Why nations that fail women fail

2024-12-26

Some people read books to escape. Others turn to them for instruction. As the new year looms, our correspondents – and listeners – consider which titles can help forecast what’s coming next. Picks include “Rainbows End” by Vernor Vinge, “Nuclear War” by Annie Jacobsen, “Not the End of the World” by Hannah Richie and “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey.

This is a full list of the books mentioned in the show:

“Rainbow’s End, A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire upon the Deep” by Vernor Vinge
“Ageless” by Andrew Steele
“War” by Bob Woodward
“Nuclear War: A Scenario” by Annie Jackobson
“1984” by George Orwell
“On Freedom and On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder
“A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers
“Qualityland” from Marc-Uwe Kling
“Ministry of the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson
“Severance” by

2024-12-13

Many adults perform worse (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/12/12/can-you-read-as-well-as-a-ten-year-old?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) in tests of literacy and numeracy than the average ten year old. And results have worsened in the past decade. Are our brains rotting? Russia’s economy (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/11/18/vladimir-putin-is-in-a-painful-economic-bind?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) could finally be nosediving (7:20). And remembering Eichmann’s jailer, Shalom Nagar

2024-12-11

As Syrians awoke to a new era, thousands rushed to fling open the dark, filthy prisons (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/12/09/inside-bashar-al-assads-dungeons?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) where Bashar al-Assad locked up dissenters. Our correspondent followed along. The first of our two-part series on spirituality reveals a lucrative nexus of DIY enlightenment and tourism (9:13). And the stumbles

2024-10-29

Americans have the lowest confidence of all G7 countries in their national institutions. With a pivotal election looming, this is deeply worrying. Our social affairs editor explains why.

America’s trust in its institutions has collapsed: https://econ.st/3NFgufl
Our presidential forecast: https://econ.st/4eYYlox
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2024-10-16

Kamala Harris has proven to be an enormous draw for campaign donors. But the size of a candidate’s war chest influences the outcome much less (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/09/26/kamala-harris-is-outspending-donald-trump-will-it-matter?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) than it once did. Our correspondent meets asylum-seekers on a Dutch ship, investigating the new hard-right government’s tactics with migrants

2024-10-09

This summer, an American judge ruled that Google’s search dominance (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/03/dismantling-google-is-a-terrible-idea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) was illegal. Now the Department of Justice has revealed possible solutions. How robots could help mend leaking water pipes (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/09/25/new-technologies-can-spot-pesky-leaks-in-water-pipelines?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (9:46). And the best books on the beautiful game

2024-08-23

After an electric week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Kamala Harris now faces the real test (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/08/22/kamala-harris-can-beat-donald-trump-but-how-would-she-govern?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) in her bid to be president. Can she convince American voters? In the third part of our series on dating apps, we visit Brazil, China and Pakistan (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/08/08/why-people-have-fallen-out-of-love-with-dating-apps?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) (10:24).

2024-08-08

Tourists are getting decidedly less-warm welcomes in popular spots, but blunt anti-tourism policies are self-defeating. We look at how to maintain benefits (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/08/01/how-to-make-tourism-work-for-locals-and-visitors-alike?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) for both the visitors and the visited. As Russia tries to avoid another military draft, a slick recruitment drive (https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/10/21/where-are-russias-newest-soldiers-coming-from?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners)