The Inquiry

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Are Nerve Agents Out of Control? Apr 19, 2018

Show notes

Syria, Salisbury, Malaysia Airport – all sites of nerve agent attacks carried out in the past couple of years. Yet hundreds of countries have supposedly destroyed their stockpiles of chemical weapons. It’s also illegal to produce and use them.

We look to four of the world’s most experienced chemists and researchers to tell us more about the nerve agents used in these recent attacks, how they are regulated and the ongoing problems of getting rid of them.

(Photo: Members of the emergency services in green biohazard encapsulated suits. Credit: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

How Did China Ban Ivory? Apr 12, 2018

Show notes

China’s ivory market is now closed for business. The country has long been one of the world's biggest consumers of ivory. But as of this year, buying and selling ivory in China is illegal. Carving factories, workshops and jewellers have all shut their doors. How did this happen? And will it be enough to save the African elephant?

(Photo: An African Elephant throws mud onto himself, Mpala Research Centre, Kenya. Credit: Simon Maina/Getty Images)

How Do Dictators Survive So Long? Apr 05, 2018

Show notes

When Robert Mugabe was deposed last year, he had ruled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades. How do dictators and authoritarians stay in power? James Tilley, a professor of politics at Oxford University in the UK, finds out what's in the dictators' survival guide. How do they control ordinary people and stop revolts? How do they stop rivals from taking over? And why are elections often helpful to securing their rule?

Producer: Bob Howard.

(Photo: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe looks on during his inauguration and swearing-in ceremony on August 22, 2013 Credit: ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)

Is Plastic Doomed? Mar 28, 2018

Show notes

The tide of public opinion is turning on plastic.

The image of a whale with plastic stuck in its mouth on the BBC nature documentary Blue Planet 2 woke people up across the world to the reality of plastic pollution in our oceans. Experts think that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea. Communities across the globe are saying that something must be done.

But does this change in public mood spell disaster for plastic? And if so, what would replace it? We go from Europe, to the US and Indonesia to examine the supply and demand of plastic.

Presenter: Michael Blastland Producers: Josephine Casserly and John Murphy

Have We Always Felt This Tired? Mar 22, 2018

Show notes

“Humans are the only species that willingly deprive themselves from sleep”. Ever since fire was discovered, we have traded off sleep time for other activities - from creating stone tools to partying. As our technology progressed, the list of things to do rather than sleep just got longer. But with sleep deprivation now a growing health problem, could we be reaching our limits? Or is tiredness part of our condition? In this week’s programme, an evolutionary biologist, a historian and a neuroscientist give us their take on whether we are now any more tired than our ancestors. We hear what makes human sleep unique and how it has evolved in surprising ways. And finally we hear from a woman with a dream – that we may never have to sleep again.

Presenter: James Fletcher Producer: Estelle Doyle and Sarah Shebbeare

This programme was first broadcast in July 2017.

(Photo: A woman shows signs of tiredness as she counts ballot cards. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

What’s Happening to IS Fighters Now? Mar 15, 2018

Show notes

From courtrooms and prisons to rehab centres and martial arts training. We look to Europe, Iraq, Central Asia and Saudi Arabia to investigate how they are dealing with Islamic State militants.

The defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has raised a new, global challenge. While Iraq is funnelling huge numbers of Islamic State suspects through its courts, thousands of foreign fighters are returning to their home countries. What is happening to former IS fighters?

(Photo: A man takes down a poster of the IS militant group's flag. Credit: Getty Images)

Is Facebook in Trouble? Mar 08, 2018

Show notes

It is one of the largest, most profitable companies in the world, with billions of users, but more and more questions are being asked of Facebook. Accused of allowing the spread of fake news and hate speech, and of turning a blind eye to election meddling by Russia, Facebook is in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Facebook’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg has committed himself to “fixing Facebook.”

With the help of experts in the field, in the US, India and Germany, we ask if Facebook really is in trouble.

Presenter: Helena Merriman Producers: John Murphy and Josephine Casserly

(Photo: Indian demonstrators protest against Facebook's Free Basics initiative in Bangalore on 2 January, 2016. Credit: Manjunath Kiran/Getty Images)

What Happens When a Cyber-attack Strikes? Mar 01, 2018

Show notes

The US and UK governments have accused Russia of orchestrating the most damaging cyber-attack in history. It caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage in over 60 countries. This programme tells the story of the attack as it unfolded across the globe. With the help of the world’s leading cyber security experts we take a forensic look at how the attack began, the extraordinary way in which it spread, and examine the international repercussions.

(A laptop displays a message after being infected by a ransomware as part of a worldwide cyberattack. Photo Credit: Rob Engelaar/Getty Images)

How Do You Close The Gender Pay Gap? Feb 22, 2018

Show notes

Women earn less than men in every country in the world.

Women are now more educated than ever before. But, on average, they don't take home the same in their pay packets. And laws against discrimination in the workplace haven't been enough to close the gap.

This inequality in wages has proven difficult to shift. Governments, employers and unions are struggling to find solutions to this stubborn and deep-rooted problem. How do you close the gender pay gap?

Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producers: Josephine Casserly and Nicola Kelly

(image: Women from Dawson Street Child Care take part in a protest march as part of a campaign for equal pay in Melbourne, Australia. Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Why is Cape Town Running Out of Water? Feb 15, 2018

Show notes

It is feared than in a few months’ time Cape Town could run out of water. The city is planning for so-called Day Zero when the supply is switched off and people will have to collect water rations. Cape Town is an extreme example of what is now a global phenomenon of water scarcity. We investigate how the city got so close to the brink, and whether there’s anything that other cities around the world can do to avoid a similar fate.

(image: A man collects drinking water from taps that are fed by a spring in Newlands,Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain. Photo credit: Rodger Bosch/Getty Images.)

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