The Why? Curve Podcast

04/09/2025

Do you feel the flag has been hijacked for a political agenda? On The Why Curve we talk to Michael Kenny from Cambridge University about why we attach so much significance to a piece of cloth! Listen in full here: https://bit.ly/3K3bvpY

21/08/2025

Sadly, with a deal looking unlikely, Ukraine will be left to fight it out. Stefan Wolff from University of Birmingham says the risk is Russia makes defendable ground in the process.

Lots of high-level diplomacy - handshakes for European leaders in the White House, the red-carpet for Putin in Alaska - but does any of this bring the end...

14/08/2025

Why is Palestine Action a proscribed terrorist organisation? Was it necessary to arrest 532 supporters last weekend? On The Why Curve we talk to David Mead from University of East Anglia about legal definitions, precedents and politics. https://whycurve.com/episode/palestine-action-protesters-or-terrorists

07/08/2025

Are you as mad as hell and not going to take it anymore? Dr Nadja Heym joins us on the Why Curve to talk about why people are getting SO angry. https://whycurve.com/episode/why-are-we-all-so-angry

31/07/2025

Could the Epstein aftermath still bring down President Trump? Prof James D Boys from University College London says the truth may stay hidden, because both sides of politics have a lot to lose. Listen to the full podcast: https://whycurve.com/episode/trump-in-trouble

17/07/2025

This week on The Why Curve Prof Justin Willis from Durham University on the horrors of the forgotten war in Sudan, and the reasons behind it. Listen in full here: https://whycurve.com/episode/sudan-the-horror-of-the-forgotten-war

03/07/2025

Obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1975. Are new weight loss drugs the answer? Dr Martin Whyte, associate professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Surrey, says they are very effective. So should we all be taking them? https://whycurve.com/episode/ozempic-nation

26/06/2025

Can Britain's railways be rescued? Prof Paul Plummer from the University of Birmingham tells Roger and Phil that we are on the right track now. https://whycurve.com/episode/uk-rail-on-the-right-track

19/06/2025

If you really want to understand the background I n the Iran-Israel war, and where it could lead us, you really need to listen to this week’s Why Curve, with Simon Mabon from Lancaster University. Listen to the full episode here: https://whycurve.com/episode/world-on-the-edge

12/06/2025

Reform ahead in the polls, but, as Scott Williamson from University of Oxford points out, populist governments often fail to deliver. What’s needed is a coherent vision from the centre of politics. https://whycurve.com/episode/democracy-on-the-rocks

06/06/2025

Is crypto now a reliable investment choice? Could it become a trusted currency? Or does that mean the kind of regulation which negates its appeal? Roger and Phil talk to Dr Larisa Yarovaya from Southampton University. Listen here: https://bit.ly/4eabVWV

29/05/2025

The UK isn’t going to spend a lot more on defence, says Dr Bence Nemeth from Kings College London. But perhaps that means it’s more crucial to ensure it is spent effectively. So, what does that look like? https://bit.ly/3HhdCp1