Works in Progress Podcast

Works in Progress

Works in Progress is an online magazine devoted to new and underrated ideas about economic growth, scientific progress, and technology. Subscribe to listen to the Works in Progress podcast, plus Hard Drugs by Saloni Dattani and Jacob Trefethen.

  1. The death rays that guard life: We can use ultraviolet light to disinfect public spaces

    1 DAY AGO

    The death rays that guard life: We can use ultraviolet light to disinfect public spaces

    We disinfect water before we drink it. Germicidal ultraviolet could make airborne disease as rare as those carried by water. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-death-rays-that-guard-life/ And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co Words by Gavriel Kleinwaks & Karam ElabdRead by Stuart Ritchie Music by David Hackett

    25 min

  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    Issue 23: Egg freezing, Australian refugee policy and ASML

    You should freeze your eggs. Contrary to popular myth, egg freezing works very well and if you freeze your eggs in your twenties or early thirties, you have a very good chance of having a child. European leaders are looking to copy Australia's example and cut migration from boat-bound refugees but they are in danger of learning the wrong lessons. Offshore detention was the most widely publicized aspect of their refugee policy but it didn't work. Turnbacks were much cheaper and more effective. Ben, Aria and Pieter discuss different articles in the new issue of Works in Progress. They discuss how Britain lost its position as the world leader in nuclear power, why ASML is so successful, how envy killed the first bus, and how cool neo-traditional temples are. Buy your copy here: https://worksinprogress.co/print/

    1hr 6min
  3. Inflatable space stations: Creating artificial gravity so we can live in space

    3 APR

    Inflatable space stations: Creating artificial gravity so we can live in space

    If we ever want to live in space, we need to work out a way of creating artificial gravity. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/inflatable-space-stations/ And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co Words by Angadh Nanjangud Read by Stuart Ritchie Music by David Hackett

    19 min
  4. The algorithm will see you now: Why radiologists haven't been replaced by AI

    27 MAR

    The algorithm will see you now: Why radiologists haven't been replaced by AI

    Radiology combines digital images, clear benchmarks, and repeatable tasks. But replacing humans with AI is harder than it seems. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-algorithm-will-see-you-now/ And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co Words by Deena Mousa Read by Stuart Ritchie Music by David Hackett

    22 min

  5. 25 MAR

    Did status signaling ruin architecture?

    There are basically no ugly buildings from before 1930. There are definitely none from before 1830. Why? Is it survivorship bias? Have we demolished all the ugly old buildings and only kept the most beautiful and prestigious buildings? Is it just a matter of taste? Perhaps we haven't come round to liking modern buildings yet but we will. Is it because ornament is too expensive to reproduce now labor costs are too high? Is it because ornament is too cheap because of mass manufacturing and elites want to signal distinction from poor people who can now afford to cover their buildings with ornament too? Samuel, Ben and Aria discuss the merits of these different theories and what actually makes some architecture beautiful.  If you enjoyed this episode, you'll enjoy Samuels many essays on beauty in architecture.Cheap ornament and status games: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/cheap-ornament-and-status-games/The beauty of concrete: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-beauty-of-concrete/Making architecture easy: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/making-architecture-easy/Against the survival of the prettiest: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/against-the-survival-of-the-prettiest/

    1hr 28min
  6. Sunscreen for the planet: Geoengineering a cooler planet

    20 MAR

    Sunscreen for the planet: Geoengineering a cooler planet

    The world is warming faster than we can cut emissions. Volcanoes are already cooling the planet, with particles that reflect sunlight. Maybe we can too. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/sunscreen-for-the-planet/ And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co Words by Daniele Visioni & Dakota Gruener Read by Stuart Ritchie Music by David Hackett

    23 min
  7. How to redraw a city: Land readjustment in Japan

    13 MAR

    How to redraw a city: Land readjustment in Japan

    Japan faced some of the world’s toughest planning problems. It solved them by letting homeowners replan whole neighborhoods privately by supermajority vote. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/how-to-redraw-a-city/ And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co Words by Anya Martin Read by Stuart Ritchie Music by David Hackett

    35 min

  8. 11 MAR

    Longevity

    There are some animals that can live for hundreds of years. Do the secrets to human longevity lie in a lobster's ability to regrow felled limbs, in a Greenland shark's ultra-slow metabolism, or in an elephant's extreme cancer resistance? Aria, Ben and Saloni discuss why human (and pet) lifespans have increased so much over the past centuries and what we else we can do to age more slowly. For more, read Aria's piece on longevity: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-perks-of-being-a-mole-rat/

    1hr 25min
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About

Works in Progress is an online magazine devoted to new and underrated ideas about economic growth, scientific progress, and technology. Subscribe to listen to the Works in Progress podcast, plus Hard Drugs by Saloni Dattani and Jacob Trefethen.

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