeding has, in theory, given people the ability to get more rain and snow from storms and make hailstorms less severe. But only recently have scientists been able to peer into clouds and begin to understand how effective cloud seeding really is. We speak with three researchers about the simple yet murky science of cloud seeding, the economic effects it can have on agriculture and research that may allow governments to use cloud seeding in more places. Featuring Katja Friedrich, Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder; Dean Bangsund, Research Scientist in Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State Univeristy; and Linda Zou, Professor of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering at Khalifa University. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Katie Flood. Sound design was by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Cloud seeding might not be as promising as drought-troubled states hope What would it feel like to touch a cloud? Does cloud seeding work? Scientists watch ice crystals grow inside clouds to find out
Apr 27, 2023 · 30 min
Dangerous and dirty – but cheap – used cars exported from the US and Europe are filling roads in Africa
In countries across Africa and Latin America, old used cars from places like the U.S. and Europe provide vital access to transportation to people who would otherwise be unable to afford their own vehicles. While this process extends the lives of these cars, the practice is not without problems, in particular with regards to pollution and passenger safety. We speak with two researchers about why richer countries export used cars, what impacts they have in developing nations and whether import restrictions are effectively stemming the rise in pollution and accidents caused by this practice. Featuring Festival Godwin Boateng, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Sustainable Urban Development at The Earth Institute at Columbia University in the US, and Paul Bledsoe, Professional Lecturer at American University in the US. This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany, who is also the executive producer of The Conversation Weekly. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Ghana wants fewer polluting old cars on the road. But it’s going about it the wrong way Standard responses to road accidents haven’t worked in Ghana: here are some alternatives Nairobi’s new expressway may ease traffic woes – but mostly for the wealthy
Apr 20, 2023 · 50 min
Fear and Wonder podcast: how scientists attribute extreme weather events to climate change
Last month the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report. It showed global temperatures are now 1.1℃ above pre-industrial levels. This warming has driven widespread and rapid global changes, including more frequent and intense weather extremes that are now impacting people and ecosystems all over the world. But when an extreme weather event hits, how certain can we be that it was made more likely by climate change? How do we know it wasn’t just a rare, naturally-occuring event that might have happened anyway? Fear & Wonder is a new podcast from The Conversation that takes you inside the UN’s era-defining climate report via the hearts and minds of the scientists who wrote it. In this episode, we’re delving into one of the major shifts in the public communication of climate change – the attribution of extreme weather events to climate change. Featuring Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London in the UK, David Karoly honorary Professor at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Tannecia Stephenson, Physics Professor at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Fear and Wonder is produced by Michael Green and is sponsored by the Climate Council, an independent, evidence-based organisation working on climate science, impacts and solutions. Further reading: Have climate change predictions matched reality? Is climate change to blame for extreme weather events? Attribution science says yes, for some – here’s how it works
Apr 13, 2023 · 32 min
How recognising cultural practices in environmental regulation can help protect natural resources like sandalwood
Conserving or protecting natural resources, like landscapes or products, can involve limiting people's access or use. When natural resources are connected to cultural, religious or spiritual practices, conservation needs to consider both biological and cultural diversity. Indian or red sandalwood, highly valued for its wood and oil, is a natural resource with significant economic and cultural value. The fragrant wood is used for carvings, furniture and in buildings, while the oil distilled from its heartwood has perfume, incense and medicinal applications. We speak with a chemist, an environmental historian and an environment and society researcher on why cultural preservation is key to the sustainable management of natural resources like sandalwood. Featuring Danny Hettiarachchi, chemist and adjunct research fellow at the University of Western Australia, Ezra Rashkow, an environmental and South Asian historian at Montclair State University in the US,, and Jules Pretty, professor of environment and society at the University of Essex in the UK. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Nehal El-Hadi and Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Loved to death: Australian sandalwood is facing extinction in the wild Handing power to fishers could lead to more sustainable fishing Why haven’t Madagascar’s famed lemurs been saved yet?
Apr 6, 2023 · 33 min
Do glitzy awards like the Earthshot Prize actually help fight climate change?
We speak with three researchers who study how climate research is funded to find out whether the pomp and circumstance of high-profile climate innovation prizes outweighs the actual research they fund, or whether they actually play an important role in the larger effort to find climate solutions. Featuring David Reiner, University Senior Lecturer in Technology Policy at the Cambridge Judge Business School; Abbas Abdul, Researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex; and Mark Maslin, professor of Earth System Science at University College London. This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Earthshot prize: five winners that will help solve major environmental problems Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
Mar 30, 2023 · 44 min
Too many digital distractions are eroding our ability to read deeply
In an era of ceaseless notifications from apps, devices and social media platforms, as well as access to more information than we could possibly consider, how do we find ways to manage? And is the way that we think, focus and process information changing as a result? We speak with three researchers who study human-computer interaction, technology design and literacy about how all of these demands on our attention are affecting us, and what we could possibly do about it. Featuring Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the University of California, in the United States, Kai Lukoff, assistant professor at Santa Clara University, US, and Daniel Le Roux, a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Ping, your pizza is on its way. Ping, please rate the driver. Yes, constant notifications really do tax your brain Can reading help heal us and process our emotions – or is that just a story we tell ourselves? There are challenges but also potential benefits of digital distractions To navigate the dangers of the web, you need critical thinking – but also critical ignoring
Mar 23, 2023 · 45 min
Back to the Moon
Both the U.S. and China have plans to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon. You might be wondering: why now? The answer to that is the relatively recent discovery of water on the Moon. The question of how humanity will establish a Moon base is perhaps a deeper and more important one. We speak with two people, a planetary scientist who studies lunar geology and a scholar who works on space law and politics, about the challenges facing nations as humanity heads to the Moon. Featuring Mahesh Anand, Professor of Planetary Science and Exploration at The Open University in the UK, and Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi in the US. This episode was written by Katie Flood and produced by Dan Merino and Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Lunar mining and Moon land claims fall into a gray area of international law, but negotiations are underway to avoid conflict and damage to spacecraft Space law hasn’t been changed since 1967 – but the UN aims to update laws and keep space peaceful Water on the Moon: research unveils its type and abundance – boosting exploration plans If you like The Conversation Weekly, we encourage you to check out two limited series podcasts produced by The Conversation: Fear & Wonder and Great Mysteries of Physics. Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.
Mar 16, 2023 · 47 min
Iraq 20 years on: researchers assess how US invasion shapes lives today
On March 19, 2003, the United States led an unlawful invasion into Iraq, occupying the country for over eight years until the official withdrawal of troops throughout 2011. It is estimated that around 405,000 deaths occurred as a direct result. Most of these deaths were of Iraqi civilians, hundreds of thousands of others were injured, and over nine million displaced. The invasion was followed by the rise of sectarian violence that followed between 2006 and 2010, and the Islamic State group’s occupation in parts of the country from 2013-17. We speak to two researchers who examine the impact the invasion and conflict have had on the lives of Iraqis. Featuring Sana Murrani, associate professor in spatial practice with a background in architecture and urban design at the University of Plymouth, UK, and Inna Rudolf, senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Divided Societies, King's College London in the UK. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: It’s been 20 years since the US invaded Iraq – long enough for my undergraduate students to see it as a relic of the past Young people in the Middle East struggle to see a promising future Iraq food protests against spiralling prices echo early stages of the Arab Spring
Mar 9, 2023 · 45 min
Is time an illusion?
Without a sense of time, leading us from cradle to grave, our lives would make little sense. But on the most fundamental level, physicists aren't sure whether the sort of time we experience exists at all. We talk to three experts and find out if time could potentially be moving backwards as well as forwards. Featuring Sean Carroll, Homewood professor of natural philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, Emily Adlam, postdoctoral associate of the philosophy of physics at Western University and Natalia Ares, Royal Society university research fellow at the University of Oxford. This episode was presented by Miriam Frankel and produced by Hannah Fisher. Executive producers are Jo Adetunji and Gemma Ware. Social media and platform production by Alice Mason, sound design by Eloise Stevens and music by Neeta Sarl. A transcript is available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Quantum mechanics: how the future might influence the past Four misconceptions about quantum physics
Mar 2, 2023 · 41 min
Three AI experts on how access to ChatGPT-style tech is about to change our world
When ChatGPT burst onto the technology world in November 2022, it gained 100 million users within just two months after its launch. The technology itself is fascinating, but part of what makes ChatGPT uniquely interesting is the fact that essentially overnight, most of the world gained access to a powerful generative artificial intelligence that they could use for their own purposes. We speak with researchers who study computer science, technology and economics to explore how the rapid adoption of technologies has, for the most part, failed to change social and economic systems in the past – but why AI might be different, despite its weaknesses. Featuring Daniel Acuña, Associate Professor of Computer Science, at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US, Kentaro Toyama, Professor of Community Information at the University of Michigan, also in the US, and Thierry Rayna, Professor of Innovation and Entrepeneurship Management, École polytechnique in France. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced by Katie Flood and Dan Merino, and also written by Katie Flood. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Mend Mariwany is the show's executive producer. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: AI could make more work for us, instead of simplifying our lives Unlike with academics and reporters, you can’t check when ChatGPT’s telling the truth I tried the Replika AI companion and can see why users are falling hard. The app raises serious ethical questions
Feb 27, 2023 · 21 min
Discovery: Biologists discovered a new species of tiny owl on the forested island of Príncipe, and it's already under threat
An international team of biologists has discovered a tiny new species of owl, called the Príncipe scops owl, living in a remote forest on an island off the west coast of Africa. Featuring Bárbara Freitas, a Ph.D. fellow who studies bird evolution at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood and hosted by Dan Merino. The interim executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: We discovered a new species of owl – but we already think it’s in danger Mini creatures with mighty voices know their audience and focus on a single frequency
Feb 23, 2023 · 37 min
After oil: the challenge and promise of getting the world off fossil fuels
Our dependence on fossil fuels is one of the biggest challenges to overcome in the fight against climate change. But production and consumption of fossil fuels is on the rise, and expected to peak within the next decade. We speak to two researchers who examine the political challenges of transitioning to a world after oil, and what it means for those states who rely on oil for resources. Featuring Caleb Wellum, Assistant Professor of U.S. History, at the University of Toronto in Canada, and Natalie Koch, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Heidelberg, in Germany. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany who is also the show's executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: For developing world to quit coal, rich countries must eliminate oil and gas faster – new study COP27 flinched on phasing out ‘all fossil fuels’. What’s next for the fight to keep them in the ground? Ending the climate crisis has one simple solution: Stop using fossil fuels
Feb 16, 2023 · 36 min
Loneliness is making us physically sick, but social prescribing can treat it
Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly becoming a societal problem, as they increase polarization and impact on our physical health. In 2018, two years before the pandemic, the United Kingdom created a ministerial portfolio for loneliness. Japan, where nearly 40 per cent of the population report experiencing loneliness, began a similar position in 2021. We speak to three researchers who invite us to more deeply consider loneliness and social isolation, and their impacts on our health and society. Featuring Ananya Chakravarti, an associate professor of the history of emotions at Georgetown University in Washington in the US, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University in the US, and Kate Mulligan, an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Health in Canada. This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany, who is also the show’s executive producer. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Why loneliness is both an individual thing and a shared result of the cities we create Technology is alienating people – and it’s not just those who are older People feel lonelier in crowded cities – but green spaces can help
Feb 9, 2023 · 40 min
Lack of diversity in clinical trials is leaving minority patients behind and harming the future of medicine
Despite the many biological differences between people of different sexes, races, ages and life histories, chances are that if two people walk into a doctors office with the same symptoms, they are going to get the same exact treatment. As you can imagine, a whole range of treatments – from drugs to testing – could be much more effective if they were designed to work with many different kinds of bodies, not just some abstract, generic human. We speak to three researchers who are looking at ways to make medicine more precise. It starts with simply making sure that clinical trial participants look like the actual patients a drug is meant to treat. And in the future, precision medicine could help each person get medical care that is tailored to their own biology, just like a custom shirt. Featuring Jennifer Miller, professor of medicine at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in the US, Julia Liu, professor of medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, in the US, and Keith Yamamoto, head of Precision Medicine at the University of California San Francisco in the US. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Katie Flood. Mend Mariwany is the show's executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Yes, Black patients do want to help with medical research – here are ways to overcome the barriers that keep clinical trials from recruiting diverse populations Women are 50–75% more likely to have adverse drug reactions. A new mouse study finally helps explain why
Feb 2, 2023 · 28 min
Influencers are getting hired by smaller cities to attract new residents and generate revenue
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demographics of cities shifted. As stay-at-home orders, remote work and bubbling reduced social interaction, and restaurants, venues and arts destinations shut down temporarily, people started reconsidering their decision to remain in a big city. We spoke with two urban theorists about why people were leaving larger cities for smaller ones, how authenticity was marketed using social media influencers, and why smaller and mid-sized cities are underrated. Featuring Avi Friedman, a professor of architecture at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, and David A. Banks, lecturer in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Albany in New York, US. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was produced and written by Mend Mariwany who is also the show's executive producer. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Kampala, Kigali and Addis Ababa are changing fast: new book follows their distinct paths To build sustainable cities, involve those who live in them The era of the megalopolis: how the world’s cities are merging As big cities get even bigger, some residents are being left behind
Jan 26, 2023 · 39 min
Beavers and oysters are helping restore lost ecosystems with their engineering skills
Whether you’re looking at tropical forests in Brazil, grasslands in California or coral reefs in Australia, it’s hard to find places where humanity hasn't left a mark. The scale of the alteration, invasion or destruction of natural ecosystems can be mindbogglingly huge. Thankfully, researchers, governments and everyday people around the world are putting more effort and money into conservation and restoration every year, but the task is large. How do you plant a billion trees? How do you restore thousands of square miles of wetlands? How do you turn a barren ocean floor back into a thriving reef? In some cases, the answer lies with certain animals – called ecosystem engineers – that can kick start the healing. We talk to three experts about how ecosystem engineers can play a key role in restoring natural places and why the human and social sides of restoration are just as important as the science. Featuring Josh Larsen, associate professor in water science at the University of Birmingham in the UK, Dominic McAfee, a postdoctoral researcher in marine ecology at the University of Adelaide in Australia, and Andy Kliskey, professor of landscape architecture and Co-director of the Center for Resilient Communities at the University of Idaho in the US. This episode was produced by Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Beavers can do wonders for nature – but we should be realistic about these benefits extending to people Beavers are back: here’s what this might mean for the UK’s wild spaces Playing sea soundscapes can summon thousands of baby oysters – and help regrow oyster reefs Once the fish factories and ‘kidneys’ of colder seas, Australia’s decimated shellfish reefs are coming back
Jan 23, 2023 · 19 min
Discovery: Secretly documenting starvation in the Warsaw Ghetto
During the years of suffering and tragedy that defined the Warsaw Ghetto in the midst of World War II, a team of Jewish doctors secretly documented the effects of starvation on the human body when the Nazis severely limited the amount of food available in the Jewish ghetto. Featuring Merry Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor at Tufts University who studies food security and malnutrition. This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and hosted by Dan Merino. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design, and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Further reading: Warsaw Ghetto’s defiant Jewish doctors secretly documented the medical effects of Nazi starvation policies in a book recently rediscovered on a library shelf Starving civilians is an ancient military tactic, but today it’s a war crime in Ukraine, Yemen, Tigray and elsewhere
Jan 19, 2023 · 36 min
Social welfare services are being cut across the world – but providing them is about more than just money
Across the globe, health-care workers have gone on strike to protest the stress placed on them by the global COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, pushing already-strained services beyond their limits. These labour actions are part of the challenges faced by countries attempting to provide welfare services to their populations. We talk to three experts about why social welfare services are being cut, and what actions governments may need to take to ensure better access. Featuring Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, senior economics lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London in the UK, Christine Corlet Walker, a research fellow at the Center for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity at the University of Surrey, also in the UK, and Erdem Yörük, assistant professor at Koç University in Istanbul in Turkey. This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. The executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: Better income assistance programs are needed to help people with rising cost of living COVID-19 holds lessons for the future of social protection Degrowth: why some economists think abandoning growth is the only way to save the planet – podcast
Dec 21, 2022 · 18 min
Discovery: Reindeer's fascinating color-changing eyes
Reindeer's noses may not glow red, but these cold-loving creatures have evolved the ability to change the color of their eyes to help them thrive in northern winters. A neuroscientist explains how he discovered that a part of the reindeer eye called the tapetum lucidum is perfectly adapted to the dim, blue in the Arctic. Featuring Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at the Institute of Opthamology at University College London in the UK. This episode was produced by Katie Flood. The interim executive producer is Mend Mariwany. Eloise Stevens does our sound design and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript will be available soon. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading How reindeer eyes transform in winter to give them twilight vision Five ways reindeer are perfectly evolved for pulling Santa’s sleigh
Dec 15, 2022 · 38 min
James Webb Telescope reveals unexpectedly busy early universe
If you want to know what happened in the earliest years of the universe, you are going to need a very big, very specialized telescope. Much to the joy of astronomers and space fans everywhere, the world has one – the James Webb Space Telescope. In this episode, we talk to three experts about what astronomers have learned about the first galaxies in the universe and how just six months of data from James Webb is already changing astronomy. Featuring Jeyhan Kartaltepe, Associate Professor of Astrophysics at Rochester Institute of Technology, Jonathan Trump, Associate Professor of Physics at University of Connecticut and Michael J. I. Brown, Associate Professor in Astronomy at Monash University. This episode was produced by Katie Flood and Daniel Merino, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. It was written by Katie Flood and Daniel Merino. Mend Mariwany is the show’s executive producer. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available here. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation. Further reading: James Webb Space Telescope: what astronomers hope it will reveal about the beginning of the universe – podcast BlueWalker 3, an enormous and bright communications satellite, is genuinely alarming astronomers Is the James Webb Space Telescope finding the furthest, oldest, youngest or first galaxies? An astronomer explains Two experts break down the James Webb Space Telescope’s first images, and explain what we’ve already learnt