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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Wheels or doors?
Two weeks ago, New Zealander Ryan Nixon created a social media poll for his 1,500 followers. The question he asked was simple: are there more wheels or doors in the world? The post exploded, receiving more than 223,000 responses so far and sparking a global debate over the conundrum. So what makes a post like Nixon’s go viral? And can The Week finally settle the wheel vs. doors dispute?
Russian losses
BlackRock has announced that it has racked up $17bn in losses on its Russian investments after marking down their value following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The biggest fund manager in the world manages a host of pension funds, but many people were unaware of their exposure to the impact of Vladimir Putin’s war. So should we be more interested in where pensions are invested?
Speaking pig
Researchers in Europe have created an algorithm that assesses pigs’ emotional states based on the sound the animals make. The hope is that by allowing farmers to understand their pigs grunts, the algorithm could help them improve animal welfare standards. So could the ability to be a real life Dr Dolittle revolutionise farming?
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Twelfth Night or What You Will: a 'riotous' late-summer jamboreeThe Week Recommends Robin Belfield's 'carnivalesque' new staging at Shakespeare's Globe is 'joyfully tongue-in-cheek'
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August 28 editorial cartoonsCartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include Taylor Swift's wedding bells, Donald Trump's objections to mail-in voting, and thoughts and prayers
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How Israel's 'Legitimisation Cell' is justifying journalist killings in GazaThe Explainer Evidence suggests a secret intelligence unit is portraying Palestinian journalists as Hamas operatives
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What are the impartiality rules for BBC presenters?The Explainer News presenters and hosts of 'flagship programmes' must adhere to tougher guidelines than other staff and freelancers
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Facebook: Sarah Wynn-Williams' shocking exposéTalking Point Former executive's tell-all memoir of life behind the scenes at Meta 'makes for damning reading'
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What is the dead internet theory?The Explainer Reality has 'begun to mirror' the conspiracy that the vast majority of internet activity is generated by bots
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The UK's first TikTok electionThe Explainer Labour and Conservatives launch on the video-sharing app deemed so valuable by US Democrats in reaching young voters
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How Russell Brand built up his online followingThe Explainer The former comedian has tens of millions of followers across his social media platforms
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Which countries have the most and least press freedom?feature A disturbing new report underlines scale of attack on independent media across the globe
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The pros and cons of social mediaPros and Cons Building connections, revolutionizing news and expanding horizons vs. concerns around mental health, fake news and privacy
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Should young teenagers be allowed in the metaverse?Talking Point Children’s rights advocates urge Facebook parent company to block teens over safety concerns
