• How to spot a monopoly: Measuring competition
    Apr 17 2026

    Competition makes capitalism work. A new method for measuring it may be the holy grail of economic regulation. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/how-to-spot-a-monopoly/

    And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co

    Words by Brian Albrecht
    Read by Stuart Ritchie
    Music by David Hackett

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    25 mins
  • The death rays that guard life: We can use ultraviolet light to disinfect public spaces
    Apr 10 2026

    We disinfect water before we drink it. Germicidal ultraviolet could make airborne disease as rare as those carried by water. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-death-rays-that-guard-life/

    And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co

    Words by Gavriel Kleinwaks & Karam Elabd
    Read by Stuart Ritchie
    Music by David Hackett

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    25 mins
  • Inflatable space stations: Creating artificial gravity so we can live in space
    Apr 3 2026

    If we ever want to live in space, we need to work out a way of creating artificial gravity.

    You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/inflatable-space-stations/

    And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co

    Words by Angadh Nanjangud
    Read by Stuart Ritchie
    Music by David Hackett

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    19 mins
  • The algorithm will see you now: Why radiologists haven't been replaced by AI
    Mar 27 2026

    Radiology combines digital images, clear benchmarks, and repeatable tasks. But replacing humans with AI is harder than it seems. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-algorithm-will-see-you-now/

    And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co

    Words by Deena Mousa
    Read by Stuart Ritchie
    Music by David Hackett

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    22 mins
  • Sunscreen for the planet: Geoengineering a cooler planet
    Mar 20 2026

    The world is warming faster than we can cut emissions. Volcanoes are already cooling the planet, with particles that reflect sunlight. Maybe we can too. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/sunscreen-for-the-planet/

    And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co

    Words by Daniele Visioni & Dakota Gruener
    Read by Stuart Ritchie
    Music by David Hackett

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    23 mins
  • How to redraw a city: Land readjustment in Japan
    Mar 13 2026

    Japan faced some of the world’s toughest planning problems. It solved them by letting homeowners replan whole neighborhoods privately by supermajority vote. You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/how-to-redraw-a-city/

    And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co

    Words by Anya Martin
    Read by Stuart Ritchie
    Music by David Hackett

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    35 mins
  • Two is already too many: Why South Korean birth rates are so low
    Mar 6 2026

    Every hundred South Koreans today will have only six great-grandchildren between them. The rest of the world can learn from Korea’s catastrophe to avoid the same fate.

    You can see the images, graphs and read the article at https://worksinprogress.co/issue/two-is-already-too-many/

    And you can find the rest of Works in Progress at worksinprogress.co

    Words by Phoebe Arslanagic-Little
    Read by Stuart Ritchie
    Music by David Hackett

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    29 mins