Why should schools be interested in the arts, and how should we be looking to understand their impact? With Global Teacher Prize winner Andria Zafirakou. The RSA, together with the Education Endowment Foundation, is currently investigating the difference made by cultural learning to pupils’ academic achievement and character development. But what else do the arts offer schools and their students? How can we get better at understanding those benefits and ensure that evidence of what works makes i...
May 24, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 201
Trust in politics is dwindling, and authoritarian populists are seizing power around the globe. Renowned academic and author Yascha Mounk argues for radical political reforms that will benefit the many, not the few. Mounk identifies three key drivers of voters’ discontent: stagnating living standards, fears of multiethnic democracy, and the rise of social media. To reverse the march against liberal democracy, he argues that politicians must act now to create radical reforms in these three areas ...
May 24, 2018•58 min•Ep. 200
Is modern work actually productive, or just an end in itself? 'The most influential anthropologist in the world', David Graeber, explores how ‘meaningless’ jobs have become so widespread, and what we can do about it. In doing so, he looks at how we value work, and how, rather than being productive, work has become an end in itself; the way such work maintains the current broken system of finance capital; and, finally, how we can get out of it. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday ...
May 17, 2018•57 min•Ep. 199
Leading professor of psychiatry Edward Bullmore introduces breakthrough new science on the link between depression and inflammation of the body and brain. Going beyond the clinic and the lab, Professor Bullmore presents a whole new way of looking at how mind, brain and body all work together in a sometimes misguided effort to help us survive in a hostile world. Offering insights into the story of Western medicine, he shows how we have got it wrong as well as right in the past, and how we could s...
May 11, 2018•58 min•Ep. 198
Do modern economies reward the extractors – not the creators – of economic value? Leading economist Mariana Mazzucato urges us to rethink how we determine value in our economy. At the heart of the crisis in modern capitalism, she says, lies the blurred line between ‘taking’ and ‘making’; those who merely extract value are rewarded more highly than those who create it, generating perverse incentives and stifling a productive, healthy economy and society. In order to replace this broken system wit...
Apr 27, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 197
In this Vote100 year, Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom asks: can we really say our democracy is as equal as the Suffragettes sought to make it? Andrea visits the RSA to share the lessons of her work addressing harassment and bullying in Westminster, to explore the challenges and opportunities for Parliament posed by the digital age, and to set out her views on what both say about our wider political culture. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Wednesday 25th April 2018. Disco...
Apr 26, 2018•57 min•Ep. 196
Should you really be shocked by the Facebook revelations? Author and Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media, Jamie Bartlett argues that our fragile political system is being threatened by the digital revolution. We have given over much of our lives to shadowy powers behind a wall of code, all manipulated by a handful of Silicon Valley utopians, ad men, and venture capitalists. And, in light of recent data breach scandals around companies such as Cambridge Analytica, what does th...
Apr 25, 2018•59 min•Ep. 195
Academic, bestselling author and Star Trek scriptwriter Leonard Mlodinow gives us the tools to harness the power of elastic thinking in an endlessly dynamic world. How can we train our brains to be more comfortable when confronting change? How do our brains generate new ideas, and how can we nurture that process? Why can diversity and even discord be beneficial to our thought process? This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 12th April 2018. Discover more about this event here: https:...
Apr 25, 2018•59 min•Ep. 194
The Secret Barrister, one of the UK’s leading law bloggers, shares insights from the frontline of our criminal justice system, and warns that it’s now close to breaking point. Few of us find ourselves thinking critically about our criminal justice system; considering how and why we have this particular way of doing justice, or reflecting on the impact it has upon the hundreds of thousands of people – defendants, witnesses and victims – who pass through the system every year. But we should - beca...
Apr 25, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 193
UK industry is at a defining moment as technological and political advancements influence the sector. We gather an expert panel to discuss how businesses can capitalise on the value of design in navigating change. Can the principles and processes of design be harnessed to ensure UK business remains on the front foot in a rapidly changing economic and policy landscape? This event was recorded live at The RSA on Tuesday 24th April 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/e...
Apr 25, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 192
Jennifer Palmieri, former Director of Communications for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – visits the RSA to issue an open invitation to all women to forge a new model of leadership. While wildly disappointed by the outcome of the election, Palmieri argues that the Clinton candidacy and all she experienced on the campaign trail --confusion, admiration, hate, love, acceptance, rejection-- can now open us all up to reimagining women in leadership roles. This event was recorded live at The RS...
Apr 24, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 191
How can we galvanise renewed political interest in environmental issues to drive bolder action? With Caroline Lucas MP, Leader of the Green Party. Thirty years on from the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988, and with thirty years to go to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of a carbon-neutral world by 2050, it’s a timely moment take stock of the current politics of climate change in the UK. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Monday 27th March 2018. Disc...
Mar 27, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 190
Richard Sennett, one of the world's leading thinkers on the urban environment, traces the relationship between how cities are built and how people live in them. In describing how cities such as Paris, Barcelona and New York assumed their modern forms, Sennett explores the intimate relationship between the good built environment and the good life. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 15th March 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/03/buildin...
Mar 16, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 189
Daniel Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code, reveals the team-building skills behind some of the most effective organisations in the world. He examines the verbal and physical cues that bring people together, and determines specific strategies that encourage collaboration and build trust. And he offers cautionary tales of toxic cultures and advises how to reform them, above all demonstrating the extraordinary achievements that result when we know how to cooperate effective...
Mar 09, 2018•59 min•Ep. 188
Entrepreneur Laurence Kemball-Cook visits the RSA to discuss the role that design can play in building an economy and industry fit for the future. The off-grid energy and data business has grown rapidly since it was founded in 2009 and Laurence has built a wealth of experience in design technology, innovation, scaling, and reaching new markets. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Wednesday 7th March 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/03/design-in...
Mar 08, 2018•58 min•Ep. 187
As the Citizens’ Economic Council launches its final report, we hear from participants and public figures including Andrew Haldane, Bank of England; Patricia Wharton, CEC member; Anand Menon, UK in a Changing Europe; and Gemma Tetlow, Financial Times. The programme travelled across the UK, and listened to groups that included steelworkers, students and LGBT community members, all calling for change as they shared their lived experiences of the British economy. The Citizens’ Economic Council rose...
Mar 07, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 186
In his first major speech, the new Secretary of State for Justice, the Rt Hon David Gauke MP, will outline his view on the future of prisons and rehabilitation. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Tuesday 6th March 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/03/prisons---david-gauke
Mar 06, 2018•57 min•Ep. 185
Shadow Attorney General, Shami Chakrabarti, argues that gender injustice is the greatest human rights abuse on the planet, and proposes a new way forward. From the disparity in the number of births to issues of schooling, work, ownership, faith, political representation and international diplomacy, Chakrabarti will outline what needs fixing and make clear, inspiring proposals about what we do next, putting women's rights at the centre of the progressive political agenda. This event was recorded ...
Mar 01, 2018•58 min•Ep. 184
Award-winning architect Alison Brooks speaks about architects’ duties to respond to the social, cultural and physical context in their work. Pioneering architect Alison Brooks believes in the transformative social role of architecture, and has led new design thinking, in particular on housing and urban design. Committed to design responsive to people and place, Alison creates environments that are at the very heart of inclusive cities and communities. This event was recorded live at The RSA on T...
Feb 23, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 183
The challenges we face today are formidable. But, argues influential global thinker Steven Pinker, our problems are solvable. What we need now is an Enlightenment recharged for the 21st century. Pinker argues that we must recognise and celebrate the remarkable gains that have been made in every measure of human wellbeing. If you follow trendlines rather than headlines, you discover that our lives have become longer, healthier, safer and more prosperous - not just in the West, but worldwide. This...
Feb 22, 2018•58 min•Ep. 182
How can learning be strengthened to meet the demands of the 21st century? RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor explores how we create an environment of active learning and increase opportunities for development and fulfilment. Lifelong learning has never been more crucial. We face the challenge of a workplace which is transforming rapidly while technology is driving massive economic and social changes. We are living longer, in more diverse communities and connected on a global scale – understandin...
Feb 21, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 181
A powerful movement is growing in force – but where will it go next? The ‘Weinstein effect’ has seen revelations of pervasive sexual assault and exploitation come to light across the world, sparking the #MeToo and TIME’S UP campaigns aimed at giving women a voice in tackling systemic injustice. Panel: Laura Bates, bestselling author and founder of the Everyday Sexism project; Helen Pankhurst, author and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst; Ayesha Hazarika, Political Commentator and Comedian and So...
Feb 16, 2018•59 min•Ep. 180
Why are we still struggling to get disadvantaged students into university? An expert panel featuring Alan Rusbridger, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, gathers to discuss how to make education fairer. Despite efforts by universities and schools across the country, the gap between richer and poorer students stubbornly persists; from attainment in school to university application and acceptance. Educational and socioeconomic disadvantage disproportionately affects certain ethnic minority groups, an...
Feb 01, 2018•59 min•Ep. 179
Timothy Morton, hailed as the 'philosopher prophet of the Anthropocene', invites us to a revolution in the way we understand our place in the world. In his new work, Morton confronts the information-dump fatigue of the digital age, by offering no ecological 'facts' but instead a radically invigorated and liberating approach to understanding ourselves, our interconnectedness with each other and the biosphere that sustains us. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Monday 29th January 2018. Di...
Jan 29, 2018•58 min•Ep. 178
Bestselling author and RSA Animate sensation Dan Pink reveals the ideal ‘when’ for every decision. Timing is everything- but how much do we know about timing itself? Our lives are a never-ending stream of “when” decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 25th January 2018. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2018/...
Jan 26, 2018•58 min•Ep. 177
Bestselling author Johann Hari explains why everything we’ve been told about depression and anxiety is wrong, and how we must drastically change our way of living if we are to thrive. Hailed by Elton John, Emma Thompson, Russell Brand, Arianna Huffington, Alistair Campbell, Davina McCall and many more, Hari uses his social science training to investigate the causes of depression and anxiety – and discovers the cutting edge science that reveals the lack of evidence for the spontaneous chemical im...
Jan 18, 2018•58 min•Ep. 176
In an era of unprecedented change and polarizing politics, clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson offers a message of individual responsibility and ancient wisdom as an antidote to chaos. His advice ranges from putting your own house in order before criticising others, to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, rather than someone else today. Happiness is a futile goal, he says. Instead, we must search for meaning, not for its own sake, but as a defence against the suffering that is intrins...
Jan 16, 2018•55 min•Ep. 175
Geoff Mulgan, CEO of Nesta, explores how thinking collectively – whether in groups, or with the help of machines – is the answer to solving our biggest challenges. Figuring out the most effective ways to design and foster collective intelligence could be seen as our biggest current challenge, since there is little prospect of solving our other grand challenges of climate, health, prosperity, or war, without progress in how we think and act together. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thu...
Jan 11, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 174
An expert panel gathers to look back on a year of seismic events and world-changing headlines. Featuring Ian Leslie, commentator and author of Born Liars and Curiosity: Why Our Future Depends on it. 2017 has had its fair share of news – Donald Trump’s inauguration; a snap election and subsequent coalition in the UK; the triggering of Article 50 and ongoing Brexit negotiations; the horrific Westminster, London Bridge and Manchester arena terror attacks; the Grenfell Tower tragedy; the cultural sh...
Dec 15, 2017•1 hr•Ep. 173
Author and FT contributor Stefan Stern debunks some of the famous myths surrounding management and leadership. Using insights from psychology, leadership theory and organizational behaviour, he will provide a compelling and practical guide to avoid falling into the trap of management cliché, misinformation and prejudice. This event was recorded live at The RSA on Thursday 7th December 2017. Discover more about this event here: https://www.thersa.org/events/2017/12/what-people-get-wrong-about-bei...
Dec 07, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 172
