How can the world create better medicines? More powerful solar cells? New batteries? The answers could come from a revolutionary research tool known as the quantum computer. It can seem like magic—harnessing the power of quantum physics to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. But there are unmitigated risks too, as the technology continues to develop. What would a quantum-led future hold? Featured Guests: Shohini Ghose (Quantum Physicist and Professor, Physics and Computer Science, Wilfr...
Mar 31, 2022•28 min
The world is already witnessing the effects of climate change. One inescapable and irreversible consequence is sea-level rise, which could destroy coastal cities. How will the world adapt to rising tides? Featured Guests: Alice C. Hill (David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment, Council on Foreign Relations) Klaus Jacob (Geophysicist and Emeritus Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University) Henk Ovink (Special Envoy for International Water Aff...
Mar 17, 2022•36 min
In this special episode, Why It Matters sits down with CFR President Richard Haass to ask the basic questions about the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s frame of mind, and his threat to world order. Featured Guest: Richard Haass (President, Council on Foreign Relations) For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/perspective-ukraine-richard-haass...
Mar 03, 2022•40 min
As the conflict in Ukraine escalates, here are some resources from the Council on Foreign Relations to stay informed: Charles A. Kupchan, “ Why Putin’s War With Ukraine Is a Miscalculation ,” CFR.org, February 24, 2022 “ TWNW Special: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine ,” The World Next Week, February 24, 2022 “ Ukraine’s Struggle for Independence in Russia’s Shadow ,” CFR.org, February 24, 2022 “ Crisis in Ukraine ,” CFR.org, February 23, 2022 Alina Polyakova and Daniel Fried, “ Putin’s Long Game in ...
Feb 25, 2022•1 min
The world is moving toward electric vehicles and clean energy, but a green future doesn’t depend on wind turbines, solar panels, and Teslas alone. It will also require a vast supply of advanced batteries. As a result, global demand for lithium—an essential battery ingredient—is outpacing supply, with the gap expected to grow in the years to come. Featured Guests: Frank Fannon (Managing Director, Fannon Global Advisors) Vijay Vaitheeswaran (Global Energy & Climate Innovation Editor, The Economist...
Feb 16, 2022•28 min
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? For more information on our first four seasons, be sure to visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/why-it-matters...
Jan 26, 2022•2 min
The Why It Matters team is pleased to introduce a new CFR series, Nine Questions for the World. The world is changing, and its future is forming around high-stakes challenges such as climate change and shifting geopolitical power. In this limited series, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass sits down with nine extraordinary thinkers to explore fundamental questions about the century to come. To hear more, subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , Google Podcasts , or whe...
Dec 20, 2021•3 min
Last summer, China tested a hypersonic missile that traveled through orbit. The test shocked many observers and led to widespread concern about the potential for nuclear-armed missiles that can evade detection and defense systems. The technology is not as new as it might seem, but this latest test highlights an underlying threat that the world has been living with for decades. Featured Guests: Laura Grego (Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Adam Mount (Senior...
Nov 12, 2021•27 min
Nuclear energy is critical for decarbonization in the fight against climate change. But high-profile accidents, substantial costs, and concerns about waste management have kneecapped its expansion. As the climate crisis intensifies, the world is rethinking how to use nuclear energy to tackle ambitious climate targets. Featured Guests: Leslie Dewan (CEO, RadiantNano) Shirley Ann Jackson (President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://ww...
Oct 29, 2021•37 min
Experts argue that Mexico affects daily life in the United States more than any other country. For years, U.S. and Mexican officials have attempted to tackle immigration, trade, and security challenges, and their success has depended on cooperation. With so much at stake, Why It Matters investigates the complex relationship and the factors that threaten it. Featured Guests: Shannon K. O’Neil (Vice President, Deputy Director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin Ame...
Oct 15, 2021•32 min
Female service members are more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow service member than shot by an enemy combatant at war. As the reports increase, the controversial military justice system remains intact. The current policy gives commanders authority over the prosecution, often allowing perpetrators to evade accountability. The consequences are dire for survivors and the armed services at large, as the status quo undermines military readiness. Featured Guests: Don Christenson (Colonel, ...
Sep 30, 2021•36 min
Why It Matters is pleased to present an episode from its sister podcast, The President’s Inbox. Today, U.S. national security is dependent on international nuclear agreements. How does the world regulate nuclear weapons as countries continue to advance their arsenals? Featured Guests: James M. Lindsey (Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair, Council on Foreign Relations) Rose Gottemoeller (Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer, Stanford Universit...
Sep 16, 2021•33 min
The glamour and thrill of espionage, brought to life on screen by characters such as James Bond, have long captivated imaginations. But this profession is deeply misunderstood, and it is always changing. Today, spycraft hangs in the balance as new technologies emerge and societies change. Featured Guests: Edward Lucas (Senior Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis) Emily Harding (Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, International Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studie...
Sep 02, 2021•34 min
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country, has prompted a moment of national debate about the war’s cost and legacy. Many are asking what went wrong and what the conflict accomplished. For insight, Why It Matters turned to CFR President Richard N. Haass, who has spent four decades studying and advising on Afghanistan. As head of policy planning for the State Department under U.S. President George W. Bush, and later as U.S. coordinator for the future of...
Aug 19, 2021•30 min
Hosting the Olympics is a monumental undertaking that often leaves behind rusted stadiums and financial losses. So why do nations compete to do it? This episode examines the political history of the games, and the soft power that countries hope to gain by hosting them. Featured Guests: Jules Boykoff (Professor of Political Science, Pacific University) Katharine Moon (Professor of Political Science, Wellesley College) For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at cfr.org/podcasts/hey-reme...
Aug 04, 2021•38 min
The United States’ alliance with Japan is the centerpiece of U.S. security in Asia, but new demographic challenges from within Japan raise concerns about the future of the region. Featured Guests: Zach Cooper , Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Motoko Rich , Tokyo Bureau Chief, New York Times Sheila A. Smith , John E. Merow Senior Fellow for Asia Pacific Studies For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at cfr.org/podcasts/japans-population-problem...
Jul 22, 2021•30 min
Fresh water is more than just a resource, it is the source of all life. But in many arid regions of the world, water supplies are under pressure from climate change, and outdated rules and infrastructure are making the problem worse. What does the world need to know about water consumption, and how can societies build better systems for a dryer future? Featured Guests: Mark Giordano (Professor of Geography and Cinco Hermanos Chair in Environment and International Affairs, Georgetown University) ...
Jul 08, 2021•37 min
Silicon chips are in almost all electronics, and access to them can make or break a country’s economic future. Their production relies on complex supply chains, and during the pandemic, the world learned just how fragile these supply chains are. Many countries, including the United States and China, are investing billions of dollars to develop the capacity to produce chips domestically, and some analysts see chip-related conflict on the horizon. Featured Guests: Don Clark (Freelance Contributor,...
Jun 23, 2021•31 min
Will the world have enough water to survive in the era of climate change? Could a shortage of silicon chips eventually lead to war? Do human spies matter in the era of cyber espionage? Why It Matters is back for its fourth season, unpacking new problems and speaking with a host of new guests. For more about Why It Matters, visit us at cfr.org/podcasts/why-it-matters
Jun 16, 2021•2 min
Industrial overfishing and other man-made factors have pushed one-third of the world’s fish stocks to be threatened with extinction, and many other species are not far behind. The problem represents a serious risk to ocean biodiversity, and to large human populations that rely on fish for day-to-day survival. What can be done? Featured Guests: Manuel Barange (Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Resources Division, Food and Agriculture Organization) Michele Kuruc (Vice President, Ocean...
Mar 19, 2021•35 min
Successful vaccine rollouts in the United States and other wealthy nations have made many people hopeful that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. But the majority of the world’s population does not yet have access to these vaccines. Without a strong global effort to immunize everyone, new variants could tighten the pandemic’s grip on rich and poor countries alike. Featured Guests: Anthony S. Fauci (Director, U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) Richard N. Haass (...
Mar 04, 2021•26 min
The dollar is the world’s primary reserve currency, accounting for $6.7 trillion in foreign reserves. This has given the United States what some have called “an exorbitant privilege,” allowing it to borrow easily and to levy painful sanctions. But could it lose this status? Featured Guests: Roger Ferguson (President and Chief Executive Officer, TIAA) Sebastian Mallaby (Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics) For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at cfr.org/podcast...
Feb 18, 2021•36 min
For years, security experts have warned that white nationalist and white supremacist extremism represent the most significant domestic terrorism threat to the United States. Now, in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the country seems to be gaining clarity about the seriousness of the situation for the first time. How did we get here, and what can be done? Featured Guests: Bruce Hoffman (Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security) Cynthia...
Feb 04, 2021•34 min
There is no country quite like Russia. Despite having a relatively small economy, it has been able to maintain global influence through a range of unconventional tactics. How has Vladimir Putin played his country’s weak hand so effectively? And what is his goal? Featured Guests: Jill Dougherty (Global Fellow, Kennan Institute, Wilson Center) Stephen Sestanovich (George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Council on Foreign Relations) Angela Stent (Director, Center for Euras...
Jan 21, 2021•37 min
What does it take to make a Hollywood blockbuster? Movie stars? A great script? How about approval from the Chinese government? In this episode, two guests explore the surprising role of Chinese censorship and oversight in the production of U.S. films and ask what’s at stake as their presence increases. Featured Guests: Aynne Kokas (Associate Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia) James Tager (Deputy Director, Free Expression Research and Policy, PEN America) For an episode transcri...
Jan 06, 2021•37 min
The U.S. president can launch a first-strike nuclear attack at any time, and there’s no law mandating they seek advice first. Some experts think that’s too much power to put in one person’s hands. Episode Page and Show Notes Featured Guests: Richard K. Betts (Adjunct Senior Fellow for National Security Studies) Alexandra Bell (Senior Policy Director, Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation) Abigail Stowe-Thurston (Program Coordinator, Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation)...
Dec 23, 2020•28 min•Ep. 1
Projections show that by 2050, Africa’s population will double. By 2100, one in three people on Earth will be African. This means that, by the end of the century, sub-Saharan Africa—which already has an extraordinarily young population—will be home to almost half of the young people in the world. In this episode, two experts examine whether Africa’s youth boom will be a blessing or a curse. Featured Guests: Michelle Gavin (Senior Fellow for Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations) John Gith...
Dec 11, 2020•33 min
The Brazilian Amazon is burning, threatening the world’s largest repository of biodiversity. If the fires are not controlled soon, they could release a “climate bomb” of stored carbon that would accelerate climate change. Featured Guests: Monica de Bolle (Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics) Stewart M. Patrick (James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance and Director of the International Institutions and Global Governance Program, Council on Foreign Relations) Th...
Nov 25, 2020•38 min
Fifty-five percent of the global population lacks access to safe sanitation, a deadly global health disparity that rarely finds its way into the spotlight. In this episode, we examine the scope of the problem, and the cultural challenges that have made it surprisingly difficult to fix. Featured Guests: Tom Slaymaker (Senior Statistics and Monitoring Specialist, WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)) Sangita Vyas (Associate Director, Research Institu...
Nov 11, 2020•30 min
The United States trails far behind most advanced democracies when it comes to voter turnout, with just 55 percent of eligible voters participating in the 2016 election. What are other countries doing right, and what is the United States doing wrong? Featured Guests: David Becker (Executive Director, Center for Election Innovation & Research) Kristen Clarke (President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law) Rosalind Dixon (Professor of Law, University of New South ...
Oct 28, 2020•42 min
