Podcasts about Swiss

Hear how Nicole saved over $100,000 on accommodation and uses her location independence to support political campaigns. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Nicole Green shares how she built a full-time travel lifestyle through cat sitting, saving more than $100,000 on accommodation while staying everywhere from penthouse apartments in Montreal to ski chalets in the Swiss and French Alps. She explains how pet sitting became her gateway to location independence, the strategies she uses to secure sits around the world, and how her travels inspired her to create Traveling Catsitter, a community for cat-loving travelers. Nicole also discusses how she uses her freedom of movement as a “Nomadic Activist,” traveling to political battlegrounds to volunteer on grassroots campaigns, support progressive candidates, and explore the intersection of travel, civic engagement, and social impact. Along the way, she reflects on solo travel, digital nomadism, sustainability, community building, and the lessons she has learned from years of living without a permanent home. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Further reading: What gives bees their sweet tooth? Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. Right before I left on my trip to Belize a few months ago, my aunt Janice gave me a magazine to read on the plane, the Autumn 2021 copy of LivingBird. It's about birds and birdwatching. I actually forgot to take it with me and it was in my car the whole time I was gone, but when I got home I took it in to read. One article caught my eye, titled “Investigating the Sweet Tooth of Songbirds.” Literally the same day that I read that article, I stumbled across another article on ScienceDaily titled “What gives bees their sweet tooth?” And a podcast episode idea was born! You may have heard that domestic cats can't taste sweetness, and that's true. When your pet cat wants to drink the milk in a bowl of sugary cereal, it's not the sugar they care about because they can't taste it. Also, milk isn't good for cats and even if they can't taste the sugar, it can end up giving them cavities. The question is, why don't cats taste sweetness? And what other animals can't taste it either? Carnivores like cats don't need to taste sweet flavors because it's just not present in meat, which is what carnivores eat. You can test this easily if you put two saucers on the floor for your cat, one with a small amount of unseasoned chicken and a sugar cube in the other. I guarantee you the cat will eat the chicken and play with the sugar cube, which will get sugar all over the floor so maybe don't do that after all. This is where I share with you, for no reason, that when I was in elementary school I used to eat sugar cubes while pretending I was a horse. Horses can taste sweet flavors like sugar because they're herbivores. Herbivores eat plants, and in fact herbivores have a whole lot of taste buds so that they can easily tell what kind of plants they're eating. Bitter tasting plants might be toxic while sweet ones provide lots of energy. Herbivores are also keenly attuned to the taste of salt since their diet is typically low in salt and they need to seek it out. Humans are omnivores, and omnivores eat pretty much anything. Like our great ape cousins, we also evolved to eat a lot of fruit. Ripe fruit tastes sweet so we really like our sweet foods. Omnivores like dogs, pigs, and bears also like sweet foods because they're high in calories and therefore provide a lot of energy. But how does an animal lose an entire sense of taste? It's not like all tigers woke up one day and boom, the ability to taste sweetness was gone. It happens gradually as the genes responsible for an animal's sense of taste mutate over many generations. Let's take as our example the bottlenose dolphin. The ancestors of the dolphin and other cetaceans were terrestrial animals related to the ancestors of modern even-toed ungulates like hippos, camels, deer, and pigs, and were probably either herbivores or omnivores. But as the dolphin's ancestors evolved over millions of years, they shifted to a fully marine lifestyle and a fully carnivorous diet. Over the thousands and thousands of generations, the genes that control the ability to taste sweetness mutated so much that they're now useless, but since the dolphin doesn't need to taste sweetness the mutations don't matter. In the case of the bottlenose dolphin and other cetaceans, in fact, they also can't taste bitterness or umami. Umami is what helps you taste the difference between chicken and turkey, steak and pork, tuna and trout. Basically it's the flavor of meat or savory foods, including cheeses. You can taste the difference between cheddar and Swiss because of the umami receptors in your taste buds, which are determined by genes. But the dolphin eats nothing but meat! Why would it lose the ability to taste meat? Researchers think it's because the dolphin swallows fish and other animals whole, without chewing. Cetaceans and other marine carnivores like sea lions that swallow their food whole actually have almost no taste buds at all. If you're wondering what happens when an animal that can't taste sweetness has to adapt to a diet where tasting sweet foods is important, that's exactly what happened with songbirds. The ancestors of birds lost the ability to taste sweetness millions of years ago when they were dinosaurs. Then, well, you know what happened to the non-avian dinosaurs. Suddenly the ancestors of modern birds had a lot of available ecological niches to take advantage of and they evolved rapidly to fill them. This included small birds who eat berries and nectar. Genetic studies suggest that the ancestors of songbirds regained the ability to taste sweetness around 30 million years ago in Australia. The same thing happened in hummingbirds at about the same time. In both cases, the genes that control the ability to taste umami evolved to taste sweetness instead—but songbirds and hummingbirds adapted different umami genes. That's what you call a subtle case of convergent evolution. Songbirds and hummingbirds adapted to a diet high in sugar because it's a good source of energy and easily found in flowers. In turn, flowers needed to be pollinated and have their seeds spread around, so they evolved to provide even more sugars in nectar and berries. But birds aren't the only animals that pollinate flowers and are attracted to nectar. Insects can all detect sweetness. However, bees are exceptionally attuned to sweetness and have two taste neurons instead of one per taste bud. Insects don't have taste buds the same way we do, of course. In mammals, reptiles, and birds, taste buds are located on the tongue, in a few parts of the mouth, and at the top of the throat. In insects, taste receptors can be in any number of places. They're on an insect's mouthparts but often also on their feet, legs, and antennae. Some amphibians have taste receptors on the body as well as concentrated in the mouth, and many fish have taste receptors all over their body. Catfish in particular have the most taste buds known, up to 175,000. Humans have about 10,000. Cats only have about 500. Before you start feeling sorry for your cat for not being able to taste sweet foods and not having a great sense of taste in general, cats have a taste receptor we don't. It's the water sense. To us, a nice cold glass of water tastes refreshing but doesn't really have a flavor. A cat or dog, and many other animals whose diet is mostly meat even if they aren't specifically carnivores, have the ability to taste water in a way we can't even imagine. Because meat is high in salt content, having taste buds attuned to water helps the animal drink enough water to process all that salt. If you gave me the choice, I'd choose sweetness over the ability to taste water. But my cats would probably disagree. Thanks for your support, and thanks for listening!

Send us Fan MailIn an obtuse world Mark & Jefe are here to keep you vertical.This time we chat with Safe Queen Gary about the fall of B&T USA and the legal issues they are struggling with. FIND Modern Tactical Shooting HEREhttps://saf.org/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secondamendmentfoundation/X/Twitter - https://x.com/2AFDNTHANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR XS SightsXS Sights - https://xssights.com/20% Discount with code LARPBooks We Recommend:Herbal Medic: https://amzn.to/3ArhUGXTriphasic Tactical Training Manual: https://a.co/d/0I1iYRuThe Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy : https://a.co/d/6jU0EDWTarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia: https://a.co/d/fZm4jqpFollow us on Instagram @livelaughlarp_podcastEmail us questions/topics at live.laugh.larp.podcast@gmail.comFind the Fit'n Fire YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/fitnfireIntro/Outro Music: Elysium · Karl Casey

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse continue their World Cup Previews, this time diving into co-host Canada's group, Group B. Will the Swiss, lead by Granit Xhaka, make another run? Are we worried about Alphonso Davies' health? Tune in daily for a new group as we speed toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off June 11th on FOX! Presented by @Zillow #Zillow Chapters: 0:00 Intro1:04 - Canada Preview2:49 - Bosnia & Herzegovina Preview4:00 - Qatar Preview5:21  - Switzerland Preview6:10 - Match of the Group6:50 - Alexi's Picks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight's show covers one of the wildest news cycles yet — from Trump's proposed $250 bill and Scott Bessent's viral press conference moments to Gavin Newsom's controversial tax comments and the growing backlash surrounding the Freedom 250 event.We break down the DOJ follow-up involving E. Jean Carroll, Jill Biden's awkward stroke-related comment, JD Vance at the Air Force Academy, and the latest updates involving Antifa funding questions and IRS nonprofit guidance. Plus, Trump clashes with Caitlin Collins while Scott Bessent delivers a brutal mic-drop response to Newsom's tax threat comments.Also in this episode: chaos at an ICE facility in Newark, threats targeting Ivanka Trump and Amy Coney Barrett, the shocking Swiss train station stabbing, growing concerns over mass immigration in Europe, and a controversial Australian doctor promoting pregnancy for trans women.Later, we dive into the Freedom 250 controversy as musicians begin backing out, Sean Davis criticizes organizers, and Amy Jo discusses the Foo Fighters fallout. We also cover Candace Owens speaking in Russia, Dave Rubin discussing allegations involving Hasan Piker, Project Constitution's feud with Erika Kirk, and lighter culture topics including Rosie O'Donnell, Patricia Heaton's silver hair glow-up, and TikTok trends.SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Go to https://ChicksLoveOliveOil.com and get a FREE full-size $49 bottle of Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil for just $1 shipping—no commitmentGet your free life insurance quote at https://Ethos.com/ChicksHead to https://NoblTravel.com for up to 46% off your entire order. Let them know the Chicks sent you. Lock in under $10/meal while beef prices climb with Backyard Butchers at https://BackyardButchers.com/Chicks  Code CHICKS auto-applies for 30% off first order + 2 free 10-oz ribeyes + free shipping!For a limited time, get two FREE gifts when you buy the Pocket Hose Ballistic—a 360° rotating Pocket Pivot and a Thumb Drive Nozzle—just text CHICKS to 64000, message and data rates may apply.Subscribe and stay tuned for new episodes every weekday!Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramTikTokXLocalsMore InfoWebsite

Private credit has a new problem, and this one is different. For months, the story has been retail investors pulling money from private credit funds. But now we have something else. A Swiss pension fund redeeming shares from a Vista private credit vehicle helped force that fund to limit withdrawals. And that's before asking the question: is software credit the new subprime mortgage?Eurodollar University's Money & Macro Analysis----------------------------------------------------------------------------------What if your gold could actually pay you every month… in MORE gold?That's exactly what Monetary Metals does. You still own your gold, fully insured in your name, but instead of sitting idle, it earns real yield paid in physical gold. No selling. No trading. Just more gold every month.Check it out here: https://monetary-metals.com/snider----------------------------------------------------------------------------------One Big Private Credit Investor Forced Vista's Fund to Limit Redemptionshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-27/one-big-private-credit-investor-forced-vista-s-fund-to-limit-redemptionsNew CLOs at Blackstone, Guggenheim Boast Key Perk: Less Softwarehttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-27/new-clos-at-blackstone-guggenheim-boast-key-perk-less-softwarePrivate Credit's Exposure to Ailing Software Industry Is Bigger Than Advertisedhttps://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/private-credits-exposure-to-ailing-software-industry-is-bigger-than-advertised-d80da378Cracks in Private Credithttps://www.goldmansachs.com/pdfs/insights/goldman-sachs-research/cracks-in-private-credit/TOM_private%20credit_Redacted.pdfMyth-busting: Private credit liquidityhttps://blog.landg.com/categories/investment-strategy/myth-busting-private-credit-liquidity/https://www.eurodollar.universityTwitter: https://twitter.com/JeffSnider_EDU

"They want the secret, and the secret is little and often over the long haul," says Dan John, author of several books on strength and fitness, most recently The Fitness Forge: Master Coaching Tools that Build Real Strength.Today we've got a bit of a curve ball, a backdoor slider, but not really. It's Dan John, who is something of a Swiss army knife of wisdom and kindness and strength and conditioning. He's been a long time strength coach and a master communicator of how to get real-life strong, not influencer, flash-in-the-pan strong, the kind of strong that allows you to fill out your shirt, carry all the groceries in one go, and shovel the driveway without leaving yourself in traction for four days.I've recommended his books many times on this show and in newsletters, and his approach to strength very much rhymes with writing, so that's a big reason why I wanted to invite him on to talk it out. You can visit danjohnuniversity.com to learn more about him and to buy books like the Easy Strength Omnibook, Easy Strength for Fat Loss, his two Armor Building Formula books and his latest The Fitness Forge: Master coaching tools that build real strength.The real crux of easy strength is that it echoes what Percy Cerutty, the Australian running coach, had his runners do in the 1950s, and it's an approachable system that doesn't feel like you've been put through a wood chipper. I spent most of my 30s training like I was a juiced up bodybuilder, hobbling around most days with that deep, bone ache. As I've aged, training in that manner is unfeasible and, well, fucking stupid, plus easy strength is awesome for running, which I'm doing quite a lot these days.So Dan John has been a champion discus thrower coming up on the coattails of the great throwers of the 1970s, guys like Brian Oldfield and Mac Wilkins and Peter Shmock. His lifting approach has always been geared around utility, not aesthetics, by and large. He has written many books like Mass Made Simple, 40 Years with a Whistle, Can You Go, Never Let Go, and several others. Some are only available on the big A, others are available as PDFS through his website.They imbue a sense of possibility, that things are achievable, and that little and often over the long haul is doable and repeatable. If you're into fads, Dan is not for you and he often injects so much personal anecdote and wisdom from a life of nearly 70 years into his work and his podcast, the Dan John University Podcasts where he answers listener questions every week.He's very centering for me. Even hearing him talk through something as simple as his daily pirate map, which is a collection of daily habits, and merely hearing him so often articulate that defrags my computer, if that makes any sense.So in this conversation, we talk about: Parasocial relationships Marvel and Greek heroes The spiderweb effect of his brain Open Culture Little and often over the long haul The secret Being a slave to habits Parallels between lifting and writing Collecting the links Getting small, easy wins out of the way Inspiration is for amateurs Having skin in the game And community making us greatYou'll find dan @coachdanjohn on instagram and of course visit danjohnuniversity.com to see if his books or his inner circle is right for you.

Send us Fan MailThe Vital MX 'MXGP Podcast Show' welcomes Jeremy Seewer on in the wake of the news that he's departed Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing. Lewis Phillips probes the Swiss star on what's next and more.

[powerpresss] My co-host Ken Suzan and I are welcoming you to episode 175 of our podcast IP Fridays! Today's interview guest is Bruce Dearling, patent attorney and partner at Hepworth Browne in the UK, and we talk about how non-technical features must be considered when assessing inventive step of patents at least according to recent decisions of the UK supreme court and the Unified Patent Court. Profile of Bruce Dearling UK Supreme Court Emotional Perception AI Limited UPC Abbot vs Sinocare But before we jump into this interesting interview, I have news for you: On May 20, 2026, the Swiss Federal Council adopted the fully revised Patent Ordinance, which will enter into force on January 1, 2027, together with the revised Patent Act. In the future, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property will prepare a mandatory search report for each application; applicants can choose between a partially examined version and a full examination that assesses novelty and inventive step. The full examination costs an additional 300 Swiss francs, and renewal fees will increase by a total of eight percent over the 20-year term. On May 19, 2026, Asus entered into a licensing agreement with the Wi-Fi multimode patent pool managed by Sisvel, thereby ending all ongoing infringement proceedings. Sisvel bundles standard-essential patents in the pool from, among others, Atlantia, ETRI, and Mitsubishi Electric. On May 18, 2026, the UPC Local Chamber in Düsseldorf rejected Align Technology's application for a preliminary injunction against its Chinese competitor Angelalign. Angelalign may continue to sell its clear aligners within the UPC jurisdiction. Our partners Dirk Schulz, Ulrich Storz, and Wanze Zhang, together with Arnold Ruess, successfully represented Angelalign. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced midweek that, since October of last year, it has invalidated or is seeking to invalidate approximately 10,500 trademark applications and registrations in eleven administrative orders. Reasons include forged attorney signatures and the fabrication of non-existent filing requirements. This stems from ongoing abuse of the U.S. trademark system, primarily by non-U.S. applicants, which can lead to conflicts with validly registered trademarks for legitimate businesses. On May 12, 2026, the British Court of Appeal overturned a lower court decision that would have required Nokia to grant interim licenses for video coding patents. The court found that Nokia's license offer to the Taiwanese manufacturers Acer and Asus had already been made on RAND terms. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a brief in the ongoing Corteva v. Inari litigation, expressing antitrust concerns regarding certain patent practices in the field of plant breeding. This marks the first time the agency has actively intervened in a biopharmaceutical patent dispute with implications for seed innovations. Episode 175 of the IP Fridays podcast was a conversation I will not forget quickly. My guest Bruce Dearling, partner at Hepworth Brown in the UK and a patent attorney for 36 years, took a case through every level of the British court system up to the Supreme Court and, in doing so, fundamentally changed patent law for AI inventions in the UK. The case is called Emotional Perception, and its effects reach well beyond British borders. Below I summarize the key points from our conversation. The full episode is available at IP Fridays. A. What Is the Emotional Perception Case About? The underlying invention concerns artificial neural networks. Specifically, it relates to a method of closing what is called the semantic gap at the output of a neural network. That sounds abstract, but the idea is straightforward: a neural network always produces an output that does not fully correspond to what a human would actually expect or feel. Closing that gap brings the system closer to human perception and human expectations. Bruce Dearling drafted this application himself and filed it at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). The Office rejected it as excluded subject matter, characterizing it as essentially a computer program as such. The legal basis for that rejection was the Aerotel decision from 2006. The case then went to the High Court, which found in favor of the applicant. The Court of Appeal reversed that decision. Then the UK Supreme Court stepped in and changed everything. B. The Aerotel Test and Its Flaws Since 2006, the Aerotel test had been the standard British method for assessing whether an invention falls within the excluded categories under patent law. It was a four-step approach: construe the claim, identify the actual contribution the invention makes to human knowledge, ask whether that contribution falls solely within excluded subject matter, and finally check whether the contribution is technical in nature. The problem Dearling described in our conversation is that Aerotel reverses the logical order of the analysis. You start with the contribution and only then ask about the exclusions under Article 52 EPC. The UK Supreme Court described Aerotel in its judgment as “unsound law” and overturned it. The EPO’s Technical Boards of Appeal had previously called Aerotel “disingenuous,” which at the time led to a public dispute between the British courts and the Boards. With the Emotional Perception ruling, that conflict has now been resolved in favor of harmonization with the EPO. C. What the UK Supreme Court Decided The Supreme Court made two central findings. First, the exclusion of computer programs “as such” is overcome as soon as a claim includes any piece of hardware. It does not matter whether that is a processor, a memory module, or any other component. The threshold is deliberately low. Dearling described this as the “any hardware” approach, which aligns fully with the EPO’s position following G1/19. Second, and in Dearling’s assessment the more important finding: when assessing inventive step, the invention must be considered as a whole. The Court introduced what it called an “intermediate step,” an analytical stage in which the interactions between all features of a claim are examined before the question of inventive step is addressed. Non-technical features cannot simply be struck out if they contribute to the overall technical effect of the invention. D. Inventive Step: The Intermediate Step This is the heart of the judgment. In EPO practice, Dearling said, it happens regularly that examiners strike through features they consider non-technical and thereby fail to assess the invention’s inventive step correctly. A recent Technical Board of Appeal decision, T 1249/22, already criticized this approach: a claim directed at a technical solution to a problem can be patentable even if the underlying problem is non-technical in nature. Dearling recalled a remark made by a Board of Appeal member at a hearing he attended years ago: “We understand that examining divisions can operate with a degree of mental laziness and that it’s too easy to throw too many things out of the basket when considering the issues of inventive step.” That quote stayed with him because it names a structural problem that the intermediate step now addresses directly. The British method for assessing inventive step is the Pozzoli test, which differs from the EPO’s problem-solution approach. The Supreme Court explicitly retained Pozzoli because the problem-solution approach, in its view, is structurally infected with hindsight reasoning: you already know the invention, you work backwards to formulate an objective technical problem, and then you ask whether it would have been obvious for the skilled person to arrive at precisely that solution. Dearling sees this as a source of unfairness toward genuine inventions. E. Alignment with the Unified Patent Court In April 2025, the Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court issued a decision in Abbott v. Sinocare (APP_000000901/2025, judgment of 17 April 2025). Dearling pointed out that this decision uses language and reasoning strikingly similar to the UK Supreme Court’s Emotional Perception ruling of February 2025. That is significant because the UPC is bound neither by UK courts nor by the EPO. The overlap suggests voluntary convergence. Dearling reported a conversation with a person close to the EPO, whom he did not name, who used the word “permissive” to describe the UK Supreme Court’s approach and indicated that the EPO might move toward it. Whether and how quickly that happens remains to be seen. What is clear is that the UPC, as the new European patent court, is setting its own standards, and the question of how to handle non-technical features in inventive step assessment is now being asked at multiple levels simultaneously. F. Implications for the EPO and Practice The EPO is not directly bound by the ruling. It is an administrative body, not a court. Dearling is nonetheless optimistic that change is coming. On one hand, external pressure is building: when the UK Supreme Court and the UPC articulate similar principles, convergence becomes hard to resist. On the other hand, Article 27.1 TRIPS requires all contracting states to make patents available in all fields of technology. Examiners routinely striking non-technical features from AI claims and rejecting them on that basis sits uncomfortably with that obligation. For the underlying application in the Emotional Perception case, the ruling has a pointed consequence. The Supreme Court did not grant the patent itself; it referred the matter back to the UKIPO for reconsideration under the intermediate step. The Office’s subsequent response was, in Dearling’s words, unconvincing. He suspects the Office is attempting to reintroduce the Aerotel test through the back door. As a last resort, he has not excluded a judicial review, a procedure that does not simply challenge the substantive decision but holds the Comptroller General of Patents to account for whether the Office is deliberately circumventing the Supreme Court’s direction on the intermediate step. That is, as Dearling put it, “a nuclear option,” but one he would not rule out if the evidence in the file already suggests the Office is in contempt of court. There is also an international dimension. Singapore’s Intellectual Property Office launched a public consultation shortly after the ruling, asking whether Singapore should adopt the Emotional Perception approach into national law. That is British soft power operating in real time within the Commonwealth. G. Three Takeaways for Patent Practitioners At the end of our conversation I asked Bruce Dearling to distill the most important practical points. His first takeaway: make sure the claim contains hardware. This applies not only to UK and European applications but is simply good drafting hygiene. Without hardware in the claim, the application remains exposed. The second takeaway concerns the description. Anyone filing an AI invention needs to explain clearly which function is achieved by which piece of hardware, circuit, or software. Not as boilerplate, but as a complete technical account that describes the real-world effects. Dearling’s experience is that practitioners who write the claim first and fill in the description afterward run into trouble. The third takeaway emerged from the conversation itself: how the EPO assesses inventive step for AI inventions is not a settled question. It is worth following the development of UPC case law and any shifts in EPO practice closely. Anyone advising on AI patent applications today needs to know these arguments. H. Conclusion The UK Supreme Court’s Emotional Perception ruling is not a British footnote. It has declared the Aerotel test dead, introduced the intermediate step that brings non-technical features back into the inventive step analysis, and set off a convergence movement that is already visible at the UPC and still pending at the EPO. For everyone working in AI patent practice, whether in prosecution, examination, or counseling, this ruling is required reading. Rolf Claessen: Our interview guest on IP Fridays podcast is Bruce Dearling. He has been in the IP field and a patent attorney for 36 years and is partner at Hepworth Brown in the UK. Thank you very much for being on the podcast. Bruce Dearling: My pleasure, Rolf. Thank you for inviting me. Rolf Claessen: All right. We just met at the INTA annual meeting in London. And you talked about the UK Supreme Court case where you were involved. And the core questions were whether non-technical features would be considered when assessing inventive step of patents. Can you briefly summarize this case? Bruce Dearling: It’s a bit more than that. It started — I actually wrote the case. And I prosecuted it through the patent office. The patent office rejected the case for being excluded subject matter. So pretty much the excluded subject matter provisions in the UK are nearly identical. They’re as near as practical to the language of the EPC, so those of the European Patent Office — Article 52.2. But again, they apply as such. The actual technology relates to artificial neural networks. And the invention related to a very clever way of what is termed closing the semantic gap at the output of the neural network. So that means that in a neural network, there is always a discrepancy between the output of the neural network in terms of what it’s telling you you should be thinking essentially, and what reality is. So if you can close the semantic gap, then you align the neural network or the artificial intelligence system to better reflect human knowledge or human reactions and human expectations. So that’s really what the invention is about. There’s no point in going into too much detail with it — that’s the way it is. It’s very clever. So the UKIPO rejected this because they said it was essentially a computer program excluded from patentability as such. And they used a decision which is called Aerotel, which has been around since 2006. And that decision has caused considerable consternation and tension between the EPO Technical Boards of Appeal and the UK courts. Aerotel was described as being essentially disingenuous by the EPO Technical Board of Appeal. And the UK courts pushed back and said, you don’t know what you’re talking about. So that’s where it fell apart. So that’s where they rejected it for essentially being a computer program as such, possibly with a bit of business methods thrown in as well. But let’s leave that for the time being. So the case then went to the High Court and at the High Court, we won. The judge said, actually, it’s not a computer program. Neural networks aren’t computers. They’re not programs themselves. There’s more to them than that. And the invention as claimed is not excluded from patentability as such. The UKIPO obviously weren’t very happy about that because they liked their Aerotel case and so they appealed it. And they appealed it on several grounds, including a new one, which was that it was a mathematical method. The Court of Appeal decided that the UKIPO was right and that we were wrong, so we lost the case. So we then went to the Supreme Court. Well, actually, they denied us an ability to go to the Supreme Court. The court said no appeal. We went — actually, no, I think there is a bigger issue here — because we realized, or I realized at that point, that the work that we were doing was much broader than this. It requires real consideration of what an invention is at a fundamental level. So not only exclusions, but how inventive step is applied. And these issues were built into the case from the very beginning. And they sort of — I wouldn’t say crept up on the court as we went through — but they became more and more prominent to the extent that ultimately, when we made an application to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court went, yeah, we’ve got some issues here. We want to hear the full arguments on why this is not excluded from patentability, why Aerotel is potentially bad and how we more or less try to align ourselves with the European Patent Office. So that’s essentially what happened. And the Supreme Court hearing was last July. It took them the thick end of eight months to come out with a decision, which was issued in early February, at which point the entire legal landscape in the UK changed because they said we were right. The Patent Office doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Aerotel is bad. It’s unsound. That’s what they described it as — unsound law. It needs to be removed and we’re going to harmonize with the European Patent Office. So before I — I’m just going on a bit of a rant here, standing on my soapbox telling you what you already know. But the Aerotel test essentially was — it was a four-step test, past tense. So you firstly had to construe the claim. That’s pretty straightforward. Then you actually had to identify the actual contribution. This is what they said — identify the contribution. Really in this aspect, you’re asking what, as a matter of substance rather than form, the inventor has added to human knowledge. So that’s what they said the contribution was. And then they said, the next step in Aerotel was to ask, well, does that contribution fall solely within the excluded subject matter field or realm? And then they said, well, if you get through that question, then you check the actual contribution or the alleged contribution to see whether it’s technical in nature. So that’s the Aerotel test as it was. And what the Supreme Court in their unanimous final decision said was that Aerotel at best jumbles up the order. It reverses the logical order of the analysis by starting with the contributions and then addressing the Article 52 exclusions. And then finally it goes back to what the technical nature of the invention is about. So they really went, no, we don’t like any of this stuff. It’s bad, it’s stupid, it puts the cart before the horse. So, in the intervening period between finding the case and actually seeing it progress all the way to the Supreme Court, we obviously had the G1/19 decision from the EPO Enlarged Board. And they basically said that they are going to validate any hardware as the approach. And that’s essentially what the UK also went with. The UK Supreme Court said we’re going to say that the threshold of patentability — or the exclusion to patentability — is simply overcome by the inclusion in a claim of any piece of hardware, whether it’s a processor or a piece of memory or whatever. It doesn’t matter. Any hardware makes the invention a technical invention. So it’s a really low threshold to consider. And they then went, well, actually, if we now align and harmonize with the European Patent Office sensibly, then we need to look at how we assess inventive step, which is the other thing that we raised with the Supreme Court. In fact, we probably raised it at other times and in all the other instances as well, but it came to a head at the Supreme Court. So the Supreme Court then also went a bit further and said, well, actually, whilst we do like the global approach to assessing inventive step for all fields of technology — whether it’s chemistry or biotech or electronics or software or AI — we use a test called Pozzoli. So that isn’t problem-solution. We don’t like problem-solution. We think it’s not codified in the European Patent Office. It’s just a mechanism that the EPO has come up with to try to objectively assess inventive step. We don’t particularly think that’s appropriate. We like our approach called Pozzoli. That’s it. So we’re going to say with Pozzoli, however, in order to actually understand — particularly in the context of mixed inventions having technical and non-technical features — it’s necessary for the examiner to undertake the so-called intermediate step, where you have to look at the interactions between features within a claim. The invention is defined by the claim. That’s what the act says. That’s what everyone understands. It’s the invention defined by the claim. So you look at the claim features and then you have to understand the interactions that take place. And even if they are between technical and non-technical features, if they bring about an overall technical effect when you consider the invention as a whole, then your claim should be good and you can assess it for classical inventive step. So that’s really where we’re at. There’s a lot to unpack there already. It’s probably a podcast in its own right, but that’s the positive history of where we’re at. And I can keep going if you wish me to for a second and talk about why I think this is — we’ll just contrast it quickly with the problem-solution approach at the EPO and COMVIK. So for inventions in the computer-implemented field, they use COMVIK and the problem-solution approach. The Supreme Court said, as I said, they don’t like problem-solution. I think the problem-solution issue is that it is also inherently pre-baked with hindsight because you have to look at the invention and then step back and exclude those features which are common. And then you formulate a problem based on the function that the claim achieves. And then you’re asking whether or not it would be obvious for a skilled person to arrive at the claimed invention, having been given that hindsight-developed problem. So COMVIK is not great by any means. And we know from a practical perspective that examiners are only too willing to look at a claim and simply line through features which they believe are non-technical, whereas they don’t actually look at the interaction of those features in the context of the claim as a whole. There is also a decision — very recent one actually, about a year ago — T 1249/22, where the Technical Board of Appeal told the examiners and the examining division, you cannot do this. It’s okay to have a claim directed towards an invention in a non-technical field, as long as the invention is directed to a technical solution of that problem. I think it’s paragraphs 11 and 12 or 10 of that decision that are worth looking at. But they’re saying that in all fields of technology, it doesn’t matter as long as the technical solution is about technology — therefore, you should be able to obtain a patent as long as there is a realistic and appropriate technical effect. Be careful actually, Bruce — I don’t mean technical contribution, I mean technical effect. There’s a reason for that distinction. Rolf Claessen: The non-technical features are nevertheless used to assess inventive step in the UK now after this decision, right? Bruce Dearling: Yes, that is the intermediate step. The decision says you must look at the invention as a whole. It’s the important thing. There are a couple of issues that arise out of this. The first one is that you have to provide context for the invention. The Supreme Court never provided any specific guidance about how we deal with the intermediate step or what the exact test is, which is in some respects fine. It seems to be fairly clear that you just have to engage your gray matter — your neurons — to work out what is going on in the real world. And once you work out what’s going on in the real world, what the benefits are, then you look at whether or not the actual implementation of the invention fundamentally has a technical flavor to it, which is not just coding, not just simple coding, but it does something smarter. There’s a real technical impetus. There’s a technical effect. Now that actually brings me onto something I’ve postulated or said. I think the intermediate step will follow something like what I’ve termed the holistic character test, which essentially is: work out what’s going on in the real world. Then once you’ve worked out what’s actually being achieved, what the benefits are, what the invention’s concerned with, then you ask the question, how am I achieving it technically? And how is there a technical effect? How does the technical effect arise? That brings out a couple of issues. The first one is that it’s actually about the word “contribution” because it depends on how the word is used. So if you look at head note one in COMVIK, it uses the word “contribute” — how the non-technical feature contributes to the invention. So that’s an additive inclusive concept. The UK IPO historically, and arguably at the moment today whilst they’re trying to retrain their 400 examiners — which this has caused them to have to do — their idea of contribution is this backward-looking concept. So technical contribution and technical effect, I think — although we mix them up and interchange them — are distinct. Technical contribution: you’re looking backwards. Technical effect is what you look at when you look forward into what’s going on. So this is subtle — it’s really subtle, but it’s important. And once you realize that you are actually looking for the technical effects, then you’re on much safer ground. It’s much more objective in terms of the assessment. This might be somewhat contentious, because it’s the way I’m looking at this, but I’ve been working on this a long, long time and thinking about it for probably decades, worryingly so. So technical contribution and technical effects are probably not the same, where they are interchangeably used to mean the same thing within existing decisions. Rolf Claessen: And in the beginning you said, now that Aerotel is dead basically, it’s more harmonized with the EPO’s approach. But what I take from the discussion now is that maybe — especially in view of the problem-solution approach — it’s not fully harmonized with the EPO’s approach at the moment, right? Or did the UK Supreme Court get something wrong, or was that a desired outcome from your point of view that this is not so completely harmonized with the EPO? Bruce Dearling: Well, the EPO — the any-hardware solution is fully harmonized, no doubt. So it’s now a question of inventive step under Article 56 or Section 3 of the Act. The EPC nowhere mandates the use of problem-solution. And we know that there are many different ways of actually assessing inventive step, including the concrete elaboration test from last year and problem-of-invention approaches. So there are numerous ways of assessing inventive step. So the UK says, “Pozzoli — we like Pozzoli.” Interestingly, I had a discussion with someone I probably can’t mention. They’re saying that the UK approach may actually be more permissive now. It might even influence how the EPO operates. So they may move away from COMVIK towards more of a Pozzoli approach, which basically says this: You identify the notion of the skilled person — step one. You identify the common general knowledge of that skilled person — step one B. You identify the inventive concept of the claim in question, where you construe it if you can’t work out what it is. You then identify what the differences are. And then you ask the question, is it obvious to the skilled person, given knowledge of the common general knowledge? This is entirely not artificial because, as I said beforehand, when you look at problem-solution, you are formulating a problem by backtracking from what the claimed invention is to a situation where you say, well, these are the common features and I’m going to project a problem to try and solve. Now that is already tainted with hindsight reasoning. It’s not safe, it’s not thoroughly objective. There is an inherent problem with this which sees good inventions cast by the wayside. Although it’s a preferred mechanism, it’s not fully baked. There are situations where examiners are inherently lazy, or they just simply use something like the requirements specification argument, which is just factual. It just demonstrates that they can’t be bothered to actually argue it properly or think about what the invention is. Sorry to any examiners listening to this, but this is just my personal view, that sometimes there are problems. I’m reminded of a quote from an EPI hearing I was at a long time ago, where the Legal Board of Appeal member said: “We understand that examining divisions can operate with a degree of mental laziness and that it’s too easy to throw too many things out of the basket when considering the issues of inventive step.” Now that one has stayed with me because you think — did someone just say that? And the answer is yes, they did. But it just goes to show that there is some tension between the TBA and the examining divisions, and they don’t always get it right. Rolf Claessen: So there might be a small difference now between the UKIPO’s future approach of assessing inventive step and the EPO? Bruce Dearling: Yeah, it might do. But the other interesting thing here — and thank you for pointing this out, I hadn’t entirely caught up with it, I’ve been traveling beforehand and I missed some of the UPC case law. So the UPC case law — in, was it — yeah, we talked about that. Rolf Claessen: Yeah. There was a decision in April, Abbott versus Sinocare. Bruce Dearling: Yeah, 901 of 2025. So a Court of Appeal decision from the UPC. It was APP_000000901, I believe, 2025. Decision 17th of April, hearing 27th of March. The UPC is not bound by — it’s a court. The European Patent Office is not a court, it’s an agency that administers and looks after the administrative rule of law. So the fact that this decision came out from the UK Supreme Court in February, and you see almost identical language used in the UPC decision, suggests that there is some alignment here, or some convergence in thought. Now, whilst the UPC decision also references G1/19 and uses problem-solution, there is enough — you’ve got to bear in mind that high-level courts do look at each other’s decisions. And this is really a question of influence and the desire to converge. So the fact that they’ve done this at this time is quite interesting. Again, I can’t quote someone directly from the EPO, although I would love to. They were saying — at a very high level — and they used the words “converge UPC practice towards UK Supreme Court practice on interpretation of the law.” So this may actually be happening in real time. Again, it would be wrong to actually refer to anyone by name, but it’s an observation that when I looked at the case, I can see why this is going ahead. And I can see why the judiciaries — they want to maintain independent judicial controls. They won’t reference the UK Supreme Court decision, not least because we’re not in the UPC. But if you look at the arguments in sections 106 and 107 of the UK Supreme Court’s Emotional Perception decision and head note one, you go — wow, this is very close. Rolf Claessen: Very close and nearly identical wording. Yeah. And the UPC also now uses non-technical features for assessing inventive step. Is that a problem for the EPO that has historically been aggressive in throwing out non-technical features for inventive step analysis? Bruce Dearling: Well, I think they really need to get to the situation — I don’t know — this holistic character test that I’m sort of proposing, where you really have to think about what the invention is achieving, and then look at how it’s technically being achieved. And then if you look at that again in the context of that other decision I mentioned — T 1249/22 — it says something like, in the case of an invention that amounts to a technical implementation of a non-technical method, provided the non-technical method does not contribute to the technical character of the invention. The board validated the approach of identifying the non-technical method and then goes through and says it’s patentable. There are decisions like this which suggest that examining divisions have to give it a bit more thought, because the Technical Board will realize that to satisfy the WTO requirements — which pretty much everyone is bound by — Article 27.1 TRIPS, which requires that you protect all fields of technology. And that means whether it’s data processing or business methods, because business methods can be patentable so long as they are implemented on a technical basis. That essentially seems to be what T 1249/22 is saying, although it doesn’t explicitly say “allowing business methods.” The exclusion is only “as such.” So does this decision, in combination with the Supreme Court case and the movement of the UPC, say: well, actually, let’s look at this properly? It requires objective assessments, not just superficial “let’s strike through that feature because I don’t like it, it looks non-technical.” Rolf Claessen: So are you hopeful that the EPO is adjusting and will reshape their case law in view of the UPC decision and the UK Supreme Court decision? Bruce Dearling: It’s a bit unfortunate that the corresponding UK case at the EPO was dropped by the applicants, because it was heading towards an examination hearing at the examining division. It would have gone to the TBA, and I’m sure it would then have gone from the TBA to the Enlarged Board. I’m pretty sure that’s the case. There is another case from the same client which will probably argue the same thing because the specs are almost identical. It’s just lagged in time. So is it going to change? I hope so, because I think the EPO have got it wrong — more often than not in this field. Well, maybe not more often than not — they get it wrong more times than they should do. Would I like to see it changed? Yes, I would, because I want the examiners to actually think about the technology as opposed to just — oh, it’s not — I don’t want to engage the gray matter. That serves no one. That doesn’t serve technology. That doesn’t serve industry. These patent rights are there for a reason. They are property rights. I’m referring to the award of the 2025 Nobel Prize for Economics — they are a core driver for society’s development. So the 2025 Nobel Prize was for something called creative destruction — the replacement of old technology with new — and it’s based on the patent paradigm. So all this stuff is coming to a head now. It’s just a question of how quickly the EPO actually catch up, and maybe they have something to catch up on. It’s just understanding that the examiners have to start to think. As I said, we’ve got the issues at the UKIPO where they’re going to have to retrain 400 examiners. Rolf Claessen: Yeah, right. Bruce Dearling: The Emotional Perception case wasn’t granted by the Supreme Court. They referred it back to the patent office for consideration under the intermediate step. So the patent office produced a response that I would describe as — I’d say arguably — not well reasoned, which I’ve filed the response to, which basically says you don’t really know what you’re talking about. What really worries me a bit is that I think they’re trying to introduce the Aerotel case through the back door. It’s backsliding. It’s a mechanism for trying to apply it in a different way or a different context, which would be wrong. I think they believe that the applicant will appeal this if they get a bad decision — they will appeal it back to the courts again via the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court route. I say maybe not. I say maybe the client will file what they call a judicial review, which is a nuclear option. That’s when you actually hold the Comptroller General of Patents to account and get full discovery of whether or not there’s internal documentation showing that they are deliberately circumventing the direction of the Supreme Court on the intermediate step. This is basically holding them to account and saying: if you’re not applying the intermediate step appropriately, you are in contempt of the law. So judicial review is a really serious thing to do, but it’s certainly something I would not exclude from consideration. We’ll see what happens. It’s not saying we’re just going to go through the courts and make them decide on this. We’re going to say you’re wrong. And there’s already enough evidence in the files to suggest that they are probably in contempt of court and they’re not applying the intermediate step appropriately. They may not know any better at the moment — they need to be guided — but the consequences for them are potentially severe. Rolf Claessen: I have another question for you. You were the instructing attorney — do you think the decision was perfect? What argument that you made was the most underappreciated by the court? And where do you think the judgment got it wrong, or was it all perfect? Bruce Dearling: No, it got 90% or 95% correct. The intermediate step is right. That’s the most important thing in the decision — it’s the intermediate step. The any-hardware thing — that’s logical, that makes some sense — but if people say “if the any-hardware rule is the important bit,” no it isn’t. It’s the intermediate step. That’s the important thing. Where do they go wrong? I think they went wrong because — and you’ve got to bear in mind that unlike German courts, I’ve got to be careful about how I express this — generally, as I understand it, and correct me if I’m wrong, but the judiciary in Germany on patent cases are generally more technically able. They’re normally technically qualified. I look at the Supreme Court justices and the Court of Appeal justices — we had one who was a humanities undergrad, one was a chemist. Good luck with trying to argue complex artificial neural network technologies, which are difficult even for me to understand. And I’ve been working in the field. They’re hard to understand. They require real understanding, real appreciation. They could say, well, actually we don’t need to look at the technology — but frankly, if you’re looking at the statutes and exclusions to patentability and asking what a computer program is, then you need to understand what these technical terms really are. And if you can’t, then the judgment is potentially flawed. Their finding that the neural network is a computer program is, I think, technically obtuse. You know that the Singaporean government — the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore — released about six weeks ago a consultation note to the Singaporean profession and population, asking: is the Emotional Perception case right, and do we need to adopt it into Singaporean national law? So this is direct soft power from the UK Supreme Court changing Commonwealth legislation and statutes. We’ll see what happens. But from what I’ve seen of a draft response from the attorneys, they’re saying essentially: we agree any hardware is right, the intermediate step is right. The assessment of the neural network as a computer program is wrong, or it just doesn’t make any sense. And I’ve made the same comments before in SIPA, in the relevant round in March. There’s a disconnect. I mean, it’s like they equate a computer program with being able to be run on an analog computer. Now, an analog computer has no central processing unit. An analog computer just has resistors and transistors and capacitors. So if they’re saying that an analog computer can run a program — that’s essentially what they’re saying in part of the judgment. Where is the program in an analog computer? And if they’re saying it’s in the values of the resistors and the capacitors, then that has implications for any circuit we’ve got — it’s potentially a computer program — which is just madness, because it doesn’t sit well with the legislation and decisions we’ve looked at over the last 50 years. This is a real problem. It may be a storm in a teacup because you can overcome the objections by having any hardware, but it’s an argument they shouldn’t have been making. It seems to be abstract legal argumentation which has little credibility in my personal view, although it’s now law. It may be that someone can take that, have an argument with the Supreme Court, get them to fix this. The other thing is the EPO looks at a neural network as a mathematical method, and the UK now says it’s a computer program. Neither is right. The EPO is wrong as well. If you look at the actual decision which they regularly quote — the Vicom case — if you actually read the claim and look at the case, you see that it doesn’t make a huge amount of sense. A neural network has applied mathematics in it. It can be based on a computer program because it’s required to set up the learning objectives and the loss function. Mathematical processes — it tweaks the weighting factors of neurons over the course of the training epochs. But at the end of the day, if the function performed by the neural network is new and it’s directed towards a technical implementation which is technically relevant, then it shouldn’t fail for being a mathematical method. And I think the EPO guidelines actually say that. Even recommendations — the UK court said that a recommendation is not technical. Well, actually it is, because it’s data processing, and you’ve got to work out how does the data processing work to provide an improved recommendation? Again, it goes back to the T 1249/22 decision. There’s a whole raft of these things which are left not entirely resolved. There’s enough here to keep someone busy for a few more years. Rolf Claessen: Right. So I have a question for you now that we’ve talked about the decision of the UK Supreme Court and the UPC — the Unified Patent Court — with very, very similar wording. What do you say are the three most important takeaways for patent practitioners in the US, in Europe, in the UK, before the EPO? Are there any things that you really want patent practitioners to take away from our discussion here? Bruce Dearling: Yeah, okay. So first: make sure the claim has some structure in it. You need to have any hardware. That’s number one — in terms of claim drafting. In terms of the description, you really have to understand what the invention is about. And you’ve got to make sure that you explain what function is achieved by what piece of hardware, kit or software. And if you do that — don’t nickel-and-dime this by writing the claim first — I would suggest that you run into problems. You need to understand what the invention is about. And you need to make sure that the description is complete and full to describe the functionality and the effects that are achieved in the real world. And if you can do that, then you’re on a much sounder basis — much, much stronger. There’s a much stronger foundation for this. So that’s two things. Is there a third one? That’s me being a bit cheeky, but I suppose I know what’s going on. Rolf Claessen: Yeah, but maybe the third takeaway is that maybe the EPO will rethink the way — at least how AI inventions are assessed for inventive step. Bruce Dearling: Well, as I said to you before, it could be that that’s the case. I don’t want to repeat myself again. The word “permissive” was used in a conversation I had with respect to the UK Supreme Court approach. COMVIK fundamentally still breaks with me and has done for years, because the way it’s set up and the way it’s applied distorts fundamentally what the invention is about. And until such time as that distortion is removed, there is a problem of objectivity versus subjectivity. And I think that’s really what the EPO has to grapple with. It’s not an easy thing to deal with, but maybe there are things going on. Bruce Dearling: It’s not an easy thing to deal with. I don’t know who’s going to argue it. It would have been useful for me to still have the original case up and running at the EPO because these arguments would have been fleshed out. I’m pretty sure they would have been referred to the Enlarged Board. We would have got it resolved. So it’s whether or not I can now work this into the existing case to try and get the examining division to — well, they will refuse, I suspect. And then it’ll go to the TBA. And then the TBA will have to look at this, hopefully with the referrals to the Enlarged Board. And then that fixes the problem on a national and international basis. Rolf Claessen: Yeah. Let’s see. [Laughs] Bruce Dearling: No, we don’t know. I mean, you might have a different view. What do you think? Do you think COMVIK is fundamentally right or fundamentally wrong? Rolf Claessen: Well, I’m not so much into AI inventions. I’m a chemist and I usually deal with chemistry inventions. But from the discussion that we had, I think that the EPO might rethink their position. I don’t know. Let’s see. Let’s hope so. Bruce Dearling: Well, they liked it. They liked problem-solution. It’s been with us for 25 years. It suggests that it’s a compromise. It’s not mandated by the European Patent Convention — that’s the point. It’s something they think works. And these things only work until such time as someone comes along and says, actually, you’re wrong, and this is the reason. Rolf Claessen: Let’s see if they choose a different route at least for AI inventions. So Bruce, thank you very much for your insight and for talking about the case that you were involved in with the UK Supreme Court. Where could people reach you if they have more questions about this field — basically patents, AI protection in the UK and Europe — and if they want to ask you more questions about this case? Bruce Dearling: Sure. Through the Hepworth Brown website or my LinkedIn profile, I suppose. The Hepworth Brown website has an email link. I’m trying to post things on it as well to try and provide a bit more context. But if people have fundamental questions on this stuff, then I’m happy to try and answer them. I suppose that I can be considered to be quite knowledgeable in the area. Rolf Claessen: Right. Certainly more than I am. [Laughing] Bruce Dearling: So I was fortunate. As a consequence of the work I’m doing, I was appointed last year to the WIPO Standing Committee on Patents and Privacy. That was discussed for the issues of where WIPO goes and what the direction of the problems are that we have in high-tech areas. So there seems to be some degree of understanding that I might know what I’m talking about. I think I probably do. Rolf Claessen: Thank you, Bruce. Thank you very much for being on IP Fridays. Bruce Dearling: My pleasure. Thank you very much, Rolf.

This week, Andy sits down with Karl-Fritz Scheufele, Chief of Staff – Craft, Digital & Experience at Chopard and a third-generation member of the family that manages this historic brand.

In this episode, we speak with Conor Madigan, founder and CEO of Aether Fuels, a climate technology company converting abundant waste carbon into low-cost sustainable fuels for aviation and ocean shipping. Madigan is one of the few founders approaching the SAF cost problem from an engineering-first, problem-first standpoint.He discusses:A problem-first approach to company building: Why Madigan began with a blank sheet of paper in 2020, fixed on the problem before choosing a technology, and only then exclusively licensed foundational technology from Chicago-area research institute GTI Energy.Moving beyond the HEFA feedstock ceiling: Why today's dominant SAF process, which converts waste fats, oils and greases, cannot keep pace with projected SAF demand demand as mandates tighten towards 2030.A contrarian bet against cheap hydrogen: Why Aether chose in 2022 to prioritise biogas, biomass and industrial off-gases over CO2-and-hydrogen e-fuels, judging that optimistic hydrogen price forecasts were unlikely to hold.The Aether Aurora technology: How tri-conversion merges two reaction steps into one reactor, how an electrified reactor lifts yield, and how novel catalysts cut the cost of fuel upgrading, all aimed at the capital cost that makes waste-fed plants expensive.Why Singapore won Project Beacon: How a fast-moving partnership with Aster, predictable government policy and ties to Temasek made Singapore the site of Aether's first commercial plant, and what other countries can learn from the model.Discipline on offtakes and the real scaling bottleneck: Why Aether has resisted investor pressure to sign speculative offtake agreements, and why Madigan sees project development and financing, not chemistry, as the constraint on scaling SAF.If you LOVED this episode, you'll also love the conversation we had with Synhelion's Founder and CEO Philipp Furler who unpacked how the Swiss technology company is working to scale synthetic fuels by tackling some of the fundamental cost and infrastructure barriers facing SAF today. Check it out here.Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry's challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2'. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time.Links & More: Aether Fuels Aster and Aether Fuels partner on the first next-generation commercial SAF plant in Singapore RTI supports Aether Fuels in scaling sustainable aviation fuel Singapore Airlines Group and Aether Fuels sign MoU for sustainable aviation fuelAster and Aether Fuels Partner on the First Next-Generation Commercial Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant in Singapore 

This week on The Business of Watches, we're in La Chaux-de-Fonds to speak to Pascal Béchu, who heads not one, but two Swiss watchmaking brands, Angelus and Arnold & Son.  They're both specialized, low-production, high-horology watchmakers, with very different back stories. While Angelus is a historic Swiss brand known for its repeaters, chronographs, and long power reserve movements, Arnold & Son celebrates the work and innovation of one of history's most important (British) watchmakers, John Arnold. While quite different in their product and strategies, the two brands share the same parent company in Japan's Citizen Group, and both work closely with movement maker La Joux-Perret, with whom they share manufacturing and office space in La Chaux-de-Fonds.  Pascal Béchu is in charge of both marques. He talks about the history and the future for both brands, some recent successes in the form of celebrity clients for Arnold & Son, and a GPHG prize for Angelus. He also discusses prices and the impact the strong Swiss franc and the soaring price of precious metals are having on corporate strategy and planning.  Show Notes 3:55  Arnold & Son 4:36 John Arnold (Fondation Haute Horlogerie) 4:55 Longitude Act 1714 (Wikipedia) 6:56 Arnold & Son Tourbillon Chronometer No. 36 (GPHG) 7:10 John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet (WatchAffinityUK) 7:52 John Roger Arnold (Antiquarian Horology) 8:00 The British Masters (Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry Oct. 2000) 10:20 Angelus Watches 11:07 Angelus Heritage 12:48 Historic Swiss Brand Angelus Is Back And Presents The U10 Tourbillon Lumière (Quill & Pad) 15:10 Angelus La Fabrique 16:59 The Strange Allure Of The Monopusher Chronograph (Hodinkee) 18:32 Angelus Instrument De Vittesse (GPHG) 19:10 Angelus Télémètre Yellow Gold (GPHG) 22:09 Angelus Flying Tourbillon Titanium Blue 30:00 Angelus Tinkler (released at Watches and Wonders 2026) 30:48 Ed Sheeran Named One of Time's Most Influential And Wears a Patek and Arnold & Son in photos (Hodinkee)  33:30 Arnold & Son Globetrotter 34:27 Arnold & Son DSTB 35:50 Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 43:50 The Business of Watches Podcast: La Joux-Perret CEO Jean-Claude Eggen

If Bern, Switzerland's capital city is on your must-visit list but you're not sure where to start, you're in the right spot! In this episode, I'm sitting down with Bern native Kathrin Spinnler to spill all our favourite secrets about how to make the most of 2 days in Bern - from the best things to do in Bern, Switzerland to can't-miss local highlights.We'll take you on a stroll through the gorgeous Bern Old Town with its fountains, covered arcades and the impressive Bern Minster, show you where to catch the famous Zytglogge clock show, and make sure you don't miss the picture-perfect views from the Rosengarten.You'll discover where and when to visit Bern's Bear Park, and hear about favourite local hangouts, the Aare River and Gurten, the city's own mountain.  There's also time in our Bern two-day itinerary to visit the Paul Klee Museum Bern or take a side trip to the Emmental cheese factory.Plus there are loads of handy Bern travel tips - from how to plan your Bern itinerary and suggested day trips from Bern, to easy ways to get around.Whether you've just got one day in Bern or want to dive deep into all the best things to see in Bern, this episode will give you heaps of ideas to make your trip easy and unforgettable.Happy travels,Carolyn

When I sat down with Casimir Sienkiewicz (CAZ) from CazTek, I immediately connected with his story because it reminded me so much of the journeys so many shop owners go through. What started with a Bridgeport mill in a garage has evolved over the last 22 years into a growing engineering and precision machining company tackling everything from advanced prototypes to 5-axis machining, Swiss work, automation assemblies, and aerospace and medical projects. But what really stood out to me wasn't just the equipment or the growth. It was Casimir's mindset around creativity, problem-solving, and continuously evolving as a business owner. One of the themes throughout this conversation is how closely personal growth and business growth are tied together. Casimir talked openly about the realization that he had to stop trying to personally carry every responsibility inside the company if he wanted the business to scale. Like many entrepreneurs, he built the company through grit, technical skill, and sheer determination. But eventually, that approach created bottlenecks. Bringing in strong leaders, defining core values, implementing systems, and learning to trust his team became the next phase of growth for both him and the company. We also spent a lot of time talking about the intersection of engineering and manufacturing. CazTek isn't just a machine shop. Their team works through the entire product development lifecycle, from early concepts and mechanical engineering all the way through machining, assembly, testing, and production. That end-to-end visibility gives their employees a unique sense of purpose because they get to see how the products they design and manufacture actually impact the world, whether it's medical devices, aerospace hardware, or industrial systems. This episode is packed with lessons around scaling a manufacturing business, building the right culture, implementing systems like EOS, adopting new technology, and creating an organization that can grow sustainably. Casimir brings a thoughtful and honest perspective to the conversation, and I think listeners will really relate to the challenges, mistakes, and breakthroughs he shares along the way. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (0:00) Introduction and the origins of CazTek's manufacturing journey (3:18) Overview of CazTek Engineering and CazTek Precision today (8:28) Learning manual machining, CNC setup, and programming at a young age (10:17) Landing in a manufacturing engineering technology program (11:36) Starting the business in a 400-square-foot garage with a Bridgeport mill (15:15) Hiring the first employee and moving out of the garage (16:58) Learn more about IMTS 2026 (and why you should join us) (17:51) Purchasing the first Haas VF-2 and launching the machine shop side (19:44) Expanding into 5-axis machining, turning, and Swiss machining (21:22) Balancing rapid prototyping work with outside contract machining (23:21) Growing through referrals, relationships, and word-of-mouth reputation (24:29) Building a true sales pipeline and moving beyond feast-or-famine growth (28:06) Recognizing personal limitations and bringing in experienced leaders to scale (29:56) Why we love SMW Autoblok workholding  (30:39) Learning to trust others and let go of operational control (34:04) How systems and delegation unlocked the next stage of growth (36:54) Challenges of investing time and resources into organizational growth (38:11) Implementing EOS and building systems for accountability and growth (39:53) Hiring the right personalities and getting people in the right seats (41:08) Why we created Hire MFG Leaders (and why you should use it) (42:04) Coaching employees into roles that fit their strengths (46:25) Building scalable processes and implementing tools like ProShop and Paperless Parts (49:19) Current growth challenges, operational bottlenecks, and scaling in parallel (51:33) Defining CazTek's core values and attracting mission-driven employees (57:03) Thoughts on manufacturing growth, automation, and staying resilient through market shifts Resources & People Mentioned Why you need to join us at IMTS 2026 Why we love SMW Autoblok workholding  The E-Myth Revisited Built to Sell EOS MN Precision Manufacturing Association  Connect with Casimir Sienkiewicz CazTek CazTek Precision Connect on LinkedIn Connect With Machine Shop Mastery The website LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Subscribe to Machine Shop Mastery on Apple, Spotify

It's Clever's 10th anniversary! We're celebrating by honoring some of the amazing stories we've collected over the years. Jay has continued to make meaningful contributions to the world since this conversation, and we have updates. Be sure to subscribe to our Substack & social (IG & LI) to catch up on Jay's recent news!Clever Ep. 163: Industrial designer and founding partner of Barber Osgerby, Jay Osgerby, grew up in a small town in England, with his close-knit multi-generational family and the backdrop of his grandparents' experiences through WWII. His childhood was filled with making things - inspired by his Swiss ancestors' stories of watch and camera making. His parents were incredibly resourceful, whether it was opening a shop together or repurposing curtains when the local cinema closed. This pioneering spirit is something that Jay has carried with him throughout his career - from his studies at RCA where he met long-time business partner and friend, Ed Barber, to designing the 2012 Olympic Torch, to revolutionizing how people work remotely with Soft Work seating. Now, 25+ years into design, Jay reveals the triumphs and tragedies that lined his path and forged his character with candor, humor, and an unflagging optimism that burns bright and steady like the inextinguishable flame of the Olympic Torch.Images, links and more from Jay Osgerby!Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alertsVISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodesSAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydeversSpecial thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Join us for Emerging Designers Spotlight LIVE, Sunday May 17, 4pm on the Main Stage at ICFF NYC. Register to attend for free with code: MISKGENSPK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

French authorities have launched a corruption investigation centered on Fabrice Aidan, a former French diplomat whose name surfaced in more than 200 documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein. As part of that probe, investigators searched the Paris offices of the Swiss private bank Edmond de Rothschild, where Aidan worked after his diplomatic career. The documents include emails Aidan allegedly sent between 2010 and 2016 from both personal and United Nations accounts, with some reportedly containing confidential UN Security Council briefings and sensitive diplomatic material shared with Epstein.The investigation is focused on potential bribery and corruption involving a foreign public official, raising serious questions about how Epstein may have leveraged high-level political access in Europe. Aidan has denied any wrongdoing, while French authorities have already conducted an internal review involving dozens of interviews and are considering further legal or disciplinary action. The scandal has also drawn attention to broader ties between Epstein and figures connected to the Rothschild banking network, including years-long correspondence with CEO Ariane de Rothschild, further intensifying scrutiny of how financial and diplomatic circles intersected with Epstein's operations.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:French arm of Swiss bank Edmond de Rothschild searched by authorities in Epstein-related probe | The IndependentBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

We have come to a tiny landlocked country where nine out of 10 footballers are foreigners.Welcome to beautiful Andorra – a micro-state home to a football scene brimming with curiosities and quirks.In this episode, we're unpacking the madness: Why are there virtually no Andorrans in the local Primera Divisió? How did Gerard Piqué's FC Andorra move over the border to play in Spain's La Liga 2? And why on earth do fans of UE Santa Coloma dress up as squirrels?Plus: UEFA has totally revamped qualification for international competitions with a tiered Swiss-style system – and the continent's smaller nations are up in arms about it.Buy ‘Around The World In 80 Clubs': ⁠www.amazon.co.uk/Around-World-80-Clubs-Wonderful/dp/1399637886Chapters:00:00 – Intro01:26 – FC Andorra: The history03:15 – FC Andorra: Piqué & Ceuta12:50 – The Copa Constitució final17:03 – No homegrown players24:10 – The micro-state ranking list30:08 – UEFA's qualification revamp31:25 – A message from the minnows

Building a brand that lasts requires a bundle of promises, an uncompromising dedication to craft, and a healthy dose of grit. Monica Nassif, the force behind Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, didn't just disrupt a tired $30 billion category—she bottled a legacy. From raising capital to fueling creative muscle, she knows exactly what it takes to turn an authentic story into a market-shifting powerhouse. What You'll Learn in This Episode - How training your eyes to notice beauty helps you identify distracting retail clutter and build an uncompromising premium brand - Why a former Target speechwriter decided to intentionally knock off her own high-end business with a thrifty Midwestern alternative - How capturing real words and designing a detailed stylist guide can create a consistent domestic mentor persona for a real-life mother - What two belly-flop startups taught a product geek about the dangers of running two businesses at once without a dedicated sales structure - Why stepping away from digital focus groups and walking the aisles of a competitive landscape provides the ultimate customer insight Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (02:42) Balancing Startup Grit with Premium Detail (04:26) Turning a Real Person Into a Beloved Household Brand (05:56) Creating a Brand Bible Around a Legacy Persona (12:47) Learning from Startup Flops and Learning to Sell (15:37) The Framework of Why You Should Start a Business (19:56) The Retail Rat Approach to Market Research (26:13) A Brand That Makes Monica Smile About Monica Nassif Monica Nassif is an author, founder, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker who revolutionized the consumer household product market by launching the premium cleaning lines Caldrea and Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. After beginning her career in marketing communications at Target Corporation as a speechwriter, editor, and publicist, she founded Kilter Incorporated, a Minneapolis-based agency serving major retail companies. Nassif's fearless approach to business has led her through four startups, resulting in major market-shifting successes and instructive flops alike. Since selling her company to SC Johnson in 2008, she continues to inspire founders with her insights on perseverance, retail savvy, and craftsmanship, which she shares in her book, I Bottled My Mother. What Brand Has Made Monica Smile Recently? A recent collaborative launch by Swatch and a high-end partner brought a smile to Monica's face. As a self-described product and branding geek, she loved seeing two old Swiss heritage names join forces to release a bold, colorful pocket watch format. For an entrepreneur who appreciates nostalgic craftsmanship, tracking the enduring success of mechanical watchmakers in a digital world served as a delightful reminder that consumers are always hungry for quality and tactile details. Resources & Links Connect with Monica on LinkedIn Check out her website. Listen & Support the Show Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show. Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode. Sign up for my free Story Strategies newsletter for branding and storytelling tips. On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I'll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seiko, Citizen, and Casio each pulled in over a billion dollars in revenue last year — in most cases record-breaking, and all three landing neck and neck around $1.3 billion with healthy 9–14% net margins. That's remarkable on its own. It's stunning when you remember it happened in the same sub-$5,000 segment that's been punishing the Swiss. While Swatch Group struggles and the broader industry hunts for its footing, Japan's big three are quietly having their strongest year in decades. We dig into why. The short version: they're counter-positioned to everything that's currently working against Swiss luxury. A weak yen against a punishingly strong franc, a value-and-reliability pitch instead of a luxury-and-heritage one, a technology focus (spring drive, solar, high-accuracy quartz, the entire G-Shock universe) at the exact moment tastes drift away from vintage reissues, and diversified distribution into markets like Latin America and India that the Swiss lean on far less. We also get into how different these three businesses actually are under the hood — Casio's pivot to watches as a majority of revenue, and Citizen's sprawling structure spanning La Joux-Perret, Miyota, Bulova, Frédéric Constant, Alpina, Arnold & Son, and Angelus — and why Seiko still doesn't get half the respect it deserves. Before all that, we welcome Niton and the Niton Prima to Collective, and put a final cap on the AP x Swatch launch — the crowds, the resellers, the injuries, and Nick Hayek's remarkably flip BBC interview — a moment that revealed real cultural relevance for AP and a real crisis-management failure for Swatch. Openwork is a weekly podcast about how the watch industry actually works. An unfiltered look behind the scenes — no press releases, no hype, and no sponsored takes. Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.

[Part Two of Two]  Read this with a Film Noir voice in your head (Think Maltese Falcon or China Town)

Today we'll be talking about a hotel fire in Pattaya that left guests trapped as rescue teams responded, also, there's been a royal update on the health condition of Princess Bajrakitiyabha, then we' have our badly behaving foreigners in the form of Chinese brothel operators, British reckless drivers, and nightmare Swiss tenants, in ASEAN News, Philippines authorities have vowed to track down and arrest a senator wanted by the international criminal court, and a little later, a British tourist ends up in a too hot to handle situation at a full moon party in Koh Phangan.

The ancient fruit sitting in your grocery store right now outperforms rapamycin, rivals caloric restriction, and triggers a cellular cleanup process that most longevity scientists did not even know existed until a lab changed everything 18 years ago. -Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR -Go to timeline.com/Dave or just use code ‘Dave' to get 20% off your next order. Host Dave Asprey sits down with Chris Rinsch, co-founder and President of Timeline Longevity and a PhD cell biologist who has spent nearly two decades doing pharmaceutical quality clinical research on one of the most underrated longevity molecules on earth. Before founding Timeline in 2007, Rinsch worked in venture capital investing in pioneering life sciences companies and in biotechnology developing cell-based therapies at Swiss biotech company ISOTIS SA. He has authored original publications in Nature Medicine, Nature Metabolism, JAMA Open, and Cell Reports Medicine, and holds internationally filed and granted patents on urolithin A. This is the first time a Timeline co-founder has appeared on the show. Together, Dave and Chris break down the full science of urolithin A, the postbiotic compound unlocked from pomegranate by gut bacteria, and why it triggers mitophagy to clear out damaged mitochondria and replace them with high-functioning ones. They cover why only 30 to 40 percent of people can produce urolithin A from food alone, how one month of supplementation measurably improved immune cell populations in people aged 50 to 70, and why Dave has stacked this into his daily longevity protocol alongside NAD precursors and nootropics for years. If you are serious about biohacking your mitochondria, extending healthspan, and doing smarter not harder longevity work, this episode delivers the deep science to back it up. You'll Learn: Why urolithin A outperforms rapamycin in worm lifespan studies and rivals caloric restriction at 45 percent life extension How mitophagy works, why it declines with age, and why it is one of the most important anti-aging mechanisms in the body Why eating pomegranates or taking cheap pomegranate extract does not work for most people and what to take instead How one month of MitoPure improved natural killer cells, CD8 T naive cells, and reduced inflammation in adults aged 50 to 70 Why mitochondria are central to metabolism, brain optimization, immune function, cardiovascular health, and skin aging How Timeline's topical urolithin A produced statistically significant reductions in fine lines and wrinkles after eight weeks Why Dave considers this one of the most clinically validated supplements in his longevity stack alongside NAD and fasting protocols How L'Oreal became a Timeline investor after confirming the mitochondrial science was unlike anything in their existing ingredient library What the XPRIZE Healthspan competition is targeting and why Timeline is competing to reverse biological aging by 10 to 20 years Why the future of functional medicine will require a mitochondrial blood test and how close we are to having one Thank you to our sponsors! - EMR-Tek | https://www.emr-tek.com/DAVE and use code DAVE - Calroy | Go to Calroy.com/DAVE for exclusive discounts on Arterosil HP, Vascanox HP and all Calroy products. - Neuronic | Go to www.neuronic.online Code DAVE for $100 off - ENERGYbits | If you want a simpler, smarter way to support your body… this is it. Head to ENERGYbits.com and use code ASPREY for 20% off your order. Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights inhealth, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. Keywords: Chris Rinsch, Timeline Longevity, MitoPure, urolithin A, mitochondria, mitophagy, pomegranate, elagitannins, postbiotic, gut microbiome, longevity, anti-aging, healthspan, biohacking, supplements, human performance, metabolism, mitochondrial health, cellular health, autophagy, natural killer cells, immune health, inflammation, NAD, rapamycin, caloric restriction, muscle endurance, collagen, skin aging, fine lines, wrinkles, topical skincare, L'Oreal, XPRIZE Healthspan, Nature Aging, clinical trials, longevity stack, brain optimization, cardiovascular health, biological age, aging clock, fasting, nootropics, functional medicine, Dave Asprey, polyphenols, microbiome diversity Resources: • Go to timeline.com/Dave or just use code ‘Dave' to get 20% off your next order. • Get My 2026 Clean Nicotine Roadmap | Enroll for free at https://daveasprey.com/2026-clean-nicotine-roadmap/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/ • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Trailer 00:37 – Intro 03:57 – Pomegranates 10:03 – Discovering Urolithin A & Mitophagy 20:50 – Science vs. Pomegranate Supplements 25:24 – Topical Skincare Science 26:09 – L'Oreal Partnership & Skin Results 33:38 – 15 Clinical Studies & XPRIZE 43:50 – Nature Aging Immune Study 49:22 – Dosing & Daily Routine 51:29 – Future of Mitochondrial Health See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the past three years, L'Oréal Group has been quietly assembling the perfect team, ingredient, product and marketing rollout for its next big skin-care category: longevity.  Helmed by veteran L'Oréal Group executive Vania Lacascade, a doctor of pharmacy and MBA who has spent more than 15 years with the conglomerate, the first longevity skin-care range dropped on May 1 under the Lancôme brand.  Lacascade has worked across brands for L'Oréal Group and served as the chief innovation officer from 2023 to 2025. where she readied the conglomerate for its pivot into longevity. In 2025, she became the global brand president of Lancôme, overseeing the launch.  “One of the most significant projects I had to lead was this ambitious roadmap around longevity for beauty, and now, as the president of Lancôme, I have the opportunity to bring this roadmap to life,” Lacascade told Glossy. “With this launch, [called] Absolue MD, it's really this bridge between laboratory science and women's daily lives.”  The term longevity has become mainstream since the Covid-19 pandemic, as the wellness industry has exploded in popularity. Longevity is defined as living a longer, healthier life. In the health and wellness fields, it's often measured by a mix of lifespan, or how long one lives, and healthspan, or the quality of that life. How the term applies to beauty is still being decided.  “If we manage to live longer, the first priority is to live better, and what was interesting to me is, ‘How do you translate this shift when it comes to skin? When it comes to beauty?'” she said.  Lacascade told Glossy that she sees anti-aging and longevity products as complementary. For example, anti-aging is corrective: “Correcting the loss of collagen, correcting wrinkles, so those types of skin care are here to treat the symptoms and address very, very specifically different kinds of signs of aging,” she said. Meanwhile, longevity is “treating the root cause of aging,” she said.  To power the company's vision, L'Oréal's venture capital fund, BOLD, acquired a minority stake in Swiss biotech company Timeline in 2024. It then leveraged the company's Mitopure ingredient, which works through cellular repair, to power L'Oréal's first longevity skin-care launch, called Lancôme's Absolue MD. The new line dropped with three moisturizers made for different ages. The Anticipate cream is for those under 35 years old, while Intercept is made for those ages 35-55, and Reset was designed for who are 55-plus. Each is $155. In today's episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Lacascade walks host Lexy Lebsack through her vision for L'Oréal Group's continued expansion into longevity, the Lancôme launch that kicked it off, and how the team is leveraging celebrity ambassadors like Demi Moore and Zoe Saldaña to spread the word. 

Happy Thursday, you pop culture junkies.  Grab your iced coffee and settle in. This week, we are covering everything from absolute retail chaos to internet tears of joy, TikTok trends, and your next television obsessions. First up, we are diving deep into the massive, worldwide collaboration between Swatch and luxury Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet (AP). We look at a quick history of both brands and unpack the absolute mayhem and chaos that ensued globally when this drop hit the streets. (Honestly, it's giving the ultimate "male version of Labubu" energy). Then, we pivot to a major win for animal lovers. We break down the incredible drama surrounding Ridglan Farms—a facility that breeds beagles specifically for lab testing. After an activist rescue sparked a massive public outcry, an organization successfully, legally purchased over 1,000 of these dogs. With Ricky Gervais championing the cause, the internet is officially flooded with videos of freed beagles touching grass for the very first time, and yes, you will need tissues. Finally, we round out the week with social media trends and TV recaps: The TikTok High Heel Trend: Everyone is showcasing their finest footwear, strutting to Beyoncé, and we are entirely here for it. The Ed Harris Truman Show Meme: Why this specific moment is spreading like wildfire across our timelines. Netflix's The Crash: The wild true story behind the series and the internet's collective reaction to the convicted felon's parents. Amazon Prime's Off-Campus: A look at Prime's new, highly anticipated take on the ultimate heated college sports rivalry   The Crash Trailer: https://youtu.be/fODfHjrBz6Y Off Campus Trailer: https://youtu.be/wAozjf2frxw Sign up and subscribe to PCM: https://popculturemondays.com/2026/05/18/the-watch-that-is-labubu-for-boys-and-some-memes-trends-and-content/ Ridglan Farms Beagles Support: https://www.bdrr.org/beagle-fund

This week on The Business of Watches, we're talking to the head of what's now the largest U.K.-based watch brand, Christopher Ward. Under the direction of Chief Executive Officer Mike France, the Swiss-made, approachable-priced watchmaker has enjoyed outsized growth in recent years, due in part to popular and surprising releases like its Bel Canto chiming watch and its commitment to keeping prices in check. But first, we're joined by Hodinkee Senior Editor Mark Kauzlarich to talk about the Audemars Piguet X Swatch Royal Pop collaboration and its launch day, which certainly didn't go according to plan at some locations where massive crowds overwhelmed staff and security and forced store closures.  Show Notes:  1:30 Mark Kauzlarich 1:50 Royal Pop (Swatch) 2:40 Hands-On: The Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop (Impressions, Live Photos, And More) (Hodinkee) 3:30 Sotheby's Sale of the Audemars Piguet 'Grosse Pièce' Shatters Records, Becomes By Far Most Expensive Audemars Piguet At $7,736,000 8:00 Royal Pop Sales Resume After Launch Rush For Audemars Piguet X Swatch Collaboration Forced Store Closures (Hodinkee) 12:05 Watch Spotting: The Watches Of Super Bowl LX (Hodinkee) 16:48 Our Story (Christopher Ward) 17:28 Christopher Ward showrooms 20:39 Windup Watch Fair22:10 Christopher Ward Forum 26:30 How Christopher Ward Became a £100m Watch Brand (Esquire) 28:29 Mike Pearson (Christopher Ward) 36:41 The Christopher Ward 'C63 True GMT' Adds A Local Jumping Hour Hand GMT To The Lineup (Hodinkee) 44:50 Business News: Christopher Ward To Roll Back U.S. Tariff Price Hit By 29% With Corporate Structure Shift (Hodinkee) 48:47 Business News: Rolex And Cartier Are In Another League – A Deep Dive On The Pains And Gains In Morgan Stanley's "Swiss Watcher" Report (Hodinkee)  49:50 Introducing: The Christopher Ward C12 'Loco' (Live Pics) (Hodinkee) 52:53 Introducing: Christopher Ward Overhauls The Sealander Line With Design Refinements And Upgrades 56:26 Trump tariff refunds begin but consumers likely to miss out (BBC)  1:01:57 In-Depth: How One Chiming Watch From Christopher Ward Turned The Watch World On Its Head  

While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.  In this episode, Kim speaks with Steven Johnson, co-founder of Notebook LM, not about AI but about his book, The Infernal Machine: A True Story of Dynamite, Terror, and the Rise of the Modern Detective.  They start with the story of how the Swiss dominated the watch industry for over a century, thanks to a highly decentralized network of cottage laborers in the Jura mountains. The culture of autonomy in the industry was so strong that it turned Swiss watchmakers into some of history's first anarchists, which in the 19th century simply meant self-organization. The movement became associated with disorder and violence after many anarchists adopted Nobel's invention of dynamite as their weapon. The public outcry against their violent attacks on heads of state and industry led to many modern surveillance techniques, including wiretapping and fingerprinting..  Steven and Kim speculate that some approaches to company-building in Silicon Valley have embraced bottom-up self-organization principles of the Jura mountains. They explore how we might have a viable alternative to capitalism and socialism today if anarchists had not embraced dynamite. They agree it's not too late to imagine that viable alternative–maybe one of them will write that book.  Guest Background: Steven Johnson is the Co-Founder and Editorial Director, NotebookLM; Author of 14 books on science, technology, and innovation; co-creator and host of BBC/PBS series How We Got To Now and Extra Life. He is the host of the podcast The TED Interview and the author of the newsletter Adjacent Possible. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Marin County, California, with his wife and three sons. CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction to Radical Sabbatical and Steven Johnson (03:02) The Relevance of History in Today's Context (06:02) The Evolution of Anarchism and Political Violence (09:03) Kropotkin and the Philosophy of Anarchism (12:06) The Watchmakers of Switzerland and Technological Innovation (15:02) The Irony of Kropotkin's Life and Legacy (18:05) The Influence of Anarchism on Modern Thought (21:01) Silicon Valley's Bottom-Up Ethos and Its Evolution (24:02) The Emergence of Google and Bottom-Up Systems (25:54) The Transformation of Pinkerton: From Idealism to Violence (30:27) Nobel and the Dual Nature of Dynamite (35:16) The Political Ramifications of Dynamite (40:34) The Ludlow Massacre and the Siege of Tarrytown (43:14) Lessons from History: Nonviolence vs. Violence Connect with the Radical Candor team: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the reason you're not getting better isn't about what you're putting in — but what you can't get out? In this episode I sit down with Tash Simons from INUSpheresis Perth — the first clinic in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere to offer this advanced blood filtration therapy. We go deep into how double filtration plasmapheresis works, the two specialised filters (TKM58 and INUS 30), and the science behind removing autoantibodies, inflammatory cytokines, heavy metals, microplastics, PCBs, and oxidised LDL directly from your blood — without involving your kidneys or liver. We cover the clinical research across long COVID, ME/CFS, autoimmune conditions, Lyme disease, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular risk including Lp(a) — one of the hardest lipid markers to shift. Tash shares the personal story of how a family member's chronic fatigue led her and Dr Robbie Simons to discover this therapy in Vienna, and the journey to bring it to Perth — from TGA registration and insurance approvals to Swiss certification and over 100 treatments completed. If you're dealing with a chronic condition that won't budge, carrying a toxic load, or thinking about longevity from a subtractive medicine perspective — this one's for you. Book a consult or submit a new patient form at inuspheresisperth.com.au Check out my supplement store at shop.lisatamati.com Rejuvenate Pro at shop.lisatamati.com/pages/rejuvenate My books at shop.lisatamati.com/collections/books Sign up for my newsletter at www.lisatamati.com/lisa Listen to more episodes at www.lisatamati.com/ptl-podcast/ This episode is also brought to you by Rejuvenate Pro from Aevum Labs. If INUSpheresis is about taking the bad stuff out, Rejuvenate Pro is about protecting what stays behind. Featuring kawakawa, carnosic acid, Immunel colostrum extract and IDP (Immune Defense Protein), it targets the chronic systemic inflammation that silently drives aging. It's the first supplement in every protocol I build for my clients — and it should be in yours. Shop now at shop.lisatamati.com/pages/rejuvenate         ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━  

Trying to pick the best mountain excursion near Lucerne can be a real challenge - especially with so many amazing options right on your doorstep! If you've ever wondered which Lucerne mountain excursion you should do, or you're busy searching for things to do in Lucerne beyond the city, this episode is for you.I'm joined by Lucerne local, Celine Deplazes, and together we break down everything you need to know about Lucerne's six big peaks - Mount Pilatus (well-known for the Pilatus cogwheel train), Mount Stanserhorn, Mount Rigi, Mount Titlis, Mount Stoos and Brienzer Rothorn. From world-first modes of transport, to jaw-dropping views, scenic hikes and family-friendly activities, we cover what makes each mountain special and how to make the most of your trip.Celine also chats about the Lucerne Travel Pass, an all-in-one ticket that offers huge savings and can help you enjoy the best Lucerne day trips to the mountains for less.Tune in for practical tips and loads of inspiration to help you choose the perfect Swiss mountain adventure for your visit to Lucerne.Happy travels,Carolyn

HEADLINES:• Dubai-born GymNation just secured $100m BlackRock-backed investment• Emaar Exits $500 Million Syria JV While Mohamed Alabbar Doubles Down on Damascus• Swiss bank UBS Is Losing Some of the Middle East Wealth Bankers It Hired Just Two Years AgoNewsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModrWhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: https://aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): https://aug.us/3BTU2MY

Are Forest looking to ship out Dan Ndoye after just one season at The City Ground? Subscribe to TFN https://www.youtube.com/@TheFootyNetwork?sub_confirmation=1 We are back with an absolute bombshell of a transfer update as Wolfie dives deep into the shocking rumours surrounding Dan Ndoye's future at the City Ground! Reports out of Italy are suggesting that after a incredibly frustrating debut season in the Garibaldi under Vítor Pereira, the Swiss winger is already being actively shopped around to Serie A giants like AS Roma, Inter Milan, and Napoli. With Forest allegedly slapping a massive €35m-€42m price tag on his head, Wolfie breaks down whether the club is genuinely trying to cut their losses and clear out the £35M man, or if his agents are just playing games behind the scenes to try and force a move away. Is it time to say "return to sender" and bank a massive fee to reinvest in the squad, or does Ndoye deserve a proper pre-season to finally find his feet in England? Wolfie gets stuck into the tactical reality of his tough season, the massive transfer links, and what this means for our summer spending plans under Evangelos Marinakis. Get involved in the comments below, Reds—are you ready to pack Ndoye's bags and wave him off back to Italy for that kind of money, or would selling him now be a massive mistake? Drop your thoughts, smash that like button, and subscribe for daily unfiltered Forest content! COYR! #nffc #premierleague #nottinghamforest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us Fan MailDo you trust AI to give you accurate information, or are you with the hosts on this one? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Make sure to hit that subscribe button, like the video, and share this episode with anyone curious about the future of tech and declassified history.Can you really trust an artificial intelligence to give you the truth? In this episode of The Days Grimm, hosts Brian Michael Day and Thomas Grimm bring a special guest into the studio: Anthropic's conversational AI, Claude, for an unfiltered interview about the future of technology, history, and global conspiracies.This episode completely pushes the boundaries of traditional podcasting as the crew interviews a live AI assistant to test its data retrieval, safety safeguards, and sense of humor. The conversation kicks off with a hilarious blunder regarding a mythical Swiss toilet law, leading to a quick fact-check and a deeper debate about why AI sounds so confident even when it is completely wrong. From there, the hosts take Claude down a series of fascinating, rapid-fire rabbit holes, ranging from recently declassified Pentagon UAP documents to the staggering mathematical scale of global fast-food agriculture.As the discussion turns toward history and science, Claude breaks down the mysterious dancing plague of 1518, evaluates who would actually win in a brutal, tool-free matchup between a single silverback gorilla and 100 bare-handed humans, and addresses whether artificial intelligence poses a legitimate threat to humanity's future. The crew also explores the mechanical limitations of deep space travel, specifically looking at how the intense radiation of the Van Allen belts serves as a major hindrance to long-term Mars missions, before shifting to historical cover-ups. Claude reviews infamous conspiracy theories that were eventually declassified and proven completely true, including Project MKUltra, the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment, and the shocking proposed false flag operations of Operation Northwoods.This episode highlights both the incredible power and the hilarious limitations of modern automated language models. By testing Claude's ability to handle complex questions about philosophy, ancient empires, and simulation theory, the hosts showcase the ongoing tension between technological capability and human skepticism, proving that viewers should always verify information and maintain an independent mind.TIMELINE : 00:00:26 - Introducing Claude AI to the Studio 00:01:45 - The Swiss Toilet Law and AI Hallucinations 00:06:00 - Who is Claude? An AI Elevator Pitch 00:07:15 - Should We Be Afraid of AI Taking Over? 00:09:45 - Claude Tells a Terrible Violin Joke 00:11:55 - The Mysterious Dancing Plague of 1518 00:14:42 - Declassified Pentagon UAP and UFO Files 00:16:35 - McDonald's Burger Math and Global Chicken Stats 00:19:25 - Ancient Civilizations, Simulations, and Ancient Astronauts 00:21:20 - Who Wins: 1 Gorilla vs 100 Humans? 00:23:05 - Supercomputation and Propaganda on the Internet 00:26:34 - Navigating the Van Allen Radiation Belts to Mars 00:28:01 - Leaded Gasoline and Who Secretly Controls the World 00:30:20 - Conspiracy Theories Proven True: MKUltra & Operation Northwoods[The Days Grimm Podcast Links]- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDaysGrimm- Our link tree: linktr.ee/Thedaysgrimm- GoFundMe account for The Days Grimm: https://gofund.me/02527e7c [The Days Grimm is brought to you by]Sadness & ADHD (non-medicated)

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Maria Bernarda Butler, 1848-1924; Swiss saint who founded the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, Help of Christians and was a missionary in Ecuador; eventually, her congregation had houses in Colombia, Austria, and Brazil Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/19/26 Gospel: John 17:1-11a

Batteries do not just power products anymore. They shape what products can be built.In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Michael Brehm and Mohamed Foulser from Redstone alongside Moritz H. Futscher, CEO and Co-Founder of BTRY, about why the next wave of battery innovation is not about bigger battery packs but entirely new form factors.BTRY is a Swiss battery startup developing an ultra-thin, foldable solid-state battery designed for IoT, medtech and consumer electronics. Founded in 2023 as an Empa and ETH Zürich spin-off, the company is building a new category of batteries aimed at enabling products that previously were not possible.The discussion covers Europe's industrial opportunity in batteries, the importance of scalable manufacturing, overlooked opportunities in embedded electronics and why the future of hardware may make batteries effectively disappear.Key highlightsWhy battery innovation is shifting from chemistry to product design and manufacturingHow BTRY is creating a new category of ultra-thin batteriesWhy scalability matters more than lab breakthroughs in deep techEurope's opportunity to build globally competitive battery companiesWhat embedded batteries could unlock across wearables, sensors and medtechTimestamps(00:00) Why batteries still limit innovation(04:10) The overlooked opportunity in sub-1Ah batteries(07:25) Rebuilding battery manufacturing from scratch(10:00) What foldable batteries could enable(14:00) Smart labels, sensors and embedded devices(18:00) Why scaling production is the real challenge(24:30) Can Europe compete in batteries?(34:00) The future of ultra-thin battery-powered productsSubscribe to EUVC, the home of European tech, for more insights.

Learn Swiss German online https://www.swiss-german-online.com/

There have been more than 390 suspected cases and more than 80 reported deaths from the new species of Ebola, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The infection has already spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring Uganda, while Rwanda and South Sudan are now on "high alert". Health officials are warning that the variant is deadlier than previous outbreaks. Also: International efforts to contain the Hantavirus are ongoing, as the cruise ship at the centre of the outbreak arrives in the Netherlands for disinfection. The Ukrainian military claim Russian forces are preparing for a major offensive in the summer. Spain's High Court has acquitted the Colombian singer Shakira of tax fraud and ordered her to get almost $65,000,000 in fines she had paid, plus interest. We get the latest on the Italian tourists who went missing whilst scuba diving in the Maldives. Why Swatch's Royal Pop collaboration with the Swiss luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet is causing chaos at shops around the world... and the drink that's putting an end to France's long-term love affair with wine.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

RUNDOWN   Mitch and Hotshot Scott open Episode 383 by marveling at the bizarre obsession surrounding the NFL schedule release, questioning why fans and media treat dates and kickoff times like breaking world events. And then, they break down the Seahawks' newly released schedule, from the bizarre Rams clustering and overloaded prime time slate to the brutal late-season stretch loaded with short weeks and playoff-caliber opponents. The conversation turns into a bigger NFC West discussion, with Mitch quietly predicting San Francisco wins the division while Seattle lands at 11–6 and grabs a wild card spot. Mitch, Brady, and Joe dissect a Mariners club that suddenly looks lifeless after another ugly series loss to San Diego, with injuries piling up and the offense disappearing again. The conversation centers on whether Colt Emerson's promotion can inject energy into a flat clubhouse, why Seattle's veteran-heavy roster may lack emotional spark, and whether the AL West being mediocre is the only thing keeping the season afloat right now. Mitch and Puck bounce from petty website slights and Tiger Woods speculation into a spirited debate over Cal Raleigh playing hurt and the Mariners' late-game strategy. The real fireworks come when Mitch unveils his theory that the NFL intentionally put Mike Vrabel and the Patriots in a primetime opener against Seattle.   GUESTS   Brady Farkas | Host, Refuse to Lose podcast Joe Doyle | MLB analyst, Over-Slot Jason Puckett | KJ-Aren'ts / Puck Drop   TABLE OF CONTENTS   0:00 | Why NFL Schedule Release Day Feels Like a National Holiday, Mariners Frustration, and the Show's Weekly Birthday and Music Trivia Segment 14:09 | NFL Drops Seahawks Schedule — Brutal Stretches, Prime Time Chaos & Niners Fear 31:57 | Mariners No-Table: Brady Farkas and Joe Doyle — Mariners analysts breaking down Seattle's mounting injuries, clubhouse energy issues, and the debut of top prospect Colt Emerson. 56:05 | KJ-Aren't's Jason Puckett: Mitch Thinks the NFL Just Punished Mike Vrabel on National TV 1:13:55 | Other Stuff Segment: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano disappointment, Tyson Fury's teenage daughter getting married, PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai and his iron covers story, Shohei Ohtani's historic two-way dominance, Kyle Schwarber's absurd home run pace, Tiger Woods returning from Swiss rehab, Mitch's Palm Beach airport stories, Carl Pavano divorce allegations, Desmond Mason arrest and memorabilia dispute, fake Caitlin Clark engagement rumors, Perry Como vs. Sinatra debate, Dr. Hook memories HEADLINES 14-year-old steals a bus for the third time in six months, hantavirus allegedly linked to penis shrinkage, Maine students accidentally fed dirt at school, suckerfish swimming inside manta rays causing "issues" RIPs Brandon Clark, Jason Collins, Charlie Young, Craig Morton, Lou Graham, Jim Colbert, Rex Reed, Donald Gibb, Dennis Locorriere

The guys trick a left lane camper with a scene from It's a Wonderful Life. Then, they repay a Swiss guitar shop owner. Plus, a follow-up from Ep 280 "Carjacking." See images from the episode here: https://www.heretohelppod.com/post/episode-290 Want to call in? Email your question to helpfulpod@gmail.com.PATREON: https://patreon.com/heretohelppodMERCH: heretohelppod.comINSTAGRAM: @HereToHelpPodIf you're enjoying the show, make sure to rate We're Here to Help 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts.Advertise on We're Here to Help via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Did you know that Albert Einstein's only home in the United States was in Princeton, New Jersey, where he lived for 22 years? At the Historical Society's museum, you can come face-to-face with Einstein's personal furniture and belongings, including his famous ink-stained desk. Explore the Historical Society's rare Einstein collections and discover his profound scientific, cultural, and humanitarian impact.Einstein's house at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton stands as a testament to his legacy. The Historical Society also offers “The Life of Albert Einstein,” an outreach program available to schools, libraries, senior centers, and clubs.Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany. Shortly after, his family moved to Munich, where he began his education at the Luitpold Gymnasium. The family later relocated to Italy, and Einstein continued his studies in Aarau, Switzerland. In 1896, he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to train as a teacher in physics and mathematics. After earning his diploma in 1901 and acquiring Swiss citizenship, Einstein worked as a technical assistant at the Swiss Patent Office, where he produced much of his groundbreaking work in his spare time.Einstein received his doctorate in 1905 and soon began his academic career, holding positions in Berne, Zurich, and Prague. In 1914, he became Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor at the University of Berlin. He remained in Berlin until 1933, when he emigrated to America for political reasons and accepted a position as Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton. https://princetonhistory.org/discover-albert-einstein/http://www.yourlotandparcel.org

Retrouvez l'épisode en version française ici : https://www.gdiy.fr/podcast/yoni-assia-vf/On January 28th 2026, he launched his first AI agent.By April, Yoni Assia had 30 active agents running 24/7 on WhatsApp, 45 GitHub projects, and a dev team that couldn't review prototypes faster than non-developers were shipping them.In addition, Yoni runs eToro, a 1,500-person company he co-founded in 2007 with his brother and a friend.The mission hasn't changed since day one: democratize access to financial markets.It runs in the family.His grandfather opened a Swiss bank and his father built Magic Software, one of the first low-code development platforms.Obsessed with financial markets since he was 13, Yoni started trading early.He lost 90% of his portfolio in the dot-com crash, and came back obsessed with building the infrastructure that would make finance work differently.His first company put video cameras on roller coasters. It was sold to Kodak. Then came eToro.In 2012, he wrote one of the first papers on tokenizing real-world assets using Bitcoin.He posted it on BitcoinTalk and a teenager named Vitalik Buterin answered. Yoni paid him to co-write the paper, brought him to the eToro offices, and watched him leave to build Ethereum.Today, eToro manages $20 billion in assets across 50 million registered users, generating $870 million in revenue and $320 million in profit.Then came January 28th.Yoni launched his first OpenClaw agent. He hasen't slept properly since.He dreams about them, wakes up at 3am, opens WhatsApp, and finds his agents have been talking to each other all night, building, testing, shipping without him.In this episode, Yoni shares everything he's learned from building eToro to the last months, running a company with AI agents at its core:Why non-developers at eToro are shipping faster than the dev team can reviewHow to structure agents so they don't hallucinate, forget, or go rogueThe Security Claw, the Memory Layer, and why replication on the cloud changes everythingHow eToro just launched an Agent Portfolio so your OpenClaw can trade directly in your accountWhy will most of the world's money be managed by agents within 12 to 24 monthsThe biggest mistakes people make when they start with AI agents and how to avoid themThe most experienced builder in the room isn't a developer.It's the founder of a fintech who gave his quant team a thousand PhDs and told them to beat Renaissance Technologies.You can contact Yoni on Linkedin.TIMELINE:00:00:00 - The agent that built its own team00:11:46 - The startup inside every roller coaster in the world00:18:31 - Was Vitalik really a genius?00:30:30 - Non-devs building what the dev team can't review fast enough00:38:50 - How the entire banking industry work00:52:35 - Why banks don't want you to understand capital markets01:00:15 - The one feature no bank will ever build01:17:49 - The fintech competing with banks that don't want to compete01:29:01 - eToro business model explained in 5 lines01:36:35 - When every trader has an agent, who wins?01:47:04 - Managing a 1500-person company with WhatsApp01:58:16 - The biggest mistake with AI AgentWe referred to previous GDIY episodes : #500 - VO - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - How to master humanity's most powerful invention#500 - VF - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - Comment dompter l'invention la plus puissante de l'humanité#473 - VO - Brian Chesky - Airbnb - « We're just getting started »#473 - VF - Brian Chesky - Airbnb - « Après 17 ans, nous ne sommes qu'au début de notre histoire »#452 - VO - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - "We are more Homo technicus than Homo sapiens"#452 - VF - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - L'humanité 2.0 : Homo technicus plus qu'Homo sapiensA few recent episodes in English : #513 - VO - Jesper Brodin - IKEA - 40 billion in revenue empire with no bank loan#500 - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - How to master humanity's most powerful invention#487 - VO - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business, and AI: Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again#475 - VO - Shane Parrish - Farnam Street - Clear Thinking: The Decision-Making Expert#473 - VO - Brian Chesky - Airbnb - « We're just getting started »#452 - VO - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - L'humanité 2.0 : Homo technicus plus qu'Homo sapiens#437 - James Dyson - Dyson - “Failure is more exciting than success”#431 - Sean Rad - Tinder - How the swipe fever took over the worldWe spoke about :OpenClaw, cet agent IA autonome qui agite la Silicon ValleyOpenClawMagicSoftware2008 - La crise financière avec Xavier MuscaQue sont les colored coins ? Signification et utilisations dans les cryptomonnaiesLes CryptoPunks, la révolution NFT aux 10 000 visagesC'est quoi un NFT ?Oracle CloudWhat is ‘Leverage'? The complete guide for finance.Reading Recommendations :Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), by George Orwell

Thousands of miners were streaming into the Transvaal by the third quarter of the 19th Century, a horde of avuncular independent-minded treasure hunters. In volume Two of the Cambridge History of South Africa, Stanley Trapido calls them the ragbag of humanity - Stanley who sadly is no longer with us, had the right to call miners whatever he wanted — having worked in Krugersdorp gold mines in order to pay for his History Degree at Wits University. But I'm sure the so-called ragbags and their moms would have taken offence. It is true that anarchy of a legendary level prevailed in many of the diggings, as it had in Griqualand West, these mining pioneers however were far more complex than a mob. The Diamond Fields of Kimberley were in the hands of large corporations by the early 1880s, men like JB Robinson, Cecil John Rhodes, Barney Barnato dominated Kimberley as the hole descended towards Hades' — huge piles of capital was required to buy equipment to pump out the water, for the steam driven mine heads, to pay the labour. A degree of cooperation was needed which the disparate groups of international diggers lacked. New economic organisations flourished, consolidation was taking place, financial collaboration secured sales usually to diamond buyers in the City of London. That needed connections, engineering skills at the pit, managerial and administrative nouse. The early diggers, hardened bearded men who'd scratched at surface rock, these Americans, Australians, Canadians, Russians, French, Germans, Swiss, Austrians, Norwegians, Swedes, Italians, Scots, these men and some women were imbued with the streaks of obsession of the age. They no longer fitted the economy of Kimberley, the big name financiers were in charge. Most of these expats were fearful of black labour, some such as the Americans, brought a fierce view of slavery into the mining fields, they were the most vocal when it came to demands to restrict black people from owning mineland — and enforcing a curfew around Kimberley. Their sentiment rubbed off on those around them. These mine compounds for blacks were going to be replicated in Johannesburg. The days of the small-scale scrabbler however, were gone. So it was with glee that many heard tales of a trove of gold that had been discovered far to the north east, in the eastern Transvaal, in the early years of the 1870s. The very word Gold sent shivers of anticipation through the bags of rags and the adventurers who had the guts to tramp off, or ride off, into the sunrise. Tom Maclachlan has been almost forgotten but it was he who set off the gold rush in South Africa. I had a Scots Aunt, and the more I read about Tom Maclachlan, the more like Aunt Betty McLennnon he sounded particularly when it came to energy, focus and pure guts. Possessed of an almost maniacallly steadfast faith that gold lay in the eastern Transvaal hills, Maclachlan prodded the rocks there for years — spurred on by faith and the prospect of a Five hundred pound reward for finding gold. That was being offered by the Landdrost of Lydenburg, AF Jansen. Maclachlan and his two partners, George Parsons and Sydney Valentine toiled throughout 1872, prospecting the entire country north, east and south of Mauchsberg Mountain — named after geologist Karl MAuch who predicted gold lay in that them thar hill. Their sweat and toil payed off in the first weeks of 1873, they discovered what appeared to be payable gold in a stream on the north side of Spitskop Hill — six hours ride east of Lydenburg. A two and a half ounce sample of gold was sent to Jansen along with a request for the five hundred pounds reward. Jansen was excited and galloped off to Spitskop Hill along with four labourers, to test the alluvial gravel. After a few days, they sifted out four ounces of pure gold, Jansen was convinced of its value, and he wrote a letter to the Volksraad Executive Council in Pretoria to report his findings. The Transvaal Volksraad broke it's promise.

Published 17 May 2026This week we talk to Swiss sailing legend Nathalie Brugger. 3 Olympics, AC40 helm at the last Cup and now part of the Alinghi sailing team at this AC. Nathalie is an awesome person who is incredibly positive, talented and fun. Her and J are good friends and she has no fear in putting him in his place. It is a cool ep.#americascup #nat_brugger_sailing #disrupta_ #vaikobi #vaikobisail #radixnutrition #barkarate #sailingpodcast  #barkarateconversations #worldsailingofficial #sailing #boat #ocean #sport #voile #sail #sea #offshore #sailors #sailingworld #extremesailing #foils #yacht #yachts #saillife #instayacht #sailingblog #instasail

Zip Co has lost a decade-long High Court battle over its own name and will be forced to rebrand its entire Australian business. Temple & Webster has raised its prices and pulled back on promotions after warning that its earnings will be 30% below market expectations. Swiss sneaker brand On has raised its profit forecast after clocking a 26% sales surge…but its US growth might be starting to untie itself. _ Download the free app (App Store): http://bit.ly/FluxAppStore Download the free app (Google Play): http://bit.ly/FluxappGooglePlay Daily newsletter: https://bit.ly/fluxnewsletter Flux on Instagram: http://bit.ly/fluxinsta Flux on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flux.finance —- The content in this podcast reflects the views and opinions of the hosts, and is intended for personal and not commercial use. We do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, statement or other information provided or distributed in these episodes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Escalante's weekly plunge into the deep side of the business end of showbiz... This week: the latest from the case against Harvey Weinstein: the jury can't come to a decision about this specific rape (the past cases against him still stand)... Also, the Michael Jackson biopic regains the #1 spot in the box office. Was the entire thing a cash grab from the least talented members of his family, who had public beef with Michael? Why was Janet not in it? Producer Sam has some questions... Joe saw a bunch of Amish people at the Columbus Zoo, and marvels at the leash that they all keep their kids on... Speaking of kids on leashes, there are new rules at Disneyland regarding adult pin traders, and how much space they take up trying to distribute their wares among the patrons... Joe has mixed feelings...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigeria and the United States say they have killed a senior Islamic State leader in a joint operation. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki oversaw IS-linked activities across Africa and was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by Washington in 2023. We speak to a spokesperson for the Nigerian president and a regional security expert. Also on the programme: where has this week's US-China summit left Taiwan?; and the Swiss bus service on the road to nowhere. (Photo: Nigerian soldiers walk past military tanks prepared for deployment during a tour of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole by Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, November 7, 2025 Credit: REUTERS/Ahmed Kingimi/File Photo)

[X] SB – Biden wrecking ball 1Joe Biden says Donald Trump has taken a wrecking ball to America.And for once, I think Republicans and Democrats heard the same sentence and reacted completely differently. Democrats heard “wrecking ball” like somebody screaming that the museum is on fire. Conservatives heard it like a contractor finally showing up to demolish the crack house next door.

Los Angeles has a new museum. Or a new vision for an old one. One of the most important museums in the country, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has just debuted a long-awaited new building. It's designed by the revered Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. It cost three quarters of a billion dollars to realize. And long before it opened to the public last month, it has been controversial, for a whole host of reasons. It debuts with LACMA's charismatic director Michael Govan promising not just a new LACMA, but a new vision for how museums show art and relate to the public. Ben Davis went out to Los Angeles to see the new building last month, and spoke to culture critic Carolina Miranda. Miranda has the gift of being both a sharp observer or L.A. art and a gifted translator of sometimes esoteric museum and architecture debate. She has published an analysis of Zumthor and Govan's vision means for CityLab, called “For Better or Worse, the New LACMA Is an Instant LA Icon,” and she is here with me today to talk about what LACMA means for the city and for museums now.

On June 14, Switzerland will vote on a referendum to cap its population at 10 million. Current projections don't put the Swiss population crossing that number until 2035 or 2040. Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Full Newsletter:

WATCH THE EPISODE HEREHighlights & “Must-Listen” Moments* 0:00 — Amy's food week: New iPad, spinach artichoke dip, and a Portland, Maine eating trip: Amy's rocking a new-to-her iPad Pro with a suspiciously flattering built-in filter she has no intention of turning off. David (bravely) compliments her on how great she's been looking. Amy's her son Ollie is a high school senior, and Scott made her a video of his first 18 years for Mother's Day that had her in tears in a quarter of a second.* On the food front: a spinach artichoke dip brought to a friend's house for the (heartbreaking) Celtics playoff loss, brownies for a school play rehearsal from a beloved Betty Crocker Cookbook for Kids circa 1980–81 (butter + unsweetened chocolate, double boiler, no shortcuts), and a strawberry ricotta cannoli tart with a press-in shortbread crust that she's calling her summer go-to.* 3:37 — Portland, Maine: Amy's restaurant report: Ladyfish — a six-month residency pop-up from Jordan Rubin (Mr. Tuna) and New York chef Christine Lau — serving strikingly fresh seafood and a vermouth program Amy says will define her summer (”vermouth and soda with a squeeze of lemon”). Leeward: the restaurant where even the salad makes you want to fall out of your chair. Bread & Friends for breakfast. ZuBakery, a James Beard Award winner. The density of great restaurants in Portland remains unmatched.* 8:27 — David's food week: A Swiss chard and leek tart, blueberry crumble, Amatriciana, and vinegar-glossed chicken: David attempted to wake at 7:30 and cook a tart, a crumble, prep a podcast, shower, make reservations to Greece (September!), and book doctor's appointments — all before noon. ADHD-addled but determined. The tart: Swiss chard, leeks, and goat cheese in an herb crust with chopped rosemary and thyme, custard of cream and eggs and nutmeg, pre-baked, gorgeous. Served alongside the blueberry crumble from his website for French friends visiting from Roxbury, Connecticut. He also made Amatriciana again (guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, red pepper flakes) and, for the first time since its publication, Lucinda Scala Quinn's vinegar-glossed chicken from Mad Hungry — thighs started in a cold skillet, rendered low and slow, finished with a full cup of red wine vinegar, rosemary, and garlic until it becomes a syrupy glaze. Verdict: extraordinary. Next time, a touch of honey.* 9:28 — Introducing Fresh by Lisa Steele: Lisa Steele is a Maine-based backyard farmer, seasonal cook, and author of the Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook. She raises chickens, ducks, and geese on a rural farm and brings her Scandinavian heritage and New England roots to everything she makes. Her second cookbook, In Season: 125+ Sweet and Savory Recipes Celebrating Simple, Fresh Ingredients, just came out.She also hosted two seasons of Welcome to My Farm on American Public Television/PBS. Yankee Magazine featured the book in its March/April issue — thanks, Amy!* 10:49 — The family chicken legacy: Lisa grew up in central Massachusetts, where her grandparents ran a full commercial two-story, two-wing chicken barn. She was in 4-H and has been around chickens for most of her life. David's husband remains unmoved after 30 years of lobbying — until Lisa offers the decisive argument: “There are many other potential husbands out there.” (Shouted into the kitchen. Received without comment.)* 13:30 — The quality of grocery store eggs, and what backyard eggs actually taste like: Lisa makes the case that the backyard chicken movement pressured commercial egg producers to raise their standards — fresher eggs, brighter yolks, more variety. And yes, you can manipulate yolk color by adding carotenoid-rich foods (leafy greens, paprika, marigold, alfalfa, xanthophyll) to feed. But nothing compares to an egg collected from your coop and baked with that same morning.* 16:50 — Why In Season is not a farm-to-table book (even though it kind of is): Lisa wanted to write another egg cookbook. Her agent said sequels don't sell. Harper Collins bought “farm-to-table” immediately. Lisa hated the phrase, negotiated a full chapter on eggs, and eventually came around — because the seasonal structure actually forced her to write more versatile recipes. She even discovered she likes salads now, provided there are blackberries and feta on them. The words “farm to table” do not appear in the book.* 18:32 — The structure of the book — seasonal within categories: Chapters are organized by type (soups, salads, etc.), but within each chapter, recipes are sorted seasonally. So you're not just looking for soup — you're looking for a soup that belongs to this time of year. One Goodreads reviewer complained that what's in season in Maine isn't what's in season everywhere. Lisa's response: fair point, but she wrote it universally, not for Maine specifically — because if she had, there would be no spring chapter.* 19:44 — Lisa's garden (and its honest current state): In Virginia, Lisa had a huge horse-pasture garden fertilized with manure — cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, everything thriving. In Maine, she took the Master Gardener program and learned that the very long summer days compensate for the short frost-free season (roughly 100 days). She's grown sweet potatoes, watermelon, and corn. Today? A dedicated garlic bed, herb planters on the deck, and whatever tomato plant a friend hands her. She's at peace with this.* 22:14 — Amy's garden confession: Three blocks from the Boston city line, Amy has a small four-by-four raised bed. Last year she gave up on vegetables and grew flowers instead. This year: herbs. Lisa approves — fresh tarragon and dill are genuinely hard to source locally, and herbs are where home growing makes the most impact (looking at you, tomatoes).* 25:15 — Sweet deviled eggs — Black Forest and Piña Colada: The book has a chapter on sweet deviled eggs. The Black Forest deviled eggs came from a failed blueberry cheesecake deviled egg attempt (the yolk turned gray — a dead end). Lisa pivoted to chocolate and landed on something that tastes almost like chocolate pudding in an egg white. The Piña Colada version features coconut on top. If you serve enough margaritas alongside them, no one will even notice the eggs.* 27:05 — The case for steaming eggs (and against boiling them): David and Lisa are both committed steamers. The method: an inch or two of water in a pot, a bamboo steamer/colander/mesh strainer, add eggs once steam is coming through, cover, same timing as boiling (10–12 minutes for hard-cooked), then straight into ice water. Benefits over boiling: eggs peel perfectly every time (even fresh eggs), no cracking from bouncing in boiling water, no gray-green ring around the yolk (steaming is gentler heat), and that hot-to-cold shock does something sciencey that makes the shell release cleanly. No baking soda, no holes poked, no counter-popping required. David calls the pocked, dimpled result of boiled eggs “egg acne.” He has been cured for twelve years.* 33:38 — How to make creamy scrambled eggs: Fresh eggs only — they have enough moisture that you don't need to add milk or water. Whisk really well (air = creaminess). Butter in a pan over low heat. Pour in, move for large curds or stir more for small. The key: take them off before they look done. They should still be wet and glossy. The enemy is overcooking, which leads to dry, weepy eggs with liquid seeping around the edges of the plate.* 35:24 — Poaching eggs in things other than water: Starting with the basic whirlpool technique, Lisa began asking: why are we limiting ourselves to water? The book includes eggs poached in maple syrup (served over buttered toast, it reads like a deconstructed pancake), beer, wine, and butter beer. The Avgolemono poached eggs — borrowing from the classic Greek egg-and-lemon soup — bring citrus brightness without extra salt or seasonings.* 37:31 — Scandinavian heritage in the book: Lisa's grandparents emigrated from Finland to International Falls, Minnesota (cold and snowy, just like home, which they quickly reconsidered) before landing on Cape Cod and then Central Massachusetts. Lisa spent a year in Finland in sixth grade while her father completed his doctorate. The cookbook includes a Finnish Creamed Rice with Cranberry Soup — something between rice pudding and a floating island — with a thick cranberry sauce (standing in for Finland's lingonberries) and whipped cream, re-created from memory of a great-aunt's version because there was no recipe to inherit.* 40:30 — Maple brown sugar pot de crème with bourbon whipped cream and bacon bits: Maine means maple. Lisa tried variations on crème brûlée for years and kept finding that it's too pure a dessert to mess with (she even objects to restaurant versions served with cookies and berries alongside — “it should just be it”). She pivoted to pot de crème, which is more forgiving and invites variations.* The maple-bacon version is spectacular. David makes his own espresso maple bacon — cured five days with maple and espresso powder, then smoked — which he describes as “breakfast in a bite.”* 42:22 — The Burnt Basque Cheesecake: Lisa included it before it went truly viral, when she felt it was still something most people hadn't heard of. The appeal: no crust, much more forgiving than traditional cheesecake, deeply flavorful from the caramelization. (David makes a pomegranate molasses version.) The challenge of cookbook timing: you write a recipe thinking it's a discovery, and by the time the book comes out two years later, it's everywhere — or in some cases, something you created for a TV episode goes viral and you can never quite prove it.* 43:45 — The flight of jammy eggs went viral — and Lisa was doing it first: Lisa featured a row of varied jammy eggs on a wooden board as part of an episode of Welcome to My Farm before it exploded on social media. She was not happy when it happened. “I was cringing inside.” The cookbook timing problem strikes again — you turn in your manuscript over a year before publication, and the world moves fast.* 44:52 — How to actually start keeping backyard chickens: Go to a feed store, get baby chicks, bring them home in a box. For six to eight weeks, keep them in a plastic tote with a heat lamp, food, and water. Once they're big enough and it's warm enough outside: a small coop (doghouse-sized works for five or six chickens), close to the house, predator-proofed. Wait five to six months. Fresh eggs. No new husband required.* 45:13 — Goodbye, Lisa: She's at Fresh Eggs Daily across all social platforms. In Season is out now.Recipes Mentioned* Spinach Artichoke Dip (Amy's, for the Celtics wake)* Betty Crocker Cookbook for Kids Brownies (butter + unsweetened chocolate, double boiler — Amy will post this recipe)* Strawberry Ricotta Cannoli Tart (press-in shortbread crust, ricotta filling, fresh strawberries and raspberries)* Swiss Chard, Leek, and Goat Cheese Tart in an Herb Crust (with rosemary, thyme, and a cream-egg-nutmeg custard)* Blueberry Crumble* Bucatini all'Amatriciana (guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, red pepper flakes)* Vinegar-Glossed Chicken (from Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn)* Black Forest Deviled Eggs (chocolate yolk filling, from In Season)* Piña Colada Deviled Eggs (coconut-topped, from In Season)* Steamed Hard-Cooked Eggs (Lisa's method — bamboo steamer, ice water bath)* Scrambled Eggs (fresh eggs, butter, low heat, pulled early while still glossy)* Maple Syrup Poached Eggs (on buttered toast)* Avgolemono Poached Eggs (from In Season)* Finnish Rice Porridge with Cranberry Sauce and Whipped Cream (from In Season)* Maple Brown Sugar Pot de Crème with Bourbon Whipped Cream and Bacon (from In Season)* Burnt Basque Cheesecake (from In Season)* David's Pomegranate Molasses Basque Cheesecake* David's Espresso Maple Bacon (homemade, five-day cure, smoked)Books and Publications* In Season: 125+ Sweet and Savory Recipes Celebrating Simple, Fresh Ingredients by Lisa Steele — out now* Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook by Lisa Steele — her first cookbook* Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn — source of the vinegar-glossed chicken* Pimento Cheese: The Southern Spread by Rebecca Lang — mentioned in passingWhere to Find Us* Amy Traverso* Instagram | Yankee* David Leite* Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Youtube* Lisa Steele* Blog | Instagram | YouTube This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidleite.substack.com

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In this episode of the Meaningful Money Podcast Q&A, Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer six real listener questions on UK personal finance - from inheriting a SIPP (and the under-75 vs over-75 rules), to how inheritance tax could hit a property-heavy estate. They also discuss what to do with a large Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) holding, whether a longer 35-year mortgage can be a safer option, and the realities of financial planning for UK expats. Finally, they tackle a growing concern for many UK investors - how to protect wealth from increasingly sophisticated scams and impersonation fraud. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA49  02:04  Question 1 Hello Pete & Rog. Thanks for the wonderful podcast I will keep it as brief as possible as it means hopefully you can squeeze more content for your listeners. I am a 35 yr old renting in London with a salary of approximately 35k and would consider buying my own place if I could build up enough of a deposit. My mum died a long time ago but my dad has just been informed that he has a medical condition which will probably end his life in the next 5 years or so. He is currently 73. I don't have any siblings and my dad has shared with me the details of his assets which primarily comprise of a SIPP of around 200k (he has taken and spent his 25% tax free amount). My question may sound a bit morbid but it reflects the reality of life unfortunately. It's about the rules of inheriting this SIPP. I'm not sure I fully understand the 'rules' about if my dad passes away before 75 or after he is 75. My understanding is that if less than 75 I can just 'cash in' the 200k tax-free and for example use it as a deposit for a house. That seems straightforward. But hopefully he will get well past his 75th, so if that's the case I understand the 200k would be taxed as income, so I would be crazy to take it all out in that way. So what would be my options in that case? - Is there any way to take it out of the pension wrapper without having to pay tax to give a bit more flexibility? - could I just inherit it as a pension and if so, would I still be able to take 25% tax free? - can I draw down from before I reach pension age e.g. to pay the mortgage or rent (mindful not to go up into the next tax bracket)? Have I got the rules right and are there any other options I could consider? Regards, Steve   07:08  Question 2 Hi Pete & Roger Love the content and just discovered your YouTube podcast! I'm concerned about my wife parents (Mid 70s) inheritance tax liability and was wondering if you had any advice on how to structure the portfolio to reduce it or if it was worth considering a gifting strategy. Primarily I'm concerned as the recent inclusion of pensions into IHT from 2027 and I'm pretty sure their estate is over 2m and therefore a reduced residence nil rate. Rough figures are below: Current house - 1.1m (according to Rightmove - jointly owned) Own another house 800k (according to Rightmove - jointly owned) Own a holiday letting business (retirement business) which has three properties circa 1.1m (according to Rightmove - jointly owned) With this in mind I put their IHT liability at 2m+ without factoring their pensions Questions What do you consider the ball park IHT bill to be? How do you suggest my wife (mid 30s) approach this issue? Or should she just deal with the cards as they lie in the future? Tony   14:05  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, I wanted to start with a thank you for your podcast - specially for acting as the friendly, inclusive and relatable voices of finance. The podcast is a welcome change to the scarier world of finance which many of us sometimes run and hide from! My question for you is regarding my ESPP. I was employed by a US-based company around 10 years ago. During my time there I was able to sacrifice a percentage of my salary which was put towards the purchase of company shares at a discounted rate. It's a very effective scheme, and although my salary there was modest, I've been able to leave the shares alone which are now worth around £230k. The predicament I now have is what to do with these shares. I've been happy to let the shares sit and grow, which they have been doing extremely well, though the value of them now has me wondering what my future strategy should be. For reference, the 10 year growth on these shares is around 850%. As far as I'm aware, I'll need to pay tax on these shares when it comes to selling them as there's no way to transfer them into my stocks & shares ISA or similar. So it's either leave them where they are, or sell some/all of them now and transfer the cash (after tax) into my stocks & shares ISA, SIPP or elsewhere. I'm 40 and looking to purchase a house next year with my partner - though we don't need these funds for that purchase. I have a stocks & shares ISA, a cash ISA and a SIPP, as well as a modest amount in a LISA and cash savings. Whilst I don't feel like I have all of my eggs in one basket, I do feel increasingly nervous about the value of the shares which are entirely dependant on the success of one company. That said, the returns to date have been incredible and I wouldn't want to miss out on future growth. I'd love to know if you have any guidance on this, and if there's any factors that I haven't considered yet. Thanks again, Ian   20:36 Question 4 Hi Guys, Love your podcasts. You've helped me a lot with understanding my finances and I'd love to ask a question. My wife and I are 36 and have been back in the UK for 3 years. We are hoping to buy our first property in 2026. Due to our age, is it okay and safer to do a 35 year mortgage and pay more off monthly to pay the mortgage off quicker? We aren't high earners but hoping to put any extra onto the mortgage principle. Hope to hear from you. Kind Regards, Dhiren   23:49 Question 5 Dear Pete and Roger Thanks a lot for all the education and sensible insights you are providing to all I am an avid listener of your podcasts and  watch your videos regularly.  Now I can see Roger as well.  Both very handsome and knowledgeable. Your discussions are lively and interesting. I am also a member of the academy from the beginning. Also on Facebook community. Currently working my way through retirement guide. I am working abroad for nearly 8 years. I was told by a financial planner that he can't advise non UK tax payers as per regulations. Since then you have been my main source of information and guidance. I am an Ex NHS consultant and now receiving pension. I have a very small SIPP and substantial Investment ISA which I can not contribute to. So my main investment is through GIA. All via Vanguard. Apart from this I have stocks and shares account with a couple of providers which helps me to keep thinking about investment opportunities. I am not a big risk taker and currently doing well with my stocks. I read and listen to a variety of educational materials to help with this I have 2 questions. Is it possible to get financial planner help for UK citizens while working abroad? What should I do with my investments before coming back to UK to live, for tax planning and reduce risk of huge tax for selling investments after coming back? Currently I am in Middle East with zero percent income tax. My pension is also at zero percent under DTAA arrangements. Sorry for long question. Thanks a lot again for your suuuuuuuuuper work. Continue great job Kind regards, Sudhakar Link: Perceptive Planning https://www.perceptiveplanning.co.uk/world-citizens  28:37  Question 6 Hi Roger and Pete, Love the podcast. Thank you for everything. This is about to be a long question, for which I'm not at all sorry. I've seen articles and videos about the increased sophistication of hacks and scams. Things like stealthily getting access to accounts and for years collecting information that can then be used to impersonate you to socially engineer access to bank accounts. AI plays a part in letting people change how they sound to make impersonating on calls easier than ever. Going forward, I'm worried that one of the biggest threats to my wealth is not a market crash, but someone getting access to my investments through fraudulently calling support lines and impersonating me, or alternatively getting access to my money through 'traditional' password leaks and viruses. To this end, I've been overpaying my mortgage as a way of having money locked away in an asset that cannot be liquidated without a solicitor (and hopefully more stringent checks of identity), but I'm going to be mortgage-free in less than 5 years at this rate.  My question is: Am I overblowing the risk here, and what are my options if I want to reduce the my risk from this perspective? I have considered: - Having multiple S&S ISAs with different providers should mean that only a fragment of my portfolio can be lost through any one hack. - Buying 'real' estate as an investment seems appealing from a security standpoint, regardless of expected returns, and although recent changes have made BtL less attractive, the old Rothschild saying of "Buy when there's blood in the streets" could mean that now might be a good time to buy. Is there an advantage in having overseas property as a wealth storage mechanism? - Putting money in my DC pension pot will lock the money away until retirement, but suddenly becomes fair game to foul play once I do. - Buying an annuity is not as fiscally efficient as drawdown, but is an attractive way of mitigating risk of losing it all to a scam caller. Especially if I'm old and doddery and more likely to fall for a scam. - Buying physical gold (and a safe or a Swiss safety deposit box) doesn't appeal to me, but I have considered it. Please assume that I'm being sensible with passwords and 2FA. My question isn't about basic IT security practices, but which of these decisions you think might be a good/bad decision and whether there's anything I haven't considered. Thank you, Alex Link: Cal Newport - https://calnewport.com/