Intelligence Squared

Linda Colley is the Shelby MC Davis 1958 professor of history at Princeton University and one of the most acclaimed historians of her generation. Her latest book is The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen, which tells the stories of how constitutions around the world were shaped by forces such as warfare, geopolitical upheaval and academic rigour. She speaks with fellow historian and screenwriter Alex von...

Black British Lives Matter is a new anthology of writing and conversations collecting the experiences of thought leaders in the UK including novelist Kit de Waal, architect Sir David Adjaye, politician Dawn Butler and many more. The book's co-editor, journalist and Chair of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Marcus Ryder MBE, discusses its themes and the importance of ensuring that diversity is ch...

Since the original publication of Nudge more than a decade ago, the word that served as the title of the ground-breaking book has entered the vocabulary of businesspeople, policy makers, economists, engaged citizens and consumers everywhere. It has given rise to more than 400 nudge units in governments around the world and has influenced countless groups of behavioural scientists in every part of...

We are in a second Cold War with China. That’s the conclusion many experts have come to as they observe China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour beyond its borders – its suppression of democracy in Hong Kong, its sabre-rattling towards Taiwan, the vast espionage offensive against the West’s technology, not to mention the confrontational tone of its new ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy. That’s the argumen...

In summer 2021, a global panel of legal scholars and activists drew up a new definition of ecocide: unlawful or wanton acts that could cause widespread or long-term damage to the environment. The aim is that it will one day be ratified by the International Criminal Court. As COP26 draws to a close, researcher and author Carl Miller speaks with Jojo Mehta, chair and co-founder of the Stop Ecocide F...

Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? It’s a question that runs through the heart of the work of Brian Klaas, professor of global politics at University College London and Washington Post columnist. His latest book is 'Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us', which looks at the psychology behind those who seek power. Pulitzer-prize winning historian and journalist An...

In this special bonus episode, brought to you in partnership with online trading platform IG, Joshua Mahony, Senior Markets analyst at IG, speaks again to Linda Yueh about how the markets are coping as societies begin to open up and lift Covid-19 restrictions. They also discuss the energy markets and what investors need to know to develop a forward looking portfolio. To find out more about IG visi...

The Labour Party has been out of power for over a decade. And after a historic electoral defeat in the 2019 general election, the party looks to be in real trouble. Sir Keir Starmer became leader in April 2020 replacing self described socialist Jeremy Corbyn and tried to steer the party towards a less radical, more outwardly patriotic brand of politics than his predecessor. But the loss of the Har...

As the COP26 global climate summit takes place, many are asking who is really responsible for the climate emergency and who might be able to prevent it? Dr Anne Karpf is a writer and sociologist whose recent book, How Women Can Save the Planet, looks to analyse some of these questions in more granular detail. The BBC's South Asia correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan speaks with Anne to learn more abo...

James Plunkett's new book, End State: 9 Ways Society is Broken, draws on his years working in both public policy and at the top tiers of government. A former advisor to UK prime minister Gordon Brown, his book looks at how to reboot some key ideas ranging from commerce to healthcare for a nation such as the UK in order to provide better quality of life for larger sections of society. James joins u...

Mo Gawdat was Chief Business Officer of Google X, the experimental development arm of the internet behemoth. He's since written books on how to find happiness and his new one, Scary Smart, warns of the potential dangers posed to the world by super-smart artificial intelligence. Media correspondent for the Sunday Times, Rosamund Urwin, speaks with Mo about the new book, the future of AI, and how bu...

This debate, recorded on Thursday 28th October 2021, was part of Energised, a debate series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Iberdrola, a leading company in the field of renewable energy. It’s make or break time for the planet. That’s the warning issued by the UN ahead of COP26 in Glasgow this November, when leaders and heads of state from all over the world will meet to agree on glob...

With the devastating effects of the climate emergency becoming more urgent by the day, the COP26 summit in Glasgow now represents a pivotal moment in global cooperation on the issue. Can anything meaningful be achieved without collaboration from the big players such as China, the US and the EU? Economist Linda Yueh is joined by journalist and environment specialist Isabel Hilton of China Dialogue...

What does the face of power look like? Who gets commemorated in art and why? And how do we react to statues of figures we deplore? In October 2021 Mary Beard, Britain’s best known classicist, came to Intelligence Squared to talk about the ideas in her new book Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern. To follow along with the images referenced in the podcast visit: http...

In this week's Business Weekly, Samira Ahmed speaks to business mogul Sir Richard Branson about becoming a serial entrepreneur developing the Virgin brand, signing some of the biggest names in music and the next frontiers of space travel. How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique –...

Should there be a broad programme of reparations – not just financial compensation, but acknowledgement of the crimes committed and the lasting damage caused by slavery? Or would this just worsen social tensions by reopening old wounds? That's the theme of this week's Sunday Debate.  Arguing for the motion were Kehinde Andrews, Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University; and Esther S...

The history of Africans in Europe may seem recent – a result of migration in the 20th and 21st centuries – but in her new book, African Europeans, historian Olivette Otele tells a very different story – a story of African presence in Europe that stretches back centuries.  Otele writes of African Europeans through the lives of individuals both ordinary and extraordinary. She has uncovered a forgott...

How did one family become associated with an epidemic of drug addiction that has caused the death of almost half a million people? In this episode, award-winning writer and author of Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe speaks to Hannah Kuchler, the FT’s global pharmaceutical correspondent about how he uncovered fresh material on the Sacklers and discovered a modern parable of greed, corruption an...

Chris Hirst, Global CEO of advertising group Havas Creative, cuts through the bullshit and gets to the heart of modern leadership in this straight-talking podcast brought to you by Intelligence Squared. In this episode Chris Hirst speaks to the internet pioneer and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales who is perhaps the most famous silicon-valley entrepreneur to not become a billionaire. Wikipedia has ch...

Is China an enemy that needs to be reined in, or a potential partner with whom the West should engage? Hear the arguments and decide for yourself.  Speakers: Martin Wolf, Keyu Jin, Sir Malcolm Rifkind. Chair: 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 podcastchoi...

With data on the Covid-19 pandemic changing shape with every new outbreak and new mutation, it's a complex task to make sense of where the story of the virus will head next. David Spiegelhalter is chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at Cambridge University and an expert on crunching figures in order to understand successes and failures. His new book Covid by Numbers, co-...

Should capitalism be reformed or replaced? Former Greek Finance Minister and economist Yanis Varoufakis and Gillian Tett US editor at large at the Financial Times discuss and debate their visions for a post-COVID economy live in London. The moderator is Anne McElvoy senior editor at The Economist.  For the Intelligence Squared discount on Gillian Tett's book click here: https://www.primrosehillboo...

Chris Hirst, Global CEO of advertising group Havas Creative, cuts through the bullshit and gets to the heart of modern leadership in this straight-talking podcast brought to you by Intelligence Squared. In this episode Chris speaks to Kwame Kwei-Armah, the Artistic Director of the Young Vic theatre in London. He is also an actor, playwright, singer and broadcaster. From 2011 to 2018 he was the Art...

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...

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 ineffectiv...