Intelligence Squared and Harewood House partner for this live podcast exploring the power of portraiture in representing Britain’s complex history. The expert panel includes artist Thomas J Price, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Nicholas Cullinan, and Contributing Editor at Novara Media, Moya Lothian-McLean. Joining our speakers are the Earl of Harewood David Lascelles and our host, writer and presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied. The event coincides with the recent launch of Missing Portra...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 870
It’s an issue that only gets more contentious with time - is porn good for us? To debate this issue in 2013, host Viv Groskop was joined by Germaine Greer, Dr Robert Lefever, Anna Arrowsmith, and Dr Clarissa Smith. But how has our cultural outlook swayed and shifted over the past decade? Have conversations about sexual liberation or concerns over children’s access and early exposure to pornographic content moved us beyond the panellists arguments in 2013? Or are we still just as confused as a so...
Feb 12, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 869
Los Angeles, 1981. A group of beautiful, rich, high school students are playing adult in their absentee parents' empty mansions, fueled by lust and prescription drugs, and filled with fear and disaffection. This is the world of The Shards, Bret Easton Ellis’ first novel in 13 years, part auto-fiction, part horror. The provocative and polarising author joins Alex Preston, award-winning author and journalist, to speak about the emptiness of adolescence, the lawlessness of the 80s, and how it feels...
Feb 10, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 868
When world-renowned economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in Britain in the 1980s he recoiled in horror at how dull and dreary British food was at that time. But it was not just the food that caused him to despair: it was mainstream economic thinking too. Neoclassical liberalism was, and still is, the only item he found on Britain’s menu of economic ideas. Rethinking that menu is the theme of his new book, Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World. Through a series of culinary anec...
Feb 08, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 867
On 27 January 2023, broadcaster Mahmoud Al-Mossallami hosted BBC Arabic radio’s final transmission after 85 years on air. It's the latest strategy shift for BBC World Service, which launched in 1932 as the BBC Empire Service. Over the years its radio content has transformed in order to meet historical challenges, cater to growing audiences and adapt under financial constraints. But with a listenership of millions across multiple nations, is something larger and more important than just a radio s...
Feb 06, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 866
This week marked the three year anniversary of Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. On this episode of The Sunday Debate we’re revisiting what some would call a simpler time, pre-Brexit Britain. In May 2016, a month before the referendum, Intelligence Squared staged The Great Brexit Debate. Our chair for the debate was Jonathan Freedland, Guardian columnist, author and broadcaster, and he was joined by a panel of six influential voices including Nick Clegg and Gi...
Feb 05, 2023•2 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 865
Samira Ahmed speaks to journalist, satirist, and editor of the magazine Private Eye, Ian Hislop. They speak about his life and career, from an upbringing in Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong before returning to Britain to attend boarding school where he began his satirical career. Ian Hislop became editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye at just 25, in his 37 years as editor he has been reported as the most sued man in English legal history. This episode was recorded in A...
Feb 03, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 864
Between 1993 and 1997 Natasha Lance Rogoff, award-winning television producer and filmmaker, was the executive producer of Ulitsa Sezam, the Russian adaptation of Sesame Street. She joins us on Intelligence Squared to tell the extraordinary story of her determination to bring entertainment and democratic values to Russian children amid a backdrop of bombings, assassinations and a military pressure. Drawing on her new book, Muppets in Moscow, she shares her unique perspective of Russia’s people, ...
Feb 01, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 863
Mark Galeotti is one of the world’s leading experts on modern Russia. His new book, Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, details how Vladimir Putin and his conflicts have shaped Russia in the 21st century. In conversation with the New Statesman’s Katie Stallard, Galeotti shows how Putin has used warfare through incursions into Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine, to influence both Russia’s domestic politics and the geopolitics that play out on the world stage. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squar...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 861
For this archive debate from 2019, we invited a panel of top speakers to discuss the motion: The West Should Pay Reparations For Slavery. Should there be a broad programme of reparations – not just financial compensation, but acknowledgement of the crimes committed and the lasting damage caused by slavery? Or would this just worsen social tensions by reopening old wounds? Arguing for the motion were Kehinde Andrews, Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University; and Esther Stanford-Xo...
Jan 29, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 860
Are eggs now a luxury item? For the past year an economic crisis has been brewing in Egypt, only to be dramatically exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine. And now while inflation reaches new heights, the Egyptian pound has reached an all-time low. Everyday life is becoming tougher and tougher for Egyptians but will the IMF continue to offer lifelines? Can President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi can find a solution? And is another revolution on the horizon for Cairo? To discuss these issues, Gregg Carlst...
Jan 27, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 858
In the current cost of living crisis it has never been more important to understand the financial world and take control of your money. For over 40 years, Paul Lewis has been arming the public with everything they need to know about personal finances on his BBC Radio 4 programme Money Box. In this discussion for Intelligence Squared, he answers your questions and discusses the tools you need to balance your budget, stop wasting money and make better use of the finances you have. He also explores...
Jan 25, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 857
Juicing, biohacking, mindfulness apps, collagen supplements: the wellness industry has exploded into a $4.4 trillion movement. Wellness industry journalist Rina Raphael says that the self-care movement has taken sound ideas about nutrition and fitness and packaged them up into exploitative offerings with questionable claims. Drawing on her new book, The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care, Raphael discusses how women in particular are targeted and pressured i...
Jan 23, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 856
As the world ushered in a new year on the 31st of December 2022, it also said goodbye to possibly its most well-known religious leader, Pope Benedict XVI. As a cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger’s uncompromising conservative views earned him the nickname "God's Rottweiler". As Pope, his work was often perceived as a continuation of the conservative agenda of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. On this episode of The Sunday Debate we’re discussing the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, asking whether his most ...
Jan 22, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 855
Observed from afar, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine might appear to be a replay of the Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West. But according to political scientist Ivan Krastev a closer look complicates the picture. In a recent op-ed in the Financial Times Krastev argued that while America’s allies in Europe came together in support of Ukraine, other states, especially Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia have offered a different response. Turkey’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war is a classic exam...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 854
Does the conversation on race need a reset? That is the question that Coleman Hughes and Kenan Malik explored when they came to Intelligence Squared in January 2022. Hughes is an acclaimed American writer and host of the award-winning podcast Conversations with Coleman. In 2019 at the age of 23 he testified before Congress against reparations for slavery and has roundly criticised the work of other Black writers on race such as Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo. In his view, their brand of anti-...
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 853
Why does the world appear different when we’re in love? How can one colour make us feel anger and another calm? Why do sounds like chewing and yawning cause emotional distress for some people? Aristotle said that there were five senses but scientific research suggests that there could be many more than that, with some studies claiming that there are up to 52. On this episode we’re joined by Ashley Ward, Professor in Animal Behaviour at the University of Sydney. In discussion with zoologist and b...
Jan 16, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 852
Statues and memorials to famous figures of the past adorn our towns and cities but what should be done when some of these figures have come to be seen by many people as controversial symbols of oppression and discrimination? In Britain, the Rhodes Must Fall campaign hit the headlines when it demanded the removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes from Oxford’s Oriel College, of which he was a leading benefactor, because of his colonialism. In the US, violent protests in Charlottesville were sparked b...
Jan 15, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 851
In today's episode of Intelligence Squared, we hear from our podcast dedicated to exploring the possibilities of what lies ahead: The Futureverse. What if the solution to solving extreme poverty was as simple as giving cash to those who need it? GiveDirectly, the fastest growing NGO founded this century, does just that. By allowing donors to send money directly to the world’s poorest, it has revolutionised the aid sector. In the last decade, GiveDirectly has delivered $580M+ to over 1.37 million...
Jan 13, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 850
In his new memoir, Spare, Prince Harry has opened a Pandora's box of revelations on the carefully managed public image of the world’s most famous yet guarded family. The book reflects on his difficult relationship with senior royals, as well as sharing candid stories about his early life, the number of fighters the Prince killed while serving as a soldier in the army, and his interactions with the UK press. Could this be a historic turning point for the British monarchy? Rosamund Urwin, media ed...
Jan 11, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 849
Russia's war on Ukraine, Liz Truss's mini budget and soaring inflation have all hammered the UK in recent months. But as the country begins a new year with a new Prime Minister – how much drama and uncertainty should we expect in 2023? In this episode we bring together an expert panel to debate and discuss the big questions facing the British economy. Will inflation be brought under control? Can the country cope without closer ties to the EU? And how prepared is Europe for more geopolitical tens...
Jan 09, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 848
Some of the richest people in the world have decided against bequeathing their fortunes to their children; from Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, to Daniel Craig and Michael Sheen. The proponents of this view offer many arguments, including the idea that inheriting huge wealth can detrimentally impact children, distorting anything they might do with their life. They also argue that the wealthy are morally obliged to give most, or all, of their wealth away to effective causes – children, or no child...
Jan 08, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 847
Powerful women have too often been overlooked by history. Of course we know about Boudica, Cleopatra, Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great. But there are many others whose stories are just as dramatic and deserve to be better known. For this episode of Intelligence Squared, acclaimed historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of the new book The World: A Family History and the historical novelist Kate Mosse, whose latest publication is Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries: How Women (Also) Buil...
Jan 06, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 846
Are narwhals the closest creature to unicorns that we can ever know? How does the Greenland shark fill its 500 years on our planet? Is the iridescent golden mole a mole or an elephant? On this episode of the podcast we're joined by award-winning author and academic Katherine Rundell. In conversation with environmental historian and broadcaster Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough, they discuss the individual strangeness and beauty of the animal kingdom and the fragility of our natural world. — We’d love...
Jan 04, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 845
To celebrate some of the most influential and impactful speeches ever made, we invited Barack Obama’s director of speechwriting, Cody Keenan and Tony Blair’s former speechwriter, Philip Collins, to discuss the power of the spoken word. Our host was journalist and presenter Emily Maitlis, with actors including Jeremy Irons and Carey Mulligan joining us to reenact speeches that have defined pivotal moments in history. — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, ...
Jan 02, 2023•2 hr 40 min•Season 1Ep. 844
Letters grant us a glimpse into fascinating lives, whether through the eyes of a genius, a monster or of an ordinary person. For this archive event, we matched up award-winning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore and No 1 bestselling novelist Kate Mosse to discuss the letters of Michelangelo, Catherine the Great, Sarah Bernhardt, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Virginia Woolf, Alan Turing and more. A cast of performers including Young Vic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, plus actors Jade Anouka, Jack Lowden ...
Jan 01, 2023•2 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 843
Continuing our series of cultural highlights from the Intelligence Squared archive, we revisit the event The Power of Poetry, which saw actors Helena Bonham Carter and Jason Isaacs bringing the words of the great poets alive onstage. The event also featured William Sieghart telling the extraordinary story of his bestselling book, The Poetry Pharmacy, award-winning author Jeanette Winterson and presenter, comedian and writer Sue Perkins. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more ...
Dec 30, 2022•2 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 842
Intelligence Squared has been producing agenda-setting events for over a decade. During the holiday season we're looking back over that extensive archive to pick out some of our favourite and most enlightening listens. For this episode we revisit 2018 and our event with James Rhodes and Armando Iannucci reflecting on the Transformative Power of Music. The chair was broadcaster, author and leading voice on all things musical, Clemency Burton-Hill. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers...
Dec 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 841
What is it about Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that has enchanted the public since its publication in 1843? Few people are as well placed to answer that question than John Mullan and Simon Callow. Mullan is a professor of English literature, whose recent book, The Artful Dickens, reveals the tricks and ploys of this most eccentric of literary geniuses. Callow, renowned actor, director and author, has written two books on Dickens, portrayed him on film and television, and has been thrilling ...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 840
For our final look at some of the best books to have hit shelves in 2022, we dive back into standout discussions from the past 12 months including Jonathan Freedland, whose book, The Escape Artist, tells the story of Auschwitz escapees Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler. We also revisit our discussion with philosopher Will MacAskill, whose book, What We Owe The Future, claims that society needs to take a far longer-sighted view of how altruism can be effective. The book has also come under scrutiny ...
Dec 25, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 839
