Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
With both probable Presidential candidates facing legal challenges, Professor Tim Evans says that America is at its most divided since the Civil War, a terrifying prospect for those who believe in democracy and the rule of law. He wonders if we might be at an inflexion point where the old order is falling apart. Tony Blair claimed that a future generation will take the UK back into the EU but is the EU what it was and will it continue to be appealing to those who opposed Brexit? And he looks at Japan's falling birth rate and ageing population and points out how similar problems are facing many other countries, with massive implications for the sustainability of the welfare state.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson takes Simon Rose through the revitalised UK box office which, although down 25% WOW, is still up 137% on this time last year. Barbie, still #1, has taken £48m after just 10 days and is already the 3rd highest grossing film of the year. Oppenheimer remains #2 with a £27.7m total. In at #5 is Australian horror Talk To Me, which James thought a real original. Despite being a hardened fan of the genre, he thought it deeply unnerving. He also enjoyed The Beanie Bubble, the story of Beanie Babies, which is streaming on Apple TV+.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin delves into the latest tech. He is excited about a room-temperature superconductor, producing no heat, which could have extraordinary ramifications. There's a camping induction cooker, a cryptocurrency where you have to prove you're human, Meta's AI chatbot in the persona of Abraham Lincoln, Australian doctors being told not to use ChatGPT for writing medical notes, a new way to recycle tech, an E-trike like a go-cart and Steve's favourite gadget of the year, an autonomous crowd-funded drone that follows you with a palm takeoff and landing.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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James Cameron-Wilson reports on an extraordinary week for the UK box office, up 92% WOW and 190% YOY. Barbie, starring Margot Robbie, enters at #1 with an impressive £18.5m weekend take. James found it original, smart, funny, timely and moving, considering it "a cinematic miracle". Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer was #2 with £10.9m. With an all-star cast led by Cillian Murphy, he found it timely and relevant and full of extraordinary moments, let down by an unwieldy final hour (of three). Perhaps not surprisingly, no other big movies are due to open against these two behemoths next week.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Andrew Keen of Edison Group discusses energy transition. With the oil and gas companies in long-term structural decline, wind and solar will be the big growth areas while the materials needed are a fascinating area with not enough investment focus. He discusses the trends and some of the problems. However, he points out that it is a complex field and British investors are fortunate that investment trusts can offer a sensible route in, with the fund managers doing the hard work on research.
Guests: Andrew Keen
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the ramifications of Dame Alison Rose resigning as head of Natwest. Did she have to go and should the government have intervened? What are the ramifications of banks debanking customers whose views they don't like? Mike looks at the three by-election results, which show rather more than simply an all-score draw for the three main parties. He also reflects on Labour dropping its pledge on trans self-ID and considers briefly the effect that social media is having on effective politics.
Guests: Mike Indian
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin on the latest tech news. There's Twitter rebranding, scientists working out how to reverse ageing and ward off dementia and Parkinson's, the Australian military investing in computer-capable brain cells, injured knee tendons being replaced with those from kangaroos, DNA storing data with a biological camera, a relatively inexpensive robot dog that lacks cuddliness and a crowd-funded e-scooter with a more comfortable riding position.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University thinks the PM and other politicians should avoid playing the central planner and let the increasingly dynamic education market decide which degrees are worthwhile. He feels it obvious that Britain must adopt Small Modular Reactors but wonders if politicians have the guts in the face of vocal opposition. And he is gravely concerned about the threat to free speech if banks are allowed to cancel the accounts of those whose views they disagree with.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson eulogises Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, which has not only sent the UK box office up 58% WOW (and 80% YOY), but has single-handedly rescued the reputation of the blockbuster. Exciting, funny and with excellent acting throughout, the #1 film is the highlight of a dreadful summer and an action movie even those who usually spurn them might enjoy. Not so the documentary Name Me Lawand at #35, which James felt was poorly made. He was no more enthusiastic about horror thriller Run Rabbit Run on Netflix.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin marvels at the $190,000 paid for an original, unopened iphone, at AI helping conquer the world record for juggling and defeating cold callers, at a laser device to rid Western Australia of feral cats, at a music system to keep cows grazing in the right place, at a system to reduce methane in cow dung – that appears utterly impractical, at a new way of charging electric cars that might mean they can enter the 24hr Le Mans race, at a crowd-funded portable hammock, at a device to counter car theft and at the possibility that humans could soon grow new teeth, much like sharks.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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