It’s not that simple
Episodes
INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION, with Ricardo Soares de Oliveira
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The received wisdom often views corruption as a domestic problem, internal within each country. However, Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, professor of Poli...
GENETICS, with Alfonso Martínez Arias
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, we believed DNA held all the answers. But biologist Alfonso Martínez Arias offers a different view: «Genetics is simple, the problem is...
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, with Mariana van Zeller
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How far should a reporter go in search of the truth? Investigative journalism demands time, resources, and risk. In this episode of «It's not tha...
GEOGRAPHY, with Tim Marshall
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
British journalist and bestselling author Tim Marshall, known for the book «Prisoners of Geography», takes us on a journey through the real world: t...
PHYSICS, with Helen Czerski
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski demonstrates that physical patterns are all around us and explains how they shape our da...
PERFECTIONISM, with Thomas Curran
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
«If you look at the amount of spending that's going on right now, on self-optimisation, on self-help and self-improvement, we're at record le...
PRODUCTIVITY, with Nicholas Bloom
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do we measure and assess productivity? What impact does remote working have on productivity? And what about artificial intelligence? In this episo...
INFLATION, with Ricardo Reis
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if a single mistake by the European Central Bank could send Europe into a recession? Ricardo Reis, one of the most awarded Portuguese economists...
SPACE EXPLORATION, with Ezinne Uzo-Okoro
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are we safe hovering in the unknown? Harvard researcher and former assistant director for Space Policy at the White House, Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, is the gu...
Artificial Intelligence, with Neil Lawrence
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI: a dangerous threat or an indispensable tool for today and the future? «Artificial Intelligence is the most disruptive technology we've ever s...
GLOBALIZATION, with Anil Gupta
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is a clear Cold War between the US and China, but it differs from the one between the US and the Soviet Union and is «far more dangerous». The...
BIOTECHNOLOGY, with Andrew Hessel
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will we be able to programme the human genome like we programme computers? And will we be able to stop ageing or create medicines and vaccines in reco...
THE FUTURE OF NATO, with Peter Apps
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The alliance that has ensured peace throughout most of Europe is now at the centre of all attention. «We are in a very dangerous era. The next 25 yea...
E-COMMERCE, with Colin Bryar
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Colin Bryar, former vice-president of Amazon and Jeff Bezos' right-hand man, shares the secrets that have transformed Amazon into the world's leading ...
AMERICAN ELECTIONS, with Harry Enten
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the tightest race for the White House in 60 years. CNN data reporter Harry Enten believes that Pennsylvania will be the state most likely to deci...
FOOD AND BRAIN, with Uma Naidoo
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does food influence mental well-being? Nutritional psychiatrist and author of the bestseller «This Is Your Brain on Food» Uma Naidoo argues tha...
AGEISM, with Ashton Applewhite
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
American activist and author Ashton Applewhite tackles the issue of ageism in this «It's not that simple» interview. With an assertive approach,...
CHANGING PLANET, with Peter Frankopan
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a world increasingly defined by global environmental challenges and changes, the perspective of historian Peter Frankopan, author of the best-selli...
WAR AND PEACE, with David Petraeus
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
«The Western world faces more complex challenges today than at any time in the past», says former CIA director David Petraeus. In this «It's no...
BRUSSELS EFFECT, with Anu Bradford
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
«The European Union is one of the largest and richest consumer markets. And few global companies can afford not to do business in the EU», says Anu ...
MIGRATIONS, with Hein de Haas
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
«There is nothing more permanent than a temporary migrant. Don't create any illusions that a fair share of migrants in not going to stay», says ...
Poverty, with Esther Duflo
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two dollars (about 1.85 euros) per day to cover all needs. This is the benchmark set by the World Bank to define extreme poverty, already accounting f...
Adolescence, with Lisa Damour
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it like to be a teenager these nowadays? What challenges do they face? How can adults contribute to their well-being? To answer these questio...
Youth and Politics, with Roberta Metsola
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How important is the European Union? What is its role in today’s world? Is it still too distant from European citizens? How can it better reach out ...
The World Today, with Simon Sebag Montefiore
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does the world look like today? What can explain the many wars currently taking place around the globe? Will conflicts like the one in the Middle...
Blue Zones, with Dan Buettner
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are “Blue Zones”? Where in the world do people live better and healthier lives? What makes them live longer and healthier? To answer these qu...
Communicating Science, with Brian Cox
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is scientific knowledge? How can it be relayed to the general public in our era of social media and fake information? What is the role of science...
INNOVATION, with Niron Hashai
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do we mean by “innovation”? Why do we need it? How can companies and societies encourage it? To answer these questions, Pedro Pinto interview...
HUMAN CAPITAL, with James Heckman
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do we mean by “human capital”? What is the relationship between democracy, human rights and economic prosperity? Are poor people doomed to re...
BLOCKCHAIN, with Don Tapscott
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is Blockchain? What is it for? How does it work? What kind of impact can it have on our societies? To answer these questions, Pedro Pinto intervi...
VETTING, with Alyssa Mastromonaco
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is “vetting”? How does it work? Why is it so important to the quality of public service and government? To answer these questions, Pedro Pint...
HUMANITY, with Yuval Noah Harari
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the first-time live in Portugal, the historian and writer Yuval Noah Harari, author of «Sapiens» and «Homo Deus», reflects on the advances of ...
DEMOCRACY, with Daniel Ziblatt
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is democracy dying? What challenges do democracies around the world face nowadays? How can they overcome such challenges? To answer these questions, P...
HAPPINESS, with Laurie Santos
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is happiness? Can it be studied? Are there steps we can all take in order to become happy? To answer these questions, Pedro Pinto interviews Laur...
THE FUTURE OF WORK, with Daniel Susskind
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What will the economy of the future look like? How can we prepare for it? What impact is technology having on work and the job market? Are we heading ...
POLITICAL POLARIZATION, with Ezra Klein
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is political polarization? Has social media contributed to its growth? What about Donald Trump? And where does this growing polarization leave “...
LONGEVITY, with Andrew J. Scott
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How long can human beings live? Will it become increasingly normal for one to live up to 100 years? What impact will aging have in our societies? To a...
CLIMATE MIGRATION with Abrahm Lustgarten
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What makes people migrate? How does climate change drive mass migration in today’s world? How serious is this problem? How serious will it become in...
CLIMATE CHANGE with Bill McKibben
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is climate change? How is it affect our planet? What consequences does it have on our lives? And must we – and can we – do soften them? To an...
COSMOS with Vítor Cardoso
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How old is the Universe? How was it born? How will it end? Why are we here? What is a black hole and what do they do? To answer these questions, Pedro...
CORRUPTION with Donatella della Porta
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is «corruption»? What different kinds of corruption exist in our modern societies? How does corruption manifest itself in governments, corporat...
FROM RAGS TO RICHES with John Friedman
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is social mobility? How can we measure it? How can we promote it? Is the “American Dream” still alive? How did the Covid-19 pandemic impact s...
GLOBAL ECONOMY with Michael Spence
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How much impact did the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have on the global economy? How will technology change sectors like heal...
WOMEN’S RIGHTS with Leymah Gbowee
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is it like growing up in a country in civil war? What remains to be achieved in the struggle for women's rights? Will it be possible to heal...
BREXIT with R. Daniel Kelemen
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How disastrous was “Brexit”? How much did it affect the United Kingdom’s economy and its living standards? How has it changed the political rela...
ECONOMY & COVID-19 with Adam Tooze
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Has the Covid-19 pandemic changed the world's balance of economic power? How important were political leaders in responding to the crisis born out of ...
(I)LIBERAL DEMOCRACY with Catherine de Vries
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What challenges and threats do European democracies face today? How actually democratic are they? What is an illiberal democracy? Will democracy in Eu...
PUTIN’S RUSSIA with Mark Galeotti
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does Vladimir Putin want? What makes him so dangerous? How can he be fought? What role could countries like China play in solving the crisis of t...
ELECTIONS with Nate Silver
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible to predict the future? What is “data journalism”? Have polls become increasingly unreliable? To answer these questions, Pedro Pinto...