Latest Interviews

Brian Cox: Why Succession struck a chord

Brian Cox, Anne

In *The Economist Asks*, actor Brian Cox analyzes the archetype of Logan Roy from *Succession* as a figure defined by trauma and the universal disappointments of the modern human experiment. Cox connects the show's satirical critique of dynastic power to the contemporary "Trumpy Zeitgeist" while highlighting how the series transcends partisan divides to expose systemic dysfunction in both right-leaning and left-leaning families. Furthermore, the conversation extends to the British acting industry, where Cox argues that current feudal class structures have severely eroded social mobility, threatening to exclude working-class talent from opportunities that were once more accessible.

The hidden cost of black hair

The event examines the $4 billion to $9 billion U.S. ethnic hair care market, highlighting severe health risks from unregulated chemicals and historical biases that have long marginalized natural Black hairstyles. It details how Black entrepreneurs, exemplified by Rachel Tumasi-Cawson and Joycelyn Maté, are disrupting this landscape by launching health-focused brands that address specific needs like traction alopecia while navigating a regulatory environment with minimal federal oversight. Furthermore, the discussion tracks the cultural and legislative shifts driving the natural hair movement, including the declining sales of relaxers and the recent passage of "Crown Act" legislation to ban hair discrimination in professional settings.

Who should fix climate change?

Sasha Nauta, Katrine Braik, Oliver Morton

The discussion establishes that democratic governments must lead climate action through policy intervention, citing Germany's solar subsidies as proof that state support is essential for market transformation where laissez-faire approaches fail. Corporate leaders are expected to integrate climate strategies into core business models rather than relying on individual goodwill, a shift exemplified by Tesla's high-margin entry strategy and Microsoft's commitment to offsetting its entire historical carbon footprint. By coupling sharp emissions reductions with economic growth, the event argues that prioritizing long-term systemic protection for vulnerable populations is the only viable path to a sustainable future.

How do carbon markets work?

Vijay Vaitheeswaran

Building on the success of the 1990 US Acid Rain Program, global policymakers have adopted cap-and-trade systems to limit emissions, yet rising greenhouse gases indicate current carbon prices remain insufficient to drive the necessary economic shift. Economists Joseph Stiglitz and Nicholas Stern assert that meeting Paris Agreement targets requires a global carbon price of $50 to $100 per tonne by 2030, necessitating stricter penalties, minimum pricing floors, and border carbon adjustments to address enforcement gaps and carbon leakage. As the European Union drives prices upward through permit reductions and introduces import taxes to prevent regulatory arbitrage, international experts emphasize that harmonizing these markets, particularly with major emitters like China, is critical for effective global decarbonization.

To see Germany’s future, look at its cars

Herbert Diess

As Germany's new leadership confronts a dual crisis of eroding industrial dominance and overreliance on Chinese trade, the nation faces urgent pressure to modernize its digital infrastructure and accelerate the automotive sector's transition to electromobility. With the car industry representing 18% of GDP and key innovation metrics lagging behind global competitors, experts warn that the traditional engineering-based economic model is insufficient to maintain future viability. The upcoming coalition must navigate diverging political views to foster startup growth and reduce external dependencies, aiming to secure the country's ability to adapt to a rapidly changing geopolitical and technological landscape.

Is America in decline?

John Prudhoe, James Astell, James Bennett

Speakers John Prudhoe and James Bennett evaluate whether the United States faces absolute decline or cyclical resilience amidst political paralysis, social division, and a rising China. While internal dysfunction and the January Capitol Hill coup highlight a stagnation in problem-solving, the nation retains structural strengths like a young population and economic dynamism that could fuel future renewal. The discussion projects that upcoming infrastructure and climate legislation may break decades of federal inaction, potentially triggering a Progressive Era-style rejuvenation similar to historical precedents.

From 9/11 to covid-19: can New York recover?

Jon Fasman, Mike, Dan Doktoroff, Wellington Chen, Eric Adams

New York City compares its $14 billion pandemic relief to the $20 billion allocated for post-9/11 reconstruction, highlighting severe fiscal gaps that contributed to the permanent closure of over 3,000 small businesses and a $933 million annual tax revenue loss from high-income departures. The crisis disproportionately affected communities like Chinatown through delayed aid and a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, while housing policies failed to produce affordable units for new workers, exacerbating pre-existing inequality. Incoming mayoral candidate Eric Adams faces the challenge of funding recovery initiatives without massive federal support, aiming to replicate the ambition of the post-9/11 era while rectifying past exclusions of vulnerable populations.

Covid-19: how tech will transform your kids' education

The 2020 pandemic disrupted education for 1.4 billion students globally, exposing structural inequities that spurred major government interventions and a projected doubling of EdTech spending to over $400 billion by 2025. Industry leaders like Century founder Priya Lakhani and Mersion are deploying AI-driven platforms and simulation software to personalize learning and revolutionize teacher training, shifting focus from consumer tools to classroom-specific efficiency. Despite these innovations, experts warn that without targeted infrastructure investment in under-resourced schools, the emerging hybrid model risks widening the digital divide, even as hybrid learning gains acceptance for combining physical instruction with technology-enabled skill acquisition.

Covid-19: Can vaccines keep up with variants?

Alok Jha, Natasha Loder

Driven by the Delta variant and potential mutations within immune-suppressed hosts, the pandemic persists as unchecked global transmission threatens to create vaccine-evading "omega" variants. Experts warn that while current vaccines remain effective against severe outcomes, the primary risk lies in uncontrolled spread leading to higher absolute death tolls and future immune evasion. To prevent this nightmare scenario, scientists advocate for proactive surveillance at human-animal interfaces and the development of rapid variant-specific vaccines alongside stricter laboratory and environmental security protocols.

Afghanistan: how the Taliban weakened America

Robert Guest

The Taliban's rapid seizure of Afghanistan marks the end of a twenty-year US campaign defined by strategic failures in intelligence, nation-building, and centralizing power that ultimately collapsed the Afghan government without significant battlefield resistance. President Biden oversaw a chaotic withdrawal that prioritized the evacuation of American citizens over allies, causing severe damage to US global credibility while triggering internal displacement and fears of a resurgent al-Qaeda. Despite public promises of an inclusive government, the new regime has immediately enacted severe restrictions on civil liberties, including bans on women working and media censorship, signaling a high risk of further regional instability.

Should covid-19 vaccines be mandatory?

Natasha Lodo

Debate over mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies intensifies as approximately 30% of U.S. adults remain unvaccinated, creating a polarized divide between public health advocates and those defending bodily autonomy. While jurisdictions like Italy and U.S. states such as California have implemented employer mandates and federal testing requirements, the nation lacks a uniform national strategy due to constitutional limitations and stark political opposition. Historical precedents from the smallpox era and mixed results from financial incentive programs suggest that future vaccine mandates will remain highly localized, varying significantly by state politics and legal frameworks.

Henry Kissinger: how Biden should handle China

Henry Kissinger, Biden

Henry Kissinger outlines a precarious escalation in US-China tensions, warning that mutually exclusive narratives on hegemony and interference require a foundational agreement to exclude high-tech warfare and enforce mutual restraint. He evaluates the Biden administration's diplomatic tone as an improvement over the previous era, yet notes that its approach remains a strategic balancing act between domestic political pressures and the urgent international necessity of coexistence. Kissinger concludes that the unique challenge of sustaining a relationship between a democratic United States and a "Confucian Marxist" China demands the explicit definition of specific issues rather than reliance on a rules-based order that is not currently applied to Beijing.

Mass extinction: what can stop it?

Katrine Brahek

Experts warn that human reliance on deteriorating ecological networks, with one million species at risk of extinction, poses an immediate threat to global food security and climate stability. While advanced technologies like AI-powered trail guards and satellite imaging have improved monitoring and anti-poaching efforts, these tools remain ineffective without robust political will and enforceable policies. The failure to meet the 2020 Aichi conservation targets highlights an urgent need for governments to transition from vague goals to funded, ground-level interventions to prevent a catastrophic ecological collapse.

Did covid-19 leak from a Chinese lab?

Natasha Loda

One year after the COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of deaths and trillions in economic damage, scientists continue to debate whether the virus emerged via natural zoonotic spillover or escaped the Wuhan Institute of Virology. While early dismissal of the lab leak theory was fueled by political rhetoric, recent shifts and confirmed past genetic engineering capabilities at the facility have compelled intelligence agencies to investigate further despite China's obstruction of raw data. Experts maintain that a natural origin remains the most probable scenario, yet the inability to access withheld information means the virus's true source may remain an unsolved mystery for decades.

Can Brazil Survive Bolsonaro?

Bolsonaro, Joe Biden, Lula, Sarah Maslin

Set against Rio de Janeiro's backdrop of systemic corruption, high police violence, and pandemic-driven healthcare strain, President Jair Bolsonaro navigated a political crisis marked by Brazil's highest global death toll in April 2020 and a catastrophic rise in Amazon deforestation. Although his 2018 election capitalized on anti-corruption sentiment and evangelical support through an initial emergency welfare program, his approval ratings have since collapsed below 30% due to soaring unemployment, the withdrawal of economic aid, and failed anti-corruption reforms that protect his family. As the nation approaches the 2022 presidential rematch between Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, democratic institutions like the Supreme Court continue to check executive overreach while analysts warn of escalating tension between the military, the government, and long-term democratic stability.