Ep. 36: Is This For Real? w/ Lab vs Mined Diamonds, Psychiatric Misdiagnosis, Deepfakes; Comedian and Writer Sophie Duker

Mined White, Yellow & Pink Diamonds from 77 Diamonds

'Unnatural' lab produced diamonds cost 90% less than their billion-year-old-mined-relative and according to a recent industry report from 2019 the production of these miracles of science is set to increase substantially, perhaps by as much as 20% year on year. So structurally and visually similar to the real thing, we look at the ethical and environmental forces behind their surging popularity.

We visited the workshop and offices of 77 Diamonds, the largest online selection of certificated diamonds in the world, to meet co-founder Tobias Kormind.

Harriet Constable is a journalist and filmmaker from London. She covers a wide range of topics including the environment, politics, equality and is author of a landmark report on the growth of lab-grown diamonds. Her work is featured in outlets including The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, NPR and The Economist.

Susannah Cahalan is the New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. Her award-winning work has appeared in the New York Times, Psychology Today, Scientific American, BBC's Focus magazine, Elle and Brain on Fire was turned into a hit Netflix show. Her new book, The Great Pretender, uncovers the history of psychiatry by revisiting a remarkable study.

We speak to Areeq Chowdhury to find out more about Deepfakes and the language of tech. He is the Head of Think Tank at Future Advocacy focusing on the social, economic, and political impact of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. He is the founder of WebRoots Democracy, a think tank centred on the intersection of technology and democratic participation.

We profile Sophie Duker, a comedian and writer from London who co-hosts GrownUpLand on BBC Radio 4 and has appeared on Channel 4’s Riot Girls, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Comedy Central. She is also the creator and host of the acclaimed comedy night Wacky Racists. Her 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Show, Venus, was widely feted and saw her nominated for the Best Newcomer at Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards. We speak with her to find out more about how comedy came into her life.