Babbage from The Economist The Economist
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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
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Babbage: How to save coral reefs
Scenes of ghostly white coral reefs are among the most iconic images of the climate crisis. This year a mass coral bleaching event has hit the Great Barrier Reef, as global warming and the El Niño climate cycle have heated the Pacific Ocean to new extremes. Our science correspondent travels to Australia to meet some of the researchers on the frontlines of the fight to save these ecosystems.
Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Abby Bertics, The Economist’s science correspondent; Joanie Kleypas of the National Center for Atmospheric Research; Annika Lamb of the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
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. -
Babbage: The hunt for new worlds
Three decades ago, the discovery of the first planet outside the solar system launched a new field: exoplanet astronomy. It also energised the search for life beyond Earth. Since then, more than 5,500 exoplanets have been identified. Scientists believe there could be trillions more—and experts and amateurs alike are trying to locate them. How will the discovery of these new worlds shape scientists’s understanding of how the solar system (and life) evolved?
Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor, talks to Jessie Christiansen, lead scientist of the NASA Exoplanet Archive at the California Institute of Technology.
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. -
Babbage picks: SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit
An article from The Economist read aloud. Our science and technology section reports on the recent test flight of Elon Musk’s Starship. While the rocket failed to return to Earth, it’s a step nearer to the stars.
For more on Starship, check out our Babbage podcast from 2022 at economist.com/starship-pod. -
Babbage: The science that built the AI revolution—part four
What made AI models generative? In 2022, it seemed as though the much-anticipated AI revolution had finally arrived. Large language models swept the globe, and deepfakes were becoming ever more pervasive. Underneath it all were old algorithms that had been taught some new tricks. Suddenly, artificial intelligence seemed to have the skill of creativity. Generative AI had arrived and promised to transform…everything.
This is the final episode in a four-part series on the evolution of modern generative AI. What were the scientific and technological developments that took the very first, clunky artificial neurons and ended up with the astonishingly powerful large language models that power apps such as ChatGPT?
Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Lindsay Bartholomew of the MIT Museum; Yoshua Bengio of the University of Montréal; Fei-Fei Li of Stanford University; Robert Ajemian and Greta Tuckute of MIT; Kyle Mahowald of the University of Texas at Austin; Daniel Glaser of London’s Institute of Philosophy; Abby Bertics, The Economist’s science correspondent.
On Thursday April 4th, we’re hosting a live event where we’ll answer as many of your questions on AI as possible, following this Babbage series. If you’re a subscriber, you can submit your question and find out more at economist.com/aievent.
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. -
Babbage: The science that built the AI revolution—part three
What made AI take off? A decade ago many computer scientists were focused on building algorithms that would allow machines to see and recognise objects. In doing so they hit upon two innovations—big datasets and specialised computer chips—that quickly transformed the potential of artificial intelligence. How did the growth of the world wide web and the design of 3D arcade games create a turning point for AI?
This is the third episode in a four-part series on the evolution of modern generative AI. What were the scientific and technological developments that took the very first, clunky artificial neurons and ended up with the astonishingly powerful large language models that power apps such as ChatGPT?
Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Fei-Fei Li of Stanford University; Robert Ajemian and Karthik Srinivasan of MIT; Kelly Clancy, author of “Playing with Reality”; Pietro Perona of the California Institute of Technology; Tom Standage, The Economist’s deputy editor.
On Thursday April 4th, we’re hosting a live event where we’ll answer as many of your questions on AI as possible, following this Babbage series. If you’re a subscriber, you can submit your question and find out more at economist.com/aievent.
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. -
Babbage picks: How smart are “smart-drugs”?
An article from The Economist read aloud. Our business section reports that brain-boosting substances are all the rage but their utility is debatable.
Customer Reviews
Insights in to cutting edge tech
I love the depth of the analysis, and attempt to make the subject understandable to a lay person.
Excellent
China stole all the tech in the name of exchanges. US shud be careful. Communist have global dominance aim. Only a fool will share tech with China , from now on. trump did a great favour by wakening people up.