The North Sea is not just about the North Sea

The weird and wonderful world of gas, in all its different flavours. And what the strange chemistry of methane has to do with one of the most…

2 hrs ago

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The Radio, the Submarine and the Tariffs

What a smashed Toshiba boombox can teach us about Trump, transshipment and the mysterious hidden routes of world trade

Aug 16

55

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At least one very good reason to pre-order Trade World

What no-one tells you about writing a book. And my shameless attempt to confront it...

Aug 3

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July 2026

What Andy Burnham's £80 T-shirt really tells us

This isn't just a story about expensive clothes. It's about where things are made, about why you can't really trust what it says on the label and about…

Jul 29

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The Most Important Trainer You've Never Heard Of

This is the story of how an obscure sneaker that didn't even carry the logo of the company that made it, helped to change the world - in ways we're…

Jul 27

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The Factory We Had to Build Again

Rachel Reeves, John Healey, and the surprising story of Britain’s return to manufacturing. With some big explosions along the way

Jul 21

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June 2026

The Apple-Banana Paradox

Why the story of the world's favourite fruit is actually the story of everything

Jun 29

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The Missing Pipe

A short history of how Britain chose the wrong heating system a century ago, and why we are unnecessarily sweating our way through a heatwave in 2026

Jun 26

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Stuff Matters!

I've only gone and made a blooming podcast

Jun 15

71

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How fracking changed the world

An energy boom has changed geopolitics. It might help explain what's happening in the Persian Gulf.

Jun 12

16

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April 2026

Why I've been a bit quiet recently...

I've been writing a book. It's out in September. I think you'll like it.

Apr 24

169

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March 2026

Postscript to a postscript

Some of the scary things I wrote about in Material World seem to be coming true. Not good news

Mar 6

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