The Economist
Showing 736–750 of 803 transcripts.
- 27 min
Tara Westover: Mormons, Harry Potter and the future of education
Author Tara Westover discusses her memoir *Educated*, detailing her journey from an isolated fundamentalist household in rural Idaho where she lacked formal schooling until age seventeen. She highlights the sharp generational divide within her family, where three siblings including herself earned doctorates while four others did not complete high school, all while navigating estrangement caused by domestic violence. Westover frames education as the active construction of one's own mind, arguing that the current system must balance individual agency with social standards and better support teachers to remain effective.
- 28 min
Reverend Curry on Meghan, Harry and America
Curry, Meghan, Harry, Anne McElvoy
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry leveraged his historic role as the first African-American bishop of the Episcopal Church to deliver a sermon at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, framing romantic love as a spiritual discipline of sacrificial living that transcends cultural divides. He extends this theology to address contemporary social fractures, urging the church to model pluralism amid internal disagreements on LGBTQ+ inclusion while publicly challenging the Trump administration's immigration policies as theological heresies. Ultimately, Curry projects a global vision where the church actively pursues the abolition of poverty and war, asserting that Christian love must drive both personal reconciliation and political justice.
- 7 min
How MDMA is being used to treat PTSD
With standard treatments effective in only 20% of cases, researchers led by Rick Doblin are pursuing FDA approval for MDMA-assisted therapy after trials showed over 60% of participants no longer met PTSD criteria. The non-profit-funded study utilizes a regimen of three drug sessions paired with psychotherapy to allow veterans like John Lubecki to process trauma without fear, a potential breakthrough for the 8 million Americans suffering from the disorder. Because the drug cannot be patented, this initiative by a small organization aims to transform the illicit substance into a regulated medicine that addresses a public health crisis costing the Department of Veterans Affairs $400 million annually.
- 24 min
The data revolution: privacy, politics and predictive policing
Dr Tom Devlin, Trump, Nick Bowers, Carol Reed, Hal Hodson, David Carroll, Mark Zuckerberg, Jamie Garcia, Hamid Khan, Sergeant David Rich, Anthony, Leo Hu
The event examines how the exponential growth of data generation is transforming healthcare through AI tools like Viz.ai while simultaneously enabling invasive surveillance in consumer marketing, law enforcement, and state control systems. Key case studies include the medical success of stroke detection algorithms, the electoral manipulation via Cambridge Analytica's unauthorized data harvesting, and the controversial implementation of China's Social Credit System. Furthermore, the discussion highlights significant ethical conflicts surrounding predictive policing biases in Los Angeles and the ongoing legal battles to ensure transparency in how personal data is collected and utilized by governments and corporations.
- 24 min
David Miliband on the future of liberalism
David Miliband, Zanny Minton Beddoes
David Miliband critiques the current global political landscape by diagnosing a triad of broken economic, cultural, and political contracts that have fueled populist movements across Europe and the United States. He advocates for a revitalized social democracy offering concrete solutions to inequality, while urging the West to maintain a unified front in managing relations with China and resolving refugee crises through enhanced international cooperation rather than isolationism. The discussion concludes with an assessment of the International Rescue Committee's operational challenges and a strategic call for "peacemaking" to address the root causes of modern displacement.
- 35 min
Steve Bannon debate at The Economist #OpenFutures festival
Steve Bannon, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Julissa Arce, Daniel Franklin
Steve Bannon articulates a strategy of economic nationalism that prioritizes immigration restrictions and trade protectionism to reclaim American jobs, while defending European populist leaders like Viktor Orbán and Matteo Salvini as legitimate defenders of national sovereignty. He characterizes China as a totalitarian rival in an economic war and frames the Paris Climate Agreement as a geopolitical failure, arguing instead that the true threat to the working class lies in the convergence of automation and genetic engineering. This worldview drives a broader mission to deconstruct the administrative state and appoint conservative judges who can dismantle regulatory overreach, positioning Donald Trump as the essential vehicle to break the "medieval theology" of free trade.
- 25 min
Tony Blair on the future of liberalism
Marking the 175th anniversary of *The Economist* and the 21st anniversary of New Labour, former Prime Minister Tony Blair reflects on the 1998, 2003, and 2004 policy decisions that contributed to modern societal fractures while outlining a renewal strategy for liberalism. Blair proposes addressing root causes of polarization through strict immigration controls without prejudice, a proactive technological policy agenda, and a return to positive-sum economic growth to counter the rise of populism. Urging the restoration of a rational political center, he suggests resolving the Brexit impasse via a second referendum and warns that without a centrist platform, the UK risks perpetual political paralysis between the extremes.
- 8 min
Romania's last orphanages
Following the collapse of Nicolae Ceaușescu's regime, Romania is transitioning from a legacy of institutional neglect involving over 100,000 abandoned children to a family-based care model supported by the charity Hope and Homes for Children. This reform, which aims to close all large institutions within a decade, involves the deinstitutionalization of thousands of children, such as those at the Ion Holban Institution, into foster or group home settings. While the initiative successfully reunites siblings and addresses severe past abuses, it faces ongoing challenges in providing adequate staffing and long-term support to ensure the successful reintegration of former residents into independent life.
- 21 min
ABBA star, Bjorn Ulvaeus, on Mamma Mia and Brexit sadness
Universal Pictures advanced the *Mamma Mia!* sequel after convincing Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus to approve a dual-narrative script featuring digital avatars of the group performing two newly recorded tracks. The project required mutual consent from all four band members and utilized modern technology to simulate the musicians' 1979 appearances while integrating current vocal performances from Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Ulvaeus further discusses the band's evolving artistic themes, their diverse musical influences, and his personal views on politics and legacy during the release strategy discussions.
- 36 min
Tony Blair on Brexit's second referendum
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair advocates for a final Brexit referendum to resolve parliamentary gridlock, arguing that the public must judge a choice between a "soft Brexit" and a "clean break" based on two years of economic deterioration. Beyond the domestic impasse, Blair warns that Brexit has caused the UK to shift from the fastest-growing to the slowest G7 economy and framed the split as a geopolitical disaster that weakens Western unity against the rising influence of China. While proposing these immediate political solutions, Blair also outlines his global work through the newly consolidated Institute for Global Change, which employs 250 staff to advance center-left liberalism and address issues ranging from counter-extremism to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
- 6 min
Putin's Russia and the ghost of the Romanovs
On the centenary of the Bolshevik execution of the Romanov family, Russian President Vladimir Putin navigates a political dilemma by promoting a revisionist narrative that frames Russia as a continuous state under an all-powerful autocrat, thereby sidestepping the condemnation of the 1917 revolution that established the modern state. This approach leverages an alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church to legitimize Putin's centralization of power and domestic repression, contrasting sharply with the 1998 efforts to acknowledge the Tsarist murder as a crime. Despite the current stability of his regime through military conflicts and the erosion of the Duma's authority, historical precedents suggest the unpredictability of Russia's governmental systems.
- 8 min
Women and the Saudi revolution
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Noor Shabib, Hoda al-Halaissi
Led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia is executing a rapid top-down modernization strategy that lifts social restrictions like the ban on women driving while simultaneously centralizing political power and suppressing dissent. Although these reforms aim to diversify the oil-dependent economy by integrating the majority-female university graduate workforce, they face significant risks from religious puritans, rival royals, and a volatile youth population whose aspirations remain unmet by the regime's refusal to democratize. The success of this delicate balancing act is critical, as a stable, moderate Saudi Arabia could significantly enhance regional security and offer a counter-narrative to extremist interpretations of Islam globally.
- 10 min
Can eco-tourism help save the ocean?
In Indonesia's Coral Triangle, the Mizzul Marine Protected Area transitioned from a poached wasteland to a thriving ecosystem through a private-enterprise model founded by Andrew and Marit Miners. This initiative employs over 200 locals in conservation and tourism roles, utilizing ocean rangers to enforce a no-take ban that has boosted shark populations by 25 times and increased marine biomass by 600%. By generating revenue that exceeds former fishing income, the project demonstrates a scalable financial argument for biodiversity protection that local communities now control.
- 38 min
James Comey on emails, the "American giant" and the end of Donald Trump
James Comey, Donald Trump, Anne McElvoy
Former FBI Director James Comey articulates his judgment that President Trump is morally unfit for office while asserting the FBI remains a rock-solid, unpoliticized institution despite intense scrutiny. He reflects on the contentious October 28 decision regarding the Clinton email investigation and expresses skepticism about the North Korean denuclearization deal, maintaining high confidence that the Mueller probe will uncover criminal facts regardless of political fallout. Looking ahead to his public policy course at the College of William & Mary, Comey emphasizes that ethical leadership is defined by rigorous truth-seeking processes rather than outcomes, arguing that American democratic values may ultimately strengthen through a necessary national reassessment.
- 7 min
Can technology save the rarest creatures on the planet?
UC Santa Barbara marine science professor Douglas Macaulay is deploying a NASA-derived facial recognition algorithm to non-invasively identify individual giant sea bass through unique spot patterns, successfully cataloging 115 of the roughly 500 remaining individuals. This "Facebook for fish" system provides critical evidence of anthropogenic injuries and migration routes that expose the inadequacy of current marine protected areas covering only 3.7% of the ocean. By bridging marine biology and Silicon Valley computer science, Macaulay aims to generate the robust data necessary to advocate for expanded conservation zones and secure a long-term future for this near-extinct species.