Intelligence Squared

To celebrate 2024, we’re taking a look backwards, and diving into the standout thinkers who have taken to the Intelligence Squared stage in the past 12 months. You might still be on the hunt for that perfect gift for the avid reader in your life, or perhaps you’re after some food for thought over the festive period. Either way, this 12 episode mini series will highlight the books that shaped 2024. We hope you’ll join us in 2025 for more events that intrigue, fascinate and entertain. In the 20th century most autocrats were brutal dictators whose main goal was to control a domestic population. But in the 21st century autocracy has become much more sophisticated and ambitious in its scope. States like Russia have developed sophisticated cross-border networks of kleptocratic financial structures, innovative security services and professional propagandists. The members of these networks are connected not only within a given country, but among many countries. Propagandists from one country can promote and finance

To celebrate 2024, we’re taking a look backwards, and diving into the standout thinkers who have taken to the Intelligence Squared stage in the past 12 months. You might still be on the hunt for that perfect gift for the avid reader in your life, or perhaps you’re after some food for thought over the festive period. Either way, this 12 episode mini series will highlight the books that shaped 2024. We hope you’ll join us in 2025 for more events that intrigue, fascinate and entertain. Bestselling author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has dedicated his career to speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most challenging spaces – communities polarised by politics and religion and university campuses mired in culture wars. Now he turns his attention to what he sees as a perfect storm of factors that are causing a collapse in mental health among teenagers today. According to the American College Health Association, since 2010 anxiety among American college students has increased by 134%, depression by 106%,

To celebrate 2024, we’re taking a look backwards, and diving into the standout thinkers who have taken to the Intelligence Squared stage in the past 12 months. You might still be on the hunt for that perfect gift for the avid reader in your life, or perhaps you’re after some food for thought over the festive period. Either way, this 12 episode mini series will highlight the books that shaped 2024. We hope you’ll join us in 2025 for more events that intrigue, fascinate and entertain. Platinum-certified singer-songwriter MARINA, formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds, has been an integral part of the U.K music scene over the last decade. Amassing over 3 billion streams worldwide, her music — which includes hit songs Primadonna and Bubblegum B*tch — has connected with fans for their unique electro-pop sound and powerful lyrics. On October 22, MARINA came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss the themes of her debut poetry collection Eat The World. Her talent for evocative song lyrics has found a new

Many liberals believe that in recent years we have seen an erosion of the right to air unpopular opinions without the risk of being cancelled. We are in an ever-intensifying shutting down of conversation, they maintain, with constituencies on both the left and the right demanding that opinions they don’t like be declared out of bounds, socially, morally or legally. But some argue otherwise: that the so-called free speech crisis is completely a fiction. What we’re really seeing is a rebalance of power in elite institutions where privileged groups are being held to account for their words by others who have been historically excluded and marginalised. Intelligence Squared’s new book series THINK AGAIN, published in partnership with The Bodley Head invites two authors to debate the way forward. For the release of the first book, Is Free Speech Under Threat? Our authors are CEO of PEN America Suzanne Nossel and historian Charlotte Lydia Riley. The two recently joined Intelligence Squared live onstage in London to

This event was supported by Guinness Global Investors. For the final instalment of the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series for 2024, Financial Times columnist Tim Harford joined us to interrogate what the numbers are really telling us about the economy – and what those numbers tell us about what lies ahead. As the FT’s Undercover Economist, Harford demonstrates a remarkable ability to explain and communicate complex economic data in ways that are compelling and entertaining. This episode was recorded at The Tabernacle in London on Tuesday November 26, as Harford put our current economic challenges and opportunities into historical perspective and sought to map out the economic landscape we can expect in 2025.  This is the second instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-l

This event was supported by Guinness Global Investors. For the final instalment of the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series for 2024, Financial Times columnist Tim Harford joined us to interrogate what the numbers are really telling us about the economy – and what those numbers tell us about what lies ahead. As the FT’s Undercover Economist, Harford demonstrates a remarkable ability to explain and communicate complex economic data in ways that are compelling and entertaining. This episode was recorded at The Tabernacle in London on Tuesday November 26, as Harford put our current economic challenges and opportunities into historical perspective and sought to map out the economic landscape we can expect in 2025.  This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-le

David Baddiel has been on our screens for over 35 years. The creator of The Mary Whitehouse Experience and one half of Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned, he spent his early career in the world of television comedy. More recently, he has become a leading voice on Jewishness and antisemitism in the U.K after releasing his award-winning documentary and book Jews Don’t Count. In October 2024 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss how both comedy and Jewishness have shaped his career and life. Drawing from his hilarious new memoir My Family, he discussed his upbringing from reckoning with his family’s trauma from the Holocaust to his late mother’s affair with a golfing salesman and his father’s struggles with dementia. Baddiel revealed his family story to shed light on why he believes laughter has the capacity to transform our darkest experiences into something more bearable. This is the second instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversatio

David Baddiel has been on our screens for over 35 years. The creator of The Mary Whitehouse Experience and one half of Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned, he spent his early career in the world of television comedy. More recently, he has become a leading voice on Jewishness and antisemitism in the U.K after releasing his award-winning documentary and book Jews Don’t Count. In October 2024 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss how both comedy and Jewishness have shaped his career and life. Drawing from his hilarious new memoir My Family, he discussed his upbringing from reckoning with his family’s trauma from the Holocaust to his late mother’s affair with a golfing salesman and his father’s struggles with dementia. Baddiel revealed his family story to shed light on why he believes laughter has the capacity to transform our darkest experiences into something more bearable. This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversation

We’re living in a time of upheaval. The war in the Middle East is intensifying. Russia is making gains in Ukraine. America faces an election of unparalleled importance. Climate change and AI appear on the brink of changing our world forever. How are we to make sense of the world today? Study its past, argues acclaimed historian Peter Frankopan, who returned to the Intelligence Squared stage in November 2024.  Now that his remarkably turbulent year is almost over, attention is turning to 2025 and what lies in the months ahead for us all. Drawing on his best-selling books, The Silk Roads and The Earth Transformed, Frankopan put our current challenges and opportunities into historical perspective and sought to map out what we can expect from the world in 2025. Frankopan was in conversation with Emily Maitlis, the award-winning journalist and presenter of The News Agents podcast. This is the second instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversa

We’re living in a time of upheaval. The war in the Middle East is intensifying. Russia is making gains in Ukraine. America faces an election of unparalleled importance. Climate change and AI appear on the brink of changing our world forever. How are we to make sense of the world today? Study its past, argues acclaimed historian Peter Frankopan, who returned to the Intelligence Squared stage in November 2024.  Now that his remarkably turbulent year is almost over, attention is turning to 2025 and what lies in the months ahead for us all. Drawing on his best-selling books, The Silk Roads and The Earth Transformed, Frankopan put our current challenges and opportunities into historical perspective and sought to map out what we can expect from the world in 2025. Frankopan was in conversation with Emily Maitlis, the award-winning journalist and presenter of The News Agents podcast. This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversat

Decades ago, I escaped the Islamic world and came to the West. Many don’t know how good the West is, or how fragile. I fight for the restoration of what made the West great.’ – Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ever since writer and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali publicly disavowed Islam, controversy has followed her every step. For many years the Somali-born former Muslim was a fierce critic of religion – particularly Islam – and became famous worldwide after publishing her controversial bestselling autobiography 'Infidel'. In the first decade of this century she was a pioneer of the New Atheist movement alongside the so-called ‘Four Horsemen’: Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett. And then late last year Ali stunned many of her own supporters and allies when she wrote an article ‘Why I am now a Christian,’ in which she announced her conversion to Christianity and argued that the Christian belief system — not atheism — is the only means to preserve Western values. Many atheists felt that she had be

Journalist and author Dan Hancox argues that despite what politicians, philosophers and the press have long told us, every peaceful crowd is not a violent mob in waiting. His new book. Multitudes, asks readers to rethink long-held assumptions about crowd behaviour and psychology, as well as the part crowds play in our lives. Hancox has written for the Guardian, the New Statesman, The Independent, The Wire and many more. His previous books include Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime and The Village Against the World. Joining him to discuss Multitudes is Adam McCauley, the writer and researcher studying the social, cultural, and political impacts of emerging technologies. McCauley also writes a regular newsletter, The View From Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the second instalment of our full-length in-depth discussion. With Donald Trump now declared winner of the 2024 presidential race, the United States stands on the brink of a new era. Yet, as New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman has warned, the implications of Trump’s ambitious agenda may be far from harmonious. Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office, impose tariffs on China, and pressure Israel to conclude the war in Gaza. But will these bold promises stabilise global tensions — or further stoke them? In November 2024, Friedman returned to the Intelligence Squared stage in London for his first appearance since the pandemic. In conversation with broadcaster Ritula Shah he explored whether Trump’s policies will serve America’s interests or undermine its alliances and role in global affairs. This is the second instalment of our full-length in-depth discussion. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to the full conversation imme

With Donald Trump now declared winner of the 2024 presidential race, the United States stands on the brink of a new era. Yet, as New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman has warned, the implications of Trump’s ambitious agenda may be far from harmonious. Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office, impose tariffs on China, and pressure Israel to conclude the war in Gaza. But will these bold promises stabilise global tensions — or further stoke them? In November 2024, Friedman returned to the Intelligence Squared stage in London for his first appearance since the pandemic. In conversation with broadcaster Ritula Shah he explored whether Trump’s policies will serve America’s interests or undermine its alliances and role in global affairs. This is the first instalment of our full-length in-depth discussion. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to the full conversation immediately as an early access subscriber, plus our extra extended version

In this episode, writer, academic and critic Frances Wilson is joined by Artistic Director of Dior Homme and Vice President of Charleston, Kim Jones, Dr Darren Clarke, Head of Collections, Research and Exhibitions at Charleston and Sotheby’s, and Jen Hardie, Director and Senior Specialist in Modern British & Irish Art at Sotheby’s in London, for a conversation about the indefatigable spirit of the Bloomsbury group and the renewed interest in their work and lives today, across paintings, drawings, furniture, ceramics and literature. This podcast was originally recorded at Sotheby’s in London to celebrate Radical Modernity: From Bloomsbury to Charleston, a private selling and loan exhibition in collaboration with Charleston. And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Intelligence Squared, head of programming Conor Boyle speaks with author and tech expert Jamie Bartlett about how podcasting, video and social media have transformed modern politics and public discourse. Bartlett unpacks the role of podcasters in shaping new political narratives and how our online information ecosystem is designed in a way that perfectly suits digital populism and political figures like Donald Trump. To hear more from Jamie Bartlett subscribe to his Substack, How To Survive The Internet. If you'd like to become a Member and listen ad free, be an early access subscriber, and enjoy our extra extended versions of the conversations available to Members-only, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-perso

This is the second instalment of our full-length in-depth discussion. Tim Marshall is one of the world’s most successful authors on foreign affairs. He’s the writer who put the ‘geo’ into geopolitics with his multi-million-selling books Prisoners of Geography and The Power of Geography. Marshall’s principal argument is that without geography we cannot understand the world. Geography explains why Vladimir Putin wanted to annex Crimea; to remain a world power, Russia needs to maintain a navy and since Russian ports are frozen for half the year, Putin wants to control the warm water port of Odessa. In October 2024 Marshall came to the Intelligence Squared stage just weeks out from the pivotal election in the United States to discuss how politics and geography intersect on the world stage. He helped us to understand what’s at stake for the world in 2024 and how geography will underpin the geopolitical conflicts of the future. Joining him onstage to discuss it was science communicator, oceanographer and physicist,

Tim Marshall is one of the world’s most successful authors on foreign affairs. He’s the writer who put the ‘geo’ into geopolitics with his multi-million-selling books Prisoners of Geography and The Power of Geography. Marshall’s principal argument is that without geography we cannot understand the world. Geography explains why Vladimir Putin wanted to annex Crimea; to remain a world power, Russia needs to maintain a navy and since Russian ports are frozen for half the year, Putin wants to control the warm water port of Odessa. In October 2024 Marshall came to the Intelligence Squared stage just weeks out from the pivotal election in the United States to discuss how politics and geography intersect on the world stage. He helped us to understand what’s at stake for the world in 2024 and how geography will underpin the geopolitical conflicts of the future. Joining him onstage to discuss it was science communicator, oceanographer and physicist, Helen Czerski. This is the first instalment of our full-length in-d

This is the second instalment of our full-length in-depth discussion. A fan favourite at Arsenal and previously Manchester City, Oleksandr Zinchenko has been lighting up the Premier League with his fearless performances for many years. But his success has come while facing immense challenges. Having begun his career as a teenager at Shakhtar Donetsk, on the border with Russia, he was acutely aware of the politics of sport. Initially he played football as an amateur because no club would sign him. But he fought his way to the top and joined Manchester City in 2016 where he would go on to experience exhilarating career highs, with four league titles in six years, before moving to Arsenal where he has played an integral part in their recent successes. Zinchenko has shown his intense commitment in a very different way through his campaigning in support of his homeland during the ongoing war. Following advice from loved ones, he aimed to make a difference by using his platform to spread awareness and raise money t

A fan favourite at Arsenal and previously Manchester City, Oleksandr Zinchenko has been lighting up the Premier League with his fearless performances for many years. But his success has come while facing immense challenges. Having begun his career as a teenager at Shakhtar Donetsk, on the border with Russia, he was acutely aware of the politics of sport. Initially he played football as an amateur because no club would sign him. But he fought his way to the top and joined Manchester City in 2016 where he would go on to experience exhilarating career highs, with four league titles in six years, before moving to Arsenal where he has played an integral part in their recent successes. Zinchenko has shown his intense commitment in a very different way through his campaigning in support of his homeland during the ongoing war. Following advice from loved ones, he aimed to make a difference by using his platform to spread awareness and raise money to support his country. In October 2024 Zinchenko came to Intelligence