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Flip phone summer is here: Samsung on the Galaxy Z Fold7, plus Galaxy Watch8 Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

Samsung’s vice president of marketing, Annika Bizon, on why flip-phones are back in fashion.

Earlier in the month, they announced the latest iterations of their foldable devices, such as the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Fold7.

We also talk about wearables such as the Galaxy Watch8 series, which Annika says is focused heavily on preventative health.

The UK’s technology minister is planning social media limits for children.

Plus, four suspects charged after ‘gang used Grindr to lure 22 men then burgle their London homes’.

Also in this episode:

-Archaeologists uncover identity of 1700s Orkney shipwreck

-Elon Musk’s retro-futuristic Tesla diner opens - but will it come to the UK?

-UK man makes millions building miniature houses

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Sizewell C nuclear plant finally gets £38 billion green light Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

The government has struck a deal with investors for the construction of the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk.

The development will cost around £38 billion, and the government will be the biggest equity shareholder with a 44.9% stake.

Why experts have been sounding the alarm about health advice generated by artificial intelligence, with Dr. Kacper Grado, honorary associate professor & fellow at the University College London.

Plus, Google reveals its Pixel 10 phone just weeks before the launch event.

Also in this episode:

-Businesses required to report ransom payments to government in cyber crime crackdown

-Dolphins learn to wear sponges to hunt fish, but it interferes with their key navigation senses

-ZSL says “access to nature has become a privilege, and not a right” for school children

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Major water industry shake up as Ofwat is scrapped Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

The government will abolish Ofwat as part of an overhaul of a “broken” water regulation system that failed customers and the environment.

The environment secretary, Steve Reed, has said they will ensure “British families are never again hit by the shocking bill hikes we saw last year”.

Reed made the announcement in response to an independent review released by Sir Jonathan Cunliffe on Monday morning.

Speaking on The Standard podcast, we also hear from Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage.

Also in this episode:

-Elon Musk announces Baby Grok AI chatbot for children

-The French government and Microsoft create a digital replica of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris

-A US man dies after being pulled into an MRI scanner

-Morrison's launches £129-a-month weight loss jab club

-Scientists uncover hidden bone structures in the skin of Australian monitor lizards

-Tom Troupe, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible fame, has passed away

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Could AI help us understand our pets? Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Ever wondered what your pet is really thinking? Researchers are using machine learning to try and figure out exactly that.

To learn more, we caught up with Dr Jonathan Birch, Professor of Philosophy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

“It might tell us that a lot of animals are actually not happy with the way we currently care for them.”

Following on from Trump’s health diagnosis. What is chronic venous insufficiency?

And scientists are unlocking history inside an ancient ice block.

Also in this episode:

-Fancy an AI agent taking control of your daily tasks?

-Why the US plans to breed millions of flies and drop them from planes

-World’s biggest Mars rock sells for $5.3 million at auction

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Groundbreaking IVF welcomes eight babies free from genetic disease Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

We explore a revolutionary IVF technique, aimed at preventing mitochondrial diseases, that has resulted in the birth of eight healthy babies in the UK. Sir Professor Doug Turnbull, an expert in neurology, explains how their innovative method works. Plus, Donald Trump changes key Coca-Cola ingredient, and the new dialogue enhancement feature from Sonos.

Also in this episode:

Meta's ambitious AI data centres
The Major Oak tree, once linked to Robin Hood, is now at the centre of a national care campaign.
Ai-Da, the humanoid robot, returns to the spotlight with a royal portrait of King Charles III.

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Kew Gardens' £60m Palm House renovation plans explained Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

The iconic Grade I listed greenhouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew will experience a major renovation.

The world-famous Palm House and Waterlily House date back to around 1848, and haven’t been touched for over forty years.

To hear more about the reasons behind the £60 million renovation project, and the innovative approaches to make these iconic greenhouses net zero, we spoke to Reuben Briggs, Head of Estate Projects at Kew.

‘It's a really aggressive environment. The iron is starting to corrode. Some of the glass is coming loose, and we're getting lots of heat escaping.'

Virtual eye clinics in shopping centres could significantly reduce waiting times, as well as support government policies ‘for a future ready NHS’.

That’s according to Siyabonga Ndwandwe from UCL’s Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, who joined us to discuss their latest study in more detail.

According to the Association of Optometrists, during the pandemic, waits for NHS eye appointments rose sharply, resulting in a backlog.

Also in this episode:

-Cyberpunk 2077 is launching for Mac on July 17th

-Yoga, tai chi, walking and jogging could be some of the best ways to tackle insomnia

-Why the influencer behind Sylvanian Drama TikTok is getting sued

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The ‘life-changing’ pill for cystic fibrosis patients Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

A once-a-day pill health experts are calling 'life-changing' will be offered to hundreds of people living with cystic fibrosis.

The drug, called Alyftrek, is a type of modular therapy which works to tackle the underlying cause of the rare condition.

NHS England has announced that the treatment will be available for children and adults with rare forms of cystic fibrosis.

A new £650 million Electric Car Grant announced by the government is set to reduce the cost of some new electric cars.

We speak with Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson about the technology behind their new EV bundle, which includes free charging.

Plus, Nvidia are getting the ball rolling again for sales of their famous chips in China.

Also in this episode:

-Blue Sharks have a unique structure on their skin which allows them to change colour

-Elon Musk’s Grok is making AI companions, including a goth anime girl - are they romantic interests or just skins?

-Hamleys names Lego, Barbie and Rubik’s Cube the top three toys of all time

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REPLAY: Jim Kwik (Brave New World) Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Brave New World, Evgeny Lebedev talks to bestselling author and brain coach Jim Kwik. Kwik suffered a traumatic brain injury aged 5 and is now a world authority on brain optimisation.

To hear the full interview with Jim Kwik, and to learn his top tips to boost your brain power, search Brave New World or click here.

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Magic of live shows syncs brainwaves, signalling shared focus and attention Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

University College London neuroscientist and dancer, Guido Orgs, says the magic of live performance art may be reflected in our brains.

Their results suggest that sharing the moment with others may be as important as the performance itself.

Tech & Science Daily spoke to the first author of the study, Dr. Laura Rai, a research fellow from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL.

Alex Rawle, YouTube’s head of UK public policy, joins us to discuss why they’re calling for greater government support for the creator economy.

“They're the modern-day media powerhouses. 15,000 creators employ other people, which supports an ecosystem in the UK of about 45,000 jobs”.

And, why Lord Professor Robert Winston, known for his pioneering work towards IVF treatment, has stepped down from the British Medical Association.

Also in this episode:

-Four people have been arrested by police investigating cyber attacks targeting M&S

-Humans have dammed so much water that it has moved Earth's poles

-The cedar tree made famous by The Beatles has been shortlisted for an award

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Climate change tripled heatwave death toll Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

‘Heatwaves are silent killers’, according to Dr Gary Konstantinoudis, lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, at Imperial College London.

Summer heatwaves caused 263 deaths in London. This data comes as a week-long heat health alert for the capital kicks in.

A new generation of foldable phones has been unveiled by Samsung.

The CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, has resigned.

And chimpanzees have been observed copying quirky social behaviours from one another, even though they offer no apparent practical benefit.

For more, we spoke to senior author Dr. Jake Brooker from the Department of Psychology at the University of Durham.

Also in this episode:

-Microsoft Outlook users have reported issues using the platform

-AI surgery could be trialled on humans within a decade

-Why cats prefer predictable outcomes instead of surprising events

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