The podcast discusses a network of captive's families in Israel and their potential political impact. It also explores the challenges of protecting rhinoceros from poachers and the controversial topic of legalizing the rhino horn trade. The surprising results of a large-scale coin toss experiment are also discussed.
Read more
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Families of Israeli hostages have formed a network to support each other and coordinate efforts due to the government's failure to effectively handle the crisis, potentially leading to political unrest.
The live rhino trade has seen a significant drop in prices, posing financial challenges for private game reserve owners who are responsible for conserving rhinos and combating poaching, sparking debates on legalizing the rhino horn trade.
Deep dives
Israeli Hostage Crisis: Families Seek Answers and Government's Missteps
The ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict has taken a new twist with over 200 hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas and other Palestinian organizations. This situation has had significant tactical, political, and social impacts. Families of the hostages have expressed frustration and disappointment with the government's handling of the crisis, including a lack of communication and consideration for their loved ones. The government's focus on military operations and other pressing issues, along with the absence of a dedicated coordinator for hostage affairs, has further complicated matters. The families have taken matters into their own hands, establishing a private headquarters to support one another and coordinate efforts. The release of some hostages offers a glimmer of hope, but uncertainty still looms, and the families' disappointment in the government may fuel further political unrest.
Rhino Trade: A Bear Market for Live Rhinos
While the illegal trade in rhino horn garners significant attention, the live rhino trade has experienced a sharp decline in prices. Private game reserve owners, responsible for conserving and protecting rhinos, face increased costs to combat poaching. These rising costs, combined with constraints on benefiting from live rhinos, such as tourism and hunting, have led to a significant drop in prices. The conservation success of increasing southern white rhino numbers to nearly 20,000 has shifted the balance as private reserves constitute over half the total rhino population. However, if owners find it financially unsustainable, it may jeopardize the future of rhino conservation. Proponents argue for legalizing the rhino horn trade to generate income and incentivize protection, but the ban imposed since 1977 remains a contentious issue.
Coin Tosses: Flipping the Odds
A new study challenges the assumption of fair coin tosses, suggesting that coins are more likely to land on the same side they started from. Researchers found that slight rotations during the coin flipping process, known as precession, make it more probable for the coin to land on the same face. Testing this theory, volunteers flipped over 350,000 coins, and the results showed that coins landed on the same side 50.8% of the time, slightly above the predicted 51%. While the difference seems small, it could have implications in certain contexts, such as casino games or decisive coin tosses in elections and sports events.
A network of captives’ families has sprung up to accomplish what Israel’s government has so far failed to do—and may yet emerge as a political force. Protecting rhinoceroses from poachers is an expensive business; we look at what has become a bear market for rhinos (12:37). And why a coin toss is not the even-odds proposition you might think it is (20:30).
Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer.
If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video that explains how to link your account.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode