All Consuming

Sep 21 2023 23 ep. 559

All Consuming Podcast artwork

Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala explore our culture of consumption through products that have changed the world. They unravel the mysteries of marketing and the formidable forces that drive purchasing habits. From toilet paper to funerals, perfume to package holidays they'll be combing the past to see how landmark innovations have shifted the course of history. And asking what happens next?

Health & Fitness Science Technology

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Microwaves

Sep 21 2023 24 mins

Charlotte and Amit dive into the story of microwaves and ask if they have enough power for a comeback.Around nine out of ten of us have a microwave in the UK, making it a trendy gadget. But most of us use it for reheating food or zapping a microwave meal. Amit Katwala and Charlotte Stavrou find out if we are missing a trick by not incorporating microwaves further into our cooking a

Microchips

Sep 14 2023 24 mins

It’s not an understatement to say that microchips are now everywhere - from phone chargers to our beloved pets, there’s probably a microchip embedded within. But who invented them and how do they dictate computing power? Amit Katwala and Charlotte Stavrou dig their hands into a bowl of microchips for this episode of All Consuming.They meet Ken Shirriff, a former engineer at Goo

Denim

Sep 07 2023 24 mins

Around 70 million pairs of denim jeans are sold every year in the UK. They come in a dizzying array of shapes and styles, but the essentials haven’t changed since they were first conceived in the Californian gold rush 150 years ago. Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala continue their exploration of our culture of consumption by unpicking our abiding love affair with denim. Mo

Board Games

Aug 31 2023 24 mins

Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala take a deep dive into the world of Board Games - from the Ancient Egyptian game of Senet to more recent classics like Monopoly and Catan.Along the way, they talk history with Dan Jolin, the co-founder of the board game magazine Senet, meet the acknowledged master of the modern strategy game Reiner Knizia who has invented over 800 games, and learn

Cameras

Aug 24 2023 24 mins

With over 90% of our photos now captured on phones, Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala go in search of what cameras mean today and how they have evolved since their origins in the 19th century. Ruth Quinn, curator of photography and photographic technology at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, shines a light on how photographic cameras were born out of a Victoria

Manicures

Aug 17 2023 24 mins

Amit Katwala and Charlotte Stavrou explore our unending appetite for manicures and find out that it's much more than just a buff and cuticle pushback. Gel, acrylics, French tips - there's a seemingly endless list of services that can be applied to our fingertips. But some salons have taken nail art to the next level as Charlotte found out when she visited NUKA nails in West London.

Running shoes

Aug 10 2023 25 mins

From the running boom at the end of the 19th century to a lockdown-inspired desire to lace up, running shoes have evolved to fit the shape of our lives for over 150 years. Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala explore how they keep pace with trends, innovations, and even our ambitions. Thomas Turner, author of The Sport Shoe: A History from Field to Fashion, reveals the role of

Houseplants

Aug 03 2023 24 mins

Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala go mushy for houseplants in this episode of All Consuming where they explore our culture of consumption. Philodendrons, Hoyas, Monsteras - the list of plants available to consumers is now almost endless and these green companions became a crucial part of our home during lockdown when we craved the outdoors. In recent years, our love for houseplant

Glasses

Jul 27 2023 24 mins

From the first spectacles that perched on noses around 750 years ago to AI-enhanced glasses for the visually impaired, we have been harnessing science - and design - to help us see for centuries. Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala peer into the wonders of glasses that bring the world into focus for an estimated 4 billion adults around the world. We visit the UK’s largest co

Tea

Jul 20 2023 24 mins

Did you know there was a time when you could only buy green tea in the UK? Tea is now a staple product for most of us, but it has a long and complicated past.In this episode of All Consuming, Charlotte Stavrou (née Williams) and Amit Katwala steep themselves in the intriguing history of tea. They talk to advertising expert Paul Feldwick to get the inside story of how chimps were u