

Sensemaker
The Observer
The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone else A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword Recipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineClick here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 5, 2024 • 8min
Ep 782: A weightloss journey that ended in tragedy
A young woman died on the flight home after having weight loss surgery in Turkey. She’s one of at least 25 British people to die in similar circumstances since 2019. What’s going on?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 2, 2024 • 7min
Ep 781: The Taylor Swift deepfake scandal
When sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift went viral on social media her loyal fans tried to drown them out with other content about the pop star, but it didn’t stop the fakes spreading like wildfire.To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 1, 2024 • 8min
Ep 780: The Austrian extremist stirring up controversy in Germany
There have been mass protests against Germany’s far-right AfD party after senior figures attended a meeting where Martin Sellner allegedly presented a proposal for mass deportations.To find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 31, 2024 • 8min
Ep 779: Be the best: Britain’s shortage of soldiers
Why the head of the British Army raised the prospect of conscription and what he was trying to say about the state of our military.To find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 30, 2024 • 5min
Ep 778: A new test for Alzheimer's
A recent study found measuring levels of protein through blood tests could help diagnose Alzheimer's disease early. What could that mean for how we treat the disease?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 29, 2024 • 8min
Ep 777: How Trump saw off his rivals
After his victory in New Hampshire last week, it looks almost certain that Donald Trump will win the race to become the Republican party’s presidential candidate. How did he secure such a convincing lead?To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 26, 2024 • 8min
Ep 776: Britain’s measles outbreak
The UK has declared a national incident in response to one of the worst measles outbreaks since the 1990s. Why are cases rising? To find out more about Tortoise:Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalistsSubscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentBecome a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 25, 2024 • 8min
Ep 775: Why UK universities face testing times
The University of York has lowered the bar for some international students. What does it tell us about the state of higher education in the UK?To find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 24, 2024 • 6min
Ep 774: Fujitsu and the Post Office scandal
The Japanese technology giant has apologised for its role in one of Britain’s most widespread miscarriages of justice. How much damage could it do to the company?To find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 23, 2024 • 7min
Ep 773: Hizb’ut-Tahrir banned in the UK
After almost 20 years of trying the British government has finally succeeded in banning the Islamist group Hizb’ut-Tahrir. But will the ban stick and is it really enforceable?To find out more about Tortoise:- Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists- Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and exclusive content- Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and moreIf you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


