Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Gene editing
The UK government has announced plans to allow gene-editing to be used in agricultural crops, diverging from an EU-wide ban on any genetic modification. Proponents of the technique say that it is more like accelerated selective breeding than genetic engineering - and that it could help farmers grow more produce while using fewer pesticides. But it’s opponents are worried that it will pave the way for riskier experiments.
Comedy in court
A landmark legal case has begun between two stand-up comedians over who owns the rights to a comedy routine. One has hired Harbottle & Lewis, the lawyers best known for representing the Queen, to argue his case. So are we going to see lots of comedians taking one another to court? And how can you really establish who owns a joke anyway?
Manifesting
TikTok videos with the “manifestation” hashtag have been viewed a whopping ten billion times on TikTok, making it a buzzword of 2021. It’s the latest incarnation of “cosmic ordering” - the practice of asking the universe to deliver what you expect from it, whether that’s exam success or romantic fulfilment. Is it just harmless fun, or does it have a darker side to it?
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The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
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Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
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Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
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TikToker turns up to his own funeralfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Beano comics sent to Australiafeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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TikTok boosts sales of Mills and Boonfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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UMass warns against 'borg' TikTok challenge after dozens of students hospitalizedSpeed Read
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The Week Unwrapped: Korean succession, terror by algorithm and German disquietpodcast Could a 10-year-old girl rule North Korea? Will an Isis victim upend web law? And why is Germany upset with its Oscars contender?
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The Week Unwrapped: Chinese chips, the Pope in Africa and podcastingpodcast Is China losing the microchip war? What is the Vatican doing in South Sudan? And has the podcast tide turned?
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The Week Unwrapped: Sex and health, the Earth’s core and another new yearpodcast Is the NHS failing British women? What’s going on at the centre of our planet? And what’s in a date?
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The Week Unwrapped: Antisocial Saudis, hormone therapy and retro techpodcast Why is Saudi Arabia investing in – and banning – social networks? Will new research make life easier for trans women? And is the future of technology dumb?
