The World Ahead from The Economist

We turn the spotlight on forecasting itself, and look back on the predictions we made for 2022. How accurate were we? How do “superforecasters” look into the future? And how can forecasters account for irrational world leaders when predicting major events? Charlotte Howard, The Economist’s executive editor, talks to Tom Standage, editor of The World Ahead, and Warren Hatch, the CEO of Good Judgement, a “superforecasting” platform and partner of The Economist. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where is American politics heading in 2023? Alexandra Suich Bass, The Economist's senior correspondent for politics, technology and society, and our Lexington columnist, James Bennet, look outside Washington, DC, to the four mega-states to take the political temperature. Will divided government and razor-thin majorities cause politics to grind to a halt in the coming year? And will the presidential election of 2024 be a re-run of 2020? Tom Standage hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to demographic shifts, 2023 is going to be a big year. India will overtake China to become the world’s most populous country in 2023—and China’s population will start to shrink. What are the pros and cons of growing and shrinking populations, and what can governments do in response? Tom Standage asks Brooke Unger, The Economist’s international correspondent, and Lena Schipper, South Asia bureau chief Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As president Xi Jinping begins his third five-year term, China’s path forward is uncertain. Covid-19 is tearing through the country after it relaxed its strict “zero-covid” policies. China also faces slowing economic growth and rising geopolitical tensions with America. Are China’s days of rapid catch-up growth behind it? And how might the war in Ukraine change China’s calculus on Taiwan? The Economist's China Editor, Roger McShane, senior China correspondent, Alice Su, and senior Asia correspondent, Dominic Ziegler, give their views. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We analyse the new buzzwords and jargon that could be making their way into the collective consciousness over the next 12 months. Host Tom Standage, Lane Greene, The Economist's language columnist, and Aryn Braun, West Coast correspondent, quiz each other on the meaning of deadpool, cool pavement, aridification, TWaT city, Yimby, battery belt, passkeys, horizontal escalation and the doughnut effect. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe faces a painful energy crunch this winter, as it tries to make do with less Russian gas. Will this crisis “accelerate the green-energy transition”—and what role can companies and consumers play in reducing consumption? Host Tom Standage asks The Economist's environment editor, Catherine Brahic and global energy and climate innovation editor, Vijay Vaitheeswaran. Also, hydrogen hype is rising again—will this time be different? We hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we enjoy making it. We're always thinking of ways to improve and to do that we would like to know more about our listeners. Please help us by filling out this short questionnaire. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the prospects for the world economy in 2023? Economies face volatile energy prices and inflation at its highest level in decades. The Economist's economics editor, Henry Curr, and deputy business affairs editor, Rachana Shanbhogue, explain the dilemma facing central bankers around the world. Also, what are the global effects of a strong dollar and high American interest rates? We hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we enjoy making it. We're always thinking of ways to improve and to do that we would like to know more about our listeners. Please help us by filling out this short questionnaire. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will the war in Ukraine play out in 2023? The Economist’s foreign and defence editors discuss the possible scenarios for the conflict with Russia. The best one for Ukraine is also the most dangerous. Tom Standage hosts Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can flying be made sustainable? Host Tom Standage travels to the year 2042 to find airlines making growing use of “synthetic” aviation fuel, made using carbon dioxide extracted from the atmosphere, which allows for carbon-neutral flights. Back in the present, Nat Keohane, former White House policy adviser, and Catherine Brahic, The Economist’s environment editor, discuss how sustainable fuels and broader carbon markets could help reduce the environmental impact of flying. For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will personalised learning replace teachers? Host Tom Standage travels to the year 2042 to find children being taught by personalised learning assistants powered by artificial intelligence, and funded by corporate advertising. What does this mean for schools? Back in the present, Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, and Mark Johnson, The Economist’s education correspondent, debate how technology will change education, and the merits of the “flipped classroom”. For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much preventative health monitoring is too much? Host Tom Standage travels to the year 2042 to find large-scale monitoring of people’s health as part of a shift from treatment to prevention⁠—and a debate about whether regular medical scans should be made compulsory. What role will wearable devices play, and how might new diagnostic tools affect health inequality? For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are there some things we shouldn’t eat? Host Tom Standage travels to the year 2042 to find that animal-based meat is being pushed aside in favour of cultured meat grown in vats, a new industry dominated by three companies. He samples food grown from the cells of endangered animals and hears from a food activist. Back in the present day, we ask The Economist's Jon Fasman and Liz Specht, vice president of Science and Technology at the Good Food Institute, a non-profit group focused on reimagining protein production, to assess the likelihood of this imagined scenario. For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rapid development and roll-out of coronavirus vaccines has been a reminder of the power of science and technology to change the world. Host Tom Standage considers some of the technologies to watch in 2022, from 3D-printed housing and heat pumps to flying electric taxis and meetings in the metaverse. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation in America has reached its highest level in four decades. What is the outlook for 2022? Host Tom Standage asks former US treasury secretary Larry Summers. Meanwhile, China is pushing ahead with its plans for a “central bank digital currency”. How do such digital coins stack up against cryptocurrencies? Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China is unlikely to reopen its borders in 2022 as it continues its zero-covid policy. What will the long-term impact of the pandemic be on tourism and business travel? Meanwhile, the tourist map of South-East Asia will look very different in 2022 as the number of destinations adopting the “sandbox” model is set to grow. Tom Standage hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a major UN climate summit, momentum behind climate policy often falters. But will that happen in 2022 in the wake of COP26? Climate cooperation is leading to some unlikely alliances and new reports on the impact of global warming underline greater urgency. Will significant action follow? Tom Standage hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Space was one of the only tourist destinations in 2021 that boomed. What are the prospects for extraterrestrial travel in 2022? Host Tom Standage talks to Sian Proctor, the first African-American woman to pilot a spacecraft, who took part in the first all-civilian orbital mission. And, how does science fiction relate to the new reality of space exploration? Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why will 2022 be the year of the worker? Workers around the world suffered hardship in 2020 and 2021, but labour markets across the rich world have outperformed expectations. For workers the work from home experiment has gone fairly well and they have more bargaining power than they have had for years. But how can employers ensure that the future of work is fair for all? Tom Standage hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions: www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In wealthy and well-vaccinated countries, year three of the pandemic will be better than year two. But in countries that are poorer, less well vaccinated or both, the deleterious effects of the virus will linger. A disparity of outcomes between rich and poor countries will emerge. Meanwhile, tests and treatments for “long covid” are on the horizon and the mRNA technology used in some covid vaccines could be applied to other diseases. So could there be a “covid dividend”? Host Tom Standage talks to The Economist's Edward Carr, Natasha Loder and Slavea Chankova. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer. And we would love to hear from you—please take a moment to complete our listener survey at economist.com/worldaheadsurvey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rivalry between China and America will intensify in 2022 as each side strives to demonstrate the superiority of its system of government. As China uses its stage-managed Communist Party congress to cement Xi Jinping in power, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party are expected to face a drubbing in America’s mid-term elections. Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes, US editor John Prideaux and host Tom Standage assess the competition between the two superpowers. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer And we would love to hear from you—please take a moment to complete our listener survey at economist.com/worldaheadsurvey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.