Latest Interviews

Discover Osaka: sushi, tattoos, and a flourishing nightlife

Kai Tatsuo, Hori Beni, Kanayo Ueda

Osaka's distinct cultural identity as a rambunctious merchant town is embodied by residents like kappo chef Kai Tatsuo, artist Hori Beni, and poet Kanayo Ueda, who navigate a landscape ranging from the frantic, rock-paper-scissors-decided tuna auctions at its massive fish market to the communal intimacy of its post-war public bathhouses. Despite historical wartime destruction and modern stigmas associating tattoos with organized crime, the city offers a unique culinary and recreational experience through its street food, strategic board games, and extended nightlife in districts like America-mura. Visitors are consistently encouraged by locals to embrace the city's outgoing atmosphere, which contrasts sharply with Japan's typical demeanor and allows newcomers to quickly feel accepted as fellow Osakans.

Discover Buenos Aires: slabs of meat, Malbec and polo

Buenos Aires presents a cultural landscape where street art, historical street polo played by rural gauchos, and the communal "asado" ritual define the social fabric alongside a thriving market economy born from the 2001 financial crisis. The city's unique identity is further expressed through politically charged Murga dance groups and a sophisticated nightlife scene of password-protected speakeasies that evolved during times of economic hardship. These diverse elements collectively offer a deep exploration of Argentine heritage, from government-designated notable bars to the world's largest street mural by artist Alfredo Segatore.

Discover Colombo: travel in the fastest-growing city in the world

Sonali Dharmavardana, Darshan Munitasa, Gabby White

Following the end of its civil war, Colombo is rapidly transforming into the world's fastest-growing city destination through a fusion of heritage preservation and modern creative industries. Key figures such as celebrity chef Darshan Muniasami, fashion designer Sonali Dharmavardana, and former cricketer Kumar Sangakkara are driving this renaissance by revitalizing culinary identity and showcasing the unique blend of colonial architecture with contemporary lifestyle in venues like the Ministry of Crab. Local experts and residents now urge immediate international engagement, positioning the current moment as a unique window for travelers to experience the city's authentic cultural depth before these rapid developments become fully mainstream.

The future of the car industry

Bhavish Aggarwal, Shantam, David Rust

Global ride-hailing platforms like India's Ola and the United States' Lyft are driving a fundamental shift in consumer behavior where smartphone access has replaced car ownership as the primary mode of urban transport. This disruption forces traditional automotive manufacturers, including Ford and General Motors, to pivot from hardware-centric models to software-driven mobility solutions and strategic partnerships to survive the transition toward shared, autonomous fleets. As a result, the industry's revenue dynamics are reconfiguring, compelling legacy players to innovate with self-driving technology or risk obsolescence in a market increasingly defined by processing power rather than horsepower.

Discover Miami: travel the bars and beaches with the locals

Regla, Elaine Lancaster, Raven, Roberto Ramos, Sharif Malnik

This presentation outlines how Cuban migration since 1959, alongside waves from Latin America, transformed Miami into a multicultural metropolis where the local population represents one-third of the city's total residents. The discussion highlights the region's economic prosperity and cultural evolution, citing landmarks like the Wynwood art district and the historic Little Havana enclave, while noting Miami's unique status as a global art hub established by the 2002 Basel festival. Finally, the narrative examines the city's physical geography and social fabric, detailing the man-made origins of Miami Beach, the revitalization of South Beach, and the enduring community figures such as runner Raven and iconic venues like The Forge.

Body Builders: the science and technology of bionic limbs

Hilda Einersdottir, Gummy, David Johnson, Farmer David Ingvason, Gunner

Iceland is emerging as the global hub for the bionics industry, where companies like Ossur are deploying brain-controlled prosthetics that translate subconscious neural signals into intuitive movement. Pioneering trials with users ranging from farmers to 92-year-olds have validated the technology's ability to restore mobility in high-stress and aging populations, with the Power Knee offering rotational force comparable to a motorcycle. Driven by medical necessity and a market projected to exceed $20 billion within five years, engineers anticipate a major leap in capabilities over the next decade toward fully autonomous thought-driven systems.

Meat Makers: the artificial beef revolution

Professor Mark Post, Ethan Brown, Bill Gates, John, Simone, Greg Boland, Peter

Facing the $1 trillion global meat market and its environmental impact, cellular agriculture pioneer Mark Post and Beyond Meat's Ethan Brown are pursuing divergent strategies to decouple meat production from animal slaughter. While Post focuses on scaling lab-grown muscle tissue from stem cells, Brown employs plant-based extraction to engineer sensory profiles that mimic animal fat and texture for mass adoption. Despite facing distinct technical hurdles in texture, flavor, and price, both leaders aim to execute a food revolution comparable to the shift from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles.

Space Invaders: the entrepreneurs taking humans into space

Stu Witt, Enrico Palermo, Ben, Ellen, Sean Mahoney, Jeremy Voigt

Mojave Air and Space Port has evolved from a civilian airfield into the United States' first commercial spaceport, hosting a dense cluster of pioneering firms like Virgin Galactic, Masten Space Systems, and X-Core Aerospace. These entities are driving a rapidly expanding industry by developing reusable vertical-landing technology and radical rocket engines to enable high-risk flight testing and sustainable space access without reliance on traditional government contracts. While Virgin Galactic secures millions in pre-revenue bookings following a fatal 2014 accident, the collective focus remains on establishing a private sector capable of transporting thousands of people to space by 2030.

E-Sports Superstars: gamers earning millions

Big Daddy, Conrad Janzen, Jack, Seth, Alan

Joining the elite esports scene just months prior to "The International," Danish prodigy Johan "Big Daddy" entered the $18 million tournament as part of the newly formed Cloud9 squad, which faced intense scrutiny and high expectations for victory. Despite boasting significant individual talent, the team struggled with internal cohesion and trust during critical preparation, leading to a decisive opening defeat against the more unified Chinese team CDEC. This loss exposed the fragility of their synergy, forcing Cloud9 into the lower bracket while highlighting that emotional intelligence and team unity are just as vital as raw gaming skill in the highest levels of competition.

Drone Rangers: how the technology can catch poachers and save lives

Rob Hannaford, Dr. Robin Murphy, Peter Blake

The commercial drone industry is rapidly expanding from military origins into civilian sectors like anti-poaching, construction, and disaster rescue, driven by high-resolution data collection that costs significantly less than traditional methods. In South Africa, thermal-equipped drones have successfully deterred rhino poaching by relaying real-time coordinates to rangers, while in the United States, they accelerate disaster response times by up to 90% in hazardous zones. As specialized startups professionalize the workforce by connecting freelance pilots with industrial projects, experts project the sector will generate over 100,000 new careers and contribute billions to the U.S. economy within the next few years.

Look inside China’s secretive Olympic training camps

Gao Lei, Jinwen Shi, Shen Chen

China is executing a targeted strategy to surpass the United States on the Rio Olympic medal table by recruiting 400,000 children from specialized training schools based on strict physiological and psychological criteria. While this system filters out most candidates, it produces elite athletes like trampoline contender Gao Lei who are prepared to compete for gold through intense, early-stage training. Success in this high-risk pipeline offers significant financial bonuses and government positions, motivating the rare few who overcome the low statistical probability of reaching the Games.

Solar technology that will shape the future

Elon Musk, Alison Archambault, Chuck Boggs

Earthspark International and Tesla are deploying off-grid solar microgrids and battery storage to address the global energy crisis, as demonstrated by Les Anglais' 100% renewable transition and Appel Steel's industrial independence. Innovations in perovskite cells promise to drastically increase efficiency and enable building-integrated power, while Richard Branson's Carbon War Room advocates for this decentralized shift to bypass fossil fuel dependence. Although currently representing only 1% of global supply, these scalable solutions aim to meet an 80% projected demand surge and eventually achieve financial viability without subsidies.

Prison: how to break the cycle of reoffending?

Olly Matthews, Hans Petter Hansen, Bobby Frances, Bill Kleiber, Alex Garcia

A comparative analysis of the United States and Norway's justice systems reveals that while American reentry programs face high recidivism due to inadequate resources and harsh decision-making transitions, Norway's Bastøy Prison achieves a 16% recidivism rate by fostering inmate autonomy and self-sufficiency. Retired Texas Judge Bobby Francis exemplifies a shift in the U.S. toward specialized reentry courts that balance strict accountability with rehabilitation, contributing to a 16% reduction in state incarceration rates since 2001. Despite these reforms, experts warn that without prioritizing rehabilitation over punitive measures, the current system remains insufficient to prepare the millions of inmates for sustainable reintegration into society.