The Prospect Podcast

What do we mean when we talk about schizophrenia—and how do we diagnose mental illness, anyway? Former nurse and now author Nathan Filer joins Prospect to talk about his new book, The Heartland: Finding and Losing Schizophrenia. Plus: Tom and Steph talk about the—sorry, "our"—NHS; and make their predictions for a Johnson cabinet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our headlines are full of stories about benighted millennials and over-pensioned baby boomers, but what’s behind this new generational divide? Sociologist Jennie Bristow joins us to talk about why the “generation war” obscures more than it clarifies. Plus: Tom Clark and Stephanie Boland on the fate of generation X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From London’s many skyscrapers to the wars over brutalism, many of us know what it’s like to either complain about an unsightly building. But these conversations hardly ever go beyond an initial judgment to consider what such ‘ugliness’ can tell us about ourselves.  We talk to MIT architectural historian Timothy Hyde about his new book, Ugliness and Judgment On Architecture in the Public Eye...

Though we often talk about the impending climate crisis, the truth is that the effects of climate change are already here. Ed Miliband joins us to talk about his radical green programme, his past work as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and why he thinks our climate crisis is tied to our economic crisis. You can read Ed Miliband’s cover story, "How to Save the Planet" here: https:...

The Ten Commandments is one of the most well-known pieces of scripture. It may also embody everything wrong with how we read these texts today. Karen Armstrong joins us to talk about her new book , The Art of Scripture , and why there should be more to read more creatively beyond literalism. You can read Reverend Lucy Winkett's review of The Art of Scripture here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.u...

Prospect’s editors went up to Hay-on-Wye last week for the annual Hay Festival of Literature & Arts. We joined Steven Pinker, Elif Shafak and poets from London’s Roundhouse Poetry Collective to talk about what they’re reading right now, and the biggest problems facing the world today. Plus: Sameer Rahim and Stephanie Boland on the literary festival circuit and how a writer’s job today often ex...

Tom Shakespeare joins the Prospect team to discuss a new BFI film collection about disability. We might like to think things are always getting better—but these films show a more nuanced, complex history. Plus: Sameer Rahim and Tom Clark discuss representation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the past 100 years, a total of 491 women have been elected to Parliament. We talk to Rachel Reeves, Labour MP for Leeds West about her new book, “Women of Westminster: The MPs Who Changed Politics”. How have women MPs changed the UK over the past century? Where do we go next? Plus: Tom Clark and Stephanie Boland on the challenges of being an MP Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

It is said that we are living in an age of multiple crises—climate change, political upheaval, and mass disenfranchisement. Radical economist Paul Mason offers his diagnosis on our current situation, and why the 2008 financial crisis may not be the watershed moment we think it is. Paul’s new book, Clear Bright Future , comes out May 2. Plus: Alex Dean on the Huawei leak, and Sameer Rahim on photog...

“Once upon a time, contracts dissolved once you were dead… but big tech companies are holding the same terms of the contract in tact with the deceased person.” How has Facebook revolutionised grief? Psychologist Elaine Kasket has been researching how online lives have reshaped the way we mourn, and all the uncharted questions it raises. Do you really want to remember your partner through a ‘likene...

UK Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson has made headlines for his contested allegiances within the party. Journalist Kevin Maguire joins Prospect to discuss the burning question often heard around Westminster: what's Tommy up to? Will he form, as teased, a National Government — or has his reputation as a blustery schemer softened over the years? You can read Kevin's profile of Tom Watson in the...

What happens when a child conceived using a donor sperm wants to meet their biological father? Wendy Kramer, the “donor detective”, runs the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) which has 63,461 members and has so far connected 16,779 individuals around the world with their donor parents or half siblings. In our May issue, journalist Stefanie Marsh follows Kramer’s work, uncovering the tricky questions on...

What does it mean to translate a work of fiction—and can we really call one translation "better" than others? Writer Miranda France joins Prospect to discuss the strange art of literary translation. Plus: Alex Dean on whether we're heading for a general election and Sameer Rahim on why we need more mean reviews. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1961, two things happened that seemed to change our idea about evil forever: Hannah Arendt reported on the trial of Adolf Eichmann, and a Yale experiment showed the apparent willingness of subjects to issue electric shocks to their fellow human beings—just because they were told to. But what if everything we thought we learnt that year was wrong? Stephen Reicher and Alex Haslam discuss how we m...

A truly global approach to climate change doesn't just involve a policy shift—it will mean changing how we live our lives together. Author and researcher Mike Berners-Lee joins Prospect to explain why he's (cautiously) optimistic. Plus: Steve Bloomfield on the schools funding crisis, and Sameer Rahim on how Muslims are represented in British literature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

This week human rights barrister Adam Wagner talks tribal politics, twitter, and how to achieve a more civilised online world. Wagner speaks from experience, having recently been involved in a simmering online row about anti-Semitism on the left. His recent piece on the subject appeared in our march issue. Plus: Alex Dean on how the Tory Party turned its back on Europe, Sameer Rahim on A Confedera...

What does Brexit mean for the British constitution—and can we go back and do the vote again? Professor Vernon Bogdanor joins Prospect's Tom Clark and Alex Dean to discuss the future of Brexit. Plus: Sameer Rahim on Michael Jackson and Alex asks, have we reached the end of the two party system? (Hint: no) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Prospect gets inside the craze for tracking everything from our steps to our alcohol intake with Barbara Speed—including who the Quantified Self movement are, and why the 10,000 steps goal is basically made up. Plus: Alex Dean roots for the backstop, and Sameer Rahim goes all Marie Kondo on his bedside books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're all making more of an effort to cut down on waste—but does it matter? Reporter Wendell Steavenson takes us through the surprising truth about British recycling (spoiler: lots of it doesn't get recycled).Plus Alex Dean and Sameer Rahim talk Brexit winners and losers, and a new Shakespeare interpretation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former ambassador to Europe Stephen Wall joins Prospect's Alex Dean to discuss Parliament's Brexit problems, including why the backstop is such an issue, why Labour MPs are struggling, and what might happen in a second referendum. Plus: Sameer Rahim, Tom Clark and Stephanie Boland discuss the harassment of MPs and commentators near parliament, and Channel 4's An Uncivil War. Hosted on Acast. See a...

Retired US general Stanley McChrystal was at the centre of the news cycle over the holiday period. Having branded Donald Trump dishonest and immoral, the president took to Twitter to retaliate: McChrystal got “fired like a dog” by Obama and is known for his “big, dumb mouth,” Trump said. In our new podcast, recorded shortly before the row, McChrystal spoke about Trump and leadership, which in his...

In this podcast Sameer Rahim asks Clive James: what was Philip Larkin really like? What was it about this very ordinary man that enabled him to produce such extraordinary poetry? 

When Larkin died in 1985 he left a carefully curated collection of poems and novels but since then we’ve had shelffuls of letters—some of which James reviewed for our Winter issue—and biographies. How has our view of La...

The Astronomer Royal joins Prospect to ask: How much can humans hope to understand? Our minds are finite but the universe is impossibly vast and always expanding. Are there some physical facts that humanity will necessarily never comprehend? 

This is the terrain Martin Rees covers in Prospect’s new podcast.

Plus: Alex Dean on politics and Sameer Rahim on culture. Hosted by Tom Clark, produced by...

China is heading for super-power status—but will it get there? George Magnus, one of Britain's leading China experts, sets out the deep social, economic and political challenges that Beijing now faces. If it overcomes them, the prize could be huge. How likely is that? And what if it fails? With Tom Clark, Sameer Rahim, Alex Dean and Timothy Garton Ash. Produced by Jay Elwes Hosted on Acast. See ac...

Chess used to be the ultimate expression of brilliance and ingenuity—but nowadays, a Grandmaster would lose to the chess app on your smartphone. The philosopher David Edmonds discusses the triumph of computer power over humans, what it means for chess and for the world at large. Interview by Sameer Rahim. Presented by Tom Clark, with Steve Bloomfield and Alex Dean. Produced by Jay Elwes Hosted on...