The Why? Curve

Hosted by Phil Dobbie

Business News Society Culture

Website RSS feed Instagram YouTube

Episodes

228

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

About the show

Each week Phil Dobbie and Roger Hearing get to grips with one issue that impacts our lives. It could be economic, social, technological or geopolitical. Whatever the subject, they'll talk to the experts who can give help explain what's really going on. And Phil and Roger back it up with their own research and opinions. It's half an hour to get across one of the key issues of the time, and they promise, it'll never be boring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 15, 202642 min

Social Media Fading

Is social media on the way out? Are interactions with AI replacing the connections with friends and followers through Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok? New data suggests passive use of platforms - being shown ‘For You’ recommendations - is changing the way we engage, and the social part of social media is fading away. Could this be a good thing, if the bullying and angry intimidation also fades? Or is there a risk we will just end up talking to machines that tell us what we want to hear? Richard Rogers, Professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam, tells Phil and Roger how the landscape is changing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 8, 202643 min

Zionism

The Greens have caused outrage by voting that Zionism is racism. Three years after the October 7 attacks in Israel, opinion is sharply polarised, and antisemitism is on the rise, while there seems to be no relief for Palestinians in Gaza or in the West Bank. So what IS Zionism? Has its meaning changed since it began in the late nineteenth century? Does it still make sense to have a state defined by one people? Or is that the only way Jews can feel safe in a hostile world? Dr Matthew Bolton, of the School of Law, Queen Mary University of London tells Phil and Roger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 1, 202637 min

Burnham Still Bouncing?

Andy Burnham can deliver speeches, and TikToks - but can he deliver on his promises? Will people outside Labour's conference still find hope, after what looks likely to be a hard budget at the end of October? The prime minister is facing huge challenges, and Matthew Flinders, Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of Birmingham, walks Roger and Phil through the prospects of Andy Burnham succeeding Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 24, 202641 min

More War, No Oil

The conflict in the Gulf is now extending to the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia is being attacked by the Houthi rebels from Yemen, and risks losing its other main oil shipping route. Meanwhile President Trump seems undecided whether to escalate his fight with Iran, or make concessions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. And global oil prices surge again. After almost nine months, is there any off-ramp for any of those involved? Phil and Roger ask Simon Mabon, Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 17, 202642 min

Deep In the Red

Government debt around the world is at unprecedented levels - and so is the cost of borrowing, which means there's less to spend on hospitals, school and defence. So why is the debt so big, and the cost so high? And is it up to central banks to try to rebalance the system? Muhammad Ali Nasir, Professor Economics at Leeds University, tells Phil and Roger where the crisis came from, and what could help Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 9, 202641 min

What’s In A Name?

Lake America - Donald Trump has decided to rename Lake Ontario, and the Gulf of Mexico, and even the state of New Mexico. It seems a ridiculous distraction from more pressing problems, but can the US president just change the names of places as he pleases? Who decides? And why does it matter what we call mountains, lakes and cities? Phil and Roger talk names with Rhys Jones, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Aberystwyth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 2, 202638 min

A Right Mess?

As Reform UK hold their party conference, their polling numbers are dropping and the party leadership is beset by financial scandals and leadership arguments. Meanwhile Restore Britain is snapping at their heels, and the Conservatives seem to be back from the dead. So what is the future of the right in the UK? And what do they have to offer, beyond being tough on migration? Roger and Phil get the picture from Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 27, 202637 min

The Russian Threat

Moscow is warning of consequences for the UK's support of Ukraine, but - short of all-out war - what could they be? There's already a level of hybrid war, with sabotage of major industries, destruction of warehouses and hacking of key utilities, but could that escalate? How prepared is Britain for what the Russians could do next? Phil and Roger ask Dr Christian Kaunert, director of the International Centre for Policing and Security at the University of South Wales Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 20, 202643 min

Jail Fail - Why Do We Have Too Many Prisoners?

The UK is running out of cells, but there’s an outcry that convicts are being let out early. We already lock up more people for longer than most comparable European countries, so are we a more criminal society, or just a more punitive one? What could or should the government do? Are more and bigger prisons the answer? Or should we take a more lenient view of offences at a time when overall crime is decreasing? Phil and Roger ask Dr Jake Phillips, Associate Professor and Director of Criminology and Penology at the University of Cambridge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 14, 202639 min

Football For Sale

The head of FIFA is clinging to his job because he announced a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity firms - resulting in cries of outrage about the commercialisation of the beautiful game. But what’s wrong with getting the best return from a game that is already a billion-dollar cash machine? Or is there something beyond commercial advantage that matters to supporters and fans? Is making money from sport simply a recognition that it’s just another form of entertainment, or is it something special and personal that can’t be bought and sold? Simon Chadwick, Professor of Eurasian Sport at Emlyon Business School, gives his view to Phil and Roger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.