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LSE IQ is a monthly podcast from the London School of Economics and Political Science in which we ask some of the smartest social scientists - and other experts - to answer intelligent questions about economics, politics or society. #LSEIQ
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- 3 days ago29 min
How can we stop buying so much stuff?
Why do we buy so much stuff, and what would it take to break the cycle of overconsumption? In this episode of LSE iQ, Sue Windebank explores the social, psychological and economic forces that encourage us to keep buying, when many of the things that we own could be repaired, reused, or shared.Drawing on research in India, Julia Cohen (Corwin) from LSE's Department of Geography shares stories from Delhi's thriving repair and reuse economy, where skilled traders and repairers breathe new life into printer cartridges, laptop batteries and electronic devices that might otherwise be discarded.Frédéric Basso, from LSE’s Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, explains some of the ways consumer culture encourages us to keep buying, from planned obsolescence, rapid product cycles and targeted marketing.The episode also explores how ultra-cheap online shopping has accelerated overconsumption. Lilia Akatova, from the LSE Centre for Economic Transition Expertise, explains how a customs duty exemption for low-value imports helped fuel a surge in parcels arriving directly from China, and discusses efforts by governments to curb the flow of low-cost goods.Contributors Lilia AkatovaFrédéric BassoJulia Corwin/CohenResearchSubmission to the UK Government consultation on the proposed reform of the customs treatment of low value imports into the UK by Liilia AkatovaTranslating system-level change to individuals: Experimental evidence on avenues to communicate about degrowth and green growth by Dallas O’Dell, Frédéric Basso and Ganga ShreedhaAnalog Labor in a Digital World E-Waste in India and the Politics of Repair by Julia Corwin
- Oct 6, 202631 min
Is your phone listening to you?
We all have an anecdote of a time when we’ve had an in-person conversation and then received an online advert about something we discussed. This leads many of us to believe our phones are eavesdropping on our conversations.In this episode of LSE iQ, Charlotte Kelloway asks: Are our phones listening to us? She speaks to Professor Edgar Whitley of LSE’s Department of Management about the dangers of algorithms controlling the information we see.Privacy expert Dr Carissa Véliz from the University of Oxford reveals how sensitive personal data can be bought and sold by data brokers.Professor Nick Couldry from LSE’s Department of Media and Communications, discusses our increasing dependence on AI and how it’s training us to use it more and more.
- Sep 8, 202632 min
Should we still care about net zero?
In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to commit in law to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But seven years later, the world looks very different. Since then, we've experienced a global pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy price shocks, US attacks on Iran, more energy price shocks, and growing political opposition to climate policies.As governments face competing priorities around economic growth, energy security and the cost of living, some are questioning whether net zero is still achievable, affordable or even necessary.In this episode of LSE iQ, Anna Bevan asks: Should we still care about net zero? She speaks to Professor Anna Valero, from LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance and the Global School of Sustainability, about her surprising findings on the UK’s transition to net zero.Bloomberg journalist Akshat Rathi explores how investment, technology and public policy can accelerate the move towards a low-carbon economy.Professor Riccardo Crescenzi and Oliver Harman, from LSE’s Department of Geography and Environment, discuss what an exploding toaster reveals about the manufacturing slogan “Made in Britain”, and what green global value chains mean for net zero. Contributors: Anna Valero Akshat Rathi Riccardo Crescenzi Oliver Harman
- Jun 9, 202633 min
Should we take hypnotherapy more seriously?
From stage-show stereotypes to life-changing treatment, this episode explores the science - and the myths - behind hypnosis and hypnotherapy. We uncover extraordinary stories of addiction recovery, pain relief, and everyday healing from a form of talking therapy that remains widely misunderstood.Asking whether we should take hypnotherapy more seriously, Joanna Bale talks to LSE anthropologist Dr Nick Long, who spent 18 months researching hypnosis and hypnotherapy in Indonesia. There, hypnotic practices are woven into everyday life - used in classrooms, homes and communities to calm, encourage and connect. In the UK, by contrast, hypnotherapy remains marginalised and constrained by cultural suspicion, despite recognition from the NHS.Joanna also speaks to Amanda Joy, who left the NHS to retrain as a hypnotherapist after witnessing hypnosis succeed in relieving pain where conventional medicine had failed. And Sarah Ibrahim shares a moving personal account of how hypnotherapy helped her break free from a cocaine addiction that had gripped her for two decades.These powerful first-hand testimonies help to illuminate what hypnosis really is, what it might be capable of, and why we may be too quick to dismiss it.ContributorsNick LongAmanda JoySarah IbrahimResearchSuggestions of power: searching for efficacy in Indonesia’s hypnosis boom by Nick LongTherapeutic aQompaniments: Walking together in hypnotherapy—and ethnography by Nick Long
- May 12, 202630 min
Should animals have rights?
From the pets we love to the animals we rarely see, our relationship with non-human life is full of contradictions. In this episode, we explore what it really means to protect animals and whether welfare is enough, or if rights are the way forward.Beginning with a simple question inspired by my own dog, Pip, this episode moves from the personal to the global. Through conversations with experts including Jeff Sebo, Jonathan Birch, Jo-Anne McArthur and Carrie Friese, we examine how ideas about sentience, law, and ethics are shaping the future of animal protection.In this episode of LSE iQ, Mike Wilkerson asks: Should animals have rights?This year’s #LSEFestival, taking place from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 June 2026, will explore the impact of these global challenges, and how individuals, communities, organisations, corporations, and those with political power should be tackling them to save the planet!Find out more info and browse the programme here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/Events/LSE-Festival/2026
- Apr 14, 202629 min
How can we be more resilient?
We’ve all had rough days at work. But none of us have been fired by a sitting President after just 11 days in the job. That’s what happened to American financier and LSE alumnus Anthony Scaramucci, whose brief and explosive stint as White House Communications Director in 2017 became global news.But instead of letting the experience define him, Anthony rebuilt his career, returned to his investment firm SkyBridge Capital, and has since become a prominent political commentator — including co‑hosting The Rest Is Politics: US podcast with the BBC’s Katty Kay.How do we keep going when life delivers an unexpected blow? How do we protect our mental health, rebuild after setbacks, and strengthen our resilience reserves?In this episode of LSE iQ, Sue Windebank asks: How can we be more resilient? She speaks to Anthony Scaramucci about what it takes to ‘bounce back’ after public failure. She also speaks to Dr Grace Lordan, economist and founding director of the Inclusion Initiative at LSE, and hears about key behavioural insights that can help build resilience — from managing our inner critic to taking practical steps that boost our capacity to recover and thrive.ContributorsGrace LordanAnthony ScaramucciResearchThink Big, Take small steps and build the future you want by Grace Lordan.From Wall Street to the White House and back, The Scaramucci guide to unbreakable resilience by Anthony Scaramucci.
- Mar 3, 202628 min
Why are we having fewer children?
Fertility rates are at record lows around the world, reshaping communities and even forcing some schools to close. In 1950, the global average was around five live births per woman. Today, that number has more than halved to 2.2, and in England and Wales, it’s closer to 1.4. The UK’s falling birth rate reflects what the United Nations has described as ‘a global fertility slump’.In this episode of LSE iQ, Anna Bevan asks: Why are we having fewer children?From a closed down primary school in South London to demographic shifts unfolding across the globe, this episode explores the profound social, economic and personal forces behind declining fertility.Professor Berkay Ozcan explains how countries from Turkey to Chile have experienced some of the steepest drops in modern history, and why the timing of relationships, women’s careers, the economy and uncertainty about the future all play a role.Professor Emily Jackson, an expert in law and reproductive rights, examines the limits of governmental policies - from baby bonuses to China’s new tax on condoms - and explains why restrictive reproductive laws often have unintended consequences.Zoe Noble, the founder of We Are Childfree, discusses the growing global community of people choosing not to have children. She shares how one intrusive taxi ride helped spark a movement, and why blaming childfree women for falling birth rates misses the real issues.Is a shrinking population a problem or simply part of the natural ebb and flow of society? And what would it take to create a world people want to bring children into?Join us as we dig into the data, the politics and the personal choices behind one of the most important demographic stories of our time.Contributors:Berkay Ozcan, Emily Jackson and Zoe NobleAssociated researchThe effects of unemployment on fertility (2021)
- Feb 2, 202630 min
Are jobs getting better?
What does the future of work really look like?
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About LSE IQ podcast
LSE IQ is a monthly podcast from the London School of Economics and Political Science in which we ask some of the smartest social scientists - and other experts - to answer intelligent questions about economics, politics or society. #LSEIQ
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