Understand
Understand from BBC Radio 4 unravels the complexities of the biggest stories and subjects that really matter right now.
Episodes
The Economy: Trailer
Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, Interest rates, and bonds, Tim Harford and friends explain them all. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more
The Economy: 1. Inflation
What is inflation, why does it matter, and is someone to blame if it goes up? Understanding inflation will help you understand why your shopping is getting more and more expensive and why prices rarely seem to come down. Tim Harford explains why the inflation figure you see on the TV might not reflect the price rises you’re experiencing and economic historian Victoria Bateman tells us why having a
The Economy: 2. Interest Rates and Mortgage Rates
Why does the interest you pay on your credit card or your mortgage rate go up and down? What’s the Bank of England got to do with it all? In this episode, Tim Harford explains why the banks need to charge you interest when you borrow money and explains why the Bank of England might put interest rates up. Economic historian Victoria Bateman tells us why the Bank of England first lent money to the g
The Economy: 3. Economic Growth and GDP
What is economic growth, and what happens if there isn’t any? And what does that GDP figure stand for? Tim Harford explains how and why we measure everything.If the economy stops growing, that could mean things like job cuts, so measuring what’s going on is crucial. In this episode Tim Harford explains how the economy is measured and what is missed out. Economic historian Victoria Bateman tells u
The Economy: 4. Bonds, Gilts, Stocks and Shares
Who lends the government money and why? And what exactly does the stock market do? All those people in the movies shouting at the screens are buying and selling something, but what? Tim Harford explains why government debt isn’t always a bad thing and why the prices agreed in a room in London affect the prices you pay for petrol and food. Economic Historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of the
The Economy: 5. Banks
What are banks and what do they do with our money? Tim Harford explains where your money goes when you put it in a bank account and reveals that your bank might actually be a shadow bank. Economic historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of Priscilla Wakefield, one of Britain's forgotten female economists, who created the first saving bank for working-class women in a Tottenham grammar school. E
The Economy: 6. Recessions
What is a recession and what causes a recession? Whether something suddenly makes you poorer or just makes you worry about becoming poorer, when you cut your spending in the shops, this affects other people and ripples through the economy. Tim Harford explains the role a government can play in pulling a country out of a recession and Cambridge University Economic Historian Victoria Bateman tells t
The Economy: 7. Jobs and Unemployment
What happens when lots of people lose their jobs? Why might wages be low even though everyone who wants a job, has one? What do we mean by employment and unemployment and what does 'economic inactivity' mean? What is productivity and how does it relate to you and your job? Tim Harford explains, and Cambridge University Economic Historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of what happened when unemp
The Economy: 8. Pensions
Why is it so hard to save for retirement? Will future generations even get a pension? Why is the pension age rising and what is the state pension age? Tim Harford explains the problem an aging population is causing for the state pension and explores the gender pension gap. Economic historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of the very first pensions in the UK. Everything you need to know about th
The Economy: 9. International Trade and Currency Markets
The reason we can eat pineapples and sell aeroplane parts. But why might the value of the pound fall and what does that mean if it does? Tim Harford explains who wins and who loses if the pound is cheap against the dollar and economic historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of a trade deal with Portugal that flooded England with wine and Port. Everything you need to know about the economy and w
The Economy: 10. Inequality
Why are the rich, rich and the poor, poor, and was it always this way? Tim Harford explains what’s happened to inequality over the last 100 years in the UK and why things might be better than you think. Economic historian Victoria Bateman explains the surprising effect The Great Plague had on income and gender equality.
Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This
The Economy: 11. Pricing and Discounting
On one hand, we’ve all experienced the things we buy getting more expensive, from the price of fuel to a tub of butter. On the other hand, retailers desperately try to entice us to buy with discounts. Shops seem to constantly have their ‘best ever’ sales and there are days like ‘Black Friday’ when prices are slashed.
How can prices go up and up, and at the same time drop? In this episode, Fel
The Economy: 12. Credit
Collectively, our individual financial decisions have a big impact on what the wider economy does. That includes how we manage our own money, including what we buy and how we buy it. One way we make large purchases, smooth out big bills and sometimes just spend some cash we can’t afford - is credit. In this episode Dr Victoria Bateman looks back to the Tallyman in the 19th century, a very early
The Economy: 13. National Debt
Politicians talk about government debt a lot. When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to tackle Britain's five most pressing problems, he included making sure our debt was falling. But what is the debt? In this episode Dr Gemma Tetlow explains why we have the debt at all, how much we owe, who we owe it to, and whether we should worry about it. Plus Dr Victoria Bateman takes us back in time to h
The Economy: 14. Bankruptcy and Insolvency
The cost of living crisis is putting more pressure on more people - but what happens when that pressure becomes too much, and is bankruptcy always a bad thing? Professor Diane Coyle explains the processes and wider economic impact of bankruptcy, and Dr Victoria Bateman takes us back to the very beginning of the idea in the time of Henry VIII. Everything you need to know about the economy and what
The Economy: 15. Energy Market
The rising cost of living really brought home how those big, global economic shocks can mean some pretty bad bumps for our individual finances. Probably the most obvious, immediate and, painful way that global economic events hit our household budgets is through the price of energy. In 2022 we saw our bills almost double - causing the government to step in and guarantee energy prices, with the Tr
How Reading Made Us: Trailer
The story of how reading made us and what might happen if we stop - with James Marriott.
How Reading Made Us: 1. How Reading Made Our Brains
Reading seems an unremarkable skill. After all, everyone can read. Even small children. When we say something is as “easy as ABC”, we mean it is very easy indeed. In fact, learning to read has dramatic and irreversible consequences for people and for societies. Learning to read permanently alters your brain. It changes the emotions you experience and the way you relate to others. When a society le
How Reading Made Us: 2. How Reading Made Our Feelings
Reading seems an unremarkable skill. When we say something is as “easy as ABC”, we mean it is very easy indeed. In fact, learning to read has dramatic and irreversible consequences for people and for societies. Learning to read permanently alters your brain. It changes the emotions you experience and the way you relate to others. When a society learns to read the consequences are dramatic: wars br
How Reading Made Us: 3. How Reading Made Our Politics
Learning to read permanently alters your brain. It changes the emotions you experience and the way you relate to others. When a society learns to read the consequences are dramatic: wars break out, revolutions erupt and new political systems spring into being. Reading made us who we are. With time spent reading - and even reading ability - starting to nosedive, Times writer James Marriott explores
Rinsed: Trailer
This is the story of a sewage scandal. How a centuries old battle between public good and private profit created an almighty stink. And who pays to clean it up.
Rinsed: 1. The Bridge
After watching their local river grow murky and lifeless, two retired neighbours decide to take on the water industry and its regulators. The unlikely sleuths begin a ten-year battle to clean up our rivers.On the banks of the River Windrush in Oxfordshire, Kate Lamble meets campaigners Ash Smith and Peter HammondReported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Ex
Rinsed: 2. Water Works
The centuries old battle between public good and private profit that’s still being fought today. Kate Lamble holds her nose and plunges into the long history of the water industry and some of the many conflicts that have shaped it.Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Edi
Rinsed: 3. Turd Nerds
The 'Dossier of Despair' that reveals what's happening to some of Britain’s rivers. A retired police detective, a former machine learning academic, an ex-water industry insider and their neighbours join forces to dig for data. But will anyone listen to the campaigners calls for change?Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Co
Rinsed: 4. Inkblot
We can all look the same picture, but what you make of it depends on who you are. Kate Lamble attempts to untangle the financial engineering that underpins parts of the water industry.Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan ClarkeRinsed is a BBC Studios producti
Rinsed: 5. The Camel's Humps
Rivers work when everything is in balance, but what happens when things are thrown off course? Peter Hammond draws on his past as an academic specialising in machine learning to spot a problem everyone else has missed and expose what he believes is a national scandal.
Rinsed: 6. The Lion's Cage
The view from inside the Environment Agency, the body which enforces environmental standards for water companies in England. Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan ClarkeRinsed is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4
Rinsed: 7. The Eureka Moment
The data scientist, the ex-detective and the politician trying to clean up our rivers.Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan ClarkeRinsed is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4
Rinsed: 8. Sorry?
New legislation promises to slash the sewage released into rivers, but will it become law?Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan ClarkeRinsed is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4
Rinsed: 9. Vultures
As Thames Water’s finances deteriorate, “vultures” circle.Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Commissioning Editor: Dan ClarkeRinsed is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4
Rinsed: 10. New Tricks
Could the water industry be nationalised? Should the water industry be nationalised? And who will bear the ultimate costs for cleaning up our rivers?Reported and presented by Kate Lamble
Series Producer: Elle Scott
Sound Design: Andy Fell
Researchers: Isaac Fisher and Amy Woods
Production Coordinator: Juliette Harvey
Production Manager: Debbie Waddell
Executive Producer: Joe Kent
Head of Audio o
Tech and AI: Trailer
Do you know your Blockchain from your Bitcoin, or your Virtual reality from your Augmented Reality? Are you clueless about AI but are worried it might take your job?If so, you’ve come to the right place.Welcome to Understand: Tech and AI.The pace of change in technology is daunting - and new developments are happening all the time. Artificial Intelligence has exploded into the public consciousness
Tech and AI: 1. How Do You Get Connected?
You're probably reading this on a device connected to the internet, while listening to this episode. But how did the digital files that make up this description, and the digital sound files that you can hear, appear, on demand, on your phone, tablet or other device?
How are you connected to the internet? In this episode, we'll explain how 4G and 5G, work, Broadband through cables and satellites,
Tech and AI: 2. The Cloud
We all get that sinking feeling when we accidentally delete a valuable photo or document, but there's now a good chance you can find a backup copy - thanks to the Cloud. Cloud computing has drifted into our lives without many people even realising - apart from those irritating emails, offering to sell you ever greater amounts of storage space. Some laptops now have very little memory built-in, and
Tech and AI: 3. VR, AR and the Metaverse
Just by putting on a headset, Virtual Reality promises to immerse you in another world, and Augmented Reality takes that world and brings it into your living room. How do they work? It's a type of technology that seems to have been "the next big thing" for at least a decade. But are they just expensive toys, or do they have a use beyond gaming? In a similar vein, you may have seen adverts for the
Tech and AI: 4. Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and Web 3.0
You might be wary of using digital currencies, but you probably already do. Salaries, benefits and pensions are now paid direct to banks, and when you buy a coffee, you may well use a contactless card to pay, without a flutter of a 5 pound note in sight. So what are online cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and why won't some people touch those with a barge pole? And when you hear about them, another
Tech and AI: 5. Big Data
Big data is vast, unwieldy information that is so huge that normal software traditionally used to analyse it just can't cope. It's not new. Ever since humans organised ourselves, we've been keeping records, and gathering information, from scrolls, to bank ledgers and now your internet browsing history. But his information is now flowing into organisations at a faster rate and in greater volume tha
Tech and AI: 6. What is AI?
Artificial Intelligence has been in the news constantly this year, from a chatbot that can write anything you can imagine, in any style, to scientists and world leaders warning that AI needs to be controlled. With the big tech firms all rushing to make their AI products available to the public, it looks like AI is likely to be part of our lives from now on. But what is it? What are the different t
Tech and AI: 7. Where is AI Working Already?
Artificial Intelligence is already here. It's being used in products and services you already use, and is working behind the scenes in medicine, transportation, robotics, science, education, the military, surveillance, finance , agriculture, entertainment, retail, customer service, and manufacturing. How is is AI being used in these sectors, and for what purpose? And with the release of chatbots t
Tech and AI: 8. The Algorithm
At its simplest, an algorithm is a sequence of step-by-step instructions designed to give a result. They are the building blocks of every computer program and are there to ensure every digital device gives the right results on request. For example, when we type a search query into Google, its algorithms try to give us the result we're seeking. In the case of Social Media, the algorithm's job is to
Tech and AI: 9. Will AI Take My Job?
AI is now able to do some types of work faster and cheaper than human beings, and some workers have already found themselves out of a job. Earlier this year, a report from Goldman Sachs said that AI could potentially replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs, and a different survey of 12 thousand people suggested that a third were worried their bosses would replace them with AI. So is A
Tech and AI: 10. Can We Control AI?
When so-called "generative" Artificial Intelligences like Chat GPT and Google's Bard were made available to the public, they made headlines around the world and raised fears about how fast this type of AI was developing. But realistically, what harm could AI do to people? Is it an existential threat, or could it become one? And if things got really bad, couldn't we just switch it off or smash it u
Israel and the Palestinians: 1. The Palestinians
Katya Adler and guests explain the history and context of the decades long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In this episode we focus on life in the Palestinian territories of the Gaza strip and the West Bank and explore the history of how the state of Israel was created.
Israel and the Palestinians: 2. Israel
Katya Adler and guests explain the context of the conflict, exploring issues and history that will help you get to grips with what’s going on today. In this episode we'll look at what’s shaped modern Israel.
Israel and the Palestinians: 3. Hamas
What is Hamas, what do they stand for and what do they want now? As part of our series explaining the context of today’s conflict, Katya Adler and guests take a closer look at the group responsible for orchestrating the recent attacks on Israel. They are regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and the UK, but how are they seen by Palestinians? As well as being a militant group and a
Israel and the Palestinians: 4. The Neighbours
How do Lebanon, Hezbollah, Egypt and Jordan view Israel and the Palestinians? Katya Adler explains the history of the formation of Hezbollah and the role it plays in the region. The US, UK and EU have designated Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist organisation but how is it viewed in Lebanon and the region? We take a tour of this Middle Eastern neighbourhood to set out the relationships that
Israel and the Palestinians: 5. The USA and Iran
What role have the USA and Iran played in the region? Where do we stand on the 'two-state solution'? Katya Adler and guests explain the history and context of the decades long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and assess what happened to the peace process. In this episode we set out how global players have tried to influence the region at times of peace and at times of war.
The US Election: 1. Primaries, Caucuses and the National Conventions
Justin Webb, former BBC US correspondent and co-presenter of Americast unpicks some of the terminology associated with the US Election.
The US Election: 2. The Campaign Trail
Following on from part one, which explained how the candidates are selected, part two looks at what happens on the campaign trail - and who's paying the bill?
The US Election: 3. The TV Debates
Justin Webb and guests reach episode 3 of this guide to how the US elections are run, with a look at the historical and contemporary importance of the TV debates.
The US Election: 4. The General Election
In the penultimate episode, Justin Webb and guests discuss what happens on election day -- and how the notorious electoral college system works.
The US Election: 5. Becoming President
In the final episode of the series, Justin Webb and guests discuss how the role of president has changed - and what the winner of the vote will be able to do once in office.
The UK Election: 1. How Do You Get the Campaign Right?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-episode guide to everything that is going on in the election.Hosted by Adam Fleming, it looks at everything from candidate selection and leader debates, to results day and the difference a manifesto can make, speaking to journalists, election forecasters and people who have worked at the heart of politics.The series kicks off by taking you inside the campa
The UK Election: 2. How Are Candidates Selected?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, Adam looks at how candidates are selected and why it’s such a critical moment for the parties. This episode was hosted by Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with Michael Crick, political journalist and founder of @TomorrowsMPs. Producers: Alix Pick
The UK Election: 3. What Difference Does a Manifesto Make?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, Adam looks at manifestos; a set of policies that a party stands for and would hope to deliver if elected. What is their place in British political history? How do they get written and who are they actually for? This episode was hosted by Adam Fleming, from
The UK Election: 4. Why Do People Vote the Way They Do?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, Adam looks at why people vote the way they do. What can we tell about how someone will vote from their age, gender, ethnicity and education? And what do labels like Mondeo Man, Worcester Woman and Pebbledash People really mean? This episode was hosted by Ada
The UK Election: 5. How Do You Make Sure Voting Runs Smoothly?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode; changes to Brits abroad being able to vote, voter ID rules explained, dogs at polling stations and why pencils, not pens, are used to cast your vote. Hosted by Adam Fleming, from Newscast and Anti-Social, with Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Elector
The UK Election: 6. How Important Are Marginal Seats?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, with Adam Fleming. Seats with slim majorities have played a big part in determining the outcome of the election in recent years, but how will constituency boundary changes affect this? What impact can tactical voting and electoral pacts have? And how safe are ‘safe seats’ really? This episode was h
The UK Election: 7. What Can Polling Predict?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, with Adam Fleming. In this episode, what do polls actually tell us? What can we learn when the polls get it wrong? And do people really tell the truth about who they are intending to vote for? This episode was hosted Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with Professor Jane Green, Director of
The UK Election: 8. What’s the Media’s Role in an Election?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, with Adam Fleming. In this episode, from the front pages of the press to the televised debates; why does what the media says matter and how has social media changed things? This episode was hosted Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with David Yelland, former editor of The Sun newspaper and
The UK Election: 9. How Does the Election Differ Across the UK?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, how the election plays out differently across the country and the big impact that the smaller nations that make up the United Kingdom can have on the election outcome. The host is Adam Fleming, from Newscast and AntiSocial, with James Cook, BBC Scotland Edi
The UK Election: 10. What Happens on Election Day?
Understand the UK Election is a simple 10-part guide to everything that is going on in the election, hosted by Adam Fleming. In this episode, it's all about what happens at the end of the campaign and what everything has been building up to – election day! All you need to know from what happens when the polls open to when we can expect the first results, and how a government is formed. Hosted by A
Derailed: The Story of HS2: Trailer
Kate Lamble investigates the extraordinary inside story of Britain's most ambitious and controversial rail project. Listen first on BBC Sounds from Monday 14 July 2025
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 1. The Railwayman
Kate meets Andrew McNaughton, the man who, in 2009, was given the task of sitting down with a blank piece of paper and designing a new high speed rail line. Ministers across the political aisle were aware of the desperate need for a capacity boost on the creaking West Coast Mainline; and looking for a jolt of optimism in the wake of the financial crash. It was the first new line north of London in
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 2. Mutually assured exaggeration
As the designs for HS2 took shape, the new team behind it set out to prove its value to Ministers and MPs. But as Kate hears, long term flaws were being baked into the project, with an economic justification that centred on outdated assumptions. And, as the designers sought to make the justification, they adjusted the design - making it more expensive. The focus on speed was exciting - but it also
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 3. That can’t be right
As specific plans for HS2 were announced, protestors quickly sprang into action, forming campaigning groups and arguing for the line to be fundamentally re-thought. They saw HS2 as an industrial eyesore rammed through the heart of some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside. Communities all along the proposed line were staring down the barrel of massive disruption, from the compulsory purchase of
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 4. Well Done Geoffrey
To deal with the growing opposition, the government resolved to commit to HS2 by way of a hybrid bill, which would open up opportunities for local communities to object to the route. The original design became mired in hundreds of expensive mitigations, compromises and compensations. Cheaper above ground sections were replaced by costly tunnels. Cuttings and sound barriers began to line huge parts
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 5. Worry About the Detail Later
As HS2 began the process of lining up land along its route for purchase, individuals within the team became deeply concerned. They feared that HS2 was wildly underestimating the eventual costs associated with acquiring the land, as well as the shortage of available specialists and the risks of unfairness to those forced to sell. And, they worried that HS2 was being too slow to reckon with the true
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 6. The Only Friend that Mattered
Revelations about waste and delay have left HS2 in poor shape - and ripe, in the view of its political opponents, for cancellation. But, at the opportune moment, a new Prime Minister arrives. Boris Johnson saw HS2 as a cornerstone of his “levelling up” agenda, and gave it the green light to proceed even as the country wrestled with the emergency of a global pandemic.
Presenter: Kate Lamble
Produ
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 7. Gold Plated
Costs began to truly spiral out of control. In search of the culprit, Kate goes through the mess HS2 made of some its largest contracts. Much of HS2 was being built by massive consortiums of engineering firms. A short lived effort to unload the project’s risk to these firms saw costs continue to rise beyond the original estimates. And, as the price increased, politicians faced further pressure to
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 8. Help I’m Under a Digger
After successfully defeating a number of fracking projects, a wave of hardened environmentalists join the anti-HS2 protest movement. Locking themselves to fences and ancient trees, civil disobedience arrived at the frontline of building sites. But injunctions and evictions clear the protest camps, and the added cost is a drop in HS2’s very large bucket. The bigger threat to HS2’s national image ar
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 9. You Can Do One
The arrival of Rishi Sunak in Downing Street revived the hopes of those who wanted to see HS2 cancelled entirely. One leg - to Leeds - had already been chipped away. And on the eve of the Tory party conference in Manchester, Rishi Sunak was persuaded to announce that that city would not now get HS2 either, in the face of intense resistance from the mayors of both Birmingham and Manchester itself.
Derailed: The Story of HS2: 10. The Bear Trap
The new government is trying to get a grip of HS2, with yet another reset. Kate challenges the new minister, Lord Hendy, on the project’s future and also considers the legacy of HS2. Will Britain ever attempt something like it again? And will its image transform again once trains are actually, finally running?Presenter: Kate Lamble
Producer: Robert Nicholson
Executive Producer: Will Yates
Sound De
The Trip: Introducing The Trip
During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to bet
The Trip: 1. Altered States
During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states. In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to be
The Trip: 2. When the drugs take hold
During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states. In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to be
The Trip: 3. Stranger things
During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states. In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to be
The Trip: 4. Looking for a cure
During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states. In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to be
The Trip: 5. Message in a bottle
During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states. In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to be
The Trip: 6. Critical periods
During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to bet
