Season Five Trailer

Why It Matters is back for a fifth season, asking the important questions about the global issues, problems, and trends that will affect the future. What role does American music play in international relations? Will the global supply chain put the path to clean energy at risk? What the heck is quantum computing? 

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Host
  • Gabrielle Sierra
    Director, Podcasting
Credits

Asher Ross - Supervising Producer

Markus Zakaria - Audio Producer and Sound Designer

Rafaela Siewert - Associate Podcast Producer

Show Notes

Get caught up on the first four seasons: 

 

Season four: 

 

Hyperventilating Over Hypersonics

 

The Climate for Nuclear Energy

 

Mexico

 

Sexual Assault in the U.S. Military

 

Spying 101

 

Perspective on Afghanistan, With Richard N. Haass

 

Japan’s Population Problem

 

Water Scarcity

 

When the Microchips Are Down

 

Season three:

 

Gone Fishing

 

A Global Shot in the Arm, With Anthony Fauci

 

The Dollar Privilege

 

The Most Persistent and Lethal Threat

 

Russia

 

China’s Starring Role in Hollywood

 

The Future Is African

 

A Climate Bomb in the Amazon

 

Let’s Talk About Toilets

 

Make America Vote Again

 

Season Three Trailer

 

Season two:

 

Treasures Looted in War

 

Why We Need International Students

 

Pricing Our Climate

 

Hey, Remember the Olympics?

 

Living in History

 

The World Is Watching Us

 

The Human Cost of Labor Trafficking

 

Exporting Authoritarianism

 

WhatsApp With India?

 

Wearing the World Out

 

Bonus Episode: ‘A Medically Induced Economic Coma’

 

Season Two Trailer

 

Season one:

 

The Big Red Button

 

China Doesn’t Want Your Trash

 

STEMinism

 

Space Jam

 

Prescription for Disaster

 

New Years Special: 2020 Hindsight

 

Robots That Kill

 

Voter, You’ve Been Hacked

 

Dimming the Sky

 

The One Where We Talk About NATO at a Party

 

Coronavirus

 

Space

Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are real. And the truth about them is often hidden from the public, for reasons related to national security. That secrecy has fed conspiracy theories about the possibility of alien life on Earth, creating a stigma around the legitimate scientific search for life on other planets. Why are UFOs considered a defense concern? And does a defense framing of UFOs inhibit scientific research?

Center for Preventive Action

Every January, CFR’s annual Preventive Priorities Survey analyzes the conflicts most likely to occur in the year ahead and measures their potential impact. For the first time, the survey anticipates that this year, 2024, the United States will contend not only with a slew of global threats, but also a high risk of upheaval within its own borders. Is the country prepared for the eruption of election-related instability at home while wars continue to rage abroad?

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Billions of people will take to the polls next year, marking the world’s largest-ever electoral field. But this historic scale is not the only thing that will make 2024 unique. As new threats like deep fakes become cheaper and more widespread, these upcoming elections could serve as a test run for democracy in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. What risks does AI pose to elections next year? And will a surge in AI-powered disinformation change the nature of democratic elections?

Top Stories on CFR

Indonesia

Prabowo Subianto was named the winner of the Indonesian presidential election. But it is unclear which version of Prabowo—the more moderate candidate from the campaign trail or the self-styled strongman—will govern Indonesia.

Russia

The mass casualty theater attack in Moscow was a reminder that affiliates of the Islamic State have reorganized and infiltrated even powerful states.

India

With India's development continuing to gain steam, one of the biggest challenges will be to avoid the mistake that others have made when they failed to recognize their newly acquired global systemic influence and adapt accordingly. Both China and Big Tech show that it is never too early to start managing one's own rise.