The battle over America’s birthday

2025-12-31

Why are hangovers so hard to cure? Alex Hern, our AI writer and Rosie Blau, co-host of the The Intelligence podcast, discuss what actually causes a hangover and if there’s way to stop them.

00:00 – What actually causes a hangover?
01:03 – Can you stop a hangover?
02:06 – What might help prevent a hangover?
03:22 – Can folk remedies help?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4aodxfM
Why hangovers get worse as you get older: https://econ.st/3YAvNv6
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#TheEconomist #Hangovers #NewYears

2025-11-20

Recessions are painful. But long periods without them also carries risks. Our senior economics writer, Callum Williams, explains why an occasional downturn can be healthy.

2025-11-05

Trillions of dollars are being poured into artificial intelligence. How does this compare to the booms (or bubbles) of the past? Our deputy editor, Tom Standage and our AI writer, Alex Hern ask whether investors’ big bet might make sense.

Chapters:
00:00 – Why is investment not slowing?
01:09 – Is just one company going to win?
02:51 – Will the AI bubble burst?
03:07 – What will be left if the boom goes bust?
06:18 – The role of open source models

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/3LKmxRP

What to expect if the AI stockmarket blows up: https://econ.st/3WIF8Aa

The battle of AI business models: https://econ.st/4nHFceB

Sign up to the Insider newsletter: https://econ.st/4nOyzIb

2025-10-03

How close is humanity to discovering life on Mars? NASA scientist Dr Katie Stack Morgan joins Alok Jha, host of The Babbage podcast, to discuss new research that might finally answer the age-old question.

Thumbnail image source: NASA

00:00 – What makes Perseverance the most advanced Mars rover ever?
02:02 – What exactly did Perseverance discover in Sapphire Canyon?
03:39 – Could the “poppy seeds” and “leopard spots” on the Martian rock be signs of life?
06:11 – When did scientists start thinking this might be biological?
07:55 – What needs to happen to confirm life on Mars?
08:46 – Will these Martian samples ever make it back to Earth?
09:49 – What would it mean to prove life once existed on Mars?

#TheEconomist #Mars #nasa

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4nC5Ru2
NASA has

2025-09-30

Following pressure from Donald Trump, Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has been strong-armed into a Gaza peace deal. Our Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom considers whether Hamas will agree to the deal.

2025-09-25

President Trump has taken the unusual step of stabilising Argentina’s peso, showing just how far he’ll go to support ideological allies like Javier Milei. Our Latin America correspondent, Kinley Salmon, explains why this intervention may do little for Argentina’s economy—or Milei’s re-election

2025-09-15

As cars are increasingly designed to be smartphones on wheels, Jan Piotrowski, our business columnist, argues that they should be manufactured like smartphones, too #cars #iphone #manufacturing

2025-07-24

Ukrainians are protesting after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill undermining the independence of the country’s two main anti-corruption agencies. Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast and Oliver Carroll, our Ukraine correspondent, discuss the consequences of the new law.

Chapters
00:00 – Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies are under threat
00:55 – What is happening in Ukraine?
02:57 – What is the bill intending to do?
04:06 – Are the anti-corruption accusations valid?
05:20 – Why are Ukrainians concerned?
06:46 – Will the protests make a difference?

Links
Listen to the rest of the episode: https://econ.st/4lP3cfC
Volodymyr Zelensky has made a strategic blunder: https://econ.st/40yWn9q
Sign up to our defence newsletter: https://econ.st/4dgzw67
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