Ben Yeoh Chats

May 14 2024 15
Ben Yeoh Chats Podcast artwork

Ben Yeoh chats to a variety of thinkers and doers about their curiosities, ideas and passions. If you are curious about the world this show is for you. I have extended conversations across humanities and science with artists, philosophers, writers, theatre makers, activists, economists and all walks of life. Disclaimer: Personal podcast, no organisational affiliation or endorsement.

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Rasheed Griffith: Progress, Caribbean, Policy, Food, Music, Talent Assessment, Culture

May 14 2024 69 mins  
Rasheed Griffith discusses the factors impeding progress in the Caribbean and shares his optimism for the region. He identifies the decline in public sector quality since the 1960s as a major obstacle. Transcript and links here. Griffith suggests that reforming the public sector could significantly advance the Caribbean by attracting international talent and improving policy impl

Henry Oliver: Late Bloomers, Second Act, Hidden Talent, Biography, John Stuart Mill

Apr 19 2024 81 mins  
A conversation with Henry Oliver, author of 'A Second Act', exploring the concept of late bloomers. Transcript here. Oliver elaborates on societal pressures, hidden talents, and how these impact individual successes at various life stages, advocating for a broader recognition of potential beyond conventional timelines. The dialogue includes themes such as the significance

Alyssa Gilbert: Climate Tech Innovation, Policy, Technology

Mar 01 2024 47 mins  
Alyssa Gilbert, the director of the Center for Climate Change Innovation at the Grantham Institute, talks about the current gaps in climate technology investments. She discusses her research into areas that are currently underfunded, including transport and energy. She also covers the importance of energy efficiency, especially in relation to the built environment. Alyssa emphasize

Garrett Graff: Aliens, Mysteries Of UFOs, Watergate, 9/11, Government Trust

Feb 14 2024 54 mins  
Garrett Graff, a writer and historian who specializes in 'near history', discusses his book, 'UFO', about the US government's search for alien life. He touches upon how we often misunderstand UFO sightings, suggesting they could be due to a mix of physical anomalies and governmental or adversary secret flight technologies. Graff also shares his belief in the pos

Hannah Ritchie: Not the End of the World, sustainability, climate, progress

Jan 26 2024 67 mins  
In this in-depth conversation, data scientist and researcher Hannah Ritchie delves into key insights from her new book 'Not The End of The World', which challenges the pervasive idea that human society is doomed due to environmental degradation. She explores various environmental problems, including climate change and plastic pollution, and emphasizes the potential for prog

Hana Loftus: Architecture, Regeneration, Planning, Resilience, Design, Jaywick Sands

Jan 10 2024 88 mins  
Hana Loftus is a co-founder of HAT Projects. HAT are award winning architects, planners and enablers for the built environment. Projects include: London’s Science Museum Smith Centre, transformation of Trinity Works (a disused church), Ely Museum, Jerwood gallery and Jaywick Sands’ Sunspot. As well as practising planning and design, she writes on the subject and plays a great f

Lucy Easthope: Disaster Recovery, Risk, Hope, Planning, Memoir, When The Dust Settles

Dec 10 2023 82 mins  
Lucy Easthope is a professor, lecturer and leading authority on emergency planning and recovering from disaster. Lucy has advised on major disasters over the last decades including the 2004 tsunami, 9/11, the Salisbury poisonings, Grenfell, and the Covid pandemic and most recently the war in Ukraine. She challenges others to think differently about what comes next after tragic even

Nina Gené: Venture Philanthropy, Jasmine Social Investments, Impact Investing

Nov 29 2023 63 mins  
Nina Gené is CEO of Jasmine Social Investments. Nina leads Jasmine’s investment strategy and diligence process, guiding the team to identify and support the next generation of great social entrepreneurs. Jasmine funds high-performing social ventures and outstanding social entrepreneurs who are solving a basic need of the very poor. Ben and Nina discuss what venture philanthropy

Pen Vogler: Food History, Culture, Class, Strawberries, Sugar, Industrialisation, Eating Habits

Nov 03 2023 83 mins  
Pen Vogler is a food historian. Her latest book is Stuffed: A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain. Her previous books include work on food in the life and works of Dickens and Jane Austen - Dinner with Dickens: and Dinner with Mr Darcy. In the podcast, Ben and Pen discuss various aspects of British culture and history we can learn from the British relationship with foo

Joanne Limburg: Autism, Feminism, Motherhood, Grief, Writing, Jewishness, Letters to my Weird Sisters

Sep 14 2023 68 mins  
Joanne Limburg is an award-winning British writer known for her poetry, novels, and memoirs. In the podcast, she discusses her latest book Letters to My Weird Sisters: On Autism, Feminism, and Motherhood, in which she feels a kinship with historical female figures and addresses letters to them. Some notes on the conversation: - On Virginia Woolf: Joanne found connections in Woolf&