UK Resilience 3: How prepared are we for the next pandemic?
Five years ago we in the UK were in the false lull between the first wave of covid and the second, between the first variant and the second, between the first peak of covid deaths and the second, higher peak. There wasn’t a vaccine and we didn’t know when we might get one. Now it’s a memory. But another deadly pathogen might pop up in fifty years or it might be manifesting its early stages right now. In the final part of our three-part mini-series looking at how the resilient the UK might be in dealing with potential future crises, we’re asking…..how prepared are we to deal with the next pandemic?Guests:
Dame Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford;
Sir Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infections and Global Health, and Director of the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford;
Malik Peiris, Emeritus Professor of Virology in the School of Public Health at The University of Hong KongPresenter: David Aaronovitch
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Producers: Ben Carter, Kirsteen Knight, Sally Abrahams
Studio engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon
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41:46
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41:46
UK Resilience 2: How prepared are we for cyber threats?
From councils disrupted by ransomware, leaked defence data or individuals duped by deep fakes, the UK faces increasing cyber threats. David Aaronovitch asks his guests how prepared we are - whether as government defending critical infrastructure or as individuals guarding our digital identities.Guests:
Sadie Creese, Professor of Cyber Security in the department of computer science, Oxford University
Dr Aybars Tuncdogan, Associate Professor in digital innovation and information security, Kings College, London
Emily Taylor, CEO of Oxford Information Labs and Associate Fellow, Chatham House Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Ben Carter, Sally Abrahams and Kirsteen Knight
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Sound Engineers: Dave O’Neill and James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
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28:42
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28:42
UK Resilience 1: How prepared are we for climate change?
The UK is getting hotter. And wetter. Extreme weather events in the UK are happening more often. And that trend won’t stop any time soon. It all means more flooding and fire risk. Enter the R word - resilience - how well are we coping with what’s going on now, and how advanced is our planning for what’s coming? In the first of our three part mini series looking at how the resilient the UK might be in dealing with potential future crises we ask how prepared are we to deal with the changing climate? Guests:Mark Maslin, professor of Climatology at University College London
Richard Dawson, professor of Engineering at Newcastle University
Jess Neumann, Associate professor of hydrology at the University of ReadingProducers: Ben Carter, Kirsteen Knight and Sally Abrahams
Productions co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon
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28:24
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28:24
Should the government worry about debt?
In a time of sluggish economic growth, the favourite way of squaring the circle of spending more but not increasing taxes is to borrow - and we have. Keeping everybody’s lights on during the pandemic and homes heated after the Russian invasion of Ukraine has helped send our national debt up from £1.8 trillion to £2.8 trillion in recent years.But the question for the chancellor Rachel Reeves is how much more debt we can afford - and how much more debt do the markets think we can afford?So what’s the answer to that? Guests:Duncan Weldon, economist and author of 'Two Hundred Years of Muddling Through'
Mehreen Khan, economics editor of The Times
Chris Giles, economics editor of The Financial TimesProducers: Ben Carter, Kirsteen Knight and Sally Abrahams
Productions co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
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28:41
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28:41
Why don't we have ID cards in the UK?
For years there has been an argument, sometimes loud, sometimes subdued, on whether Britain needs an ID card system. One big reason given for wanting them is simply to know who is here legally. With illegal and irregular migration never far from the headlines these days and with President Macron, during his recent visit describing the “pull factor” of illegal migrants being able to work in Britain, the debate is being resurrected. So, what is the history of ID cards in the UK, what form might they take if we have a system and would they work? Presenter: David AaronovitchGuests:Jon Agar, author of The Government Machine
Rainer Kattel, Professor of Innovation and Public Governance, UCL
Edgar Whitley, Professor of Information Systems in the Department of Management, LSE
Rachel Coldicutt, technology specialist and executive director of the research consultancy, Careful Industries. Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight and Sally Abrahams
Productions co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound engineers: James Beard and Neil Churchill
Editors: Sam Bonham and Bridget Harney