Babbage from The Economist

By The Economist

News & Politics Tech News

What's Babbage from The Economist about?

Named after Charles Babbage a 19th-century polymath and grandfather of computing, Babbage is a weekly podcast on science and technology. Host Kenneth Cukier talks to our correspondents about the innovations, discoveries and gadgetry making the news. Published every Wednesday on Economist Radio.

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Babbage: Rocks in space

10.12.2021

A probe to study the Trojan asteroids is expected to take off this week, but what will this mission uncover about the formation of the solar system? Also, we explore new technology to observe asteroids, as well as a mission ...

Babbage from The Economist episodes:

10.12.2021 Babbage: Rocks in space A probe to study the Trojan asteroids is expected to take off this week, but what will this mission uncover about the formation of the solar system? Also, we explore new technology to observe asteroids, as well as a mission ...
10.05.2021 Babbage: A new Anthropocene diet A new generation of technologies are transforming the world’s food-production system. Food scientists are producing cruelty-free meat in the lab, growing salad underground in vertical farms and bringing aquaculture on land. The Economist's US digital editor Jon Fasman uncovers the ...
09.28.2021 Babbage: Don't panic As British petrol stations run dry, we explore the behavioural science of panic buying. Also, a dried-up lake bed reveals evidence about America’s first inhabitants. And neuroscientist Anil Seth explains what a new theory can tell us about our conscious ...
09.21.2021 Babbage: From pandemic to twindemic As the northern hemisphere heads towards its second winter battling covid-19, epidemiologist Professor Dame Anne Johnson explains the risk of a surge in flu cases and how to avoid a double pandemic. Also, a decline in mental health was one ...
09.14.2021 Babbage: Booster shot As the northern hemisphere heads towards its second pandemic winter, some countries have already started to make third doses of vaccine available to their most vulnerable citizens. But scientists disagree about whether offering boosters is the best use of vaccine ...
09.07.2021 Babbage: The building blocks of life From the hive of molecular activity inside every cell to how cells self-organise into complex living things and those organisms evolve into different species, host Kenneth Cukier explores the fundamental architecture of life. He also investigates how the power of ...
08.31.2021 Babbage: Back to school As debates over vaccinating children rage and the Delta variant of covid-19 surges in many countries, what impact will the return to classrooms have on the covid-19 pandemic? Also, our science correspondent Alok Jha asks ecologist Meg Lowman about the ...
08.24.2021 Babbage: Unstrung — the end of string theory? The 20th Century was a golden age for physics but some of its ideas for explaining the material universe have been thrown into doubt. Could a theory known as entropic gravity usher in a new dawn? Also, how should scientists ...
08.17.2021 Babbage: Keeping it cool Solar geoengineering has the potential to help counteract global warming, so why are scientists so cautious about it? Host Kenneth Cukier also explores a new, green idea that could revolutionise air conditioning. And our obituaries editor remembers Steven Weinberg, a ...
08.10.2021 Babbage: Open-source intelligence Amateurs, activists and academics are using technology and open-source data to uncover state secrets. Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s defence editor, explores how open-source intelligence is disrupting statecraft and asks John Brennan, a former director of the CIA, how these techniques ...
08.03.2021 Babbage: The shot of the century The discovery of insulin was a breakthrough in medicine, allowing millions of people to live with diabetes. Host Kenneth Cukier investigates how this life-changing innovation happened. Yet today less than half of the people in the world who need it ...
07.27.2021 Babbage: Protein power Google’s DeepMind has developed an artificial-intelligence system that can predict the three-dimensional shape of proteins. How will this monumental step-change for biology be used? Also, a new study shows how wearable devices could help doctors understand long covid. And how ...
07.20.2021 Babbage: Cloud of suspicion High stakes and big money lead some athletes to cheat at the Olympic games. Tim Cross, The Economist’s Technology editor, investigates the prevalence of doping in sport and asks if testing can ever keep a lid on the use of ...
07.13.2021 Babbage: Best behaviour Countries with high covid-19 vaccination rates, including England, are lifting social restrictions. Behavioural scientist Katy Milkman and health-policy editor Natasha Loder assess the impact of these changes. Will mask-wearing and social distancing stick? And, how people may one day drill ...
07.06.2021 Babbage: Urban jungles As urbanisation progresses and lethal heatwaves become more common, could miniature forests help air-condition cities? Plus, how virtual clinical trials could save money, time and lives. And, counting the hidden costs of artificial intelligence with Kate Crawford, cofounder of the ...
06.29.2021 Babbage: Power play An unlimited supply of clean, carbon-free energy—nuclear fusion is a technology that could change the world. Can engineers make fusion work on a commercial scale? Also, mathematician Jordan Ellenberg on how geometry shapes the world. And, why one of the ...
06.22.2021 Babbage: The other environmental emergency The loss of biodiversity poses as great a risk to humanity as climate change. Catherine Brahic, The Economist’s environment editor, investigates whether technology can help to monitor, model and protect Earth’s ecosystems. Also, do conservation scientists need to employ a ...
06.15.2021 Babbage: Mapping Africa Just 2% of the world’s human-genome catalogue represents people of African origin. A massive sequencing project aims to uncover untold genetic diversity and overlooked disease risks. Also, a new study shows intense exercise is a risk factor for ALS, the ...
06.08.2021 Babbage: A flicker of light for Alzheimer’s After almost two decades, the FDA has granted conditional approval to a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’ disease, called aducanumab. But the new drug, and its approval, is surrounded by controversy. Will the gamble pay off? Also, a clever ...
06.01.2021 Babbage: Clearing the air Airborne transmission is one of the main ways that SARS-CoV-2 spreads. So why has it taken so long to be officially recognised? Host Kenneth Cukier and science correspondent Alok Jha investigate the flaws in public-health guidelines and how to assess ...
05.25.2021 Babbage: It’s in the genes How can RNA, which is crucial for the development of vaccines, be used for controlling agricultural pests? Also, we ask Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian, a pioneer in next-generation DNA sequencing, what this technology heralds for the future of healthcare. And ...
05.18.2021 Babbage: The red planet As China becomes the second country to land a rover successfully on the surface of Mars, what does the Tianwen-1 mission aim to achieve? Also, our innovation editor explores the challenge of recycling old electric vehicles, and how does Victorian-era ...
05.11.2021 Babbage: Chips and blocks Cutting-edge semiconductors are the most complex objects that humans make. Host Hal Hodson and Tim Cross, The Economist’s technology editor, delve into the secretive science that powers a growing portion of economic activity and the world-leading yet precarious work of ...
05.04.2021 Babbage: Belt, road and orbit China recently launched the first module of its new space station—what impact will this have on the international scientific community? Also, how orbiting telescopes could be useful in understanding cancer. And when solving problems, why do people prefer to innovate ...
04.28.2021 Babbage: Post-covid syndrome As research on long covid advances, how should countries respond to the impending public health emergency? Also, new hope in the fight against malaria in the form of a highly effective vaccine. And, why the sound of nature might be ...
04.21.2021 Babbage: Promising the earth President Biden is hosting a virtual summit with world leaders on Thursday 22nd April aiming to convince countries to take bolder action on climate change. Does this mark a new era for American leadership on climate? With China and America ...
04.14.2021 Babbage: Where it began Almost a year and a half since the discovery of the virus that causes covid-19, The Economist’s health policy editor, Natasha Loder, investigates one of the pandemic’s most compelling mysteries: where did SARS-CoV-2 come from? Peter Daszak, who was part ...
04.07.2021 Babbage: Finger on the pulse of bias Hospitals routinely measure patients' blood-oxygen levels to determine the severity of covid-19. Why do these and other medical devices and treatments work less well for non-white people and women? Also, if you can have microwave ovens—why not microwave boilers for ...
03.31.2021 Babbage: Early warning How can technology be used to forecast future pandemics? We speak to the researchers creating an observatory to spot incipient health crises before they take off. Is data the ultimate weapon in the fight against covid-19 and future viruses? And, ...
03.24.2021 Babbage: Shooting out the messenger The pandemic has fueled the rapid advancement of emerging biotechnologies. The Economist’s science editor explores the potential of RNA beyond covid-19. Also, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli explains the implications of quantum physics on our interactions with objects. And, creating self-healing ...
03.17.2021 Babbage: Baidu it As the Chinese tech giant Baidu prepares for a secondary listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange, how will Baidu’s rise influence technological innovation in China and beyond? Also, the humidity inside facemasks is helpful in fighting covid-19, not just ...
03.10.2021 Babbage: Coronavirus, a year on A year ago the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. The Economist’s health-care correspondent reflects on the future path of covid-19 infections. Also, how have past pandemics shaped today's society? And, epidemiologist Professor Dame Anne Johnson explores ...
03.03.2021 Babbage: Variations on a gene As global vaccination efforts continue, how is the coronavirus mutating to stay ahead? The head of Britain's covid-19 genomics consortium explains why genetic sequencing is crucial. Also, how studying individual cancer genes may improve precision treatments. And an AI for ...
02.24.2021 Babbage: Collusions and collisions After Facebook reached a deal with Australia, the tech giants are coming under fire once again -- this time from each other. Are their cosy monopolies under threat? Also, The Economist’s defence editor investigates the multi-billion dollar industry which exploits ...
02.17.2021 Babbage: Hard reboot Intel is the world’s biggest chipmaker. So why is it underperforming—and can its new boss turn the company around? As the search for life on Mars hots up, astrophysicist Avi Loeb argues science has already detected evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial ...
02.10.2021 Babbage: Go with your gut The human microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses and fungi. Scientists are researching how these tiny creatures could be linked to Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and other diseases. Also, how understanding soil microbiomes could help combat climate change. ...
02.03.2021 Babbage: Clash of the titans As Facebook and Apple go head-to-head over privacy, the impact could be felt across the digital world. We ask Michael Wooldridge, a leading AI researcher, whether artificial intelligence is the answer to the world’s problems, the seed of humanity’s eventual ...
01.27.2021 Babbage: Is the model looking good? As initial data arrives from countries with high vaccination rates, how will the covid-19 vaccines affect the need for lockdowns? Epidemiologist Professor Mark Woolhouse explains his models of the future of the virus. Plus: a new way of getting concentrated ...
01.20.2021 Babbage: Photon opportunity How has Albert Einstein’s work on photons ushered in a golden age of light? Oliver Morton, The Economist's briefings editor, explores why the laser's applications have been spectacular and how solar power became the cheapest source of electricity in many ...
01.13.2021 Babbage: Innovation’s new wave Covid-19 has catalysed scientific advancement and boosted technological optimism. Could innovation be the answer to decades of slowing growth in Western countries? Also, why magnetic tape still reigns supreme in “cold” data storage. And how effective are traditional herbal remedies ...
01.06.2021 Babbage: Viral defences A new strain of covid-19 is surging in Britain, America and Europe—vaccines can curb the effects, but can governments speed up the roll-out? Also, in 2020 some regions acted rapidly enough to avoid severe waves of infection. Host Kenneth Cukier ...
12.30.2020 Babbage: Baby it’s cold outside In a special holiday episode, we travel to the Russian Arctic to meet the "prophet of the permafrost", take an extraterrestrial hike in the tracks of NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars and meet the researchers cataloguing culture. Kenneth Cukier hosts ...
12.23.2020 Babbage: The parasites and the pandemic While the world has been preoccupied with tackling covid-19, deadly malaria epidemics are continuing around the world. Robert Guest, The Economist’s foreign editor, investigates how covid-19 has affected the fight against malaria and talks to scientists in Senegal working to ...
12.16.2020 Babbage: Taming the tech titans This week the EU unveiled its plan to rein in big tech—the draft laws target the American giants, but European firms may not benefit much. Also, how a failed study has revealed a promising new gene-therapy treatment for blindness. And, ...
12.09.2020 Babbage: Lighter than air The aviation industry is under pressure to curb carbon-dioxide emissions—hydrogen fuel could offer a greener way to fly. Also, host Kenneth Cukier unravels the inner workings of the human mind with psychologist Howard Gardner and neuroscientist David Eagleman. If there ...
12.02.2020 Babbage: Testing testing Britain has become the first country to license a fully tested covid-19 vaccine—the Economist’s health policy editor explains why this a historic milestone. Until vaccines become widespread, mass testing can be used to curb contagion. And, is it possible to ...
11.25.2020 Babbage: Another dose of good news Following promising results from Pfizer and Moderna, why is a third vaccine, from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, so important in the fight against covid-19? Host Kenneth Cukier and The Economist’s health policy editor Natasha Loder investigate the different approaches to ...
11.18.2020 Babbage: A grand bargain for tech Is it time for a new, global politics of technology? Democratic countries need to establish a robust alternative to China’s autocratic technosphere. The news about potential covid-19 vaccines keeps getting better; we assess how the leading candidates differ. And, is ...
11.11.2020 Babbage: In it for the long-haulers The arrival of vaccines to tame covid-19 now seems within reach, but the disease will continue to shape lives long after the pandemic. The Economist’s health policy editor Natasha Loder speaks to patients, doctors and researchers about the symptoms that ...
11.04.2020 Babbage: Signal and noise Social media platforms face one of the most testing weeks in their history as they try to filter the real election news from the fake—host Kenneth Cukier asks whether they are up to the task. In the data economy, does ...

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