
Intelligence Squared
1,568 episodes — Page 21 of 32

The Sunday Debate: The Battle Over Free Speech: Are Trigger Warnings, Safe Spaces and No-Platforming Harming Young Minds?
For this week's episode of The Sunday Debate, we revisit our event from 2018. Many would argue that these are the fundamental goals of a good education. So why has Cambridge University taken to warning its students that the sexual violence in Titus Andronicus might be traumatic for them? Why are other universities in America and increasingly in Britain introducing measures to protect students from speech and texts they might find harmful? Safe spaces, trigger warnings and no-platforming are now campus buzzwords – and they’re all designed to limit free speech and the exchange of ideas. As celebrated social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues in his book The Coddling of the American Mind, university students are increasingly retreating from ideas they fear may damage their mental health, and presenting themselves as fragile and in need of protection from any viewpoint that might make them feel unsafe.The culture of safety, as Haidt calls it, may be well intentioned, but it is hampering the development of young people and leaving them unprepared for adult life, with devastating consequences for them, for the companies that will soon hire them, and for society at large. That, Haidt’s critics argue, is an infuriating misinterpretation of initiatives designed to help students. Far from wanting to shut down free speech and debate, what really concerns the advocates of these new measures is the equal right to speech in a public forum where the voices of the historically marginalised are given the same weight as those of more privileged groups. Warnings to students that what they’re about to read or hear might be disturbing are not an attempt to censor classic literature, but a call for consideration and sensitivity. Safe spaces aren’t cotton-wool wrapped echo chambers, but places where minority groups and people who have suffered trauma can share their experiences without fear of hostility. Joining Haidt on stage were the former chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who believes that educating young people through debate and argument helps foster robustness, author and activist Eleanor Penny, and sociologist Kehinde Andrews, one of the UK’s leading thinkers on race and the history of racism. The event was chaired by Emily Maitlis. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pandora Paper trail with Jeffrey Sachs
The recent publication of The Pandora Papers, a trove of 12 million financial documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, has once again shone a spotlight on secret offshore accounts and tax loopholes. The papers contain the financial dealings and global influence of billionaires, world leaders and politicians, plus many more. They also highlight how ineffective governments can be in preventing manipulation of tax rules for the gains of the super rich. In order to understand how this imbalance occurs and how it fits into the global financial picture, journalist Razia Iqbal spoke with Jeffrey Sachs, one of the world's most foremost economists, to pick through the paper trail. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Connectivity and conflict, with Mark Leonard
A more interconnected world was supposed to bring us closer together, but Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, says the opposite has occurred. He joins Carl Miller to discuss his new book The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict, which argues that technology and a lack of joined up thinking is affecting communication on every level. From standoffs between nation states to individuals hurling insults on social media, Mark identifies how connectivity is being mismanaged and exploited during an era in which defining narratives are ever more elusive to pin down. To find out more about the book click here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-age-of-unpeace/mark-leonard/9780552178273 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Business Weekly: Dame Vivian Hunt on Stakeholder Capitalism and the Value of a Diverse Workforce
Today's episode comes from the How To Lead a Sustainable Business podcast, brought to you by Selfridges Group and Intelligence Squared. In the podcast, Alannah Weston, Chairman of Selfridges Group, speaks to inspiring leaders at the forefront of sustainability and business to find out what it takes to lead change and how businesses can put sustainability at their core. In this episode Alannah is joined by Dame Vivian Hunt, a senior partner at the global management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company. She served as managing partner of McKinsey’s UK and Ireland offices from 2013-2020 and is a thought leader on productivity, leadership and diversity. She was previously named as one of the top ten “most influential black people in Britain” by the Powerlist Foundation, and The Financial Times identified her “one of the 30 most influential people in the City of London”. She speaks to Alannah about the importance of businesses being open to innovation, stakeholder capitalism and the value of a diverse workforce. How To Lead a Sustainable Business is brought to you by Selfridges Group and Intelligence Squared. If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your podcasts: https://bit.ly/howtoleadpod Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Let Them Eat Meat
This event took place on the 31st of October at the Royal Institution in London. CHAIR: Afua Hirsch - Writer and broadcaster SPEAKERS FOR THE MOTION: AA Gill - The Sunday Times’s star restaurant and TV critic AGAINST THE MOTION: George Monbiot - Guardian columnist, environmental campaigner and author of Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet Fancy a nice juicy steak? Most of us do from time to time, and we don’t trouble our consciences too much with the rights and wrongs of eating meat. Others, while vaguely aware that we ought to go vegan, just can’t face the rest of our lives denying ourselves bacon, beef, butter etc. But once we start looking into the arguments for veganism, it becomes difficult to justify the omnivore diet. Take the environment for starters. Livestock farming has a massive impact on the planet, producing around 14% of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions according to the UN. That’s roughly the same as the total amount of global transport emissions. Animals are extremely inefficient processors of the maize and soya that farmers grow to feed them. If we ate those crops ourselves instead of feeding them to livestock, we could free up hundreds of millions of hectares of rainforests, savannahs and wetlands where wild animals could flourish instead. And then there are the arguments about animal welfare. Recent scientific research indicates what many of us feel we already know – that animals have complex emotional lives not dissimilar to our own. Intensive farming – the kind that confines hens, pigs and cattle to squalid indoor pens – thwarts their instincts to move around freely and build social bonds with their group. Tens of billions of animals exist in this way, and that’s before their short lives are ended in the horror house of the abattoir. As for those who say a vegan diet isn’t healthy, elite athletes who have made the switch, including world tennis No 1 Novak Djokovic, prove you don’t need animal protein to excel at the highest levels in sport. On the other side of the argument we developed as omnivores and every human culture has its culinary traditions, based on the taste and aesthetics of meat and dairy. Do we really want to live in a world where there is no beef Wellington or cheese soufflé? As for the environmentalist arguments, omnivores now have some serious eco-credentials behind them. A study at Cornell University shows that a diet that includes a few small portions of grass-fed meat a week may actually be greener than eating no animal products at all. And when it comes to animal welfare, rather than abandoning animal products altogether, couldn’t we do more good by pressing for genuinely transparent labelling of our meat and dairy? If consumers really know what they are getting, fewer people might be willing to buy the £3 chicken produced in the barbaric conditions of the agricultural industry. As for a vegan diet being healthier, we should stop giving airtime to self-appointed health experts and lifestyle bloggers. Some dieticians argue that there are nutrients we need that we just can’t get from plants alone. Yes, we can get calcium from kale and iron from beans, but the quantity, quality and bio-availability of such elements are far better when we get them from animal rather than plant sources. — 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

How I Built This, with Guy Raz
Great ideas often come from a simple spark: A soccer player on the New Zealand national team notices all the unused wool his country produces and figures out a way to turn them into shoes (Allbirds). A former Buddhist monk decides the very best way to spread his mindfulness teachings is by launching an app (Headspace). A sandwich cart vendor finds a way to reuse leftover pita bread and turns it into a multimillion-dollar business (Stacy's Pita Chips). In this week's episode award-winning journalist and NPR host Guy Raz speaks to Carl Miller about uncovering the stories of highly successful entrepreneurs. To find out more about Guy's book click here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Built-This-Unexpected-Entrepreneurs/dp/0358216761 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How I Disrupted an Industry, with CEO of Starling Bank Anne Boden
In this week's episode Anne Boden CEO of Starling Bank speaks to Linda Yueh about setting up her own bank. In her remarkable story Boden reveals how she broke through bureaucracy and successfully countered widespread suspicion to realise her vision for the future of consumer banking. She fulfilled that dream by founding Starling, the winner of Best British Bank at the British Bank Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and in doing so has triggered a new movement that is revolutionising the entire banking industry. To find out more about the book click here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BANKING-How-I-Disrupted-Industry/dp/0241453585 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Business Weekly: Exponential, with Azeem Azhar
We are entering the Exponential Age. Between faster computers, better software and bigger data, ours is the first era in human history in which technology is constantly accelerating. Azeem Azhar - writer, technologist, and creator of the acclaimed Exponential View newsletter - understands this shift better than anyone. Technology, he argues, is developing at an increasing, exponential rate. But human society - from our businesses to our political institutions - can only ever adapt at a slower, incremental pace. The result is an 'exponential gap', between the power of new technology and our ability to keep up. In this week's episode he speaks to Ros Urwin about this new era and what we we should do about it. To buy the book click here: https://amzn.to/3i8YieM Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Identity Politics is Tearing Society Apart
Is identity politics tearing society apart or is it a call for social justice for everyone? That's the theme of this week's Sunday Debate. For the motion were journalist and author of 'We Need To Talk About Kevin', Lionel Shriver and Founding chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips. Against the motion were Labour politician David Lammy and Guardian journalist, the late Dawn Foster. The chair was Kamal Ahmed former editorial director of the BBC. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI 2041: Why the Future is Already Here, with Kai-Fu Lee
Kai-Fu Lee is one of the world’s leading AI experts and a bestselling author. He founded Microsoft Asia’s research lab that has trained CTOs and AI heads at Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba and Huawei. As President of Google China he helped establish the company in the Chinese market. And now, as CEO of Sinovation Ventures, he is investing in China’s high-tech sector, giving him a unique perspective on how AI is set to change our world over the next 20 years. On September 22 Lee came to Intelligence Squared to explain how AI is at an inflection point and urged us to wake up to its radiant possibilities as well as to the existential threats it poses to life as we know it. In conversation with Kamal Ahmed, former Editorial Director of the BBC, he discussed his new work of ‘scientific fiction’, AI 2041, co-authored with the celebrated novelist Chen Qiufan. The book offers up eye-opening scenarios of our techno-future – from a teenage girl’s rebellion when AI gets in the way of romance to a rogue quantum computer scientist’s revenge plot that imperils the world. To buy his new book AI 2041 with the Intelligence Squared discount click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/ai-2041-ten-visions-for-our-future-kai-fu-lee-chen-qiufan/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should Black Americans Move to the South?
In this week's episode Charles Blow speaks to journalist Dele Olojede about the arguments in his new book The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto. He argued that if enough African-Americans move south, the demographic balance in the Southern States will be tipped in favour of Black voters and politicians. His new home state of Georgia – he practises what he preaches and left Brooklyn for Atlanta – recently voted for a Democrat presidential candidate and two Democratic Senate candidates, one of whom became the first Black senator in the state’s history. The growing African-American population in Georgia was pivotal in these votes, Blow believes. To find out more and buy the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-devil-you-know-a-black-power-manifesto-charles-m-blow-subscribers/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Business Weekly: What is Economic Growth?
In this week's episode we're featuring a podcast produced by Intelligence Squared called 'It’s The Economy' in which host Nicola Walton breaks down the complex economic ideas we have all heard of but may not fully understand in under 15 minutes. In this episode Lord O’Donnell, a former Cabinet Secretary who headed the British Civil Service between 2005-2011 under Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron looks at economic growth, what counts as GDP and productivity, and whether national happiness and wellbeing are taken into account. Subscribe to It's The Economy at: https://pod.link/1577180549 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Break Up The Tech Giants
With so much data and power centralised in the hands of a few West Coast companies, the tech giants have become a serious threat to our basic freedoms and must be broken up. That’s the argument that was made at this major Intelligence Squared debate by the FT’s global business columnist Rana Foroohar and by businessman and former chairman of Channel 4 Luke Johnson. But others would argue that it’s all too easy to make the tech giants a scapegoat for the inevitable upheavals caused by the digital revolution. The real winners of this revolution are not the tech companies but us, the users. Who could now imagine living without the services of Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft? That’s the case that was made in our debate by former head of Facebook’s European politics and government division Elizabeth Linder and competition law expert Pinar Akman. Who's right and who's wrong? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Status Game, with Will Storr
Does owning a big house and supporting ‘correct’ social causes not just make you feel good about yourself but actually make you healthier and live longer? The answer is yes. This is just one of the fascinating findings that bestselling writer Will Storr shared with Intelligence Squared on September 16 discussing the themes of his new book The Status Game. Storr argues that it is our irrepressible craving for status that ultimately defines who we are. As he puts it, ‘If you want to rule the world, save the world, buy the world or fuck the world, the best thing to pursue is status.’ And research shows that without sufficient status, we suffer more illness and live shorter lives. To get the Intelligence Squared discount on the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-status-game-on-social-position-and-how-we-use-it-will-storr-intel/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Salman Rushdie: Touchstones with Razia Iqbal
Acclaimed novelist Salman Rushdie joins journalist Razia Iqbal to take us back in time and discuss three influential touchstones of his life: a silver ingot engraved with an unpartitioned map of India, Bob Dylan’s ‘Mr. Tambourine man’, and James Joyce’s ‘The Dead’, a slightly intimidating but powerful inspiration. This episode was originally released in 2021 as part of Intelligence Squared’s touchstones series and produced by Head of Podcasts Farah Jassat — 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 about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us at @intelligence2. At Intelligence Squared we’ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go. It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Business Weekly: Can Crypto Bank the Unbanked?
On Monday September 7th El Salvador became the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender. Businesses in the country will be obliged where possible to accept the digital coins as payment and citizens will be expected to download the government's new digital wallet app which gives away $30 in Bitcoin to every citizen. Bitcoin fans have been jumping for joy and believe the adoption of cryptocurrency in low income countries like El Salvador will provide banking services to the two billion people in the world who are unbanked. In El Salvador, 70 per cent of citizens are unbanked and roughly one quarter of the working population lives in the United States, from where they send remittance payments to their families back home. In the future, these payments could be made using Bitcoin, which could dramatically reduce cross-border fees and allow families to send cryptocurrency straight to the mobile phone of loved ones. But some security experts have their doubts. ‘Banking the unbanked’ may sound like a bright idea but it assumes that people who lack financial services primarily need a better and cheaper way to access them. A 2015 World Bank report found that 59 per cent of survey respondents cited lack of money as the main reason for not having a bank account. So, rather than luring people into the murky world of cryptocurrencies, where volatile prices such as the recent drop in Bitcoin can make the poor poorer, should we not instead be looking at real solutions to help unbanked people generate more income? Speakers: Peter McCormack, Yaya Fanusie Moderator: Anne McElvoy This debate is part of Intelligence Squared Crypto our new debate series in partnership with EQONEX the Nasdaq listed digital asset advisory. To find out more about EQONEX click here: https://eqonex.com/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Debate: Michael Sandel vs Adrian Wooldridge on Meritocracy
Meritocracy has long been an article of faith in the modern Western world. Get an education, work hard and the rewards of success will be yours, regardless of class, privilege or wealth. But recently meritocracy has come under attack, with the charge led by Michael Sandel, the Harvard philosopher whose public debates on how we define the common good have won him a global following. But not everyone agrees. Taking issue with much of Sandel’s arguments is Adrian Wooldridge, the political editor at The Economist. In this week's debate they argue whether we need more or less meritocracy in society. The host is BBC broadcaster Ritula Shah. For Michael Sandel's new bool click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-tyranny-of-merit-whats-become-of-the-common-good-michael-j-sandel-pb/ For Adrian Wooldridge's new book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-aristocracy-of-talent-how-meritocracy-made-the-modern-world-adrian-wooldridge/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Negotiating Survival: Civilian Relations with the Taliban
While the Taliban have the power of violence on their side in Afghanistan, they nonetheless need civilians to comply with their authority. Both strategically and by necessity, civilians have leveraged this reliance on their obedience in order to influence Taliban behaviour. In this week's episode Ashley Jackson author or Negotiating Survival speaks to Rosamund Urwin about her new model for understanding how civilian agency can shape the conduct of insurgencies. They also discuss Taliban strategy and objectives, explaining how the organisation has so nearly triumphed on the battlefield and in peace talks. While Afghanistan’s future is deeply unpredictable, there is one certainty: it is as critical as ever to understand the Taliban—and how civilians survive their rule. To find out more about the book and to order it click here: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/negotiating-survival/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Business Weekly: No Bullsh*t Leadership with Reckitt CEO Laxman Narasimhan
In this episode Chris Hirst speaks to Laxman Narasimhan, CEO of Reckitt, about his approach to leadership and how to connect with staff in a global company. Reckitt is the global consumer goods giant behind household brands such as Dettol, Durex, Vanish, Neurofen and Strepsils. Before running Reckitt, Laxman held senior positions in PepsiCo and McKinsey. To subscribe to the No Bullsh*t Leadership podcast, made in partnership with Havas Creative, click here: https://pod.link/1533418365 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dickens vs Tolstoy: The Battle Of The Great 19th-century Novelists PART 1
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

How to Lead a Sustainable Business and the Future of Fashion
Today's episode comes from the How To Lead a Sustainable Business, brought to you by Selfridges Group and Intelligence Squared. In the podcast, Alannah Weston, Chairman of Selfridges Group, speaks to inspiring leaders at the forefront of sustainability and business to find out what it takes to lead change and how businesses can put sustainability at their core. In this episode, Alannah is joined by Victoria Prew, CEO of Hurr - the UK’s first peer to peer fashion rental platform. Her business has been described as the ‘Airbnb of fashion’ by Forbes magazine. They discuss the rental revolution, a guilt-free approach to shopping and how Victoria is disrupting the fashion system by bringing the circular economy to life for customers through tech innovation. How To Lead a Sustainable Business is brought to you by Selfridges Group and Intelligence Squared. — 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

Debate: Crypto vs The Environment
Debate: Crypto vs The Environment It is estimated that the global Bitcoin network currently consumes about 133 terawatt-hours of electricity annually - roughly equal to what is consumed by the nation of Sweden. Crypto skeptics warn that the energy demands of the network are a threat to the environment and that further adoption of cryptocurrency will lead to a harmful rise in carbon emissions. However, crypto advocates say that the figures often used to denounce crypto can be misleading and when you examine the biggest contributing factors to climate change globally, Bitcoin is responsible for just 0.13% of annual carbon emissions. Furthermore, unlike the traditional financial system, they say, networks like Bitcoin continue to make strides in adopting renewable energy with initiatives like the Crypto Climate Accord committing producers to net-zero by 2040. So who's right or wrong? Speakers: Lyn Alden: Financial analyst and founder of Lyn Alden Investment Strategy where she provides tens of thousands of investors with the latest research, information, and tools to help them build wealth and manage digital assets. Subscribe to her newsletter at: https://www.lynalden.com/newsletter-archives/ Alex De Vries: Founder of Digiconomist, a platform dedicated to exposing the unintended consequences of digital trends. The host is Anne McElvoy senior editor and head of podcasts at The Economist. This debate series is is partnership with EQONEX the Nasdaq listed digital asset advisory. Register free for our third debate 'Crypto can bank the unbanked' here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/debate-crypto-can-bank-the-unbanked-registration-165732106191?aff=ebdsoporgprofile Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: The West Should Cut Ties with Saudi Arabia
In this week's episode of the Sunday debate we go back to 2019. In the aftermath of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul we brought together leading experts to debate how the West should respond to the abrasive crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other, Sarfraz Manzoor and Ros Urwin
In this week's episode Sarfraz Manzoor speaks to Ros Urwin about his investigative journey across Britain in search of the roots of division - from the fear that Islam promotes violence, to the suspicion that Muslims wish to live segregated lives, to the belief that Islam is fundamentally misogynistic. His new book They is a search for a more positive future. We hear stories which go against common stereotypes about Islam that reveal a much more tolerant and progressive community than commonly assumed. Manzoor unpicks why society is divided in this way and how we can bridge the gaps between groups. To find out more about the book click here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/they/sarfraz-manzoor/9781472266835 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Debate: Bitcoin vs Gold with Anthony Scaramucci and Peter Schiff
Since the world economy was plunged into crisis as a result of COVID-19 many economists have predicted a period of great instability. In normal times investors would seek to hedge against volatility by buying gold. But this time some are putting their money elsewhere – into Bitcoin and other digital assets. And that raises a fundamental question: in a time of rising inflation, will Bitcoin or gold be the trusted store of value and asset of the future? Anthony Scaramucci, Founder and Managing Partner of SkyBridge Capital and former White House Director of Communications goes head to head with Peter Schiff, chairman of Schiff Gold and chief global strategist for Euro Pacific Capital. The debate is hosted and chaired by Anne McElvoy, Senior Editor at The Economist. Register FREE for next Intelligence Squared Crypto debates in partnership with EQONEX via the links below: Crypto vs the Environment: https://bit.ly/3sGPq48 Crypto Can Bank the Unbanked: https://bit.ly/3zaYL6B Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: The War on Terror was the right response to 9/11
Have the West’s efforts to eradicate Al-Qaeda around the world simply been fuelling the flames of hatred and violence? Or would we have suffered even more atrocities if we’d left the militants to plot in their hiding places? Is the US right to be pursuing its hard line against militants in countries such as Pakistan and Yemen? These are just some of the questions explored in this Intelligence Squared debate from September 2011, which saw former President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf and former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Colleen Graffy defend the motion. Opposing the motion were former French foreign minister and co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières Bernard Kouchner and former UK Permanent Representative at the United Nations in New York Sir Jeremy Greenstock. The debate was chaired by BBC World News presenter Zeinab Badawi. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Afghanistan: What Next?
In this week's episode we examine the unfolding situation in Afghanistan and what it means for the Afghan people and the world. In Part 1 Shabnam Nasimi reflects on the last few days as an Afghan living abroad watching as the Taliban swept to power. And in part 2 Shadi Hamid and Jeremy Bowen discuss the withdrawal from a geopolitical perspective. Is Biden following Trump's "America First" policy? And what message do recent events send to U.S allies like the E.U and Taiwan? To find out more and subscribe to Shadi Hamid's project Wisdom of Crowds click here: https://wisdomofcrowds.live/ For his book click here: https://amzn.to/3j0mjp1 To subscribe to Manveen Rana's podcast Stories of Our Times click here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/podcasts/stories-of-our-times Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

China's Alternative Vision for the Internet, with James Griffiths and Carl Miller
Once little more than a pornography filter, China’s ‘Great Firewall’ has evolved into the most sophisticated system of online censorship in the world. As the Chinese internet grows and online businesses thrive, speech is controlled, dissent quashed, and attempts to organise outside the official Communist Party are quickly stamped out. But the effects of the Great Firewall are not confined to China itself. In this week's episode James Griffiths tells Carl Miller about his years of investigation into the Great Firewall and the politicians, tech leaders, dissidents and hackers whose lives revolve around it. To pre-order the new version of James's book book click here: https://amzn.to/3xVi6qK For FREE access to our live recording with Jude Law on Wednesday 18 click here and enter promo code 'PODCAST' at the checkout: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jude-law-how-i-found-my-voice-registration-166901469789 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: To Stop Climate Collapse, We Must End Capitalism
Capitalism is driving us to disaster. Our planet is heading for a terrifying environmental cataclysm – and our economic system is responsible. The defining characteristic of capitalism is perpetual economic growth. And while it has brought us wonderful benefits, including improved health, wealth and opportunities to travel and experience the world, ever-increasing production and consumption – inherent in capitalism – are an existential threat to life on our planet. The more we produce and consume, the more energy we need – and renewables can’t keep pace. Unless we abandon capitalism now, we will inevitably continue to drive up the demand for fossil fuels. According to some scientific predictions, human civilisation could completely collapse by 2050 if we don’t take drastic action to stop climate change now. We must end capitalism before it’s too late. That’s the view of the anti-capitalist eco-warriors. But while it’s undeniable that capitalism has contributed to our current climate crisis, it has also proven to be history’s most effective way of solving our problems. According to capitalism’s defenders, there is almost no challenge capitalism hasn’t met. It has helped defeat disease and has lifted billions out of poverty – and there’s no reason why the dynamism of the marketplace can’t be harnessed to bring our carbon emissions down to zero. For example, until recently solar panels were impossibly expensive; now they are cheap and helping us transition away from fossil fuels. Our system of competitive, open markets gives strong incentives for the world’s brightest minds to find creative solutions to climate change. So don’t listen to the doomsayers who want to rip up our economic system. Capitalism is not the problem; it’s the solution. This event was recorded in January 2020 at the Royal Geographical Hall in London. CHAIR: Ritula Shah - Journalist and presenter on Classic FM SPEAKERS FOR THE MOTION: George Monbiot - Guardian columnist, environmental campaigner and author of Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet and Farhana Yamin - International environmental lawyer and leading activist in the Extinction Rebellion protests AGAINST THE MOTION: Adair Turner - Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission and Tony Juniper - Sustainability adviser — 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

The Country of Others, with Leïla Slimani and Shahidha Bari
In conversation with writer and cultural historian Shahidha Bari, Slimani shared her insights into the impact of colonialism and the ways in which women in particular find themselves othered, politically, culturally and historically. To buy her new book 'The Country of Others' with the Intelligence Squared discount click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-country-of-others-leila-slimani-subscribers/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stop Pretending We Can Save the Planet, with Jonathan Franzen
Let’s face it, argues Jonathan Franzen: the climate apocalypse is coming. We’ve already messed up the planet. The polar bears are running out of ice to stand on. Australia and California will burn again. Temperatures keep rising. Our chance to prevent the radical destabilisation of life on earth has already come and gone. According to Franzen, one of America’s most celebrated writers, there are two ways we can think about this. We can keep on hoping that catastrophe is preventable, and feel ever more frustrated or enraged by the world’s inaction. Or we can accept that disaster is coming, and begin to rethink what it means to have hope. In this episode of Intelligence Squared, Franzen explored what we can do once we accept the idea that it is too late to ‘save the planet’. — 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

The Sunday Debate: Parenting Doesn’t Matter
How important is parenting? The multibillion-pound parenting industry tells us we can all shape our children to be joyful, resilient and successful. But what if it’s all bunk? Intelligence Squared brought together a panel of leading experts to explore just how important parenting is. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Right to Sex, with Amia Srinivasan and Merve Emre
EHow should we talk about sex? It is a thing we have and also a thing we do; a supposedly private act laden with public meaning; a personal preference shaped by outside forces; a place where pleasure and ethics can pull wildly apart. In this week's episode Amia Srinivasan speaks to Merve Emre about the politics of desire and how, from consent to capitalism, we need to rethink sex as a political phenomenon. To pre-order 'The Right to Sex' click here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/right-to-sex-9781526612533 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Power of Giving Away Power with Matthew Barzun and Kamal Ahmed
How did Dee Hock of Visa transform the way we pay for things? How did Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, create the biggest knowledge transfer engine the world has ever seen? And how did Barack Obama and his grassroots team revolutionise political campaigning? They did it by doing what most leaders dread – they gave away power. On July 19 Matthew Barzun, former US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, came to Intelligence Squared to share the leadership insights he has gained over the course of his successful and varied career. For the discount on the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-power-of-giving-away-power-how-the-best-leaders-learn-to-let-go-matthew-barzun-intel/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Napoleon the Great? With Andrew Roberts, Adam Zamoyski and Jeremy Paxman
How should we remember Napoleon, the man of obscure Corsican birth who rose to become emperor of the French and briefly master of Europe? In 2014, as the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo approached, Intelligence Squared brought together two of Britain’s finest historians to debate how we should assess Napoleon’s life and legacy. Was he a military genius and father of the French state, or a blundering nonentity who created his own enduring myth? Was his goal of uniting the European continent under a common political system the forerunner of the modern ‘European dream’? Or was he an incompetent despot, a warning from history of the dangers of overarching grand plans? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Testosterone: Debunking the Myths of the Misunderstood Hormone with Carole Hooven
Testosterone – a hormone that has been mythologised, maligned and misunderstood. It is frequently cited as the basis of male aggression and sexual violence. Christine Lagarde, former chair of the IMF, once said ‘There should never be too much testosterone in one room’, as a way of pinning the blame for the economic crash of 2008 on the predominance of men in the financial sector. According to Harvard evolutionary biologist Carole Hooven, such representations of testosterone are simplistic and misguided. And in July 2021 she came to Intelligence Squared to debunk the cultural stereotypes surrounding it. Drawing on the themes of her new book Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us, she addressed questions about testosterone’s impact on gender and sexual behaviour, parenting roles, childhood play and other areas of our everyday lives. She also addressed the controversial issue of testosterone’s role in gender transition and its effect on athletic performance, a much discussed topic in the debate over whether transgender women competing in female sport have an unfair advantage. And she argued that while we need a better understanding of the science behind this potent force in society, such knowledge should not be used as a means of reinforcing gender norms or patriarchal values. Hooven was in conversation with Tom Whipple, science editor of The Times, who was named Science Journalist of the Year in the 2020 Press Awards. For the Intelligence Squared discount on the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/testosterone-the-story-of-the-hormone-that-dominates-and-divides-us-carole-hooven/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Pollan: This Is Your Mind on Plants
When you start your day with a cup of tea or coffee you are ingesting a consciousness-altering drug, which you are quite likely to be addicted to. That drug of course is caffeine, the stimulant used by 90 per cent of people on earth, and it is one of three mind-altering molecules that bestselling author Michael Pollan has been investigating for his new book This Is Your Mind on Plants, alongside morphine, produced by the opium poppy, and mescaline, found in certain cacti. In conversation with the medical doctor and broadcaster Guddi Singh, Pollan explores humanity’s longstanding and powerful attraction to psychoactive plants. Why do we go to such lengths to seek these shifts in consciousness, and why do we then hedge this desire with laws, customs and fraught feelings? And why do we categorise these compounds so reductively – calling them either a licit or an illicit drug? For, as Pollan will argue, when we take these psychoactive plants into our bodies and let them change our minds, we are engaging with nature in one of the most profound ways possible. Click here to get the Intelligence Squared discount on the book: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/this-is-your-mind-on-plants-michael-pollan/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Brave New World vs 1984
Both these novels imagined extraordinary futures, but which better captures our present and offers the keener warning about where we may be heading? In this the Intelligence Squared debate, we had Will Self arguing for Brave New World and Adam Gopnik arguing for Nineteen Eighty-Four. The debate was chaired by Jonathan Freedland. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Debate: Abolish Billionaires
As billionaires jet off to space should we abolish them here on earth? In this week's debate professor Linsey McGoey of Essex University and Ryan Bourne of the Cato Institute go head to head on whether society should tolerate the existence of billionaires. The debate was chaired by Economics editor at BBC Newsnight Ben Chu. For the Intelligence Squared discount on books click the link below: Linsey McGoey - The Unknowers: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-unknowers-how-strategic-ignorance-rules-the-world-linsey-mcgoey/ Ryan Bourne - Economics in Once Virus: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/economics-in-one-virus-ryan-a-bourne/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination, with Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang
"My goal was never to just create a company. I wanted to build something that actually makes a really big change in the world.” – Mark Zuckerberg How did it all go wrong for Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook? How did a company that said it wanted to bring people together become one of the most potent tools for polarisation in the world? According to The New York Times reporters Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang, the missteps we’ve seen in the last five years are not an anomaly but an inevitability: this is how the platform was built to perform. In a period of great upheaval, growth has remained the single focus of Zuckerberg and his COO Sheryl Sandberg. In this week's episode, Frenkel and Kang speak to Josh Glancy of The Sunday Times to share the revelations of their new book An Ugly Truth. Drawing on unrivalled sources, Frenkel and Kang give us an unprecedented view inside the politics, alliances and rivalries within one of the most powerful companies in the world. To get the Intelligence Squared discount on the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/an-ugly-truth-inside-facebooks-battle-for-domination-sheera-frenkel-cecilia-kang/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism
For this week's episode of The Sunday Debate, we revisit our debate "Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism" from 2019. Is there a country in the world that attracts so much criticism as Israel? Studies consistently show Israel to be one of the most disliked nations in the world (along with Iran and North Korea). But how much of this is to do with genuine concern about Israel’s actions, and how much is actually a cover for the age-old hatred of the Jews? Is what we are seeing here anti-Zionism – broadly understood as opposition to the existence of a Jewish state in the territory of Israel – or is it anti-Semitism? Arguing in favour of the motion were Melanie Phillips and Einat Wilf. Arguing against were Mehdi Hasan and Ilan Pappé. The debate was chaired by Carrie Gracie. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Mass Migration Making the World a Better Place?
To some, the very word ‘migration’ generates fear, suspicion and even hatred. But according to Felix Marquardt, author of the acclaimed The New Nomads, we need to look afresh at our notions of the mass movement of people around the world. Far from being abnormal, he claims, the act of going in search of a better life is at the core of human experience. Since the age of the hunter-gatherers, migration has been the most effective means of education, emancipation and empowerment known to humanity. And today, as the world falls increasingly prey to nativist and political polarisation, migration is the surest way to break down barriers and find personal and political emancipation. That’s the argument that Marquardt made in this special Intelligence Squared event. But according to author David Goodhart, it epitomises the wrongheaded worldview of the global elites who know nothing about the harm mass migration causes to communities on the ground. Rich countries ransack the best and brightest talent of poorer ones leading to brain drain and inequality. And national solidarity is eroded as towns and cities are changed unnervingly fast by inflows of migrants with different cultures and values. Does the world need more or less mass migration? Listen in for this week's episode. To buy our speakers books click the links below: The New Nomads by Felix Marquardt: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-New-Nomads/Felix-Marquardt/9781471177378 Head, Hand, Heart by David Goodhart: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/313/313407/head-hand-heart/9780141990415.html Sex Robots and Vegan Meat by Jenny Kleeman:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sex-Robots-Vegan-Meat-Adventures/dp/1509894888 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Truth about Fake News, with Marcus Gilroy-Ware and Richard Seymour
We are supposed to have more information at our disposal now than at any time in history. So why, in a world of rising sea levels, populist leaders and a global pandemic, do so many people believe bizarre and untrue things? In this week's episode Marcus Gilroy-Ware speaks to Richard Seymour about his new book 'After the Fact?' what he thinks really created the conditions for mis- and disinformation, from fake news and conspiracy theories, to bad journalism and the resurgence of extreme politics. To buy the book click here: https://amzn.to/3ATHxMg Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ever-Changing Brain with David Eagleman and Brian Eno
What does drug withdrawal have in common with a broken heart? Why is the enemy of memory not time, but other memories? How can a blind person learn to see with her tongue or a deaf person learn to hear with his skin? Why did many people in the 1980s mistakenly perceive book pages to be slightly red in colour? Will we one day be able to control a robot with our thoughts, just as we do our fingers and toes? Why do we dream at night, and what does that have to do with the rotation of the planet? These are just some of the questions David Eagleman answered when he came to Intelligence Squared for this exclusive online event. Eagleman is a leading neuroscientist, as well as one of the world’s most dynamic and engaging science communicators. He specialises in brain plasticity – the idea that our brains are constantly changing and reconfiguring the world around us. The more experiences we have, the more the brain absorbs and the more it adjusts. In conversation with musician and producer Brian Eno, Eagleman discussed his latest findings which he outlines in his new book, Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain. And he showed that far from getting less malleable as we get older, our brains can continue to learn and absorb information quickly, if we keep on providing them with stimuli and new experiences. To buy the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/livewired-the-inside-story-of-the-ever-changing-brain-david-eagleman-intel/ — 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.. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Race and Guns in a Divided America, with Carol Anderson and Mark Mardell
Throughout history, the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States has protected the right to bear arms. For Black Americans, this has come with the understanding that the moment they exercise this right (or the moment that they don't), their life - as surely as the lives of Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor - may be snatched away in a single, fateful second. In this week's podcast historian Carol Anderson speaks to Mark Mardell about her new book The Second, illuminating the history and impact of the Second Amendment: from the seventeenth century, when it was encoded into law that the enslaved could not own, carry or use a firearm, to today, where measures to expand and curtail gun ownership continue to limit the freedoms and power of Black Americans. To buy the book click here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-second/carol-anderson/9781526633682 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

S1 Ep 528The Sunday Debate: The Catholic Church is a Force For Good in the World
The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the western world and has had a pivotal influence on western civilisation, ranging from matters of state to cultural life and from personal morals to social values and ethics. Increasingly, though, it is being criticised as being a malign influence in debates about some of the most pressing issues of the modern world – overpopulation, Aids, global warming, human rights and so on. Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens battle it out with Archbishop John Onaiyekan and Ann Widdecombe over the motion “The Catholic Church is a Force for Good in the World” in our debate from 2009. — 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.. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Albums that Changed My Life, with Tom Gatti, David Mitchell and Preti Taneja
Our favourite albums are our most faithful companions. We listen to them over and over, we know them far better than any novel or film. These records don’t just soundtrack our lives – they work their way deep inside us, shaping our outlook and identity, forging our friendships and charting our love affairs. They become part of our story. In this special podcast for Intelligence Squared, journalist and music obsessive Tom Gatti – editor of Long Players, a new anthology of writing on albums – was in conversation with two of his contributors, acclaimed novelist David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet) and writer and activist Preti Taneja, author of the prize-winning novel We That Are Young. They discussed the power of certain records to act on us like Proustian madeleines, transporting us back to a particular time and place – Gatti, by his own admission, has listened to Radiohead’s The Bends more times than is strictly necessary; Mitchell’s great formative influence is Joni Mitchell’s Blue; Taneja grew up with Midnight Marauders by A Tribe Called Quest. And they explored how music influences their writing – directly in the case of Mitchell’s latest novel, Utopia Avenue, the epic tale of a psychedelic rock band’s rise to stardom in the late sixties. To find out more about Long Players click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/long-players-writers-on-the-albums-that-shaped-them-tom-gatti/ To see the Spotify playlist that accompanies the book please go here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5bzkr33b38k4egE6laYQuC Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emma Dabiri and Alex Renton on Race, Reckoning and What We Can Do Next
Emma Dabiri, Irish-Nigerian academic and broadcaster, and Alex Renton, British-Canadian investigative journalist, have established themselves as important voices in the current debates taking place around race, class and identity. And in this week's episode they come to Intelligence Squared to discuss how we can move forward on these seemingly intractable issues. The episode was hosted by Farah Jassat Head of Podcasts at Intelligence Squared. To buy Dabiri's book click here: https://amzn.to/3hgSuyn For Alex Renton's book click here: https://bit.ly/3qyhSUq Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Devil You Know, with Dr Gwen Adshead and Linda Yueh
Dr Gwen Adshead is one of Britain's leading forensic psychiatrists, and has spent thirty years providing therapy inside secure hospitals and prisons. Whatever her patient's crime she aims to help them to better know their minds by helping them to articulate their life experience. In the face of overcrowded prisons and cuts to mental health care, Adshead speaks to Linda Yueh about why we need to challenge what we think we know about evil. To order the book click here: https://bit.ly/3d9SVsX Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Surviving Disaster, with Max Brooks and Carl Miller
In this week's podcast we're joined by Max Brooks, global bestselling novelist of cult classic 'World War Z' and Hollywood screenwriter. He speaks to Carl Miller about his most recent book 'Devolution' which is a hyper-realistic disaster/monster/survival story that explores what happens to humanity when it is forced into social isolation, how our modern societies are built for comfort and convenience over resilience, and our distinct inability to survive when infrastructure breaks down. To find out more about the book click here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devolution-Max-Brooks/dp/1529124093 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices