Podcasts about Royal institute

In this final episode of our series on 'The Public Architect', we explored how architects have moved beyond designing individual buildings into planning, policy and landscape. Historian Otto Saumarez Smith joined city architect Finn Williams to discuss the rise of the postwar "architect planner," the exchange of ideas between the London County Council and Sweden, and how that role has fragmented in the decades since. We were then joined by landscape historian Luca Csepely-Knorr, alongside practitioners Kendra Inman and Maddy Gunn, to trace the shift from garden design to large-scale infrastructure work, and why collaboration, community and care remain central to landscape architecture today.Architectural History is the podcast of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain. This miniseries, The Public Architect, was made possible thanks to funding from the Royal Institute of British Architects. It was hosted and produced by Claire Jamieson and Jess Kelly, with editing by Front Ear Podcasts and production support from Matthew Lloyd Roberts. If you enjoyed this series, please consider becoming a member of the SAHGB to support our work and get access to exclusive content. https://www.sahgb.org.uk/join-renewContributors:Professor Luca Csepely-Knorr is a chartered landscape architect and art and architectural historian. She is research chair at the University of Liverpool School of Architecture, where she leads the Landscape || Gender || Environment Research Collective. Luca's research is focusing on the transnational histories of landscape and environmental history with a special focus on women's contribution to shaping disciplinary agendas and the evolving social and ecological discourses of the 20th century. She is co-convener of the European Architectural History Network's Women and Gender in Landscape, Architecture and Urban Design Interest Group with Professor Svava Riesto.Maddy Gunn has worked across the public, private and charity sectors at the intersection of design, green infrastructure and climate adaptation. Her background spans landscape architecture, planning and strategy work focused on delivering great green spaces. She is a Public Practice alumni and has previously worked at the Design Council; most recently she has been leading on the delivery of urban greening projects at Islington Council.Kendra Inman works as a landscape architect and urban designer for Transport for London. She is particularly interested in mitigating the impact of climate change on cities with nature-based solutions and by using green and blue infrastructure to support active travel and liveable neighbourhoods.Otto Saumarez Smith is an architectural and urban historian, specialising in twentieth century Britain. He teaches at the University of Warwick, and is chair of the Twentieth Century Society Casework committee.Finn Williams has been the City Architect of Malmö since 2021. He previously worked to promote public architecture and planning in the UK through roles at Croydon Council and the Greater London Authority, and as the co-founder and chief executive of Public Practice. Finn is a Mayor's Design Advocate for the Mayor of London, an international jury member for the NLA Awards, an independent expert for the EU Mies van der Rohe Awards and was a jury member for the 2024 Alvar Aalto Medal.

The Office of Public Works is set to pay a firm an estimated €295,200 to oversee "a national conversation" concerning the future development of the GPO complex on Dublin's O'Connell Street. Speaking to Anton was Dr Carole Pollard Former president of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland and Editor of the book Irish Cities in Crisis.

The Office of Public Works is set to pay a firm an estimated €295,200 to oversee "a national conversation" concerning the future development of the GPO complex on Dublin's O'Connell Street. Speaking to Anton was Dr Carole Pollard Former president of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland and Editor of the book Irish Cities in Crisis.

In this fourth episode, we explore the colonial context of the public sector and the place of the British architectural profession within it, spanning the Second World War through to decolonisation. We spoke to Harshada Deshpande about her father Sharad's career, from training as an architect in India to working in the Architects' Department of the Greater London Council in the 1960s. We were then joined by Ibiyemi Ola and Rixt Woudstra to discuss their research into architects working within colonial bureaucracies in British Africa, and how that experience of expertise carried through independence and into organisations like the UN and World Bank.Architectural History is the podcast of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain. This miniseries, The Public Architect, was made possible thanks to funding from the Royal Institute of British Architects. It was hosted and produced by Claire Jamieson and Jess Kelly, with editing by Front Ear Podcasts and production support from Matthew Lloyd Roberts. If you enjoyed this series, please consider becoming a member of the SAHGB to support our work and get access to exclusive content. https://www.sahgb.org.uk/join-renewContributors: Harshada Deshpande is an Urbanist with over 20 years' experience of working in the built environment sector in the UK. A strong advocate of sustainable urbanism, she leads the Design, Conservation and Trees Team, made up of specialist within Sheffield City Council. Her expertise lies in leading and coaching, to achieve a place-led outcome through finding creative solutions, while establishing a positive, constructive dialogue, enabling delivery of high-quality places. Sharad Deshpande, her father worked in the Greater London County Council within the Architecture and Civic Design Department between 1965-1972. Whilst working, he studied Planning at University of London and was a Columbo Plan Fellow (1981) and Professor of Architecture.Ibiyemi Ola researched British colonial architecture in Nigeria between 1900 and 1960 for her PhD at the Liverpool School of Architecture, focusing on the colonial administration's Public Works Department and the architects who worked within it. She is a lecturer at the Global Banking School.Rixt Woudstra is an architectural historian focused on the intersections between modern architecture and planning, British imperialism and anti-colonial protest. She is an Assistant Professor of Architectural History at the University of Amsterdam, Co-Director of the Amsterdam Centre for Urban History, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Architecture Beyond Europe. She previously held a postdoctoral research position at the University of Liverpool, working on a Leverhulme-funded project on the architecture of the United Africa Company in British West Africa.

A piece today in the Irish Times by Killian Woods on Dublin's empty office spaces pointed to multinationals subletting vast amounts of unwanted space, while property firms forecast a shortage going forward, but why is this?Joining Shane to discuss is Killian Woods, Business Correspondent in the Irish Times and Robin Mandal, Architect, former President of the Royal Institute of Ireland and Chair of the Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance.

This week, Thomas Spiteri speaks with Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and author of The Brain Abstracted: Simplification in the History and Philosophy of Neuroscience (MIT Press, 2024) –  winner of the 2025 Lakatos Award and the 2024 Nayef Al-Rodhan International Prize in Transdisciplinary Philosophy from the Royal Institute of Philosophy.The conversation centres on the central argument of the book: that the leading ideas which have shaped neuroscience are best understood as attempts to simplify the brain, one of the more complex objects of scientific inquiry. Mazviita describes this in practice as a mismatch between the brain's overwhelming complexity and the representations — models, theories, diagrams — that scientists rely on, which necessarily ignore much of that complexity. She identifies three recurring simplifying strategies running through the book — reduction, mathematisation, and analogy — and discusses how "proxy systems," from anesthetised cats to cerebral organoids, let scientists study minimal, decontextualised versions of the brain built using these strategies.She also discusses the diverging paths of neuroscience and AI research, the risk of conflating predictive power with genuine understanding, and why she advocates for greater theoretical pluralism in how science approaches the brain.In this episode, Chirimuuta:Describes her academic path from psychophysics and vision science back into philosophy of scienceIntroduces The Brain Abstracted and its central concern with simplification in neuroscienceUnpacks three recurring simplification strategies in neuroscience — reduction, mathematisation, and analogyTraces how the computer analogy shaped artificial neural networks, from McCulloch and Pitts through Hubel and Wiesel to today's deep learning modelsIntroduces the idea of the "Heraclitean brain" — a system always in flux — and what this means for scientific explanationReflects on the historical back-and-forth between localisationist and dynamic/distributed views of brain functionConsiders the shifting, increasingly divergent relationship between neuroscience and AI research, including energy efficiency as a new point of biological inspirationCalls for greater theoretical humility and pluralism in neuroscience, drawing on the 19th-century work of John Hughlings Jackson as a case studyRelevant LinksThe Brain Abstracted: Simplification in the History and Philosophy of Neuroscience (MIT Press)Mazviita Chirimuuta wins the 2025 Lakatos Award — LSEMazviita Chirimuuta's research site / Outside ColourOutside Color: Perceptual Science and the Puzzle of Color in Philosophy (MIT Press, 2017)Nancy Cartwright, The Dappled World (1999)Nicole Rust, Elusive Cures (2025)Note: This conversation was recorded at the end of 2025.Thanks for listening to The HPS Podcast. You can find more about us on our website, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook feeds.  This podcast would not be possible without the support of School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne and the Hansen Little Public Humanities Grant scheme.Music by ComaStudio. Website HPS Podcast | hpsunimelb.org

In the third episode of our series on 'The Public Architect', we explored how the professional identity of architects has reflected changing gender, class and race. We spoke to architect Kate Macintosh about her career and the fight for equal pay for women architects. We were then joined by architectural historians Karen Burns and Elizabeth Darling to trace the longer history of women entering the profession through public institutions, from interwar progressives at the AA to postwar civil servants navigating quiet discrimination. Finally, we spoke to Yẹmí Aládérun (Ealing Council) and Sarah Allan (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) about how moving between private practice and public service reshaped their sense of authorship, leadership and care.Architectural History is the podcast of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain. This miniseries, The Public Architect, was made possible thanks to funding from the Royal Institute of British Architects. It was hosted and produced by Claire Jamieson and Jess Kelly, with editing by Front Ear Podcasts and production support from Matthew Lloyd Roberts. If you enjoyed this series, please consider becoming a member of the SAHGB to support our work and get access to exclusive content. https://www.sahgb.org.uk/join-renewContributors:Yẹmí Aládérun is an architect and Head of Development at Ealing Council. She is a NED for Women's Pioneer Housing association, co-founder of Paradigm Network and core member of Part W. She was named in the Architects' Journal's 40 under 40 in 2020.Sarah Allan is an architect and Head of Architecture at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Before this she worked in local government as housing lead for an Ecotown in Hampshire. For over seven years at CABE, she was head of urban design and homes, helping to embed design quality tools and processes in large-scale government programmes such as the Thames Gateway.Karen Burns is an architectural historian and theorist, and Senior Lecturer in Architectural Design at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne. She is co-editor, with Lori A. Brown, of The Bloomsbury Global Encyclopedia of Women in Architecture, 1960–2020, a two-volume survey with over 1,000 entries covering architects, designers, landscape architects, planners, historians and activists.Elizabeth Darling is an architectural historian, curator and writer specialising in histories of modernist cultures in Britain, especially in the 1920s and 1930s, and is an expert on women and architecture from the 1890s to the present day. She has published extensively in both fields and has also written a number of entries for the ODNB on key women architects who worked in the public sector, including Ann McEwen and Rosemary Stjernstedt. Her book, Palace of the Ether, Broadcasting House and the Architecture of the BBC, 1922-1932, will be published by Lund Humphries in June 2026.Kate Macintosh MBE is a Scottish architect known for her work for local authorities. She studied at the Edinburgh School of Art, now part of Heriot-Watt University. After graduating in 1961, she spent a year studying in Warsaw on a scholarship from the British Council, then worked in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki before returning to the United Kingdom in 1964, when she was recruited to Denys Lasdun's National Theatre Team. She designed Dawson's Heights in Southwark and Leigham Court in Lambeth.

This is the second episode of our new miniseries 'The Public Architect', an RIBA funded project exploring the past and present of the relationship between the architectural profession and the public. In this episode we spoke to researchers Ruth Lang, Natcha Ruamsanitwong and Patrick Zamarian about the role of research and innovation in post-war public sector architecture, focusing on bodies like the London County Council Architects' Department and the Building Research Station. We were then joined by Rafe Bertram and Professor Flora Samuel to explore the contemporary relationship between architectural research, local government, and the built environment today.Architectural History is the podcast of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain. This miniseries, The Public Architect, was made possible thanks to funding from the Royal Institute of British Architects. It was hosted and produced by Claire Jamieson and Jess Kelly, with editing by Front Ear Podcasts and production support from Matthew Lloyd Roberts. If you enjoyed this series, please consider becoming a member of the SAHGB to support our work and get access to exclusive content. https://www.sahgb.org.uk/join-renewContributors:Rafe Bertram works on several scales of sustainability in the built environment. Locally, he is an Asset and Sustainability Manager at the London Borough of Enfield, managing Council Housing Energy Efficiency and Retrofit programme across 10,000 homes. Regionally, he sits on the steering group for Warmer Homes London and a panel member of Design South East. Nationally, he chairs the Finance thinktank for the Good Homes Alliance. At a local level, he is a founding director of the community cooperative, Retrofit Kentish Town. He is an Architect, Retrofit Coordinator, Public Practice Alumni and previously a partner at Foster+Partners. He has recently been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake research on Retrofit Economics across Europe. Dr Ruth Lang is an architect, curator, and Associate Professor leading the Masters programme at the London School of Architecture. Through her teaching, research and writing, her work explores how contemporary architectural practice can be restructured to more equitably address issues of diversity and the Climate Emergency, using collaborative and transdisciplinary strategies. Her book ‘Building for Change: The Architecture of Creative Reuse was published by gestalten in 2022.Natcha Ruamsanitwong is a historian of architecture in twentieth-century Britain. She is currently convenor of the SAHGB Women Architectural Historians' Network and a Trustee of the Construction History Society. She is the author of Leslie Martin and Sadie Speight: Architects of Modern Britain (Lund Humphries, 2026).Flora Samuel is the Professor of Architecture (1970) and Head of the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge. She was formerly Head at the Sheffield School of Architecture.  Her research currently focuses on rural placemaking, inclusive design and housing but she began her career writing about Le Corbusier and the nature of architectural practice. She currently leads Public Map, a major AHRC funded project based in Wales.Patrick Zamarian is a senior lecturer in architectural design and humanities at the University of Liverpool. His research centres on the role of educational and professional institutions in the history of architecture, specifically in the British Empire. He is the author of The Architectural Association in the Postwar Years (Lund Humphries, 2020) and has published on student networks in interwar Britain, on the role of the Building Research Station in the postwar period, and on architectural education in British India, among other things.

talking about The Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience at the Rectory in Mountshannon which has recently won an award in the Adaptation and Re-Use category at the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Architecture Awards 2026. Originally broadcast  live from  the SBCR studios in the Derg Alliance Building  as part of Saturday Chronicle 11th July 2026 hosted by Geraldine Colleran and Marianne Purcell Saturday Chronicle is Sponsored by JAMES M NASH AND DERG KITCHEN DESIGN http://dergkitchendesign.ie Message or what's app the studio on 089 2582647 or email sbcrstudio@gmail.com

This is the first episode of our new miniseries, The Public Architect, an RIBA-funded project exploring the past and present relationship between the architectural profession and the public sector.In this episode, we speak to the historian John Gold about post-war architecture in Britain, its relationship to the state and local government, and some of the common misconceptions surrounding this period. We are then joined by Mike Althorpe, Andrea Jung, David Knight and Holly Lewis, a group of practitioners and researchers working across architecture and local government, to explore the contemporary relationship between architecture and the public sector.ContributorsJohn Gold is Honorary Senior Research Fellow at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, Professor Emeritus at Oxford Brookes University, and former Special Appointed Professor at Meiji University in Tokyo. A historical geographer with a focus on cities, he has published more than 200 works on architectural modernism, Olympic cities and urban history, and is currently completing The Legacy of Modernism, the final volume in his trilogy on the Modern Movement.Mike Althorpe is an urban historian, researcher and storyteller. He co-authored Revolutionary Low Rise (2019) and Dual Cities – Social Housing in London + New York (2025). Formerly Public Programmes Lead at the RIBA, he curated exhibitions including A Place to Call Home and Social Housing, and now works independently as The London Ambler.Andrea Jung is an architect with experience across both private practice and local government. After leading commercial projects at KPF and co-founding TURN Architects, she joined the public sector through the Public Practice Associate Programme. She is now Technical Design Manager in Islington Council's New Homes team.David Knight is a designer, strategist, author and director of DK-CM. He has led urban strategies for projects across the UK, holds a PhD from the Royal College of Art, teaches at the London School of Architecture, and edited Public House: A Cultural and Social History of the London Pub, an Financial Times Book of the Year.Holly Lewis co-founded We Made That in 2006 and has led a wide range of urban regeneration and placemaking projects. She champions community involvement in design, equitable city-making and women in the built environment. Holly is a Mayor's Design Advocate for the Greater London Authority, a Design Council Expert, and Town Architect for Hackney Central.Architectural History is the podcast of the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain. The Public Architect was made possible thanks to funding from the Royal Institute of British Architects. It was hosted and produced by Claire Jamieson and Jess Kelly, with editing by Front Ear Podcasts and production support from Matthew Lloyd Roberts.If you enjoyed this series, please consider becoming a member of the SAHGB to support our work and access exclusive content: ⁠https://www.sahgb.org.uk/join-renew⁠

#307Picture the scene. It's a Tuesday morning in Hong Kong. March 2023. I'm checking emails and there's one with the subject line: Valuation report attached.My stomach churns — exactly like A-level results day.We'd spent months refurbishing a block of four one-bed flats bought at auction. We needed a specific number from the valuer to move the deal forward. I open the attachment. Scroll straight to the bottom, the way you always do, skipping past the caveats.The figure is £20,000 short of what we needed. Decided by one person. On one visit. On one day. Based on rules I didn't even know existed.That Tuesday morning is the reason for this episode.By the time we get to the end, you're going to understand exactly what happens behind the scenes of a UK property valuation, why valuers make the decisions they make, what red flags to look out for — and I'll share the one top tip that would have stopped that sinking feeling in its tracks.Check out our shorts on YouTubeOur WhatsApp  groupProperty Engine discounts (Code: EXPAT)Starter: 30 day trialPro: 30 day trial/3 mths 1/2 price, Ultimate: 1/2 price 3 monthsGoalsettingLeave a review37 Question Due Diligence Checklist / Auction GuideOur Sponsors: Finnigan McNeill Property GroupWhat We Cover in This EpisodeThis is a solo deep dive, broken into eight sections:1. What a UK Property Valuation Actually Is Most of us throw the word "valuation" around without thinking too hard about what's happening underneath it. When a lender sends out a RICS surveyor, they're protecting their money — not yours. That reframe matters.2. The Two Main Types of Valuation — and Why It Matters Which One You're Getting Bricks and mortar valuations vs commercial (yield-based) valuations. Same property. Completely different methodology. Completely different numbers. And here's the counterintuitive bit: the lower the expected yield, the higher the commercial valuation comes out. Worth remembering.3. The Three Flavours of Down Valuation A "down valuation" isn't one thing. There are at least three distinct types — a straightforward lower number, a retention (money held back until repairs are done), and the nastiest of the lot, a nil valuation. The fix for each one is completely different, so it's worth knowing which you've actually got.4. Why Valuations Matter — and When They Don't Plenty of genuinely good deals with a willing buyer and a willing seller on both sides collapse purely because of one person's opinion on one particular day. But if you're holding for the long term, a down valuation is often just a paper event. Your equity hasn't disappeared — it's just temporarily invisible.5. The Valuer's Perspective (and Why They're Working Inside a Cage) Here's the reframe that changes everything. After the 2008 financial crisis, valuers across the UK quietly adjusted their behaviour — being too generous is the version of being wrong that gets you sued. And lenders dictate exactly which comparables a valuer is allowed to use: sold only, not listed; within a certain radius; within the last six months. A perfectly good comparable just outside that window? Not permitted.Once you understand the cage the valuer is working inside, a lot of down valuations suddenly make a lot more sense.6. Working With Valuers — The Valuation Pack Presentation matters. Richard Nichols, who values HMOs professionally, says you can tell within the first hallway. Martin Smedley (episode 126) walks through the ideal valuation pack in detail — around 20 pages, bullet points, no essays, comparables with clickable links, floor plans, maintenance schedule. You're not just providing evidence. You're demonstrating competence, and valuers respond to that.Gary and Kirsty from Ormad Properties add rental evidence to their packs — viewings booked, Rightmove listings, tenancy agreements in progress — even before a tenancy is signed.(And yes, a cup of Yorkshire tea on the day of the visit doesn't hurt either.)7. The Red Flag: Hybrid Valuations Beware this one. Some so-called commercial valuations are not really commercial valuations at all. The lender takes your gross rent, knocks off a chunk for voids and maintenance, and lands at a number barely different from a standard bricks and mortar valuation — dressed up in commercial language, often costing upwards of £1,000.Whenever you hear "hybrid valuation" in a sales conversation, ask specifically which method is actually being used. The answer is rarely as exciting as the name suggests.8. Valuation Strategy: Reverse Engineer From the Outcome You Need Choose your lender and exit route before you buy — because the lender sets the rules the valuer has to play by, long before anyone walks through the door.And here's my top tip: commission your own independent valuation before the lender sends theirs. Your independent surveyor isn't working for a lender. They know the local area. They're more likely to give you a fair market value. And when the bank's valuer turns up, you're stood at the front door with a copy of that report. Surveyors don't like contradicting each other. That's the whole game.UK property, UK property valuations, UK property podcast, UK property investment, UK buy-to-let valuations, UK property surveyor, UK property market, UK mortgage process, UK commercial valuation, Expat UK property, UK bricks and mortar valuation, Down valuation UK property, UK HMO valuation, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors UK, How do valuations work for UK property?, Why was my UK property down valued?, Preparing a valuation pack for UK property, What is a hybrid valuation in UK property?, Working with UK property valuers as an expat, Avoiding disappointment with UK property valuations, What to include in a UK HMO valuation pack?, Common red flags in UK property valuations, Strategies for UK expats investing in property, Differences between commercial and residential valuations UK, Impact of valuations on UK property refinancing, How to appeal a down valuation in the UK property market, Choosing the right lender for UK property investment, Tips for remote investors in UK property, Guide to independent property valuations in the UKCheck out our new YouTube Channel @ExpatPropertyStory

The Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience at the Rectory in Mountshannon has won a prestigious national award. The popular Clare visitor attraction, which was developed by Clare County Council, was successful in the Adaptation and Re-Use category at this years Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland Awards. Designed by McCullough Mulvin Architects, the award acknowledges the high-quality restoration and repurposing of the historic building into a flagship visitor attraction for the Lough Derg region. Acting Senior Executive Officer Tourism, Festivals & Events, Clare County Council, Theresa Hughes Lannon says it's a fitting recognition of what the centre offers.

AI is shaking up many aspects of the multifamily industry, from marketing to leasing to operations, but one aspect that's less discussed is how the tech can be applied to apartment building construction.To learn more about how AI has already been deployed in multifamily projects, along with what the future potential is, MHN Associate Editor Matthew Kaufman turned to James Garner, a member of the Construction Professional Group Panel at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, or RICS. He's also the Head of AI and Data at Gleeds.Here are some highlights from their discussion:(1:17) AI's early construction impact(4:36) Today's biggest AI wins(7:00) Keeping humans accountable(8:38) Making data AI-ready(11:47) Culture over cost(13:14) Four AI mindsets(16:25) AI meets robotics(23:30) Investor and insurer reactions(27:35) Responsible AI standards

Prospective home buyers are dodging second-hand homes for ready to go properties due to the high renovation costs and lack of availability of tradespeople.Claire McManus, Director of JFOC Architects and Housing Spokesperson for the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland joins Shane to discuss.

Fionnuala May, President of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, announces the winner of the RIAI Public Choice Award 2026.

Painting Insights Podcast is an online show where Richard K Blades and Simon Renshaw talk to professional painters, gallery owners, frame makers and curators. This week our guest is Haidee-Jo Summers. Haidee-Jo is a talented and knowledgable impressionist painter. She is a wonderfully creative artist and I sit down with her to discuss her process and history in art-making. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PaintingInsightsPodcast Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/paintinginsights Haidee-Jo's Website: https://www.haideejo.com Haidee-Jo's Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/haideejosummers/ Russell Gallery: https://www.russell-gallery.com/gallery.html Mall Galleries: https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/about-us/royal-institute-oil-painters Royal Institute of Oil Painters: https://theroi.co.uk Laguna Plein Air Painters: https://lpapa.org Forgotten Coast: https://www.forgottencoastenpleinair.com Richard's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard.k.blades_art/ Richard's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/richardkblades_art Simon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonleerenshaw/ Simon's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SimonSezArtwork

--{ "Alan Watt with Vyzygoth on "From the Grassy Knoll" - "The System" Part 2"}-- The recent Real History episode with Sandi Adams and Neil Foster, talking about UK Column and a pro-China editorial stance. A recent Iain Davis article, The UK Column Conundrum. Who is Marcel Janhke? What is the Rising Tide Foundation? Who was Lyndon Larouche? What did Alan Watt say about Lyndon Larouche? China-maxxing. China presented as villain or saviour. Multipolar world. SPIEF - St. Petersburg International Economic Forum; BRICS nations, Global South - Alan Watt's view of ancient history. China was long planned to be brought up to be the policeman of the world. Talked about in the Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA, Chatham House) meeting in Australia in 1937. Don't be caught in the traps and landmines of carnival barkers who keep you running in circles. Alan Watt and Vyzygoth talk about how old this system is, and Karl Marx, Communism, Free Trade, setting up China to prosper and take over from the West.

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore breaks it all down with James Sherr, an Honorary Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security and an Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs; and former U.S. State Department official Max Bergmann, director of the Europe and Russia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who served as a member of the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff and as a speechwriter for former Secretary of State John Kerry. 

Fionnuala May, President of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, discusses the 2026 Public Choice Awards as the vote opens today. [Pictured: Last year's public choice winner - the Benedictine Monastery at Kylemore Abbey]

In 1930s India, Kamala Baghvat dreamed of working alongside the world's greatest scientific minds. But she was repeatedly told “no” when she tried to work in the then male dominated field. Inspired by Gandhi, she used nonviolent protest to pry her way into some of India's top laboratories. She became the first Indian woman to earn a PhD in biochemistry, and eventually, the first woman to lead India's Royal Institute of Science. Baghvat's career centered around a topic she was passionate about: solving India's malnutrition crisis. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Episode 179: Julian Lighton & his book, Navigating Your Next: Discover the Career You Want and the Path to Get ThereABOUT JULIANJulian Lighton is one of Silicon Valley's leading strategy practitioners and business coaches, helping individuals and organisations navigate what's next. He has more than 30 years' experience advising, hiring and developing talent as a senior operating executive, general manager, consultant and coach. Julian was a Chief Strategy Officer at four, billion-dollar revenue, public companies, a board director, and associate partner for McKinsey and a senior global sales and marketing executive at Fortune 100 companies Hitachi and Cisco. He holds a BA and MA in Law from Oxford University, a Masters-level in Negotiation from Harvard University, and is a Chartered Director by the Royal Institute of Directors. Julian is one of only four hundred coaches worldwide to be recognized as a senior professional coach at the individual and team level by both the ICF and EMCC.CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS• Julian's diverse career journey from law to tech to private equity• The role of curiosity in innovation and leadership• How resilience and failure have shaped Julian's career• The importance of focus, discipline, and storytelling in achieving goals• Leadership principles: responsibility, relationship, and service• The shift in corporate culture and leadership in the modern era• Practical advice for career navigation and self-actualization• Self-care, self-awareness, and balancing work with healthKey characteristics of effective leaders and collaboratorsThe MAIN QUESTION for you that comes out of my conversation with Julian is, What do you really take into account and consider when it's time to decide what comes next for you? FIND JULIAN• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianlighton1/• Website: https://www.julianlighton.com• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julian.lighton/• LinkedIn - Full Podcast Article:CHAPTERS00:00 - The Book Leads Podcast - Julian Lighton00:58 - Introduction & Bio05:15 - Who are you today? Can you provide more information about your work?08:24 - How did your path into your career look like, and what did it look like up until now?56:03 - How does the work you're doing today reconcile to who you were as a child?58:18 - What do you consider your superpower?01:01:06 - What does leadership mean to you?01:19:09 - Can you introduce us to the book we're discussing?01:39:35 - What's changed in you in the process of writing this book?01:42:25 - What book has inspired you?01:45:48 - What are you up to these days? (A way for guests to share and market their projects and work.)This series has become my Masterclass In Humanity. I'd love for you to join me and see what you take away from these conversations.Learn more about The Book Leads and listen to past episodes:Watch on YouTubeListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsRead About The Book Leads – Blog PostFor more great content, check out the catalog for my newsletter Last Week's Leadership Lessons, if you haven't already!

As a child growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Washington Yotto Ochieng once watched a plane cross the night sky and told his mother he wished he could travel on it. But he remembers her encouraging him to dream bigger... Today, Washington is a Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London, and President of the Royal Institute of Navigation. Over a career bridging industry and academia, he has helped shape the movement of urban transport; how satellites guide us and locate us; and how governments manage the technologies underpinning so much of modern life. Professor Jim Al-Khalili speaks to Washington about his inspirational upbringing, how reliant we've become on technologies such as GPS, and his work encouraging the next generation of engineers in both the UK and Africa.

New figures from the Department of Housing show that the building of apartments is on the rise with almost 25,000 flats under construction in the Dublin region. In contrast, the number of houses with planning permission where work has commenced has fallen.Is it time to increase density and build up like this, and are more embracing apartment living?Carole Pollard, Architect & Editor of ‘Irish Cities in Crisis', Fionnula May, President of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland and County Architect for Fingal County Council join Shane to discuss…

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has shattered long-held hopes for Palestinian-Israeli coexistence and exposed the global systems sustaining the decades-long destruction of Palestine and the dispossession of Palestinians. In this special edition of the The Marc Steiner Show, commemorating the solemn anniversary of the Nakba, Marc speaks with world-renowned author and physician Ghada Karmi about the destruction of Gaza, the collapse of faith in a political solution, and the deepening despair felt by many Palestinians and Israelis alike today. Guests:Ghada Karmi was born in Jerusalem. Forced from her home during the Nakba, she later trained as a Doctor of Medicine at Bristol University. She established the first British-Palestinian medical charity in 1972 and was an Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs. She is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling memoir In Search of Fatima and One State: The Only Democratic Future for Palestine-Israel.Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has shattered long-held hopes for Palestinian-Israeli coexistence and exposed the global systems sustaining the decades-long destruction of Palestine and the dispossession of Palestinians. In this special edition of the The Marc Steiner Show, commemorating the solemn anniversary of the Nakba, Marc speaks with world-renowned author and physician Ghada Karmi about the destruction of Gaza, the collapse of faith in a political solution, and the deepening despair felt by many Palestinians and Israelis alike today. Guests:Ghada Karmi was born in Jerusalem. Forced from her home during the Nakba, she later trained as a Doctor of Medicine at Bristol University. She established the first British-Palestinian medical charity in 1972 and was an Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs. She is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling memoir In Search of Fatima and One State: The Only Democratic Future for Palestine-Israel.Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-marc-steiner-show--4661751/support.Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Help us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

The Palace of Westminster is one of the world's most recognisable historic buildings and the home of the UK parliament. Yet much of the estate is in urgent need of repair. While debates over how to approach the Restoration and Renewal programme have continued for over a decade, other countries have already moved ahead: Austria has completed the renovation of its parliament, and Canada's is well underway. In February, the Restoration and Renewal Client Board set out updated costings and recommended two possible paths forward – full decant or enhanced maintenance and improvement. Parliament is expected to debate the Client Board's report in the coming weeks. With the stage now set for parliament to embark on a project that will not only safeguard this historic landmark but also reimagine it for future generations, this IfG event explored lessons from other international projects, and discuss what the Restoration and Renewal programme could mean for parliament, industry and the wider public. To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including: Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Parliamentary Precinct Branch of the Government of Canada (joining remotely) Dr Alexandra Meakin, Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Leeds Jack Pringle, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Nick Smith MP, Chair of the House of Commons Administration Committee The event was chaired by Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank RIBA for kindly supporting this event.

The Palace of Westminster is one of the world's most recognisable historic buildings and the home of the UK parliament. Yet much of the estate is in urgent need of repair. While debates over how to approach the Restoration and Renewal programme have continued for over a decade, other countries have already moved ahead: Austria has completed the renovation of its parliament, and Canada's is well underway. In February, the Restoration and Renewal Client Board set out updated costings and recommended two possible paths forward – full decant or enhanced maintenance and improvement. Parliament is expected to debate the Client Board's report in the coming weeks. With the stage now set for parliament to embark on a project that will not only safeguard this historic landmark but also reimagine it for future generations, this IfG event explored lessons from other international projects, and discuss what the Restoration and Renewal programme could mean for parliament, industry and the wider public. To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including: Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Parliamentary Precinct Branch of the Government of Canada (joining remotely) Dr Alexandra Meakin, Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Leeds Jack Pringle, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Nick Smith MP, Chair of the House of Commons Administration Committee The event was chaired by Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank RIBA for kindly supporting this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

X: @simonedegale @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia Join America's Roundtable radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with a guest from London, Great Britain - Simone de Gale, a Chartered Architect who qualified at the Architectural Association in Bedford Square, London. She has served on the Royal Institute of British Architects board as Honorary Treasurer and board trustee. Simone also engages with the Britain's Royal Family as her affiliation with organizations in the field of urban planning and architecture are connected to Kensington Palace, a royal residence situated within Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. She is the driving force behind SGA's Westminster based organization, an Award Winning Architecture Practice which operates in UK and internationally. Simone is shaping innovative architecture throughout London and Internationally. She has won many awards and accolades including the Winner 'Architect of the Year' Women in Construction. The conversation is focused on America and Britain's challenges and opportunities in the housing sector as a new generation and first home buyers face skyrocketing prices and fewer choices. We are also looking for solutions and best practices in the areas of urban planning, infrastructure and long-term growth. In April 2026 via AP: WASHINGTON (AP) — White House economists estimate the United States has a shortage of 10 million houses, according to a new report — and say regulatory cuts could lead to more construction to stabilize prices, increase home ownership and fuel faster economic growth. From a UK think tank: New analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies reveals that the UK has a shortage of 6.5 million homes when compared to similar European countries. Britain has just 446 homes per 1,000 people, the second worst rate in Europe. This compares to 560 in France, 516 in Germany, and a European average of 542. americasrt.com https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @simonedegale @ileaderssummit @americasrt1776 @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable radio program focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 9:30 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. -------------------- 01 Introduction This is a follow up to my 8 part series on nuclear power. In this episode I will answer questions posed by listeners in the comments to the series. I would like to start by thanking these people for taking the time to submit interesting questions. -------------------- Costs of Small Versus Large Reactors 02 brian-in-ohio asked two questions The first was for a cost comparison between large and small reactors. The second was for nuclear plant safety compared to conventional power plants. 03 Answer I think that any answer to the second question is going to be perceived by some people as politically controversial, so it's probably not a good topic for HPR to address. 04 The first question though about cost of small versus large reactors is an interesting one, although not one that is easy to give an answer to. I will restrict the answer to just grid scale electric power production and ignore use cases such as industrial process heat or power for remote mines and communities. 05 This question comes down to economies of scale versus economies of replication. Economies of scale centre around increased efficiencies of use of materials and labour when making something bigger. For example, the amount of steel used by a pipe increases linearly with its diameter, but the amount of fluid that it transports increases with the square. 06 Economies of replication come from increasing efficiencies which result from serial production. As you repeat the same design over and over again, you learn how to do things better and make fewer mistakes. 07 The exact same principles apply to shipbuilding. Indeed, a lot of the inspiration for Small Modular Reactors comes from the shipbuilding industry. If you build a series of identical ships, then each subsequent ship will cost less and be built faster. There are of course diminishing returns to this process, so the improvements are less with each additional unit and after a sufficient number of units the cost and time reductions level off. 08 However, this doesn't discount the benefits of economies of scale. What it does mean is that there are two ways of approaching the problem, and which way works in any given scenario depends on such conditions as how big the local electricity market is how fast the demand for electricity is growing, the ownership and financing structure of the electricity market, and the geography of the area, which may pose limits on the number of sites. 09 According to the finance people who have crunched the numbers, there are two sizes of reactor which make the most sense in the above context. These are 300 MW and 1000 MW. However, take those as very rough numbers rather than immutable laws of nature and other sizes may work as well. 10 The key point is that there are cases to be made for both small and large reactors, with the large reactor being several times the size of the small one. 11 An additional factor is that building only one reactor does not reap the benefits of efficiency of replication. You need to build a series of them on the same site. So if you are building a power plant, you don't build a power plant that has just one reactor unless you are in a small market which can only use that much power. Instead, you should build between 4 and 6 reactors in sequence next to one another. 12 If you are supply a large population with a growing demand for electricity, then 4 or 6 large 1000 MW reactors gains both economies of scale and economies of replication. If you are supplying a smaller population with slow growth in demand for electricity, then 4 or 6 300 MW reactors at least gets you economies of replication. 13 There is what could be viewed as an interesting example in terms of the above taking place just east of Toronto. There they are building four 300 MW SMRs on a site next to an existing nuclear power plant. 14 Here are the cost estimates from the Government of Ontario. All costs are in Canadian dollars. Unit 1 is $6.1 billion, plus $1.6 billion in costs which are shared by all four unit.s Unit 2 is $4.9 billion. Unit 3 is $4.2 billion. Unit 4 is $4.1 billion. 15 As you can see, building a series of reactors sequentially on the same site results in declining overall costs. They are very confident in these costs as they used data from a series of major nuclear power plant refurbishment projects in Ontario which have been coming in on time and on budget. 16 Construction began last year and the plant is expected to have a 65 year operating life. 17 However, the province of Ontario also has plans for expansion of electrical generation by about 15,000 MW by 2050 in order to meet net zero targets. 18 Given the heavy concentration of population in the Toronto region, and the very high cost and difficulty of building long distance transmission lines, and the limited number of sites which could host new power generation facilities of any sort, I suspect it is quite likely that subsequent reactors will be large 1,000 MW ones rather than SMRs. 19 The Wesleyville site (which is further east of Toronto) is tentatively scheduled for a 10,000 MW nuclear power plant. That would seem to make ten 1,000 MW reactors more likely than 34 300 MW reactors. 20 I don't have a comparable set of numbers for building large reactors to give an exact apples to apples comparison of costs. Different countries use different accounting and financing systems, and finance makes a huge difference to overall costs for nuclear power as operating costs are a relatively small share of the total. 21 Now to look at another side of this equation, the provinces of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick wish to replace their coal fired power plants with nuclear power plants. The populations of these provinces are too small to absorb a large new power plant into their grids, and studies assuming large reactors have foundered on this issue. 22 New Brunswick already have a nuclear power plant, but it was build in the days when reactors were much smaller. Both provinces however are very interested in small reactors, even individual ones, in order to replace the coal fired plants that are of similar size. 23 I think this covers the cost versus size issue. The more I look into it, the more it becomes apparent that there is no simple one size fits all answer but rather there are a series of trade-offs which must be taken in light of local circumstances. -------------------- MOX Fuel in the USA 24 The next question comes from mnw who asked about the use of MOX fuel in the USA. 25 mnw asked I am enjoying and look forward to the rest of the series. Do you think the US will ever wake up and start recycling its spent fuel? It seems like such a huge waste just to try and keep a small amount of fuel away from"the bad guys" or whatever they are imagining. Answer 26 My answer to this is as follows. I think I've addressed this in the original series, although not directly with respect to the US so I can provide some more detail on that aspect of it. 27 First though I will review what plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel is. As mentioned in previous episodes, military grade plutonium is not the same as the plutonium which comes out of commercial power reactors. Just as military grade uranium requires nearly pure U-235 isotope, military grade plutonium requires nearly pure Pu-239 isotope. 28 What comes out of a commercial power reactor as spent fuel is not usable for weapons purposes as the proportion of Pu-239 is much too low. However, plutonium recovered from spent fuel can be used as fuel for nuclear reactors in place of uranium 235 when mixed with uranium 238 either left over from enrichment or extracted from spent fuel. This is what is known as MOX fuel. 29 To look at the US history of this however, here's the sequence of events. The US banned fuel reprocessing in 1976. However, this ban was repealed in 1981. 30 In 2005, the US began building a mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel plant at Savannah River in the state of South Carolina. However, this plant was not intended as a normal commercial operation and it was not intended to recycle commercial nuclear power plant fuel. It was instead intended to convert surplus military grade plutonium into commercial fuel in order to get rid of it as part of an arms control program. 31 The program was suspended in 2018. There were apparently many complex political issues involved in these on-again off-again decisions and I won't pretend to have the time or interest to explore all the details nor do I think most listeners would be interested in hearing abou them. 32 As of March 2026, the US are looking at reviving part of the Savannah River plant to produce limited amounts of fuel for testing of advanced reactors. The issue driving this is the shortage of uranium enriched to just below 20%. This fuel is used in certain types of small SMR. 33 The main commercial supplier of this material was a plant in Russia, but "certain events in Europe in recent years" shall we say, have resulted in that supply no longer being available to commercial operations in the US. MOX fuel based on surplus weapons grade plutonium is intended as a short term quick fix for that problem. 34 Another driving force is legal requirements following from domestic commitments for the US government to dispose of certain stockpiles of weapons grade plutonium from certain sites in the US where it is "temporarily" stored, and the solution to that is seen as burning it up in power reactors. 35 So the history is the US banned fuel reprocessing. Then a few years later they un-banned it. Then the US government started building a MOX plant which was intended to get rid of surplus weapons grade material by burning it up in power reactors. Then they decided they didn't want to do that. Then they decided they may want to make MOX fuel after all to replace supplies of special grades of fuel for experimental or prototype reactors. 36 What is missing from the above history is any actual interest from the US commercial nuclear industry in MOX fuel. The reason for this is, as mentioned in the previous episodes, uranium is so cheap and abundant that fuel made from fresh uranium is cheaper than MOX fuel. 37 Some countries such as France wish to recycle spent fuel to reduce their dependence upon imports. Recall that France's drive to build nuclear power plants was in response to the 1970s era energy crisis when oil imports from the Middle East were suddenly cut off. However, the US are not concerned about this issue and so do not make it national security policy as France did. 38 As a result, US commercial demand is for cheaper fuel made from fresh uranium rather than for MOX fuel. Until such time as fresh uranium greatly increases in price there is little economic incentive for the use of MOX fuel in the US. 39 However, there is another aspect to this. If you recall in previous episodes I described molten salt reactors which used dissolved uranium fuel. These reactors inherently reprocess fuel as part of their normal operation. They just do it as part of maintaining the molten salt chemistry at the correct values rather than doing it as a separate process. 40 If these types of reactors become widely used then they would be achieving the same thing as creating MOX fuel, but without an explicit separate step. 41 As a final footnote to the above, the US has almost exclusively use enriched uranium light water reactors. As mentioned in previous episodes, there are ways of recycling spent fuel from light water reactors which do not involve chemically reprocessing it to make MOX fuel. 42 Experiments have been done involving South Korea, China, and Canada which take spent fuel from light water reactors and repackage it to fit it into natural uranium heavy water reactors. What is used up or "spent" fuel for a light water reactor is high grade fuel to a natural uranium reactor. However, the US has, for whatever reason, never built commercial natural uranium reactors such as are used in a number of other countries around the world. 43 If they were to do so, then nuclear fuel could be used twice, once in a light water reactor, and again in a natural uranium reactor, all without having to turn it into MOX fuel in a separate reprocessing step. However, this particular alternative would likely face the same issue in the sense that fresh fuel would still be cheaper than reusing spent fuel. -------------------- A Variety of Questions from Clinton 44 Next we have a variety of questions from Clinton. Clinton asked I would like some commentary in the current situation, why has hinkley gone off the rails, the new american approach, the odd things done after fukushima, the new radiation rules in the states. 45 Question 1 why has hinkley gone off the rails, 46 Answer The question refers to cost overruns at the Hinkley Point nuclear power project in the UK. The UK government looked into this issue in a more general sense in 2025. They published a report on it titled Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025 Enabling nuclear delivery through regulatory reform John Fingleton There is a link to the report in the show notes. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692080f75c394e481336ab89/nuclear-regulatory-review-2025.pdf 47 As the report is 162 pages long, I won't try to cover it all in this answer. I will however give a few simple examples. The report focuses on civilian nuclear power and the defence nuclear industry as well. However it also draws examples from outside the nuclear industry to show that the problem is not limited to nuclear. It shows that the same problems exist in the offshore wind industry, and in the HS2 High Speed Rail project. 48 In the view of the authors of the report, the essence of the problem seems to be a lack of any degree of proportionality in terms of mitigating negative effects from any project. Big nuclear projects make the headlines because they are inherently big projects, but as I have just mentioned, they affect things like wind power development and rail transport as well. 49 I will pick one example from Hinkley Point specifically. This is "Case Study: Hinkley Point C Fish Protection" A summary of this is that they spent £700 million of additional money on the cooling water intakes to protect an estimated 0.083 salmon per year, along with 0.028 sea trout, 6 river lamprey, 18 Allis shad, and somewhere between 100 and 528 twaite shad. The report points out that there are ways to protect far more fish for far less money by spending it in other areas, and gives some examples. Again, this problem is not limited to nuclear power, and they give similar examples connected with offshore wind development and HS2 High Speed Rail. 50 I would like to emphasize that I am not expressing an opinion on whether or not any of these decisions were good or bad ones or whether the money was well spent. I am just summarizing the report's explanation of why large projects of all sorts initiated and approved by the UK parliament were not turning out as initially expected. I will leave it up to people in the UK to decide whether or not they are satisfied with the current situation. 51 Question 2 the new american approach, 52 Answer The US have apparently announced changes to their regulatory system. I don't know enough about the subject to really judge the practical effects of regulation within the US. However, I have read and listened to many interviews of people from both the industry and the regulatory side of things who are from outside the US but are familiar with it. They generally contrast two different approaches to regulation. On the one hand there is the US approach, which they see as being more of a box ticking exercise than an in depth safety review. This makes it very hard to get a design other than a traditional PWR or BWR approved in the US. 53 It has the advantage from the regulator side of things though in that it reduces the amount of work required as it primarily requires just following a set of defined procedures. These people then contrast that approach with the one used in the UK and in Canada, both of which they see as being very similar to one another. In those two countries, regulators work with industry to review designs from basic principles rather than just seeing if it meets a pre-defined list of criteria. This is a results oriented system rather than a process oriented system as used in the US. 54 As a result of this, designers of new nuclear reactors are going to the UK and Canada first to go through preliminary review there, and only going to the US later. What designers are looking for is feedback on their design as they go along in order to align the design with what safety regulators see as being required from their standpoint. They want to go into a review process before the design is finalized so they can get guidance on how they should approach things rather than trying to add safety as additional features on top of a finished design. 55 It would take someone with deep familiarity with nuclear regulation systems to understand the practical effects of recent changes in US regulatory systems, but it is quite possible that people within the regulatory structure in the US have been taking the above on board and trying to adapt to current circumstances. However, I can only speculate on that. This is about the best answer that I can give. 56 Question 3 the odd things done after fukushima, 57 Answer This covers a lot of topics, some of which are probably political and so are not suited to HPR. I will try to list a few events however. As a brief summary if the Fukushima events go however, a historic scale earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011 caused huge loss of life and widespread damage. About 20,000 people were killed by the earthquake and tsunami. Three nuclear reactors based on 1960s era GE BWR designs were seriously damaged by hydrogen explosions caused by loss of power to backup generators when they were flooded by the tsunami. However, there were no radiation related deaths or cases of radiation sickness. 58 Following events in Japan was a general review of designs around the world, with various improvements made in some areas, particularly backup generators and hydrogen management. It seems to be conventional wisdom that the Fukushima event caused a number of countries to decide to phase out nuclear power. 59 However, when I tried to make a list of such countries for this episode I found things were not as is often heard. The countries which decided to get rid of nuclear power had largely started down that road at least a decade before then and generally for reasons unrelated to any specific events outside of their own country. In other cases they reversed that decision or are in the process of doing so. Japan itself has restarted many of their nuclear power plants and plant to replace decommissioned nuclear power plants with new ones, although many of the older and smaller ones were considered not economically worth upgrading at this point in their life to restart them. 60 The one possible exception to this may be Taiwan which decided to phase out nuclear power in 2016. However, I don't know enough about Taiwanese politics to state with any confidence that their decision in 2016 was based on anything related to events in Japan, or whether in fact they were a byproduct of other political changes within Taiwan and the shut down of nuclear plants happened to be carried along with those. Currently Taiwan get their electricity primarily from natural gas and coal. 61 Meanwhile across mainland Asia from Turkey to China, large numbers of nuclear power plants were built or are under construction. Taken together on a global scale, did anything really change after Fukushima, or did the countries which had already decided to close down their nuclear power plants simply continue to do so, and those countries who decided they wanted more of them continue to build them? That's a good question for which I don't think anyone has the perspective to answer at this point. 62 Another side of this which is hard to disentangle from it though is the increased use of natural gas for electric power generation which was happening at around the same time. Increased use of fracking in a number of countries, plus increased supplies from Russia and LNG from the Middle East and other places resulted in falls in natural gas prices in many places. Since combined cycle natural gas turbines form the main competitor to nuclear power, anything which improves the economics of natural gas will act to reduce demand for nuclear power. This makes it hard to decide to what degree the reduction in the number of reactors being built was due to the political effects of the earthquake and tsunami and to what degree it was due to cheaper natural gas through fracking and other means. I'll leave that question at that. 63 Question 4 the new radiation rules in the states. 64 Answer I'm not deeply familiar with US radiation rules, but I will attempt to answer the question. Apparently there are wide variety of different things being addressed, only some of which have any relevance to the nuclear power industry. One of these is an epidemiological study on the current exposure limits for workers in the nuclear industry. This study will take place over about 5 years. In the end it may not result in any changes. This is for a number of reasons. 65 One is that US exposure thresholds for workers are currently aligned with international standards. It would be difficult for the US industry to operate on a different basis than the rest of the world when supply chains are global and kit is designed to meet currently recognized standards. Another is that apparently the nuclear industry are not, so far as I can discern, asking for any changes to limits. They instead are looking for changes to how some of the details are being applied, such as for example the criteria for deciding when respirators are required in low risk environments. 66 Some point to recent changes in UK regulations as an example of what they are looking for. I will post a link to the new (November of 2025) UK regulations in the show notes. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-industry-principles-to-guide-the-application-of-as-low-as-reasonably-practicable-alarp-and-best-available-techniques-bat/ways-of-working-principles-to-guide-the-application-of-alarp-and-bat-in-the-nuclear-industry-accessible-webpage This is about as much detail as I think I can comment on when it comes to this question, as I think it is a subject that requires a fair bit more practical knowledge of than I have in order to give a thorough and balanced answer. -------------------- 67 Question from Antoine Were/are the designs patented? Hi, Whiskeyjack. Nice ep. You said AGR, based on Magnox, was a nuclear reactor type that did not sell well outside the UK. I then started thinking if it were (is) possible to another countries to develop by themselves based on that project, or if it had (has) a commercial restriction for exploration of the technology. I have yet to listen to the following episodes (doing little by little) and may learn better on the choices, but I felt free to present the question by now... Thanks! 68 Answer This is a very good question because it offers the opportunity to talk about a number of interesting things that haven't been touched on yet. Let's cover a bit of background first. 69 A patent is a time limited right to exploit a defined bit of valuable technical knowledge. Patents were involved from the very earliest days of commercial nuclear power, and I will give an example of this later. A key point to keep in mind though is that the nuclear power field moves very slowly and it takes a long time for new knowledge to make it from the lab to commercial application. Patents will often expire before they reach the point where they can be used. 70 Contracts on the other hand are legally enforceable agreements between two parties. A contract may have a time limited life, but that is an arrangement between the parties. A commercial nuclear power plant is a very large and complex bit of kit and not easily copied in detail. It can be far more effective to cover designs under contracts and licenses than to rely on patents. If a country wished to build their own nuclear power plants rather than buying them from someone else, there are a large number of companies who have commercial designs they are willing to license to third parties for them to build themselves. Indeed a number of these companies base their business around licensing of designs or have other reasons for wishing to do so. 71 From a licensee perspective, it could take decades of work and hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars to take a design from first principle to the ready to build state, wheras licensing a design give you a proven design right away. As mentioned in previous episodes, there many types of reactor in the world. The selection of what sort of reactor a country decides to buy often depends more on commercial considerations revolving around licensing terms and conditions than it does with respect to any technical considerations. Here's an example which shows how South Korea decided to license a design, build it for themselves, and then export it to other countries. 72 KunMo Chung - Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, stated in an interview in 2019 that South Korea wanted to standardize on a single reactor technology in the early 1980s. They had reactors from multiple different vendors, but wanted to license an existing successful design to produce for themselves and for the export market. One of the major factors in deciding to standardize was to allow them to improve operator training by focusing on one design. Professor Chung stated that one of the key factors in selecting a design from ABB-Combustion Engineering was that he personally knew and had a good relationship with the Chief Technical Officer of ABB-Combustion Engineering going back to a time when Professor Chung had been studying and working in the USA. 73 On their side, ABB-Combustion Engineering were having financial problems and they needed a partner to help further develop their new PWR design. Also they stood to gain revenue from this partnership as well. Based on this relationship, the two sides came to a business agreement and South Korea began producing reactors based on this design, while also continuing to develop and improve it further. 74 Here's an example of a case where the developers of a promising technology decided that they had more to gain by not patenting their technology. Instead they decided to freely share their information in order to get other researchers elsewhere to help to advance the technology so that all could benefit from it. 75 In an interview Wacław Gudowski - Prof. Emeritus, Royal Institute of Technology KTH Stockholm stated that the Soviets and later the Russian were the leaders in lead-bismuth cooled reactors. These reactors use lead-bismuth liquid metal alloy as a coolant. In the 1990s the Russian institute working on commercializing this technology were working with Western partners on nuclear technology in general. They considered patenting this technology, but in the end decided to simply publish it openly. 76 Professor Gudowski had even smuggled $60,000 in cash into Russia to finance the patent application in order to get the Russian institute to publish their technology, but the money was not needed. They based this decision on the judgment that it would take 20 years of R&D before the technology was ready for the commercial market, so they wouldn't see a penny on any patents anyway. They were right on this, as it was another 20 years of R&D in Europe, Russia, China, and Korea before lead-bismuth technology was ready for commercial use. 77 It had already seen use in submarine reactors, but the commercial market demanded a more thoroughly developed technology to satisfy commercial needs. By deciding to not patent the technology, the original developers gained from shared R&D rather than chasing the illusary gains from patent licenses on technology that was not ready for the commercial market anyway. 78 I said that patents were involved in nuclear technology from the very earliest days, and I will now turn to that story. When I say the earliest days, I mean probably earlier than you are imaging. I am talking about before WWII. 79 First though I need to give some background information. France and Britain were working on nuclear weapons from the very earliest days of WWII. In Britain's case this was called Tube Alloys. Canada also was conducting nuclear experiments, including building an "atomic pile", but it's not clear if this had any clear practical goals or was done to understand the physics better. 80 If you read the Wikipedia version of history, it states that Tube Alloys was merged into the Manhattan Project. However, participants have stated in interviews that this was not the case, and the Quebec Agreement which supposedly merged them makes no such mention of any merger of the projects, just the setting up of a board to coordinate efforts between the three countries, that is the US, UK, and Canada. In fact the two projects didn't get along that well, and as we shall see below, a big part of that was disputes over patents. ### 81 The following is based on a paper written by Bertrand Goldschmidt, a French nuclear scientist. Two of his colleagues, Hans Halban and Lew Kowarski played a critical role in early nuclear research. Halban in particular was one of the greatest scientific names in nuclear fission. In March of 1939 Halban conducted an experiment showing that neutrons were emitted by the fissioning of uranium. 82 In April Joliot, Halban, Kowarski and Perrin had a pretty good idea of how to use nuclear fission to produce energy and to make an explosive device and decided to file patents on their invention. Each of the four would receive a 5% share of any benefits and the other 80% would go to the research instittute they worked at in Paris. I will now quote from Goldschmidt's paper. 83 The first two patents concerned energy production and were entitled "Device for energy production" and "Method for stabilizing a device for energy production." They roughly defined the principles of the main components of our present power reactors: moderator in heterogeneous or homogeneous arrangements, cooling fluid, control rods, protection shield. The third patent called "Method for perfecting explosive charges" was less brilliant from a foresight point of view though it proposed valid solutions for the trigger, the tamper, and the rapid obtainment of the critical assembly of a possible explosive device. Finally, nearly a year later, after Alfred Nier's experimental confirmation in March 1940 of Niels Bohr's theoretical prediction that uranium 235, the rare isotope of the mixture in natural uranium, was responsible for fission by slow neutrons, the French took out an additional patent on the advantage of using enriched uranium for the chain reaction. End of quote. 84 In May of 1940, the CNRS, the French research institute in Paris, negotiated an agreement with Belgian mining company Union Miniere, who were the world's biggest producer of uranium, at the time a byproduct of radium mining, about a partnership for the world wide exploitation of these patents. However the agreement was not finalized due to the ongoing events in the war. At the beginning of the war, the French government had approved the development of an energy generator - or a nuclear reactor as we would say today, with the intention of creating an engine for submarines. 85 With the fall of France, Halban and Kowarski travelled to the UK with their supply of heavy water where they were received by their UK counterparts, James Chadwick and John Cockroft. The British were already working on an atomic bomb. In the UK the two conducted an experiment showing that it was possible to create nuclear energy using natural uranium and heavy water. In 1941 the British nuclear project was reorganized and given the name Tube Alloys. In 1942 it was decided to move the work on a plutonium bomb to Canada, and Canada would pay for the project. A lab was set up in Montreal and Halban was put in charge of the project. 86 Halban had negotiated this arrangement by offering to arrange to have the French patents for world wide rights outside of France and the French empire transferred to the UK. In return the French team were to be given a key role in the British nuclear project. The author of the paper I am referencing, Bertrand Goldschmidt, was a section leader in Montreal and a colleague of Halban from France. The Montreal group cooperated with the American Manhattan Project and the two shared information and exchanged visits. 87 However, relations between the two began to break down, with a major cause of this being the Americans being unhappy about the French patents and Halban's arrangement to give the British world wide rights to them. The postwar commercial potential for nuclear power was seen to be huge, and this was a major bone of contention. The extensive participation of ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) engineers in the Tube Alloys project was also objectionable to the Americans. Presumably this had something to do with potential for ICI being involved in future commercialization of the technology. The American Dupont company, a commercial rival of ICI, was also heavily involved in the American atomic bomb project. The eventual result of this was that the US cut off cooperation with the UK-Canada nuclear project. 88 Finally Halban was forced out of the project at the insistence of the Americans, and he was replaced by John Cockroft who moved to Montreal to take charge of the project. The Americans now restore limited cooperation. Kowarski was put in charge of building a heavy water moderated natural uranium reactor at a new site north of Ottawa at Chalk River. This reactor was turned on on the 5th of September, 1945, three days after Japan's surrender. So in what was supposedly a titanic war for survival, key allies were falling out with respect to their ultimate weapon over issues of patents covering post war commercialization. 89 With the end of the war, the nuclear weapons project in Montreal and Chalk River was wound up. Halban, Kowarski, and Goldschmidt returned to France and Cockroft to the UK where they all played senior roles in the nuclear programs of their respective countries. John Cockroft played an important role in the development of the Magnox reactors which Antoine asked about. The Chalk River Site remains as Canada's main nuclear research centre to this day, and Canada was to continue development of heavy water moderated natural uranium reactors. 90 The first commercial nuclear power plant was commissioned in the UK in 1956, roughly 17 years after the original French nuclear patents. At that time, UK patents had a term of 16 years. While I am not a patent lawyer, it would appear that these patents would likely have expired before nuclear power was ever commercialized. So to answer the question about patents, the first patents on nuclear energy date to before WWII started, and the very first two were about nuclear power plants and it was only the third one which covered nuclear weapons. -------------------- 91 Thanks to other listeners. A number of other listeners made comments saying they were really enjoying the series. I would like to thank the following for their kind words of encouragement. They helped make the work required to do this worthwhile. They are brian-in-ohio mnw Clinton Antoine bjb Kevin O'Brien Trey L'andrew Archer72 Jim DeVore If you have commented but I have forgotten your name, or if the show was recorded before I got a chance to read your comment, I would still like to thank you. 92 Conclusion I would like to thank all the listeners for their kind comments and insightful questions. I hope that I have answered these questions to the satisfaction of everyone. I look forward to hearing from all of you in future podcast episodes including those on other topics. -------------------- Proceedings of the 29th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Association and 10th annual conference of the Canadian Nuclear Society. V. 1-3 https://inis.iaea.org/records/m2s41-40917 This has a paper by Bertrand Goldschmidt about the work of the French scientists in Canada. -------------------- Provide feedback on this episode.

As a child growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Washington Yotto Ochieng once watched a plane cross the night sky and told his mother he wished he could travel on it. But he remembers her encouraging him to dream bigger...Today, Washington is a Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London, and President of the Royal Institute of Navigation. Over a career bridging industry and academia, he has helped shape the movement of urban transport; how satellites guide us and locate us; and how governments manage the technologies underpinning so much of modern life. Professor Jim Al-Khalili speaks to Washington about his inspirational upbringing, how reliant we've become on technologies such as GPS, and his work encouraging the next generation of engineers in both the UK and Africa. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy TaylorA BBC Studios production

[This episode originally aired in May 2021.] Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Zaha Hadid had a groundbreaking career as an architect. She became known as the “Queen of the curve” for her innovative designs and buildings. Zaha was the first woman ever to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and designed the London Aquatics Center for the 2012 Olympics, the Guangzhou Opera House, and many other beautiful and creative buildings. She used her skills in art, architecture, and mathematics to leave her mark on cities around the world.  You can listen to more podcast episodes you know and love, PLUS exciting new content on our Rebel Girls app! Just go to go.rebelgirls.com/dream-on to download and listen for free! About the Narrator A multi-disciplinary designer, architect, and professor, Neri Oxman founded The Mediated Matter Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010 where she established and pioneered the field of Material Ecology. Oxman received her PhD in Design Computation at MIT in 2010. Prior to that, she earned a diploma from the Architectural Association in London. In addition to over 150 scientific publications and inventions, Oxman's work is included in the permanent collections of leading international museums. In 2018, Oxman was honored with the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award and the London Design Innovation Medal. In 2019, Oxman received an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Contemporary Vision Award by SFMOMA.   Credits This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls and is based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This episode was produced by Isaac Kaplan-Woolner. Sound design and mixing by Camille Stennis and Steve Pogatch. This episode was written by Annu Subramanian and proofread by Ariana Rosas. Executive Producer was Katie Sprenger. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi. A big thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this show possible! For more, visit www.rebelgirls.com. Until next time, stay REBEL!

Edmund Marriage returns to the program for the second part of our talk about ancient times. We focus on the true history of The Garden of Eden, what it was, and where. We talk about who the Annunaki were, and what was the cataclysm that ended the Ice Age... Edmund is the Principal of the Patrick Foundation, an Independent Researcher with a background in Business and Land Management. He qualified as a Chartered Land Agent and as an Associate of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (ARICS) at the Royal Agricultural College Cirencester and Wye College, London University. He founded British Wildlife Management in 1995 to lobby Parliament and other organisations for best practice in Countryside and Wildlife Management, specializing on Animal Welfare Science. He lobbies on a range of key issues such as Driver Training through the Quality Driving Initiative, and includes Healing Addiction Without Drugs through neurotherapy in residential rehabilitation, leading to practical training and skills through Work Groups for Wildlife, and the provision of quality jobs. His extensive historical research has revealed a single advanced, secular benevolent source for all religions. His Golden Age Project inspired by the work of Christian and Barbara Joy O'Brien promotes the recovery of past knowledge in order to resolve many of today's problems. He believes that re-establishing high standards of training and knowledge for all important roles, forms a priority in establishing good Government and successful Social Organisation and Cohesion. Above all, he emphasizes the priority need for a clear understanding of the written parts of our brilliant British Constitution and the upholding of the Rule of Law for the People. Issues currently threatened by totalitarian politics. More information can be found at www.goldenageproject.org.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edmund Marriage joins us for what is likely to be many parts of a discussion. We talk about what may have been the historical Jesus, climate change, the Annunaki, the lost civilization before the end of the last ice age, and much more... Edmund is the Principal of the Patrick Foundation, an Independent Researcher with a background in Business and Land Management. He qualified as a Chartered Land Agent and as an Associate of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (ARICS) at the Royal Agricultural College Cirencester and Wye College, London University. He founded British Wildlife Management in 1995 to lobby Parliament and other organisations for best practice in Countryside and Wildlife Management, specialising on Animal Welfare Science. He lobbies on a range of key issues such as Driver Training through the Quality Driving Initiative, and includes Healing Addiction Without Drugs through neurotherapy in residential rehabilitation, leading to practical training and skills through Work Groups for Wildlife, and the provision of quality jobs. His extensive historical research has revealed a single advanced, secular benevolent source for all religions. His Golden Age Project inspired by the work of Christian and Barbara Joy O'Brien promotes the recovery of past knowledge in order to resolve many of today's problems. He believes that re-establishing high standards of training and knowledge for all important roles, forms a priority in establishing good Government and successful Social Organisation and Cohesion. Above all, he emphasises the priority need for a clear understanding of the written parts of our brilliant British Constitution and the upholding of the Rule of Law for the People. Issues currently threatened by totalitarian politics. More information can be found at www.goldenageproject.org.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Miles is joined by Jil Evans and Charles Taliaferro (St. Olaf College, Minnesota, USA) to discuss their new book, 'Iris Murdoch and the Transcendent'. We cover love, ethics, mora illumination, gender, vision and the will and much more! https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Iris-Murdoch-and-the-Transcendent-by-Charles-Taliaferro-Jil-Evans/9781009631594 Jil Evans is an abstract artist and author whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and is held in private and museum collections throughout the United States, including Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Flaten Art Museum, and Halle Ford Museum of Art. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, which include a Jerome Foundation Grant, Arts Midwest/National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board grant, and a Pew Grant to study and paint Italy, and residencies at the American Academy in Rome and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. She has co-authored three books with Charles Taliaferro. Charles Taliaferro is Emeritus professor of philosophy at St. Olaf College, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Faithful Research, and a member of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of twenty books, most recently The Image in Mind; Theism, Naturalism and the Imagination, co-authored with the American artist Jil Evans. He has been a visiting scholar or guest lecturer at a large number of universities, including Brown, Cambridge, Notre Dame, Oxford, Princeton, and the University of Chicago.[1][2][3] Since 2013 Taliaferro is editor-in-chief of the journal Open Theology. He is the author of over twenty books in theology and philosophy of religion.

With the housing crisis, there is the school of thought that we should embrace apartment living, but it seems like we're hard wired into wanting a house with a garden.Fionnuala May, Architect with Fingal County Council and President of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has been living in an apartment in Mountjoy Square for over 40 years and has raised a family there. She joins Seán to discuss.

Ireland is nowhere near meeting its retrofit targets, that's according to a new ESRI report out today.So why are people not retrofitting?For more on this, Shane is joined by Claire McManus, Director of JFOC Architects and Housing Spokesperson for the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland.

Painting Insights Podcast is an online show where Richard K Blades and Simon Renshaw talk to professional painters, gallery owners, frame makers and curators. This week our guest is Stewart Beckett. Stewart is an generous and skilled painter of landscape and portraits, and is a full member of The Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PaintingInsightsPodcast Stewart's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stewart.beckett/ https://www.instagram.com/sblpaintings/ https://www.instagram.com/sbppaintings/ Stewart's Website: https://landscape.stewartbeckett.co.uk https://www.stewartbeckett.co.uk Palais Des Vaches: https://palaisdesvaches.co.uk Gallery Holt: https://thegalleryholt.com Mall Galleries: https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk Richard's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard.k.blades_art/ Richard's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/richardkblades_art Simon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonleerenshaw/ Simon's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SimonSezArtwork

Greg interviews old friend of the podcast Rikker Dockum, Thai language expert extraordinaire about the Thai Royal Society, an organization dedicated to overseeing, promoting and regulating the Thai language. Rikker begins by explaining that he actually wrote his undergraduate thesis on the Society more than 20 years ago, so he's a longstanding follower of their work. He notes that it originally modeled itself after the French Academy, which, among other things, develops French words for English equivalents.  For instance, Greg brings up the issue of the word 'computer,' which is typically spoken in Thai as 'com-pu-TER,' even though the Institute has specified a true Thai word for the computer. Rikker goes through the etymology of the word, but Greg asks whether the work of the Institute is even necessary if people don't adopt the words they come up with. Rikker defends the use of public funds for work codifying 'official' Thai, noting that were it left to the private marketplace, the work would never get done.  The old friends continue their conversation about the Institute, emphasizing the need for such an organization for a language like Thai, which is vital to the history and culture of Thailand, but plays little role outside the country. Very few languages in the world are so popularly dominant that their continued preservation is assured, and unfortunately, Thai language is not one of them.  Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

A cutting-edge investigation of how Russia makes war. Russian strategy in the twenty-first century has been described in terms of 'hybrid' warfare, an approach characterised by measures short of war, such as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. But as the invasion of Ukraine has brutally demonstrated, conventional armed violence remains a key element of Russian power. In Blitzkrieg and the Russian Art of War (Manchester UP, 2025), Andrew Monaghan offers a high-level view of Russian thinking about warfare. Drawing on extensive Russian sources, he addresses important questions that have been overlooked by most Western commentators: what is the military leadership's distinctive idea of twenty-first-century blitzkrieg? How does it understand holistic territorial defence? How does it manage the shifting balance between offence and defence? Introducing key concepts from Russian military thinking, Blitzkrieg and the Russian art of war is a crucial resource for understanding Russia's resurgent role on the global stage and the devastating threat the country poses to the international order. Andrew Monaghan is Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A cutting-edge investigation of how Russia makes war. Russian strategy in the twenty-first century has been described in terms of 'hybrid' warfare, an approach characterised by measures short of war, such as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. But as the invasion of Ukraine has brutally demonstrated, conventional armed violence remains a key element of Russian power. In Blitzkrieg and the Russian Art of War (Manchester UP, 2025), Andrew Monaghan offers a high-level view of Russian thinking about warfare. Drawing on extensive Russian sources, he addresses important questions that have been overlooked by most Western commentators: what is the military leadership's distinctive idea of twenty-first-century blitzkrieg? How does it understand holistic territorial defence? How does it manage the shifting balance between offence and defence? Introducing key concepts from Russian military thinking, Blitzkrieg and the Russian art of war is a crucial resource for understanding Russia's resurgent role on the global stage and the devastating threat the country poses to the international order. Andrew Monaghan is Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

A cutting-edge investigation of how Russia makes war. Russian strategy in the twenty-first century has been described in terms of 'hybrid' warfare, an approach characterised by measures short of war, such as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. But as the invasion of Ukraine has brutally demonstrated, conventional armed violence remains a key element of Russian power. In Blitzkrieg and the Russian Art of War (Manchester UP, 2025), Andrew Monaghan offers a high-level view of Russian thinking about warfare. Drawing on extensive Russian sources, he addresses important questions that have been overlooked by most Western commentators: what is the military leadership's distinctive idea of twenty-first-century blitzkrieg? How does it understand holistic territorial defence? How does it manage the shifting balance between offence and defence? Introducing key concepts from Russian military thinking, Blitzkrieg and the Russian art of war is a crucial resource for understanding Russia's resurgent role on the global stage and the devastating threat the country poses to the international order. Andrew Monaghan is Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

A cutting-edge investigation of how Russia makes war. Russian strategy in the twenty-first century has been described in terms of 'hybrid' warfare, an approach characterised by measures short of war, such as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. But as the invasion of Ukraine has brutally demonstrated, conventional armed violence remains a key element of Russian power. In Blitzkrieg and the Russian Art of War (Manchester UP, 2025), Andrew Monaghan offers a high-level view of Russian thinking about warfare. Drawing on extensive Russian sources, he addresses important questions that have been overlooked by most Western commentators: what is the military leadership's distinctive idea of twenty-first-century blitzkrieg? How does it understand holistic territorial defence? How does it manage the shifting balance between offence and defence? Introducing key concepts from Russian military thinking, Blitzkrieg and the Russian art of war is a crucial resource for understanding Russia's resurgent role on the global stage and the devastating threat the country poses to the international order. Andrew Monaghan is Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He served as the editor of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) newsletter from 2016 to 2018 and is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

--{ "Robo-Roaches and New Age Coaches"}-- Kevin Warsh, nominee for Chairman of the Federal Reserve - Robert Lauder, Kevin's father-in-law and head of the World Jewish Congress - Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury - Waking Up - The Trap - Aliens, Paranormal - Fake Reality. Adolf Hitler, Ancient Tyrants, Powerful Families - Institutions, Royal Institute of International Affairs, Council on Foreign Relations. Cecil Rhodes, Boer War, Raids - British East India Company - Anglo-American Establishment. Queen Elizabeth I - Standards of Living - Ancient Rome, Minoans, Harappans - Brytish Empire, Commonwealth, Parliament - Outer Space, Channelers, New Age Movement - Madame Blavatsky, Anne Besant, Alice Bailey, Theosophy, Mysticism - Discrediting Intelligence - Westminster Abbey: Tesserated (Checkerboard) Floor, Tombs, Obelisks in "Christian" Church. North American Integration, Unification - Montreal, Napoleonic Code - Egypt, Eye of Ra - Skinner, Behaviourism, Alteration of Environment - Genetic Enhancement - "Inferior Types", "Junk Genes" - Self-help Groups, Books - Scientific Crutches, Assurance, Insurance. MI5, MI6, Creation of Modern Mythology for Public - Aleister Crowley, OTO (Ordo Templi Orientis) - H.G. Wells. "New World Order", Hinduism - American Eugenics Society, "Perfect Specimens", Rockefeller, I.G. Farben. National and International Socialism - Trotsky, Perpetual Revolution.

This week 14 European countries warned that “maritime safety and security” was being put in jeopardy by Russian interference. The Royal Institute of Navigation says GPS is so vulnerable to so called ‘spoofing' and ‘jamming' that we need to rethink the navigation systems on which shipping relies. Tom Whipple speaks to Ramsey Faragher, CEO of the Institute.Something else with the potential to affect navigation systems are solar storms. Tom visits Professor Tim Horbury and Helen O'Brien at Imperial College London whose instrument strapped to the Solar Orbiter probe, and speeding through space, is giving us more warning about solar activity which could affect us here on earth.And science journalist Caroline Steel brings you the latest scientific research.To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.

"Today's 'pro-Europeans' would be horrified at the suggestion that their idea of Europe had anything to do with whiteness. In fact, many would find the attempt to link the two baffling and outrageous," writes Hans Kundnani in Eurowhiteness: Culture, Empire and Race in the European Project (Oxford UP, 2023). Yet, he does so - taking the reader on a historical journey through the development of European identity from Christendom to the coincidence of the Enlightenment and the development of colonialism to the pan-European movement that grew out of the first world war and peace project (or was it?) that emerged from the second. Not only is pro-Europeanism “analogous to nationalism - something like nationalism but on a larger, continental scale," Kundani argues, but the EU itself has “become a vehicle for imperial amnesia" thereby promoting and privileging “whiteness”. Hans Kundnani is a fellow at the Open Society Foundations Workshop, an associate scholar at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and a visiting scholar at the Robert L. Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies at The New School for Social Research. From 2018-22, he was a full-time researcher at Chatham House, including as director of the Europe Programme. Before that, he was a researcher at the German Marshall Fund, the Transatlantic Academy, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. In 2014, he published The Paradox of German Power. *The author's own book recommendations are Eurafrica: The Untold History of European Integration and Colonialism by Peo Hansen and Stefan Jonsson (Bloomsbury Academic, 2015) and The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon (Penguin Modern Classics, 2006 - first published in 1956) Tim Gwynn Jones is an economic and political-risk analyst at Medley Advisors, who also writes the twenty4two newsletter on Substack and hosts the In The Room podcast series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

"Today's 'pro-Europeans' would be horrified at the suggestion that their idea of Europe had anything to do with whiteness. In fact, many would find the attempt to link the two baffling and outrageous," writes Hans Kundnani in Eurowhiteness: Culture, Empire and Race in the European Project (Oxford UP, 2023). Yet, he does so - taking the reader on a historical journey through the development of European identity from Christendom to the coincidence of the Enlightenment and the development of colonialism to the pan-European movement that grew out of the first world war and peace project (or was it?) that emerged from the second. Not only is pro-Europeanism “analogous to nationalism - something like nationalism but on a larger, continental scale," Kundani argues, but the EU itself has “become a vehicle for imperial amnesia" thereby promoting and privileging “whiteness”. Hans Kundnani is a fellow at the Open Society Foundations Workshop, an associate scholar at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and a visiting scholar at the Robert L. Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies at The New School for Social Research. From 2018-22, he was a full-time researcher at Chatham House, including as director of the Europe Programme. Before that, he was a researcher at the German Marshall Fund, the Transatlantic Academy, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. In 2014, he published The Paradox of German Power. *The author's own book recommendations are Eurafrica: The Untold History of European Integration and Colonialism by Peo Hansen and Stefan Jonsson (Bloomsbury Academic, 2015) and The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon (Penguin Modern Classics, 2006 - first published in 1956) Tim Gwynn Jones is an economic and political-risk analyst at Medley Advisors, who also writes the twenty4two newsletter on Substack and hosts the In The Room podcast series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Keir Giles has spent his career watching, studying, and explaining Russia. Keir's work has appeared in a wide range of academic and military publications across Europe and in North America, and he is a regular contributor and commentator on Russian affairs for international print and broadcast media. He is a Senior Consulting Fellow at the UK's Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and also works with the Conflict Studies Research Centre (CSRC), a group of deep subject matter experts on Eurasian security formerly attached to the British Ministry of Defence. He is a regular contributor to research projects on Russian security issues in the U.S., UK, and Europe.----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------BOOKS:Who Will Defend Europe? An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent (2024)Order Keir's new book: https://amzn.to/4cFI1b6Russia's War on Everybody: And What it Means for You (2022)Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West (2019)The Turning Point for Russian Foreign Policy (2017)The State of the NATO-Russia Reset (2011)Potential Challenges to Public Order and Social Stability in the Russian Federation (2011)----------LINKS:Order Keir's new book: https://amzn.to/4cFI1b6https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/keir-gileshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keir_Gileshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/keir-giles-499a489/https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/keir-gileshttps://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=7Bs89WMAAAAJhttps://bsky.app/profile/keirgiles.bsky.social----------DESCRIPTION:Understanding the Russia-West Geopolitical Conflict with Keir GilesIn this insightful episode, Keir delves into his extensive experience studying Russia, sharing knowledge from his academic and military publications. He discusses the persistent misunderstandings regarding Russia's intentions by Western diplomats, driven by a cycle of short-term postings and differing diplomatic experiences. Johnson also highlights the ideological alignments between Russian and current U.S. policies, underscoring the troubling implications for Europe. The conversation touches on the complexities of international relations, the failures of economic appeasement with authoritarian regimes, and the stark realities of Russia's long-standing messianic geopolitical behavior. The episode concludes with a call to support Ukrainian armed forces in their epic battle for survival, reflecting on the tangible impact of international solidarity.----------

The government has come under increasing intense criticism of its record on housing, and the sluggishness with which its addressed the need to build more affordable homes.Today on Inside Politics, Hugh Linehan discusses the issues with the planning and regulatory system that some argue is slowing down the process of boosting housing supply in Ireland.In an essay published in The Irish Times last month, the tech billionaire and founder of Stripe John Collison argued construction, and infrastructure projects more generally, are being held back by regulation and judicial barriers stemming from the planning corruption scandals of the 1980's and 90's.On the podcast today is Orla Hegarty, assistant professor at University College Dublin and a fellow at the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, dismissed Mr Collisons case, saying: “It jumps to a solution that doesn't relate to the problem”.“There is a thinking that if the market isn't functioning, the issue must be regulation. That's a really naive take.”The evidence doesn't support that" she added.Hugh is also joined by Sean Keys, the executive director of the think tank Progress Ireland, for which John Collison is a significant financial donor, says the argument is not solely about de-regulation.“We need to build new agency. We need to build state capacity”.He added: “What the national planning framework does is basically put a thump on the scale of building in Dublin”.Produced by JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Dennis Prager’s Timeless Wisdom. Each Monday through Saturday, you’ll hear some of Dennis’s best lectures, talks, and series—with brief commercial breaks. To get the ad-free version of this podcast, and to access the full library of lectures, talks, and shows, visit dennisprager.com. On Today’s Show: Dennis talks to Charles Emmerson, senior research fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs in London. His new book is 1913: In Search of the World before the Great War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late September, Senior Editor Will Kaback spoke with two experts on Russia, Ukraine, and the war. First was Richard Sakwa, a professor emeritus of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent at Canterbury and an associate fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Sakwa has studied and written extensively on Russia and Vladimir Putin, including in his book Frontline Ukraine about the origins of the current war. This is part 1 of a 2 part interview series. Tangle LIVE tickets are available!* We're excited to announce that our third installment of Tangle Live will be held on October 24, 2025, at the Irvine Barclay Theatre in Irvine, California. If you're in the area (or want to make the trip), we'd love to have you join Isaac and the team for a night of spirited discussion, live Q&A, and opportunities to meet the team in person. You can read more about the event and purchase tickets here.Ad-free podcasts are here!To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was hosted by Will Kaback and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75 and Jon Ball.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead.PREVIEW - The Friday Edition: Russian expert Richard Sakwa and the future of the Ukraine war Part 1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.