The Week Unwrapped
Have you missed the biggest news of the week? Olly Mann and The Week talk about under-reported stories with long-term consequences
Browse episodes below or subscribe via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen
Fuel protest, Danish spying and living to 150
Fuel protest, Danish spying and living to 150
How are oil shareholders changing the climate debate? Is Copenhagen a US stooge? And could we really double human lifespans?
4 Jun 2021
Fashion for rent, a chip shortage and euthanasia
Fashion for rent, a chip shortage and euthanasia
Will we start borrowing clothes instead of buying them? Why has the world’s supply of microchips dried up? And has the tide turned on assisted dying?
28 May 2021
Toxins, abortions and rectal breathing
Toxins, abortions and rectal breathing
What should we know about ‘forever chemicals’? Are abortion rights at risk in Northern Ireland? And can we breathe through our bottoms?
21 May 2021
France in revolt, junior networks and digital emotions
France in revolt, junior networks and digital emotions
Why are French soldiers up in arms? Is Instagram the right place for children? And can computers recognise emotions?
14 May 2021
Psychedelics, peacekeeping and office productivity
Psychedelics, peacekeeping and office productivity
Could hallucinogenics replace antidepressants? How can peacekeepers be more effective? And what can Google tell us about the post-pandemic workplace?
7 May 2021
Catfishing, malaria and timelessness
Catfishing, malaria and timelessness
Why are dating scams on the rise? Have scientists made a breakthrough in the battle against malaria? And can humans live without a sense of time?
30 Apr 2021
Greens, investments and space privateers
Greens, investments and space privateers
Are the world’s environmentalists about to take power? Is financial advice getting cheaper? And why are private citizens leading the space race?
23 Apr 2021
Human rights, Russian troops and rude town names
Human rights, Russian troops and rude town names
Are human rights going backwards? Is Russia squaring up to Ukraine again? And why are we censoring maps?
16 Apr 2021
Rare earths, Jordan and dishonour
Rare earths, Jordan and dishonour
What has Greenland’s general election got to do with China? Why has Jordan’s royal family split? And who has been stripped of their honours in secret?
9 Apr 2021
Votes, Cuban vaccines and empty churches
Votes, Cuban vaccines and empty churches
Are the Democrats falling into a hypocrisy trap? How did Cuba develop such a strong biotech industry? And will anything reverse religious decline?
2 Apr 2021
Scams, shares and male skirts
Scams, shares and male skirts
Why has Covid caused a surge in scams? What’s got into the world’s stock markets? And will men really start wearing skirts?
26 Mar 2021
Ireland, Wombo and laser vision
Ireland, Wombo and laser vision
Is the Good Friday Agreement unravelling? How much of a threat are AI deepfakes? And can we really now see round corners?
19 Mar 2021
Business Unwrapped - Navigating China
Business Unwrapped - Navigating China
The cultural, legal and ethical questions for British companies working in China
16 Mar 2021
Nuclear testing, flat-hunting and the other megxit
Nuclear testing, flat-hunting and the other megxit
Why are we only now learning about France’s atomic legacy? Is social networking changing the rental market. And why are migrants leaving the UK?
12 Mar 2021
Business Unwrapped - China’s legal system
Business Unwrapped - China’s legal system
The cultural, legal and ethical questions for British companies working in China
9 Mar 2021
Missiles, ransoms and awe
Missiles, ransoms and awe
Does the US still need ballistic missiles? Why is Boko Haram releasing schoolgirl hostages? And do we need to experience more awe?
5 Mar 2021
Business Unwrapped - China’s culture and customs
Business Unwrapped - China’s culture and customs
The cultural, legal and ethical questions for British companies working in China
2 Mar 2021
Carbon apps, super shoes and VR art
Carbon apps, super shoes and VR art
Can phones measure our carbon footprint? Is tech more important than sporting talent? And could we turn our homes into virtual art galleries?
26 Feb 2021
New news, equality in space and small talk
New news, equality in space and small talk
Will new TV news channels threaten impartiality? Is space the final frontier for disability? And do we really need lessons in chit-chat?
19 Feb 2021
Martial monks, high living and Turks in space
Martial monks, high living and Turks in space
What links monks and Myanmar’s military? Are we past peak skyscraper? And why is Turkey joining the space race?
12 Feb 2021
Culture Unwrapped - art in the age of Covid
Culture Unwrapped - art in the age of Covid
Covid has made the art market more local, inclusive, and socially responsible. But how many of these changes will remain after the pandemic eases?
8 Feb 2021
Snake robots, farm protests and pet food
Snake robots, farm protests and pet food
What can we learn from the skin of sidewinders? Why are farmers descending on Delhi? And would your cat eat lab-grown mouse protein?
5 Feb 2021
Culture Unwrapped - owning digital culture
Culture Unwrapped - owning digital culture
The online age has given rise to new kinds of assets – digital possessions, but do they have any real-world value and what will happen to them when we…
26 Jan 2021
Australia, Egypt and the British Virgin Islands
Australia, Egypt and the British Virgin Islands
Are the BVIs as corrupt as their former governor claims? Is Egypt any closer to democracy? And will the sun set on Australia Day?
22 Jan 2021
Forced labour, virtual bailiffs and Cumbrian coal
Forced labour, virtual bailiffs and Cumbrian coal
Are British companies doing enough about modern slavery? How can we regulate digital repossessions? And why are we still opening new coal mines?
22 Jan 2021
Parks, mindful robots and selfish vaccines
Parks, mindful robots and selfish vaccines
Will offices give way to green spaces? Are robots on the verge of mastering empathy? And what’s gone wrong with the EU’s vaccine plan?
15 Jan 2021
Culture Unwrapped - art and entertainment after the pandemic
Culture Unwrapped - art and entertainment after the pandemic
The Week Unwrapped takes a whirlwind tour through the best art, music, fashion and culture that is yet to come
12 Jan 2021
#PakistanToo, Jack Ma and printing money
#PakistanToo, Jack Ma and printing money
How is the Me Too movement evolving as it spreads? Why is China going after its best-known businessman? And what are the consequences of quantitative …
8 Jan 2021
The Year Unwrapped: Safety, Kenya and Marx reborn
The Year Unwrapped: Safety, Kenya and Marx reborn
Would we rather be safe than free? Is Kenya finally realising its potential? And is Generation Z really dabbling with Marxism?
31 Dec 2020
Culture Unwrapped - how live performance will stage a comeback in 2021
Culture Unwrapped - how live performance will stage a comeback in 2021
New technology and creative thinking will help theatre, music and dance return next year
22 Dec 2020
Sporting peril, boycotting France and farming tomorrow
Sporting peril, boycotting France and farming tomorrow
Will rugby survive a concussion crisis? Why are French goods being recalled across the Arab world? And what’s happening down on the farm?
18 Dec 2020
Cut-price music, Brexit fur and a presidential trio
Cut-price music, Brexit fur and a presidential trio
Why don’t artists make money from streaming? Will Britain ban fur post-Brexit? And how did Peru have three presidents in a week?
11 Dec 2020
Culture Unwrapped - 2020: vintage year for books or literary dud?
Culture Unwrapped - 2020: vintage year for books or literary dud?
A look through the literary highs and lows of 2020 and our predictions for the year ahead
8 Dec 2020
The Week Unwrapped: Kushner, puberty and a telescopic loss
The Week Unwrapped: Kushner, puberty and a telescopic loss
What is Jared Kushner up to? How will a new court ruling affect young trans people? And why was a great telescope left to rot?
4 Dec 2020
The Week Unwrapped: Epilepsy, hydrogen and a retail boom
The Week Unwrapped: Epilepsy, hydrogen and a retail boom
Why are retail sales growing? Should social media companies clamp down on flashing images? And why are German railways turning to hydrogen?
27 Nov 2020
Culture Unwrapped: the future of food
Culture Unwrapped: the future of food
Is posh takeaway the future of fine dining?
24 Nov 2020
