In this episode, Daniel and Philipa discuss perception and language in a more-than-human world with cultural ecologist, Dr David Abram. David Abram is a cultural ecologist, geophilosopher, and the founder and creative director of the Alliance for Wild Ethics (AWE). His books include Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology and The Spell of the Sensuou…

Since the early 1990s, there’s been a concerning uptick in cancer incidence among adults younger than 50 years. Scientists are racing to understand what’s driving these trends. Some evidence points to roles for established risk factors – including smoking and obesity. But some research is also exploring environmental exposures – such as microplasti…

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa welcome Dr Tyson Yunkaporta back for an extended yarn on relatedness and making embassy through community. Tyson Yunkaporta is an Aboriginal scholar, educator, maker, researcher, and poet. He is the founder of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab at Deakin University in Melbourne, and the author of two books, the…

In this episode, Philipa and Daniel talk about post-activism, border transgressions and making sanctuary with Dr Bayo Akomolafe and Dr Tyson Yunkaporta. Bayo Akomolafe is a widely celebrated international speaker, post-humanist thinker, philosopher, writer, activist and professor of psychology. He is the author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our …

There’s a new Prime Minister in Downing Street and a new political reality in the UK. But what does it all mean for health and care? The incoming government faces a range of complex policy challenges – many of them linked to health and care – and a daunting fiscal inheritance. While the public might show patience for a few months, they will expect …

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa discuss the practices that can help us reconnect with the living world with renowned author and activist, John Seed, and deep ecology practitioner, Skye Mandozay. John Seed is the founder and director of the Rainforest Information Centre in Australia. Since 1979 he has been involved in the direct actions which ha…

In this episode, Philipa and Daniel discuss the kindness at the heart of reality with author and biophilosopher, Dr Andreas Weber. Dr Andreas Weber is a Berlin-based author, biophilosopher & independent scholar. His work focuses on re-evaluating our understanding of the living world in which organisms are subjects and the biosphere is a meaning-cre…

As the general election approaches, what are the main parties planning on health and will it make a difference? Polling day is rapidly approaching and all the main party manifestos have now been published. But when it comes to health and care, do we know what we’re voting for? Many commentators have expressed deep frustration at the opacity of the …

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa are joined by award-winning permaculture teacher and designer, Morag Gamble, and best-selling author and integrator, Jeremy Lent. Together, they discuss the urgent need to realign our patterns of meaning with the life-sustaining patterns of our planet to create thriving, regenerative cultures. An award-winning pe…

More long-term, mission-led policymaking is sorely needed, but how best to do it? The Sure Start programme was set up with the aim of giving young children the best possible start in life, narrowing gaps in outcomes for disadvantaged children. First announced by the New Labour government in 1998, it has evolved regularly over the past two decades. …

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa talk with best-selling author author, physicist, and educator, Dr Fritjof Capra about how adopting a systems view of life can help to address our current crisis of perception. Fritjof Capra, Ph.D., is a scientist, educator, activist, author and systems theorist. Capra received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics fro…

Improving NHS productivity is a key national priority. But what’s behind the slowdown and can it be reversed? Over the past few years, amid the turmoil of COVID-19, the NHS has seen substantial growth in funding and clinical staffing levels. Yet the numbers of patients treated haven’t risen in step – suggesting services, particularly NHS acute hosp…

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa talk with award-winning author and regenerative leadership expert, Carol Sanford. In this episode, Daniel and Philipa are in conversation with award-winning author and regenerative leadership expert, Carol Sanford. Carol draws on her experience working with business leaders to explain the importance of working on…

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa talk with Indigenous musician, scholar, and community organiser, Dr Lyla June Johnston. Lyla June shares lessons from her Diné, Tsétsêhéstâhese and European heritage and highlights the importance of engaging with, recognising and respecting Indigenous wisdom traditions as we seek to reinhabit our world regnerativ…

Many of us are guilty of imagining that we can neatly measure and therefore manage the world around us. But an essential aspect of life is its continued motion. How might we learn from the patterns and nature of this motion in order to think ‘like an ecology’? Nora Bateson is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and educator, as well as President of …

What's happened to our economy and what does it mean for our health? Many developed economies have been growing more slowly since around 2008, but the UK economy has been struggling more than most. Wages haven't risen since 2008 leaving the average worker £14,000 worse off. Productivity growth – vital to rising living standards – has stalled. Regio…

When faced with global social and environmental challenges, we can assume that we should be entirely focused on solving the problems ‘out there’. But without paying attention to our inner world and inter-being - the ways in which we relate to one another - can we really reimagine our world and enable flourishing futures for all? In this episode, Da…

Given the huge pressures on the NHS it's perhaps inevitable people ask, what's the future of it? The NHS and social care are struggling to deliver care and support to people who need it. With services so stretched, waiting times at record highs, public satisfaction falling and a demoralised workforce, is now the time to ask some fundamental questio…

ReGeneration Rising is a specially-commissioned RSA Oceania podcast exploring how regenerative approaches can help us collectively re-design our communities, cities, and economies, and create a thriving home for all on our planet. In this first episode of the second series, co-hosts Philipa Duthie and Daniel Christian Wahl talk to Biomimicry pionee…

About a fifth of us of working age – just under 9 million people in the UK – are not looking for or are not able to work. Recently the biggest growth has been among those reporting long-term illness, now at a record high of around 2.7 million. This decline in working-age health is causing concern among employers, politicians and policymakers. Earli…

Join us as we look back at the pick of the pod in 2023. It's been a turbulent year: the NHS under pressure, the health of the population not improving as fast as we’d like and economic inactivity remaining stubbornly high, especially among working-age people. But it's not all gloom. To some surprise, we saw government ditch its nanny state objectio…

AI technologies are advancing rapidly. Yet when it comes to AI in health care we're still in the early stages. The prize could be big – the question is what will it take to realise the benefits? The applications of AI in health care will be far-reaching and profound, from high-quality personalised treatment advice made instantly available to automa…

A general election is expected in 2024 and no party can ignore the NHS − but what do they plan to do on health? The health service regularly tops voter concerns, consumes a growing share of public spending and features daily in the media. The health of the nation is also moving up the agenda, with ill health the main reason why 2.6 million working-…

A record 7.7 million people are now waiting for elective care in England. With so many waiting for NHS care, polls show deep public concern over access to health services and many considering going private. Meantime policymakers are exploring how the independent sector can help get waiting lists down, and private equity investors are making moves i…

Whatever we are doing on health, it isn't enough to prepare for the wave of morbidity that is clearly in sight. Recent Health Foundation modelling estimates 1 in 5 will be living with major illness by 2040, mostly because more of us will be older. But it's not just about age. A record 2.5 million working-age people are already not in work due to il…

How might the creation of scarcity, lead to popularity?   Johnny Lynch is a Scottish musician, also known as Pictish Trail. As well as his solo and collaborative performance career, he runs a unique record label from a remote Scottish Island.  In this final Spark of the series, enjoy some of Johnny’s music along with his take on what it means to be…

When can constraint be a good thing?   And why should we learn to trust, in order to maximise creativity?  Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist, author and public speaker. Malcolm’s enquiring mind and capacity to communicate complex ideas very clearly has made him a best-seller across many book titles.    In this sequence of mini-Sparks, Malcolm consid…

How can injecting ideas into art create meaningful direction?  Nadya Tolokonnikova is perhaps known best for being a musician and founding member of the group Pussy Riot - but would describe themself primarily as a conceptual artist and political activist.   Nadya was jailed in their home country of Russia in 2012, following a performance in Moscow…

How can collective artistic experiences help us to understand how our minds work?  This short audio Spark introduces the Dream Machine – one of ten UK-wide projects from Unboxed.   Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and co-director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science; he also w…

How can wonder and positivity impact the way we make progress?  Dr Ella Gilbert describes herself as a cloud nerd and all-round polar enthusiast. She has a post-doctorate role in climate modelling at the British Antarctic Survey and believes that communication is key when it comes to the big scientific challenges.     In this audio Spark, Ella disc…

How can the science behind a specific human emotion, change our lives for the better?  Dacher Keltner is Professor of Psychology at Berkeley University, California and is the founder of the Greater Good Science Center. You may have heard his podcast, the Science of Happiness.   Dacher and his students have been studying the transformative power of …

Dr Ella Gilbert introduces a new podcast from Unboxed.  This series of short audio Sparks has been created from talks recorded during Unboxed - a UK-wide festival of creativity that brought together Arts, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEAM). Each Spark contains at least one take-away idea that you can apply to your own thinking, what…