Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
Virtual dresses
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Virtual clothing has been described as the next fashion frontier, with people paying for outfits that do not exist in real life. Gamers have been buying digital fashion items for years, but now the trend is hitting the world of couture - prompting the question: what are our clothes actually for?
Military power
The British Army would be “comprehensively outgunned” by Russia in any conflict in Eastern Europe, says defence think tank Rusi. A “critical shortage” of artillery and ammunition means the UK could not mount a “credible defence” against Russian invasion. So is the British Army fit for purpose? And do boots, bombs and bullets still have a place in today’s nuclear armed world?
Read our full briefing here.
Anxious cows
A Russian farmer has conducted an unorthodox experiment to see whether cows produce more milk if they’re in a better emotional state. To do so, the farmer gave cows virtual reality (VR) headsets that played footage of luscious green fields and blue skies in the hope of reducing anxiety. Does the study, allegedly backed by the Russian ministry of Agriculture and Food, highlight how technology can be used to improve animal welfare? Or is this just a peculiar publicity stunt?
You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped on the Global Player, Apple podcasts, SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. It is produced by Sarah Myles and the music is by Tom Mawby.
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