Épisodes

  • Is Grok undressing you?
    Jan 14 2026

    The AI tool Grok has caused controversy and shock around the world, after it was revealed that the chatbot can generate images of real people without clothes on. These fake nudes are then posted publicly on X, causing immense distress for the victims. There are also reports of underage victims.

    BBC technology reporter Laura Cress joins us to explain what has happened with Grok, how governments worldwide are reacting, and how Grok’s owner Elon Musk has responded to the backlash.

    We hear from Daisy in the UK, whose gym photo was edited without her consent and BBC business reporter Osmond Chia, who’s been speaking to victims of these deepfakes in Indonesia, which has just banned Grok.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: William Lee Adams and Emilia Jansson Editor: Julia Ross-Roy and Emily Horler

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    11 min
  • Why some people claim the Moon landing was faked
    Jan 13 2026

    American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in 1969. The landing was televised and watched by around 600 million people around the world. That and subsequent missions have brought back 382kg of moon rock. More than 400,000 people work on the American space programme to get people to the Moon; scientists, engineers, researchers and support staff along with the astronauts.

    But still, some people don’t believe the Moon landings actually happened and think the whole thing was staged or faked, possibly with the help of Hollywood. Among them are Kim Kardashian, Joe Rogan and YouTuber Shane Dawson. And they’re not alone. In some surveys, as many as 25% of those asked agreed with a statement that the Moon landings had all been a hoax. Results differ by age group, but some surveys have also found there’s even more doubt about the Moon landings in young people, compared to older age groups.

    In this episode, Nathalie Jimenez, our BBC reporter in New York and Jacqui Wakefield, a BBC global disinformation reporter debunk some of the conspiracy theories about the Moon landing and discuss why younger people are more likely to think it was staged.

    Audio of Moon landing used courtesy of British Pathé.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

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    12 min
  • Iran protests: What’s happening?
    Jan 12 2026

    The streets of Iran have been filled with protesters for the last few weeks. What initially started as dissatisfaction over the economy has turned into a nationwide uprising which keeps escalating.

    The Iranian security forces have responded by firing tear gas into the crowds of people. According to human rights groups, hundreds of demonstrators have reportedly been killed. Amongst those confirmed dead is fashion student Rubina Aminian, whose family have been able to identify her body. But information out of the country remains sparse, as the government has shut off the internet.

    Now the US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the protests, threatening military intervention. We’re joined by Ghoncheh Habibiazad, a senior reporter at BBC Persian - she explains why people are protesting and what life is like for young people in the country.

    Shayan Sardarizadeh from BBC Verify also explains how reporters are able to access footage despite limited connection.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Benita Barden, Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Harriet Oliver

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    9 min
  • All the single ladies, put your hands up
    Jan 9 2026

    Single girlies, put your hands up!!! Because haven’t you heard? It’s chic to be single. Think solo trips, personal growth for yourself and no one else, and as Miley Cyrus says, you can buy yourself flowers.

    If you are single, you aren’t alone - by 2030, 45% of women in the US aged between 25 and 44 will be single according to US data.

    Whilst getting into a relationship has historically been seen as the end goal, it seems that increasingly even if women are in one, they don’t post about their boyfriends. Attitudes to being single are changing - especially for women in heterosexual relationships - many are embracing the single life on social media a bit more

    We hear from Chanté Joseph, the author of that viral Vogue article with the big question ‘is having a boyfriend embarrassing now?’.

    Three single women tell us their takes on singledom and three BBC pals in China, Turkey and South Korea, tell us what the single stigma is like in their countries.

    Plus, we should all have a bit more main character energy shouldn’t we? So some of the What in the World team tell you what they’re doing this year to take on a leading role.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

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    13 min
  • Why people learn English
    Jan 8 2026

    English is the most widely spoken language globally, both online and IRL. In fact, 1.5 billion people speak it. However, only around 25% of those are native speakers. So how did English become so dominant? Why do people learn it at school? And how have hybrid versions of English, like Spanglish (Spanish-English) or Hinglish (Hindi-English), developed? Georgie Thorman from BBC Learning English joins us to chat through everything we need to know.

    English is also the most dominant language online and is the lingua franca (dominant language) of pop culture. AI is trained on vast amounts of information taken from the internet. So does this mean that as AI use increases, English will gain even more ground? We invited linguist and AI expert Linda Heimisdóttir onto the pod to explain.

    Plus, we hear from three young people about why they chose to learn English. Are you learning English right now? We’d love to hear from you. All our details can be found below.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Natalia Makohon and Maria Clara Montoya Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

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    11 min
  • Brick phones are so back
    Jan 7 2026

    Brick phones are making a comeback… but it’s not just down to Y2K nostalgia. There’s growing concern around how dependent we are on our smartphones - screen time apps are getting more popular, devices to lock you out of your apps are on the market and some people are even getting rid of their smartphones completely. So, why are so many of us doing a digital detox? And do we even need to?

    BBC journalist Chelsea Coates explains where this growing trend is coming from, plus she takes us through the data on smartphones and young people. We hear from Elias Wachtel, who reported on this for The Atlantic after giving up his smartphone, and Veda (@Sakuraopal) in Hong Kong, who went viral online after swapping her smartphone for a flip phone to cut her screen time. And Professor Andy Przybylski, who specializes in Human Behaviour and Technology at the University of Oxford, debunks some of the misconceptions we have about phones and our health.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates, Maria Clara Montoya and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

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    13 min
  • Does using AI impact the environment?
    Jan 6 2026

    When you think of AI, you might think of funny generated pictures, help with your homework and dating advice. But, do you think of the effect using it might be having on the environment?

    AI firms usually have huge data centres, which power the technology. And with that great usage, comes great amounts of energy zapped up by AI companies.

    There’s long been a rumour that every ChatGPT query you make uses one pint of water. So is there any truth to the claim? And is it damaging the world around us? We speak to tech reporter Laura Cress, who explains the environmental impacts of the technology.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Imogen James, Benita Barden and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

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    9 min
  • Venezuela: What just happened?
    Jan 5 2026

    Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are in custody in the US after President Trump has launched a series of strikes on Venezuela. It was all part of ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ - a mission the Trump administration had secretly been planning for months.

    Both Maduro and his wife have been charged with a list of drugs and weapons offences and are due to appear in court in New York later on Monday. President Trump has said the US will run Venezuela until he can organise a “safe, proper and judicious” transition of power. But how will this work?

    In this episode, we explain why the US went ahead with the attack, whether it is legal, and what the future could hold for people living in Venezuela after the operation.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

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    9 min