The Conversation Weekly

Final preparations are underway for NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission around the Moon for more than 50 years. Four astronauts, three men and one woman, will spend 10 days aboard the Orion spacecraft, going further into space than any other humans as they orbit the Moon and return to Earth.The mission is the next step of the Artemis programme, which plans to land astronauts back to the Moon by 2028. China has its own programme targeting a full crewed mission to the lunar surface by 2030.In this episode, we speak to Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University about why the US is going back to the Moon. Pace worked in space policy for the George W. Bush Administration, followed by a stint at NASA before his appointment as the executive secretary of the National Space Council during the first Trump administration, where he worked on the launch of the Artemis programme.This episode was written and produced by Katie Flood and Gemma Ware was the executive producer. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the full credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.Nasa’s Artemis II mission is crucial as doubts build that America can beat China back to the MoonNASA announces a big shake-up of the Artemis Moon programNASA’s Artemis II crewed mission to the Moon shows how US space strategy has changed since Apollo – and contrasts with China’s closed programNASA’s Artemis II plans to send a crew around the Moon to test equipment and lay the groundwork for a future landingMentioned in this episode:The Making of an AutocratSearch "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series: The Making of an Autocrat. Is America watching its democracy unravel in real time? In The Making of an Autocrat from The Conversation, six of the world’s pre-eminant scholars reveal the recipe for authoritarian rule. From capturing a party, to controlling the military, Donald Trump is borrowing from the playbook of strongmen thoughout history. This is the story of how democracies falter — and what might happen next.

The day after the US began bombing Iran, US Central Command confirmed it had used a new, cheap type of kamikaze drone called a Lucas for the first time in a combat operation. These drones were made in America, but their roots actually lie in Iran – they are reverse engineered copies of an Iranian drone called a Shahed that the Russians have also been using to bomb Ukraine.In this episode, PhD researcher and military expert Arun Dawson at King's College London explains how the Iranians developed the Shaheds, why the US decided to copy them, and what role these low-cost drones might play in the future of warfare.This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware was the executive producer. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the full credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.Not just Patriot interceptors: A defense expert explains the various weapons US and allies use to defend against missiles and dronesDrones over Ukraine: What the war means for the future of remotely piloted aircraft in combatIran war shows how AI speeds up military ‘kill chains’The US is using repurposed Iranian drone technology to attack Iran – a military expert explains whyMentioned in this episode:The Making of an AutocratSearch "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series: The Making of an Autocrat. Is America watching its democracy unravel in real time? In The Making of an Autocrat from The Conversation, six of the world’s pre-eminant scholars reveal the recipe for authoritarian rule. From capturing a party, to controlling the military, Donald Trump is borrowing from the playbook of strongmen thoughout history. This is the story of how democracies falter — and what might happen next.

Six years ago, as countries around the world went into COVID lockdowns, the air got cleaner. Factories slowed down, roads emptied and aeroplanes were grounded. As people stayed home, the world burned fewer fossil fuels and so carbon dioxide emissions dropped.But something else was also happening in the atmosphere. Levels of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas that warms the planet even faster than CO2, rose faster in 2020 than at any point since records began in the 1980s. And methane levels kept on rising during 2021 and 2022.Ever since, scientists have been trying to piece together what caused this sudden mysterious increase in methane. Now, they think they have the answer – and it was partly due to COVID lockdowns.In this episode, we speak to Philippe Ciais, a researcher at the Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Science at Université Paris-Saclay in France, and one of the authors of a new study in the journal Science about the spike in methane levels, who explains how they solved the mystery.This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood and Gemma Ware was the executive producer. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the full credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.Pourquoi les émissions de méthane ont-elles bondi de 2020 à 2023 ? Une étude permet enfin de répondreWhy fixing methane leaks from the oil and gas industry can be a climate game-changer – one that pays for itselfCoronavirus lockdowns cut global carbon emissions by an estimated 7% – what happens now?Methane emissions are at new highs. It could put us on a dangerous climate pathMentioned in this episode:The Making of an AutocratSearch "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series: The Making of an Autocrat. Is America watching its democracy unravel in real time? In The Making of an Autocrat from The Conversation, six of the world’s pre-eminant scholars reveal the recipe for authoritarian rule. From capturing a party, to controlling the military, Donald Trump is borrowing from the playbook of strongmen thoughout history. This is the story of how democracies falter — and what might happen next.

Simon Mabon, a professor of international relations and Iran–Gulf specialist, unpacks shifting Saudi–Iran ties and regional fallout. He traces the thaw, the China-brokered 2023 rapprochement, and how US–Israel strikes reshaped Gulf security. Short takes on balancing US ties, surprise Iranian strikes across the Gulf, and whether Gulf capitals can still broker stability.

Stuart Gietel-Basten, demographer and professor of social science and public policy at HKUST, discusses South Korea’s recent rise in births amid ongoing population shrinkage. He covers what a 0.8 fertility rate really means, Korea’s rapid fertility decline, social pressures that delay parenthood, policy efforts and their limits, and the effects of ageing and rising deaths.

James Rogers, associate professor of international journalism and author of The Return of Russia, offers expert analysis on Russian politics and history. He traces post‑Soviet humiliation, 1990s economic collapse and Western shock therapy. He explains turning points like 2008 Georgia, Syria intervention and why Crimea and Ukraine matter to Moscow. He assesses whether Russia sees itself as a renewed superpower.

Daniel Cueto-Villalobos, a sociology doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota studying race, religion and social movements, gives on-the-ground analysis of how Minneapolis communities mobilize against ICE. He describes whistles and rapid-response patrols. He traces networks back to Covid mutual aid and the aftermath of George Floyd. He discusses faith leaders, rides and know-your-rights trainings.

John Affleck, Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society at Penn State, traces how a 1986 Super Bowl prop on William "The Fridge" Perry launched modern prop betting. He discusses the spread of prop wagers, how daily fantasy and the 2018 court decision fueled rapid growth, and why the rise of apps and lax regulation is creating public-health and integrity concerns for professional sports.

Amin Naeni, a PhD researcher on digital authoritarianism, explains how Iran built a national internet to control information. He outlines three-week blackouts, comparisons with China, and the mechanics of tiered access and white SIMs. He also discusses VPNs, Starlink limits, and how past shutdowns tested the system.

In this engaging discussion, Paul Bierman, a geologist and expert in Greenland's ice-sheet history, unpacks the intriguing history of Camp Century, a secretive U.S. military base built in 1959. He reveals how its ice cores can inform us about past climates and future global warming. Bierman also addresses misconceptions about the accessibility of Greenland's rich mineral resources, emphasizing the challenges posed by its harsh environment. This insightful conversation blends history, science, and current geopolitical tensions.