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We can all think of near misses which could have been devastating, but instead resulted in a massive sigh of relief; but do we always learn the lessons for the future? The real value of such experiences, the real gift, is to see such experiences as an opportunity not to test fate again in that way. In aviation, near misses are generally analysed carefully with a detailed investigation — Adam Cox uses that metaphor to show how the same logic can be applied in our personal lives.

James Cameron-Wilson celebrates UK box office up 89% with Bob Marley: One Love #1 racking up £6.9m. But James was disappointed, finding the biopic a hagiography, a series of vignettes rather than a gripping story. He much preferred Madame Web at #3 with Dakota Johnson in a well-engineered and much more believable and human superhero story than we've been used to of late. Despite other critics, James couldn't recommend it more. Not so Players, an unoriginal romcom on Netflix about playing the field, which he found exasperating and populated with characters with unlimited money and time. He also mentions the BAFTAs praising host David Tennant.

Steve Caplin discusses the amazing advances in AI Sora videos. It transpires that rice is NOT the best way of drying out wet phones. With a shortage of guide dogs, a robot seeing-eye dog is being developed in Glasgow. Clothing impregnated with nanodiamonds could cool you in summer. Japan believes a satellite made of magnolia could be more environmentally friendly than aluminium. Bumpy solar cells are more efficient. Rice filled with fat and muscle could be a cheap high-protein food. Doctors can operate remotely on the International Space Station. And Israeli scientists can – literally – grow a pair.

Politicial commentator Mike Indian discusses the uproar in the Commons over Gaza amendments which has damaged Speaker Lindsay Hoyle's hitherto high reputation. Party politics has once more trumped meaningful debate in a world where MPs are increasingly seen as being targets. Mike asks if this was a face-saving exercise for the Labour leadership and assesses what it means for the Speaker. He also returns to the Post Office Horizon Scandal and questions whether public-owned bodies providing key services to the state like the Post Office ought to be run as businesses at all. Lastly, he turns to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. With much of the world turning towards authoritarianism, Mike feels we must cherish and strengthen our democracy.

Neil Shah of Edison Group looks at Rolls-Royce in the wake of results showing record profitability and a massive turnaround in the business. It shows, he feels, the importance of leadership with CEO Tufan Erginbilgic able to explain clearly what is happening within a complex business, driving long-term profitability by focussing on the things that matter. He feels there is much further to go with the stock. He also highlights Pan African Resources with a new note on the Edison website. A South African precious metals miner, it is lowly valued compared to its peers and somewhat overlooked. Despite some political risk, it is going in the right direction.

Much like Sir Keith Joseph, Michael Gove provides intellectual stimulus for the Conservative Party. 'Breaking the cycle of deprivation' was Keith Joseph's strategy in the mid-70s, but after 32 years of Conservative governments there's little progress to show. Is Michael Gove just talking about housing or can he tackle the wider issue, including unclaimed Child Trust Funds? Background music: 'Waiting' by Andrew Langdon

It's finally happened. After months of will-we, won't-we speculation, the UK economy has finally succumbed to recession. The ONS revealed this week that a drop in GDP in the final three months of 2023 meant that Britain had racked up two consecutive of negative growth - and thus the dreaded R word is here. But is this a bad one, why does the term 'technical recession' keep being bandied about and do these backward-looking figures mask things already getting better? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at what recession means for the UK and you. Plus, who are the villains among big banks and building societies when it comes to sky-high standard variable rates for mortgage borrowers, and is it them or the customers themselves to blame if somone ends up paying almost 10% interest? Also — the customer turned down for a switching bonus by HSBC because they had a Midland account 21 years ago. And finally, electric car sales aren't growing as fast as the government or car makers want. Does that mean it's time to drive a bargain?

In this special bonus This is Money episode, Simon Lambert speaks to easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Sir Stelios tells the story of how he launched easyJet and his easyGroup of companies - and how allowing others to build companies using the easy brand works. He also explains why he is backing entrepreneurs under the age of 35 with his Stelios Philanthropic Foundation awards and giving away £150,000 to the successful winner.

Economic data and earnings season combined for a volatile weak in the stock market. Bill Mann and Jason Moser discuss the latest inflation numbers and what they mean for investors, earnings wrap-up for Twilio, Lyft, Airbnb, Shopify and Trade Desk, and Nvidia’s disclosure of its investments and how it impacted stocks. Then, 19 minutes in, Corrado Russo shares some thoughts on the international real estate market. Finally, 34 minutes in, Bill and Jason break down two stocks on their radar: Fresenius and Home Depot. Stocks discussed: TWLO, LYFT, ABNB, SHOP, TTD, SHOP, NVDA, NNOX, ARM, HD, FMS. Host - Ron Gross; Guests - Bill Mann, Jason Moser, Corrado Russo.

Retail numbers fall as some wonder if it’s more than cold weather holding consumers back. Bill Barker and Deidre Woollard discuss how the retail spending numbers might impact the Fed, if Stellantis is ready to take on Big EV, and Deere’s returns for investors. The, 18 minutes in, Drew University Professor Chris Andrews shares his thoughts on why some companies are changing their strategies on self-checkout. Companies discussed: WMT, DG, KR, STLA, GM, F, DE. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Bill Barker, Chris Andrews.