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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 [email protected] 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

Archive – The Gift of a Radio, with Justin Webb

This is a dip back into the extensive Intelligence Squared archive from February, 2022. Justin Webb is a familiar voice to many radio listeners. He has been co-presenting the BBC’s flagship morning current-affairs show, The Today programme, for over a decade. His new memoir, The Gift of a Radio: My Childhood and other Train Wrecks, is an unflinching but darkly humorous account of an often turbulent upbringing. He joins fellow radio journalist and podcast producer Poppy Damon to discuss the book....

Jul 03, 202447 minSeason 1Ep. 3021

Sotheby's Talks – Imaginary Conversations: An ERDEM Collection, with Lady Burlington

In celebration of Imaginary Conversations: An ERDEM Collection inspired by Duchess Deborah, join British fashion journalist Charlie Porter in conversation with Erdem Moralıoğlu, Creative Director of ERDEM, and Lady Burlington. Together they will discuss Moralıoğlu's creative process in designing a collection inspired by Duchess Deborah, drawing upon the historic textile collection and archives at Chatsworth House, as well as the creation of Imaginary Conversations, an exhibition that showcases t...

Jul 01, 202448 minSeason 1Ep. 3020

Jon Ronson on Conspiracies, Culture Wars and How Things Fell Apart, Part Two

The is the second instalment of a two-part discussion. For this episode, Jon Ronson – the journalist, author, and filmmaker – dives into the world of conspiracies and the culture wars. They’re themes that form the bedrock of his hugely successful podcast and BBC Radio 4 series, Things Fell Apart. The series takes Ronson's longstanding interest in post-truth narratives to new places with Ronson exploring the forces at play shaping ideas ranging from anti-vaccine movements to gender politics. Neve...

Jun 29, 202455 minSeason 1Ep. 3019

Jon Ronson on Conspiracies, Culture Wars and How Things Fell Apart, Part One

The is the first instalment of a two-part discussion. For this episode, Jon Ronson – the journalist, author, and filmmaker – dives into the world of conspiracies and the culture wars. They’re themes that form the bedrock of his hugely successful podcast and BBC Radio 4 series, Things Fell Apart. The series takes Ronson's longstanding interest in post-truth narratives to new places with Ronson exploring the forces at play shaping ideas ranging from anti-vaccine movements to gender politics. Never...

Jun 28, 202445 minSeason 1Ep. 3018

Why Politics Matters, with Alastair Campbell

The political strategist, journalist and author turned hit podcast host of The Rest is Politics returns to Intelligence Squared to discuss why politics matters in our everyday lives. Campbell has just released two books for children of different age groups, Alastair Campbell Talks Politics, and Why Politics Matters, which both seek to educate young people about how politics has the power to change the world. In this episode he speaks about the books as well as his political awakening and his own...

Jun 26, 202443 minSeason 1Ep. 3017

Sotheby's Talks – Creative London: An Artistic Crossroads, with Grayson Perry

Has London's cultural power essentially radiated outwards, influencing artists and creatives across the world? Or is London's creative preeminence dependent on the influx of global talent that has galvanised its artistic scene? In this panel discussion, curator and cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford, journalist Dylan Jones, museum director Tim Marlow, Sotheby’s Europe chairman Helena Newman and artist Grayson Perry explore the importance of cultural exchange, regardless of its origin, in shap...

Jun 24, 20241 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 3016

The Magic Number for Creating a Successful Team, with Robin Dunbar

The anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar is Emeritus Professor of evolutionary psychology at Oxford University. He’s also part of a small club of academics whose work has become part of the modern public discourse as the thinker behind Dunbar’s Number, the idea that humans can only meaningfully maintain around 150 social relationships at a time. In the social media and hybrid working age, his work has helped us better understand how our friendships and online networks operat...

Jun 23, 202455 minSeason 1Ep. 3015

Mishal Husain on Family, Empire and Why Partition Still Matters, Part Two

The is the second instalment of a two-part discussion. On August 15 1947 Pakistan and India gained their independence and colonialism came to an end in the subcontinent. But it was not a time of celebration. A botched process of partition saw unprecedented sectarian violence, an estimated death of more than a million people and some 15 million more displaced from their homes. Mishal Husain’s family lived through the mayhem. In June 2024 Husain, the acclaimed journalist and BBC Radio 4 Today Prog...

Jun 20, 202441 minSeason 1Ep. 3014

Mishal Husain on Family, Empire and Why Partition Still Matters, Part One

The is the first instalment of a two-part discussion. On August 15 1947 Pakistan and India gained their independence and colonialism came to an end in the subcontinent. But it was not a time of celebration. A botched process of partition saw unprecedented sectarian violence, an estimated death of more than a million people and some 15 million more displaced from their homes. Mishal Husain’s family lived through the mayhem. In June 2024 Husain, the acclaimed journalist and BBC Radio 4 Today Progr...

Jun 19, 202457 minSeason 1Ep. 3013

Sotheby's Talks – London: An Artistic Crossroads | Gallery Open House

London has long been a cultural melting pot for artists from around the world who, in their own unique ways, have revealed with each touch of a brush, the impact of the dynamic environment in which they found themselves. So in celebration of its role in the artistic journeys of so many, Sotheby’s has partnered with Art UK to showcase 12 extraordinary masterpieces by international artists on loan from regional museums across the UK. London: An Artistic Crossroads will bring together works by arti...

Jun 16, 20241 hr 25 minSeason 1Ep. 3012

Rachel Cusk on Art, Womanhood and Redefining Fiction, Part Two

This is the second instalment of three-part discussion. The writing of Rachel Cusk poses us constant challenges. Her critically acclaimed Outline trilogy and memoirs – A Life’s Work and Aftermath – dared us to rethink the limits of character, identity and what it means to be a woman. Arguably, no writer working today has pushed the boundaries of contemporary writing and storytelling as far. She recently came to Intelligence Squared to discuss her exhilarating new novel Parade live onstage at Lon...

Jun 15, 202439 minSeason 1Ep. 3010

Rachel Cusk on Art, Womanhood and Redefining Fiction, Part One

This is the first instalment of three-part discussion. The writing of Rachel Cusk poses us constant challenges. Her critically acclaimed Outline trilogy and memoirs – A Life’s Work and Aftermath – dared us to rethink the limits of character, identity and what it means to be a woman. Arguably, no writer working today has pushed the boundaries of contemporary writing and storytelling as far. She recently came to Intelligence Squared to discuss her exhilarating new novel Parade live onstage at Lond...

Jun 14, 202442 minSeason 1Ep. 3009

Sotheby's Talks – William Blake: Artist, Poet and Visionary, with Andrew Graham-Dixon and John Higgs

With a rare first edition of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience about to go under the hammer, in this episode a panel of experts have come together for a conversation about the poet, artist and visionary. Chair and cultural critic Shahidha Bari is joined by art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon, cultural historian John Higgs and Sotheby’s Selby Kiffer to explore the enduring legacy of this enigmatic genius, whose influence stretches from the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s ...

Jun 11, 20241 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 3008

The New Colonialism of Big Tech, with Nick Couldry and Ulises A. Mejias

Who owns and profits from our data, both big and small, has become one of the defining issues of the post-internet age. In their new book, Data Grab, critical media theorist Ulises A. Mejias and sociologist of media and culture Nick Couldry argue that big tech companies are taking away private citizens' most basic natural online resource and in the process establishing a new form of oppressive digital colonialism. Joining them to discuss the book is the writer and presenter Timandra Harkness, wh...

Jun 10, 202451 minSeason 1Ep. 3007

The Story of the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster, with Adam Higginbotham

The voyage of the space shuttle Challenger on the morning of January 28th, 1986, lasted just minutes before it broke up mid-flight. The tragic outcome for its lost crew has cast a shadow over space travel for decades since. But how did that disaster unfold? And what is its legacy for space exploration today? These are some of the questions being asked in journalist and author Adam Higginbotham’s new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space. Higginbotham’s previ...

Jun 09, 202444 minSeason 1Ep. 3006

Archive – How I Found My Voice: Michael Palin

This is an archive episode from 2019 from the second series of How I Found My Voice, a podcast from Intelligence Squared. Presented by the BBC journalist Samira Ahmed, the podcast explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. In this episode Samira speaks to the actor, writer and comedian Michael Palin. Part of the legendary Monty Python comedy group, Palin has helped shape British comedy on our TV screens. From growing up wit...

Jun 06, 20241 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 3005

The Volatile Future of US Politics, with Robert Kagan

There's rarely a week in which Donald Trump doesn't make the headlines but the last few have been particularly potent with the former US president having been served justice in a US courtroom. One voice who has been vocal in lamenting the transformation of the Republican Party into a vehicle for Trump's agenda is Robert Kagan. He's a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a historian and contributing columnist at The Washington Post. He has advised on policy for the US State Department for ...

Jun 05, 202457 minSeason 1Ep. 3004

Swimming Against the Tide with Athlete Turned Advocate, Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell

In a competitive field defined by record breakers, medals and podium places, being first in sport is often considered the primary marker of success but being out in front can also be a lonely experience. In her new memoir, These Heavy Black Bones, former swimmer for both Kenya and Team GB, Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, tells a story of ecstatic professional highs and alienating personal lows. She is a former world number one athlete who became the first Black woman to represent Great Britain in...

Jun 03, 202435 minSeason 1Ep. 3003

A History of Nostalgia, with Agnes Arnold-Forster

Writer and historian Agnes Arnold-Forster's most recent book, Nostalgia: A History of a Dangerous Emotion, blends fields such as neuroscience and psychology with social history to explore a feeling that many might view as a simple human fondness for the past. Nostalgia, though, is also vulnerable to misuse, manipulation by unreliable narrators and it often reflects many of our deeper anxieties as a society. Joining her to discuss the book is the scholar, critic and editor Merve Emre, who is Shap...

Jun 02, 202453 minSeason 1Ep. 3002

Max Hastings on On the Secret Mission to Defeat Hitler, Part Two

This is the second instalment of a three-part conversation. Military historian, journalist, author and broadcaster Max Hastings comes to the Intelligence Squared stage to recount the remarkable story of Operation Biting and what it tells us about the crucial role of intelligence and special forces in great power conflict. Drawing from his new book Operation Biting: The 1942 Assault to Capture Hitler’s Radar, Hastings discusses how this almost forgotten operation helped turn the tide of the war a...

May 30, 202442 minSeason 1Ep. 3000

Max Hastings on On the Secret Mission to Defeat Hitler, Part One

Military historian, journalist, author and broadcaster Max Hastings comes to the Intelligence Squared stage to recount the remarkable story of Operation Biting and what it tells us about the crucial role of intelligence and special forces in great power conflict. Drawing from his new book Operation Biting: The 1942 Assault to Capture Hitler’s Radar, Hastings discusses how this almost forgotten operation helped turn the tide of the war and how modern intelligence and special forces continue to sh...

May 29, 202439 minSeason 1Ep. 2099

The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook China Special, with Keyu Jin

China’s economic power has been growing for decades. The capitalist reforms of Deng Xiaoping quickly transformed China into the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with growth rates averaging 10% annually. But in recent years the so-called China miracle has begun to slow down. The Covid-19 pandemic and the default of property giant Evergrande (the world’s most indebted property developer) are among the factors that have economists and politicians around the world asking: Is China’s economy in...

May 26, 20241 hr 21 minSeason 1Ep. 2098

Archive: Debate – The Left has right on its side

Following the recent announcement of a general election in the UK, we revisit our debate from 2018 in which key politicians debated the merits of Left vs Right politics. The political Left often purports that it has society’s best interests at heart and that it works for the good of all. Yet according to conservatives, it is precisely that self-regard, that attempt to monopolise virtue, which exposes the hypocrisy of left-wing ideology. In this archive debate from 2018, we gathered Labour MP Ste...

May 26, 20241 hr 6 minSeason 1Ep. 2097

Archive: Western Intervention and the Rise of Guerrilla Warfare, with David Kilcullen

In this archive discussion from 2020, David Kilcullen, former soldier, diplomat, and senior counterinsurgency adviser for the US during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, explains the nature of past Western interventions and the guerrilla warfare resistance that has followed. He joined Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos, to discuss his book: The Dragons and the Snakes: How the Rest Learned to Fight the West. We are sponsored by Indee...

May 24, 202456 minSeason 1Ep. 2096

The Garden as a Personal Paradise, with Olivia Laing

The acclaimed writer and critic Olivia Laing is the author of seven books distilling challenging topics that should be difficult to wrap beautiful words around. Their latest book is The Garden Against Time, a work that initially began through documenting the restoration of a walled garden in Suffolk and eventually grew into a wider exploration of what it means to cultivate a personal paradise. Joining Laing in conversation for this episode is Hannah Dawson, the author and historian of ideas whos...

May 22, 202442 minSeason 1Ep. 2095

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & ZOE’s Dr Federica Amati on Eating 30 Plants A Week, Part Two

This is the second instalment of a two-part conversation. In recent years the benefits of eating a diet rich in plants have increasingly been at the forefront of our conversations about food. You may have heard scientists like Tim Spector, the founder of ZOE, argue that a healthy diet should consist of 30 plants a week. This recommendation comes from a study led by Spector for the British and American Gut Project in 2019. It showed that people who ate more than 30 plants a week had the healthies...

May 19, 202442 minSeason 1Ep. 2094

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & ZOE’s Dr Federica Amati on Eating 30 Plants A Week, Part One

In recent years the benefits of eating a diet rich in plants have increasingly been at the forefront of our conversations about food. You may have heard scientists like Tim Spector, the founder of ZOE, argue that a healthy diet should consist of 30 plants a week. This recommendation comes from a study led by Spector for the British and American Gut Project in 2019. It showed that people who ate more than 30 plants a week had the healthiest microbiomes and the best health outcomes, while those wh...

May 18, 202441 minSeason 1Ep. 2093

Zeinab Badawi on an African History of Africa, Part Two

This is the second instalment of a three-part conversation. Too often historians have told the history of Africa through the prism of colonialism. But what picture of the continent emerges when we do away with making the story of Africa so anchored in European colonialism? Award-winning broadcaster Zeinab Badawi came to the Intelligence Squared stage recently to tell a new history of Africa – in all its shades and complexities – without the stifling gaze of Europe. Drawing on the themes of her l...

May 16, 202440 minSeason 1Ep. 2091

Zeinab Badawi on an African History of Africa, Part One

This is the first instalment of a three-part conversation. Too often historians have told the history of Africa through the prism of colonialism. But what picture of the continent emerges when we do away with making the story of Africa so anchored in European colonialism? Award-winning broadcaster Zeinab Badawi came to the Intelligence Squared stage recently to tell a new history of Africa – in all its shades and complexities – without the stifling gaze of Europe. Drawing on the themes of her la...

May 15, 202444 minSeason 1Ep. 2090

The Anxious Generation: Jonathan Haidt on How Smartphones Rewired Childhood, Part Two

This is the second instalment of a three-part conversation. Bestselling author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has dedicated his career to speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most challenging spaces – communities polarised by politics and religion and university campuses mired in culture wars. Now he turns his attention to what he sees as a perfect storm of factors that are causing a collapse in mental health among teenagers today. According to the American College Health Association...

May 13, 202438 minSeason 1Ep. 2088
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