Podcast appearances and mentions of amit katwala

Katie Razzall talks to Katy Balls, Political Editor of the Spectator as she heads off for her new posting as Washington Editor for the Times and Sunday Times. What's it like reporting on the industrial crisis which led to the recall of parliament at the weekend? Sky's Economics Editor Ed Conway describes his difficulties gaining access to the Chinese owned British Steel factory in Scunthorpe, BBC North reporter Jo Makel has followed the story for years and former BBC political correspondent Nick Jones is a veteran of industrial reporting and author of "The Lost Tribe: Whatever Happened to Fleet Street's Industrial Correspondents?" Intellectual property law in the age of artificial intelligence under threat: At the weekend Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, posted “delete all IP law” on the social media platform, now rebranded as X. Current owner Elon Musk swiftly responded to the tweet with: “I agree." Dr Hayleigh Bosher, Reader in Intellectual Property Law at Brunel University, takes us through Dorsey's argument and what it tells us about Big Tech's changing attitude towards copyright. Amit Katwala, features editor at Wired, profiles Alexis Ohanian. The co-founder of Reddit is now a venture capitalist who has made headlines for acquiring the social media platform Digg, and joining Frank McCourt's 'People's Bid' for US TikTok. And is the UK ready for Sky's Saturday Night Live, the hit American show which will soon be on our screens ? We talk to comedian Tamar Broadbent and Caroline Frost from the Radio Times about what we can expect from the remake.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

This may be hard to imagine but trees can fight crime. Not all types of crime but they the fight some crime – and no one really knows how they do it. Listen to hear the explanation. https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/trees-crime-cincinnati-philadelphia-ida-b-wells-chicago/ People believe things like goldfish have a 3-second memory. Or that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. And I bet you believe that water is a good conductor of electricity. None of these things are true. They are examples of the many science myths that a lot of people believe. In this episode, we are going to debunk these and others with my guest, science writer Brian Clegg. Brian is the author of over 40 books, one of which is titled Lightning Often Strikes Twice: The 50 Biggest Misconceptions in Science (https://amzn.to/41sY3jK) I'm sure you've seen a polygraph machine in movies or on TV. This device can supposedly tell if someone is lying. But does it actually work? If it is so reliable, why do most courts refuse to allow the results of polygraph tests as evidence? Yet, if it is unreliable, why is it still being used? The story of the polygraph or lie detector is fascinating. Here to tell it is Amit Katwala an award winning journalist, a senior writer at Wired and author of the book Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector (https://amzn.to/3Zngu7C) Are men better drivers than women? It really depends on your definition of “better.” However, in terms of accidents, moving violations and parking ability, there is a difference between men and women. Listen and I'll reveal which gender scores better. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/well/live/car-accidents-deaths-men-women.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off QUINCE: Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING SHOPIFY:  Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Late one evening in the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife's blood. But was he a grieving husband or a ruthless killer who conspired with bandits to have her murdered? To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman's touch. John Larson, Gus Vollmer, and Leonarde Keeler hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer, but the flawed device soon grew too powerful for them to control. It poisoned their lives, turned fast friends into bitter enemies, and, as it conquered America and the world, transformed our relationship with the truth in ways that are still being felt. My guest today is Amit Katwala, writer and editor for Wired in London. His book is called "Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector." More about the author here at his website: https://www.amitkatwala.co.uk/ The author's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/amitkatwala Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You asked and we delivered! Pulitzer-prize winning science journalist Deborah Blum—author of The Poisoner's Handbook—returns to PBC! This time, she comes to us as HOST! Two additional authors will be joining us, picked by Deborah herself: Amit Katwala as author of TREMORS IN THE BLOOD and Patti McCracken for ANGEL MAKERS. Where did lie detectors come from? Are they really accurate? The history isn't just fascinating, it's evocative—and bears an interesting connection to artificial intelligence. Everyone wants a machine that tells the truth. But chillingly, it turns out that machines can lie, too. Our next thrilling true-crime narrative takes us to a small town in Hungary. McCracken follows a trail of white powder—the colorless, odorless, deadly poison arsenic. Distributed by a wily midwife to women who needed a ‘cure' for abusive spouses, the little vials emptied and the grave yards started filling up. What caused a group of housewives to become a murder ring? Who were these “angel-makers” and how did their crimes (at least 160 dead) go so long undiscovered? Episode was recorded live September 12, 2024. Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://brandyschillace.com/peculiar/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://eepurl.com/ixJJ2Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PeculiarBookClub/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@PeculiarBookClub/streams⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peculiarBC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week on Taking Stock Emmet Oliver is in for Mandy Johnston and he talks to Paul McArdle of the Panel.com about Netflix's policies around under-achieving staff.We ask where would a Trump Victory leave Ireland economically and should we be worried? Emmet talks to Economist Dan O'Brien.And in our Monthly ‘Techscape' slot we thanks to PWC we look at the strange case of the people trying to make rain in the United Arab Emirates when we hear from Amit Katwala of Wired.

In our Monthly ‘Techscape' slot we thanks to PWC we look at the strange case of the people trying to make rain in the United Arab Emirates when we hear from Amit Katwala of Wired.

The book, Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of The Lie Detector explores the history of the polygraph. We discuss that history with the author, Amit Katwala. Are the machines "truth serum" or "junk science"? Did the inventors stand by the reliability? How has the polygraph failed law enforcement and people accused of heinous crimes? Support our sponsor Regal Cinemas and Regal Unlimited. Sign up now in the Regal app or www.regmovies.com/unlimited and use our code IMPACTREG Impact of Influence is part of the Evergreen Podcasting Network Seton Tucker and Matt Harris began the Impact of Influence podcast shortly after the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. Now they cover true crime past and present from the southeast region of the U.S. Look for Impact of Influence on Facebook and please subscribe to the Impact Youtube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlotte and Amit dive into the story of microwaves and ask if they have enough power for a comeback. Around nine out of ten of us have a microwave in the UK, making it a trendy gadget. But most of us use it for reheating food or zapping a microwave meal. Amit Katwala and Charlotte Stavrou find out if we are missing a trick by not incorporating microwaves further into our cooking and delve into whether these gadgets can help us during the cost of living crisis. We meet MasterChef winner Tim Anderson who explains why he's a self-described ‘microwave evangelist' as he creates an emergency cookie for us in the studio. Alan Kelly, a professor in Food Science at University College Cork, tells us about the inner workings of microwaves and we trace the device's history, evolving from radar technology used in the Second World War. Food writer Bee Wilson, author of the new book The Secret of Cooking, charts how her mother's attitudes to microwaves changed through the years while Louis Platman, a curator at the Museum of the Home, tells us when microwaves began to appear in our homes. Producer: Emily Uchida Finch A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

It's not an understatement to say that microchips are now everywhere - from phone chargers to our beloved pets, there's probably a microchip embedded within. But who invented them and how do they dictate computing power? Amit Katwala and Charlotte Stavrou dig their hands into a bowl of microchips for this episode of All Consuming. They meet Ken Shirriff, a former engineer at Google, who explains the crucial role of transistors in microchips, which are tiny switches etched into the silicon wafer. When the first microchip was invented in the 1950s there were just three transistors, but some microchips can now contain billions. Over the decades, this has hugely increased computing power and changed our daily lives. But microchip fabrication plants - called ‘fabs' to those in the industry - require large volumes of water. Amit and Charlotte speak to Anurag Bajpayee, the co-founder of a company that recycles water at microchip manufacturing plants and Dr Yu Shu, a researcher at Oxford University, who is working on a novel method of creating microchips which are less harmful to the environment. We end our tour of the world of microchips with a visit to the University of Sussex quantum lab where they've recently had a breakthrough in quantum microchips, which could change the world in a way that we can't yet compute. Producer: Emily Uchida Finch A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Around 70 million pairs of denim jeans are sold every year in the UK. They come in a dizzying array of shapes and styles, but the essentials haven't changed since they were first conceived in the Californian gold rush 150 years ago. Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala continue their exploration of our culture of consumption by unpicking our abiding love affair with denim. Mohsin Sajid, denim designer and lecturer at some of the UK's top fashion colleges, takes us through the history of denim which originated as tough workwear, to its golden age of 1950s American youth culture. Meanwhile, Bryan Szabo who runs an annual raw denim fade competition - the Indigo Invitational - explains how denim allows wearers to leave an imprint on their clothes and tell a unique story. Sir John Hegarty discusses his agency's relaunch of Levi's 501 jeans in the 1980s when an irresistible combination of visual and music references made this item so desirable it became a symbol of rebellion in the Cold War. We hear from Nicolai Khalezin of the Belarus Free Theatre about how denim was used in Belarus to bolster a protest movement. Produced by: Ruth Abrahams and Emily Uchida Finch A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala take a deep dive into the world of Board Games - from the Ancient Egyptian game of Senet to more recent classics like Monopoly and Catan. Along the way, they talk history with Dan Jolin, the co-founder of the board game magazine Senet, meet the acknowledged master of the modern strategy game Reiner Knizia who has invented over 800 games, and learn the tricks of the trade from world Monopoly champion Nicolo Falcone who reveals why getting stuck in jail isn't always a bad thing. Presented by Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala Produced by Carrie Morrison A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

With over 90% of our photos now captured on phones, Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala go in search of what cameras mean today and how they have evolved since their origins in the 19th century. Ruth Quinn, curator of photography and photographic technology at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, shines a light on how photographic cameras were born out of a Victorian fascination with chemistry and optics. Long-time Kodak employee, Steve Sasson, reveals how a brief to play with a new bit of kit in the 1970s led to his invention of the digital camera. Meanwhile, Dr Alix Barasch, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Colorado, discusses the ways phone cameras and image-sharing apps are not only changing how we process our environment but also what we do. And Charlotte takes a trip into the dark room with photographer Alia Romagnoli to develop a portrait taken on a film camera for a recent series on queer men and masculinity and discusses why these old manual devices are back in fashion with Gen Z. Producer: Ruth Abrahams A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Amit Katwala and Charlotte Stavrou explore our unending appetite for manicures and find out that it's much more than just a buff and cuticle pushback. Gel, acrylics, French tips - there's a seemingly endless list of services that can be applied to our fingertips. But some salons have taken nail art to the next level as Charlotte found out when she visited NUKA nails in West London. While manicures seem to be enjoying a heyday, nail treatments aren't a modern phenomenon as writer Suzanne E Shapiro explains as she takes us on a journey from Ancient Egypt to the French Riveria of the 1920s. Consultant dermatologist Dr Deirdre Buckley is also on hand to warn us about the emergence of plastic allergies in manicure lovers and we also uncover the dark underside of the industry when it comes to trafficked salon workers. Producer: Emily Uchida Finch A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

One of the most controversial tools used by investigators is the lie detector. It's used often to intimidate suspects and sometimes it's responsible for confessions, real and false. Author Amit Katwala explains how the lie detector's origin is grounded in deception, abuse, and of course murder. Buy my books: katewinklerdawson.com   If you have suggestions for historical crimes that could use some attention, email me: info@tenfoldmorewicked.com      Follow me on social: @tenfoldmore (Twitter) / @tenfoldmorewicked (Facebook and Instagram)      2023 All Rights ReservedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the running boom at the end of the 19th century to a lockdown-inspired desire to lace up, running shoes have evolved to fit the shape of our lives for over 150 years. Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala explore how they keep pace with trends, innovations, and even our ambitions. Thomas Turner, author of The Sport Shoe: A History from Field to Fashion, reveals the role of Victorian periodicals in spreading tips and recommendations to fellow runners. Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and senior curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, takes us to 1970s California where running shoes signalled a new kind of aspiration for baby boomers, driven by new brands and mass marketing. Dr D'Wayne Edwards, sports footwear designer and founder of Pensole Lewis College, shares insider stories of being one of just two black footwear designers when he started in 1989, and how he's bringing a more diverse cohort into the industry today. Meanwhile, Jessica Morgan, journalist, and editor, unboxes a memory of a special pair of running shoes that saw her through her darkest times. And we jog down to Hackney Downs park in east London to meet Michael Doughty from Hylo Athletics who left a career in football to set up a running shoe company with green ambitions. Producer: Ruth Abrahams A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala go mushy for houseplants in this episode of All Consuming where they explore our culture of consumption. Philodendrons, Hoyas, Monsteras - the list of plants available to consumers is now almost endless and these green companions became a crucial part of our home during lockdown when we craved the outdoors. In recent years, our love for houseplants has seen the plant market explode - but at what cost? Charlotte and Amit meet Jacob James, a seller of rare plants at the Royal Chelsea Flower Show, who reveals that there's been a recent crash in rare houseplant prices. We check in with historian Catherine Horwood to find out how houseplants first entered the home and ecologist Dr Adam Cross gives us a fly's eye view of a rare carnivorous plant. Amateur biologist Sebastian Cocioba tells us how he hacks orchids for a special Mother's Day present. Presenters: Amit Katwala and Chalotte Stavrou Producer: Emily Uchida Finch A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

From the first spectacles that perched on noses around 750 years ago to AI-enhanced glasses for the visually impaired, we have been harnessing science - and design - to help us see for centuries. Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala peer into the wonders of glasses that bring the world into focus for an estimated 4 billion adults around the world. We visit the UK's largest collection of eyewear - the British Optical Association Museum where we meet curator, Neil Handley. Jessica Glasscock, author of Making a Spectacle, reveals how the Harlequin frame – better known as the cat eye frame - transformed glasses for women in the US in the 1930s. Meanwhile, historian Jo Gooding explores the role of the British welfare state in influencing glasses styles and the unintended consequences that arose from state provision. For the UK consumer, things changed dramatically in the 1980s and Graham Daldry, former Creative Director of Specsavers shares the secrets of the winning ‘Should've gone to…' campaign. And taking us to the next level, Karthik Mahadevan, the Founder and CEO of Envision gives us a demo of glasses that use AI and camera technology to assist people who are severely visually impaired. Presenters: Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala Producer: Ruth Abrahams A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread is on a summer break right now. But, filling the gap, Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala return for a second series of investigations into the products that have changed the world and the way that we consume. Here's a taster of what's in store in series 2. Episodes are available on BBC Sounds weekly from 20 July 2023. Just search for All Consuming on BBC Sounds and subscribe to get the latest episodes.

Sliced Bread is on a summer break right now. But, filling the gap, Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala return for a second series of investigations into the products that have changed the world and the way that we consume. Here's a taster of what's in store in series 2. Episodes are available on BBC Sounds weekly from 20 July 2023. Just search for All Consuming on BBC Sounds and subscribe to get the latest episodes.

Did you know there was a time when you could only buy green tea in the UK? Tea is now a staple product for most of us, but it has a long and complicated past. In this episode of All Consuming, Charlotte Stavrou (née Williams) and Amit Katwala steep themselves in the intriguing history of tea. They talk to advertising expert Paul Feldwick to get the inside story of how chimps were used to advertise the drink, historian Jane Pettigrew explains how tea reached our shores from China, and we also delve into the links between tea and sympathy with psychologist Dr Andrea Shortland. Producer: Emily Uchida Finch A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala return for a second series of investigations into the products that have changed the world. Coming to BBC Sounds weekly from 20 July 2023.

Amit Katwala – Tremors in the blood: Murder, obsession and the birth of Lie Detector...with TRE's Hannah Murray

Late one evening in the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife's blood. But was he a grieving husband, or a ruthless killer who conspired with bandits to have her murdered?To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman's touch.John Larson, Gus Vollmer and Leonarde Keeler hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer – but the flawed device soon grew too powerful for them to control. It poisoned their lives, turned fast friends into bitter enemies, and as it conquered America and the world, it transformed our relationship with the truth in ways that are still being felt.As new forms of lie detection gain momentum in the present day, Tremors in the Blood reveals the incredible truth behind the creation of the polygraph, through gripping true crime cases featuring explosive gunfights, shocking twists and high-stakes courtroom drama.Touching on psychology, technology and the science of the truth, Tremors in the Blood is a vibrant, atmospheric thriller, and a warning from history: beware what you believe. TREMORS IN THE BLOOD: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector-Amit Katwala

In the Sunday Book Review, I consider books that interest the compliance professional, the business executive, or anyone curious. It could be books about business, compliance, history, leadership, current events, or anything else that might interest me. In today's edition of the Sunday Book Review, I look at books on the intersection of crime and history: ·      The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson ·      Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee, by Casey Cep ·      The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or The Murder at Road Hill House, by Kate Summerscale ·      American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics and the Birth of American CSI, by Kate Winkler Dawson ·      Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann  Resource Five Non-Fiction Books that Mix Crime and History by Amit Katwala in Crime Reads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amit Katwala discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Amit Katwala is a journalist and author, based in London. He is a writer and editor at WIRED magazine, and has written three books. The latest, Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector blends true crime, science and history in 1920s San Francisco and 1930s Chicago. He also co-hosts the All Consuming podcast on BBC Radio 4. Planet X https://www.wired.co.uk/article/search-for-planet-nine-planet-x-solar-system The truth about the lie detector https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720693/tremors-in-the-blood-by-amit-katwala/ Katalin Kariko https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mrna-coronavirus-vaccine-pfizer-biontech Fritesauce https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/desert-island-dips/id1303459662 WIRED magazine https://www.wired.co.uk/subscribe Pre-Columbian America https://www.amazon.co.uk/1491-Revelations-Americas-Columbus-Vintage/dp/1400032059 Blocksite https://blocksite.co/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Can trees fight crime? Apparently so - at least some types of crime. Although no one is exactly sure how. Listen and I'll explain. https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/trees-crime-cincinnati-philadelphia-ida-b-wells-chicago/ Is it true that a goldfish has a 3 second memory? Or that lightning never strikes the same place twice? Of course, you know water conducts electricity, right? Actually no. In fact none of those things are true. There are so many myths in science that people believe and we are going to debunk several of them with my guest science writer Brian Clegg. Brian has written over 40 science books, one of which is titled Lightning Often Strikes Twice: The 50 Biggest Misconceptions in Science (https://amzn.to/41sY3jK) I'm sure you've seen a polygraph machine in movies or television shows. It is supposed to be able to tell if someone is lying. But does it really work? If it is so accurate, why are the results of polygraph tests not admissible in court? If it is so inaccurate, why is it still used? The story of the polygraph or lie detector is an interesting one. Joining me to explain it is Amit Katwala an award winning journalist, a senior writer at Wired and author of the book Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector (https://amzn.to/3Zngu7C) Are men better drivers than women? I guess it depends on how you define “better.” But in terms of accidents, moving violations and parking ability, there is a difference between men and women. Listen and I'll reveal which one scores higher. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/well/live/car-accidents-deaths-men-women.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! The Dell Technologies' Semi Annual Sale is on, with limited-quantity deals on top tech! Save on select PCs powered by the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, like thin-and-light XPS 13 laptops, Inspiron laptops and 2-in-1s. Plus, get savings on select accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL Visit https://NJM.com/podcast for a quote to see how much you can save on your auto insurance! With With TurboTax, an expert will do your taxes from start to finish, ensuring your taxes are done right (guaranteed), so you can relax! Feels good to be done with your taxes, doesn't it? Come to TurboTax and don't do your taxes. Visit https://TurboTax.com to learn more. Intuit TurboTax.  Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you've earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All Consuming hosts Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala talk to presenter Greg Foot about the return of Sliced Bread, his Radio 4 series which explores promising sounding wonder products and sees whether their claims stand up to scrutiny. You can listen to the series by searching for Sliced Bread on BBC Sounds.

From an illusive science fiction dream in the 1980s, to very real headsets in homes across the world today - virtual reality is making a genuine impact on our lives and social interactions. Amit Katwala and Charlotte Williams immerse themselves in the virtual world to find out where the innovative technology is leading, checking in on today's prototypical “metaverse” and VR's growing influence on art, entertainment and science. We hear from Dr Alastair Smith about VR's revolutionary uses in the study of psychology, Dr Trudy Barber sheds a light on the social connections forming inside the metaverse, while interactive experience director May Abdalla invites us into the world of her award-winning VR project, Goliath: Playing with Reality. Presented by Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala Produced by James Tindale A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala trace the sometimes shocking truth behind the history of the light bulb, following its evolution from carbon spitting hazard to energy efficient LED. We hear from media historian Markus Krajewski about how a cartel of companies conspired to limit the lifespan of light bulbs in the first known example of ‘planned obsolescence'. Nobel prize winning physicist Hiroshi Amano talks to us about how his discovery of the blue LED light has changed the world, and we speak to Tom Bramell whose job is to to look after a lightbulb which has been on for 121 years. Presented by Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala Produced by Emily Finch A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

The average cost of a funeral in the UK is just over £4000 - and can be a lot more. Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala explore how social and financial pressures are changing the way we do funerals, as more and more people turn to cheaper greener alternatives. They trace the history of the funeral and its many associated traditions with funeral historian Dr Helen Frisby, and unpick so-called funeral poverty with Lindesay Mace from Quaker Social Action. Dr Kate Woodthorpe from Bath University explains the birth of the Funeral Director and Dan Garrett, the CEO of Farewill, discusses how the industry is adapting to changing attitudes to death and the big rise in "personalised funerals". Presented by Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala Produced by Bukky Fadipe A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Batteries are everywhere in modern society. They're in our phones, laptops and cars, or inside the classics - like torches, portable radios, or TV remotes. They're inside drones probing deep beneath the ocean or providing juice to the Mars rover. In an electrifying episode of All Consuming, Amit Katwala and Charlotte Williams explore the history of the energy storage devices that changed the world. We check in with the curator of contemporary Science at the Science Museum, Dr Sophie Wearing, to learn about the unlikely origin of the term “battery” and the early uses of energy storage. We also we get up to speed with Electric Vehicle Batteries with the Faraday Institution's chief scientist, Sir Peter Bruce. Battery recycler Sam Haig deconstructs lithium-ion battery recycling and, to get the bigger picture, we hear from pumped-storage hydro expert Alex Campbell. A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

What does Wonder Woman have to do with the invention of the lie detector? Does refusing to yank a donkey's tail make you a liar? Is it folly to believe that a machine can ever peer inside the human mind?The invention of the lie detector is a strange story full of eccentric characters, fascinating true crime, and some incomplete science at its heart.These days there are lie detectors based on artificial intelligence and MRI scans and detectors are used in policing across the world. But the fundamental problems at the heart of ‘lie detectors' have not changed since they were invented a hundred years ago.Our guest today is Amit Katwala, a senior writer at WIRED and author of Tremors in The Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector.This is the third episode in our mini-series about the invention of forensics. Next week is the fourth and final instalment – DNA Fingerprinting.Produced by Freddy ChickEditing and Sound Design by Anisha DevaExecutive Producer is Charlotte LongFor more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! You've been listening to a History Hit podcast. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey with your feedback, we'd really appreciate it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amit Katwala and Charlotte Williams explore the world of e-cigarettes and vapes, tracing their extraordinary growth and asking whether they're life savers or something more insidious. We hear from Time journalist Jamie DuCharme, author of the book Big Vape, about the rise and fall of the e-cigarette firm Juul who recently paid out over $430 million after being accused of targeting teenagers with its advertising. Shaun Yendalls, the owner of two vape shops in South London, explains why his staff actively try to stop people buying his products and Scott Butler from Material Focus details the massive environmental impact of the new fad for disposable vapes. Presented by Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala Produced by Bukky Fadipe A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala explore how Britain went soft on toilet paper. 1-ply, 2 ply, 3 ply, quilted - there's a lot of choice when it comes to choosing what toilet paper to buy. But soft toilet tissue is a relatively new invention. Our lavatorial habits have evolved over time and author Sophia Gholz gives us the lowdown on how pottery, magazines and corn cobs were all at one time used for the mundane but necessary task of keeping ourselves clean. For many people, the smell and feeling of a specific British brand of paper is etched into their collective memory. Dr Alice White of the Wellcome Collection explores official resistance to putting soft paper in schools and hospitals. Consumer psychologist Dr Paul Marsden is also on hand to explain why toilet paper is often the must-buy product in times of national emergency. And marketing consultant Paul Duncanson gives a behind-the-scenes account of one of the most enduring - and successful - toilet tissue advertisements ever produced. Producer: Candace Wilson A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Much has been written of Vinyl's resurgence - it's the format that refuses to die, electrifying fans young and old across the decades. But, we've often forgotten about the Lennon to vinyl's McCartney - the venerable turntable. In this episode of All Consuming, hosts Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala get into the groove to find out why turntables just keep spinning us around. We unearth the history of recorded sound, including the French invention that drew audio waveforms and predated Edison's phonograph and get up to date with the latest stats on vinyl's revival. Amit meets Audiophile researcher Marc Pearlmann to consider the claims that vinyl on high end turntables “sounds better” than CDs, we check in with Wolverhampton record store owner Claire Howell, meet veteran turntable manufacturer Roy Gandy and Charlotte gets a lesson in DJ-ing from a very special guest... Producer: James Tindale A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala explore the burgeoning non-alcoholic drinks market and explore its origins, dating all the way back to the Middle Ages. In a whistlestop tour through history, they trace the influence of the Temperance Movement in the US on drinking habits and examine how attitudes to wellness and mental health have shaped the market today. Producer: Candace Wilson A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread host Greg Foot talks to presenters Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala about All Consuming, their new series exploring products that have changed the world. You can listen to the series by searching for All Consuming on BBC Sounds.

Sliced Bread host Greg Foot talks to presenters Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala about All Consuming, their new series exploring products that have changed the world. You can listen to the series by searching for All Consuming on BBC Sounds.

From the artisans of Ancient Egypt, to the revolutionary parfumiers of Renaissance France and the designers working digitally in the dungeons of petrochemical labs, perfume is one of the most available and affordable luxuries. Initially exclusive to the halls of royalty, it's now available for £15 from your local chemist - the perfume industry continues to grow with our consumer culture. Are you smelling a story? In this first episode of All Consuming, hosts Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala make scents of the perfume industry. They sniff out why fragrance films are so fantastical, catch a whiff of how industrial perfume producers manufacture at industrial scale, and hold their noses as actors take “method” to fragrant new frontiers. Charlotte meets the perfumer to the stars Azzi Glasser and takes the chance to smell bespoke fragrances designed for Hollywood A-listers. Amit introduces us to nose-in-the-know Luca Turin, a biophysicist who moonlights as a fragrance author. And smell psychologist Rachel Herz reveals why the smells of those we love can sometimes become repulsive. Producer: James Tindale A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

From turntables to funerals, Charlotte Williams and Amit Katwala reveal the truth behind what we're all consuming.

Journalist Amit Katwala tells the thrilling story of the invention of the flawed lie-detecting machine in his new book Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector.

Ria talks with Amit Katwala about his new book ‘Quantum Computing: How it Works and Why it Could Change the World'. He speaks about what Quantum Computing is and how it could be the technology of the future. Amit also elaborates on his experience of witnessing Google's Quantum Computing lab and the current restrictions on Quantum Computing from advancing and why there is excitement surrounding it. Amit Katwala is a senior editor at the WIRED UK. He edits the culture coverage online, works on the Start section of the magazine, appears regularly on the WIRED podcast, and writes features about science, technology, and culture.

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Amit Katwala, the author of "Quantum Computing: How it Works and Why it Could Change the World", to discuss how close we are to seeing quantum computers become a widespread reality. Amit Katwala is an award-winning sports journalist, and Senior Writer at Sport magazine. He has written in-depth interview pieces with some of the biggest names in sport, including David Beckham, Lewis Hamilton, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stuart Broad and Jessica Ennis-Hill. Amit's first book, The Athletic Brain – how neuroscience is revolutionising sport weaves together cutting-edge science and interviews with elite athletes to show how understanding the brain could unlock new levels of sporting performance. It will be published in August 2016 by Simon & Schuster. In 2012, Amit was nominated for Young Sportswriter of the Year by the Sports Journalists' Association and won Young Journalist of the Year at the GG2 Leadership Awards. Amit grew up in Bournemouth and studied Experimental Psychology at St Hugh's College, Oxford University. He supports AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the central metaphor of the internet - ethereal and benign, a fluffy icon on screens and smartphones, the digital cloud has become so naturalised in our everyday life we look right through it. But clouds can also obscure and conceal – what is it hiding? Author and technologist James Bridle navigates the history and politics of the cloud, explores the power of its metaphor and guides us back down to earth. We connect to the cloud, think of it as place-less, a digital ‘elsewhere’ for storing and retrieving our data, content and memories. But far from being immaterial, the cloud is a vast, physical network made up of concrete, silicon and steel, of earthbound server farms, subterranean data centres and cables beneath the sea. It is not a publicly owned space or digital 'commons'. It is a multi-billion dollar, private infrastructure dominated by some of the world’s most powerful companies – principally Amazon, Microsoft and Google. The cloud exists within the same geography that we do: a patchwork of national and legal jurisdictions, which determine – most of the time – what it can and cannot do. And while the cloud screen icon looks eco-friendly and clean, it’s estimated that this year data centres powering the cloud will produce around 4% of global greenhouse emissions and consume 1% of the world’s electricity. The cloud is a new kind of industry, and a hungry one - it doesn’t just have a shadow, it has a footprint. But the cloud is also a fantasy, an idea of connectivity formed from Silicon Valley’s early idealism and the Cold War militarisation of computer networks – freedom and surveillance, respectively – wrapped around the physical networks that came before it: railway tracks, sewer lines, undersea telegraph cables, television circuits. Now it’s the metaphor that dominates an internet of algorithms, machine learning and big data. As more and more of our digital lives and public services migrate to the cloud, how is cloud technology reading, even re-wiring, us in turn? And how does our haziness about the cloud - what it does, where it is, who controls it – impact our own agency in the digital world? Featuring contributions from cloud historian and former network engineer Tung-Hui Hu, Google’s strategic negotiator of global infrastructure Jayne Stewell, urbanist and digital interface designer Adam Greenfield, Wired editor Amit Katwala, political theorist Martin Moore, Greenpeace technologist Elizabeth Jardim and Ian Massingham, global director for Amazon Web Services. Produced by Simon Hollis A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4

In season 2 episode 22, Dr. Bubbs interviews award-winning writer Amit Katwala to discuss how the athletic brain impacts performance. In this episode, Amit discusses how the art of anticipation and high-speed decision making sets elite athlete’s brains apart from the rest of us, describes what happens in the brain when athletes overthink during competition, reviews the connection between brain neuroplasticity, BDNF and dopamine, how to get into a flow-state, strategies for performing under pressure… and much, much more. Check out drbubbs.com/podcast for show notes.

What separates the best from the rest in sport? Neuroscience tells us that it is elite athletes’ anticipation and decision-making skills. Strength & conditioning, medicine, and nutrition may be staples of performance set-ups these days but the penny is beginning to drop when it comes to the importance of cognitive skills. For the latest edition of the Leaders Performance Podcast, we spoke to sports science and technology writer Amit Katwala, author of The Athletic Brain: How Neuroscience is Revolutionising Sport and Can Help You Perform Better. He emphasises that the brain is trainable and it is within the capability of all to identify which cognitive skills are most important in their discipline and adapt their training programmes to make them more efficient. Further topics on the day included: -The importance of studying the very best athletes -Neuroplasticity and the opportunities it presents for young athletes -The concept of flow in performance -Why athletes choke under pressure   To learn more about neuroscience in sport read The Athletic Brain: How Neuroscience is Revolutionising Sport and Can Help You Perform Better. Widely available from Simon & Schuster. Twitter: @amitkatwala

A discussion with Amit Katwala, senior writer for Sport Magazine and author of the new book: The Athletic Brain: How Neuroscience is Revolutionizing Sport and Can Help You Perform Better.  we discuss topics including how the brains of elites athletes are different than normal people, some methods teams are using to short cut this process with brain training, ways you can trick yourself into having greater endurance, how to better diagnose concussion, the idea of sporting IQ, and examples of sports psychology at work in the recent Olympic games.   More information about my guest: http://amitkatwala.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amit-katwala-50795115   https://www.amazon.com/Athletic-Brain-Neuroscience-Revolutionising-Perform/dp/1471155900/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=perceactiopod-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=2fa24acccb92a382c18d667dbcb888f0&creativeASIN=1471155900   More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Lo Fi is Hi Fi - I’m on a Talk Show Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org

Find out why Thomas Muller would be a perfect Olympic cyclist, Olivier Giroud has a secret talent for dressage and why greatness might be all in the mind for top footballers. Host Greg Johnson is joined by Squawka Talker regular James McManus, long-time listener first-time appearance maker Rory Briggs and Amit Katwala, senior writer for Sport magazine and author of the new book on sport and neuroscience, The Athletic Brain. The pod discuss Olympic football, its history and place in the world, on the eve of the start of the men's tournament at Rio 2016, the players to look out for and which footballers would thrive as Olympians in other events besides the beautiful game. Amit also answers questions about his book and the role of neuroscience in elite football and the podcast ends on some quick thoughts on West Ham's future in their new Olympic home.