It is the fastest-growing social media in the world. But TikTok is getting increasingly caught in the middle of a geopolitical tangle between the United States and China. Citing national security, this week, The US House of Representatives passed a bill that would effectively force TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent ByteDance or face a complete ban in the United States. But How dangerous is TikTok actually? 

We discuss with Dr Ameer Al-Nemrat, reader in cyber security, director of cyber security and AI Centre; at the University of East London.

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview with scientists and academics about issues that drive the news. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is a journalist Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

A Marketplace of Girl Influencers Managed by Moms and Stalked by Men. This is the title of a recent investigation by journalists from The New York Times. It sheds light on a sometimes controversial sub-group of influencers, who are often not even ten years old. Together with their parents, they form a family-run marketing machine. How did this phenomena come to be? And how can we mitigate the risks?

We discuss these and more questions with Liselot Hudders, associate professor of marketing communication and consumer behavior at Ghent University. 

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview with scientists and academics about issues that drive the news. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is a journalist Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

A new era of exploration of the Moon may be upon us. A company called Intuitive Machines recently sent its Odysseus lander to the Moon. And it succeeded. It is the first lunar private landing, from possibly many more to come. But why is humanity still so interested in the Moon? And should it remain a free-for-all? We will answer with Ian Crawford, Professor of Planetary Science & Astrobiology at Birkbeck, University of London.

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview with scientists and academics about issues that drive the news. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is a journalist Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

You can text her, tell her your biggest secrets, fantasies, and struggles. In return, she will do the same, behave exactly how you would imagine and even send you photos of herself. Only problem? She’s not real. Apps of romantic AI partners have surged recently and collectively, they have been downloaded for more than 100 million times. We answer some of the pressing social and ethical questions around this rend with Iliana Depounti, PhD researcher of Communication and Culture from Loughborough University. 

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview with scientists and academics about issues that drive the news. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is a journalist Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

A new global gender divide is emerging. That’s the title of a Financial Times article that sparked conversations in the past days. Compiling surveys from countries like US, UK, Germany, and South Korea, it argued that attitudes of young men and women, so-called Gen Z, are drifting further apart from each other. Men are now more conservative and far right, while women are more liberal and left. Implications for democracies and societies could be significant.

Why is this happening? We answer with Gefjon Off, Ph.D., a researcher of Gender and Politics at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg.

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview with scientists and academics about issues that drive the news. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is a journalist Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

The first computers were bulky machines spanning several rooms. A few decades forward, they are so small they can work inside our heads and stimulate our minds. A company of Elon Musk, Neuralink, is taking this idea to another level and making sci-fi a reality. Or is it really? How far are we in understanding the human brain?

We discussed this with Greg Cogan, Assistant Professor in Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Duke University School of Medicine, and Konrad Körding, Neuroscience Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. 

ℹ️ Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview with scientists and academics about issues that drive the news. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is journalist, author, and podcaster Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

Tesla has been a synonym for an electric vehicle. But times are likely changing. Its financial statements suggest that the golden age of Musk’s firm may be over, and consumers are turning to alternatives from traditional carmakers - or relatively new Chinese players. So who will prevail? We discuss the current dynamics of the EV market with Professor Mike Smitka from Washington and Lee University.

✍️ For resources on today's topics, click here.

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview and brief news from the week. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is journalist, author, and podcaster Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

The whole world had eyes on Davos this week. At the World Economic Forum, experts from all around the world also held talks on the new Global Risks Report of 2024 that sums up the biggest challenges to humanity on a year-to-year basis. One topic dominated the conversation: misinformation, Even in relation to climate change. Why? We will answer with Joyeeta Gupta, a professor from the University of Amsterdam. She was the lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.

We also add the ten most important news of the week and tips on what to read in the next few days.

✍️ For resources on today's topics, click here.

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview and brief news from the week. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is journalist, author, and podcaster Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

It’s a trade route of extreme significance. About 40 % of trade between Europe and Asia passes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Now, after years of relative stability, the crucial waterway is again in chaos. What are the current security challenges of maritime trade? How do they impact the world? We discuss with Christian Bueger from the University of Copenhagen.

We also add the ten most important news of the week and tips on what to read in the next few days.

✍️ For resources on today's topics, click here.

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview and brief news from the week. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is journalist, author, and podcaster Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_

On the one side – a media icon. On the other – a technology used by millions. The maker of ChatGPT OpenAI faces a lawsuit from The New York Times. The firm is allegedly breaking the copyright by having outputs that are nearly identical to stories published by the famous newspaper. Can this case pose a threat to generative AI? We discuss with John Zerilli, Assistant Professor in AI, Data, and the Rule of Law from the University of Edinburgh

We also add the ten most important news of the week and tips on what to read in the next few days.

✍️ For resources on today's topics, click here.

Each Sunday, Highlight presents a concise interview and brief news from the week. It's made for forward-looking people who want to make informed decisions.

The author of Highlight is journalist, author, and podcaster Jiri Svoboda. You can contact him at [email protected] or on X and Instagram: @_jirisvo_