A show for curious minds. Join us each week as academic experts tell us about the fascinating discoveries they're making to understand the... more
Zimbabwe is on the cusp of abolishing the death penalty after its Death Penalty Abolition Bill was approved by the... more
Surveys suggest that in many western democracies, political trust is at rock bottom. But is it really such a bad... more
An orca that pulled along the corpse of its baby for 17 days. An opposum that plays dead to fool... more
The online retail giant Amazon is known for its resistance to unions. In this week’s episode, we tell the story... more
It's been 50 years since the American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson discovered the fossil of ancient hominin 'Lucy' in the Afar... more
For generations, cod fishing was a way of life in Newfoundland and Labrador, the easternmost province in Canada. But in... more
What happens when a gangster leaves their life on the street? How do they transition to something new? We find... more
Amid deep political polarization and extreme campaign rhetoric, the U.S. presidential election on November 5 is likely to be decided... more
Take a walk along a beach in parts of South Australia, and you may come across unusual patches of pink... more
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the 2024 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine for their discovery of microRNA,... more
In an extra episode this week, we're running the first part of Know Your Place: what happened to class in... more
The Middle East is perilously close to all-out war. In the year since the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel,... more
A new drug to prevent HIV infection is showing hugely promising results in clinical trials when injected every six months.In... more
What makes some people more likely to feel disproportionate sympathy to people facing accusations of sexual misconduct – a concept... more
A rare and ancient plant has been waiting for its long-lost mate. The only known specimens of Encephalartos woodii, a rare... more
An epidemic of mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is spreading quickly, particularly among young children. Mpox is... more
Dating apps are having a rocky moment, with some of the biggest struggling to attract paying users. In this episode,... more
In the second of two episodes on geoengineering, we hear the case against trying to reflect sunlight to cool the... more
Geoengineering, the modification of the climate using technological interventions to reverse climate change, is a hugely divisive issue and we’ve... more
As we take a short production break in August, we're re-running an episode from 2023 about Neanderthals, and what new... more
As The Conversation Weekly takes a short production break in August, we're bringing you a recent episode from our partners... more
A chance to hear an episode from the first season of The Conversation's Curious Kids, a new podcast where kids... more
Momentum is growing against clauses in investment treaties that permit companies to sue a state if it decides to keep... more
Chronic pain affects hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the opioid crisis in North America led many... more
Across the world, fans will soon be tuning in at all hours of the day and night to watch the... more
A few days after Labour leader Keir Starmer was elected British prime minister on July 4 with a landslide victory,... more
Seagrass, a marine plant that flowers underwater, has lots of environmental benefits – from storing carbon to preventing coastal erosion.... more
We’re bringing you an extra episode this week from Don’t Call Me Resilient, another podcast from The Conversation. Hosted by Vinita... more
3D-printed guns are now appearing the world over, including in the hands of organised criminals in Europe and anti-junta rebels... more
A controversial British government plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has been central to the UK’s response to a... more
It’s one of the biggest puzzles in cosmology. Why two different methods used to calculate the rate at which the... more
If you’ve ever experienced a state of creative flow, perhaps when writing, playing music, or even gardening, you’ll know that... more
Snake bites kill tens of thousands of people around the world each year. But we still use techniques invented in... more
After six weeks of voting in the world’s largest democracy, on June 4, Indians will learn who is to be... more
A growing number of countries now permit some form of assisted dying and politicians in a number of others, including... more
As global temperatures continue to rise, the ramifications of climate change – from more frequent and severe extreme weather events... more
Content created with the help of generative artificial intelligence is popping up everywhere, and it’s worrying some artists. They’re concerned... more
Some young South Africans have begun to question Nelson Mandela's legacy, and the choices made in the transition to democracy... more
In the second part of our special series What happened to Nelson Mandela's South Africa?, marking 30 years of democracy... more
It was a moment many South Africans never believed they'd live to see. On 10 May 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated... more
It's been 30 years since Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa and the country's brutal and deadly apartheid... more
For almost 15 years, scientists have debated whether the Anthropocene should be an official geological epoch marking the profound influence... more
We’re bringing you an extra episode this week from Don’t Call Me Resilient, another podcast from The Conversation. Hosted by Vinita... more
Our experiences of the world are diverse, often changing as we move across borders from one country to another. They... more
As the climate crisis gets ever more severe, the fossil fuel industry is struggling to recruit new talent. And now... more
As Russians head to the polls for presidential elections, conspiracy theories are swirling everywhere. In this episode we speak to... more
High heels, lace and handbags. In recent decades, there’s been a huge shift in the role of North Korean women... more
With unlimited information at our fingertips and dozens of platforms on which to share our opinions, it can sometimes feel... more
When the war in Gaza eventually ends, pressure will mount for negotiations to begin for a deal. When that day... more
Humans spend about one third of our lives asleep and while most of us dream regularly, some people remember their... more
Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, goes to the polls on February 14 to elect a new president. It’s one of... more
In some cultures, people are frugal while in others they tend to be generous. Some cultures favour meticulous planning while... more
In our chaotic, rapidly changing modern world, many of us have come to rely on science for objectivity and to... more
Nearly eight decades on from the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27 1945, the number of concentration camp prisoners forcibly... more
When you think about the far right, you probably picture groups of young, white men carrying images of swastikas or... more
At every moment, your body’s internal organs are sending signals to your brain. You’ll be mostly unaware of them, but... more
Wolves are making a comeback across Europe. As their populations grow, 65,000 livestock are killed each year by wolves. Now,... more
Ever found yourself scrolling through social media late at night and accidentally buying something you regretted? In this episode of... more
Across parts of academia, concerns are mounting that the Israel-Gaza war is having a chilling effect on academic freedom. In... more
Tensions have been running high at many universities around the world since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7... more
Kenya is marking 60 years since its independence from British colonial rule on December 12, 1963. Each year, the country... more
As world leaders and their climate negotiators gathered at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in early December, on the... more
In the weeks since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the Israeli bombardment and ground assault on... more
Amid the flurry of billboards promoting cut price deals in the run up to Black Friday, some activists have slipped... more
The rise of drug-resistant infections is one of the biggest global threats to health, food security and development. Antibiotic-resistant superbugs... more
Two months after the earthquake, we hear why Marrakech and its medina are so important to Islamic heritage – and... more
In recent years, Californians have had to deal with some deadly and destructive wildfires. But in fact, this part of... more
Homs was once the centre of the Syrian revolution. Today, 12 years on, much of the city remains scarred and... more
We’re bringing you an extra episode this week to share an interview from Don’t Call Me Resilient, another podcast from... more
Imagine a particle so small that it’s the same relative size to a soccer ball as that football is to... more
Amid the flurry of billboards promoting cut price deals in the run up to Black Friday, some activists have slipped in the... more