Award-winning filmmaker Raoul Martinez visits the RSA to reflect on one of the most urgent questions of our time – are we really free? Informed by over a decade of research, Martinez will lift the veil on the mechanisms of control that pervade our lives, from the lottery of our birth to the consent-manufacturing influence of concentrated wealth and power. Tackling economics, philosophy, politics, criminology, psychology and environmentalism, it shows that the more we understand how the world sha...
Nov 01, 2016•55 min•Ep. 81
Depending on who you ask, our current generation of youngsters are either ‘snowflakes’ in need of greater resilience, or the product of the economic, political and social insecurity that has come to define our times, creating new pressures which have helped to drive up rates of mental distress. What implications does this have for policy making in the UK, and how can we deliver on government commitments to improve mental health care for children and young people? Join us to discuss these challen...
Oct 19, 2016•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 80
Co-founder of n+1 magazine and one of the most highly acclaimed essayists in the US today, Mark Greif is one of the most exciting writers of his generation. His essays examine the vicissitudes of everyday life under twenty-first-century capitalism, and he repeatedly challenges us to rethink the world and demand something better. What is the right way to be and act given the many local and global challenges we face –is it possible to stay honest in dishonest times? Counter-intuitive and revelator...
Oct 19, 2016•50 min•Ep. 79
In her part-manual, part-manifesto “Feminist Fightclub”, journalist and critic Jessica Bennett brings together the personal stories of a group of women who met regularly in New York City to explore and confront the external (sexist) and internal (self-sabotaging) behaviors that continue to plague women in the workplace —as well as the system that perpetuates them. At the RSA, Jessica Bennett joins us for a special “in conversation” event to share these revealing workplace stats and stories. A le...
Oct 18, 2016•55 min•Ep. 78
What separates effective communicators from truly successful persuaders? The world’s foremost expert on influence reveals the results of three decades of research. Thirty years in the making, Robert Cialdini’s new book Pre-Suasion is the eagerly awaited follow-up to his bestselling, genre-defining Influence. Cialdini’s latest research shows that the secret to persuasion doesn’t lie in the message itself, but in the key moment before that message is delivered. He visits the RSA to show that the b...
Oct 13, 2016•59 min•Ep. 77
With his AI project DeepMind, Demis Hassabis has said he is leading “an Apollo programme for the 21st century”. But how far can AI really take us? Demis Hassabisis the co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, a neuroscience-inspired AI company, acquired by Google in 2014. He is now Vice President of Engineering at Google DeepMind and leads their general AI efforts, including the development of AlphaGo, the first program to ever beat a professional player at the game of Go. In this special event at the RS...
Oct 13, 2016•1 hr•Ep. 76
The rapid pace of technological innovation has an enormous impact on the economy and society. Spreading the gains of technological progress calls for significant system change in education, work and wider learning, to ensure that everyone has access to the power, resources and opportunities to work, create, connect and learn. In his President’s Lecture for 2016, Simon Nelson will explore how increasing access to education, delivered online in a flexible way, can help towards addressing some of t...
Oct 06, 2016•56 min•Ep. 75
How can we support teachers to keep improving throughout their careers? What does the very best teacher training and professional development look like? And how do we ensure that it is designed for maximum impact on the education and life chances of those who need it most? At the RSA, our expert panel assess the rationale for, and likely impact and implications of, the new standards, and share their insights into designing and delivering cutting-edge professional development with the potential t...
Oct 06, 2016•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 74
What does the revolution in work mean for us today? With an ever-increasing divide between the rich and the rest, the traditional solutions – improved education or wage subsidiaries, for example – will no longer work as they once did. In order to navigate our way across today’s rapidly transforming economic landscape, we must radically reassess the very idea of how, and why, we work. Join the Economist’s Ryan Avent at the RSA as he tackles the future of work, the state we’re currently in - and h...
Oct 06, 2016•51 min•Ep. 73
What are the benefits and risks of the increasing scale and power of data assets controlled by governments and corporations? In a time of rapid advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence, if we are to make better use of the vast quantities of data produced by new technologies - from gene sequencing to driverless cars – it’s crucial to mitigate the risks as well as embracing the advantages of Big Data. Roger Taylor, writer and chair of the Open Public Services Network at the RSA, jo...
Sep 23, 2016•57 min•Ep. 72
In its recent ‘Five Year Forward View’, the NHS set out a bold new vision for its future. In the face of ever growing pressure on services, the report argues the need for large-scale transformation and new models of care if we are to maintain a sustainable and universal health service. What exactly are social movements, however, and what does it take to start one? How can innovative local ideas be scaled up? How can we measure whether this model really does make services more effective and effic...
Sep 23, 2016•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 71
How can it be that more governments are wealthier than ever, and yet fewer citizens enjoy the benefits that such wealth can bring? “Citizens’ wealth” – creating an additional source of revenue by turning states into wealth-owners - is a long-established idea. And yet we are still to see this powerful tool used to its full potential effect, and in the service of ensuring the interests of its rightful beneficiaries – the people. At the RSA, political theorist Angela Cummine outlines what measures ...
Sep 23, 2016•48 min•Ep. 70
The world is facing urgent challenges – and design can help us solve them. Carrie Bishop is a director at FutureGov, the digital and design company for public services, where she works on projects focused on using social technologies for better collaboration, open innovation and organisational change. To celebrate the launch of the 2016/17 Student Design Award briefs, Carrie shares her thoughts on why we need design now more than ever as a tool for tackling global problems.
Sep 15, 2016•37 min•Ep. 69
Why do some policies succeed in bringing about widespread social change, but others founder? In his annual RSA Chief Executive’s Lecture, Matthew Taylor examines the relationship between policy-making and social change. What distinguishes successful policy changes - for example, the smoking ban - from other ideas that seemed to have everything in their favour at the outset, and yet ultimately failed to deliver? Is there a key to truly impactful policy creation and implementation? Or, to meet the...
Sep 14, 2016•55 min•Ep. 68
What is the next stage of human evolution? As the self-made gods of planet earth, which projects should we undertake, and how will we protect this fragile planet and humankind itself from our own destructive powers? We were delighted to welcome Yuval Noah Harari - bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind – for his second much-anticipated RSA appearance. Where Sapiens was a wide-ranging exploration of humankind’s history, in his new work Homo Deus he envisions our future: a not...
Sep 12, 2016•54 min•Ep. 67
Former technology editor at Newsweek and co-producer and writer of HBO’s Silicon Valley, Dan Lyons spent many years reporting on the tech explosion. But when he joined one of the buzzy Boston start-ups that typify the industry, he ended up with a fascinating inside perspective. Lyons is one of the lone dissenting voices amongst the tech hype, and visits the RSA to reveal the dysfunctional culture that prevails in a world flush with money and devoid of experience. He provides a unique analysis of...
Sep 09, 2016•57 min•Ep. 66
As part of a series of Radio 4 programmes reflecting and examining the political and cultural landscape in Britain after the Brexit vote, Front Row will pick up from Today with a live broadcast in front of an audience at the RSA. Hosted by John Wilson, the discussion will feature leading creative figures, including actor and director Samuel West, novelists Val McDermid and Dreda Say Mitchell, TV producer Phil Redmond and designer Wayne Hemingway, to consider the artistic impact of the decision t...
Aug 24, 2016•42 min•Ep. 65
Krista Tippett joins the RSA to explore the enduring question of what it is to be human, and how we can learn to live with greater, joy, compassion and wisdom, both individually and collectively. By weaving together insights from these conversations, she offers a distinctive, grounded and optimistic vision of 21st century humanity. The central challenges of our time, she argues - from definitions of life itself, to the meaning of community and family and identity, to our relationships to technol...
Aug 15, 2016•57 min•Ep. 64
What are the key current and future challenges facing the gambling industry – and for the politicians and regulators seeking to protect the consumer? As Philip Graf, Chair of the Gambling Commission, comes towards the end of his term, he reflects on the changing nature of the gambling industry and the challenges ahead for regulators.
Jul 21, 2016•1 hr•Ep. 63
Where now for civic engagement? In the wake of a shock referendum result, and a campaign that exposed deep social, economic and political divisions, it’s clear that we need a new approach to democratic engagement. A panel of experts including Women’s Equality Party co-founder Catherine Mayer and Compass’ Neal Lawson gather to explore what the ideal 21st century political party might look like.
Jul 21, 2016•1 hr•Ep. 62
How much of what we do is driven by the automatic and the unconscious? When should we bring conscious reasoning to bear? What kinds of tasks is consciousness good for? Nicholas Shea and Barry Smith present a new research project bringing together philosophy, psychology and neuroscience to explore the purpose of consciousness.
Jul 21, 2016•53 min•Ep. 61
What will your 100-year life look like? Does the thought of working for 60 or 70 years fill you with dread? Or can you see the potential for a more stimulating future as a result of having so much extra time? Offsetting the excess of negative debate about longevity, Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott take a fundamentally different approach - seeing long life an opportunity for a fundamental restructuring of finances and careers, and of relationships and leisure – in other words, for a redesign of li...
Jul 12, 2016•53 min•Ep. 60
The very near future presents a critical turning-point for the FE & Skills sector; many challenges and opportunities, not least of which are around funding, in addition to Area Reviews and the commitment to 3 million apprenticeship starts, invite a raft of questions about the future of further education and skills training. Join us to explore and re-imagine custom and practice within technical and professional education, a sector which continues to be critical to securing social and economic...
Jul 07, 2016•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 59
Author and activist Ashton Applewhite uncovers the roots of ageism and shows how ageist myths and stereotypes cripple the way our brains and bodies function. It’s time, she argues, to expose these myths, and to create a world of age equality by making discrimination on the basis of age as unacceptable as any other kind.
Jul 06, 2016•51 min•Ep. 58
The RSA launches the Citizens Economic Council, asking: can citizens really be economists, and what might the extent of their role and influence in shaping economic policy be?
Jul 06, 2016•57 min•Ep. 57
What are young people’s opportunities today? Do their social and digital networks offer new routes to learning? What is the meaning of education in a digitally connected but fiercely competitive and individualised world? At the RSA, Professor Sonia Livingstone presents the results of her most recent fieldwork, based on the experiences of young teenagers growing up and learning in a digital world. In her study she explores youth values and prospects as well as tactics for facing the opportunities...
Jun 29, 2016•56 min•Ep. 56
Richard Clarke shares his journey from RSA Student Design Award winner to global head of advanced innovation at Nike, and explores the power of design in problem solving and shaping the future.
Jun 23, 2016•38 min•Ep. 55
With the historic referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU impending, we look back on how the campaign has played out, look ahead to the likely result and post-vote fallout. Our panel of expert commentators assess the decisive issues in the remaining days before the vote, and look ahead to possible post-referendum landscape scenarios. If ‘remain’ carries the day, is the question of the UK’s relationship with Europe truly settled for at least a generation? If the result is close, will the clam...
Jun 21, 2016•57 min•Ep. 54
As we draw nearer to 23rd June and the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, we bring together Nick Clegg and Andrea Leadsom from either side of the debate, in a special conversation format. By allowing each advocate to make their case positively, and by seeking clarity on what really divides them – as well as where points of agreement may lie – we’ll aim to get closer to the heart of the European matter, and the historic decision the country now faces.
Jun 08, 2016•55 min•Ep. 53
Why don’t money and friendship mix? Can money buy happiness? Why does money have such a hold on us? The surprising psychology of money reveals that our relationship with it is more complex than we might think. At the RSA, BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Claudia Hammond explores the latest research in psychology, neuroscience, biology and behavioral economics, and offers some simple yet effective advice that can help us improve our relationship with money.
Jun 06, 2016•56 min•Ep. 52
