The Standard

London’s black cab drivers are famous for having a very active part of the brain that’s critical for mapping thousands of streets.By the time taxi students hop off their training moped and pass The Knowledge licence exam, a driver will have memorised over 26,000 of the capital’s roads thanks to how their posterior hippocampus region develops as a result.The international study, led by UCL neuroscientists, included quizzing London cabbies to examine how long it takes humans to compute the capital’s A to Z and, crucially, to contextualise routes without the help of artificial intelligence-powered maps.It’s hoped better insights, described as showing “insights into the genius of the human mind”, could help develop better navigation tools.The Standard’s Rachelle Abbott is joined by Hugo Spiers, professor of cognitive neuroscience at UCL’s department of psychology & language sciences, to discuss the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.In part two, latest developments in multiple lawsuits between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni centring on behaviour on-set during filming of It Ends with Us - we speak with The London Standard culture and lifestyle writer India Block. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scientists at London’s Natural History Museum have discovered mysterious giant mounds on Mars that are believed to be billions of years old.Examining high-resolution images and compositional data snapped by Martian orbiters and surface rovers, the team analysed over 15,000 of the geological features - many as big as Australia’s Uluru.We speak with Dr Joe McNeil, who led the study for his Open University PhD with results published in the journal Nature Geoscience.In part two, the best skincare products 2025 and the ingredients to look out for to soothe your city-weathered epidermis, with The London Standard’s beauty and wellness editor, Madeleine Spencer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Storm Eowyn smashed into the British Isles bringing record gusts of up to 100mph with millions of Britons urged not to travel and northern regions issued a rare ‘red’ risk-to-life warning.Tree toppled, causing road closures and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled at airports across the UK, with rail operators halting services and hundreds of schools closed in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.The Standard podcast hears about the super-storm’s causes from Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin.In part two, The London Standard’s political editor Nicholas Cecil discusses his exclusive report revealing how transport secretary Heidi Alexander opposed a third runway at Heathrow in 2020 during her tenure as Sir Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for transport.It comes amid suggestion Heathrow expansion is back on the table as chancellor Rachel Reeves hunts for economic growth, likely setting her up for a clash with cabinet colleagues - and potentially Sir Sadiq over environmental concerns.We’re also joined by Paul Beckford, policy director at Hacan - the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise - which represents communities living under the airport’s flight paths to discuss air quality, noise and financial impact. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British cousin of an Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza has described his family’s ongoing anguish ahead of a milestone update on the fate of the remaining captives this weekend. Adam Ma’anit, who’s from Brighton and is digital communication officer at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told The Standard podcast they are hoping for news very soon about Tsachi Idan, who is among 94 remaining hostages.Idan, a 50-year-old IT worker, was dragged away from his kibbutz home after his 18-year-old daughter, Maayan, was shot dead by a Hamas gunman in the October 7 terror attacks over 15 months ago.A phased ceasefire deal has seen the first three hostages released, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.Idan is listed among 33 captives set to be freed, but the family say they are “living day to day” awaiting firm news.It comes amid a spike in antisemitic attacks and shortly before Holocaust Memorial Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UK chancellor Rachel Reeves will bid for more investment in Britain as she travels to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this week.Reeves is expected to meet the heads of major international banks during her two-day Swiss visit to promote Britain’s fiscal credentials for the future.But it comes amid record government borrowing, government department cuts ahead and minuscule growth of just 0.1 per cent.The Standard podcast is joined by Ashwin Kumar, director of research and policy at the Institute of Public Policy Research, professor of social policy at Manchester Metropolitan University and former advisor to ex-PM Gordon Brown.In part two, The London Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford on why some residents of two boroughs are being warned their council tax bills will double, but there’s - slightly - better news for fellow Londoners in the most cash-strapped authorities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join host Nicola Barron in conversation with David Larbi, the poet, writer, and musician who has built a million-strong community through his authentic takes on mindfulness across TikTok and Instagram. In this illuminating episode, David shares insights from his debut book Frequently Happy: 52 Mindful Moments to Bring Hope and Joy, exploring how we can find joy in everyday moments and use creativity to reconnect with ourselves.Don't miss David's live online workshop Frequently Happy: Exploring Creativity, Mindfulness, and the Power of Wordson Tuesday, January 28, 2025 (6-7pm GMT). Book at standard.co.uk/masterclasses.Part of The Bigger Life Festival, brought to you by Masterclasses from The Standard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump made an astonishing return to the White House on Monday when he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.The inauguration, which took place at the US Capitol Rotunda building due -3C temperatures, follows four tumultuous years out of office which saw the 78-year-old Republican businessman and ex-reality star survive assassination attempts and face a series of legal cases.We asked Mike Rogers, chief security analyst west at US-based International SOS, about heightened security arrangements around the ceremony.In part two. University College London’s Dr Thomas Gift, associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on US Politics, discusses Big Tech’s influence and direction of policy for Trump’s White House 2.0.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Israeli security cabinet has ratified an initial six-week deal with Hamas for a ceasefire in the war that will see some of the hostages held in Gaza being released.The breakthrough marks the cessation of 15 months of fighting since the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023, and also brings hope of border crossings being reopened for aid to ease the Palestinian humanitarian crisis.The US-brokered ceasefire on Sunday will see the exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and comes a day before president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The Standard podcast is joined by Dr Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in international security in the Defence Studies department at King’s College London.In part two, amid food shortages, toxic air and price-gouging, how Angelenos are supporting each other in the aftermath the deadly LA wildfires.We're joined by Kenia Alcocer, an organiser with Union de Vecinos, part of the Los Angeles Tenants Union. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A damning report into the state of the NHS has revealed patients are dying in corridors and can go undiscovered for hours.The Royal College of Nursing published findings, based on the experiences of more than 5,000 UK nurses, into the state of care in England’s hospitals as staff try to manage the number of people needing care.The “harrowing” report comes amid soaring ambulance waiting times and tells of patients sitting for days in chairs due to a lack of beds, patients lying in corridors and treatment delays.The Standard podcast is joined by Mathew Hulbert, a volunteer patient leader at Just Treatment, which campaigns for public health investment, fair pay for NHS staff and an end to outsourcing of NHS services.His 78-year-old mother, Jackie, died in July 2022 from sepsis in hospital - after waiting 11 hours for paramedics following a fall at home in Leicestershire.In part two, the deputy of Chancellor Rachel Reeves has signalled cutbacks in some public spending to channel more funds into the Labour government’s dash for growth.It comes as Office for National Statistics data released on Wednesday showed GDP increased by just 0.1 per cent.The London Standard’s political editor, Nicholas Cecil, examines what’s to come in the months ahead for government departments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK inflation rate unexpectedly fell slightly to 2.5 per cent in December in a surprise boost to embattled Chancellor Rachel Reeves.Figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed a slight drop from 2.6 per cent in November and fell below City forecasts.It comes amid record government borrowing and falls in the pound over the past week.How does this all fit into the wider economic outlook, what might it signal for our shopping baskets - and what about the spectre of ‘stagflation’?The Standard podcast is joined by Jo Michell, professor of economics at the University of the West of England in Bristol.In part two, influencer Adam McIntyre on concerns about the financial impact of a TikTok ban on digital creators and small business ahead of a US supreme court decision on the Chinese ByteDance-owned app’s future in the States mid data security concerns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.