Intelligence Squared

What is it about Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that has enchanted the public since its publication in 1843? Few people are as well placed to answer that question than John Mullan and Simon Callow. Mullan is a professor of English literature, whose recent book, The Artful Dickens, reveals the tricks and ploys of this most eccentric of literary geniuses. Callow, renowned actor, director and author, has written two books on Dickens, portrayed him on film and television, and has been thrilling audiences since 2011 with his sold-out one-man performances of A Christmas Carol.  Mullan and Callow join us on the podcast to celebrate this most beloved of Dickens’ stories and discuss how a work which Dickens originally intended to be a political tract about the misery of the Victorian poor became one of the most enduring Christmas classics.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For our final look at some of the best books to have hit shelves in 2022, we dive back into standout discussions from the past 12 months including Jonathan Freedland, whose book, The Escape Artist, tells the story of Auschwitz escapees Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler. We also revisit our discussion with philosopher Will MacAskill, whose book, What We Owe The Future, claims that society needs to take a far longer-sighted view of how altruism can be effective. The book has also come under scrutiny in the latter half of 2022 due to its influence on the behaviour of billionaire philanthropists. We finish the 12 Books of Christmas with a sneak preview from our upcoming episode with author Katherine Rundell. Her latest book, The Golden Mole, celebrates the irreplaceable diversity found within the animal kingdom.   ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with more

For the third in our 12 Books of Christmas episodes, we revisit a thought-provoking discussion with Dipo Faloyin, whose book Africa Is Not A Country challenges the stereotypical thinking that can misrepresent African nations. Another highlight book of 2022 was Lea Ypi's Free, and the writer joined us to discuss her memoir that tells the story of her upbringing in Albania amid the shifting geopolitics of nations affected by the break up of the Soviet Union. We also listen back to our conversation with food writer Melissa Thompson, whose book Motherland celebrates the traditions and influence of Jamaican cuisine.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new 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 hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to

For the second instalment of our 12 Books of Christmas series, we hear from three more authors who have set the agenda for original thinking and progressive literature in 2022. Brown University economist Oded Galor discusses his book that takes an expansive view of global history, The Journey of Humanity. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Andrea Elliott speaks with fellow author Alex Preston about her account of the homelessness crisis in New York as told in her book, Invisible Child, and Orhan Pamuk, one of the world’s best-loved novelists discusses his latest work, Nights of Plague. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new 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 hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a mont

Intelligence Squared has enjoyed hundreds of great conversations on the podcast, across our online talks and onstage at our live events across 2022. For the festive season, we’re highlighting 12 voices whose books and work have both encapsulated the big themes of the year and enriched our listening over the past 12 months. For the first instalment, we listen back to conversations with writer Reni Eddo-Lodge discussing the new edition of her bestseller, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. Plus, historian Orlando Figes on his book, The Story of Russia, and The New York Times' Elizabeth Williamson talks through her book, Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy, with fellow author and filmmaker Jon Ronson. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new 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 hottest topics. Tune in t

Given the disruptive events unfolding in China in recent weeks, what does the future holds for Xi Jinping and the country? Some say that this is a pivotal moment for Xi’s strongman rule, especially given that the Chinese economy is also suffering. And what do China’s political and economic challenges mean for the rest of the world? To answer these questions we’re joined by Yasheng Huang professor at MIT and author of Capitalism with Chinese characteristics and Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College London and author of Xi: A study in power. Our host for this episode is Carl Miller. Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new 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 hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive int

Why are women known as the slimier sex? How did the US Navy replicate hagfish slime for ballistics protection? In this episode we’re joined by science journalist Susanne Wedlich to look at the weird and wonderful, cultural and biological, history of slime. And for those of you who don’t love slime, we encourage you to listen for some great facts about the powers and potential of this substance and learn why we shouldn't be so repulsed by slime. Our host for this episode is journalist Amelia Tait. Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new 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 hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. The usual price is £14.99 a month, but we want to give our podcast listeners a special offer to try it out. For

ChatGPT is the Internet's new favourite toy. This is some of AI’s most impressive technology yet, but could the creation of an all-knowing human-like chatbot - a tool which can create answers, emails, poems, stories, and essays instantly - mean that writing as we know it could cease to exist? Or could it be a renaissance for the ways in which we view and approach writing? To explore these questions we’re joined by novelist, essayist, and cultural commentator - Stephen Marche; and academic, critic and broadcaster - Shahidha Bari. Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new 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 hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. The usual price is £14.99 a month, but we want to give our podcast listeners a

In February 2022 Russian shells rained down on Kyiv as tanks crossed the border into Ukraine. At the time American forces prepared to evacuate President Volodymyr Zelensky for fear of his life. But Zelensky refused to abandon his country, saying ‘I need ammunition, not a ride,’ and quickly became the national symbol of Ukrainian resistance. But how did Zelensky, once an actor who played the president on television, come to be one of the most significant wartime leaders in recent history? The Zelensky Effect is the new book telling that story from Dr Olga Onuch, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester, and Henry Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University. The co-authors join our host Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos, to discuss it.  Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Square

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February the West has ramped up sanctions against Russia to an unprecedented level, but are the measures having the desired effect? On today’s episode of The Sunday Debate the motion is: Sanctions against Russia won’t work. For the motion we have Richard Connolly, Associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and Simon Jenkins, journalist and author. And against the motion we were joined by Russia expert Owen Matthews - and historian and journalist, Anna Reid. Our host for the debate was broadcaster and academic, Philippa Thomas. Premium subscribers to Intelligence Squared can also access an extended audience Q&A with our panel as well as the final and deciding vote for this debate. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new 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 hottest

Will democracy survive? According to Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa, "we're in the last two minutes". In November she sat down with journalist Gabriel Gatehouse to discuss her lifetime commitment to journalism, the potential 99 years in jail which hang over her for standing up to former president Rodrigo Duterte's authoritarian regime, and her optimism for a brighter future. Maria and Gabriel also examine the greed of big tech in the destruction of democracies and why the Philippines is often ground zero for events which spread to the rest of the world.  ... Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption  One early episode per week Two bonus episodes per month A 25% discount on IQ2+, our exciting streaming service, where you can watch and take

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Robert Harris is one of the great storytellers of our times. His novels explore the dark side of power and the corrosive effect it has on those who wield it. In his latest bestseller, Act of Oblivion, Harris turns his attention to one of the most divisive episodes in English history, the Civil War, in which Royalists and Parliamentarians fought to determine whether the country should be a republic or a monarchy. The novel follows two fugitives who have been found guilty in absentia for the murder of Charles I and have fled to colonial North America to hide among the Puritan settlers there. Richard Nayler, secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is tasked with tracking down the fugitives and he’ll stop at nothing until the two men are brought to justice. Hosting the discussion is award-winning author and historian Jessie Chil

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Eating the right foods is the single most effective way of preventing illness and staying healthy. But understanding what’s good and what’s bad, whether it's red wine or acai berries, can be a complicated conversation when we’re constantly receiving new ideas about what to put on our plate. Tim Spector’s new book, Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well, looks to make all that conflicting information a little more clear. Spector is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London and honorary consultant physician at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals. He is a multi-award-winning expert in personalised medicine and the gut microbiome. Our host for this discussion is Paediatric doctor and TV presenter, Guddi Singh. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link:

This is the third and final episode of The Great Energy Transition, a series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins and we're asking what is the role of corporations in the energy transition? To discuss how the complex partnerships between corporations and governments might shape our futures, we’re joined by Jennifer Rumsey, President and CEO of Cummins; Gillian Tett, Chairman of the US editorial board and U.S editor-at-large at the Financial Times; and Jason Bordoff, Co-Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School. Our host for this series is physicist and broadcaster, Helen Czerski. To find out more about Cummins, please visit cummins.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. 1995 was the year of the Nineties, according to author and journalist Dylan Jones. It was peak Britpop (Oasis vs Blur), peak YBA (Tracey Emin’s tent), peak New Lad (Nick Hornby published High Fidelity, James Brown launched Loaded magazine, and pubs were finally allowed to stay open on a Sunday). It was the year Radiohead brought out The Bends, Danny Boyle started filming Trainspotting, Alex Garland wrote The Beach, and Tony Blair changed Clause IV after a controversial vote at the Labour Party Conference. Jones reflects on it all in his new book, Faster Than a Cannonball: 1995 and All That, which features interviews with the key players from the decade, including Noel and Liam Gallagher, Tracey Emin, Goldie, David Beckham and Alastair Campbell. Our host for this discussion is the writer and curator Ekow Eshun. … We are incredibly grateful for

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester and also the presenter of the BBC radio series Genetic Dreams, Genetic Nightmares. His latest book is The Genetic Age, which tells the story of humanity's quest to get to the heart of the building blocks of life – our genes - through science, industry and medicine. The book reflects on how these efforts have ranged from profound results to disturbing realities and anticipates a future that will be fraught with disagreement over the ethics of gene editing. Hosting this discussion is the physicist and broadcaster, Helen Czerski. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we k

We need a new model of masculinity, one that allows us to hold two thoughts in our head at once: we can care deeply about women’s rights and be compassionate towards vulnerable boys and men; that's the argument of bestselling author and former head of Demos Richard Reeves. In this podcast he explains that previous attempts to treat the condition of men have made the same fatal mistake – they have viewed the problems of men as a problem with men. It is not a matter of fixing individual men, he argued, but of addressing the deep structural challenges that are disadvantaging men. Our host for this episode is writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade.  … Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption  One early episode per week Two bonus epi

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. In October Intelligence Squared partnered with History Hit to ask, who was the greatest English monarch? Each of the kings and queens competing for the title left a distinctive stamp on their era – but who did most to shape the nation and the lives of its people? Who was the cleverest? Who was the bravest? Who was the most loved? Hosted by History Hit's Dan Snow, this lively event throws light on the monarchy as an institution, exploring how it has survived the challenges and vicissitudes of the ages.  Tom Holland - Alfred the Great Tracy Borman - Henry VIII Helen Castor - Elizabeth I Jane Ridley - Queen Victoria Premium subscribers to Intelligence Squared can also access an extended audience Q&A with our panel as well as the final votes for the debate. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Black Friday is one of the biggest days in the business calendar. In this episode Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, joins Intelligence Squared to discuss Black Friday sales and the changing landscape of business in the digital age. He speaks to Anne McElvoy, executive editor at The Economist, on topics such as the rise of the creator economy and how platforms like Shopify are empowering entrepreneurs to start, run and grow their business. To find out more about Shopify visit: https://www.shopify.com/ … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption  One early episode per wee

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. This is the second episode of The Great Energy Transition, a new series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins and we’re looking ahead to the future to ask - what needs to happen between 2030 and 2050 to reach net zero? To explore the drastic technological innovation and societal change needed to make net zero emissions by 2050 a reality, we’re joined by Srikanth Padmanabhan, President of the Engine Business at Cummins. Our host for this series is physicist and broadcaster, Helen Czerski. To find out more about Cummins, please visit cummins.com … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to list