Are the vaccines effective enough?
Our podcast at the sharp end of the global vaccination race. Also this week: a look at Chinese vaccines and the data on how far variants have spread
THREE VACCINES have been approved by stringent regulators. Ten are being used in one or more countries. How do they work and are they effective enough against new variants of the coronavirus?
Sarah Gilbert, inventor of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, tells us adapting to new variants should be easy. The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief David Rennie reports from China, which faces a huge test of its homegrown vaccine technology as it tries to re-open. James Fransham from our data team on how far the variants have spread.
The Intelligence
The global asylum system is broken—this is how to fix it
Also on the daily podcast: the rise of superstar coders and a free London performance puts a spotlight on modern fame
21:49
Editor’s Picks
The delusions plagueing Britain’s warming summers
A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
08:02
Babbage
Scientists are using AI to invent proteins from scratch
Our podcast on science and technology. Scientists can design and make novel proteins. One day they may even be able to build entire genomes.
38:17
The Intelligence
Another delay of hostilities in Trump’s global trade war
Also on the daily podcast: Brazil’s broken football machine and England falls out of love with its lawns
21:53
Editor’s Picks
An insight into Jeff Bezos’s approach to life
A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
07:12
Drum Tower
China is closing the gap with America in high-tech weaponry
Our weekly podcast on China. This week, we examine the role Chinese weapons played in the recent India-Pakistan conflict—and what it means for the future of warfare
43:56