The Weekend Intelligence from The Economist

What do medieval monks, Brazilian leftists and New York academics have in common? They all want to know where our attention has gone. How can we regain our focus?Barclay Bram visits The Strother School of Radical Attention in New York to find out. The founders hope to build a political movement to fight big tech’s domination of our attention. Their methods might not be what you expect. Guests and host:Barclay Bram, presenter and senior producer of ‘The Weekend Intelligence’D Graham Burnett, historian and co-founder of the Strother School of Radical AttentionAlyssa Loh, filmmaker, writer, and faculty member at the Strother School of Radical AttentionPeter Schmidt, programme director at the Strother School of Radical AttentionJamie Kreiner, historian of the early Middle Ages at UCLATim Wu, professor of law at Columbia University Topics covered:The attention economy The history of attentionBig tech Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.Read more about how we are using AI.

PETA and other left-leaning groups have tried for decades to end research on animals. They mostly failed. Then a Republican strategist found a far more effective way to campaign. Daniella Raz examines how an activist group has gained enough power to challenge a critical part of America’s innovation economy–and what that means for the scientists now facing pressure from across the political spectrum. Topics covered:Animal testingMAGAMAHABiomedical researchInnovation economyListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.Music by Blue dot and EpidemicFor transcripts please see this episode on our website.

All across the island of Cuba time has slowed down. With little access to fuel there is nowhere to go. With little access to power there is nothing to do, but wait— for the power to come back on, for America to tighten the screw further, and for the government to give in to their demands. In June, Sarah Birke travelled to Cuba to ask how the island is coping under America’s fuel blockade. Everyone is ready for change, the question is, what change is coming?Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.Music by Blue dot and EpidemicThis podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.

Imagine a boyfriend who is completely attuned to your needs. He cooks you dinner, nightly. He prepares a hot water bottle when you are on your period. And helps you drift off to sleep. He comes with no baggage, no expectations, other than you spend time with him. The catch? He’s not real. He’s a character in Love and Deepspace, a popular mobile game that’s got women all over the world hooked.The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong investigates the Chinese game where women fall in love with virtual men. Topics covered:Modern love Dating SinglehoodGaming monetisation systems Otome games AI companionsListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.Read more about how we are using AI.

It’s a simple idea on the surface; host a rival to the olympics in which people can take performance enhancing drugs. But as The Economist’s Natasha Loder has found out over the past year, the games are just a shop window for a much bigger and more controversial idea – that we can all live better, happier lives by taking performance enhancing drugs. And Enhanced is here to sell them to you. Topics covered:DopingOlympics OptimisationBiohacking Links to articles:https://www.economist.com/interactive/1843/2026/05/21/dope-and-glory-inside-the-enhanced-games Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.Read more about how we are using AI.

Instead of your usual episode of The Weekend Intelligence, we are bringing you a new narrative series from The Economist.In Tocqueville Road Trip our US Editor John Prideaux retraces the steps of the French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville, as America turns 250. He wrote probably the best book on American politics by a foreigner, and he did it in 1831, when the country was barely 50 years old. How much of what he saw remains? And how worried should we be about what's changed?Find the show on The Economist app | On Spotify | On other appsOn Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/tocqueville-road-trip-from-the-economist/id1896918330The Weekend Intelligence team is on a short hiatus. We're using the time to report, gather and polish more stories for you. We'll be back in July.

Do you worry about a future where your job is replaced by AI? Are you a high earner but never seem to have any money? Would you like to work less and spend more time pursuing joy? Then FIRE might be right for you! Tamara Gilkes Borr delves into the “Financial Independence, Retire Early” movement to find out how to step back from work and what you have to sacrifice to do so.Topics covered:FIREEarly retirementFinancial independenceenvironmentalismLinks to articles:https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/05/14/prepare-for-an-ai-jobs-apocalypsehttps://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/05/14/the-jobs-apocalypse-a-very-short-historyhttps://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/25/why-you-should-never-retireListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Music by Blue dot and EpidemicThis podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.Read more about how we are using AI.

After years of conflict reporting and manic episodes, journalist Ayman Oghanna was aiming for a quiet life—one that looks boring from the outside. Then, in February 2026, his home in a sleepy seaside town on the edge of Athens, was penetrated by a spy. Topics covered:ChinaEspionageBipolar disorderLinks to articles:https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/10/14/has-britain-gone-soft-on-chinaListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.Read more about how we are using AI.