Babbage from The Economist

By: The Economist
  • Summary

  • Babbage is our weekly podcast on science and technology, named after Charles Babbage—a 19th-century polymath and grandfather of computing. Host Alok Jha talks to our correspondents about the innovations, discoveries and gadgetry shaping the world. Published every Wednesday.


    If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.


    For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page here https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts

    Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2023. All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • Trailer: The Modi Raj
    May 29 2024

    Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democracy.


    A tea-seller’s son, Mr Modi began life an outsider and the man behind the political phenomenon remains hard to fathom. India has become an economic powerhouse during his ten years in charge. But he’s also the frontman for a chauvinistic Hindu nationalist dogma.


    Can Mr Modi continue to balance both parts of his agenda and finish the job of turning India into a superpower? The Economist’s Avantika Chilkoti finds out what makes him tick.


    Launching June 2024.


    To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.


    If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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    5 mins
  • AI and health part one: DrGPT will see you now
    May 22 2024

    Artificial intelligence is already making its mark in health care—but new, bigger, models promise to improve how patients access services, help doctors spot diseases faster and transform how medical research is done. In the first of two episodes on the potential of AI in health care, we ask: how will patients benefit from the technology behind ChatGPT?


    Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Natasha Loder, The Economist's health editor; Gerald Lip of NHS Grampian; Peter Kecskemethy of Kheiron Medical; Pranav Rajpurkar of Harvard Medical School; Hugh Harvey of Hardian Health.


    Want to learn more about generative artificial intelligence? Listen to our series on the science that built the AI revolution.


    Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.


    Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+


    For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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    46 mins
  • Babbage: Teens and their screens
    May 1 2024

    Ever since there have been smartphones and social media, there have been concerns about how they might be affecting children. Over the past decade, doctors have seen a decline in mental health in the young in much of the rich world. But whether that rise can be attributed to technology is still a matter of fierce debate. Nevertheless, demands are growing to proactively restrict teenagers’ access to phones and social media, just in case. How concerned should parents and teachers be? Or is this just another moral panic?


    Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Tom Wainwright, The Economist's technology and media editor; Clare Fernyhough, co-founder of Smartphone Free Childhood; Carol Vidal of Johns Hopkins University; Pete Etchells, a psychologist at Bath Spa University and the author of “Unlocked: The Real Science of Screen Time”.


    Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+


    For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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    42 mins

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