Understand Podcast
NEW in Understand - The Growth Conundrum
Every UK government says it wants strong and sustained economic growth. But for almost 20 years none have managed it. Ben Chu asks why generating growth seems so difficult?
Episodes to download
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4. Looking for a cure—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
4/10 Tim Hayward investigates why people are travelling abroad seeking a psychedelic cure.
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3. Stranger things—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
3/10 Tim Hayward visits the outer reaches of cutting edge psychedelic research.
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2. When the drugs take hold—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
2/10 Tim Hayward investigates the anatomy of a trip.
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Introducing The Trip—The Trip
Wed 30 Jul 2025
1/10 Tim Hayward looks at the science, history - and future - of psychedelics.
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9. You Can Do One—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Thu 24 Jul 2025
9/10 Rishi Sunak is faced with the decision of what to do about HS2's future.
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8. Help I’m Under a Digger—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Wed 23 Jul 2025
8/10 HS2 begins building, and environmental protestors make their presence felt
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7. Gold Plated—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Tue 22 Jul 2025
7/10 HS2's contracts with major firms become a new focus for critics.
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6. The Only Friend that Mattered—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Mon 21 Jul 2025
6/10 As HS2 faces fresh threats, a new prime minister steps in.
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5. Worry About the Detail Later—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Fri 18 Jul 2025
5/10 Dissent grows within HS2 itself.
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4. Well Done Geoffrey—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Thu 17 Jul 2025
4/10 Costs mount as compromises with protesting locals are struck
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3. That can’t be right—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Wed 16 Jul 2025
3/10 Protest groups begin to organise as the line's route is announced.
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2. Mutually assured exaggeration—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Tue 15 Jul 2025
2/10 HS2 makes its case to ministers, but fault lines rapidly emerge.
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1. The Railwayman—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Mon 14 Jul 2025
1/10 HS2's story begins with a blank piece of paper.
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Trailer—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Mon 7 Jul 2025
1/10 The inside story behind HS2. Has a high speed dream become an almighty mess?
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10. What Happens on Election Day?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
Election Day - from when the polls open, to forming a government
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9. How Does the Election Differ Across the UK?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
How does the political geography of the devolved nations differ
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8. What’s the Media’s Role in an Election?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
Why does the media matter in an election campaign?
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7. What Can Polling Predict?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
What polls can tell us. And what they can’t.
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6. How Important Are Marginal Seats?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
The significance of marginal seats, tactical voting and electoral pacts.
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5. How Do You Make Sure Voting Runs Smoothly?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
Explaining voter ID, votes for Brits abroad and why we use pencils instead of pens.
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4. Why Do People Vote the Way They Do?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
What can we tell about how someone will vote from their age, gender and ethnicity?
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3. What Difference Does a Manifesto Make?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
How do manifestos get written and who are they actually for?
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2. How Are Candidates Selected?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
Selecting the candidates to stand in an election
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1. How Do You Get the Campaign Right?—The UK Election
Mon 10 Jun 2024
The ins and outs of political campaigning.
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5. Becoming President—The US Election
Fri 5 Jan 2024
What can the president do when they are in office?
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2. The Campaign Trail—The US Election
Tue 2 Jan 2024
Part two of Justin Webb's guide to the 2024 US elections.
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1. Primaries, Caucuses and the National Conventions—The US Election
New Year's Day 2024
US election terminology explained with Justin Webb.
