Intelligence Squared

Carlo Rovelli is the internationally bestselling theoretical physicist whose many fans include Benedict Cumberbatch, Antony Gormley, Neil Gaiman and Lily Cole. In May 2021 he came to Intelligence Squared to talk about the themes of his new book Helgoland, in which he takes us back to the birth of a revolutionary idea that has reshaped the whole of science and our very conception of the world. Rovelli told the story of the brilliant young Werner Heisenberg who, suffering from hay fever, retreated to the treeless island of Helgoland in the North Sea where he began to glimpse a world in which nothing exists until it interacts with something else, upending our all-too-solid conception of reality. This is the world of quantum theory. Now a century on from Heisenberg’s extraordinary insight, Rovelli has done what he dared not do before – to connect quantum theory with a panoply of philosophical ideas, including Buddhist thought, the problem of consciousness and even the discussions between Lenin and Bogdanov at

In this week's episode acclaimed singer/songwriter David Gray speaks to Rosamund Urwin about how music and the arts have fared throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. David had originally planned to spend 2020 embarking on a huge string of 'White Ladder' anniversary shows to mark 20 years since the release of his breakthrough multi-million selling album. When these arena dates - like so many other live shows - were rescheduled due to the pandemic, David chose instead to finish a record he had recorded prior to lockdown at Edwyn Collins’ Helmsdale studio on the Sutherland coast. Entitled ’Skellig’, The title comes from the story of Skellig - a formation of precipitous rocky islands off the coast of Co. Kerry, the most westerly point in Ireland. Ravaged by the Atlantic, the seemingly un-inhabitable location of Skellig Michael became an unlikely site of pilgrimage in 600AD for a group of monks, who believed that leading such a merciful existence, they would leave the distraction of the human realm to be ultimately clo

When Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004, the goal was simple: to offer civilian space travel by the end of the decade. Seventeen years, a dozen delays and one catastrophic rocket crash later, we are on the verge of space tourism becoming a reality. New Yorker writer Nicholas Schmidle has witnessed the fall and rise of Virgin Galactic first-hand. Over the last five years, he has spent thousands of hours at Virgin’s ‘spaceport’ in the Mojave desert, befriending the pilots who are risking their lives to make space tourism a reality. The episode was hosted by Helen Czerski. To buy the book with the Intelligence Squared discount click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/test-gods-tragedy-and-triumph-in-the-new-space-race-nicholas-schmidle/ — 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 podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence

Spending a mere two hours a week outside is scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, enhance the immune system and reduce anxiety. Yet, for many communities, nature and the countryside are inaccessible with many city-dwellers struggling to find greenery in their local areas. This week's episode is taken from an event we staged in partnership with Selfridges for their Project Earth series. — 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 podcasts@intelligencesquared.com 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

Many of us felt it before but 2020 was the year it became undeniable: the status quo is not working. Political discontent is widespread – and for good reason. So what can we do now to change course? In this week's episode award-winning political commentator Ece Temelkuran spoke to Matthew Taylor about her new political manifesto for the post-pandemic world.  Drawing from her new book Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now, she explained why we must choose fear over comfort and political activism over social media outrage. And she will encourage us to embrace the radical idea that humanity can come together to solve its collective problems.  To find out more about the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/together-10-choices-for-a-better-now-ece-temelkuran/ 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

Trees have memories. They have wisdom. They cooperate in communities of immense complexity, communicating underground through a huge web of fungi, at the centre of which lie the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful entities that nurture their kin and sustain the forest. That may sound initially like New Age mumbo-jumbo. But these are the core findings of a scientific revolution that has been taking place in our understanding of trees. In this week's episode world renowned scientist Suzanne Simard speaks to Tony Juniper about uncovering startling truths about trees. To find out more and buy the book click here: https://bit.ly/3hrSPA2 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

Why was the response of the UK and US to the coronavirus pandemic so bungled? How can we be better prepared when the next disaster strikes? These are the questions that historian Niall Ferguson discussed with Rana Mitter in this week's episode. Drawing from his new book 'Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe' he explains that while blaming populists like Boris Johnson and Donald Trump for their poor leadership is trendy, the story of Covid-19 as a political failure is to miss the more profound pathologies that were at work – pathologies already visible in our responses to earlier disasters. To find out more about the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/doom-the-politics-of-catastrophe-niall-ferguson/ 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

As we pass Joe Biden's first one hundred days in office as President of the United States, we're joined by The New Yorker's Evan Osnos author of the biography Joe Biden: American Dreamer to discuss who the real Biden is and how he will confront issues from China to climate change. He speaks to Mark Mardell to answer audience questions and more.  To buy Evan's book with our special Intelligence Squared discount click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/joe-biden-american-dreamer-evan-osnos-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

Be angry, ambitious, profane, violent, attention-seeking, lustful, and powerful. These are the “seven necessary sins” that Egyptian writer and activist Mona Eltahawy says women and girls are not supposed to commit – but absolutely should. Eltahawy advocates a muscular, out-loud approach to teaching women and girls to harness their power. Eltahawy came to Intelligence Squared to tell the stories of activists and ordinary women around the world from countries including South Africa, China, Nigeria, India, Bosnia and Egypt who are fighting back against these taboos and tapping into their inner fury. Rather than teaching women and girls to survive the patriarchal system, they have found themselves in, Eltahawy uses these stories to show them how to dismantle it.  Buy the book with a special Intelligence Squared discount here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/the-seven-necessary-sins-for-women-and-girls-mona-eltahawy/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/p

In this week's episode Kate Raworth, Oxford University economist discusses what she calls Doughnut Economics, an idea she came up with to help humanity deal with the challenges we face today: financial crises, extreme wealth inequality and relentless pressure on the environment. The doughnut posits a world where we zero in on a sweet spot: all our material and political needs are met without exhausting the planet. Drawn on paper, the space where everyone can thrive looks like a doughnut. To buy the book click here:  https://amzn.to/2RbrTJS 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

In this week's episode Tristan Harris, star of Netflix hit documentary 'The Social Dilemma' speak to Helen Lewis about the the enormous power technology has in steering human attention and behaviour. They discuss how the business model of Big Tech impacts us on an individual level and collective level - and how we can rebalance this power to create a more ethical and enjoyable future.  The interview was in partnership with iConnections the leading platform for connecting the alternative investment community. To find out more about their upcoming events click here: https://iconnections.io/events/ 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

Helen Lewis argues that feminism's success is down to complicated, contradictory, imperfect women, who fought each other as well as fighting for equal rights. Too many of these pioneers have been whitewashed or forgotten in our modern search for feel-good, inspirational heroines. It's time to reclaim the history of feminism as a history of difficult women.  To find out more about the book click here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/difficult-women/helen-lewis/9781784709730 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

This week's episode features a debate from Intelligence Squared Germany in partnership with the ECFR. Kerry Brown goes up against Anastasia Lin on the question of how the West should engage a more assertive and powerful China.  The debate was moderated by Andrew Small and to find out more about the ECFR's work click here: https://ecfr.eu/ 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

In this week's episode comedian and writer David Baddiel discusses his new book, Jews Don’t Count. He argues that the progressive movement which often prides itself on principles of equality, justice and protecting minorities overlooks these things when it comes to the Jews. He spoke to screenwriter and director Armando Iannucci about how and why Jews don't count.  To find out more about the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/jews-dont-count-david-baddiel/ 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

Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein and Steve Jobs. His new book is The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race, a gripping account of how Nobel Prize-winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched a scientific revolution that gives humanity the power to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and give birth to healthier babies. Doudna has invented a technology that has the potential to change human history: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA. Known as CRISPR, it has opened up a brave new world of medical miracles and moral questions. The past half-century has been a digital age, based on the microchip, the computer and the internet. Now we are entering a life-science revolution. Children who study digital coding will be joined by those who study genetic code. Doudna’s work raises huge questions: Should we use our new evolution-hacking powers to make us less susceptible to viruses? Should we allow parents, if they can afford it, to

Geoffrey Robertson QC is one of Britain’s leading human rights champions. Twenty years ago he helped fuel the global justice movement with his groundbreaking book Crimes Against Humanity. In April 2021, alongside fellow human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and campaigner Bill Browder, he took part in a special Intelligence Squared online event in partnership with Doughty Street Chambers to set out what he calls his ‘plan B for human rights’. This would involve countries introducing and enforcing fresh laws to name, blame and shame human rights abusers, stripping them of their right to enter democratic nations, of the ill-gotten funds they seek to deposit in global banks, and barring them and their families from schools and hospitals in these countries. Expanding on the themes of his new book Bad People And How To Be Rid Of Them, Robertson makes the case for a group of laws known as Magnitsky legislation after Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in a Russian jail after exposing state corruption. To find out mo

In this special bonus episode, brought to you in partnership with online trading platform IG, Joshua Mahoney, Senior Markets analyst at IG, speaks to Linda Yueh about how the pandemic has impacted trading and investing. From Netflix to Deliveroo, there have been winners and losers in the pandemic, but what will happen once we've all been vaccinated? To find out more about IG and the world of investing visit: https://www.ig.com/uk 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

This episode is made in partnership with international heritage charity World Monuments Fund Britain. Together we explore the fascinating world of on-screen historic homes with insightful conversations with industry experts who have brought these magnificent buildings to life on the big and small screens. We were joined by Nell Hudson, actress in popular TV dramas like 'Victoria' and 'Outlander'; Julie Anne Robinson, director of the hit series 'Bridgerton'; and Sally Ambrose, Head of Marketing and Visitor Experience at Chatsworth House. Hosted by John Darlington, Executive Director of World Monuments Fund Britain, our guests delve into the importance of these houses as cultural landmarks, their personal experiences working in them, and the creative challenges of bringing these iconic structures to life on screen. This event was recorded on the 20th of March 2021 in partnership with World Monuments Fund Britain. It was produced by Producer Feyi Adegbite — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we s

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 podcasts@intelligencesquared.com 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/membershi

The West is rich because the rest is poor. Capitalism is racism. So argues Kehinde Andrews, academic and self-described Black radical, who came to Intelligence Squared on March 29 to set out the ideas in his latest book, The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World.  Wrong, says historian Jeremy Black. All that is a complete misrepresentation of the historical and present-day facts, Black counter argues. Who's right and who's wrong? Listen to the debate chaired by Anne McElvoy senior editor at The Economist and make up your own mind.  To buy Kehinde's new book click here: https://bit.ly/3sHl7sZ To buy Jeremy Black's latest book click here: https://amzn.to/3cEWUhy 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