Plague pandemics conjure images of dirty medieval cities. But new evidence has revealed the oldest known outbreak of the disease—more than 5,000 years ago—showing that dense settlements were not necessary for the bacteria to spread and become lethal. It is the latest example of how sequencing ancient genomes can open up a wealth of new data for archaeologists and historians. It is a technique that is rewriting the history of our species.

Guests and hosts:

• Sam Wikeley, The Economist’s science correspondent
• Eske Willerslev of the University of Cambridge and the University of Copenhagen
• Pontus Skoglund of the Francis Crick Institute
• Julietta Steinhauer of University College London
• Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor

The Francis Crick Institute’s exhibition, “We Go Way Back”, showcasing their ancient DNA research, opens on July 16th in London.

Topics covered:

• Ancient DNA
• Plague pandemics
• History

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What happens if AI models get so good that they can build their own successors? So model A builds a better model B, which then builds an even better model C, without any humans to slow things down? The answer could be a high-speed rush towards an AI superintelligence that is beyond human understanding, and possibly beyond human control. This process, known as recursive self-improvement, may be much closer than people realise—perhaps just a couple of years away. So is the world ready for an artificial intelligence explosion?

Guests and hosts:

• Max Tegmark, MIT physics professor, co-founder and leader of the Future of Life Institute
• Alex Hern, The Economist’s AI writer
• Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor

Topics covered:

• Recursive self-improvement in AI
• Anthropic’s Fable 5
• US export ban

Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.

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Working out what might be going wrong inside your gut can involve invasive tests. What if you could swallow a pill to monitor your health instead? Engineers are developing miniaturised, ingestible electronics to diagnose, monitor—and even treat—medical conditions. In the future, these electronics could even be made entirely from food.

Guests and hosts:

• Giovanni Traverso of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• David Adam, a journalist for The Economist
• Reza Ghodssi of the University of Maryland
• Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor

Topics covered:

• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Medical technology
• Targeted drug delivery

Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.

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