Podcasts | The Economist Asks

Why is history a family affair?

Host Anne McElvoy asks the author and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore how dynasties have shaped the story of humanity, and what the future holds for the British monarchy

HOST ANNE MCELVOY asks the historian and writer Simon Sebag Montefiore why he believes the story of human history has been shaped by the family unit. The author of “The World: A Family History” considers what all dynasties have in common and what the future holds for monarchies in Britain and beyond. Plus, do men and women hold onto power differently? Run time: 26 min

Designated Director-General of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), British physicist Mark Thomson poses for a portrait at the organization's offices in Meyrin, near Geneva.

Podcast Babbage

The Large Hadron Collider is on the verge of its most important decade

Our podcast on science and technology. We meet the next boss of CERN and take a tour of the biggest experiment in physics. What’s in store for the next chapter of the supercollider?

35:48

Podcast The Intelligence

Donald Trump’s Congress address was more pomp than policy

Also on the daily podcast: Ecuador’s intrepid investigator and board games v AI

28:18


Podcast Editor’s picks

Why Diana Salazar might be Latin America’s bravest woman

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

08:29


Podcast Drum Tower

The Chinese tech hotspot that birthed DeepSeek

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, we travel to China’s Silicon Valley to visit a university modelled on Stanford that lies at the heart of a thriving tech ecosystem

24:25

Podcast The Intelligence

What will America’s pause in military aid mean for Ukraine?

Also on the daily podcast: the stablecoin craze and the Louvre’s fashion gala

22:36

Podcast Editor’s picks

Why inheritocracy is a danger to capitalism

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

07:44