Podcast
It’s not that simple
Hosted by Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos · EN
It’s not that simple is a podcast by Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation dedicated to major interviews with international personalities linked to politics, economy and society. Conducted by renowned journalist Pedro Mendonça Pinto, the conversations with our special guests aim to demystify and simplify some of the most fascinating and relevant topics of our time. They will be objective, frontal, informal and informed dialogues to clarify why some issues «are not that simple». The Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation was founded in 2009 by Alexandre Soares dos Santos and his family to study the country’s major hindrances and bring them to the attention of the Portuguese people.The Foundation’s mission is to promote and expand the objective knowledge of Portugal today, thereby helping to develop society, strengthen the rights of citizens and improve public institutions and to cooperate in endeavours to identify, study and resolve society's problems.The Foundation is independent of political organisations and has no ideological affiliation with any political party. Its work is guided by the principles of human dignity and social solidarity and the values of democracy, freedom, equal opportunities, merit and pluralism. www.ffms.pt
11episodes
Episodes
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INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION, with Ricardo Soares de Oliveira
Dec 1600:34:58Tap to summarizeThe received wisdom often views corruption as a domestic problem, internal within each country. However, Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, professor of Political Science at CERI–Sciences Po, challenges this view, arguing that «over the years, we have come to realise that corruption is more a matter of global governance and, in many ways, a feature of the global economy».In this episode of «It's not that simple», the political scientist demonstrates how the international financial system creates conditions for illegal practices to flourish through legal mechanisms. Essentially, the distinction between legal and illegal may be less clear-cut than it appears.In light of this, the Oxford researcher goes on to highlight one of contemporary academia’s primary concerns, namely, how some regions lead (or abandon) the anti-corruption agenda.While acknowledging the Western origins of the fight against corruption, the expert nevertheless criticises the disunity, inconsistency and hypocrisy of Western countries in this area. He contends that the UK and Switzerland, for example, «have sought to defend their financial sectors – particularly offshore ones – by refusing financial reform, especially in terms of transparency».Soares de Oliveira points out how, during the last five years, this hypocrisy has given way to a great deal of scepticism, not only regarding transparency laws but also the role of NGOs. «We are experiencing a decline in the ability to influence decision-makers to adopt reformist measures», he warns.The constantly shifting landscape is producing new challenges. One such challenge is cryptocurrencies, which add layers of risk and escape traditional control mechanisms – mechanisms that Soares de Oliveira claims were already ineffective in many cases.More on the topic:Profile of Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, University of Oxford«Corrupção», by Luis de Sousa (FFMS Bookstore)Ricardo Soares de Oliveira: «As elites angolanas não confiam no futuro do país» (Público)
Transcribe →GENETICS, with Alfonso Martínez Arias
Nov 2500:39:56Tap to summarizeFor decades, we believed DNA held all the answers. But biologist Alfonso Martínez Arias offers a different view: «Genetics is simple, the problem is thinking it’s the answer to who we are».In this live episode of «It's not that simple», recorded at the Salão Nobre of the University of Lisbon, the researcher from Pompeu Fabra University explains why the 21st century will be the century of the cell. Cells communicate, cooperate, and organize to form complex organisms and it’s in this interaction that the secret of life may lie.Martínez Arias invites us to take a step back and look beyond the genome. The 20th century was the century of the gene: we discovered DNA and completed the human genome. But when the biologist observes the human body through the lens of its cells, he finds a different story.According to him, «genes are mechanisms that cells use», and he compares them to IKEA tools: a hammer and screws are not enough to build a piece of furniture; you also need the plan, and that plan only the cells know.From stem cell studies to organoids - small lab-grown replicas of human organs - Martínez Arias shows how biology is reshaping the way we understand development, disease, and even aging.He believes this shift in focus, from genes to cells, will transform medicine. But could these new discoveries transform us too?More on the topic«The Master Builder: How The New Science Of The Cell Is Rewriting The Story Of Life», Alfonso Martínez Arias (John Murray Press)«Elissa Epel: Genetics, chronic stress and ageing» (Science and Education Month, FFMS) «Svante Pääbo: How genetics tells our human story» (Science and Education Month, FFMS) «The Incompleteness of Evolution», with Alfonso Martínez Arias
Transcribe →INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, with Mariana van Zeller
Oct 1400:34:10Tap to summarizeHow far should a reporter go in search of the truth? Investigative journalism demands time, resources, and risk. In this episode of «It's not that simple», with journalist Mariana van Zeller, we discover that in her profession there are no shortcuts.A childhood curiosity took her to Columbia University in New York. From there, she set off on an adventure across more than 80 countries. But what drives someone to infiltrate clandestine networks, cross dangerous borders, and expose themselves to risk just to tell a story?The stories she uncovers are not easy, but they justify the Peabody, DuPont and Emmy awards she has received. From drug cartels to arms traffickers, from corruption to migration routes, each episode demands months of preparation, risky travel, and moments of real tension. «There is a line we should never cross, but we must always come back with chalk on our feet», says Mariana van Zeller, describing her balance between safety and risk.In an era dominated by the attention economy, and, as she says, also by the «economy of rage», where does truth stand? With information becoming disposable, shaped by social media and algorithms, her work gains new urgency: «Investigative journalism is the pursuit of truth, and truth is essential for a healthy democracy.»More on the topic«Trafficked», with Mariana van Zeller, National Geographic«Immigration Barometer: the view of the Portuguese», FFMS«Mariana van Zeller, the investigative journalist who goes deep into empathy», ECO Interview with Mariana van Zeller, RTP
Transcribe →GEOGRAPHY, with Tim Marshall
Sep 2300:31:29Tap to summarizeBritish journalist and bestselling author Tim Marshall, known for the book «Prisoners of Geography», takes us on a journey through the real world: the one shaped by mountains, rivers, seas and natural borders that define how nations behave.«Geography doesn’t explain everything, but it explains almost everything», he says, and he says it with the clarity of someone who’s reported from twelve war zones, been jailed in Damascus, shot in Cairo and bombed in Belgrade.For Marshall, geography isn’t a detail, it’s the invisible structure that defines who can thrive, who gets blocked, and who ends up in conflict. «If you’ve got wide navigable rivers, deep ports and sea access, you can build ships, trade goods and project power. If you’re surrounded by mountains, shallow coasts or deserts, you’re limited from the start».That structural inequality helps explain the success of the United States, «the most blessed country by geography», and Russia’s defensive mindset: «trapped on an exposed plain where the only defense is controlling buffer zones».Portugal also comes under the lens: «You don’t have direct access to the Mediterranean or the major rivers of Central Europe. You face the sea, and, for a long time, the sea was your power».Throughout the conversation, Marshall discusses climate, migration, populism and emerging tensions. And he’s blunt: climate change is already reshaping global politics. «When a Latin American farmer can no longer grow coffee, he moves north. That kind of mass migration helped elect Trump».The geopolitics of the future, he says, won’t just play out between states, but between zones of despair and zones of opportunity. That means we have to look at the planet as a whole.More on the topic:«The What & The Why», Tim Marshall's podcastIntelligence Squared: «How does geography explain the world?», with Tim MarshallTim Marshall's X account
Transcribe →PHYSICS, with Helen Czerski
Aug 2600:34:49Tap to summarizeIn this interview, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski demonstrates that physical patterns are all around us and explains how they shape our daily lives, connecting human life with the planet’s life.For the researcher at University College London, understanding the world means investigating these invisible patterns, especially those affecting the ocean: how the wind transfers energy to the waves, how sound travels through water to reveal hidden objects and how gases circulate between the ocean and the atmosphere via gas bubbles at the surface of the ocean.In the North Atlantic, for example, the ocean is inhaling carbon dioxide, taking it out of the atmosphere, while in the tropics, it is exhaling it, releasing it back into the atmosphere. «There is a natural balance between the two», insists Helen. «And what is really useful about this is that we remove that gas from the atmosphere, where otherwise it would have contributed to global warming», she explains.«These tiny processes, breaking waves and bubbles at the surface of the ocean, may not seem particularly significant», she adds, «but if we measure all the respiration constantly taking place across the planet, we see that the ocean is actually doing us a huge favour».Those very same gas bubbles revolutionised fishing. Sonar systems, which send sound into the ocean, use them to locate fish. If a fish has a gas bubble in its swim bladder – as most fish do –the sound travels differently through the animal. However, the specialist warns, «this has contributed to overfishing and impacted biodiversity in the oceans».«The key takeaway from all my work is how incredibly interconnected systems are. In the natural world, what happens in one place has impacts in other places», affirms Helen Czerski, citing how even a whale’s urine influences the balance of ecosystems.«Whales feed in the Arctic and migrate to the tropics to mate. While mating, they don’t eat, but still produce urine, which deposits nitrogen on tropical islands», explains the BBC presenter. In places like Hawaii, meanwhile, they take shelter on reefs to rear their calves and end up fertilising these environments, which are not naturally nutrient-rich.But this movement of nutrients has been under threat since industrial whaling began. «We removed one of the mechanisms that made the rest of the system work», and if humanity continues to remove other parts, through overfishing and introducing pollutants to the ocean, «it’s not just a chain that we’ll be breaking, but a whole web of interactions», she maintains.For the time being, Helen Czerski assures that the planet still has the capacity to resist, but recognises that the balance between human life and that of the planet is changing. «I think we have an enormous problem, but also that we have the means to solve it». What we cannot do, however, is carry on dragging our feet –we must act.More on the topic:Helen Czerski's website Helen Czerski's publications (University College of London)«The fascinating physics of everyday life», (TED Talk)«Climate change: A possible future» (Documentary, FFMS) «On the trail of whales, orcas and dolphins in Portuguese waters» (Latest, FFMS)
Transcribe →PERFECTIONISM, with Thomas Curran
Jul 1500:31:39Tap to summarize«If you look at the amount of spending that's going on right now, on self-optimisation, on self-help and self-improvement, we're at record levels. There’s never been more spending on these books, on these courses, on these coaching sessions… and at the same time, people have never been more miserable, more depressed and anxious».The warning is given by Thomas Curran, a British psychologist and expert in perfectionism, who is concerned about the rapid growth of this phenomenon and the health problems it triggers.In this episode of «It's not that simple», the professor from the London School of Economics explains that perfectionism is not defined by «extremely high» personal standards or by «high levels of striving to achieve them», but also by the insecurity that is the fire that goes underneath those high standards.Behind the extreme demands, there are always doubts as to whether we are sufficient, if we are capable of being up to it, he underlines. «This is huge and a cause for concern because perfectionist insecurities and concerns are very tightly correlated with mental health difficulties».An award-winning researcher, Curran shares details that show how perfectionist trends have been increasing since the end of the last century. «High levels of striving, something called ‘self-oriented perfectionism’ – perfectionism that comes from within, high self-set goals and standards – are increasing relatively modestly but, nevertheless, from a very high baseline», he reveals.At the same time, socially prescribed perfectionism – which has to do with the way other people expect me to be perfect - «is on an exponential trend upwards» mainly among the younger generations.This trend has shot up around 60% since the late 1980s. Nowadays, there is a lot of need for approval and validation from the «other», «now we rely on other people's engagement, likes and mentions for our own self-esteem», he adds.Nowadays, it’s not a question of just showing off material goods, but also one of showing off all your hard work and professional success. «How hard we can work, how much we can hustle or what we can build – all of this fuels the economy», but, on the other hand, it leads to burnout. «This is a very different type of showing off, but it is no less difficult psychologically, because you’re never going to be the perfect hustler, the perfect grinder».Maybe it's time to counteract this pressure. «Great thinkers taught us something very important: contemplation. Sitting down and reading, thinking, that is exceptionally non-productive behaviour in the short term, but could be incredibly productive in the long term», he concludes.
Transcribe →PRODUCTIVITY, with Nicholas Bloom
Jun 1700:28:34Tap to summarizeHow do we measure and assess productivity? What impact does remote working have on productivity? And what about artificial intelligence? In this episode of It’s Not That Simple, UK economist and remote work specialist Nicholas Bloom explores the dilemmas of modern management.At the start of the 20th century, in coal mining yards, «it was enough to count how many shovelfuls a worker dug per hour». Today, aside from a few exceptions (such as call centres), these kinds of metrics are no longer suitable for measuring productivity in an increasingly tech-driven world.Using Google as an example, the William Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University explains how measurement formulas have become far more diffuse and complex. Companies like Google measure productivity by analysing «the number of new apps or products delivered, the teams involved in development, the hours spent to complete production... and even then, it’s far from ideal», he says. «Measuring productivity is extremely difficult in the digital era».Bloom contends that explaining why some countries remain less productive is far more straightforward: working hours or remote work are not the issue – rather, the issue is management.«Working from home two days a week doesn’t reduce productivity. Plus, it affords companies a significant advantage: employees are less likely to quit, and high employee turnover is a big expense», he explains.Having conducted comparative studies of management practices across different sectors and countries, Bloom highlights the effectiveness of North American companies’ strategic aggressiveness: «They measure everything, set ambitious targets», and reward results quickly. In Portugal, he notes, this is not the case.But solutions do exist, and the economist offers several for Portuguese business leaders to consider. However, one vital solution lies outside companies’ control: reducing market regulation. Bloom believes that «the government should be like a football referee», establishing the rules of the game but refraining from excessive intervention.According to the winner of the Econometric Society’s Frisch Medal, competition is the driving force behind productivity within this open-market model: «The US remains the most productive country in the world because it has highly competitive markets».And what about the future? While the outlook may not look promising for the younger generation and their career prospects, Bloom believes AI could hold the key to a new leap in productivity. «Productivity has slowed over the last 50 years. It’s like an apple tree from which we have already picked all the low-hanging fruit, and only the harder-to-reach ones at the top are left». Could AI be the new orchard?More on the topic:Nicholas Bloom's workNicholas Bloom's X account«Go ahead, tell your boss you're working from home», TedXStanford by Nicholas BloomOnly in portuguese:«Como será o futuro do teletrabalho?», Da Capa à Contracapa (FFMS)«O que é a produtividade?», [IN]Pertinente podcast (FFMS)«Os mitos da produtividade», [IN]Pertinente podcast (FFMS)Infografia: «Onde pára a produtividade?» (FFMS)«Sobre o Futuro do Trabalho», de Pedro Portugal (FFMS)
Transcribe →INFLATION, with Ricardo Reis
May 13, 202500:33:06Tap to summarizeWhat if a single mistake by the European Central Bank could send Europe into a recession? Ricardo Reis, one of the most awarded Portuguese economists of his generation, dismantles the myths around inflation and shows why keeping it under control is a delicate art - with inevitable costs.In this episode of It’s Not That Simple, the professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, dismantles the idea that this variable can be easily controlled - especially when political decisions, public expectations, and global shocks intersect.In this conversation, Ricardo Reis reminds that the pandemic and the war in Ukraine were two major tests for monetary policy. In 2020, central banks feared deflation and lowered interest rates. In 2021, people spent more than expected - and inflation surged. When the second shock hit - the war - expectations were already unanchored. «It was this accumulated error that made 2022 inflation more persistent».The response - raising rates - worked. «Inflation fell without unemployment rising, but it would have dropped faster if there had been a recession». That’s the dilemma that Reis knows well, because he is also an academic consultant to the Bank of England, the Riksbank and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.And now? The worst is behind us, but expectations have changed. The trust in the ECB is no longer what it once was.Beyond that, the tariffs imposed by the US on imported goods are the next test, according to the professor. «They’ll generate domestic inflation and a recession», but the risk is global, as they trigger trade wars and could force Europe to retaliate. Could the result be a recession in Europe, as well?
Transcribe →SPACE EXPLORATION, with Ezinne Uzo-Okoro
Apr 15, 202500:30:50Tap to summarizeAre we safe hovering in the unknown? Harvard researcher and former assistant director for Space Policy at the White House, Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, is the guest of this «It's not that simple» edition.In this conversation, Ezinne explains how satellites and space technology are already protecting lives on Earth - from monitoring the climate to anticipating disasters. But she also discusses the real risks we face: space junk, the increasing privatisation of space and the lack of clear global regulation.With the end of the International Space Station planned for 2030 and new commercial players entering orbit, the Space Policy advisor raises the question: are we prepared for this new space race?Exploring space is no longer science fiction - it's a matter of survival.More on the topic:Ezinne's portfolio (MIT)Mars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover (NASA)NASA's blog
Transcribe →Artificial Intelligence, with Neil Lawrence
Mar 18, 202500:41:16Tap to summarizeAI: a dangerous threat or an indispensable tool for today and the future? «Artificial Intelligence is the most disruptive technology we've ever seen», claims Neil Lawrence, DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge. However, he also believes that AI «is the continuation of a technological revolution» in how we share information via computers.Speaking in Lisbon, the guest of this edition of «It's Not That Simple» highlighted a critical issue regarding AI usage: «It is not being used in the areas people are asking us to use it: health, social care, education or security.»While optimistic about the relationship between humanity and AI, Lawrence acknowledges the difficulties in regulating such a rapidly evolving field. He warns against leaving regulation to «inflexible and under-resourced» regulators to «decide the future for us all.»More on the topic:Neil Lawrence: «The Atomic Human: What makes us unique in the age of AI» (Talks at Google)Neil Lawrence: «The Atomic Human - Understanding ourselves in the age of AI» (Finnish Centre for Artificial Intelligence)Neil Lawrence: ‘Is AI beyond our human understanding?’BBC interviewInterview with the University of CambridgeEpisode of the ‘Futures’ podcastNeil Lawrence's Linkedin
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