Intelligence Squared

Emmanuel Iduma is a Nigerian author and critic whose new book, I Am Still With You, explores the legacy of the Nigerian Civil War, which began in 1967 and lasted nearly three years. In the book, Iduma asks questions about how the conflict has affected the generations since, many of whom have had to live with difficult questions hanging over their family histories. Joining Iduma in conversation is our host, Dipo Faloyin, author of Africa Is Not A Country and Senior Editor for Vice.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visi

Language is perhaps humanity's most astonishing accomplishment but one that remains poorly understood. On this episode of the podcast we were joined by Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School, and Morten H. Christiansen, Professor of Psychology at Cornell University. Together in their latest book "The Language Game," they upend our traditional understanding of language, arguing that it's not based on a set of fixed rules, but on a constantly evolving series of flexible conventions. Our host for this episode was journalist Christine Ro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does God exist? In this archive debate from 2009, we invited a panel of expert speakers to discuss whether atheism had replaced religion as the new faith of the secular age. Are atheists as blinkered and dogmatic as they claim religious believers to be? Arguing for the motion were former Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries and former Editor of the Daily Telegraph Charles Moore. Arguing against the motion were evolutionary biologist and science author Richard Dawkins and philosopher AC Grayling. The debate was chaired by historian, author and commentator Anthony Seldon. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intell

Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe joins us on the podcast to tell the story of an unlikely criminal mastermind, Sister Ping - a middle-aged, hardworking woman who is highly respected among her community. Originally from Fujian province, China, for years she runs an incredibly lucrative people smuggling business from New York's Chinatown until she comes into trouble with violent gangsters and then later the FBI. In conversation with our host Poppy Damon, they discuss immigration, the dark underbelly of the American Dream, and the questions of who gets to stay. They also speak about Patrick's involvement in the Oscar-nominated documentary starring Nan Goldin and directed by Laura Poitras, All The Beauty And The Bloodshed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been 25 years since the release of James Cameron’s cult classic, Titanic. The epic movie, which early fans will remember came out on VHS in two parts because it was so long, is now being rereleased in cinemas. But more importantly, James Cameron has finally admitted that Jack might have survived had he been allowed on the now infamous door, and if he were to make this film again today the raft would be a lot smaller. On this episode we hear an interview from our series How I Found My Voice with Kate Winslet. In conversation with journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed, they discuss the great raft debate and the Academy Award winning actress' even greater career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Intelligence Squared and Harewood House partner for this live podcast exploring the power of portraiture in representing Britain’s complex history. The expert panel includes artist Thomas J Price, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Nicholas Cullinan, and Contributing Editor at Novara Media, Moya Lothian-McLean. Joining our speakers are the Earl of Harewood David Lascelles and our host, writer and presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied. The event coincides with the recent launch of Missing Portraits, a new series commissioned by David and Diane Lascelles to be part of the permanent collection at Harewood House, that depicts people of Afro-Caribbean heritage with a connection to Harewood – the inaugural portrait being of Arthur France, founder of the Leeds West Indian Carnival. The series is part of an effort to better reflect the history of Harewood, which was built on the vast fortune made by Henry Lascelles through the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Harewood acknowledges the troubled roots of its wealth and seek

It’s an issue that only gets more contentious with time - is porn good for us? To debate this issue in 2013, host Viv Groskop was joined by Germaine Greer, Dr Robert Lefever, Anna Arrowsmith, and Dr Clarissa Smith. But how has our cultural outlook swayed and shifted over the past decade? Have conversations about sexual liberation or concerns over children’s access and early exposure to pornographic content moved us beyond the panellists arguments in 2013? Or are we still just as confused as a society. Listen now to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Los Angeles, 1981. A group of beautiful, rich, high school students are playing adult in their absentee parents' empty mansions, fueled by lust and prescription drugs, and filled with fear and disaffection. This is the world of The Shards, Bret Easton Ellis’ first novel in 13 years, part auto-fiction, part horror. The provocative and polarising author joins Alex Preston, award-winning author and journalist, to speak about the emptiness of adolescence, the lawlessness of the 80s, and how it feels to look back at it all aged 56 in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When world-renowned economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in Britain in the 1980s he recoiled in horror at how dull and dreary British food was at that time. But it was not just the food that caused him to despair: it was mainstream economic thinking too. Neoclassical liberalism was, and still is, the only item he found on Britain’s menu of economic ideas. Rethinking that menu is the theme of his new book, Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World. Through a series of culinary anecdotes Chang explains that just as a rich and varied diet nourishes the body, moving beyond the narrow confines of neoclassical economics can help to build a better and fairer world. Speaking with Chang for this episode is Victoria Scholar, Head of Investment at Interactive Investor. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video deba

On 27 January 2023, broadcaster Mahmoud Al-Mossallami hosted BBC Arabic radio’s final transmission after 85 years on air. It's the latest strategy shift for BBC World Service, which launched in 1932 as the BBC Empire Service. Over the years its radio content has transformed in order to meet historical challenges, cater to growing audiences and adapt under financial constraints. But with a listenership of millions across multiple nations, is something larger and more important than just a radio service being lost with the shuttering of BBC Arabic radio? To discuss the history and future of Britain's soft power as a broadcasting powerhouse, former BBC producer and Intelligence Squared's Head of Podcasts, Farah Jassat, is joined by Emma Robertson, historian and co-author of BBC World Service: Overseas Broadcasting, 1932–2018, and Hosam El Sokkari, former Head of BBC Arabic. Plus, BBC World Service anchor Mahmoud Al-Mossallami himself reflects on his long career and that final broadcast. ... Did you know that Int

This week marked the three year anniversary of Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. On this episode of The Sunday Debate we’re revisiting what some would call a simpler time, pre-Brexit Britain. In May 2016, a month before the referendum, Intelligence Squared staged The Great Brexit Debate. Our chair for the debate was Jonathan Freedland, Guardian columnist, author and broadcaster, and he was joined by a panel of six influential voices including Nick Clegg and Gisela Stuart. Now we’re on the other side of this once in a generation vote, were the predictions correct? Did the fears or hopes come into fruition?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samira Ahmed speaks to journalist, satirist, and editor of the magazine Private Eye, Ian Hislop. They speak about his life and career, from an upbringing in Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong before returning to Britain to attend boarding school where he began his satirical career. Ian Hislop became editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye at just 25, in his 37 years as editor he has been reported as the most sued man in English legal history. This episode was recorded in April 2021 when Boris Johnson was still the prime minister of the UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between 1993 and 1997 Natasha Lance Rogoff, award-winning television producer and filmmaker, was the executive producer of Ulitsa Sezam, the Russian adaptation of Sesame Street. She joins us on Intelligence Squared to tell the extraordinary story of her determination to bring entertainment and democratic values to Russian children amid a backdrop of bombings, assassinations and a military pressure. Drawing on her new book, Muppets in Moscow, she shares her unique perspective of Russia’s people, their culture and their complicated relationship with the West. Hosting this discussion is Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank, Demos. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your que

Mark Galeotti is one of the world’s leading experts on modern Russia. His new book, Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, details how Vladimir Putin and his conflicts have shaped Russia in the 21st century. In conversation with the New Statesman’s Katie Stallard, Galeotti shows how Putin has used warfare through incursions into Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine, to influence both Russia’s domestic politics and the geopolitics that play out on the world stage.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into for just £14.99 a month. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho

For this archive debate from 2019, we invited a panel of top speakers to discuss the motion: The West Should Pay Reparations For Slavery. 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? Arguing for the motion were Kehinde Andrews, Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University; and Esther Stanford-Xosei, reparations activist and lawyer. Arguing against the motion were Katharine Birbalsingh, headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in London; and Tony Sewell, educational consultant and CEO of the charity Generating Genius. The debate was chaired by social historian, author and academic, Emma Dabiri. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with mo

Are eggs now a luxury item? For the past year an economic crisis has been brewing in Egypt, only to be dramatically exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine. And now while inflation reaches new heights, the Egyptian pound has reached an all-time low. Everyday life is becoming tougher and tougher for Egyptians but will the IMF continue to offer lifelines? Can President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi can find a solution? And is another revolution on the horizon for Cairo? To discuss these issues, Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for The Economist and Vivian Yee, Cairo Bureau Chief for the New York Times, join our host for this episode, international reporter Lama Khayer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the current cost of living crisis it has never been more important to understand the financial world and take control of your money. For over 40 years, Paul Lewis has been arming the public with everything they need to know about personal finances on his BBC Radio 4 programme Money Box. In this discussion for Intelligence Squared, he answers your questions and discusses the tools you need to balance your budget, stop wasting money and make better use of the finances you have. He also explores how to beat the banks at their own game, and treat the finance industry not as a friend, but more like a vague acquaintance you don’t really trust, but have to see from time to time (and who always makes you pay for the drinks). Our host for this episode is Felicia Odamtten, Founder and Director of The Black Economists Network. ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s pack

Juicing, biohacking, mindfulness apps, collagen supplements: the wellness industry has exploded into a $4.4 trillion movement. Wellness industry journalist Rina Raphael says that the self-care movement has taken sound ideas about nutrition and fitness and packaged them up into exploitative offerings with questionable claims. Drawing on her new book, The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care, Raphael discusses how women in particular are targeted and pressured into a cycle of sacrifice and performance, encouraged to purge their bodies of excess fat, rid their minds of negative thoughts and cleanse their organs of ’toxins’ – in order to maintain an illusion of control. In conversation with journalist Nelufar Hedayat, Raphael shows us how we can find evidence-based, personalised solutions to our problems and get ourselves onto the path of genuine wellbeing.  ... Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming plat

As the world ushered in a new year on the 31st of December 2022, it also said goodbye to possibly its most well-known religious leader, Pope Benedict XVI. As a cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger’s uncompromising conservative views earned him the nickname "God's Rottweiler". As Pope, his work was often perceived as a continuation of the conservative agenda of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. On this episode of The Sunday Debate we’re discussing the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, asking whether his most radical act was retiring in 2013, and how his influence was received by the world's 1.3 billion Catholics. To discuss these issues, our host Philippa Thomas is joined by Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Theology at Villanova University Pennsylvania, and Mathew Walther, writer and editor of Catholic literary journal, The Lamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Observed from afar, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine might appear to be a replay of the Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West. But according to political scientist Ivan Krastev a closer look complicates the picture. In a recent op-ed in the Financial Times Krastev argued that while America’s allies in Europe came together in support of Ukraine, other states, especially Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia have offered a different response. Turkey’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war is a classic example of middle power activism. President Tayyip Erdoğan has downplayed the country’s identity as a NATO member at the same time as he has positioned his country as a potential mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. India has used the war to capitalise on Western sanctions and import cheap Russian gas. And the Saudis have cosied up to Beijing and Moscow as a reminder to the United States that the US/Saudi security alliance is not unconditional. Middle powers have different goals and agendas but they all share one fundamental