What in the World

You might have heard Gen Z being called the “sober generation” - the data suggests that we’re less likely to drink than older generations, that alcohol-free brands are getting more popular with under-30s and there’s a huge push towards sobriety and wellness culture more generally. At the same time, pre-mixed cocktails are flying off the shelves - and new figures suggest that binge drinking has gone up.
So is Gen Z really drinking less than previous generations? Or is that just a myth?
In this episode, we go to one of London’s alcohol-free pubs to chat to three guests who all stopped drinking in their 20s: Millie, founder of the Sober Girl Society and author of HANGXIETY, Daniel, creative director of The Scene, a South Asian-led collective organising alcohol-free events in London, and Tyler, a content creator. We discuss how drinking culture is changing — and whether quitting alcohol is on the rise for Gen Z.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Chelsea Coates and William Lee Adams
Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

This year alone, tens of millions of people have downloaded apps which help you identify birds, lots of them are Gen Z. In our gardens, local parks on the street or even just with phones sticking out of a window people are using these apps everyday. But why?
We hear from BBC Tech reporter Liv McMahon about just how big these apps are and what is making them so popular. Plus, we talk to young birders in the UK and Canada who tell us about their love for birds and what makes these apps so special.
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producer: Chelsea Coates, Emma-Louise Amanshia and Emily Horler
Editor: Verity Wilde

Dinosaur bones have become one of the world’s most expensive collector’s items, with some selling for tens of millions of dollars at auction. A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil recently sold for $50 million, making it the most expensive dinosaur ever auctioned. Some celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, have their own private collections. So why are the ultra wealthy spending so much money on dinosaur bones, and what does it mean for science?
We speak to BBC Climate and Science journalist Esme Stallard about why they have become so valuable, who is buying them, and why many scientists are concerned about private ownership. We also hear from Professor Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh and consultant on the Jurassic Park films, about why these ancient fossils matter and the growing debate over who should really own them.
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producer: Adam Chowdhury, William Lee Adams and Emma-Louise Amanshia
Video producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Emily Horler

The headlines do sound slightly like the plot of a sci-fi film… but Open AI recently announced that one of its most advanced AI models went ‘rogue’ - and hacked a start-up called Hugging Face. The cyber attack, which the ChatGPT-maker called ‘unprecedented’, took place even though the AI model was being tested in a controlled environment. Open AI says they’re still investigating and they want to implement what they learn from this to stop it happening again.
But how was the AI model able to do this in the first place? And more importantly… should we be worried about AI chatbots taking over?
BBC Tech reporter Laura Cress gives us the lowdown on how OpenAI’s model managed to hack a company - and what safeguards governments and AI companies are putting in place to combat this.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Emma-Louise Amanshia
Producers: William Lee Adams and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Emily Horler

Huge crowds have been gathering in Jantar Mantar in Delhi all week in support of India’s newest political movement - The Cockroach Janta Party. Supporters are asking for education reforms and the resignation of the country’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, sparked by repeated exam papers leaks. Over 2 million students were told they would have to resit their exams this year after they were cancelled in May.
Several people were injured in a police crackdown on protestors marching to parliament. One activist, Sonam Wangchuk, has been on hunger strike for weeks in support of the Cockroach Janta Party.
The BBC’s South Asia Correspondent Azadeh Moshiri is in Delhi where most of the protests are going on. She breaks down how they all started and answers the question, could this lead to real change for students in India?
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Emma-Louise Amanshia
Producers: Benita Barden and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Emily Horler