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Today, I speak to Ed's mum, Miriam, and his best friend, Sam, about the person Ed Cornes really was, the devastating impact of his death, the police investigation, and what happens next. The conversations are honest, emotional and, at times, deeply shocking.Welcome to part two of this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death of 19-year-old Ed Cornes. Ed had only just begun the next exciting chapter of his life when, in October 2021, he arrived at University College London with ambitions of becoming a barrister. But less than 48 hours later, those ambitions were cut tragically short when paramedics were called to a hotel in King's Cross, just half a mile from his university accommodation, where they found Ed dead.At the time of his death, Ed was in the company of two men in their fifties - strangers he had met only a few hours earlier.If you have any information at all that can help us find out any more about what happened to Ed, please contact in the strictest confidence:1, Ed's family via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da8cL06MHmq/2, The Met Police: opthrupp@met.police.uk3, Me: Adam@uktruecrime.comNext Sunday, I examine the police investigation into serial killer Stephen Port and ask whether the Metropolitan Police repeated some of the same mistakes in their handling of Ed Cornes' death. It's a thought-provoking episode that raises important questions about policing, accountability and the lessons that should have been learned. I hope you'll join me.Support me at Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/UKTrueCrimeWatch my YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@Adam-uktruecrime/videosGet All The News First - Subscribe To My Newsletterhttps://uktruecrime.comJoin UK True Crime Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/UKTrueCrime Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An experiment gone rogue. A Chinese version launching at a fraction of its us competiors. Us tech stocks booming yet worries of a bubble persist. Throw in worries about how many jobs will be lost by its advance and we have a summary of news relating to artificial intelligence in the past week or so. One man who has been watching all this quite closely is Steve Keen, economist and honorary professor at University College London. He joins Pat to give us the latest.
If you run a business that exports to the United States, how big is the tariff you have to pay? In 2025 that question was hard to answer. Between February and December, 53 separate announcements introduced, delayed, reinstated or changed US tariffs, with different countries and products pulled in or exempted each time.Kalina Manova (UCL, CEPR) and her colleagues built a database of every one of those announcements, but they also measured the confusion that those announcements created. She tells Tim Phillips about how tariff confusion has become a second tax on trade, as confusion puts off exporters: but it's one that raises no revenue. On average, uncertainty about the actual tariff doubled the damage done to trade by the tariff hikes themselves. For some countries it tripled it. Does this result mean that, if the US cleared up the confusion by not changing its tariffs regularly, it could double tariff income for the same impact on trade?The research behind this episode:Manova, Kalina, Dennis Novy, Thomas Sampson, and Aaron Tang. 2026. "Tariff Confusion." CEPR Discussion Paper DP21688 (gated).To cite this episode:Phillips, Tim, and Kalina Manova. 2026. "Tariff Confusion." VoxTalks Economics (podcast).About the guestKalina Manova is Professor of Economics at University College London and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research. Her work spans global production networks and multinational activity, firm productivity and management, trade policy, and the financial frictions that shape international trade and investment. She holds an AB, AM and PhD from Harvard, and has previously held posts at Stanford, Princeton and Oxford.Research cited in this episodeUS Tariff Announcement Database (USTAD). The dataset Manova and her co-authors assembled by hand from US presidential executive orders and proclamations, recording all 53 tariff announcements of 2025 and tracing, for roughly 230 origin countries and more than 18,000 ten-digit product categories, the statutory tariff in place each month.The four confusion measures. With no direct way to measure confusion, the paper proxies it four ways: the cumulative number of relevant announcements a firm had to track; the number of possible tariff calculations those announcements could produce (labelled tariff mess, defined as two to the power of the number of announcements); the highest tariff a firm might infer if it heard only the bad news (tariff max); and how far that worst case sits above the true statutory rate (tariff miss).The firm survey. A survey of roughly 4,500 firms in the US and Canada in March and April 2025 found that around 45% believed tariffs on Chinese goods were below 20%, when the true average was about 42%; at the same time, 87% underestimated how many announcements had postponed or rolled back tariffs. Firms were wrong in both directions at once.Trade policy uncertainty. A prior literature on uncertainty about future tariffs, which tends to find that firms delay forming trade relationships when the future is unclear. The paper's contribution is to separate confusion about current tariffs from uncertainty about future ones, and to show the former bites on its own.Relationship-specific investment and trust. Trade in goods that require buyers and suppliers to customise to one another, or that sit in stickier supply relationships, proved more resilient to confusion; so did trade with countries whose populations report higher trust in foreigners. Informal trust, rather than formal contract enforcement, did the work of cushioning the shock.The IEEPA ruling. In February 2026 the US Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs imposed in 2025 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unlawful. The paper's data stops before the ruling, which generated fresh policy change and, presumably, fresh confusion.More VoxTalks Economics episodesWorld War Trade. Richard Baldwin on how the April 2025 tariffs settled into a trade Cold War, and why the rest of the world kept trading without the US.Europe in the Middle. Pol Antràs and Beata Javorcik on where redirected Chinese exports go when they can no longer sell in the US, and what that means for European firms and consumers.How exchange rates responded to tariffs. Giancarlo Corsetti on why the dollar fell after Liberation Day when tariffs should, in theory, have pushed it the other way.Related reading on VoxEU.orgTrump and Tariffs, a VoxEU debate page collecting research on how the 2025 tariffs are reshaping supply chains, trade relationships and market stability.
Independent publishing might seem like a small element of Indonesia's cultural landscape: limited print runs, niche books, and audiences that rarely extend into the mainstream. Yet these spaces can matter precisely because they make room for voices, ideas, and forms of cultural expression that have little place elsewhere. This matters in Indonesia today, where civic space is increasingly constrained and marginalised communities, including queer people, face growing stigma, scapegoating, and political hostility. In this context, publishing becomes not only about circulating books but a way of sustaining communities, and creating spaces where people can think, disagree, and imagine different forms of social and political relations. In this episode of Talking Indonesia, Dr Clara Siagian speaks with Syarafina, co-founder and commissioning editor of Cahyati Press, an independent publishing practice based in Bali. Cahyati publishes books, zines, and artist books by writers, poets, artists, and researchers, particularly queer, working-class, and BIPOC voices that are often overlooked by mainstream publishing. Syarafina reflects on her twelve-year journey through independent publishing and on why Cahyati Press came into being. For her, independent publishing is less about size than editorial freedom to publish work because it matters, even when it defies common literary classification or when it is not commercially viable. That freedom takes on particular significance when we talk about queer publishing. As LGBTQ+ people in Indonesia face increasing stigma and political scapegoating, Syarafina argues for the importance of documenting queer lives in all their complexity. This means communicating not only stories of violence and survival, but also stories of friendship, family, work, migration, desire, boredom and joy. Publishing, in this sense, can be a quiet form of resistance which encompasses preserving stories, creating memory, and allowing people to recognise that they are not alone. The conversation also takes us beyond Indonesia. Cahyati Press is part of a growing international network of independent publishers, artists, writers, booksellers and cultural organisers across Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and beyond. Rather than seeing Indonesia simply as a place where international researchers and artists come to study or work, this network points to Indonesia as a place from which connections are being forged, and cultural conversations are being shaped. Finally, we discuss what independent publishing might offer academics: an opportunity to experiment with shapes, audiences and methods, and to imagine forms of knowledge production beyond the rigid conventions of academic publishing. In 2026, Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Clara Siagian from University College London, Dr Elisabeth Kramer from the University of New South Wales, Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.
As Big Tech's power continues to grow, it's more important than ever to understand how companies use their control over cloud infrastructure and services to shape more than just the digital world. Cecilia Rikap joins Paris Marx to discuss how these networks of corporate power operate, including how they are systematically used to influence global politics, the economy, and how society views the world.Cecilia Rikap is an Associate Professor at University College London's Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and the author of The Rulers: Corporate Power in the Age of AI and the Cloud.The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Support the show on Patreon.Also mentioned in this episode:You can now pre-order Paris's new book Hyperscale.Cecilia and Paris worked on a white paper offering a roadmap to reclaiming digital sovereignty.Support the show
As the power of big tech continues to grow, it's more important than ever to understand how these companies use infrastructure and intellectual monopolies to shape more than just the digital world. Cecilia Rikap joins Paris Marx to discuss how these networks of corporate power operate, including how they are systematically used to influence global politics, the economy, and how society views the world.Cecilia Rikap is an Associate Professor at University College London's Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and the author of The Rulers: Corporate Power in the Age of AI and the Cloud.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Veja também em youtube.com/@45_graus Inquérito: melhores episódios de 2026? Pedro Carneiro é professor de Economia na University College London, Research Economist no Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice e Research Fellow no Institute for Fiscal Studies. Doutorou-se em Economia na Universidade de Chicago. Publicou vários artigos científicos acerca dos determinantes e consequências de investimentos públicos e privados em crianças, em países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Também trabalhou em avaliações de programas de educação, saúde e pobreza em vários países. _______________ Índice (2ª Parte): Paper: Teacher Quality and Learning Outcomes in Kindergarten, 2016 Devemos ter métricas de desempenho dos professores consoante os resultados dos alunos? | Caso Vergara v. California Paper: The Decision-Makers We Become: Early Education and the Decision-Making of Boys and Girls (2026) Qual é a melhor forma de fazer investigação nesta área? Devíamos ter um Infarmed que determinasse as melhores medidas nesta área?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Veja também em youtube.com/@45_graus Inquérito: melhores episódios de 2026? Pedro Carneiro é professor de Economia na University College London, Research Economist no Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice e Research Fellow no Institute for Fiscal Studies. Doutorou-se em Economia na Universidade de Chicago. Publicou vários artigos científicos acerca dos determinantes e consequências de investimentos públicos e privados em crianças, em países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Também trabalhou em avaliações de programas de educação, saúde e pobreza em vários países. _______________ Índice (1ª parte): Como se descobriu que é na 1ª infância que mais compensa investir em políticas públicas? Curva de Heckman Artigo: The short- and medium-term effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes O que são “experiências naturais” nas ciências sociais Porque a creche é boa para algumas crianças e má para outras? Paper. The Timing of Shocks Across Childhood: Does it Matter? (2025) Paper: A Flying Start? Maternity Leave Benefits and Long-Run Outcomes of ChildrenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The polar regions are still some of the most inaccessible and least touched by humans, but they are deeply linked to the rest of Earth. We will cover the history of exploring them, the challenges of measuring this environment, and the current state of knowledge about the ice at both poles. We will also cover the likely future for the polar regions – the incentives driving different actions, what science suggests about the consequences, and coming events to look out for.This lecture was recorded by Helen Czerski on the 21st of May 2026 at Barnard's Inn Hall, LondonHelen Czerski is a physicist and oceanographer with a passion for science, sport, books, creativity, hot chocolate and investigating the interesting things in life. She is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London and her research focus is the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean surface. These bubbles change underwater sound and light, help transfer gases from ocean to atmosphere (helping the ocean breathe) and also eject ocean material into the air. She has spent months working on research ships in the Antarctic, the Pacific, the North Atlantic and the Arctic, and is an experienced field scientist. Helen has been a regular science presenter on the BBC for 15 years, covering the physics of the natural world in BBC2 landmark documentaries (including ‘Orbit', ‘Operation iceberg' and ‘Supersenses'), and the physics of everyday life in a range of BBC4 documentaries (including ‘From ice to fire: The incredible science of temperature', ‘Sound waves: The symphony of physics', and ‘Colour: The spectrum of science', along with many others). She currently co-hosts BBC Radio 4's flagship climate and environment programme Rare Earth. Helen's first book Storm in a Teacup won the Italian Asimov Prize and the Louis J. Battan Author prize from the American Meteorological Society. Blue Machine won the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing. She was awarded the Institute of Physics Gold Medal in 2018 for her work on physics communication, and an Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association in 2020. She has been a Trustee of Royal Museums Greenwich since 2018, and was one of the 2020 Royal Institution Christmas Lecturers, giving her Lecture on the topic of the ocean. The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/white-knightGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham College's mission, please consider making a donation: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Website: https://gresham.ac.ukX: https://x.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/greshamcollege.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greshamcollegeSupport Us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-todaySupport the show
Ben Wright is joined by the minister for energy and net zero, Polly Billington; shadow transport secretary, Richard Holden; and polling expert Joe Twyman. They discuss Andy Burnham's first week in power, his announcements on the cost of living and his use of social media to communicate his message. They also look ahead to an expected speech on social care and ask whether cross-party agreement can be found. Sienna Rodgers - deputy editor of The House magazine - brings additional expert insight. And Ben speaks to Dr Michael Spence - provost and president of University College London - about his efforts to encourage the art of "disagreeing well".
The crime rate in London has been cropping up regularly on social media and in political discussions - US president Donald Trump has claimed that crime in the city is ‘through the roof'.But what does the data tell us?Professor Matt Ashby, from University College London's Centre for Global City Policing, has put together statistics that allow you to start to compare crime rates between cities around the world. That evidence shows London in a different light, in terms of murder and other violent crimes.If you see any stats you think need looking into, contact us at moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter/Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Andrew Garratt
Welcome to this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death of 19-year-old Ed Cornes.Ed had only just begun the next exciting chapter of his life when, in October 2021, he arrived at University College London with ambitions of becoming a barrister. But less than 48 hours later, those ambitions were cut tragically short when paramedics were called to a hotel in King's Cross, just half a mile from his university accommodation, where they found Ed dead.At the time of his death, Ed was in the company of two men in their fifties - strangers he had met only a few hours earlier.Throughout this series, I'll speak to Ed's family and friends - the people who have fought tirelessly to uncover the truth about exactly what happened to him. Together, we'll examine the events leading up to his death, the police investigation that followed, and the many questions that still remain unanswered today.If you have any information at all that can help us find out any more about what happened to Ed, please contact in the strictest confidence:1, Ed's family via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da8cL06MHmq/2, The Met Police: opthrupp@met.police.uk3, Me: Adam@uktruecrime.comSupport me at Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/UKTrueCrimeWatch my YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@Adam-uktruecrime/videosGet All The News First - Subscribe To My Newsletterhttps://uktruecrime.comJoin UK True Crime Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/UKTrueCrime Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death of 19-year-old Ed Cornes.Ed had only just begun the next exciting chapter of his life when, in October 2021, he arrived at University College London with ambitions of becoming a barrister. But less than 48 hours later, those ambitions were cut tragically short when paramedics were called to a hotel in King's Cross, just half a mile from his university accommodation, where they found Ed dead.At the time of his death, Ed was in the company of two men in their fifties - strangers he had met only a few hours earlier.Throughout this series, I'll speak to Ed's family and friends - the people who have fought tirelessly to uncover the truth about exactly what happened to him. Together, we'll examine the events leading up to his death, the police investigation that followed, and the many questions that still remain unanswered today.If you have any information at all that can help us find out any more about what happened to Ed, please contact in the strictest confidence:1, Ed's family via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da8cL06MHmq/2, The Met Police: opthrupp@met.police.uk3, Me: Adam@uktruecrime.comNext Sunday, I sit down with Ed's mum, Miriam, and his best friend, Sam, to learn more about the young man behind the headlines and the profound impact his death has had on those who loved him. I hope you'll join me for this episode.Support me at Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/UKTrueCrimeWatch my YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@Adam-uktruecrime/videosGet All The News First - Subscribe To My Newsletterhttps://uktruecrime.comJoin UK True Crime Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/UKTrueCrime Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this month's Brains and Machines podcast, Dr. Jeff Shainline talks about superconducting neural hardware with Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London. Currently in development at Great Sky in Boulder, Colorado, the new systems will incorporate photonic interconnects and a neuromorphic approach to intelligence. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D'Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns Hopkins University.
When was the last time you read a book or magazine, or listened to an audiobook? Overall, Americans are reading less. A study last year from the University of Florida and University College London found the portion of people who read daily for pleasure in the U.S. fell from 28 percent in 2004 to 16 percent in 2023.And, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, fewer than half of all adults said they read a book of any kind in 2022 — even fewer said they read a novel. MPR News guest host Kerri Miller talks about what's behind the decline in reading, and why some people are saying that it points to a fundamental shift that has consequences for how we entertain ourselves, learn and think.
When was the last time you read a book or magazine, or listened to an audiobook? Overall, Americans are reading less. A study last year from the University of Florida and University College London found the portion of people who read daily for pleasure in the U.S. fell from 28 percent in 2004 to 16 percent in 2023.And, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, fewer than half of all adults said they read a book of any kind in 2022 — even fewer said they read a novel. MPR News guest host Kerri Miller talks about what's behind the decline in reading, and why some people are saying that it points to a fundamental shift that has consequences for how we entertain ourselves, learn and think.
Dr. Lisa Nichols is co-founder and President of ALLMYNE a new travel app. Dr. Nichols is the Director for Brookdale Mobile Crisis Team, Brooklyn NY. She received her Ph.D. from Alliant International University in San Diego, California. She has been a part of Mobile Crisis Teams and Psychiatric Emergency rooms in New York City for over 20 years. She has done research and worked with refugees, PTSD, HIV/AIDS, and ethics. Dr. Nichols has a Master's in Business Administration from Sciences Politiques, Paris, France and been trained in 6 Sigma and Lean Fundamentals. Dr. Nichols has a Bachelor of Science in Experimental Psychology from University College London, London, England. She maintains a small private practice. Dr. Nichols is an enthusiastic traveler and has been to over 152 countries and speaks fluent French while managing conversations in Spanish and German. Subscribe to the app: https://allmyne.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/join.allmyne/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/join.allmyne/ ***********Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY Join Substack: https://substack.com/@susannemuellernyc?Enjoy one coaching session for free if you are a yearly subscriber. 800+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk
A child's mutilated torso surfaced from the Thames near Shakespeare's Globe in 2001, and more than two decades later no one has been convicted of killing the boy investigators could only call Adam.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/TorsoInTheThamesREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3h6yrmk5FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Most people, when they think of the end of their lives, want to feel that they have accomplished something of significance. To leave a lasting legacy. But it is much more rare for someone to accomplish something significant – after they are dead! (Done By The Dead) *** Mrs. Elizabeth G. Wharton was a pillar of society in Baltimore, Maryland in the late 1800s. That is, until she was accused of murdering General William Scott Ketchum. (The Baltimore Borgia) *** For every legitimate and fascinating find by geologists, there seems to be a fraudulent find somewhere else trying to fool the masses. This has been a problem since geology became a thing – and one of the most fascinating of these true tales is the one about Baringer's Lying Stones. (The Lying Stones) *** A strange, ape-like creature with glowing eyes in England might really be, as some believe, a specter of the night. (Man-Monkey of the Night) *** It's hard to understand how human sacrifice has ever been a reality in any point in history – but what if you were to learn that evidence of it showed up in London, England… in 2001? (Torso In The River) *** A would-be geisha murders her lover… but the events leading up to and during the death make for a fascinatingly dark story. (The Murderess Geisha) *** When it comes to spectral animals, we're more than familiar with black dogs or hell hounds, ghostly cats, horses carrying a headed or headless phantom, even a ghost bear rumored to haunt the Tower of London… but have you ever heard of the American Southwest's ghost camels? (America's Ghost Camels)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:02:24.699 = America's Ghost Camels00:09:18.422 = Done By The Dead ***00:22:00.457 = The Baltimore Borgia ***00:27:35.655 = The Lying Stones00:36:08.415 = Torso In The River ***00:42:13.573 = The Murderess Geisha00:54:03.666 = Man-Monkey of the Night ***00:58:48.550 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Man-Monkey Of The Night” by Nick Redfern for MysteriousUniverse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdhdevrr“Done By The Dead” by Kyle D. Walter for ListVerse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y62afnj6“America's Ghost Camels” by Kathy Weiser-Alexander for LegendsOfAmerica.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p979beb“The Baltimore Borgia” by Robert Wilhelm for MurderByGaslight.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y2whacb9“Torso In The River” by Richard Hoskins for MysteryConfidential.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdd5u543“The Murderess Geisha” by Dr. Romeo Vitelli for Providentia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yzy4v3wy“The Lying Stones” by Brent Swancer for MysteriousUniverse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p854d9e(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: January, 2021This episode of Weird Darkness moves from ghost camels haunting the Arizona desert to corpses that kept making history after death, a Baltimore poisoning that gripped a courtroom for weeks, a professor fooled by carved stones, a child's murder in the Thames that London police have never solved, a Tokyo geisha who killed the man she loved, and a glowing-eyed creature on an English canal bridge.It opens in the American southwest, where the U.S. War Department imported some seventy-two camels in 1857 to haul supplies, only to turn the animals loose in the desert when the Civil War broke out and the soldiers tired of their foul temper and habit of spooking horses. Wild camels roamed Arizona for decades afterward, and one became legend as the Red Ghost — a beast blamed for trampling a woman to death in 1883 and later seen carrying a dead man lashed to its back, a rider who eventually decayed until a human skull dropped from the saddle in front of a group of startled prospectors. An Arizona farmer finally shot the animal in 1893, still wearing the leather straps that had held its corpse rider in place.From there the episode turns to figures who kept shaping the world after they died. A gang of Chicago counterfeiters led by "Big Jim" Kennally plotted in 1876 to steal Abraham Lincoln's body from his Springfield tomb and ransom it for a jailed engraver, foiled by a Secret Service informant working for the very agency Lincoln himself had signed into existence. A grave robber broke into George Washington's crypt at Mount Vernon in 1830 hunting the president's skull and made off with the wrong one. The British philosopher Jeremy Bentham left instructions to have his body dissected and mummified, and it sits on display at University College London to this day. And in the ninth century Pope Stephen VI dug up his predecessor Formosus, dressed the rotting corpse in papal vestments, propped it up for trial, found it guilty, and had it thrown into the Tiber.Next comes Baltimore in 1871, where Elizabeth Wharton, a respected society widow, hosted General William Scott Ketchum in her home on Hamilton Place until he fell suddenly ill and died with twenty grains of tartar emetic in his stomach — fifteen is enough to kill. Police discovered she had bought sixty grains days earlier, and a financial advisor named Eugene Van Ness nearly died the same way after she served him a drink. Her forty-two-day poison trial in Annapolis exhausted the medical and chemical experts of the day, and after deliberating through the night the jury acquitted her of murder.The episode then crosses to Germany, where Johann Beringer, a celebrated professor at the University of Würzburg, spent 1725 collecting strange carved stones dug up on Mount Eibelstadt by teenage boys he had hired — figures of birds, lizards, comets, and the name of God rendered in Hebrew. Convinced they were the handiwork of God himself, he published a book on them called the Lithographiae Wirceburgensis, only to learn the nearly two thousand stones had been planted by two envious colleagues, J. Ignatz Roderick and Johann Georg von Eckhart, who thought him an arrogant know-it-all and wanted to humble him.From an academic hoax the episode moves to an unsolved horror. On September 21st, 2001, a child's headless, limbless torso surfaced from the Thames near the Globe Theatre, wrapped in orange cloth, and London's Metropolitan Police could give the boy no name but Adam. Forensic analysis of poison and minerals in his remains traced him to the Benin region of Nigeria and showed he had been paralyzed and drained of blood in what investigators believed was a muti ritual killing. Nelson Mandela made an international appeal for information, and traffickers including Kingsley Ojo and a caregiver named Joyce Osagiede were investigated, but no one has ever been convicted and the boy's true identity has never been confirmed.The episode carries that darkness into 1936 Tokyo, where Sada Abe strangled her lover Kichizo Ishida in an inn after a days-long affair, then took a kitchen knife to his body and carried a severed part of him away in her handbag. Her capture two days later set off a national obsession the papers called "Sada mania," and her testimony about killing the man she refused to share became a bestseller in a country where such candor was scandalous. She was sentenced to six years, served her time as a model prisoner, and vanished from public life sometime after 1970.The episode closes on a cold English night in January 1879, when a furniture hauler crossing Bridge 39 over the Shropshire Union Canal near the village of Ranton was charged by a shaggy, ape-like creature with glowing eyes that leapt onto his cart and terrified his horse. When he swung his whip at the thing, the lash passed straight through its body, and the creature bolted down toward the canal and vanished. The folklorist Charlotte Burne later learned from the village constable that the sightings had begun only days after a man drowned in that same canal, in a place where people believed a violent death could send someone back in the shape of a beast.
Arts Leadership & Institutional Innovation - Inside the Yale Schwarzman Center with Rachel FineIn this episode, I sat down with Rachel Fine, Executive Director of the Yale Schwarzman Center in the United States of America.Rachel is someone who came to arts leadership without a roadmap, as I think most of us do. She trained as a pianist and found her way into arts admin almost by accident, through gaining experience in different areas.So, in this episode, we talk about what the Yale Schwarzman Center actually is and does, both on a local and international scale, because I do think it allows us in the industry to think more widely about community and culture - especially as I was coming to this interview from a more fine art angle, and she was coming at it from a musical angle.I ask her about what her role as executive director entails, and she goes into depth on what it means to run an institution of this size. We spend a good deal of time talking about career paths and how Rachel fell into arts administration, why fundraising is more central to arts leadership than people like to admit, what the financial reality of this field actually looks like and if you can have a stable career in it, and where someone who wants to work in the cultural industries should start.Thank you Rachel for coming on the podcast!You can follow the Yale Schwarzman Center on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/yale_schwarzman/ and find out more at https://schwarzman.yale.edu/ - - - - - If you love what we do, support ALL ABOUT ART on PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/allaboutartKeep up to date on Instagram @allaboutartpodcast https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/ ABOUT THE HOST:I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.SOCIALS: Instagram @alexandrasteinacker https://www.instagram.com/alexandrasteinackerand LinkedIn at Alexandra Steinacker-Clark https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-steinacker/This episode is produced at Synergy https://synergy.tech/the-clubhouse/the-podcast-studio/ COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser https://www.liser-art.com/ and Luca Laurence https://www.graffitikunst.at/Research and Creative Assistant: Iris Epstein
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comStephen is a psychoanalyst and author. He used to teach clinical technique at the Institute of Psychoanalysis, and also psychoanalytic theory at University College London. He's the author of The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves, and his latest book is Love's Labor: How We Break and Make the Bonds of Love.For two clips of the episode — on what psychoanalysis is really for, and the benefits of friendship vs romantic love — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: born in Gary, Indiana; his birth defect requiring many surgeries; his Jewish family emigrating from Eastern Europe; college at Berkeley and Oxford; arrested at the Chicago Dem convention; befriending Anna Freud; Sigmund and his studies in hysteria; loneliness in adolescence; how falling in love is very different than love; my own psychoanalyst of 25 years; trauma from my childhood; the losses that marriage entails; breakthroughs after breakdowns; detaching from the idea of yourself; legal marriages vs psychological ones; falling back into trauma because it's familiar; the power of love's precarity; victimology; Philip Roth's “the ecstasy of sanctimony”; lessons from Othello; surrender vs submission; Esther Perel's Mating in Captivity; seeking traits in a partner that mirror a dysfunctional parent; how sex is different for men and women; gay promiscuity; male-male marriages lasting the longest; HIV and the threat of deportation; dating with HIV in the ‘90s; and how to be a better listener.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: David Thomson on cinema in US history and culture, John O'Sullivan on conservatism, Robby George on natural law, and Megan McArdle on pretty much anything. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.
This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on the 3rd of June 2026Professor Chris Lintott is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, and a Research Fellow at New College.Having been educated at Magdalene College, Cambridge and University College London, his research now ranges from understanding how galaxies form and evolve, to using machine learning to find the most unusual things in the Universe, to predicting the properties of visiting interstellar asteroids. He was the founder of the Zooniverse citizen science platform, which provides opportunities for more than two million online volunteers to contribute to scientific research, and which was the topic of his first book, 'The Crowd and the Cosmos'. His latest book is ‘Our Accidental Universe'. Professor Lintott is best known for presenting the BBC's long-running Sky at Night program, and as an accomplished lecturer. Away from work, he cooks, suffers through being a fan of Torquay United and Somerset cricket, and spends time with a rescued lurcher, Mr Max. He can often be found at the helm of Oxford's science comedy night, ‘Huh, That's Funny'.The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/pluto-planetGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham College's mission, please consider making a donation: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Website: https://gresham.ac.ukX: https://x.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/greshamcollege.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greshamcollegeSupport Us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-todaySupport the show
Crafting is having a moment. From knitting and crochet to embroidery and quilting, more people — especially younger adults — are picking up hands-on hobbies. But this trend isn't just about nostalgia. Research suggests creative activities may reduce stress, improve mood and even affect how our brains and bodies function. Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London and author of Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives, joins The Excerpt to explain what science says about creativity, mental health and why making something with your hands can be so powerful. (This episode originally aired on March 4, 2026.)Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com. Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Colin M. Fisher, Ph.D. is a professor, author, speaker, and occasional jazz trumpet player. He is the author of The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups, which has already been translated into eleven languages. His academic research on group dynamics, creativity, improvisation, and leadership has been published in the field's top academic journals and featured in prominent media outlets, such as BBC, The Conversation UK, The Daily Mail, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, MSN, Next Big Idea Club, NPR, Psychology Today, Times Radio, and The Times. He is also a sought-after keynote speaker for businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations around the world.Colin is an associate professor and Ph.D. Programme Director at University College London's School of Management. He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. In his prior career as a jazz trumpet player, Colin was a long-time member of the Either/Orchestra, with whom he toured extensively and recorded several critically acclaimed albums. Originally from Redmond, Washington in the USA, he now lives in Northeast London with his wife and two children. He can sometimes be found performing at jazz jams throughout London.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.
Inspiration is powerful. It built cathedrals and symphonies and empires.But motivation fades. What changes a human identity is knowledge, and then daily tiny acts of sincere repetition.A University College London study found that consistent daily cues create automatic habits faster than bursts of intensity.My latest book “The Wealth Money Can't Buy” is full of fresh ideas and original tools that I'm absolutely certain will cause quantum leaps in your positivity, productivity, wellness, and happiness. You can order it now by clicking here.FOLLOW ROBIN SHARMA:InstagramFacebookYouTube
How much of your marketing and CX investment is being undermined in the final mile by a sales conversation that goes off the rails?Agility requires our customer-facing teams do more than recite a script; they need the situational awareness to navigate complex conversations in real time. This capability isn't just a sales skill—it's a critical component of the overall customer experience.Today, we're talking about the gap between traditional sales training and real-world performance. Most reps forget the majority of what they learn, and classroom theory often fails to prepare them for the pressure and unpredictability of live buyer interactions. We'll explore how AI-powered simulation is moving beyond static role-play to create deliberate practice environments where teams can build the muscle memory needed for high-stakes conversations.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Sam Dorison, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at ReflexAI. About Sam DorisonSam Dorison is the Cofounder and CEO at ReflexAI. An expert in artificial intelligence strategy and product deployment, Dorison has been involved with AI-powered products in industries ranging from mental health to cybersecurity to smart cities. Before launching ReflexAI, he served as Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. There, he published 5 peer-reviewed articles on mental health and oversaw teams including crisis services, training, research, technology, and finance. Dorison previously worked at McKinsey & Company and Harvard Kennedy School. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. He also holds an LL.M. from Cambridge University and a master's degree from University College London, both as a Marshall Scholar. Beyond ReflexAI, Dorison is heavily involved in causes that support families impacted by cancer. Dorison lives in New York City with his husband. Sam Dorison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdorison/ ---------- Resources ---------- ReflexAI: https://www.reflexai.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fChaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other generative AI tools, Chaser is the only platform that brings AI-powered project management into Slack, where teams already work. Chaser is based in Toronto, Canada. Learn more at trychaser.com.The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sabina Wantoch PhD is a researcher, facilitator, consultant, artist and animist. They are an Honorary Associate Professor at the Centre for Multidisciplinary & Intercultural Inquiry at University College London, a consultant in peer support for mental health with Imroc, and co-founder of The Mad Psychedelics Collaboratory. Their work centres around madness and its porous intersections with varieties of altered states, as well as entanglements between paradigms and conceptual structures. Our conversation covers intersubjectivity and shared perception, reducing the fear of madness, the reciprocal nature of mythos, the varieties of meaning and sense-making, and the importance of equanimity.Sabina then shares three symbols they've created; the Net, the Bog, and the Crossroads. Inspired by tarot, these accompany their PhD thesis and form part of Sabina's upcoming deck that represents the mad experience.Link to Sabina's research.
“When we engage in the arts, it exposes us to a lot of emotions, which can have a tangible impact on the neurotransmitters released in our brains, the stress hormones in our bodies, and even the levels of inflammation in our immune system,” says Daisy Fancourt. Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology at University College London where she heads the Social Biobehavioural Research Group, and serves as the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health. She is one of the most highly cited scientists in the world, having published 300 scientific papers and won over two dozen academic prizes. She is a multi-award-winning science communicator and has been named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and BBC New Generation Thinker. 00:00 - Art as the fifth pillar of health 01:21 - The benefits of arts engagement 08:10 - Your daily & weekly arts prescription 09:35 - Why attention is the key ingredient 11:12 - Visual vs. audio art 14:56 - Making the most of a museum visit 18:11 - Art for stress & mood regulation 19:09 - Using art to wind down 21:04 - Art & the brain 27:44 - Prescribing art for anxiety & depression 32:08 - Reconnecting with childhood creativity 34:14 - Finding art in the every day 36:45 - Biological evidence of art's impact 40:14 - Art for joy & exercise 44:54 - The creative commute Referenced in the episode: Greece's art program for mental health: https://artonprescription.gr/en/ For more about Fancourt & her research, visit: https://sbbresearch.org/ Buy Fancourt's book here: https://a.co/d/03ypycB7 We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal'. In this episode we find out how these iconic words in the US Declaration of Independence changed the history of America forever and how it impacted the world. Featuring: Prof Stephanie McCurry, Professor of U.S. History at Columbia University; Prof Eliga H. Gould, Professor of American History at the Rothermere American Institute, Fellow of Queen's College, University of Oxford, and Professor of History at the University of New Hampshire; and Prof Kathleen (Kathy) Burk, Emeritus Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London.
During this year's visit to the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London, Tom Whipple discovers how sea urchins are being used to develop techniques to digitally preserve natural history, why we haven't got robot butlers just yet, and what it takes to bottle lightning. Plus, in his ongoing quest to assemble a World Cup squad of science Tom recruits health reporter James Gallagher to scout out the best football science from around the world. This week, we want to know if there is robust evidence for a home advantage. We speak with Associate Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology Laura Porro from University College London, Dr Alice Leavey and Dr Fernando Alvares from the University of Southampton, Professor Ingmar Posner who leads the Applied Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Oxford and Dr Daniel Mitchard who is co-lead of Cardiff University's Lightning Laboratory. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Katie Tomsett, Kate White & Tabby Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
When the supernatural seeps into our world, it doesn't just leave behind fear—it can also leave sickness. From shadowy visitors to ominous dreams, some eerie paranormal encounters suggest that the price of witnessing the unknown may be paid in flesh and blood.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/SupernaturalSicknessREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/hp3ua63cFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: When the supernatural intrudes into our lives, it's not just our minds that are affected. We'll delve into a few bizarre cases where individuals fell gravely ill after brushes with the paranormal. Is it coincidence? Or something more sinister? And could these illnesses be due to the paranormal literally draining us of life? (Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned) *** Helen Duncan made a living from conducting séances—until her uncanny knowledge of classified World War II tragedies spooked British authorities. (Britain's Last Witch) *** Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher whose ideas about mortality and utility extended beyond death. Bentham's wish for his body to be preserved and displayed as an "auto-icon" – so it could be seen publicly by all. And while his wishes were granted, it came with a few hiccups along the way… mostly with his poor head. (The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham's Corpse) *** Annie Dorman was discovered lifeless with a gunshot wound, sending shockwaves through her tight-knit community. Suicide seemed improbable, leaving detectives baffled and family perplexed. Was it a crime of passion, an accident, murder… or truly suicide? In a similar case, just a few years later, in the serene countryside of Greenwich, New York, the lifeless form of Maggie Hourigan is found, floating in a tranquil pool, speculation runs rampant. Were these cases suicide, as hastily concluded, horrible accidents… or sinister murders? (The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan) *** AND MORE!CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:02:11.442 = Show Open00:04:40.830 = Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned00:21:39.741 = The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan ***00:34:55.265 = Britain's Last Witch ***00:43:19.651 = The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham's Corpse00:54:21.727 = Eccentric Habits of History's Elite ***01:04:25.454 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Supernaturally Sick, Paranormally Poisoned” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/6bu93dju“The Mysterious Deaths of Annie Dorman and Maggie Hourigan” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/meu37k4m; https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4y9mn9a4“The Strange Story of Mr. Bentham's Corpse” by Melissa Sartore for Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yt6uetju“Britain's Last Witch” by Parissa Djangi for National Geographic: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8by87t“Eccentric Habits of History's Elite” by John Munoz for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdh2dw3x(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: April 17, 2024Weird Darkness gathers five accounts in this episode: people who fell gravely ill within days of a paranormal encounter, two unsolved deaths of young women in the late nineteenth century, a wartime medium jailed for witchcraft, a philosopher who arranged to have his own corpse put on permanent display, and the private oddities of history's most famous figures.It opens with the argument that anemia and anorexia-like wasting can follow a paranormal encounter within hours or days. The Franciscan monk Joseph McCabe, who died in 1955, catalogued dozens of people who developed anemia soon after nighttime visits he blamed on the Mesopotamian demons Lilu and Lilitu. Albert Bender, the Bridgeport, Connecticut man who launched the Men in Black mystery in the early 1950s, endured migraines, stomach pain, memory lapses, and sharp weight loss after three phantom figures ordered him to drop his UFO research, then recovered, married, and lived to 94. In 1982, a fourteen-year-old named Robbie watched a flat black shadow crawl across his bedroom ceiling in Beckenham, Kent, was hospitalized with meningitis, and months later collapsed from acute anemia. Jim Harpur opened his door to two black-eyed children outside Orlando, Florida in March 2008 and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three weeks afterward. In Nova Scotia, Michelle came down with severe ulcerative colitis two days after a vivid Slenderman dream in January 2017. The longest case belongs to Alison, a seventeen-year-old in Texas who shed roughly twenty pounds in six weeks in 1998 while a tall, pale Woman in Black appeared at her bedside each night, starting days after she and two friends used a Ouija board; sea salt and sage spread through the house ended the visits, and she recovered.From there, the episode turns to two deaths that juries could not explain. Maggie Hourigan, a 19-year-old servant in Greenwich, New York, was found floating face-down in a roadside pool on October 20, 1889; a first autopsy by Dr. S. Walter Scott ruled drowning and suicide, but a second team found a head wound inflicted before she entered the water, and Dr. Scott later sued the New York Sun for libel over its coverage and won a $6,000 settlement. Eight years later and a state away, 18-year-old Annie Dorman was found shot dead in her half-brother John Dorman's farmhouse near Cobb's Creek, Philadelphia, on September 1, 1897; the rusty pistol that killed her sat unused on a high shelf the five-foot-tall victim could not reach without standing on furniture that had not been moved, it had been fired five times, and the coroner ruled she was shot by a person unknown.Next comes Helen Duncan, the Scottish medium nicknamed Hellish Nell, who produced ectoplasm and channeled spirit guides named Peggy and Albert at séances across wartime Britain. In May 1941 she announced the loss of the H.M.S. Hood before the public knew, and that November she described the sinking of the H.M.S. Barham, which the government withheld until January 1942. Authorities arrested her at a Portsmouth sitting and tried her at London's Old Bailey beginning March 23, 1944 under the 1735 Witchcraft Act; a jury convicted her on April 3, and she became the last person imprisoned under that law, serving her sentence at Holloway Prison while Winston Churchill dismissed the case as obsolete tomfoolery.After that, the episode examines Jeremy Bentham, the English philosopher born in 1748 who asked that his body be dissected, preserved, and displayed as what he called an auto-icon. Dr. Thomas Southwood Smith carried out the dissection three days after Bentham died on June 6, 1832, but his attempt to preserve the head with sulfuric acid and an air pump left it leathery and discolored, so a wax replacement by the French artist Jacques Talrich was fitted to the seated skeleton. The figure went on display at University College London, where students stole the real, shriveled head in 1975 and returned it after the university paid £10 against their £100 charity demand; the head later served as a soccer ball before being moved to a climate-controlled storeroom in 2002.The episode closes with ten eccentric routines of the wealthy and famous. Howard Hughes wore tissue boxes over his feet and wrote a manual instructing employees how to prepare and serve a can of peaches; Nikola Tesla fed pigeons in New York parks and called one white pigeon his muse; Salvador Dalí napped in a chair holding a key over a metal plate so its clatter would wake him; Marlon Brando dropped ice into hot coffee to drink it at once; Queen Elizabeth I whitened her skin with a mix of white lead and vinegar; Andy Warhol ate McDonald's nearly every day for two decades; Benjamin Franklin sat naked by open windows for what he called air baths; Michael Jackson traveled with a pet elephant named Gypsy on his Bad tour; Charles Dickens walked miles through London at night to feed his writing; and Albert Einstein gave up socks because his shoes already covered his feet.
Two Ebola drugs are due to be trialled in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as cases of the disease continue to rise in the country. BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher joins Claudia Hammond to discuss the new clinical trial, and to update on the latest from the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.Claudia also visits The Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition in London to explore a range of new health research on display.We hear about how salt water is being used to try to make lateral flow tests more sensitive and targeted, with Guido Bolognesi and Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh from University College London. They also explain the role gold nanoparticles play in current lateral flow tests, which rapidly diagnose pregnancy or Covid-19.Claudia also visits a 'microbe zoo' and speaks with Revathy Krishnamurthy from the Quadram Institute of Bioscience in Norwich, England, who explains what phages are, and how they can be harnessed to improve food safety.Finally, we meet Pat Price, visiting professor at Imperial College London, to learn about the high-energy particles that could kill cancer cells, how they could completely change treatment for patients, and how it's hoped lasers can help them accomplish it.Image Credit: Credit: Photo by DIEUDONNE DIROLE/EPA/ShutterstockPresenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh and Georgia Christie
Amanda King & Hari Kuhan Integrative oncologist Dr Hari Kuhan and metabolic nutritionist Amanda King join Jackie to talk metabolic therapy for cancer, why the ketogenic diet stresses cancer cells, and what’s in their new book, Metabolic Drugs for Cancer. “Apply the brakes on a growing cancer. Anything above that obviously is a blessing and brilliant, but that's the number one.” — Dr Hari Kuhan “The ketogenic diet causes stress on cancer cells, and stressed cancer cells are weaker.” — Amanda King About Hari Kuhan Dr Hari Kuhan completed his undergraduate medical training at Imperial College London, where he also obtained a BSc in Surgery and Anaesthesia. He carried out his foundation and core medical training in Central London, with appointments at St Mary’s Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Over time, he built substantial expertise in Medical Oncology, working at leading institutions including St Bartholomew’s, University College London, and the Royal Marsden Hospital. He then pursued a research fellowship at Barts Cancer Institute, London funded by Stand Up to Cancer and HCA Healthcare, focusing on metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer stem cells and circulating tumour cells through the use of repurposed medicines and Vitamin C. Expanding his reach into translational and clinical development, Dr Kuhan joined the Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK (Harley Street), London where he served as lead sub-investigator on multiple Phase I and II solid tumour trials, and became adept at integrating next-generation sequencing outputs into therapeutic decision-making. Motivated by both scientific innovation and patient-centred care, Dr Kuhan co-founded Lucio Health with long-time associate Raphael Swery, united by a vision to reshape cancer care for the 21st century. Together, they established a clinic that integrates precision oncology, metabolic targeting, repurposed medicines, and evidence-based integrative strategies—pioneering a personalised model that moves beyond the limitations of conventional, one-size-fits-all approaches. At Lucio Health, cutting-edge AI-driven platforms interpret complex mutational and molecular data, while functional sensitivity testing of blood and tissue samples reveals how an individual’s cancer responds to a wide range of agents in real time. These insights are then integrated with metabolic and genomic profiling to create multi-layered, personalised roadmaps for each patient—designed not only to identify the most promising treatments, but also to avoid those unlikely to help. The ambition of Lucio Health is to bridge the gap between laboratory science and lived patient experience: translating the latest advances in genomics, artificial intelligence, and metabolic oncology into practical, compassionate, and highly individualised care pathways. It is a clinic built on the belief that cancer treatment should be as unique as the patient facing it, combining clarity and scientific precision with humanity and hope. About Amanda King After earning her BSc through the Open University that combined Human Biology with Psychology and Counselling, Amanda King advanced her clinical training through the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London, qualifying as a Nutritional Therapist in 2022 and as a Naturopathic Practitioner in 2024. Most recently, she completed the Practitioner Master Course in Integrative Metabolic Oncology with the Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health under Dr Nasha Winters, further deepening her expertise in terrain-focused cancer care. Over the past decade, Amanda has honed her practice at the intersection of nutrigenomics, methylation science and epigenetics, integrating advanced lab diagnostics with personalised nutrition, therapeutic ketogenic and ancestral diets, and targeted supplementation to optimise each patient’s metabolic landscape. A certified nutrigenomics practitioner with training in Integrative and Gestalt psychotherapy, she is widely regarded for translating complex genomic and hormonal data such as DNA methylation panels and DUTCH hormone testing into pragmatic nutrition and lifestyle protocols that address both biochemical individuality and psychological wellbeing. In her integrative oncology nutrition practice, Amanda delivers bespoke protocols that weave together diet, lifestyle optimisation, mindset coaching and evidence-based complementary therapies, empowering patients to navigate cancer with clarity and agency. Committed to reshaping the dialogue around food as medicine, she collaborates with metabolic oncologists, functional laboratories and patient-advocacy groups worldwide to expand access to precision, nutrition-centred oncology care and to generate rigorous outcome data that will elevate the standard of integrative cancer support. Amanda’s Top Tips Prioritise your sleep — it affects everything else. Try Byron Katie’s “The Work” (thework.com) to question your stressful thoughts when you wake at 3am. Take regular breaks completely off-grid, away from your phone a Hari’s Top Tips When a spark of inspiration to change something hits, ride it — don’t wait for the perfect moment. Educate yourself about your condition: ask questions, look into your scan reports, tumour markers, mutations, and trial options rather than accepting “there’s nothing you can do.” Make time to step away from the daily grind and be present with your family — don’t let life become just work and stress. Their Book Metabolic Drugs for Cancer – Amanda King and Dr Hari Kuhan Resources Mentioned Hacking Chemo: Using Ketogenic Diet, Therapeutic Fasting and a Kickass Attitude to Power through Cancer – Martha Tettenborn Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life – Byron Katie (referenced as “The Work,” thework.com) The Metabolic Nutritionist Substack (Amanda’s, ~33,000 subscribers) Optimized Health Substack (Amanda, co-written with Travis Christofferson) Connect with Amanda King Website: amandakingnd.com (also: themetabolicnutritionist.com / linktr.ee/amandakingnd) Instagram: @the.metabolic.nutritionist Facebook: the.metabolic.nutritionist LinkedIn: Amanda King YouTube: @the.metabolic.nutritionist Email: nutrition@amandakingnd.com Connect with Hari Kuhan Website: luciohealth.com Email: info@luciohealth.com The Fabulously Keto Diet & Lifestyle Journal: A 12-week journal to support new habits – Jackie Fletcher If you have enjoyed listening to this episode – Leave us a review By leaving us a review on your favourite podcast platform, you help us to be found by others. Connect with us on social media https://www.instagram.com/FabulouslyKeto1 https://twitter.com/FabulouslyKeto https://www.youtube.com/@FabulouslyKeto Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FabulouslyKeto Music by Bob Collum Recommend a guest We would love to know if you have a favourite guest you would like us to interview. Let us know who you would like to hear of if you have a particular topic you would like us to cover. https://fabulouslyketo.com/recommend-a-guest We sometimes get a small commission on some of the links, this goes towards the costs of producing the podcast.
Flesh-eating parasitic flies have been found in the US state of Texas for the first time in decades. Known as the New World Screwworm, officials have now put plans in place to try and contain its spread. The fly feeds off warm-blooded animals, like cattle, dogs and horses, but if detected early enough, with treatment, the animals can make a full recovery. It can also infest humans, but human deaths are rare and it poses no food safety issues. The New World Screwworm is not a new problem; it is considered endemic in South America and some parts of Central America, towards South America. But despite the United States declaring itself screwworm free in the 1960s, the country has since seen several outbreaks. Officials have been tracking this latest case since late 2024. To date, the most widely used method to try and control the spread of the screwworm is the Sterile Insect Technique, whereby millions of flies are hatched and exposed to radiation, before they are released into the wild. And the idea here is that as the females only mate once in a lifetime, any eggs they lay will be unfertilised and will not hatch. There is currently only one facility hatching these flies in operation and there are not enough sterile flies being produced. In addition, there is a concern over a lack of knowledge among new veterinary recruits on how to deal with a problem that many may be experiencing for the first time. So, can the New World Screwworm be stopped?Contributors Grace VanHoy, veterinarian and professor, UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, California, USA Thomas Rath, author and assistant professor, History Department, University College London, UK Dr Phillip Kaufman, professor and head of department of entomology, Texas A&M University, chair of the Texas A&M AgriLife New World Screwworm Task Force, USA Rui Cardoso Pereira, head of insect pest control section, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Amelia Cox Sound engineer: Craig Boardman Production management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey Editor: Tom Bigwood(Photo: New World Screwworm poster. Credit: Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images)
Jane's still off, but true to form she's managed to find a way to get involved anyway... Fi and Eve discuss sweaty sandals, strange bouffant hair-masters, teachers, and our sports correspondents' high arches.Plus, we look at AI in transport. Dr Jack Stilgoe, Professor of Science and Technology Studies at University College London, and James Peng, Co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, join Fi.You can buy tickets for Fringe by the Sea: https://www.fringebythesea.com/off-air-with-jane-fi-and-special-guest-jan-ravens/Our next book club pick will be a collection of short stories! 'Interpreter of Maladies' is by Jhumpa Lahiri. You can check out our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffAirWithJaneAndFi Our new playlist 'Coiled Spring' is up and running: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tmoCpbp42ae7R1UY8ofzaOur most asked about book is called 'The Later Years' by Peter Thornton.If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radioFollow us on Instagram! @janeandfiPodcast Producer: Eve SalusburyExecutive Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
“If I perish, I perish.” — the chant Katie Gaddini heard from Esther's Army at the National Mall, weeks before the 2024 election Back in 2021, at the height of the pandemic, Margaret Atwood came on the show to talk about The Handmaid's Tale — her warning of how trad wives, to borrow a contemporary phrase, could be exploited by an evangelical patriarchy. Five years later, the Stanford fellow Katie Gaddini offers a strikingly different vision. Her new book, Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right (out today), is the product of nine years of research and over 100 interviews with conservative Christian women across 28 states. These women, this army of Esthers, are not handmaidens, Gaddini concludes. “They are very much in charge. They are politically engaged. They, in many cases, hold political positions of power.” Gaddini grew up as an evangelical — her father a pastor, with four more pastors in her extended family. She voted for George Bush “naturally,” before discovering she could be a Christian and not a Republican. But she is less a rebel against her upbringing as much as a sociologist with a Cambridge doctorate. She was living in London when Trump won the 2016 nomination and wondered how it was that Christian women were planning to vote for this most imperfect of men? Nine years and 100 interviews later, the answer turns out to be more complicated than the standard liberal media exploitation tale about handmaids. The book's title comes from the women themselves. At a 250,000-person rally on the National Mall weeks before the 2024 election, Gaddini saw women wearing gold-plated Esther necklaces, chanting “If I perish, I perish” from the Book of Esther. Gaddini interprets this as a striking theological shift — away from the forgiveness of the New Testament toward the Manichaean Old Testament narrative of violence, destruction, and an imperfect male figure designed by God to redeem the rest of us. Donald Trump, in this telling, is King David. Or Jehu. Margaret Atwood better watch out. This Army of Esthers are warriors, not handmaidens, and they are preparing for an apocalyptical war. If you perish, you perish. Another Old Testament-style pandemic. Five Takeaways • Not Handmaids: Trad Wives Are a Tiny, Overhyped Fringe: Gaddini went into nine years of research expecting to find Atwood-style oppression. Instead: only one of her hundred-plus interviewees follows a trad wife on social media. Trad wives are overpopulated in media attention but represent a much smaller political force than coverage suggests. The women Gaddini actually studied span homeschool moms involved in local politics to Heritage Foundation lawyers to women working at the top echelons of power in Washington DC. They are diehard MAGA supporters and politically engaged — the opposite of passive. • The Hidden History: Women Built the Conservative Movement Since the 1970s: Gaddini's archival research into the Reagan administration found women — never household names — who drafted legislation that still shapes policy today, including the squashing of federal child care. Phyllis Schlafly was not an aberration but part of coordinated networks of women who strategised together at national conventions, even as Schlafly took the spotlight while others worked behind the scenes. Books about the Christian right's formation in the 1980s have largely written women out of the story. Gaddini is writing them back in. • Conservative Feminism: A More Complicated Relationship Than Expected: Gaddini expected uniform hostility to feminism, the classic Schlafly-era position. Instead she found a more nuanced split: some women reject feminism as toxic; others embrace a self-styled “conservative feminism,” remapping their politics onto a new understanding of women's empowerment. They reframe issues the left claims as women's issues — reproductive rights, birth control — as harmful to women, and argue that capitalism itself benefits women by letting families thrive on a single strong salary. A repackaging of feminist language for a conservative, highly gendered worldview. • If I Perish, I Perish: The Old Testament Shift and the Esther Necklaces: At a 250,000-person rally on the National Mall weeks before the 2024 election, Gaddini saw international attendees — women from South Korea, Brazil, nuns from Nantucket — wearing gold Esther necklaces and chanting the book of Esther's key line. The theological shift she's tracking: away from the New Testament and Jesus, toward Old Testament violence, destruction, and imperfect male figures redeemed for God's purposes — the allegories comparing Trump to King David or Jehu. These women see themselves as warriors, not handmaidens. There is, in their minds, an absolute war going on. • The Fracture Lines: Iran, MAHA, and the Jesus Selfie: Gaddini's research captures real fault lines opening in 2026: the Iran strikes alienated Trump voters who wanted America out of foreign wars; MAHA women — anti-vax homeschool moms alongside liberal Bay Area “crunchy” mothers, an unlikely ideological alliance forged through RFK Jr.'s endorsement — are furious about pesticide regulation rollbacks; and Trump's social media image styled as Jesus (he said it was meant to be a doctor) did not land well even with his base. Nobody Gaddini interviewed thinks Trump is a good Christian. They believe his policies align with their vision of America. That, for them, is what matters. About the Guest Katie Gaddini is a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, Associate Professor of Sociology at the Social Research Institute, University College London, and a UKRI Research Fellow at Stanford and UCL (2022–2026). She is the author of Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right (W.W. Norton, June 30, 2026) and The Struggle to Stay: Why Single Evangelical Women Are Leaving the Church. Her writing has appeared in TIME, The Huffington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, and The Hill. She hosts the Podium and the Pulpit podcast and Substack. References: • Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right by Katie Gaddini (W.W. Norton, June 30, 2026). • Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale — referenced at the opening; Atwood previously appeared on KOA. • Phyllis Schlafly — the 1970s conservative organiser; previously covered on KOA. • Delano Squires, The Vanishing Black Family — referenced; Heritage Foundation fellow, recent KOA guest. • Arlie Russell Hochschild, Stolen Pride — referenced as a sociological influence and fellow Bay Area scholar; ...
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, deep in the mountains of the Yukon, a ground squirrel pooped. That scat stayed frozen for millenia—until very recently, when researchers thawed it out and realized it was a literal data dump. They found traces of a surprising number of animals and plants, providing a detailed snapshot of life during the last ice age. Flora talks with biomolecular archaeologist Tyler Murchie about the gold mine that is ancient squirrel poop. And, if you liked our poop jokes, you'll want to hear how two different types of laughter are processed in the brain. Think big belly laughs versus polite chuckles in conversation. Ira chats with neuroscientist Sophie Scott about how these laughs originate and why we need them both. Guests: Dr. Tyler Murchie is a biomolecular archaeologist at the Hakai Institute in British Columbia and McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Dr. Sophie Scott is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London in England. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that's keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Inspiration is powerful. It built cathedrals and symphonies and empires.But motivation fades. What changes a human identity is knowledge, and then daily tiny acts of sincere repetition.A University College London study found that consistent daily cues create automatic habits faster than bursts of intensity.My latest book “The Wealth Money Can't Buy” is full of fresh ideas and original tools that I'm absolutely certain will cause quantum leaps in your positivity, productivity, wellness, and happiness. You can order it now by clicking here.FOLLOW ROBIN SHARMA:InstagramFacebookYouTube
The LSE Middle East Centre hosted a Kuwait Programme panel discussion highlighting recent education policy issues and trajectories in Kuwait and globally, with a focus on the role of policy in shaping current and future priorities of education. The panel discussed Kuwait's policy challenges and changes in the broader context of global education policies and the neoliberal order. The panel also focused on the recent geopolitical crisis in the Gulf and the response of Kuwait's education system. Meet our speakers Dr. Fatimah Alhashem is an assistant professor at the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST). and chair for the Center of Teaching, Learning, and Research (CTLR) from 2018 till 2021. She received a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction in science education from Arizona State University. She worked as general manager for the teacher development department at the National Center for Education Development (NCED) from 2015 until 2018. She is a strong advocate for supporting teachers in general and supporting women in science education in specific. She is involved in different projects that serve the education system mainly clustered around teachers' development. She led many educational projects as a consultant in (UNDP, UNESCO & KFAS). Ibrahim Alhouti (PhD) is an Assistant Professor of the comparative politics of education at Kuwait University and a non-resident fellow at Gulf International Forum in Washington, DC. He obtained his PhD from University College London's Institute of Education, where his thesis explored the politics of reforming the education system in the Arab Gulf region, and holds two master's degrees on Leadership and Comparative Education, both from University College London's Institute of Education. He also serves as a consultant for a number of educational institutions in the Gulf. Alhouti has published several research studies about education and education reforms in the region. His research interest encompasses the politics of education, education reforms, comparative education, and education policies. Dr. Sonia Exley is an Associate Professor in the LSE Department of Social Policy. She is Programme Director for the MSc in International Social and Public Policy, and teaches on a range of postgraduate and undergraduate courses. Sonia's specialist area of research is education policy. She has a particular interest in the marketisation and privatisation of education systems across the world. Sonia has published in a wide range of education and social policy journals. She holds a DPhil in Social Policy from Oxford University (Nuffield College). Prior to joining LSE, she was a British Academy postdoctoral fellow at the (now UCL) Institute of Education in London. Meet our chair Dr Nidal Al Haj Sleiman is the Kuwait Research Officer at the LSE Middle East Centre. She is a sociologist of education policy, leadership and international education. Her work generally draws on theories of policy sociology, social and cultural justice, critical pedagogy and transformative learning, particularly in West Asia: Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon and Palestine. Her publications broadly address interconnection of policy, leadership and society, the sociology of international education, the political economy of education, post-colonial and settler-colonial theory in education. Nidal is also a co-founder of the SWANA Forum for Social Justice, a UCL alumni- and student-led community. Prior to her research career, Nidal worked as teacher and a school leader in Lebanon and Qatar, in public and international education settings.
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Glen Jeffery, PhD, a professor of neuroscience at University College London's Institute of Ophthalmology and a leading expert on how light interacts with mitochondria to shape health and aging. Today, he discusses how red and near-infrared light penetrate deep into the body and improve mitochondrial function and overall health. We also discuss how detrimental modern indoor life has become and why expensive red light panels are likely unnecessary and possibly harmful.By the end, you'll understand sunlight as a biological input your body evolved to depend on and the low-cost, practical steps you can take to get more of it.FULL SHOW NOTES HERE: https://l1nk.dev/bjuu235 Sponsor: Shadowmap https://app.shadowmap.org/?ref=jonathan&discount=JONATHANJ Code: JONATHANJ Sponsor: Ra Opticshttps://www.raoptics.com/JONATHANJ Code: JONATHANJ About this guest:Academic Profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/7465 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UYlObKkAAAAJ&hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glen-jeffery-441a2b1b/ Timestamps:00:16 Intro02:46 Dr. Glen Jeffery03:14 Love for Science, Undergraduate04:24 Tiina Karu, Photobiomodulation Origins, Mechanisms 06:14 Mechanisms, Cytochrome C Oxydase, Nanowater, Electron Flow10:56 Cytochrome C Oxydase, Extra-Pineal Melatonin, Oxidative Stress12:45 Gerald Pollack, Exclusion Zone (EZ) Water13:45 Red/IR Light Passes Through the Human Body; Optics18:09 Red Light On Fruit Flies; Lifespan, ATP Production21:15 Human Epidemiology; Sunlight, Lifespan, All-Cause Mortality22:35 Sponsor: Shadowmap23:30 Features and Benefits of Shadow Map25:02 Incandescents, lifespan, and more25:02 Incandescent Light Produces the Oldest Flies; Broad Band IR on Lifespan25:48 Incandescent Light Bulbs, Vision 28:19 Evolutionarily Conserved Mitochondria29:03 Long-Wavelength Light & Blood Glucose; Mitochondria32:50 Unpublished CGM Data; Long-Wavelength Light & Blood Glucose36:57 Are Red Light Panels Harmful?; Light Intensities, Precautions, Mitigations43:56 Why Do We See Beneficial Effects From Long-Wavelength Therapy? 46:43 Short-Wavelength Blue Light, Mitochondria, Mechanism49:08 The Built Environment, Actionable Steps 52:24 Sponsor: Ra Optics54:24 Flicker55:24 Retinal Health, Blue Light, Red/IR Light59:09 Clinical Trial for Mitochondrial Disease; Ptosis, Red Light01:02:31 Biophotons, Mitochondrial Communication, Red/NIR on Biophotons 01:13:54 Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Social Media, Substack Newsletter
Most people know sauna is good for them. Far fewer understand why, or why the difference between a generic infrared sauna and a precision-engineered one can be the difference between feeling good and genuine transformation. In this episode of Why Isn't Everyone Doing This?, Emily Fletcher sits down with Connie Zach, co-founder of Sunlighten, for a science-grounded, story-rich conversation about the healing power of heat and light. Connie traces the origin of her 25-year mission to her brother's recovery from mercury poisoning, and the cardiovascular research she was quietly encountering while working in pharmaceutical development at Procter & Gamble. What she found convinced her that infrared sauna was one of the most underutilized healing technologies on the planet. Together, Emily and Connie break down the four wavelengths of the infrared spectrum, why each interacts with the body differently, and why Sunlighten's patented approach to separating and delivering those wavelengths produces results that general infrared products don't. They also share the transformation stories that have fueled Connie's work for decades: Leanne Rimes managing severe anxiety with what she calls her "happiness in a box," a woman named Jerry who went from being unable to climb stairs to moving freely again, and elderly patients who dramatically increased their exercise capacity through passive infrared therapy. Emily shares why infrared sauna is one of only two wellness practices she would take with her to a desert island, and what it feels like to combine daily meditation with consistent sauna use for nervous system support. In this episode, they explore: – The four wavelengths of the infrared spectrum and how each one interacts with the body – Why far infrared is the foundation of all infrared therapy and how it triggers cardiovascular conditioning – Near infrared's deep penetration capacity, and why Dr. Glenn Jeffrey at University College London says it does 90% of the heavy lifting in light therapy – Japan's Waon therapy: a first-line treatment for congestive heart failure showing a 50% reduction in hospitalization and death – How infrared sauna mimics passive exercise by increasing circulation, heart rate, and blood flow – The link between stagnant circulation and disease, and why consistent heat therapy keeps the system flowing – Connie's brother's recovery from heavy metal toxicity and the pharmaceutical research that changed everything – Why all infrared is not the same, and what to look for in a sauna if transformation is the goal – Leanne Rimes, chronic anxiety, and "happiness in a box" – What changes on the planet when more people have access to this level of recovery Key Moments: 00:00 – Why isn't everyone understanding the magic of heat and light? 05:09 – Introducing Connie Zach and Sunlighten 06:51 – The infrared spectrum: four wavelengths, four different effects 10:40 – Near infrared vs. red light: what actually penetrates the deepest 16:05 – Connie's origin story: her brother's healing from mercury poisoning 18:27 – Cardiovascular research that changed Connie's path out of pharma 20:23 – Infrared as passive cardiovascular conditioning 21:41 – Waon therapy in Japan and the 50% hospitalization reduction 24:15 – The elderly exercise capacity study 27:36 – Emily on circulation, stagnation, and disease 35:00 – Deathbed slideshow: the transformation stories 37:22 – Leanne Rimes: "happiness in a box" 41:10 – Dr. Jeff Spencer and the Sunlighten Solo 44:57 – What changes when a billion people use heat and light About Connie Zach Connie Zach is the co-founder of Sunlighten, a precision infrared sauna company with over 25 years of research-backed innovation. Her patented SoloCarbon technology is the only clinically studied full-spectrum infrared available. This episode is sponsored by Sunlighten. Save up to $2,100 + free shipping at get.sunlighten.com/zivapodcast
As the UK and Europe battles with extreme weather warnings, is it time for us to consider some more extreme tactics to tackle the heat? Tom Whipple is joined by Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, to explore if solar geoengineering can help.Also on the show, science journalist Lizzie Gibney discusses the "Salah effect", when exposure to celebrities from stigmatised groups can help increase tolerance. She also examines new research into how the atom nucleus contain energy which can be used for telling the time. Plus, how laughter in great apes may have paved the way for the evolution of complex human language. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Katie Tomsett, Alex Mansfield & Kate White Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Shane Johnson is the Dawes Professor of Future Crime at University College London. In this episode, he argues that emerging technologies—AI, internet-connected devices, autonomous vehicles, and future computing systems—are creating new crime opportunities by reducing offenders' effort, increasing potential rewards, and exposing people through data collection, spoofing, deepfakes, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.est work with police departments.
A laptop, reliable wifi and a visa, the formula that has allowed millions to work from almost anywhere in the world. It's a lifestyle that promises freedom and flexibility: one month in Lisbon, the next in Bali. But after years of countries competing to attract digital nomads, with special visas and tax breaks, some destinations are rethinking the welcome mat. As governments tighten requirements and scrutinise remote workers more closely, Evan Davis and guests examine the economics of life on the move and consider whether the lifestyle really delivers on its promise. Guests: Christa Romano, founder of Digital Nomad Life Academy; Diego Bejarano Gerke, CEO and founder of Wifi Tribe; Emily Bratt, journalist and brand communications consultant; and Dave Cook, anthropologist at University College London.Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Nick Holland and Sally Abrahams Sound engineers: Dave O'Neill and James Beard Editor: Sam Bonham
In this episode of I Dare You, I'm joined by author, keynote speaker, and executive educator Adam Kingl—co-author of the wildly fresh new book, EXECUTIVE EATS: The Cookbook for a Better Working Life. Here's the big idea: your leadership doesn't start with what you know—it starts with how you feel. Your energy. Your focus. Your mood. Your ability to stay steady under pressure. And Adam makes the case (with real research + real-life practicality) that one of the most overlooked performance tools isn't another productivity hack… it's nutrition—and the act of cooking itself. We talk about why so many high performers are running on fumes, why “powering through” eventually backfires, and how the creative arts—especially culinary art—can train you to become more innovative, adaptable, and mentally sharp. This conversation will challenge the way you think about food, leadership, and what it really means to show up as your best self for the people who depend on you. If you've ever hit that 2pm crash, struggled to concentrate, felt your mood hijacked by stress, or wondered why you can't sustain the level you know you're capable of… this one's for you. In this episode, we cover: Why top performers are paying the price physically (and what to do about it) The link between nutrition, sustained energy, mood, and focus How cooking can actually become a mindfulness practice (not just another task) Why creativity is a trainable skill—and what chefs can teach leaders about it Simple, practical ways to eat for performance without making life complicated About Adam: Adam Kingl is the author of Next Generation Leadership and Sparking Success (shortlisted for the Business Book Awards). He teaches and advises globally, with faculty roles at University College London, Hult Ashridge, London Business School, the University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London. He trained at Le Cordon Bleu in California, cooked in a professional kitchen, and now blends leadership development with performance science in a way that's both inspiring and ridiculously actionable. Get the book: EXECUTIVE EATS Learn more about Adam: https://adamkingl.com/
Tali Sharot is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London and on the faculty of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. Tali's research integrates neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychology to study how emotion and motivation influence people's beliefs and decisions. Tali's award winning books – The Optimism Bias The Influential Mind, and Look Again, have been praised by outlets including the NYT, Time, Forbes and more. Her two TED talks have been viewed more than 17 million times, and she has written multiple Op-Eds for the NYT, Time, Guardian, Washington Post, CNN, and others. In this episode we discuss the following: I was struck by how Tali's childhood experience of moving between countries gave her a powerful insight: circumstance matters more than we think. Traits like happiness, sociability, and even patience aren't as fixed as they feel; they can meaningfully change depending on our environment. Thriving isn't just about changing ourself—it's about using our agency to find the settings where we function at our best. But doing that requires exploration. And exploration is uncomfortable. We stick with what's familiar because it feels safe, even if it's only “good enough.” The risk, of course, is that by avoiding uncertainty, we miss out on discovering what might be an even better fit. Different environments don't just change how we feel—they actually activate different versions of who we are. We're not just a single fixed person; we're a range of possible selves, shaped by where we are and what we're doing. Who you are is more flexible than you think—and where you are plays a bigger role than you realize.
Alena Ledeneva is Professor of Politics and Society at the University College London and a founder of the Global Informality Project. Her research focuses on informal practices, and she has written several Russia-focused books, including Russia's Economy of Favours, How Russia Really Works and Can Russia Modernise. The Global Informality has also published 3 volumes of its Global Encyclopaedia of Informality. Alena is here today to talk about her new book Russian Pendulum: Paradoxes, Practices and Patterns (UCL Press, 2026), which has been shortlisted for the 2026 Pushkin House Book Prize. Adam Quinn is a Glasgow-based researcher whose work focuses on activism, social movements and state-society relations in the Post-Soviet space. Alena's new book: art, music, text in a new UCL Press book in open access: Russian Pendulum: here The accompanying music: Delphian Records classical album The System Made Me Do It composed by Benjamin Woodgates: here And a brilliant review of the music: here Plus, a nice mention in the BBC sounds for dark: here Enjoy the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Alena Ledeneva is Professor of Politics and Society at the University College London and a founder of the Global Informality Project. Her research focuses on informal practices, and she has written several Russia-focused books, including Russia's Economy of Favours, How Russia Really Works and Can Russia Modernise. The Global Informality has also published 3 volumes of its Global Encyclopaedia of Informality. Alena is here today to talk about her new book Russian Pendulum: Paradoxes, Practices and Patterns (UCL Press, 2026), which has been shortlisted for the 2026 Pushkin House Book Prize. Adam Quinn is a Glasgow-based researcher whose work focuses on activism, social movements and state-society relations in the Post-Soviet space. Alena's new book: art, music, text in a new UCL Press book in open access: Russian Pendulum: here The accompanying music: Delphian Records classical album The System Made Me Do It composed by Benjamin Woodgates: here And a brilliant review of the music: here Plus, a nice mention in the BBC sounds for dark: here Enjoy the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science
Having begun his BA in German at King's College London, Thomas Crew completed his degree at Royal Holloway, spending an intercalated year studying philosophy and teaching English in Berlin. He took his MA in European Culture and Thought at University College London, which was generously funded by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership, before completing his PhD at the University of Cambridge. As part of his doctoral research, supervised by Dr Martin Ruehl, Dr Crew spent two years as a Hanseatic Scholar at Berlin's Humboldt University, while plumbing the archives at the city's Academy of Arts. He joined Warwick as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in 2023 and welcomes enquires from students, scholars and members of the public on any aspect of his work.---Become part of the Hermitix community:Hermitix Twitter - / hermitixpodcast Hermitix Discord - / discord Support Hermitix:Hermitix Subscription - https://hermitix.net/subscribe/ Patreon - www.patreon.com/hermitix Donations: - https://www.paypal.me/hermitixpodHermitix Merchandise - http://teespring.com/stores/hermitix-2Bitcoin Donation Address: 3LAGEKBXEuE2pgc4oubExGTWtrKPuXDDLKEthereum Donation Address: 0xfd2bbe86d6070004b9Cbf682aB2F25170046A996
In his final years, Richard Feynman's curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he wasn't able to. (Part three of a three-part series originally published in 2024.) SOURCES: Alan Alda, actor and screenwriter. Barbara Berg, friend of Richard Feynman. Helen Czerski, physicist and oceanographer at University College London. Michelle Feynman, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman. Cheryl Haley, friend of Richard Feynman. Debby Harlow, friend of Richard Feynman. Ralph Leighton, biographer and film producer. Charles Mann, science journalist and author. John Preskill, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology. Lisa Randall, professor of theoretical particle physics and cosmology at Harvard University. Christopher Sykes, documentary filmmaker. Stephen Wolfram, founder and C.E.O. of Wolfram Research; creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language. RESOURCES: I Love My Wife..., directed by Ian Tierney (2020). Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science, by Lawrence M. Krauss (2011). Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: Selected Letters of Richard P. Feynman, edited by Michelle Feynman (2005). The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, by Richard Feynman (1999). The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan (1995). Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman, by James Gleick (1992). The Quest for Tannu Tuva, by Christopher Sykes (1988) “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1988). The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-century Physics, by Robert Crease and Charles Mann (1986). Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1985). Fun to Imagine, BBC docuseries (1983). EXTRAS: “The Curious, Brilliant, Vanishing Mr. Feynman,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it's time to get some more Feynman in our lives? (Part one of a three-part series originally published in 2024.) SOURCES: Helen Czerski, physicist and oceanographer at University College London. Michelle Feynman, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman. Ralph Leighton, biographer and film producer. Charles Mann, science journalist and author. John Preskill, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology. Stephen Wolfram, founder and C.E.O. of Wolfram Research; creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language. RESOURCES: "How Legendary Physicist Richard Feynman Helped Crack the Case on the Challenger Disaster," by Kevin Cook (Literary Hub, 2021). Challenger: The Final Flight, docuseries (2020). Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: Selected Letters of Richard P. Feynman, edited by Michelle Feynman (2005). The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, by Richard Feynman (1999). Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman, by James Gleick (1992). “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1988). "Mr. Feynman Goes to Washington," by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (Engineering & Science, 1987). The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-century Physics, by Robert Crease and Charles Mann (1986). Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1985). "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out," (Horizon S18.E9, 1981). "Los Alamos From Below," by Richard Feynman (UC Santa Barbara lecture, 1975). EXTRAS: "Exploring Physics, from Eggshells to Oceans," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.