For decades, hydrogen has been hailed as a critical fuel of the future—a cleaner alternative to the fossil fuels which power heavy industry, our transport and our homes.Cheaper renewable energy has begun to make “green” hydrogen production more

How brain computer interfaces could change humanity

Nov 22nd, 2022 27m 45s

The ability to control machines with just our minds is the well-worn stuff of science fiction. But science and engineering advances in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have rapidly brought these fantastical ideas into the realm of science fact,

Internet everywhere

Nov 1st, 2022 23m 24s

Some 3.5 billion people lack access to reliable, high-quality connectivity. But the race to connect the entire planet to the internet is gathering pace. Tech titans are backing megaconstellations of low-orbit satellites to envelop the earth's s

How wearable tech is disrupting medicine

Oct 17th, 2022 25m 25s

The market for smartwatches, wristband fitness monitors, smart rings and other wearable health trackers is booming. But could these devices and the data they capture actually transform healthcare? In this episode, we size up the potential of we

A quantum leap for healthcare?

Sep 6th, 2022 23m 10s

Quantum computers, which harness the peculiar and counter-intuitive properties of the quantum world, promise to usher in a step change in computing power that could transform our world. In this episode, we’ll be investigating what quantum compu

Can desalination counter the drought?

Sep 6th, 2022 21m 36s

Half the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025. One solution to our water woes would be to turn our global abundance of salt water into clean, safe drinkable water. But in practice, it has so far

Electrify!

Jun 6th, 2021 27m 58s

Renewable energy, including solar and wind, is rapidly becoming the cheapest form of electricity there is. The prospect of cheap, limitless, emissions-free energy is here. Harnessing it will take a transformation of our infrastructure and deman

Climate-resilient Cities

Apr 25th, 2021 29m 23s

Cities are at the frontline of climate change. They are major producers of emissions and, as home to more than half the world’s population, they are also where the human impact will be most severely felt. How can innovations in engineering and

The Next Web

Mar 14th, 2021 32m 36s

Efforts are underway to redesign the way the internet works, with a focus on putting citizens in greater control of their data. In this episode, we explore what a more user-centric data economy might mean for the dominant businesses and busines

After The Car

Feb 1st, 2021 27m 39s

Brightly coloured, electrically-assisted bikes and scooters, rented via smartphone platforms, are crowding out street corners in cities across the globe – making cities greener and more liveable. But many questions remain around vehicle safety

The New Old

Dec 17th, 2020 26m 29s

Increases in life expectancy and declining fertility are driving growth in both the number and proportion of older people globally. Some fear that ageing populations will put ever greater pressure on health systems, social care, housing and pub

Education, Disrupted

Nov 29th, 2020 26m 56s

Proponents of a burgeoning education technology or 'ed tech' sector say digital learning platforms can radically transform how education is delivered, bringing a far better education to far more people—and help solve a global learning crisis. B

Accelerating Healthcare

Oct 25th, 2020 25m 18s

Modern medicine has a problem: despite impressive advances in technology, progress in drug development has slowed since the 1950s, as discovering and trialling new therapies has become more complex and expensive.In this episode we explore how a

Feeding 10 Billion

Sep 27th, 2020 30m 11s

Experts warn that growing demand for food, and particularly for meat, cannot be met sustainably. Advances in synthetic biology and precision fermentation could allow us to replace fundamental sources of protein with lab-grown substitutes—feedin

New Foundations

Sep 27th, 2020 30s

New Foundations is new podcast from The Economist Intelligence Unit, supported by Pictet Wealth Management. Across eight episodes, we explore technological breakthroughs and bold ideas with the potential to bring about radical social, environme

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