News was a huge part of Swiss author Rolf Dobelli's life, but one day he decided to quit the news cold turkey. Rob Wijnberg, founder of The Correspondent, talked to him about his news philosophy.Music:Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Majeur,

Patrick Chalmers – Democracy isn’t working: five ideas that are already helping to fix the problem

Dec 18th, 2020 22m 52s

Innovations in people power are changing how government decisions are made, from Brazil to Kenya, Switzerland and Taiwan.This story was first published at The Correspondent here: https://thecorrespondent.com/521/democracy-isnt-working-five-id

Irene Caselli – Trauma can be inherited. We need to understand what we’re passing on

Dec 15th, 2020 9m 21s

When it comes to negative experiences in childhood, the body seems to keep score. But even small changes can positively affect health in later life.This story was first published on The Correspondent here: https://thecorrespondent.com/170/tra

Nesrine Malik – Our world is built for profit. Let’s build one that protects us instead

Dec 11th, 2020 19m 46s

We live in a society where it’s easier to get a Michelin-star meal delivered to our doorstep than it is to get a medical mask that protects our nurses and doctors. And it’s designed that way. But we can change it for the better, just as we can

OluTimehin Adegbeye – Why social distancing won’t work for us

Dec 9th, 2020 12m 44s

Keep a distance from each other. Work from home. Or rely on a social safety net. The measures against the coronavirus pandemic are made by and for those parts of the world that can afford to retreat in individualism. But for millions of people

Tanmoy Goswami – The time has come to take the self out of self-care

Dec 4th, 2020 14m 16s

The longest year of the 21st century is about to end; New Year resolutions ahoy. It's that time again when we embrace self-care, and a booming self-care industry serenades us with its baubles. But the seemingly fun, empowering idea of self-care

Maikel Kuijpers – Plastic is a brilliant material. But our relationship with it is trash

Dec 2nd, 2020 25m 27s

It’s in your smartphone, you brush your teeth with it and it’s even in your mattress. Plastic is everywhere – and it’s not going anywhere soon. But as important as the material is, we treat it carelessly because we’ve been taught that it’s wort

Nesrine Malik – Why the world can get worse by constantly saying it’s getting better

Dec 1st, 2020 16m 21s

Progress is a measure of things being different, not necessarily better. And talking about it as an achievement can actually make it more difficult to spur real forward movement. If we want to understand our society’s progress, we need to chang

Jason Hickel – Outgrowing growth: why quality of life, not GDP, should be our measure of success

Nov 26th, 2020 14m 54s

Mainstream economics still thinks growth is essential, but this blind belief in GDP is just enriching the rich and killing the planet. We don’t need more growth to improve people’s lives. By working less, buying and producing less, and investin

Maaza Mengiste – Trapping ghosts: photographs don't lock us to loss, they remind us to live

Nov 24th, 2020 19m 40s

The grief caused by death is similar to the pain of distance, but our photographs can help bridge the gap to our loved ones. The pictures we carry with us are a defiant refusal to believe that all our good times are behind us.This story was p

Irene Caselli – Dear parents, stop organising your kids' playtime

Nov 20th, 2020 13m 47s

2020 has been a trying year for parents, with close to a million school kids affected by lockdowns and school closures. Parents have struggled to arrange a schedule for schooling and playtime. The good news: play doesn’t need to be planned – an

Tanmoy Goswami – ‘Investing’ in mental health is doomed to fail because humans aren’t stocks

Nov 17th, 2020 14m 29s

The World Health Organization focused on investing in mental health as the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day. That might sound sensible, but it’s precisely this language of ‘investment’ that is taking the mental health conversation

Rutger Bregman – Yes, it’s all the fault of ‘the system’. But let’s talk about you this time

Nov 13th, 2020 16m 25s

The idea that individuals can't solve the climate crisis has gained momentum in progressive circles. They say we can’t change the world by shaming each other for air travel or eating meat. But how much are ideals worth if they don’t demand sacr

Eric Holthaus – Apocalypse never: why climate catastrophe won’t make us change

Nov 13th, 2020 9m 41s

There's an idea among many 'climate people' that large-scale environmental disaster will finally force governments to act. But talking about catastrophe will only bring catastrophe. Instead of waiting for disaster, there are other ways to bring

How to live a good life series: Emily Dreyfuss interviews Massimo Pigliucci

Nov 12th, 2020 40m 53s

Philosophy can seem like endless discussions of a bunch of abstract theories. So in episode two of The Good Life, Emily Dreyfuss spoke to philosophy historian Massimo Pigliucci about how it can help us practise a better life.The transcript of

Ketan Joshi – Renewables are cheap and effective. Now, let’s make them just and humane too

Nov 9th, 2020 14m 3s

The technological chapter of climate transformation can be whatever we choose to make it. If we allow it to be a bulldozing, profit-driven enterprise, the energy transition will fall apart – ratcheting impacts of climate change.This story was

Zoe Smith – Why surrendering to death, grief and loss is fundamental to reimagining how to live

Nov 5th, 2020 13m 21s

We’re uncomfortable with death – we either run from it or approach it with a stiff upper lip. But the pandemic has confronted us with our own mortality, making it clear we lack the tools and techniques to deal with such immense loss. So to live

Zaid Jilani – Democrat or Republican, on the big polarising issues, you actually agree

Nov 3rd, 2020 12m 23s

The evidence is clear: once US Americans drop their labels, they are more aligned on what they actually believe their government should do – yes, even on healthcare.This story was first published on The Correspondent here: https://thecorrespo

Zaid Jilani – US elections are bought. And the people paying don’t want the same things we do

Oct 27th, 2020 13m 58s

A new study finds just how divergent the interests of US partisan donors are from those of the party base. With the 2020 election expected to be the costliest ever, the potential for consensus narrows as politicians dial for dollars.This stor

Njoki Ngumi – In hospitals, our dignity is up for sale. Here’s how we return care to healthcare

Oct 22nd, 2020 16m 12s

As a doctor in Kenya, I saw that quality care is almost always sacrificed to profit – something that happens around the world. Now is the time to consider a healthcare system that exists beyond just the white walls of the hospital.This story

Jesse Frederik – Blockchain, the amazing solution for almost nothing

Oct 19th, 2020 21m 44s

Blockchain technology is going to change everything: the shipping industry, the financial system, government … in fact, what won’t it change? But enthusiasm for it mainly stems from a lack of knowledge and understanding. The blockchain is a sol

OluTimehin Adegbeye – Borders don't just keep people out. They define their worth

Oct 15th, 2020 15m 52s

Most borders are recent inventions, so why can’t we imagine a world without them? They’re historical hangovers that perpetuate suffering and injustice. And they’re not even that effective. It’s time to rethink the importance we give to arbitrar

Tanmoy Goswami – Science shows forgiveness really is a medicine

Oct 9th, 2020 13m 16s

20 years ago, Fred Luskin designed a programme to help victims of conflicts forgive the perpetrators of horrific crimes. The Stanford scientist explains how to forgive and why letting go doesn’t mean allowing injustice. This story was first p

Jason Hickel – We can't have billionaires and stop climate change

Oct 9th, 2020 14m 26s

Ecological breakdown isn’t being caused by everyone equally. The richest 1% emit 100 times more than the poorest half of humanity. If we are going to survive the 21st century, we need to distribute income and wealth more fairly.This story was

Ingrid Robeyns – There’s no such thing as a self-made billionaire

Oct 9th, 2020 16m 25s

For all their talent or intelligence, a person stranded on a desert island with no technology, infrastructure or labour wouldn’t be able to amass extreme wealth. Understanding that no one can claim that they fully deserve what they earn is the