Podcasts

A year ago bitcoin could do no wrong – now it has slumped to 79 per cent below its peak. So what went wrong for the much vaunted cryptocurrency? The mania of a year ago gave way to a bust after Christmas and apart from a few short-lived rallies bitcoin has been mainly on the slide since. That’s not to say it has no use - the cryptocurrency and underlying technology are fascinating - but just because something has some value does not mean it can’t end up in a bubble. On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Myron Jobson look at what went wrong for bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies and what we can learn from the boom and bust. Also on this week’s show, they look at some more durable investments, companies that have paid a rising dividend for a decade or longer – and how some have seen big rises in their share price. And finally, Simon talks us through the 2,100 road trip he took with his family to test out VW’s California campervan – and whether swapping your family car for a van that’s ready for adventure could ever be a smart move?

Saira Khan featured on the original series of The Apprentice back in 2004, but came to the show already having had a successful career in business. Since then, she's launched a skincare range and built a successful media career, and remains an entrepreneur at heart. She believes in using 'every resource in life' to be successful in business (and life!) and being unafraid to ask for help.

Adam talks to Alex McLellan about anxiety in today’s age. Is anxiety more common than in previous generations and do men cope better than women. They discuss why that when there is more support than ever before that tech and social media is actually making anxiety worse for some.

On our podcast this week, we’re joined by Sophie Sandor, an independent filmmaker and education expert, and Madeline Grant, Editorial Manager at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Interviewed by the IEA’s Digital Manager Darren Grimes, Sophie and Madeline take a look at state education in Britain – which currently operates in a near monopoly for all but the wealthiest. They look at why there has historically been so little room for innovation and disruption in the sector – and why educational outcomes vary greatly dependent on your household income. Finally, Sophie outlines policies which could invigorate education in Britain by promoting parental choice.

With the Prime Minister under fire from many quarters, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at the role of the Prime Minister and whether she is doing the right thing. He also examines the rather scary future of warfare and looks at why South Africa's new policy of land expropriation will lead to disaster.

Helal Miah of The Share Centre looks back at company news from Compass, Easyjet, Johnson Matthew, Kingfisher and Centrica and looks at what we might hear after a difficult year for Thomas Cook.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the eruption of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald into the UK box office chart and hopes somebody can explain what it was about to him. He also reviews a couple of character study movies for home release which he recommends, Columbus, from first time director Kogonada and Leave No Trace, from Debra Granik, director of Winter's Bone.

Steve Caplin on the company implanting chips into its workers (and then the world), the mind-reading TV remote, the cranes producing 90% efficient energy by hauling up concrete blocks, hologram lecturers and a smart computer for aquariums.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Home Depot and Walmart report big earnings but fail to impress Wall Street; Nvidia nosedives on a crypto slowdown; And Eventbrite gets a chilly reception; Analysts Aaron Bush, Matt Argersinger, and Jason Moser discuss these stories and review Apple’s budding film career; Plus, corporate governance expert and film critic Nell Minow talks shareholder rights, Stan Lee, and must-see holiday movies.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Dr George MacKerron, senior lecturer in economics at the University of Sussex. George is an expert in the economics of happiness and wellbeing and the man behind the ‘mappiness’ project. George explains the importance of looking beyond financial measures of individual and national wellbeing and discusses the extent to which the cliché that ‘money can’t buy happiness’ holds true. Franz, Matt and George then discuss the findings from the ‘mappiness’ project which collects real-time data on individual’s self-reported happiness, allowing detailed analysis of the activities that have the greatest impact on how we feel and the way this also depends on where we are and who we’re with. George goes on to explain a number of ways in which public policy can have real impact on individual’s happiness and wellbeing.