{"podcast":{"title":"This Is Why","slug":"this-is-why-1011487","podcast_index_feed_id":1011487,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/this-is-why/","website_url":"https://www.skynews.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/af4d448c-300f-43e5-b1cc-5994e35475fe/THIS-IS-WHY-HERO-1x1-3000px.jpg","author":"Sky News","episode_count":1000,"summary":"The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you. Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions. Available every weekday afternoon. This Is Why is a Sky News podcast – if you have a question, contact us: why@sky.uk","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T00:18:38.462333+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487"},"episode":{"title":"Why soldiers should take MDMA to treat trauma","slug":"why-soldiers-should-take-mdma-to-treat-trauma","published_at":"2026-04-29T14:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487/why-soldiers-should-take-mdma-to-treat-trauma","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487","url":"https://www.skynews.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/1f10fc70-f66d-4dab-a85f-c5c7aadffc45.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=2ca7ec14-a9a8-4a0c-8b24-e04eb2953ca0&aw_0_1st.episodeid=1f10fc70-f66d-4dab-a85f-c5c7aadffc45","summary":"The party drug ecstasy is usually associated with packed nightclubs and panicked politicians talking about the dangers involved in taking it. However, a former head of the UK’s armed forces believes the drug’s active ingredient, known as MDMA, could be key to treating veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. General Sir Nick Carter is now calling on the government to relax restrictions in order to reduce the crippling cost of clinical trials. What evidence is there to suggest this treatment could be effective and what’s been the reaction from the few former soldiers who have benefitted so far? Niall is joined by Sky’s science correspondent Thomas Moore. Warning: Contains references to drug taking, depression and suicide. Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk","meta_description":"The party drug ecstasy is usually associated with packed nightclubs and panicked politicians talking about the dangers involved in taking it. However, a f…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":995,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/this-is-why-1011487/episodes/why-soldiers-should-take-mdma-to-treat-trauma/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487/why-soldiers-should-take-mdma-to-treat-trauma.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}