Why Is Everybody Still Getting Sick All The Time?

Last May, the Oak Ridge National Lab, run by the US Department of Energy, unveiled Frontier–the world's fastest supercomputer. It’s capable of performing a quintillion calculations per second, breaking what's called the exascale barrier.  The system requires its own power plant, 6,000 gallons of water to keep it cool, and a highly trained staff to operate. So what can it do? And who gets to use it? We set out for Knoxville, Tennessee to try to wrap our brains around Frontier’s limitless potential. See more about Frontier here: It Takes 6,000 Gallons of Water to Cool the World’s Fastest Supercomputer Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 Maalis 202333min

If you’re a working parent, finding childcare is almost certainly a source of stress in your life. It’s often a struggle to find an opening and when you do, it can be crazy expensive. This presents a tough choice: pay for childcare to be able to work, or become a caregiver and forgo a second income. And for single parents, there is no choice at all. Bloomberg reporter Olivia Konotey-Ahulu has been covering the growing discontent of parents in the UK. And Simon Workman is co-founder of Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies, which consults with US states to find ways to support the needs of young children and their families. They both join this episode to look at how the US and UK can fix their broken childcare systems–and highlight countries that are doing it right. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Maalis 202328min

Guardianships in the US are supposed to help vulnerable people who can’t help themselves.  But a Bloomberg Law investigation reveals a loosely regulated system in which those placed under guardianships can find themselves trapped, and sometimes exploited, by the people entrusted with their care. Bloomberg Law correspondents Ronnie Greene and Holly Barker join this episode to discuss their five-part series on how the system works—and doesn’t work—and what can be done to fix it. Read the story: https://bloom.bg/3zgHQBk  Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 Maalis 202328min

There’s at least one thing Democrats and Republicans in Washington have in common: suspicions about TikTok’s ties to China. The Biden administration and members of congress from both parties are urging the social media platform’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., to sell its stake in TikTok or risk being banned in the US.  Sound familiar? That’s because two and a half years ago, former President Trump sent a very similar warning that ultimately went nowhere. Bloomberg reporters Alex Barinka and Anna Edgerton join this episode to talk about this latest chapter in the standoff between the US government and TikTok. Plus, what a congressional hearing with TikTok’s CEO revealed about national security concerns surrounding the app. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Maalis 202330min

A lot has been said about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse. But one important thing revealed by those closely scrutinized failures has largely gone unnoticed: the changing relationship between governments and banks.  Bloomberg Editor-In-Chief John Micklethwait joins this episode to talk about how the idea that finance is an arm of the state is back–and why that will have far-reaching consequences for the way the world works. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Maalis 202328min

The global pet economy is expected to reach nearly half a trillion dollars by 2030. After a pandemic surge in pet adoptions, more people are buying ever more expensive food and toys for their furry friends. But beyond these routine costs, a growing number of owners are also shelling out thousands for veterinary care to treat complex illnesses and keep their pets alive for longer.  Bloomberg reporters Brendan Case and Nacha Cattan join this episode to give an expansive view of the industry, including how new diagnostic tools and medications are extending pet lifespans—and wearing down owners’ wallets. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.This podcast is produced by the Big Take Podcast team: Supervising Producer: Vicki Vergolina, Senior Producer: Kathryn Fink, Producers: Mo Barrow, Rebecca Chaisson, Michael Falero and Federica Romaniello, Associate Producers: Sam Gebauer and Zaynab Siddiqui. Sound Design/Engineers: Raphael Amsili and Gilda Garcia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Maalis 202325min

As the technology powering artificial intelligence keeps improving, it’s getting harder to tell the difference between human and machine. And that means companies are looking to capitalize on its uses.ChatGPT’s maker OpenAI is quickly rolling out new iterations, like the more powerful version of the product called GPT-4. Google has introduced its own version, albeit with some early stumbles. And Elon Musk also has his eye on the AI space.  Bloomberg Opinion columnist Parmy Olson and technology reporters Dina Bass and Rachel Metz have reported extensively on the rise of ChatGPT and other forms of AI. They join this episode to talk through the upsides–and significant downsides–of a bot that can appear to write and sort of think for you, and what it looks like when humanlike machines become a bigger part of our daily work and lives. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Maalis 202334min

The story of Apple’s rise to become the world’s most valuable company is also the story of its relationship with China. Apple’s vast manufacturing and supply chain operation there has been one of the keys to its success.So why is Apple looking to expand its operations to India and other countries?  Bloomberg’s chief technology correspondent Mark Gurman joins this episode to look at how shifts in the global economy, and rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, have led Apple to diversify where it makes its products. And Taipei-based senior reporter Debby Wu talks about the challenges the company faces in trying to recreate its success in other countries. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Maalis 202327min