The world is becoming a place with more grandparents than ever before. Longer lives and smaller families have quietly reshaped the family tree, giving grandparents—especially grandmothers—a growing role in raising children and sustaining working parents. In this episode, we explore how this demographic shift affects women’s participation in the workforce, why grandparental care looks so different in countries from Senegal to Mexico, and what happens when older generations are stretched thin by competing demands. As some societies rely heavily on family support while others lean on the welfare state, the story reveals how grandparents have become an invisible pillar of modern economies—and why that support is both invaluable and increasingly strained.

https://www.economist.com/international/2023/01/12/the-age-of-the-grandparent-has-arrived

Britain’s love affair with dogs has collided with a sudden turn toward prohibition. After a series of high-profile attacks, the government moved quickly to ban the Bully XL breed, turning a little-known pandemic-era pet into a national political issue almost overnight. In this episode, we explore why the data on dangerous dogs remains contested, how an already-criticized Dangerous Dogs Act became the tool of choice, and why campaigners and animal charities argue the problem lies with owners rather than breeds. As a social media campaign helped propel a niche concern into sweeping legislation, the story asks what this episode reveals about risk, emotion, and how rapidly policy can harden in response to public fear.

https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/09/15/a-fight-over-dangerous-dogs-in-britain

Two visions are competing to define the cities of the future. One imagines vast “Robot Cities,” governed by data, sensors, and centralized systems designed to optimize traffic, energy, and efficiency across sprawling megaregions. The other looks smaller and more human, drawing on Jane Jacobs and New Urbanism to prioritize walkable neighborhoods, public life, and the everyday vitality of streets and “third places.” In this episode, we explore why each approach falls short on its own, what real-world experiments like Songdo reveal about the limits of top-down smart cities, and how fictional worlds—from Black Panther to Blade Runner—hint at a better synthesis. The story argues that the most successful cities will not choose between humans and machines, but learn how to design for both.

Abbott, Carl, 'Epilogue Imagining future cities', City Planning: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190944346.003.0009

On the streets of San Francisco, the future of transport is already taking fares. Driverless taxis from Waymo and Cruise glide through traffic, offering a glimpse of artificial intelligence finally escaping the screen and entering the physical world. In this episode, we explore how robotaxis are being rolled out far more cautiously than past tech revolutions, why sensor-heavy systems have outpaced camera-only approaches, and what it would take for autonomous taxis to become truly affordable at scale. As regulators hesitate, the public remains wary, and an entire profession faces disruption, the story asks whether robotaxis represent a quiet inevitability—or a technological promise still struggling to earn society’s trust.

https://www.economist.com/business/2023/08/31/cherish-your-uber-drivers-soon-they-will-be-robots

A new arms race is taking shape in the skies, as the world’s major powers design fighter jets for an era of drones, data, and long-range war. America’s F-47, China’s J-36, and Europe’s Tempest are being conceived not just as aircraft, but as flying command centers—larger, stealthier platforms built to control swarms of autonomous drones while surviving increasingly lethal air defenses. In this episode, we explore why sixth-generation fighters are becoming airborne supercomputers, what recent conflicts have taught militaries about range and survivability, and why the staggering cost of these machines is reviving an old question: as autonomy advances, will the future of air combat still need a human in the cockpit?

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/05/14/the-race-to-build-the-fighter-planes-of-the-future

The promise of personalized nutrition is seductive: eat what your body needs, guided by data rather than guesswork. What began with biohackers tracking blood sugar has evolved into a booming industry of glucose monitors, microbiome tests, and AI-driven advice that claims to tailor diets to each individual. In this episode, we explore how these technologies work, why early studies suggest real benefits for weight loss and energy, and why most health apps still fail at the hardest part—keeping people engaged. As companies race to turn streams of personal data into simple, sustainable habits, the story asks whether personalized health tech can truly change behavior, or whether knowing more about our bodies still isn’t enough to make us act differently.

https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/05/02/apps-interpreting-data-from-wearable-devices-are-helping-people-to-live-better

The sleek touchscreen has become a symbol of the modern car—but it may also be one of its most dangerous features. What began with Tesla’s minimalist dashboard has spread across the industry, putting everything from climate control to navigation behind glass and menus. In this episode, we explore why researchers say touchscreens demand too much attention, how studies show they can slow reactions even more than alcohol, and why safety bodies like Euro NCAP are now pushing automakers back toward physical buttons. As drivers grow frustrated and manufacturers quietly reverse course, the story asks whether the future of car design has been looking in the wrong direction all along.

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/19/are-touchscreens-in-cars-dangerous

A growing techno-utopian movement believes the next frontier of innovation is not machines, but the human body itself. Backed by billionaires and venture capital, researchers and entrepreneurs are chasing ways to extend life, boost strength, and sharpen intelligence through supplements, gene therapies, and brain-computer interfaces—often racing ahead of regulation and solid clinical evidence. In this episode, we explore who is funding these enhancement projects, why figures like Elon Musk and Christian Angermayer see them as inevitable, and how experiments are increasingly moving to regulatory gray zones. As enthusiasm collides with ethical concern and public skepticism, the story asks whether human enhancement represents the future of progress—or a risky experiment driven more by ambition than proof.

https://www.economist.com/briefing/2025/03/20/dreams-of-improving-the-human-race-are-no-longer-science-fiction

From ancient city walls to modern flood barriers, urban resilience has always been shaped by fear, risk, and adaptation. Cities today face a widening spectrum of threats—from terrorism and internal conflict to rising seas and unpredictable natural disasters—often responding with hardened infrastructure and defensive design. In this episode, we explore how these strategies can deepen division and overlook the social vulnerabilities that make disasters deadlier for the poor, and why planners are rethinking resilience beyond concrete and steel. By turning to local knowledge, community power, and small-scale solutions, the story argues that the most durable cities are not those that wall themselves off, but those that learn to adapt together.

Abbott, Carl, 'Unnatural disasters and resilient cities', City Planning: A Very Short Introduction, Very Short Introductions (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Oct. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190944346.003.0008

Football once offered instant release—the eruption of a goal followed by unfiltered celebration. Today, that joy is often paused, as fans wait for a remote official to decide whether it really counts. Introduced to correct clear mistakes, VAR has gradually expanded into a system chasing microscopic perfection, replaying subjective calls and marginal offsides that drain momentum from the game. In this episode, we explore how video review has reshaped the fan experience, why support for VAR has soured since its introduction, and whether the pursuit of absolute accuracy has come at too high a cost. The story asks a simple question with complicated consequences: is football better served by flawless decisions—or by the freedom to celebrate without hesitation?

https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/19/var-makes-fans-pine-for-the-days-of-wayne-rooney