Do we have to choose between conserving nature and growing the economy?

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been complaining about the £100m being spent on a tunnel to stop bats being squished by trains on the HS2 railway line. A debate about whether looking after the environment is getting in the way of developing Britain's infrastructure has ensued.

Is nature conservation getting in the way of economic growth - and can there only be one winner?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

It’s a term that comes up a lot in debates about race, racism, and diversity, but it’s sometimes misunderstood and misused. Adam Fleming speaks to Ali Meghji, associate professor in social inequalities at Cambridge University, to find out what ‘critical race theory’ really means, and why some are critical of it.

Reports that psychology students at a UK university were separated by race to learn about ethnicity and "whiteness" have prompted a row over racism and mental health. Some of the sessions, The Telegraph claims, were designed for white students to take responsibility for colonialism. King's College London says the sessions have been mischaracterised and that they were open to all students. We dig into what's really been going on, and ask whether separate spaces for different ethnicities are helpful or divisive. Plus, to what extent do mental health services in the UK have a problem with race - we hear the key statistics. And we explore a phrase that keeps coming up in this debate - "critical race theory".

Presenter: Adam Fleming

Several big tech bosses, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, have recently taken up mixed martial arts (MMA) and jiu-jitsu. Miles Klee, a writer at Rolling Stone magazine, has spoken to fight trainers in Silicon Valley and tells Adam Fleming what might be behind the trend.

When Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast last week he said that the corporate world has moved away from masculine energy and is “pretty culturally neutered.” A culture that "celebrates aggression" can be positive, he claimed.

Does the workplace need more masculine energy? Do businesses need aggression and competitiveness to succeed?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

One of the central themes in the conversation around multiculturalism in Britain is religion. Within that is another debate, one about how to define Islamophobia. Adam Fleming speaks to Lizzie Dearden, journalist and specialist in extremism to learn more about why the term is disputed.

In the row about child sexual exploitation by gangs - particularly those made up of Pakistani heritage men - some people have begun to question the value of multiculturalism. Shadow Justice Secretary, Robert Jenrick, suggested the law had been applied selectively against grooming gangs "to sustain the myth that diversity is our strength." So what do we mean when we talk about multiculturalism in modern Britain, where did the concept first come from, and what is the evidence that it is a source of strength or weakness? Plus, to explore the complexities in this area, we look at the anguish around one particular idea - Islamophobia.

Presenter: Adam Fleming

In debates about the declining birth rate and immigration numbers, some people bring up ‘The Great Replacement’ theory. It’s especially popular with white supremacists and the far right. What do they mean, and where did the conspiracy theory come from? Adam Fleming speaks to Professor Matthew Feldman - a specialist in right wing extremism.

Deaths have outnumbered births in the UK for the first time in nearly 50 years, new figures show. Should we encourage people to have more babies?

With an ageing population and not enough babies born to fully replace the older generations, some people are warning of population collapse. It was a hot subject at this year’s Conservative Party Conference - one fringe meeting discussed how to encourage people to have more children - and the phrase ‘Breed for Britain’ was soon trending on X.

Some people say that conversations like this are bad for women, and our total population is still growing - thanks to net migration. Others argue that immigration isn’t the solution, and we need to increase our fertility rate.

What do the figures show about demographic trends? How have other countries tried to boost their birth rates, and have they succeeded? And how has a conspiracy theory about the so-called ‘Great Replacement’ shifted into the mainstream?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

The business of music has been radically transformed in recent decades. Anthony Hamer-Hodges, principal of the London College of Contemporary Music, explains how.