Podcast · Society & Culture

Stuff Matters with Ed Conway

by Sky News · English · Society & Culture

We tell the hidden stories of the objects around you. Bananas, trainers, AirPods - they all reveal something about the modern world. Our hope is you’ll never look at stuff the same again. Hosted by Ed Conway.

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New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 56 min
Latest: 16 Aug 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

16 Aug 2026 · 24 min

Will the West ever be able to produce stuff again? (And other Qs answered by Ed)

What’s next after decades of relentless globalisation? It’s top of mind for you - the Stuff Matters listeners - and most Western politicians. In this Q&A episode, Ed has a go at sketching out a path forward for the West. Find out how to subscribe to our members club Sky News Insider here: skynews.com/stuffmatters Plus, a listener picks a bone with one of the arguments in our car seats episode. Are we just trying to pack more and more people into extremely dense cities to fuel economic growth like “battery chickens”? Sky News Insider requires a paid subscription and is available to UK…

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Earlier episodes 8 most recent

E6 · 26 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 11 min
Trainers: An old pair of Nikes that altered history
Ed has a theory. Did an unbranded pair of trainers from the '70s help trigger Western deindustrialisation and pave the way for Trump, Farage and - ultimately - China's economic dominance? Find out how to subscribe to our members club Sky News Insider here: skynews.com/stuffmatters It all goes back to a pair of trainers secretly made by Nike in the 1970s – but without the famous Swoosh on them. They were part of Nike’s secret plan to fight back against a cataclysmic $25 million customs bill from the US government, orchestrated by Nike’s rivals. Back in the ‘70s, Nike disrupted the American…
E5 · 20 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Howitzers: Medieval cannons and the supply chains of modern war
Ed uncovers the surprising story of the howitzer – the artillery weapon that has dominated battlefields for hundreds of years, from Napoleon to Ukraine and forever changed the economics of war. But this isn't just the story of a big gun. Become a Sky News Insider! You can listen to Stuff Matters, Electoral Dysfunction, and Trump100 without ads, get new episodes early, exclusive bonus episodes and much more, by becoming a Sky News Insider. Sky News Insider requires a paid subscription and is available to UK listeners aged 18 and over. Find out more and subscribe here:…
13 Jul 2026 · 24 min
More Stuff Matters: If fertility is falling, who is having children?
We're unlocking an episode of More Stuff Matters before coming back with more new episodes! In the main episode, Ed explored the mystery of falling birth rates through child car booster seats. In this bonus, he takes the conversation further. Featuring an extended interview with social scientist Dr Alice Evans, they explore not just why people are having fewer children, but who is still having them. From South Korea and Turkey to Zambia and Uzbekistan, Alice draws on years of research around the world to explore the changing expectations around relationships, marriage and family life.…
E4 · 5 Jul 2026 · 57 min
Car seats: The mystery of our depopulating planet
What if bulky children’s car safety seats are a clue to one of the biggest changes in human history – the reason people aren't having kids anymore? Ed Conway investigates. Become a Sky News Insider! You can listen to Stuff Matters, Electoral Dysfunction, and Trump100 without ads, get new episodes early, exclusive bonus episodes and much more, by becoming a Sky News Insider. Sky News Insider requires a paid subscription and is available to UK listeners aged 18 and over. Find out more and subscribe here: skynews.supportingcast.fm Across almost every continent, birth rates are falling.…
E3 · 28 Jun 2026 · 56 min
Bananas: Is it the end of our favourite fruit?
It's a story that spans continents and centuries, taking in corporate empires and CIA-backed coups and it's all about bananas. Could Britain's favourite fruit be wiped out? Find out how to subscribe to our members club Sky News Insider here: skynews.com/stuffmatters They're cheap, convenient and available in every supermarket, every day of the year. Most of us barely give them a second thought. But behind the humble banana lies one of the most extraordinary stories in the modern economy, and one of the most remarkable supply chains ever created. Ed Conway follows the fruit's journey from…
E2 · 21 Jun 2026 · 1 hr
AirPods: Why's everyone fighting over the mysterious elements inside?
That satisfying snap when you close an AirPods case is powered by one of the most important materials in the modern world. To listen without ads, get new episodes a week early, exclusive bonus episodes and much more, become a Sky News Insider. Find out more and subscribe at skynews.com/stuffmatters . Hidden inside are tiny magnets made from rare earth elements: obscure minerals that help power everything from smartphones and wind turbines to fighter jets and electric cars. They're also at the centre of one of the biggest geopolitical struggles of our time. In this episode, Ed Conway follows…
E1 · 14 Jun 2026 · 54 min
LEDs: How a little blue light changed the world
A flashing wristband at an NFL game sends Ed Conway down an unexpected economic rabbit hole. To listen without ads, get new episodes a week early, exclusive bonus episodes and much more, become a Sky News Insider. Find out more and subscribe at skynews.com/stuffmatters . LEDs were supposed to be one of the great technological and environmental success stories: a revolutionary technology that uses a fraction of the energy of traditional light bulbs. But is that what they've become? Or are they just an example of humankind’s insatiable desire for stuff? After all - we’ve just started lighting…
27 May 2026 · 2 min
What is Stuff Matters?
In Stuff Matters, Ed Conway takes an object, cracks it open and reveals the world shaping forces hidden inside. Each episode follows a trail of ideas that stretches beyond the object itself, uncovering far reaching economic powers that shape how we live. Along the way, Ed meets fascinating characters, from brilliant inventors to Latin American revolutionaries. He dives into their personal stories and reveals how they’ve changed the course of industries and economies. Because when you look closely enough, even the simplest things turn out to matter more than you think.

About Stuff Matters with Ed Conway

Stuff Matters with Ed Conway is a English society & culture podcast from Sky News. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Sky News
Language: English
Category: Society & Culture
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 56 min
Latest episode: 16 Aug 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1563573558
Rights: Copyright Sky News

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