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Adam Cox is joined by Professor Martin Stringer, Pro Vice Chancellor of Education at Swansea University, to discuss new research revealing the public's understanding of higher education, and attitudes towards universities. Martin explains why so many people are still unsure of the clearing process, and provides advice to students, and parents of students, going to university in September. https://www.swansea.ac.uk/

Adam Cox is joined by Jordan Shelley, Founder and Director of Animal Journal, to discuss a new petition, backed by animal welfare spokespeople and charities, that could help secure the safety and wellbeing of countless domestic and wild creatures across the world. Jordan explains the Kept Animal Bill, when it is likely to go through, and also why animal rights are often not a priority to politicians. https://www.animaljournal.co.uk/campaigns/

Adam Cox is joined by Alison Lovett, a trained midwife, general nurse and homoeopath, and founder of The Latch, for World Breastfeeding Week. They discuss why it can be so difficult to get a newborn to breastfeed, and some of the common problems new mothers face. She explains how other cultures' attitudes towards breastfeeding differ from western ideas and why breastfeeding is so beneficial. https://www.thelatch.co.uk/

Adam Cox is joined by Dr Raja, a specialist hair transplant surgeon, for National Hair Loss Awareness Month to discuss some of the causes of hair loss, and how hair loss has driven some seek to illegal or badly performed hair transplants. He explains how to be safe from poor quality hair transplant surgery and gives advice to those suffering from hair loss. www.theprivateclinic.co.uk/surgeon-doctors/dr-furqan-raja/

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University explains why bold market reform is needed to solve the problems of "basketcase Britain", before it is too late. He reflects on the success of the Commonwealth Games, held in Birmingham, particularly the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies and considers where the future of the Games – and the Commonwealth – might lie. And he shows how immigration is thriving in the wake of Brexit though points out that infrastructure planning must be tackled seriously and quickly.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the UK box office chart, with takings down 20% week-on-week. At #1 is tongue-in-cheek thriller Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt, but it only took £2.9m in an extended weekend. With no other new films, James turned to streaming services. On Apple+ is Skydance Animation's Luck, with the voices of Simon Pegg and others. At times delightful, it ends up being a mixed bag, says James. He was more positive about Amazon Prime's 13 Lives in which director Ron Howard tells the true story of the cave rescue of a group of Thai schoolboys. Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell are among the cast.

Victoria Scholar of Interactive Investor explains why markets viewed the lastest US inflation numbers – softening to 8.5% – so positively. She discusses what might be expected from the UK's GDP figures. She explains why the current political uncertainty in the UK – with the two very different approaches espoused by the candidates – is making the country a difficult place to invest, suggesting that, for the time being, UK markets are in a holding pattern.

Steve Caplin tells Simon Rose of plans to create jet fuel from sunlight. Students have built an e-car that sucks CO2 from the air, there's a tech mattress to help with sleep, Google's new AR glasses, a way to use dead spiders to lift tiny objects, a wearable fitness tracker that detects Covid 2 days before symptoms appear and a faster, more efficient way to dig tunnels - with a big catch.

Opening the Lambeth Conference last week, Archbishop Justin drew his colleagues' attention to the ‘lions’ threatening humanity with attack, hostility, danger and uncertainty, summarising them as climate change, religious extremism, war and government oppression, economic injustice and poverty, and culture wars. His comments on science and technology were more circumspect, accepting their capacity to deliver solutions as well as to present challenges. It is, however, important to recognise how long-term and short-term motivations to tackle these challenges are so often in conflict. In a world where our actions today influence the long-term more acutely than at any time in history, we must re-balance our search for solutions in order to avoid the long-term being continually eclipsed by, and often sacrificed to, the short-term. Background music: Brass Chorale and Motet by Sir Cubworth Links via: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2022-08-08/

The idea of the Bank of England raising base rate by 0.5% at the same time as warning about a long and painful recession would have been unthinkable a year ago. But things have dramatically changed and central banks are desperately trying to get a grip on runway inflation that just seems to keeo getting worse. Base rate has risen from 0.1% in December to 1.75% now and is set to keep climbing, but why trigger a recession to get inflation driven by outside forces under control. Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert discuss the rate rise and potential recession and what it means for borrowers, savers, the economy and our financial near future.