More than a year after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis policeman, the city votes on an overhaul of its force. We examine America’s shifting debate over police reform.
Cryptocurrencies have taken off in Cuba; but the communist authorities want control. And light may be shed on the mystery of the reproductive habits—and extraordinary migration—of eels.
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week why the COP26 climate summit will be both disappointing—and crucial; the autumn of a patriarch in Turkey (11:23); and our Banyan columnist on the BJP’s battle with Bollywood (18:47).
Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, and our panellists round up the weekend’s biggest news. Plus, we check in with our friends and correspondents in London, Bangkok and Berlin. From Milan: Salone highlights, interviews and a daily running guide.
Georgina Godwin covers the weekend’s biggest discussion topics. Vincent McAviney will leaf through the day’s papers, Monocle’s editor in chief Andrew Tucks shares his thoughts in his weekend column, and we check in on the Helsinki Book Fair.
Simple animals like jellyfish and hydra, even roundworms, sleep. Without brains. Why do they sleep? How can we tell a jellyfish is sleeping?
Staff Writer Liz Pennisi joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about what can be learned about sleep from these simple sleepers. The feature is part of a special issue on sleep this week in Science.
Next is a look at centuries of alien invasions—or rather, invasive insects moving from place to place as humans trade across continents. Sarah talks with Matthew MacLachlan, a research economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, about his Science Advances paper on why insect invasions don’t always increase when trade does.
Finally, a book on racism and the search algorithms. Books host Angela Saini for our series of interviews on race and science talks with Safiya Umoja Noble, a professor in the African American Studies and Information Studies departments at the University of California, Los Angeles, about her book: Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.
We preview the agenda of the G20 summit in Rome and hear from a leading Afghan women’s rights advocate and former politician who had to flee Kabul. Plus: a review of the morning papers and the top business headlines.
President Biden will make a delayed departure for Europe as Democratic lawmakers spar over his spending agenda. Economic forecasters predict lackluster U.S. quarterly growth numbers. And a federal parole commission creates unique challenges for prisoners seeking release from “hard time” in the nation’s capital.
The unexpected origins of a 4000-year-old people, protecting your ‘digital presence’ and what to expect from COP26.
In this episode:
00:48 The origins of the mysterious Tarim mummies
For decades there has been debate about the origins of a group of 4000-year-old individuals known as the Tarim Basin mummies. Their distinct appearance and clothing has prompted scientists to hypothesise they had migrated from the North or West. Now, a team of researchers have used modern genomics to shed new light on this mystery and reveal that migration was not the mummies’ origin.
Research article: Zhang et al.
News and Views: The unexpected ancestry of Inner Asian mummies
08:59 Research Highlights
Making wood mouldable, and how ancient snakes diversified their diets.
Research Highlight: Moulded or folded, this wood stays strong
Research Highlight: Finicky no more: ancient snakes ate their way to success
11:09 How a regular ‘digital-hygiene’ check can protect your reputation
Attaching a researcher’s name to a paper without them knowing is an unscrupulous practice that can have serious repercussions for the unwitting academic. To prevent this, computer scientist Guillaume Cabanac is advocating a once-a-month ‘digital-hygiene’ check, to identify incorrect acknowledgements, and help prevent research malpractice.
World View: This digital-hygiene routine will protect your scholarship
18:51 What to expect from COP26
This week sees the start of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), with an estimated 20,000 people — including world leaders, scientists and activists — expected to be in attendance. Jeff Tollefson, senior reporter at Nature, joins us to explain what’s on the agenda for the conference.
News Explainer: COP26 climate summit: A scientists’ guide to a momentous meeting
Two months after the Taliban’s victory, civilians face a looming disaster. Will Western governments dig their heels in, or turn the aid taps back on?
India’s government has increasingly turned to high-tech means for delivering government services. But its digital-first solutions are inaccessible to millions of citizens. And we look at the business of renting clothing, as Rent the Runway goes public with a sky-high valuation.
We preview this week’s Asean summit, which arrives at a turbulent time for the region, and discuss the possibility of an EU diplomatic mission in Kabul. Plus, can the weather bring viewers back to Fox News?
Boomers Daily 