Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Guy Anker, Suchandrika Chakrabarti and Arion McNicoll.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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The human family tree
Our understanding of ancient human ancestry took a step forwards this week with the announcement that a skull belonging to a 12 or 13 year old who died about 300,000 years ago seems to have belonged to an entirely new branch of our family tree. It has a combination of bone shapes and structures that have never been seen together in any other skull – part Homo sapiens and part Denisovans, who are themselves a recently discovered cousin of the Neanderthals. What does this tell us about our past – and our present?
A better deal for people with ME
The government is proposing a new approach to treating the estimated 240,000 people in the UK with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Its goal is to improve understanding of the debilitating condition and remove the remaining stigma attached to it. In the absence of a cure, effective treatments or even a diagnosis, efforts will focus on better managing symptoms and carrying out research into what causes the disease.
Date-stacking
A viral trend is courting controversy: date-stacking, or scheduling multiple dates in one day. While some people see it as ruthless, dismissive and logistically taxing, others find it perfectly understandable and extremely efficient. But is it on the rise, or is this a new term for old speed-dating? Is it driven by ticking biological clocks, or time poverty? Or are dating apps teaching us to treat people like disposable commodities? And how long does it really take to know if there’s a spark?
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5 cinematic cartoons about Bezos betting big on 'Melania'Cartoons Artists take on a girlboss, a fetching newspaper, and more
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The fall of the generals: China’s military purgeIn the Spotlight Xi Jinping’s extraordinary removal of senior general proves that no-one is safe from anti-corruption drive that has investigated millions
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Why the Gorton and Denton by-election is a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’Talking Point Reform and the Greens have the Labour seat in their sights, but the constituency’s complex demographics make messaging tricky
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The Week Unwrapped: Why are there so many Russian ships in the Channel?Podcast Plus, what does a ‘feminist’ approach to cancer involve? And who is Mickey’s new boss?
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The Week Unwrapped: Why is China clearing out its generals?Podcast Plus, can the Conservatives win back the centre? And what’s gone wrong with Britain’s hearing aids?
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The Week Unwrapped: What can we learn from a tool-wielding cow?Podcast Plus, have we reached ‘peak billionaire’? When should troops disobey their superiors?
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The Week Unwrapped: Will Uganda’s pop-star politician prevail?Podcast Plus, is dodgy data undermining medical research? And what does a new app reveal about Chinese society?
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The Week Unwrapped: Is Elon Musk’s AI tool a platform for abuse?Podcast Plus can Mumsnet predict who will be the next PM? And who is still watching Avatar sequels?
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The Week Unwrapped: What’s the cost of PFAs?Podcast Plus why is George Osborne joining OpenAI? And has universal basic income finally come of age?
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The Week Unwrapped: what’s scuppering Bulgaria’s Euro dream?Podcast Plus has Syria changed, a year on from its revolution? And why are humans (mostly) monogamous?
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The Week Unwrapped: Will drought fuel global violence?Podcast Plus why did Trump pardon a drug-trafficking president? And are romantic comedies in terminal decline?
