Babbage from The Economist (subscriber edition)

100 years after the British scientist Rosalind Franklin's birth, The Economist’s health policy editor Natasha Loder explores her scientific achievements—from photographing the double helix of DNA to discovering the first three-dimensional structure of a virus. And, how does Franklin’s work help the study of covid-19?Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

Wildfires are raging across California as the state experiences a record heatwave. Climate change and irresponsible building has resulted in billions of dollars in damage. How can developers build better fire-proof homes? Also, investigative journalist James Ball on who owns the internet. And, dream on—do dreams reflect reality? Kenneth Cukier hosts Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

Governments around the world are approving covid-19 drugs and vaccines at an unprecedented speed, but Natasha Loder, The Economist's Health Policy Editor, warns of the dangers that this could cause. Also, is Elon Musk's plan to link a computer to human brains science or spin? And, take a deep breath—author James Nestor on improving the quality of our breathing. Kenneth Cukier hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

These tiny, ancient predators do more than cause pandemics. Host Kenneth Cukier and science editor Geoff Carr investigate how viruses have shaped the world. Evolutionary biologist David Enard explains how viruses have driven human development. And Jennifer Doudna, who pioneered CRISPR gene editing, and Steffanie Strathdee, an innovator in phage therapy, show how cells’ antiviral defences as well as  viruses themselves can be harnessed to protect the future of humanity. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

Some victims of covid-19 continue to suffer from the illness many weeks and months after falling ill. What can be done to help these “long-haulers”? Also, the technology writer Matt Ridley on how innovation works. And, a possible solution to 2020’s other plague: locust swarms. Kenneth Cukier hosts.Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

For Chinese users, WeChat does far more than just messaging. What are the implications of America’s proposed ban on the Chinese “super app”? Also, Canada’s last full Arctic shelf has collapsed, and climate change is to blame. And a sizzling solution to indoor barbeque pollution. Tom Standage hosts Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

A shortage of covid-19 tests around the world has hampered efforts to contain it. Could "pool sampling" be a solution? Also, the promise of million-mile electric car batteries? And, Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, a developmental biologist at the University of Cambridge and Caltech, on the mysteries of life after conception. Kenneth Cukier hosts  Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

Three nations set out on separate missions to shed light on a question that astronomers have been asking for centuries—is there life on Mars? Alok Jha asks leading scientists about how their missions will search for signs of life on the red planet. And, why those investigating it should avoid irreversible damage to a potentially pristine ecosystem.Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

Oxford University is ahead in the race to develop a covid-19 vaccine that could halt the pandemic. Yet lead researcher, Professor Sarah Gilbert, says some trial results may be delayed owing to changing virus transmissions in different countries. Also, navigating the sky with diamonds. And, why sewage can help census-takers. Kenneth Cukier hosts. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer

As governments consider loosening lockdowns, troubling evidence suggests that the virus behind covid-19 lingers in the air, making it more communicable than previously thought. Lidia Morawska, of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health in Queensland, argues for better indoor ventilation. Also, Dr Vivian Lee from Verily, on how she would fix the American healthcare system. And, the “illuminating” technology revealing archaeological secrets. Kenneth Cukier hosts Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer