How have live events, including sports, music and conferences, changed in response to the pandemic—and which changes will endure, both for in-person and remote attendees? And what do empty stadiums reveal about referees’ bias? Tom Standage hosts.   Subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer    Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0)   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Covid-19 has dented the prosperity, populations and popularity of big cities around the world. But adapting to shocks is what great cities do. How will urban centres change in the post-pandemic world and what are the political implications of a shift towards more remote working from suburban areas? Tom Standage hosts.   Subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The pandemic has forced universities to move teaching online. Tom Standage asks if attitudes are shifting among students, and academics, towards remote learning. What could this mean for the future of higher education? How would it affect the business models of some universities? And how might online-learning tools evolve in a future, as lifelong learning becomes the new normal?   Subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer ...

Looking ahead to 2021, we consider Joe Biden’s domestic-policy agenda: faced with a pandemic and an economic crisis, where will he start? To what extent will the new president be able to heal America’s deep cultural divides and how will state-level politics influence his policies? Also, how will the Republican party evolve in 2021? Tom Standage hosts.   Subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer   See acast.com/privacy for...

What is the outlook for the world economy in 2021, and how much lasting damage has been done in 2020? Carmen Reinhart, chief economist at the World Bank, explains how this crisis compares with previous ones. We find out how China’s rapid rebound is taking it back to the future. And, we predict the impact of Joe Biden’s policies on US-China trade relations. Tom Standage hosts.     Subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:...

What are the prospects for coronavirus vaccines and the challenges involved in rolling them out around the world in 2021? The Economist's health policy editor explains what regulatory and logistical obstacles must be overcome as vaccines move from the laboratory to the clinic. And the CEO of Gavi, the vaccine alliance, explores how political and economic factors will govern vaccine distribution. Tom Standage hosts.   Subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio...

With work habits around the work changing because of covid-19, host Tom Standage considers the future of the office. What lessons can be learned from companies like GitHub, where most employees are remote? What can providers of flexible workspaces, such as IWG, reveal about trends in office use? What does team-building look like in a world where remote working is more widespread? And what are the implications for pay, housing costs, equality and labour laws?   Music by Chris Zabriskie...

In this episode we consider the future of travel. What if aviation doesn’t recover from covid-19? We find out how one airline is turning crisis into opportunity, consider how to make flying greener—and examine how the combination of the pandemic, and growing concern about climate change, is affecting attitudes to travel. Tom Standage hosts     Read more speculative scenarios at "The World If" and please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:...

In this climate-themed episode we imagine how the Republican party might pivot on environmental policy and go green for 2024. We consider how climate scientists map out different scenarios for the trajectory of global warming. Also, a journey to 2050 to see how oil companies have reinvented themselves to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere. Tom Standage hosts. Read more from at "The World If" and please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:...

What is the future of public transport in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic? Also, the United Nations’ Assistant Secretary-General on how countries should prepare for future disasters. And could a “carbon surveillance” system help save the planet? Tom Standage hosts   Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The North Korean leader’s recent disappearance for three weeks led to intense speculation about his health. What would happen if Mr Kim's regime collapsed? Peter Singer, an author and political scientist, explains how his novel, set in the near future, is helping policymakers respond to artificial intelligence. And how feasible is wireless charging for electric cars? Tom Standage hosts   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The covid-19 pandemic has triggered an economic crisis, but how will this change the way people use technology—and which of these changes will last? Host Tom Standage speaks to guests from Ark Invest, the Brookings Institution and Alphabet’s drone-delivery company, Wing, to explore which technologies stand to benefit from an acceleration in the pace of adoption.    Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0)   Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and...

As the covid-19 situation worsens, host Tom Standage explores what the pandemic reveals about the perils of prediction and what other future threats we might be overlooking. Also, what a simulation of a future mission to Mars could teach us about self-isolation on Earth today. And, the hit video game “Plague, Inc” is teaching players about the dynamics of pandemics—and how to stop them.   Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0) Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to...

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty turns 50 this year, but the celebrations may be short-lived. Also, the challenges facing Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, as he tries to keep both China and America happy. And why the future of video-gaming may play out in the cloud. Tom Standage hosts.      Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0)   Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer or here for The World...

New environmental rules have been introduced to control pollution at sea, but might they do more harm than good—and how can shipping be made greener in the long term? Also, a look at the future of nursing, as 2020 has been designated the year of the nurse. And how Xi Jinping is playing a long game to improve Chinese football in the decades to come. Tom Standage hosts.    Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0)   Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital...

2020 will be a key year for determining how big multinational and technology companies are taxed, but can a global deal be reached? Also, to what degree will the Olympics boost Japan’s international standing next year and will a new event called sport climbing catch on? Finally, the science fiction guide to the future. Anne McElvoy hosts    Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0)   Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio...

On the eve of the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, we ask what delegates hope to achieve. Also, how can online games help in the fight against fake news? And host Tom Standage interviews an artificial intelligence called GPT-2 about its views on the big themes of 2020.  Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0)   “The World in 2020”, our future-gazing annual, is now available at shop.economist.com.    Please complete our survey at...

As doubts surround the launch of Facebook’s Libra, will 2020 really be the year of digital currencies? We find out what shopping is like when payments are automatic and invisible. And, how China provides a glimpse of how people will handle their finances in the future. Tom Standage hosts   Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0) Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/radiooffer For information regarding your data...

With recent protests taking place against president Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, The Economist’s foreign editor, Robert Guest, considers what might happen if Mr Sisi's regime collapses. We discuss the global cannabis revolution, as medical use opens the way to wider liberalisation. And, instead of worrying about too many robots in the workforce in the future, should we be worrying that there will be too few? Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0) ____________________ Please subscribe...

With tensions rising in the South China Sea, we consider how a potential clash between America and China might play out—and why the world should pay more attention to this region. And host Tom Standage takes a ride in a self-driving car in London, to see how Europe is faring in the race to build autonomous vehicles. Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC by 4.0). For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

If efforts to cut emissions fall short, might some nations resort to solar geoengineering — building a sunshade in the stratosphere — to buy more time? Also, what if Facebook blocked Europeans from using its services? Tom Standage hosts For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

What if America decided to pull out of NATO? And a trip to 2029 to report on a landmark case in which parents are required to pay damages for sharing images of their children online, and refusing to take them down when the children grow up. Tom Standage hosts For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

After the successful stockmarket flotation of Beyond Meat, maker of the Beyond Burger, we assess the potential impact of meat substitutes on global meat consumption. Also, is space tourism about to take off? And what can be done to preserve indigenous languages for future generations. Tom Standage hosts.

In this edition of The world ahead we examine a possible future where antibiotics no longer work. What causes such antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and what can be done to remedy it? And in another health-care scenario, we examine technology's potential to address the global shortage of medical staff. Anne McElvoy hosts

In this episode we discuss why, after years of trying to make their products as addictive as possible, social-media companies are now heading in the opposite direction. We look forward to key dates later this year for elections, Chinese anniversaries and historic figures. And we ask what the former headmaster of Eton College is bringing to China’s educational system. Tom Standage hosts. Music by Chris Zabriskie "Candlepower" (CC x 4.0)