Podcast
This Is Why
Hosted by Sky News · EN
The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you.
Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions.
Available every weekday afternoon.
This Is Why is a Sky News podcast – if you have a question, contact us: why@sky.uk
132episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why a British 'Silicon Valley outsider' is one of AI's biggest players
3d ago00:26:42Tap to summarizeArtificial intelligence is already changing how we work, communicate and find information. But could its biggest impact be on science? Demis Hassabis is one of the most influential figures in AI. An artificial intelligence researcher and entrepreneur, he is the co-founder of Google DeepMind, having recently stepped down as chief executive to become the company's chair and chief scientist at its parent company Alphabet. His is also co-founder and CEO of Isomorphic Labs, and an AI adviser to the UK government. DeepMind has used AI to predict the structure of proteins, a breakthrough that helped Hassabis win a Nobel Prize and could accelerate the development of new medicines. And the ambition goes much further: using AI to tackle some of the biggest unanswered questions in biology, physics and beyond. Niall Paterson speaks to Sebastian Mallaby, journalist and author of The Infinity Machine, about the extraordinary ambition behind DeepMind, why its approach to AI is different from some of its Silicon Valley rivals, and whether the technology could ultimately become the world's smartest scientist. Have you got a question for Niall? Email us at: why@sky.uk. You can also watch This Is Why on YouTube.
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Why Infantino is clinging on to power at FIFA
4d ago00:18:11Tap to summarizeUEFA has said it is not lifting its boycott of the World Cup after FIFA president Gianni Infantino held a crisis meeting in Morocco. This appears to be in defiance of the letter issued by FIFA at the end of the meeting, which said it would "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity".The letter said Infantino had continued to have the support of everyone who attended the meeting, but some of FIFA's management team who had been critical of him were not there.For now, he seems determined to hang on to power, but with UEFA also not backing down, is his position still under threat?Mhari Aurora is joined by Rob Harris, Sky News' sports correspondent, to discuss what happens next.Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk
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Why the drought could threaten national security
5d ago00:18:05Tap to summarizeBritain is on track for one of its worst harvests on record, according to new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank. It's bad news for farmers whose businesses are struggling, bad news for consumers who could see higher prices and potentially bad news for the country. We are far from being self-sufficient in our food production, already importing 40% of what we eat. So what should the government be doing to help farmers deal with the effects of climate change and protect our food security? Mhari Aurora is joined by Sky News climate reporter Victoria Seabrook, and Martin Lines, a farmer in south Cambridgeshire who leads the Nature Friendly Farming Network. Have you got a question for the show? Email us: why@sky.uk
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Why we should think before having a conversation about Ariana Grande
6d ago00:18:14Tap to summarizeThe 33-year-old star has announced that she is taking a break from public life due to “endless scrutiny”. In recent years her weight and health have been the subject of much speculation and concern.Grande has endured a series of traumatic events. In 2017 a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her Manchester Arena show, and in 2018 her musical collaborator and ex-boyfriend Mac Miller died of an accidental overdose. Her latest music video Petal - in which she takes a chainsaw to her critics - sparked controversy as she looks visibly underweight.But what’s the balance between ghoulish voyeurism and concern? And does she have a responsibility to her young impressionable fans? Mhari Aurora is joined by journalist and author of Toxic: Women, Fame And The Noughties, Sarah Ditum.If you or someone you know needs support with disordered eating, you can contact Beat, the eating disorder charity, via their website beateatingdisorders.org.uk. Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk
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Why Reform is hardening its position on small boats
1w ago00:16:53Tap to summarizeNigel Farage has held his first press conference in months as he launched his party's new policy to tackle small boat arrivals, if it formed the next government.It would see the Royal Navy intercepting boats carrying migrants and return them "under escort" to France or Belgium.Reform's opponents have branded the plan unworkable, with the Tories saying the policy is not credible. But with Nigel Farage’s approval rating collapsing by 10 points in a fortnight, and Reform UK losing ground in recent elections to Labour and Restore, will this announcement help win back Reform's lost voters? Or is it more about distracting people from talking about Farage's finances?Mhari Aurora is joined by Alain Tolhurst, chief reporter at Politics Home, to discuss how significant this policy announcement is.Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk
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Why stuff matters...
1w ago00:17:21Tap to summarizeListen to Stuff Matters and subscribe for members-only contentYou'll never think about a banana or look at your airpods in the same way after listening to this episode.It’s the podcast crossover the world has been waiting for. Niall Paterson sits down with Sky’s data and economics editor Ed Conway to discuss his six-part podcast Stuff Matters.The premise of the show is simple - Ed takes an everyday object before diving down a rabbit hole to explore what it tells us about the forces shaping our world.So - how did a banana trigger a CIA-backed coup? What do LED lights tell us about the future of humanity? Listen to this episode of This Is Why... and then listen to Stuff Matters.Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk
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Why is FIFA selling the World Cup?
2w ago00:20:14Tap to summarizeThe beautiful game is up for sale, with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino trying to raise billions of dollars from private equity for a stake in the World Cup.It’s put him on a collision course with some of football’s most powerful bodies – including the Premier League and UEFA, which says it will boycott FIFA competitions if these plans go ahead. So, what is Infantino proposing and why is it being rushed through?Could England and other European nations really go for the nuclear option and pull out of the World Cup? And what is the involvement of Donald Trump and his family?Mhari Aurora is joined by Sky’s sports correspondent Rob Harris.Have you got a question for the podcast? Email us: why@sky.uk
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Why the UK needs to learn from Europe’s wildfires
2w ago00:15:00Tap to summarizeContinental Europe is ablaze. Could Britain be next?While we are yet to see the sort of devastation being experienced in France and Spain, record temperatures and drought conditions have already contributed to hundreds of wildfires across parts of the country.And experts are warning the UK can expect bigger and more dangerous fires in the future. So, what is causing this threat and how well prepared are we?Mhari Aurora hears from Sky correspondent Sadiya Chowdhury on France's frontline and speaks to wildfire safety expert Michael Bruce.
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Why was key evidence ignored in the Suzy Lamplugh case?
2w ago00:17:00Tap to summarizeWhat happened to Suzy Lamplugh? It’s a painful question her family and the police have been asking themselves for 40 years. The 25-year-old estate agent vanished four decades ago this week after leaving her office in Fulham to meet a client – the mysterious “Mr Kipper”. It’s now hoped previously ignored witness testimony could help solve the high profile cold case - but why wasn’t this potentially key evidence taken seriously at the time? Mhari Aurora and Sky’s crime commentator Martin Brunt discuss the impact of the case on women’s safety, whether there were police failings and what lessons – if any – have been learned.
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Why Burnham benefits from the Zelenskyy visit
2w ago00:18:25Tap to summarizeWeek two of Andy Burnham's premiership and he's hosting his first foreign leader: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.It was a meeting with benefits for both leaders - as Mr Zelenskyy seeks support on defence, while Mr Burnham wants to show off his foreign policy credentials.They both may have got what they wanted after the UK prime minister announced support for Ukraine in relation to "Stone Cloak" drone jammers. So what is the technology and how might it help with the war effort?Mhari Aurora and Sky's military analyst Professor Michael Clarke also discuss how important the UK's support is for Ukraine and how long it can last.Have you got a question for Mhari? Email us: why@sky.uk
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