This Is Why

When Microsoft goes down, we are given a stark reminder of how much life is dependent on a handful of tech giants.
But have we handed too much power and trust to too few companies? And what happens when the systems we rely on suddenly fail?
In this episode of This is Why, Niall Paterson speaks to Sky’s Technology Correspondent, Rowland Manthorpe, to answer this question and consider whether it’s time to rethink our relationship with big tech in the future.
Have you got a question for Niall? Email us at why@sky.uk

When the COP climate conference was held in Scotland five years ago, it was a who’s who of global politics and celebrity – from US President Joe Biden to actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
This year's event in Turkey is very different. Donald Trump was always going to give it a miss – but it’s more of a surprise not to see the likes of France’s Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz of Germany and even arch-climate campaigner, Canada’s Mark Carney.
In fact, prime minister Andy Burnham was the only G7 leader to attend. And even that was only for a few hours, as cost-of-living pragmatism overtakes climate crisis concerns.
Niall Paterson speaks to Sky’s science and technology editor Tom Clarke and asks if there are any reasons to be optimistic about what COP could still achieve.
Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk

When XL bullies were added to the list of banned dog breeds in 2023, it was meant to dramatically reduce the number of people being attacked by dangerous dogs. In fact, serious incidents are on the rise.
Hospitals are seeing more cases admitted, while Greater Manchester Police has reported a 900 percent increase in the number of dog seizures – without the resources or the kennels to cope.
Sky News correspondent Katie Barnfield was herself the victim of a serious attack last year. She’s been telling Niall Paterson about her investigation into the inexorable increase in dangerous dog attacks.
Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of Katie’s injuries.
Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk

Even as delegates gathered in Abu Dhabi for renewed negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow’s missiles continued to hit key Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Of course, the response from Russia is that retaliatory strikes on oil and gas sites amount to the same thing.
But the United Nations has identified a growing number of Russian attacks on civilian targets that have little or no military justification.
Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s defence analyst Robert Clark, who argues Moscow’s continued action shows they have little appetite to stop the fighting.
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Nvidia boss Jensen Huang is the most important man in AI. He's also very close to President Trump, with both men having a shared interest in not regulating AI development.
He has now admitted to having had an affair, and he is supporting the Nvidia investigation into whether he was targeted by Chinese intelligence. Jensen Huang also said in his statement that "I love our country and our company."
A New York Times report alleged the 63-year-old had a close relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive from Singapore-based tech company Megaspeed, who passed information to Beijing.
Megaspeed have previously denied reports that they have been involved in illegal chip transfers.
Niall is joined by Sky News technology correspondent Rowland Manthorpe to discuss the man behind Nvidia and how this scandal could impact the AI race.
Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk