The surprising things we learn when we count everyone - a tour of the UK census through time.
We also figure out just how many parking officers there are versus soldiers in the British army.
Who really does all the housework? Plus - 20 years of ‘Freakonomics’ with Stephen Dubner.
And finally - were there really three wise men who visited baby Jesus? And were they kings as the Christmas hymn would lead us to believe?
Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Lizzy McNeil
Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Nathan Gower and Katie Solleveld
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Mix: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon
On the eve of Netflix shoveling a fourish-hour chunk of Stranger Things onto Christmas Day, we visit the past, present, and future of binge-dropped television shows.
The strategy of releasing an entire season at the same time has been key to taking Netflix from a little startup that used to lend us DVDs in the mail … to a company so big and powerful, it is maybe going to buy Warner Brothers and own Bugs Bunny and Tony Soprano and the Harry Potter movies.
But even Netflix may be flirting with some slightly less binge-y models of content release. Are we entering … the end of the binge drop?
On our latest: what data tells us about binge watching. Was it the greatest business decision, and who does binge watching really benefit?
This episode was produced by Willa Rubin and edited by Meg Cramer. It was fact-checked by Dania Suleman and engineered by Maggie Luthar. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
All this week, What Next and What Next: TBD are re-airing some of our favorite conversations from throughout the year and checking back with the people in those conversations to see how things have – or haven’t – changed. This episode is from August.
From the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge, and places in between like Yellowstone and the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, the National Park Service has been a point of American pride since its inception. And with a small budget and actually generating revenue, even fiscal hawks had no reason to complain.
So why is the Trump administration cutting their budget?
If you want to support more of this reporting, in 2026 and beyond, consider signing up for Slate Plus. You’ll enjoy ad-free listening across the Slate network, early access to tickets for live events, and you’ll never hit the paywall on the site.
We’re on a mission to get 100 people to join Slate Plus before the new year—and we’re even offering a 50-percent-off deal to folks who join us right now. VisitSlate.com/whatnextplus and use the code WHATNEXT50 to get a year of Slate Plus for $59.
Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.
Paris Marx is joined by Jathan Sadowski and Brian Merchant to reflect on the year in tech, discuss the worst people in Silicon Valley, and share what they’ll be keeping an eye on in 2026.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Focus. Productivity. Relationships. Distraction. Neurodiversity. How do you know if you have ADHD? How can you get others to understand your ADHD brain? What are your treatment options and how can they help? In this encore of our wildly popular Part 1 episode, we talk racing thoughts, brilliant brains and the causes and effects of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with the world’s leading expert, Dr. Russell Barkley who is A BIG DEAL. Psychologist, retired professor of clinical psychiatry, author and speaker, Dr. Barkley has a personal connection to ADHD and has studied it for nearly 40 years. Is it all cute quirks? Nope. It’s serious business. But next week, we’ll hear about tips and tricks and self-love from 3 more experts — Jessica McCabe of How to ADHD, René Brooks of Black Girl Lost Keys and ADHD researcher Dr. Jahla Osborne. I’M TRYING NOT TO USE A BUNCH OF EXCLAMATION POINTS. It’s exciting.
Dr. Russell Barkley’s website dedicated to education and research on ADHD
The Australian state of New South Wales has passed gun control laws ten days after the Hanukkah attack in which 15 people were killed. There are also strict limits on how many firearms people can have and the police will have more powers to ban demonstrations. Also: four Palestine Action prisoners in Britain continue a prolonged hunger strike; Libya’s army chief, General Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, is killed in a plane crash shortly after take-off from the Turkish capital of Ankara; in Egypt, specialists are restoring a nearly 4,000 year old ceremonial boat from the reign of the Pharaoh Khufu; and a theatre company in Rome trains actors with psychiatric problems and learning disabilities to perform classic Italian plays.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
When Nate’s book “On The Edge” released in 2024, Maria interviewed him about why he wrote it and what we can learn from the enigmatic risk-loving community he calls The River.
