Intelligence Squared

ChatGPT is the Internet's new favourite toy. This is some of AI’s most impressive technology yet, but could the creation of an all-knowing human-like chatbot - a tool which can create answers, emails, poems, stories, and essays instantly - mean that writing as we know it could cease to exist? Or could it be a renaissance for the ways in which we view and approach writing? To explore these questions we’re joined by novelist, essayist, and cultural commentator - Stephen Marche; and academic, critic and broadcaster - Shahidha Bari. 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. The usual price is £14.99 a month, but we want to give our podcast listeners a

In February 2022 Russian shells rained down on Kyiv as tanks crossed the border into Ukraine. At the time American forces prepared to evacuate President Volodymyr Zelensky for fear of his life. But Zelensky refused to abandon his country, saying ‘I need ammunition, not a ride,’ and quickly became the national symbol of Ukrainian resistance. But how did Zelensky, once an actor who played the president on television, come to be one of the most significant wartime leaders in recent history? The Zelensky Effect is the new book telling that story from Dr Olga Onuch, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester, and Henry Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University. The co-authors join our host Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos, to discuss it.  Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Square

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February the West has ramped up sanctions against Russia to an unprecedented level, but are the measures having the desired effect? On today’s episode of The Sunday Debate the motion is: Sanctions against Russia won’t work. For the motion we have Richard Connolly, Associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and Simon Jenkins, journalist and author. And against the motion we were joined by Russia expert Owen Matthews - and historian and journalist, Anna Reid. Our host for the debate was broadcaster and academic, Philippa Thomas. Premium subscribers to Intelligence Squared can also access an extended audience Q&A with our panel as well as the final and deciding vote for this debate. ... 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

Will democracy survive? According to Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa, "we're in the last two minutes". In November she sat down with journalist Gabriel Gatehouse to discuss her lifetime commitment to journalism, the potential 99 years in jail which hang over her for standing up to former president Rodrigo Duterte's authoritarian regime, and her optimism for a brighter future. Maria and Gabriel also examine the greed of big tech in the destruction of democracies and why the Philippines is often ground zero for events which spread to the rest of the world.  ... Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption  One early episode per week Two bonus episodes per month A 25% discount on IQ2+, our exciting streaming service, where you can watch and take

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Robert Harris is one of the great storytellers of our times. His novels explore the dark side of power and the corrosive effect it has on those who wield it. In his latest bestseller, Act of Oblivion, Harris turns his attention to one of the most divisive episodes in English history, the Civil War, in which Royalists and Parliamentarians fought to determine whether the country should be a republic or a monarchy. The novel follows two fugitives who have been found guilty in absentia for the murder of Charles I and have fled to colonial North America to hide among the Puritan settlers there. Richard Nayler, secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is tasked with tracking down the fugitives and he’ll stop at nothing until the two men are brought to justice. Hosting the discussion is award-winning author and historian Jessie Chil

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Eating the right foods is the single most effective way of preventing illness and staying healthy. But understanding what’s good and what’s bad, whether it's red wine or acai berries, can be a complicated conversation when we’re constantly receiving new ideas about what to put on our plate. Tim Spector’s new book, Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well, looks to make all that conflicting information a little more clear. Spector is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London and honorary consultant physician at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals. He is a multi-award-winning expert in personalised medicine and the gut microbiome. Our host for this discussion is Paediatric doctor and TV presenter, Guddi Singh. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link:

This is the third and final episode of The Great Energy Transition, a series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins and we're asking what is the role of corporations in the energy transition? To discuss how the complex partnerships between corporations and governments might shape our futures, we’re joined by Jennifer Rumsey, President and CEO of Cummins; Gillian Tett, Chairman of the US editorial board and U.S editor-at-large at the Financial Times; and Jason Bordoff, Co-Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School. Our host for this series is physicist and broadcaster, Helen Czerski. To find out more about Cummins, please visit cummins.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. 1995 was the year of the Nineties, according to author and journalist Dylan Jones. It was peak Britpop (Oasis vs Blur), peak YBA (Tracey Emin’s tent), peak New Lad (Nick Hornby published High Fidelity, James Brown launched Loaded magazine, and pubs were finally allowed to stay open on a Sunday). It was the year Radiohead brought out The Bends, Danny Boyle started filming Trainspotting, Alex Garland wrote The Beach, and Tony Blair changed Clause IV after a controversial vote at the Labour Party Conference. Jones reflects on it all in his new book, Faster Than a Cannonball: 1995 and All That, which features interviews with the key players from the decade, including Noel and Liam Gallagher, Tracey Emin, Goldie, David Beckham and Alastair Campbell. Our host for this discussion is the writer and curator Ekow Eshun. … We are incredibly grateful for

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Matthew Cobb is Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester and also the presenter of the BBC radio series Genetic Dreams, Genetic Nightmares. His latest book is The Genetic Age, which tells the story of humanity's quest to get to the heart of the building blocks of life – our genes - through science, industry and medicine. The book reflects on how these efforts have ranged from profound results to disturbing realities and anticipates a future that will be fraught with disagreement over the ethics of gene editing. Hosting this discussion is the physicist and broadcaster, Helen Czerski. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we k

We need a new model of masculinity, one that allows us to hold two thoughts in our head at once: we can care deeply about women’s rights and be compassionate towards vulnerable boys and men; that's the argument of bestselling author and former head of Demos Richard Reeves. In this podcast he explains that previous attempts to treat the condition of men have made the same fatal mistake – they have viewed the problems of men as a problem with men. It is not a matter of fixing individual men, he argued, but of addressing the deep structural challenges that are disadvantaging men. Our host for this episode is writer and critic Tomiwa Owolade.  … Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption  One early episode per week Two bonus epi

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. In October Intelligence Squared partnered with History Hit to ask, who was the greatest English monarch? Each of the kings and queens competing for the title left a distinctive stamp on their era – but who did most to shape the nation and the lives of its people? Who was the cleverest? Who was the bravest? Who was the most loved? Hosted by History Hit's Dan Snow, this lively event throws light on the monarchy as an institution, exploring how it has survived the challenges and vicissitudes of the ages.  Tom Holland - Alfred the Great Tracy Borman - Henry VIII Helen Castor - Elizabeth I Jane Ridley - Queen Victoria Premium subscribers to Intelligence Squared can also access an extended audience Q&A with our panel as well as the final votes for the debate. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Black Friday is one of the biggest days in the business calendar. In this episode Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, joins Intelligence Squared to discuss Black Friday sales and the changing landscape of business in the digital age. He speaks to Anne McElvoy, executive editor at The Economist, on topics such as the rise of the creator economy and how platforms like Shopify are empowering entrepreneurs to start, run and grow their business. To find out more about Shopify visit: https://www.shopify.com/ … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption  One early episode per wee

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. This is the second episode of The Great Energy Transition, a new series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins and we’re looking ahead to the future to ask - what needs to happen between 2030 and 2050 to reach net zero? To explore the drastic technological innovation and societal change needed to make net zero emissions by 2050 a reality, we’re joined by Srikanth Padmanabhan, President of the Engine Business at Cummins. Our host for this series is physicist and broadcaster, Helen Czerski. To find out more about Cummins, please visit cummins.com … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to list

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has officially kicked off, but not without its controversies. Ever since Qatar was awarded the tournament in 2010, making it the first country in the Middle East to do so, there has been scepticism from the West around the decision, with critics citing human rights violations, LGBT rights, and corruption within FIFA. On this episode of the podcast we're joined by journalist and author James Montague who first began covering football in the Middle East two decades ago. Drawing on his book, When Friday Comes: Football revolution in the Middle East and the road to Qatar, he discusses the intersection of football, politics, and global power. The host for this episode is Joey D’Urso, investigations writer for The Athletic UK. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscr

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. This week on The Sunday Debate we're asking, how is Prime Minister Modi shaping the future of India? This is the third episode of our India at 75 series exploring the biggest questions facing India 75 years after its independence. Our host for the series is Kavita Puri, journalist and author of the critically acclaimed book Partition Voices, which explores the experiences of British people originating from the subcontinent, who witnessed the 1947 partition of India. Joining Kavita on this episode is Shruti Kapila, associate professor in the Faculty of History at the University of Cambridge, and Vinay Sitapati, associate professor of political science and legal studies at Ashoka University. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  He

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. Turkish novelist and Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk sits down with Merve Emre, distinguished Writer-in-Residence at Wesleyan University and literary critic for The New Yorker. Together they discuss his latest novel, Nights of Plague, as well as other feats of historical fiction, including works by Tolstoy and Arthur Conan Doyle, and how they help us, the reader, empathise with great unknowns. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some of you would prefer to listen without interruption  One early episode per week Two bonus episodes per month A 25% discount on IQ2+, our exciting streaming service, where you can watch and take

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. In the fashion industry there used to be two seasons a year: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, but today fast fashion companies produce up to 52 micro-seasons a year. Changing the clothes in their stores every week to keep customers coming back, and purchasing more and more. Today on the podcast we’re asking what’s the real price we’re all paying for the global clothing industry? And we are joined by Maxine Bédat - former lawyer, fashion industry entrepreneur, and author of Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment. Our host for today is Rosamund Urwin, media editor of The Sunday Times. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared Premium subscriber, follow the link: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/  Here’s a reminder of the benefits you’ll receive as a subscriber: Ad-free listening, because we know some

Sign up for Intelligence Squared Premium here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. See below for details. We live in a world which is completely dependent on the technology of microchips, which are made up of millions of transistors which are so small, about one thousandth of the size of a red blood cell. Making something this small and this complex is not something that can be easily replicated, meaning the world relies on just a handful of companies and countries to supply these chips. So how did we get here? And how is the scarcity of this resource affecting some of the world’s crucial geopolitical tensions? To find out more, we’re joined by Chris Miller, Associate Professor of International History at Tufts University and author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. Our host for this episode is presenter and comedian, Timandra Harkness. … We are incredibly grateful for your support. To become an Intelligence Squared

On this episode of The Sunday Debate we have the first instalment of The Great Energy Transition, a new series from Intelligence Squared in partnership with Cummins. As leaders and representatives from around the world gather in Egypt for COP27, we’re asking - what is happening between now and 2030 to achieve net zero?. We’re joined on this episode by Jonathan Wood, Vice President of Engineering at Cummins, Lucy Yu, CEO of Octopus Energy’s Centre for Net Zero and Dr Chris Greig, leading researcher on net zero energy transitions at Princeton University. Our host for this series is physicist and broadcaster, Helen Czerski. To find out more about Cummins, please visit cummins.com — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be.  Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2.  And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling c

Can advertising’s immense power to change behaviour be used for good? In this brand new podcast, produced by Intelligence Squared, Myra Nussbaum, President and Chief Creative Officer at Havas Chicago and Dan Lucey, Chief Creative Officer at Havas New York, talk to the people who are harnessing the power of advertising to help people and the planet. This week, Dan and Myra were joined by Greg Hoffman, the former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike. Widely regarded as a global brand leader, for over two decades, he was a major strategic and creative influence for Nike at every major global sporting event, for the launches of Nike’s signature products, and for the building of the brands of its athletes. In relation to his work on campaigns with everyone from LeBron James to Serena Williams and Colin Kaepernick, Greg discussed how advertising can be used to create purposeful brands that build lasting relationships with consumers. He also talked about how to fuel creativity and curiosity in the workplace and the impor