The population clock

Phil and Steve unpack the case for a renewed relationship with Europe, from trade and supply chains to freedom of movement and political sovereignty. They debate whether the euro still makes sense in an era of low-cost digital payments, why a shared currency can leave national ec ...  Show more

Bond yields are not “warning” governments to behave—they’re exposing a system where central banks and treasuries can backstop the entire market whenever they choose. Steve says the panic around government debt is mostly an economic fairy tale, and the real danger is what happens ...  Show more

At eight billion people, humanity has reached a major demographic milestone. Yet with a growing population, questions arise over whether nations can keep up. While developed Western countries struggle to take care of aging populations and low birth rates, many developing count ...

Our planet is getting rather cosy. In just over 200 years, the global population has grown from 1 billion to almost 7.5 billion – and the best estimates suggest it’s going to keep on increasing. But just how far can it go? When will we reach ‘peak human’? That’s what CrowdScience ...  Show more

If there were fewer of us, would the amount of greenhouse gasses we emit reduce? It’s a question that often creeps up in discussions about climate change. Studies show that the global population will decline eventually and populations in many rich nations are already declining ...

By 2050, an estimated 10 billion people will live on earth. How are we going to provide everybody with basic needs while avoiding the worst impacts of climate change? In a talk packed with wit and wisdom, science journalist Charles C. Mann breaks down the proposed solutions and f ...  Show more