Headspace

Is artificial intelligence really that close to reaching “human-level intelligence”? Will hit television shows like Westworld and Humans feel quaint in the era of robot dominance? Science writer Philip Ball joins the Prospect interview this week to discuss everything you need to know about artificial intelligence today—and why, despite all the brouhaha around super-intelligent robots, we’re far from being replaced. You can read Phil’s essay on “The AI delusion” here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/the-ai-delusion-why-humans-trump-machines-robots-artificial-intelligence-alpha-go-deepmind-marcus-davis-koch-mitchell-review  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Who will triumph in the battle for Britain's courts: Johnson or the judiciary? In the new issue of Prospect, our cover story goes behind the simmering politicisation of Britain’s judges in the era of Brexit, and we talk to senior judges and former Supreme Court justices on what they think will happen to the courts under Boris Johnson’s government. Judicial independence no more?Prospect has teamed up with the Better Human podcast, a show by human rights barrister Adam Wagner, to discuss the fate of judicial review in Britain. Prospect editor Tom Clark is joined by Adam, along with Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty, Tessa Gregory, Partner at Leigh Day, and Charlie Falconer, Labour peer and barrister who helped drive through the constitutional reform act under Tony Blair’s government. If you want to listen to the second half of the podcast – on the future of the Human Rights Act – you can visit the Better Human podcast here: https://anchor.fm/better-human  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and

Brown sauce, like many things in the UK, came from the spoils of empire. Also, like many things in the UK, it’s become a lightning rod for endless debates about class, snobbery, and English identity. Where did brown sauce come from, and why does it occupy such a fraught space in Britain’s public imagination?Writer and novelist Caroline O’Donoghue has just joined Prospect as a life columnist, where she will be reflecting on the big stories behind our supposedly “small” everyday objects. She joins this week’s podcast to talk about the idea behind her column, and why she kicked it off with a reflection on the humble hero enlivening many an English plate: HP sauce. The tangy condiment has more to do with the Labour Party than you might think. You can read Caroline’s first column for Prospect, on brown sauce, here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/caroline-odonoghue-brown-sauce-column  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A WhatsApp group that got started on Twitter helped journalist Suchandrika Chakrabarti process personal grief that she had been carrying for decades. Adult orphans around the world have started a group chat in which members amongst themselves about loneliness, grief—and just about everything else.At a time when social media seems to be dominated by shouty voices, division and trolls, could this WhatsApp group pave a new way of relating to one another online?Suchandrika’s article can be found here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/science-and-technology/orphans-young-whatsapp-grief-death-parentAnd you can read Stephanie Boland’s article on Twitter here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/philosophy/why-we-cant-handle-online-criticism  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Veganuary; fake cheese; lab-grown meat. "Plant-based" diets have become trendier and more mainstream over the past few years. It's often said that in the era of environmental disaster, we should all eating less meat. But can going vegan really help fend off climate change? Journalist Hephzibah Anderson joins the Prospect interview to talk about the curious history of veganism, the academic debates around its environmental promises, and the easy traps of politics based around consumer choices.You can read Hephzibah's feature on the "Green New Meal" here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/veganism-climate-change-environment-pros-cons  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From Rebecca Long-Bailey to Jess Phillips, Lisa Nandy to Keir Starmer and beyond—who will win the top spot? Former political adviser and Labour Party insider Tom Hamilton joins the Prospect podcast this week to discuss everything you need to know about the Labour leadership contest. We run through the timetable for the vote, the procedures, and what this means for the broader direction for the party overall.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brexit, Trump, international protests, the era of the “strongman”: Is liberalism really in crisis, or will it come out of this historical era changed, but essentially unscathed? Political theorist Katrina Forrester joins the Prospect podcast to talk about liberalism past and present, and the thought of icon of 20th century liberalism, John Rawls. Katrina’s book, In the Shadow of Justice: Postwar Liberalism and the Remaking of Political Philosophy is published by Princeton University Press.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Prospect's editors talk last night's election in this special edition of the podcast. What lessons were learned, what were the high and low points of the campaigns, and will the Union remain in tact?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sure it's a good idea in theory, but does meritocracy really work in real life? Yale law school professor Daniel Markovits joins the Prospect podcast and tells us why he's sceptical. Far from seeing a world where people can get ahead regardless of one's social background, Markovits instead argues that meritocracy has also emerged alongside a greater concentration of wealth and privilege, more so than ever.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Did the death of one man radically alter the course of modern English philosophy? Biographer and philosopher Ray Monk joins the Prospect Podcast to talk about the life and work of RG Collingwood, a 20th century intellectual whose premature death may have led to discipline to take a different—and according to Monk, less rich—direction today. Ray Monk’s article on RG Collingwood can be read here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/how-the-untimely-death-of-rg-collingwood-changed-the-course-of-philosophy-forever-gilbert-ryle-ray-monk-analytic-continental  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What really was the East India Company, and how does its legacy affect Britain today? Historian William Dalrymple joins the Prospect podcast this week to talk about Britain’s imperial legacy and how the company grew from being a silks and spices trader to an engine of colonialism. William’s book, The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company is out with Bloomsbury.Plus: Steve Bloomfield and Sameer Rahim on teaching history in schools  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Windrush scandal was just the tip of the iceberg. It was a result of, and part of a long-ranging Home Office strategy to create a hostile environment for Britain’s immigrants. Writer and researcher Maya Goodfellow joins the Prospect podcast this week to discuss the UK’s current and historic immigration policies, and what she learned from talking to migrants and asylum seekers while writing her book, Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Donald Trump has a long history with the US courts – 3,500 cases, it has been estimated. Journalist and author James D. Zirin joins the Prospect podcast to discuss the president’s history with the law, and what that can tell us about how Trump views politics. Also—what can we expect from the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump?Plus: Steve Bloomfield and Stephanie Boland on the 2020 race  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How will Brexit affect the vote this December? What about other burning issues, like the economy and the NHS? In this election special, Prospect’s editors debate whether this will truly be the “Brexit election,” and what seats to look out for.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Two years on from the New York Times' publication of the Harvey Weinstein allegations, Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor join Prospect's Steve Bloomfield to discuss what it was like to report on the story—and how their article helped ignite a global movement.Plus: Stephanie Boland on Britain's #metoo moment and what comes next.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Germans have a word for it—can the rest of the world learn from them, too? Philosopher Susan Neiman joins the Prospect podcast to discuss her book Learning From the Germans. From her travels in the American South to the complex arguments over Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung, and from Hannah Arendt to the Enlightenment focus on happiness, Professor Neiman explores what it means to work with our history. Plus: Rebecca Liu and Stephanie Boland talk Rhodes Must Fall—and a strange Lithuanian tourist attraction.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Journalist Charles Moore has spent over 20 years mapping the life and work of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The final instalment of his trilogy of Thatcher’s life, Margaret Thatcher: Herself Alone is published this month.Editor Tom Clark talks to Moore about Thatcher’s contested legacy, her attitudes to the EU and referendums, and what he’s learned at the end of his long journey.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt joins the Prospect podcast to discuss political anger on both sides of the Atlantic, from Boris Johnson’s discussion of Brexit to the American 2020 election. Plus: how the internet is affecting today’s younger generations  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In recent months, the climate change movement reach new heights with global strikes and large-scale marches. Journalist and author of The Uninhabitable Earth David Wallace-Wells joins the Prospect podcast and takes stock of where the global climate movement is today, and what change needs to happen to avoid the alarming futures we may face.Plus: Tom Clark and Steve Bloomfield on the climate change proposals unveiled party conferences  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At the end of an extraordinary week for the British constitution, we've brought you an extraordinary podcast. The Institute for Government's Catherine Haddon and barrister Adam Wagner join the Prospect podcast to talk about this week's Supreme Court ruling and what that means for Brexit.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.