The Week Unwrapped podcast: Testosterone, vegans and locusts
Why are testosterone levels plummeting? Do vegans need legal protection? And why are locusts swarming across East Africa?
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:
Testosterone
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Testosterone levels have been in decline for some time, and a long-term study published this week in the Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals the extent of the phenomenon: men aged between 15 and 39 now have 25% less testosterone than men of the same age in 1999 - a huge drop in just 20 years. Many theories have been put forward, including diet, lifestyle, underwear trends and even social attitudes towards masculinity. But why testosterone levels are dropping - and what the end result might be - remains a mystery.
Veganism
An employment tribunal has ruled that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief akin to a religion that is protected by law against discrimination. But could the verdict come back to bite the growing movement? And which other beliefs are or should be safeguarded by our courts?
Locusts
East Africa is in the grip of the most severe swarms of locusts in over 70 years, threatening food supply to millions across Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. With climate change fuelling their breeding and governments asleep at the wheel - are we all doomed to face more plagues in the future?
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Alcohol pricing, #JordanToo and coastal retreat
podcast Has Scotland’s minimum drink price failed? Has Jordan reached a tipping point for women’s rights? And will seaside towns be abandoned to the waves?
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The Week Unwrapped: Flash floods, Tunisian turmoil and rich racing
podcast Are cities ready for a rise in extreme weather? Why has Tunisia’s president sacked the prime minister? And is the ‘most expensive race on earth’ worth the cash?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Forced labour, virtual bailiffs and Cumbrian coal
podcast Are British companies doing enough about modern slavery? How can we regulate digital repossessions? And why are we still opening new coal mines?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Radiation, Rwanda and revisionism
In Depth Why is radiation spiking near Chernobyl? How many bodies are yet to be found in Rwanda? And why has Prague removed a Soviet statue?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Happiness, coral and gay Singapore
In Depth Can we learn to be more joyful? Are the world’s coral reefs doomed? And why is gay sex still illegal in Singapore?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped podcast: Portable homes, surrogacy and cobalt mining
In Depth Could moveable houses be the answer to coastline erosion? Should commercial surrogacy be legal? And is your phone tainted by child labour?
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The Week Unwrapped podcast: Farming, forecasting and a global downgrade
In Depth Can the past predict the future? Why has Moody’s issued a global debt downgrade? And how is CAP being exploited by populists?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped podcast: Green guilt, beauty and criminal kids
In Depth Does ‘green guilt’ help? Why do attractive people do better in school? And at what age should we become criminally responsible?
By The Week Staff Published