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Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squaredwww.intelligencesquared.com
Intelligence Squared is the home of lively debate and deep-dive discussion. Follow Intelligence Squared wherever you get your podcasts and enjoy four regular episodes per week taking you to the heart of the issues that matter in the company of the world’s great minds. We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2.  And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.
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Episodes

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa in conversation with Gabriel Gatehouse

Will democracy survive? According to Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa, "we're in the last two minutes". In November she sat down with journalist Gabriel Gatehouse to discuss her lifetime commitment to journalism, the potential 99 years in jail which hang over her for standing up to former president Rodrigo Duterte's authoritarian regime, and her optimism for a brighter future. Maria and Gabriel also examine the greed of big tech in the destruction of democracies and why the Philippines is of...

Dec 09, 202259 minSeason 1Ep. 829

The Death of a Monarch and a Divided Nation, with Robert Harris

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Robert Harris is one of the great storytellers of our times. His novels explore the dark side of power and the corrosive effect it has on those who wield it. In his latest bestseller, Act of Oblivion, Harris turns his attention to one of the most divisive episodes in English history, the Civil War, in which Royalists and Parliam...

Dec 07, 202254 minSeason 1Ep. 828

The Extraordinary Properties of Everyday Foods, with Tim Spector

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Eating the right foods is the single most effective way of preventing illness and staying healthy. But understanding what’s good and what’s bad, whether it's red wine or acai berries, can be a complicated conversation when we’re constantly receiving new ideas about what to put on our plate. Tim Spector’s new book, Food for Life:...

Dec 05, 202257 minSeason 1Ep. 827

The Sunday Debate: The Great Energy Transition – What is the Role of Corporations in the Energy Transition?

This is the third and final episode of The Great Energy Transition, a series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins and we're asking what is the role of corporations in the energy transition? To discuss how the complex partnerships between corporations and governments might shape our futures, we’re joined by Jennifer Rumsey, President and CEO of Cummins; Gillian Tett, Chairman of the US editorial board and U.S editor-at-large at the Financial Times; and Jason Bordoff, Co-Founding ...

Dec 04, 202258 minSeason 1Ep. 826

Were the 1990s Britain’s Coolest Decade? with Dylan Jones

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. 1995 was the year of the Nineties, according to author and journalist Dylan Jones. It was peak Britpop (Oasis vs Blur), peak YBA (Tracey Emin’s tent), peak New Lad (Nick Hornby published High Fidelity, James Brown launched Loaded magazine, and pubs were finally allowed to stay open on a Sunday). It was the year Radiohead brought...

Dec 02, 202254 minSeason 1Ep. 825

The Perilous Quest Towards Gene Editing, with Matthew Cobb

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester and also the presenter of the BBC radio series Genetic Dreams, Genetic Nightmares. His latest book is The Genetic Age, which tells the story of humanity's quest to get to the heart of the building blocks of life – our genes - through science, industry and medic...

Nov 30, 202250 minSeason 1Ep. 824

Why Modern Men Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It

We need a new model of masculinity, one that allows us to hold two thoughts in our head at once: we can care deeply about women’s rights and be compassionate towards vulnerable boys and men; that's the argument of bestselling author and former head of Demos Richard Reeves. In this podcast he explains that previous attempts to treat the condition of men have made the same fatal mistake – they have viewed the problems of men as a problem with men. It is not a matter of fixing individual men, he ar...

Nov 28, 202241 minSeason 1Ep. 823

The Sunday Debate: Who was the greatest English monarch? In Partnership with History Hit

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. In October Intelligence Squared partnered with History Hit to ask, who was the greatest English monarch? Each of the kings and queens competing for the title left a distinctive stamp on their era – but who did most to shape the nation and the lives of its people? Who was the cleverest? Who was the bravest? Who was the most loved...

Nov 27, 202256 minSeason 1Ep. 821

Black Friday, Shopify, and Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Black Friday is one of the biggest days in the business calendar. In this episode Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, joins Intelligence Squared to discuss Black Friday sales and the changing landscape of business in the digital age. He speaks to Anne McElvoy, executive editor at The Economist, on topics such as the rise o...

Nov 25, 202246 minSeason 1Ep. 820

The Great Energy Transition: What needs to happen between 2030 and 2050 to reach net zero?

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. This is the second episode of The Great Energy Transition, a new series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins and we’re looking ahead to the future to ask - what needs to happen between 2030 and 2050 to reach net zero? To explore the drastic technological innovation and societal change needed to make net zero emi...

Nov 23, 202243 minSeason 1Ep. 819

The Road to Qatar, with James Montague

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has officially kicked off, but not without its controversies. Ever since Qatar was awarded the tournament in 2010, making it the first country in the Middle East to do so, there has been scepticism from the West around the decision, with critics citing human rights violations, LGBT rights, and corrupt...

Nov 21, 202255 minSeason 1Ep. 818

The Sunday Debate: How is Modi shaping the future of India?

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. This week on The Sunday Debate we're asking, how is Prime Minister Modi shaping the future of India? This is the third episode of our India at 75 series exploring the biggest questions facing India 75 years after its independence. Our host for the series is Kavita Puri, journalist and author of the critically acclaimed book Part...

Nov 20, 202249 minSeason 1Ep. 817

Nights of Plague, with Nobel Prize Winner Orhan Pamuk

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Turkish novelist and Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk sits down with Merve Emre, distinguished Writer-in-Residence at Wesleyan University and literary critic for The New Yorker. Together they discuss his latest novel, Nights of Plague, as well as other feats of historical fiction, including works by Tolstoy and Arthur Conan Doyle,...

Nov 18, 202241 minSeason 1Ep. 816

The Life and Death of a Garment, with Maxine Bédat

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. In the fashion industry there used to be two seasons a year: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, but today fast fashion companies produce up to 52 micro-seasons a year. Changing the clothes in their stores every week to keep customers coming back, and purchasing more and more. Today on the podcast we’re asking what’s the real price...

Nov 16, 202240 minSeason 1Ep. 815

When the Microchips are Down, with Chris Miller

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. We live in a world which is completely dependent on the technology of microchips, which are made up of millions of transistors which are so small, about one thousandth of the size of a red blood cell. Making something this small and this complex is not something that can be easily replicated, meaning the world relies on just a h...

Nov 14, 202251 minSeason 1Ep. 814

The Great Energy Transition: What is happening between now and 2030 to achieve net zero?

On this episode of The Sunday Debate we have the first instalment of The Great Energy Transition, a new series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins. As leaders and representatives from around the world gather in Egypt for COP27, we’re asking - what is happening between now and 2030 to achieve net zero?. We’re joined on this episode by Jonathan Wood, Vice President of Engineering at Cummins, Lucy Yu, CEO of Octopus Energy’s Centre for Net Zero and Dr Chris Greig, leading research...

Nov 13, 202256 minSeason 1Ep. 813

Advertising Will Save Us from Soulless Design, with former Nike Chief Marketing Officer Greg Hoffman

Can advertising’s immense power to change behaviour be used for good? In this brand new podcast, produced by Intelligence Squared, Myra Nussbaum, President and Chief Creative Officer at Havas Chicago and Dan Lucey, Chief Creative Officer at Havas New York, talk to the people who are harnessing the power of advertising to help people and the planet. This week, Dan and Myra were joined by Greg Hoffman, the former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike. Widely regarded as a global brand leader, for over t...

Nov 11, 202242 minSeason 1Ep. 812

Debate: Is America a force for good in the world? Part 2

In part two of our debate 'Is America a force for good in the world?', foreign policy experts Shadi Hamid and Samuel Moyn discuss the return of Donald Trump, American exceptionalism, and what the world would look like if China became the world's only superpower. Our host for this debate is journalist and academic, Philippa Thomas. This episode is part two of two, to find part one please scroll back on your feed to this week's Sunday Debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices....

Nov 09, 202233 minSeason 1Ep. 811

The Many Voices of Booker Prize Winner George Saunders

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Described as one of the most important and blazingly original writers of his generation, American author George Saunders is a master of the short story. He joins us on the podcast with critic John Self to discuss the voices that make up his insightful, hilarious and sometimes disturbing stories and how his work cuts into the abs...

Nov 07, 202236 minSeason 1Ep. 810

The Sunday Debate: Is America a force for good in the world? Part 1

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Many in the world see the influence of the United States as a force for good. It applies pressure on authoritarian regimes such as Iran to abide by human rights, and it supports nations such as Ukraine defending themselves against imperial aggression. But others argue that the Afghanistan and Iraq interventions show that America...

Nov 06, 202230 minSeason 1Ep. 809

Persuasion in an Age of Polarisation, with Anand Giridharadas

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Healthy disagreement used to be a sign of a well functioning society. But today, many democracies across the world are suffering a crisis of faith in the values of debate and a trend of refusing to engage with those who do not share the same views. Journalist, political analyst, and best-selling author Anand Giridharadas explore...

Nov 04, 202250 minSeason 1Ep. 808

India at 75 – Secularism and the Rise of Hindu Nationalism, with Rana Ayyub

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Rana Ayyub is one of India’s most high-profile critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2016 she published Gujurat Files, a controversial book that alleged India’s government was implicated in the 2002 riots in which around 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in Gujarat. Ayyub’s book and subsequent investigations into r...

Nov 02, 20221 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 807

Jamaica's Culinary Journey, with Melissa Thompson and Riaz Phillips

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Jerk chicken, curried goat, ackee and saltfish - these are just some of the famous dishes which make up the varied patchwork of Jamaican cuisine. With influences from West Africa, Spain, China and the East India region, each dish can tell a different story ranging from the influence of indigenous groups to the arrival of settler...

Oct 31, 202240 minSeason 1Ep. 806

The Sunday Debate: What does Giorgia Meloni mean for Europe?

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Just last week Giorgia Meloni, leader of the party Brothers of Italy, was sworn in as Italy’s first female prime minister. Her harshest critics have described her as a fascist threat to Italy and to Europe, to the economy, to democracy, and to human rights. Meanwhile others have rejoiced at her premiership, including Hungary’s l...

Oct 30, 202242 minSeason 1Ep. 805

The Fulcrum of History: Margaret MacMillan, Sir Max Hastings and Peter Frankopan on the War in Ukraine

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. What are the lessons that history can teach us about the Russian war in Ukraine? Recently three of Britain’s most distinguished and bestselling historians – Peter Frankopan, Sir Max Hastings and Margaret MacMillan – came to the Intelligence Squared stage in London to share their insights into the conflict. In conversation with B...

Oct 28, 202254 minSeason 1Ep. 802

Ready for Rishi? The Treacherous Road Ahead for the UK’s New Prime Minister, with Matthew Goodwin and Camilla Cavendish

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Rishi Sunak is the youngest UK prime minister for two centuries and the first British Asian to lead the country. His ascent to power has been impressive but will Sunak's policies be distinct enough from his two recent predecessors – the former mired in scandal, the latter ridicule – to steer the UK out of one of the most torrid ...

Oct 26, 202235 minSeason 1Ep. 801

War and Politics in the 21st Century, with Sir Lawrence Freedman

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Sir Lawrence Freedman is Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London and the UK’s leading expert on military strategy. His expertise has made him the go-to voice for clear-sighted analysis of the war in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin first invaded in early 2022. In this episode he joins Mark Galeotti, an expert on m...

Oct 24, 202256 minSeason 1Ep. 800

India at 75: Can Britain and India be friends?

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. This Sunday Debate is the first of our India at 75 series, asking can Britain and India be friends? Across three episodes, we will be examining the future of India 75 years after its independence. In this instalment we’re joined by Shashi Tharoor, politician, writer and former diplomat who has been a member of the Indian Parliam...

Oct 23, 20221 hrSeason 1Ep. 799

Party’s Over: Liz Truss’s Resignation, with Sonia Sodha and Sherelle Jacobs

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Following the abrupt exit of the UK's second prime minister within three months, Intelligence Squared's Conor Boyle is joined by Sherelle Jacobs, columnist for The Daily Telegraph, and columnist and chief leader writer for the Observer, Sonia Sodha, to analyse where the UK is headed next. Liz Truss is the country's shortest-serv...

Oct 21, 202233 minSeason 1Ep. 798

Food, Land and a Farming Revolution, with Sarah Langford

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Sarah Langford was a barrister, living and working in the city. But then she found herself moving to the countryside, back to an agricultural life she thought she had left behind. There she saw farmers dealing with problems very different from those faced by her grandfather, who had helped to feed a starving nation after the war...

Oct 19, 202238 minSeason 1Ep. 797
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