Best Universal Design In The Information Society Podcasts (2025)

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Are anti-immigrant attacks in Sweden getting the coverage they deserve? 20:18

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3d ago20:18

20:18

In this week's episode we talk about anti-immigrant attacks in Stockholm and why a government minister won’t answer questions in parliament on how much he knew about his son’s involvement, until recently, with an extremist group alleged to be behind the attacks. We’ll also discuss the Swedish language and how the words we use every day gradually cr…

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How to build in space for life on Earth | Ariel Ekblaw 13:01

22m ago13:01

13:01

Is space the “final frontier” — or the perfect place to revolutionize life on Earth? Space architect Ariel Ekblaw reveals how self-assembling structures could build orbiting real estate in space dedicated to solving humanity’s greatest dilemmas on Earth, leading to scientific and medical breakthroughs only possible in zero gravity. Interested in le…

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A new housing secretary, the RIBA prize shortlist and the UK's first "super-university" 30:39

1h ago30:39

30:39

In this episode, host Sahiba Chadha is joined by architecture and design writer and features editor at STIR. Anmol Ahuja. Together they discuss: Can the new housing secretary deliver on the government’s 1.5 million homes pledge? // The shortlist for this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize is revealed // Greenwich and Kent merger to create the UK’s first ‘s…

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101🔸Choose Fall 2025 Trends to Adopt Based on Your Style DNA 21:09

5d ago21:09

21:09

Which fall 2025 trends should you actually adopt? Not all of them. The secret is knowing which ones align with your Style DNA - your body Design, lifestyle Needs, and essential Aesthetic. In this episode, I break down the philosophical shift happening in fashion right now, which trending colors and textures work for different personality energies, …

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'I've never even jaywalked in Sweden' 6:27

4h ago6:27

6:27

In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Richard Orange talks to Masoud Jamshidian, a solutions architect from Iran who is facing deportation from Sweden as a result of an insurance error made by his employer. 'Like prison for stealing a bag of chips': IT architect faces deportation from Sweden Deportations of this kind are often referr…

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MAX IV Laboratory 24:08

9h ago24:08

24:08

The northeastern Brunnshög area of Lund is home to MAX IV Laboratory, a Swedish national synchrotron laboratory hosted by Lund University that has operated since 2016. This striking donut-shaped building hosts thousands of users from academia, industry, research institutes and government agencies worldwide every year, supporting innovation and rese…

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What's in Sweden's 'absolutely shameless' new budget? 14:32

10d ago14:32

14:32

In this week's episode we talk about Sweden’s expansive new budget and how it’s likely to affect our pockets – and next year’s election. We'll also help hone your Swedish language skills as we explain the subtle but all-important differences between different words for the English ‘put’. For Membership+ subscribers we look at the fallout after Swed…

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The AI revolution is underhyped | Eric Schmidt 29:51

7d ago29:51

29:51

The arrival of non-human intelligence is a very big deal, says former Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt. In a wide-ranging interview with technologist Bilawal Sidhu, Schmidt makes the case that AI is wildly underhyped, as near-constant breakthroughs give rise to systems capable of doing even the most complex tasks on their own. He explores the s…

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Deconstructed: Carlton Cinema — Islington at the Pictures 32:43

1h ago32:43

32:43

In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Nigel Smith, who runs ‘Memory Palaces’, a website and programme of walking tours to explore the history of London’s cinemas. They discussed the Carlton Cinema on Essex Road, Islington, which first opened to the public in a grand ceremony in 1930, and represents the changing fashions and fate for c…

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'We have let the Sweden Democrats become our voice on immigration' 7:19

13d ago7:19

7:19

In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Richard Orange catches up with Douglas Thor, the head of the Moderate party’s youth wing, to talk about his ideas for combating teen deportations. As we’ve reported quite a bit recently, Sweden is routinely deporting the young adult children of permanent residency applicants if they can’t support…

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Student life: Making the most of your free time 31:31

14d ago31:31

31:31

Lund University is known for having some of the best student life in northern Europe, with a unique experience offered by nations and student unions, free cultural activities, sports, beautiful Skåne nature, and proximity to Malmö and Copenhagen for the big-city nightlife. But don't just take our word for it! In this episode, student worker Megan h…

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100🔸The Spiritual Journey of Finding Your Signature Style 14:39

23h ago14:39

14:39

What if I told you that developing your signature style isn't just about looking good, it's actually a spiritual practice? In this, my 100th episode, I explore how the journey to find your essential aesthetic can deepen your connection to yourself and your purpose. I share a personal revelation from my journal about the hidden fear that keeps us co…

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Is Sweden's new cultural canon helpful for immigrants? 34:50

17d ago34:50

34:50

In this week's episode, panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange tell us how they've recently embellished their Swedish credentials through woodland activities and crayfish parties. In news, we look at how the government is planning to combat high food prices as well as what property prices and the value of the krona are telling us about the sta…

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The future of finding love with Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd | ReThinking with Adam Grant 36:29

14d ago36:29

36:29

What will dating look like in the age of AI? Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble, the popular dating app that has helped millions of people meet their match. In this episode, Whitney chats with Adam about her vision for the future of dating online and offline, her decision to take a break from leading Bumble, and the importance of p…

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UK House Prices Fall, Open House Festival 2025 & Trump's 'Make America Beautiful Again' Campaign 30:32

5d ago30:32

30:32

In this episode, host Fran Williams is joined by Open House Festival Director Celia Mead. Celia is a management consultant who has run major organisations and cultural heritage festivals to discuss: Less than ten days until Open House Festival 2025 // Environmental concerns over plans to redevelop Liverpool Street Station // An unexpected fall in U…

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Moving to Sweden: 'The help I got from Dalarna was mind-blowing' 4:57

20d ago4:57

4:57

In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, host Paul O'Mahony chats with Iain Forbes, a medical professional from the UK who moved to Falun shortly after the 2016 Brexit vote. In the interview Forbes speaks in glowing terms about the integration package offered to him by the Dalarna Region, which included six months of fully paid language instruction…

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99🔸Personality and Color Types: When Winter Brights Feel Wrong 13:33

8d ago13:33

13:33

Today's episode is designed to answer the question: what happens when you have extraverted colors but an introverted personality, and how can you make personality and color types work together? A YouTube viewer recently asked what happens when you have extraverted colors but an introverted personality. In this episode, I explore how personality and…

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Why Swedish universities are refusing to design citizenship tests 22:06

24d ago22:06

22:06

In this week's episode we talk about the government’s plans for citizenship tests and why universities want nothing to do with creating them. And when does autumn start in Sweden? Have we given up on summer already? Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics disc…

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A concrete plan for sustainable cement | Ryan Gilliam 10:43

24d ago10:43

10:43

Cement is one of the most-consumed materials on Earth — second only to water — and it accounts for a whopping eight percent of the world's carbon pollution. What if we could turn this climate villain into a hero? Clean tech innovator and serial entrepreneur Ryan Gilliam reveals his company's surprisingly simple process for transforming waste from t…

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Buzzwords: Care with Jasmina Cibic 29:03

12d ago29:03

29:03

Buzzwords is a new pilot podcast from Open City, produced in collaboration with the arts and culture podcast EMPIRE LINES. The podcast unpacks words and phrases often overused in the fields of art and architecture. Produced by curator, writer, and researcher Jelena Sofronijevic, each episode invites artists, curators, architects, and academics to c…

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98🔸Personality Style Blueprint: How Myers-Briggs Really Works 16:55

29d ago16:55

16:55

Ever wonder why some style advice feels completely wrong for you? In this episode, I dive deep into how Myers-Briggs really works—beyond the four letters most people know. Your dominant cognitive function is your personal flow state, and when you can't access it, you experience symptoms similar to depression. I share my own story of feeling invisib…

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So you moved to Sweden. Are you an immigrant, a foreigner or an expat? 27:05

1M ago27:05

27:05

In this week's episode we talk about the latest from the trial of Sweden’s former national security chief, Henrik Landerholm, over the negligent handling of classified documents. We also discuss the language used to describe people who weren’t born in Sweden. Are we immigrants, foreigners, expats or something else entirely? Host Paul O'Mahony is jo…

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A survival guide for musicians in the age of AI | Harvey Mason jr. 15:36

28d ago15:36

15:36

Artificial intelligence can write a song in seconds, but does that mean human songwriters will become obsolete? Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. doesn’t think so. A songwriter himself, he offers a four-step “survival guide” for human creators to endure the age of AI, urging musicians to embrace technology while preserving the emotional essenc…

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Cricket in Sweden: how can an immigrant-powered sport attract new players? 15:23

1M ago15:23

15:23

In this week’s episode we look at the past, present and future of cricket in Sweden. With interest soaring in Sweden in recent years, The Local’s James Savage attended an event recently introducing Swedish parliamentarians to the sport. To get a feel for the state of the game in Sweden, James spoke to the event’s organizer, Nagendra Siddoutam from …

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97🔸How Personality and Style Determine Your Best Jeans Styles 16:02

1M ago16:02

16:02

Ever wonder why some jean styles feel "right" while others feel like you're wearing a costume? In this episode, I explore how your Myers-Briggs cognitive functions and body design principles reveal which jean silhouettes will make you feel most authentic. From understanding why Si types love bootcut jeans to how Ne types approach styling creatively…

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Why is Sweden deporting young adult children of permanent residents? 18:18

1M ago18:18

18:18

In this week's episode we talk about the resurrection of Northvolt and what new ownership will mean for the bankrupt battery maker. We also ask if the government is likely to do anything to stop the trend of young adults being deported while their working parents are allowed to stay in Sweden. Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panel…

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Why your phone battery gets worse over time | George Zaidan 9:47

1M ago9:47

9:47

Almost all batteries, even single-use batteries, are theoretically rechargeable. That's because the metals and other chemicals are still there in the battery. So chemically speaking, a dead battery is actually not that different from a fresh one. Then why do batteries die in the first place? And what should you do with them once they're spent? Geor…

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Dangerously hot homes, the Oxford Street redesign and the UK's first Museum of Brutalist Architecture 30:28

26d ago30:28

30:28

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the Head of Climate Action and Public Health at Love Design Studio and Shade the UK, Polly Turton. Together, they discuss the biggest stories this week in architecture and planning news: Warnings over dangerously hot UK homes amid a fourth heatwave this year // The search begins for design teams to …

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96🔸Personal Color Palette: What the Systems Really Look For 16:06

1M ago16:06

16:06

Struggling to trust your own style instincts? In this episode, I reveal what different personal color palette systems are really looking for behind the scenes - and how understanding their hidden criteria can help you figure out what YOU are actually looking for. From Caygill's "fresh vs dramatic" effects to Korean analysts seeking paler skin, each…

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Why Sweden’s right-wing parties are bickering over call to freeze trade with Israel 15:02

1M ago15:02

15:02

In this week's episode we talk about Sweden’s return to day-to-day life as the summer holidays wind down. In politics we discuss divisions on the right on how to deal with Israel, and we dig into reactions to news that the Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson uses Chat GPT to test out new ideas. Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelist …

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Will AI make humans extinct? | Yoshua Bengio 15:42

1M ago15:42

15:42

Yoshua Bengio — the world's most-cited computer scientist and a "godfather" of artificial intelligence — is deadly concerned about the current trajectory of the technology. As AI models race toward full-blown agency, Bengio warns that they've already learned to deceive, cheat, self-preserve and slip out of our control. Drawing on his groundbreaking…

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Deconstructed: London County Hall – A Palace for Municipal Government 30:19

1M ago30:19

30:19

In this episode, the second of a trilogy to mark 60 years since the end of the London County Council, Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Dr Ruth Lang. They discussed London County Hall, the purpose-built home of the London County Council which sits on the south bank of the Thames at Westminster. It was designed by Ralph Knott and built from 1911–1…

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95🔸Should Your Working Genius Type Inform Your Signature Style? 12:11

2M ago12:11

12:11

What if your signature style could communicate where you fit in the process of getting work done before you even speak? In this episode, I share my Working Genius discovery and why understanding this framework made me realize I'd been sabotaging my own effectiveness by blending in visually. Unlike Myers-Briggs or Enneagram, Working Genius reveals w…

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Why are Sweden and Denmark going different ways on work permits 33:10

2M ago33:10

33:10

In this week's episode we bring in The Local's Denmark editor, Michael Barrett, to talk about why Denmark is liberating its work permit rules at the same time as Sweden is tightening up. And we assess Sweden’s big political experiment: a centre-right government backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats. Three years on, how has it been working? Host …

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Is AI your next hire? | Fixable 30:45

2M ago30:45

30:45

What do you do when there’s too much work but not enough people to do it? Bring in some support! This week, Anne and Frances talk to a listener whose expert sales team can no longer keep up with everything the company offers. Together, Anne and Frances outline ways to simplify work for a stressed out team—including the use of AI to reduce complexit…

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Kew's Carbon Garden, Selkirk's Brutalist Gem & Relief for Bexhill's De La Warr Pavillion 29:56

1M ago29:56

29:56

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the architecture journalist and co-host of The Brief Fran Williams. Together, they discuss the biggest stories this week in architecture and planning news: Kew Gardens opens a brand new carbon garden and pavilion // Conservation groups unite to rescue a Brutalist gem in the Scottish borders // Resto…

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Work permit salary thresholds: Does exempted job list mean anything? 18:16

2M ago18:16

18:16

This week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ subscribers features an interview with Hanna Geurtsen, the Migration Agency official responsible for overseeing a new list of jobs which could be exempted from a future salary threshold for work permits. She tells us how and why the list was put together, what it consists of, and what pra…

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94🔸Exposing Diet Culture Lies: What to Wear When Losing Weight 13:21

2M ago13:21

13:21

I keep meeting women who want to work with me but are waiting until they reach their goal weight. This breaks my heart because it's exactly backwards from what actually supports both wellbeing and goals. The research on weight bias is devastating: 69% of people cite doctors as the second most common source of weight bias. When healthcare profession…

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Why Swedes stay home in summer (and it's not for the rain) 22:48

2M ago22:48

22:48

In this week's episode we talk about 'cloudburst-like rain' and what to do if your house is flooded, we talk about why Swedes tend to stay home in the summer, and we talk about what it's like to have a baby in Sweden. Floods How can you protect your Swedish home against downpours? Swedish summer 'On a sunny day, it can't be beat': The best things a…

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Why AI is our ultimate test and greatest invitation | Tristan Harris 18:40

2M ago18:40

18:40

Technologist Tristan Harris has an urgent question: What if the way we’re deploying the world’s most powerful technology — artificial intelligence — isn’t inevitable, but a choice? In this eye-opening talk, he calls on us to learn from the mistakes of social media’s catastrophic rollout and confront the predictable dangers of reckless AI developmen…

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InterCities: Taipei with Brian Hioe 29:26

2M ago29:26

29:26

InterCities is a six-part podcast series from Open City. In it, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes. In this episode, our host Owen Hatherley is joined by Brian Hioe, a Taiwanese-American writer …

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Is your Swedish good enough for university? – Quiz 11 10:43

2M ago10:43

10:43

It’s time again to learn some Swedish as our panelists try their hand at the tricky vocabulary section of Högskoleprovet, the Swedish university entrance exam. Host Paul O’Mahony in Stockholm is joined this week from Malmö by The Local's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. READ ALSO: SWEDISH TEST: Can you pass the vocab part of Sweden's version of t…

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93🔸The Hidden Self Care for Moms: Why Getting Dressed Matters 13:09

2M ago13:09

13:09

For years, I've watched women, especially moms, ignore their own needs in ways that go beyond putting family first. There's this magical thinking around wardrobe - "I just won't plan to spend anything for clothes" - but that could be considered avoiding responsibility for self-care. Research from Harvard shows that making daily choices actually ext…

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Can Sweden's migration minister survive scandal of son's extremist links? 17:15

2M ago17:15

17:15

In this week's episode we talk about revelations that the son of Johan Forssell, Sweden's migration minister, has been active in far-right extremist groups and how the scandal is affecting the government. We also discuss what's behind a recent spate of redundancies in Sweden's games sector, an industry that employs a disproportionately high number …

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Are we cooked? How social media shapes your language | Adam Aleksic 16:18

2M ago16:18

16:18

Gen Z slang is rife with new words like "unalive," "skibidi" and "rizz." Where do these words come from — and how do they get popular so fast? Linguist Adam Aleksic explores how the forces of social media algorithms are reshaping the way people talk and view their very own identities. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow th…

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The Open House Festival catalogue is live, pedestrianising the West End and can office skyscrapers save nightlife? 29:40

2M ago29:40

29:40

In this episode, host Sahiba Chadha will be joined by guest Mike Althorpe, an architectural researcher at Karakusevic Carson Architects and the mastermind behind The London Ambler tours. They will be discussing: The programme for this year’s Open House Festival goes live // Bold plans to pedestrianise London’s West End revealed // A last chance to …

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92🔸What Rita's Style System Really Tells You About Yourself 15:45

2M ago15:45

15:45

Have you ever found yourself hoping that the next style system you find will finally allow you to crack the code on what you should wear? As a personality profiler, I learned to look for aesthetic sensibility in people with extraverted sensing, but recently I had a client who just wasn’t visually sensitive. Then I encountered Rita's Style Keys syst…

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Is your Swedish good enough for university? – Quiz 10 14:45

2M ago14:45

14:45

In this week's episode we once again bring you a Swedish language quiz as The Local's journalists answer multiple choice questions from the vocabulary section of Högskoleprovet, the Swedish university entrance exam. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined for the quiz by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. READ ALSO: SWEDISH TEST: Can you pas…

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The best way to lower Earth’s temperature — fast | Daniel Zavala-Araiza 13:04

2M ago13:04

13:04

There's an invisible super-pollutant heating up the planet — but it's surprisingly easy to reduce, if we try. Revealing how methane contributes (way) more in the short term to global warming than carbon dioxide, chemical engineer Daniel Zavala-Araiza highlights the emerging technologies and bold new policies that are part of a worldwide effort to h…

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Deconstructed: Al Manaar Mosque & Cultural Centre - Faith, Space, and Community 29:27

2M ago29:27

29:27

In this episode of Deconstructed, host Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Shukri Sultan, a lecturer at Westminster University, to explore the story of Al Manaar Mosque in West London. Together, they unpack how this unassuming building became a vital hub for faith, community, and resilience — especially in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. Correc…