Intelligence Squared

This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Dickens. Tolstoy. Their names and reputations shake the ground – and so do their books, if you drop one. But whose legacy is more enduring? Whose vision truer and more relevant today? Should you embark on War and Peace or Our Mutual Friend? To battle it out, in 2018 Intelligence Squared brought two celebrated writers, John Mullan for Dickens and Simon Schama for Tolstoy, to our stage. They called on a cast of star actors, including Tom Hiddleston, to bring their arguments to life with readings from the authors’ finest works. The debate was chaired by author, playwright and broadcaster Bonnie Greer. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dickens. Tolstoy. Their names and reputations shake the ground – and so do their books, if you drop one. But whose legacy is more enduring? Whose vision truer and more relevant today? Should you embark on War and Peace or Our Mutual Friend? To battle it out, in 2018 Intelligence Squared brought two celebrated writers, John Mullan for Dickens and Simon Schama for Tolstoy, to our stage. They called on a cast of star actors, including Tom Hiddleston, to bring their arguments to life with readings from the authors’ finest works. The debate was chaired by author, playwright and broadcaster Bonnie Greer. This is the first instalment of a three-part episode. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was Rome like during its zenith? In July 2023 acclaimed historian and co-host of The Rest Is History podcast Tom Holland came to Intelligence Squared to paint a vivid picture of Rome during the Pax Romana, when Rome was the world’s great superpower. Drawing on his new book Pax: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age, Holland described how at its peak the Roman Empire was the wealthiest and most powerful state the world had then seen, stretching from Scotland to Arabia, and containing perhaps a quarter of the human population then alive. Joining Holland in conversation is Hannah Cornwell, Associate Professor of Ancient History at the University of Birmingham and author of Pax and the Politics of Peace: Republic to Principate. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is it to imagine exactly? How do we go about it, and why is it so important that we imagine for ourselves? In July 2023 author and Condé Nast Britain managing director Albert Read came to Intelligence Squared to explain that the imagination is not just the preserve of artists and creatives but rather a muscle – an essential faculty of the mind which we can all train and develop throughout our lives. Drawing on his new book The Imagination Muscle, Read explains how the imagination is central to human achievement. In conversation with Times columnist and author of What I Wish I'd Known When I Was Young: The Art and Science of Growing Up, Alice Thomson, the discussion touches on art, music, film, literature, science and entrepreneurship. As technology advances and threatens to take over the creative aspects of our lives, Read's book suggests it is more pressing than ever to harness the power of our imaginations. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the second part of a two-part interview. Recorded in 2018, economist and author Mariana Mazzucato discusses her book, The Value of Everything, with UK Labour MP Stella Creasy. It's a wide-ranging discussion looking at how real wealth is created in our economy and how we can measure the true worth of both infrastructure and services. Mariana Mazzucato is Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this two-part episode recorded in 2018, economist and author Mariana Mazzucato discusses her book, The Value of Everything, with UK Labour MP Stella Creasy. It's a wide-ranging discussion looking at how real wealth is created in our economy and how we can measure the true worth of both infrastructure and services. Mariana Mazzucato is Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the second part of a three-part interview. Join us for more in the following episode. We tend to associate old age with deterioration, especially of our mental powers and memory. But today we are seeing a new cohort of the so-called young-old, people in their sixties, seventies and beyond, who are still healthy, active and fully engaged with life. Neuroscientist and bestselling author Daniel Levitin is at the forefront of research to find out how to lead a long and healthy life and in 2020 he came to the Intelligence Squared to share the findings of his book The Changing Mind: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Ageing Well. Joining Levitin was Camilla Cavendish, award-winning journalist and campaigner, who has travelled the world interviewing leading experts for her book Extra Time: 10 Lessons for an Ageing World. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We tend to associate old age with deterioration, especially of our mental powers and memory. But today we are seeing a new cohort of the so-called young-old, people in their sixties, seventies and beyond, who are still healthy, active and fully engaged with life. Neuroscientist and bestselling author Daniel Levitin is at the forefront of research to find out how to lead a long and healthy life and in 2020 he came to the Intelligence Squared to share the findings of his book The Changing Mind: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Ageing Well. Joining Levitin was Camilla Cavendish, award-winning journalist and campaigner, who has travelled the world interviewing leading experts for her book Extra Time: 10 Lessons for an Ageing World. This is the first part of a three-part interview. Join us for more in the following episode. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gloria Estefan is one of the most successful female singers ever. With more than 120 million records sold worldwide, three Grammy Awards, and a career spanning four decades, she has helped make Latin-flavoured pop music an international success. Estefan is also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor and has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. From fleeing Cuba as a young child when it fell under Castro’s control, narrowly escaping death in a bus accident aged 32, to marrying her first boyfriend, who was also the founder of her first band Miami Sound Machine, she has lived a remarkable life. In this exclusive live podcast recording of the award-winning How I Found My Voice, presented by Samira Ahmed, Estefan reflected on her path to musical success and fame. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Niall Ferguson is the preeminent historian of the ideas that define our time. He has challenged how we think about money, power, civilisation and empires. Now he wants to reimagine history itself. Networks, he explains, are the key to history. The greatest innovators have been ‘superhubs’ of connections. The most powerful states, empires and companies have been those with the most densely networked structures. And the most transformative ideas – from the printing presses that launched the Reformation to the Freemasonry that inspired the American Revolution – have gone viral precisely because of the networks within which they spread. Our host for this conversation is historian, author and broadcaster, Rana Mitter. The audio of this live Intelligence Squared event was recorded in London in 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not many of us can claim to have hunted with the Bushmen of the Kalahari; been detained for spying by the KGB; or smuggled ourselves over a border into an active war zone under the floorboards of an ambulance. Yet, for our latest guests on the Futureverse, this is all in a day’s work. The Sunday Times’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Christina Lamb, who has been covering conflict around the globe for over three decades, does not regard herself as a risk taker, though. It was not an attraction to danger that led her to war reporting, but a surprise wedding invitation that landed on her desk in 1987. Similarly, as a teenager, the adventurer and broadcaster Simon Reeve, enjoyed the thrill of cycling down Acton High Street on his BMX, but did not imagine that he would spend his early professional life on the tail of neo-Nazi terrorists in Boston Spa. In this special episode of the Futureverse, Christina and Simon join Kamal Ahmed for a conversation about their attitudes to risk: what motivates them to take the risks that they do and how they calculate risk on the ground. It is a fascinating insight into what it means to put your life on the line in order to shine light on the darkest corners of the world. It also is a prescient reminder of Y TREE’s core principles: mitigate unnecessary risk – even Simon Reeve will not get in a car without a seat belt – and always set a personal risk level that feels right for you. The Futureverse is brought to you by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Y TREE. The past is in your head. The future is in your hands. For more information visit y-tree.com/futureverse — Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Middle Ages, agricultural advancements enriched the nobility and the Church, which used the wealth generated to build themselves magnificent houses and cathedrals, while the peasants went hungry. The early years of England’s industrial revolution brought stagnant incomes for the working class. In recent decades technological advances have put untold amounts of wealth into the hands of the 0.1 per cent, while today, the sudden leap forward in artificial intelligence is threatening jobs and democracy through automation, data collection, and surveillance. But does it have to be this way? MIT economist Daron Acemoglu has an alternative vision. His big idea: wrest control of AI from the hands of a few arrogant tech leaders and empower society instead. Is technology too important to leave to the billionaires? Can AI really be democratised? Listen now to this conversation hosted by Carl Miller, recorded in London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The second part of our conversation from 2012 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. In this episode, our panel made up of former US president Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson – the first female president of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – and South African religious leader and activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu, reflect on issues such as the ethics of drone warfare, global human rights, the future of NATO and more. Hosting the discussion, which still feels timely today, is the broadcaster Jon Snow. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 stage in London at the Barbican Centre including former US president Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson – the first female president of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – and South African religious leader and activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Hosted by the broadcaster Jon Snow, the audience were also joined for a brief introductory discussion about the formation of The Elders organisaton with Virgin Group entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and musician Peter Gabriel. This is the first half of the the discussion. Join us for the second half in the following episode. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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’t subscribe part two will be available in our next episode. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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’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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Throughout history, leaders accused of war crimes have faced varying degrees of accountability and Putin’s case raises important questions about legal frameworks, the role of international institutions like the International Criminal Court, and the challenges involved in holding high-ranking officials responsible for their actions. On this episode of the podcast, we analyse the implications of prosecuting Putin for war crimes - with Philippe Sands, lawyer and author of East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity - and Daniel Krcmaric, academic and author of The Justice Dilemma: Leaders and Exile in an Era of Accountability. Our host is journalist and academic Philippa Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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-part conversation. Join us for part two in the following episode. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 intrusions. Our host for this episode is Carl Miller - Research Director at Demos and author of The Death of The Gods: The New Global Power Grab. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 texts – including a fascinating handwritten reading text of David Copperfield featured in Sotheby’s upcoming auction – revealing how the great author has shaped his life and career. This event was recorded on 11 July 2023 as part of Sotheby’s Book Week, held to mark a series of sales taking place in London, Paris and New York from 4-20 July featuring literature, illustrations and musical manuscripts that span continents and centuries. The London auction will take place on Thursday 20 July. Please visit sothebys.com to find out more. This conversation was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye and edited by Producer Catharine Hughes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 organisation, and he also wrote a book on his home city, A Short History of London. Anthony Scaramucci is a financier and founder of SkyBridge Capital. Also known as The Mooch, you may remember him as former White House Director of Communications for a record 11 days. He’s been described by one newspaper as being "as New York as skyscrapers, subways and Sinatra". Coco Khan is our host making sure it's a fair contest but there can only be one winner – you the listeners decide – follow the link below to cast your vote. https://intelligencesquared.com/vs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Washington, this talk will examine the pivotal role these papers played in history, such as the establishment of the English Empire, negotiations for peace during the Revolution, as well as personal reflections of Thomas Jefferson. Join us and discover the intellect, passion, and conviction of the Founding Fathers as they established the ideals that became the foundation of the United States, which have inspired countless others to rise and reclaim their own liberty and human dignity. This event was recorded on 11 July 2023 as part of Sotheby’s Book Week, a series of sales taking place in London, Paris and New York from 4-20 July featuring literature, illustrations and musical manuscripts that span continents and centuries. The New York auction will take place on Tuesday 18 July. Please visit sothebys.com to find out more and register for further updates. This conversation was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye and edited by Producer Catharine Hughes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Dimoldenberg’s much-loved Chicken Shop Date and is the co-host of If It Is to Be Said – a podcast all about Succession. Poppy Damon is a journalist, crime podcaster and screenwriter, whose creations include Pseudocide – a podcast about people who fake their own deaths – and the upcoming Agatha Christie and the Dandelion Poisoner. Both are storytellers who value wit, timing and maybe the odd plot twist too but for Ania, Succession is the ultimate satire. For Poppy, it's The White Lotus that takes the top spot. Coco Khan is our host in charge of the remote and there can only be one winner. Search out VS on your podcast app to follow the show and enjoy more new episodes every week over the coming season. https://intelligencesquared.com/vs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 yourself, Baggini shows how clearer thinking can help us meet the challenges of our troubled times. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 journey. In this episode political journalist Isabel Hardman and NHS doctor Annabel Sowemimo discuss the remarkable medical accomplishments that have defined the NHS, as well as the tumultuous political battles fought to protect and sustain this cherished institution. — 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Russia without Putin and what could come next. In this bonus fifth episode we talk to former U.S Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul who discusses his personal experiences with the Putin regime and whether the West and Russia are natural enemies or whether they can co-exist with peaceful relations. To listen in full on Apple visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-putin/id1694483363 For non Apple users visit: https://intelligencesquared.com/membership/The episode is hosted and produced by senior producer Conor Boyle. Clips: CNN, BBC Music: - 220522 piano loop by donaldtimo — 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 arguably one of the most slandered and underestimated female figures of ancient history who is the subject of her recent book, Messalina: A Story of Empire, Slander and Adultery. She describes a woman battling to assert her position in the overwhelmingly male world of imperial Roman politics – and succeeding. Intelligent, passionate and ruthless when she needed to be, Cargill-Martin argues that Messalina’s story encapsulates the cut-throat political maneuvering and excessive lifestyle of the Roman elite in their heyday. Joining Cargill-Martin in conversation is Dan Jones, one of Britain's best known historians. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“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 2017 a seething President Trump summoned Comey to a meeting in the Oval Office where he pressured him to deny that Trump and his entourage were under investigation for collusion with Russia. Comey refused to give information to Trump and was fired from the FBI in May 2017. In conversation with acclaimed satirist and screenwriter Armando Iannucci he discusses crime, punishment and accountability at the highest echelons of politics Part two and three of this event are available ad free, for subscribers now. And for our listeners who don’t subscribe part 2 will be available in our next episode. This conversation took place in June 2023. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Russia without Putin and what could come next. In this third episode we discuss how power works in Russia and whether Putin is really on the way out. We're joined by journalist and writer Catherine Belton who's award winning book Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West explores the rise of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Edward Lucas, National security expert and columnist for the Times and Shashank Joshi defence editor for the Economist newspaper. If you'd like to hear the rest of this episode and as well as upcoming episodes of 'After Putin' head to intelligencesquared.com/membership or subscribe to our channel on Apple Podcasts The episode is hosted and produced by senior producer Conor Boyle. Clips: ABC News, Al Jazeera, DW News (edited) Music: - 220522 piano loop by donaldtimo — 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Russia without Putin and what could come next. In this second episode, Professor Sam Greene joins us to discuss Vladimir Putin's next moves as he looks to reassert his power and bounce back after a humiliating week. The episode is hosted and produced by Conor Boyle. Clips from: MSNBC and BBC News Music: - 220522 piano loop by donaldtimo The first two episodes of 'After Putin' will be available to all, here on the Intelligence Squared podcast. If you'd like to hear the rest of the series head to intelligencesquared.com/membership or subscribe to our channel on Apple Podcasts. — Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Russia without Putin and what could come next. In this first episode we're joined by Anne Applebaum and Owen Matthews to discuss whether Putin has lost control. The episode is hosted and produced by Conor Boyle. Clips from: MSNBC, DW News, Sky News Music: - 220522 piano loop by donaldtimo The first two episodes will be available to all, here on the Intelligence Squared podcast. If you'd like to listen the rest of the series head to intelligencesquared.com/membership or subscribe to our channel on Apple Podcasts — 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 shapes the world around us. In conversation with science editor of The Times Tom Whipple, Czerski discusses how, since the beginning of human civilisation, the oceans have been central to the way human societies have evolved and how threats like climate change and overfishing could threaten our future. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 academia? Jeffrey Boakye, former English teacher and author of the acclaimed memoir I Heard What You Said, and journalist Tomiwa Owolade are our guests for this debate to discuss this timely topic. Our chair is the writer, academic and broadcaster, Shahidha Bari. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 beyond the confines of youth and desirability, rendering them seemingly superfluous. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. This event took place in May 2023 in Stockholm. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy at New York University. 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. This event took place in May 2023 in Stockholm. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 engineer, author and broadcaster, whose expertise helped build the Shard skyscraper in London. Her latest book is, Nuts and Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World (in a Big Way). These two mechanical minds are both intrigued by the engineering marvels that make the world go round, but Yassmin says we should do it with four wheels in a car, and Roma with just two on a bicycle. Coco Khan is your host with the roadmap to victory and there can only be one winner – you the listeners decide – follow the link below to cast your vote. https://intelligencesquared.com/vs/ 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes of VS and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 and classic authors can help us understand the central subjects of international politics: order, disorder, rebellion, ambition, loyalty to family and state, violence, and the mistakes of power. And they explored how viewing events through a tragic lens could guide the West’s strategy for dealing with Russia and China today. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since the Wall Street Crash in 1929, financial meltdowns have repeatedly sent shockwaves through our world. From the currency crises of the 1980s and 1990s, to Japan’s housing crash, the dot com boom and bust, the global financial meltdown, the euro crisis and the COVID pandemic. In May 2023, economist Linda Yueh came to Intelligence Squared to tell the stories of these historic events and what we can learn from them. Drawing from her new book The Great Crashes, Yueh warns about where the next crash might come from and shows how to prepare for them and prevent them. Joining her in conversation is politician and author, Jesse Norman. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is part two of our live event on economic growth. In May 2023, journalist Kamal Ahmed, was joined by three influential economists, Kate Raworth, Helen Thompson, and Bim Afolami to discuss if we can indeed have prosperity without growth. Part three of this event is available ad free, for subscribers now. This conversation is part of Intelligence Squared’s live debate partnership with the Southbank Centre. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the UK and other countries around the world grapple with a bleak economic forecast and the creeping effects of climate change, the debate over economic growth and its role in our economies has come into sharp focus. In part one of this live event journalist Kamal Ahmed, was joined by three influential economists, Kate Raworth, Helen Thompson, and Bim Afolami to discuss if we can indeed have prosperity without growth. Part two and three of this event are available ad free, for subscribers now. And for our listeners who don’t subscribe part 2 will be available in our next episode. This conversation took place in May 2023 and is part of Intelligence Squared’s live debate partnership with the Southbank Centre. 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 get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

VS is a light-hearted podcast about the little debates that are always a big deal to someone. Arsenal VS Spurs. McDonald’s VS KFC. Peep Show VS The Office. 80s VS 90s. And many more. Our host Coco Khan invites experts and fans to go head-to-head on the timeless debates that form the lifeblood of friendships. Who wins? You decide with our weekly vote. VS is an Intelligence Squared production. Tune in to new episodes every Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we bring you a thought-provoking discussion with renowned journalist and best-selling author, Sathnam Sanghera. Here he delves into patriotism, the culture wars, and the nuanced narratives of the British Empire and its forgotten, and often purposefully destroyed, history. Sanghera is joined by fellow journalist and author Kavita Puri, prior to the release of his latest children's book, 'Stolen History'. This episode was recorded on the 17th of May 2023. The producer was Senior Producer Conor Boyle with editing by Executive Producer Rowan Slaney — 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we explore the history of brainwashing - the process of pressuring someone into adopting radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible means. Daniel Pick, a Psychoanalyst, Historian, and Professor Emeritus of History at Birkbeck College, University of London, joins Subhadra Das, broadcaster, academic and writer, with a keen interest in the history of eugenics, to delve into the murky history and psychology of brainwashing and to discuss Pick's latest book, 'Brainwashed: A New History of Thought Control'. This episode was recorded on the 17th of April 2023. It was produced by Senior Producer Tom Hall, with editing by Executive Producer Rowan Slaney — 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is part two of our live Bach vs Beethoven. The BBC’s Reeta Chakrabarti was joined by world-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis and acclaimed music critic Norman Lebrecht to discuss who was greater, Bach or Beethoven? Mishka Rushdie Momen accompanies this conversation on the piano. Part three of this event is available ad free, for subscribers now. This conversation took place in April 2023. It was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye, with editing by Lead Producer Catharine Hughes — 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices