In 2012, Intelligence Squared partnered with The Elders, a coalition of world leaders and figureheads freed from the constraints of office whose wealth of experience can open doors at the highest level. Brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007, The Elders use their collective experience and influence to promote peace, justice and human rights worldwide, using private advocacy and public diplomacy. To celebrate the group’s fifth anniversary, Intelligence Squared hosted three of the Elders on st...
Jul 28, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 990
In this episode we're bringing you part two of a live recording from our Intelligent Times event series which took place in collaboration with The New York Times. Recorded in 2019, award winning actor Willem Dafoe speaks to the New York Times European culture editor, Matthew Anderson. Together they discuss Dafoe's long and varied career, his approach to acting, and his understanding of the changing film industry. We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who w...
Jul 28, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 989
In this episode we're bringing you a live recording from our Intelligent Times event series which took place in collaboration with The New York Times. Recorded in 2019, award winning actor Willem Dafoe speaks to the New York Times European culture editor, Matthew Anderson. Together they discuss Dafoe's long and varied career, his approach to acting, and his understanding of the changing film industry. Part two of this event is available ad free, for subscribers now. And for our listeners who don...
Jul 26, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 988
Friends do it, strangers do it and so do chimpanzees - and it's not just deeply embedded in our history and culture, it may even be written in our DNA. The humble handshake, it turns out, has a rich and surprising history. In this week's episode palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to science broadcaster Helen Czerski about a funny and fascinating voyage of discovery - from the handshake's origins (at least seven million years ago) all the way to its sudden disappearance in March 2020. We...
Jul 23, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 987
On the 17th March 2023, just over a year into Russia’s war in Ukraine, the International Criminal Court issued two arrest warrants. One for Vladimir Putin and one for Maria Lvova-Belova, whose title is Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation. Some viewed these arrest warrants as a fundamental point of progress and justice in the war. Others raised concerns about the feasibility and potential consequences of prosecuting a sitting head of state. ...
Jul 23, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 986
For the second part of our conversation between cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker and academic and podcaster David Runciman, who teaches politics and history at Cambridge University, we rejoin the discussion with the two looking at the roots of skepticism. This interview first appeared on Intelligence Squared in early 2019 at the time of the publication of Pinker's book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. We’d love to hear your feed...
Jul 20, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 985
For this edition, Intelligence Squared revisits a compelling discussion from 2019 with one of the world's foremost cognitive psychologists, Steven Pinker, whose work often focuses on language, the mind, and human nature. He was joined in conversation by David Runciman, the academic and podcaster who teaches politics and history at Cambridge University, to discuss the themes of Pinker’s book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. This is the first half of a two-...
Jul 19, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 984
Yale Law professor Scott Shapiro takes us on an exhilarating journey through the world of cybercrime and hacking, unraveling the captivating stories behind five extraordinary hacks that have left an indelible mark on our information society. From the audacious exploits of Fancy Bear, the elite hacking unit within Russian military intelligence, to lesser-known yet equally astonishing incidents, Scott Shapiro sheds light on the origins, motivations, and consequences of these remarkable cyber intru...
Jul 19, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 983
Join Simon Callow as he shares his infectious enthusiasm and profound knowledge of Charles Dickens in this conversation produced in partnership with Sotheby’s. As an acclaimed actor who has portrayed the author and written a biography about him, Callow is an authority on Dickens' eccentricities and literary genius. In conversation with novelist Kate Mosse and Sotheby's books specialist David Goldthorpe, he shares personal anecdotes and explores Dickens' transformative storytelling through key te...
Jul 17, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 982
For this preview of Intelligence Squared's new podcast, VS, two cities with hundreds of years of history, much of it shared, and also decades of cultural rivalry go head to head. Joining VS this week to debate London VS New York are our guests who have called each location home for most of their lives. Simon Jenkins is a regular newspaper columnist and formerly editor of the London Evening Standard and The Times newspapers. He was once chairman of The National Trust, the UK's foremost heritage o...
Jul 15, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 981
What do the words of America’s Founding Fathers mean today? In this conversation produced in partnership with Sotheby’s, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik , scholar Dr Anika Prather and Sotheby’s books specialist Selby Kiffer explore the historical significance of the writings of America’s Founding Fathers for the twenty-first century. Running alongside Sotheby's Book Week in July 2023 and the auction of key documents from Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and George Washing...
Jul 14, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 980
This episode is part two of our live event with Psychologist Daniel Kahneman and Olivier Sibony, Professor of Strategy and Business Policy at HEC Paris. In conversation with host Ritula Shah they present their argument of how we can all make more intelligent decisions in an increasingly chaotic world. Part three of this event is available ad free, for subscribers now. 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 s...
Jul 12, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 978
Daniel Kahneman shot to fame in 2002 when he won the Nobel prize in economics for his work on the psychology of human judgment and decision-making. In 2022 he joined us on the Intelligence Squared, alongside with his co-author Olivier Sibony, to discuss how businesses and governments can make smarter, swifter and more accurate decisions in our increasingly frenetic world. Our host for this event was journalist and presenter Ritula Shah. We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we shoul...
Jul 11, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 977
For this preview of Intelligence Squared's new podcast, VS, two critically lauded TV shows are under the microscope. Succession and The White Lotus have both depicted privilege and the lifestyles of the ultra rich through cuttingly satirical comedy-drama over the past couple of years. But which binge fest do we love to hate the most? Ania Magliano is a comedian whose recent show, Absolutely No Worries If Not, was a sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Fringe. She’s also one of the writers behind Amelia...
Jul 08, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 976
Philosopher Julian Baggini shares the insights of his new book How to Think Like a Philosopher: Essential Principles for Clearer Thinking. In conversation with government minister Jesse Norman, who was himself once an academic philosopher, Baggini set out the techniques, methods and principles that guide philosophy, and show how they can be applied to our own lives – and our politics. Using precepts such as: pay attention, question everything, follow the facts, and think for yourself but not by ...
Jul 06, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 975
Most of us in Britain entered the world in an NHS hospital; and most of us will die under the NHS's care, too. It is a cornerstone of our society, embodying the values of equality, compassion, and universal access to healthcare. Since its inception in 1948, the NHS has transformed the lives of millions, pioneering medical breakthroughs, and providing essential care to those in need. However, it has not been without its challenges, as political ideologies and societal changes have shaped its jour...
Jul 05, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 974
Are Vladimir Putin's days numbered? Or is the Russian leader as strong as ever? New from Intelligence Squared we bring you a subscriber exclusive series 'After Putin' where we explore whether after twenty three years of rule in Russia Putin's time in power is coming to an end. Through interviews with policy-makers, military personnel, journalists and academics, we reflect on whether a mutiny led by Yevgeny Prighozin's Wagner forces on Saturday June 24 2023 has set the wheels in motion for a Russ...
Jul 04, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 973
Messalina was the third wife of the Emperor Claudius and one of the most notorious women of the Roman world. Historians Tacitus and Suetonius wrote that the Empress Messalina was ‘a ruthless and sexually insatiable schemer.’ The stories they told about her included nightly visits to a brothel and a twenty-four-hour sex competition with a prostitute. Tales like these have defined the empress’s legacy but is her story more complex? Classicist Honor Cargill-Martin joins us to reveal the truth about...
Jul 03, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 972
This episode is part two of our live event with James Comey. In June 2023, the former FBI director sat down with satirist Armando Iannucci to discuss crime, punishment and accountability at the highest echelons of politics. Part three of this event is available ad free, for subscribers now. 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@intelli...
Jul 02, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 969
“I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job.” – President Trump, to Russian officials visiting him in the Oval Office in 2017. James Comey is the former director of the FBI who is disliked by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in equal measure. His decision to investigate Clinton’s personal email server during the 2016 presidential election campaign is viewed by her supporters as a decisive factor in her losing the race to Donald Trump. But Trump is no fan of Comey either. In 2...
Jun 30, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 968
Are Vladimir Putin's days numbered? Or is the Russian leader as strong as ever? New from Intelligence Squared we bring you a subscriber exclusive series 'After Putin' where we explore whether after twenty three years of rule in Russia Putin's time in power is coming to an end. Through interviews with policy-makers, military personnel, journalists and academics, we reflect on whether a mutiny led by Yevgeny Prighozin's Wagner forces on Saturday June 24 2023 has set the wheels in motion for a Russ...
Jun 29, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 967
Are Vladimir Putin's days numbered? Or is the Russian leader as strong as ever? New from Intelligence Squared we bring you a subscriber exclusive series 'After Putin' where we explore whether after twenty three years of rule in Russia Putin's time in power is coming to an end. Through interviews with policy-makers, military personnel, journalists and academics, we reflect on whether a mutiny led by Yevgeny Prighozin's Wagner forces on Saturday June 24 2023 has set the wheels in motion for a Russ...
Jun 29, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 966
Are Vladimir Putin's days numbered? Or is the Russian leader as strong as ever? New from Intelligence Squared we bring you a subscriber exclusive series 'After Putin' where we explore whether after twenty three years of rule in Russia Putin's time in power is coming to an end. Through interviews with policy-makers, military personnel, journalists and academics, we reflect on whether a mutiny led by Yevgeny Prighozin's Wagner forces on Saturday June 24 2023 has set the wheels in motion for a Russ...
Jun 27, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 965
To understand the world you need to understand the ocean. That’s the argument of physicist Helen Czerski who has long studied the complex ecosystems and forces that drive the ‘blue machine’ which covers 71% of our planet. Czerski joins Intelligence Squared to discuss her new book Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World, and what we should know about these vast bodies of water – the waves, currents, invisible ocean walls and underwater waterfalls that are part of an interlinked system that s...
Jun 25, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 964
In recent years movements to change school curricula have argued that all students at schools and universities should be able to see themselves reflected in the books they read. But others argue that moves to recolonise the curriculum to include more diverse authors should be based on the universal value of their work rather than the identity of the individual. So how do we best go about updating those reading lists that include some of the most well-established classics in literature and academ...
Jun 24, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 962
Why are middle-aged women these days subject to so much rage and hatred? In her new book, "Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women," author Victoria Smith confronts the disdain and vitriol she encountered as a woman entering mid-life. and she dissects the ageism and misogyny that have historically plagued older women, shedding light on its resurgence in recent years. In conversation with Hadley Freeman from The Sunday Times, they examine the societal dismissal of women who dare to exist beyo...
Jun 23, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 961
In part two of this partnership with the Swedish publishing house and ideas forum Fri Tanke we hear from Anders Ynnerman, Professor of Scientific Visualization at Linköping University and the Program Director of the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP), and Henrik Kugelberg, Interdisciplinary ethics fellow Stanford University - who react to philosopher David Chalmer's keynote speech on VR, AI, and the Mystery of Consciousness. We’d love to hear your feedback and what you...
Jun 20, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 960
Throughout the year, AI development has taken significant strides. We are living in a society that is becoming increasingly reliant on digital technology, which soon could be flooded with computer-generated content. As technology advances, it will become harder to distinguish between the virtual and the real, eventually almost impossible. Is this a cause for concern? In part one of this partnership with the Swedish publishing house and ideas forum Fri Tanke we hear from keynote speaker David Cha...
Jun 19, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 959
VS is the new podcast from Intelligence Squared exploring those little debates that are always a big deal to someone. For the first episode, two expert guests go head to head to decide once and for all who is king of the road for the debate Cars VS Bicycles. Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a writer, broadcaster, social advocate and one-time racing car engineer. Her upcoming book later this summer is Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism. Roma Agrawal – also known as Roma the Engineer – is a structural e...
Jun 17, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 958
The great dilemmas of geopolitics are not battles of good against evil, where the choices are clear. They are contests of good against good, where the choices are often painful, incompatible and fraught with consequence. That’s the argument that political scientist Robert Kaplan who's joined here in conversation by political philosopher John Gray. Together they discuss how the insights of the Greek tragedians – Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides – as well as Shakespeare and modern philosophers a...
Jun 16, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 957
