Intelligence Squared

Blazing Ambition: the Life of Margaret Cavendish

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Born near Colchester, England in 1623, Margaret Cavendish was a writer blazing a trail for women during a time when the world was dominated by men. He...

Debate: Free Will is an Illusion

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re all making life choices at this time of year – perhaps a few new years' resolutions are in the mix – either way, you’ll have a stake in ...

Best of 2023: James Comey, Armando Iannucci and Bach vs Beethoven

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the fourth and final part of our staff picks episodes the Intelligence Squared team continue their look back across 2023 to pick their favourite mo...

Robert Peston on How to Save Democracy

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of our special Christmas episode in association Tortoise, Intelligence Squared welcomes Robert Peston to the Tabernacle Theatre in ...

Best of 2023: David Baddiel and Succession VS The White Lotus

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Intelligence Squared team look back across 2023 in the third of our staff picks episodes. Senior Producer Tom Hall joins Associate Producer Layla ...

Best of 2023: Bernie Sanders and Russell Kane

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Intelligence Squared team continue their look back across 2023 to pick their favourite moments from all of the podcasts we've produced over the pa...

Best of 2023: Jude Law, Christina Lamb and Simon Reeve

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Intelligence Squared team look back across 2023 to pick their favourite moments from all of the podcasts we've produced over the past 12 months. F...

Holiday Reads: Michael Lewis, Victoria Smith and Ravinder Bhogal

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the third and final instalment of Intelligence Squared's Holiday Reads selection looking back at some of the best books of the year, Conor Boyle a...

What was the Biggest Story of 2023? With James Harding, Robert Peston and The News Meeting

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this special Christmas episode in association Tortoise, Intelligence Squared welcomes the team from Tortoise Media's The News Meeting podcast to a ...

Nick Cave on Faith, Hope and Carnage

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As leader of the Bad Seeds, musician Nick Cave is well known for his dark take on the songwriting craft but in recent years the performer and author h...

Holiday Reads: Mary Beard, Rory Stewart, Tomiwa Owolade and Tania Branigan

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the second instalment of Intelligence Squared's Holiday Reads selection looking back at some of the best books of the year, Conor Boyle and Feyi A...

Stuffed: Pen Vogler on Britain's Food History

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pen Vogler is the acclaimed food historian whose recent book, Stuffed, tells the history of food in Britain and how what we eat has shaped society ove...

Holiday Reads: Naomi Klein, Mehdi Hasan and Mustafa Suleyman

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Intelligence Squared's Feyi Adegbite and Conor Boyle compile a selection of stocking fillers while enjoying a look back at some of the year's best cha...

Unlock Your Potential, with Adam Grant And Andrew McAfee

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Organisational psychologist Adam Grant and IT research scientist Andrew McAfee discuss how we can all learn to unlock a bit more of our own potential ...

Is Capitalism Racist?

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Arun Kundnani is a writer on issues such as race, culture and empire. His most recent book is: What Is Antiracism? And Why It Means Anticapitalism. Ku...

The Power of Poetry: Words to Heal and Inspire

10 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For this episode we’re heading back to the Poetry Pharmacy – a health-check for both mind and spirit – brought to you by poetry publisher, advoc...

Remembering Benjamin Zephaniah

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The poet, writer and activist Benjamin Zephaniah sadly passed away this week, aged 65. In this archive discussion from 2019, journalist Samira Ahmed s...

Michael Pollan and Xand Van Tulleken on the Science of Psychedelics

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode from the Intelligence Squared archive, we jump back to 2019 for a discussion with the acclaimed food writer Michael Pollan, whose book...

For What it's Worth: The Importance of Recognition and Being Seen

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michele Lamont is a Professor of Sociology and African and African American Studies at Harvard University, and a pioneer of cultural and comparative s...

Extremely Online: Taylor Lorenz on the Rise of the Creator Economy

03 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Taylor Lorenz is a writer, tech journalist and columnist for the Washington Post. Her new book is is Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influ...

A Death in Malta: Paul Caruana Galizia on the Legacy of Daphne Caruana Galizia

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Caruana Galizia is an award-winning journalist and now author. His new book is A Death in Malta, which tells the story of the life and death of h...

The Saudi Project, Part Three: Football Mad

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For episode three of Intelligence Squared's new podcast exploring Saudi Arabia's pursuit of global influence, award winning author and journalist Jame...

The Patriarchs: Angela Saini on the Roots of Gendered Oppression

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What are the true origins of gendered oppression? Why does gender inequality persist despite efforts for change? What part do we all play in keeping ...

The Poetry Pharmacy Returns with William Sieghart

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For this episode, we’re revisiting one of our favourite events from the past few years, The Poetry Pharmacy Returns. Back in 2019, we gathered a ste...

Know Your Place: Does Class Still Rule Britain? With Dr Faiza Shaheen

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In summer 2023, academic and politician Faiza Shaheen came to Intelligence Squared to argue that social mobility is collapsing in Britain and the gove...

The Futureverse: The Tools of Success, with Dave Evans and Dr. Grace Lorden

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Kamal Ahmed is joined by two bestselling authors: a life designer and a behavioural scientist to discuss the tools and insights that ...

The Saudi Project, Part Two: The Dubai Model

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this excerpt from Intelligence Squared's new podcast, The Saudi Project, Quinn Slobodian, author of Crack-Up Capitalism and Professor of History at...

The Saudi Project, Part One: The Birth of a Nation

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the first episode of Intelligence Squared's new podcast, The Saudi Project, Saudi Arabian professor of social anthropology and author of Salman's ...

Mary Beard And Rory Stewart On Power And Politics, Part Two

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is Part Two of a three-episode discussion. Who gets to win power and how do they keep it – and lose it? These are the questions that Mary Bear...

Mary Beard And Rory Stewart On Power And Politics, Part One

19 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who gets to win power and how do they keep it – and lose it? These are the questions that Mary Beard and Rory Stewart addressed when they came to In...

How Jane Austen Changed My Life

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Helen Fielding, creator of the Bridget Jones novels and films, and Gill Hornby, author of the bestseller Miss Austen, join Sotheby’s books specialis...

The Epic Reach of Homer's Iliad

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Robin Lane Fox, the classicist, ancient historian and also green-fingered gardening writer, discusses his most recent book: Homer and His Iliad. The I...

The Identity Trap of Modern Politics

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For this episode, Yascha Mounk, the writer and political scientist discusses his recent book The Identity Trap, which explores what Mounk refers to as...

Monsters and Masterpieces: Art in the Age of #MeToo

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can we love the art of monstrous men? Can we truly separate the art from the artist? To answer these questions author and critic Claire Dederer came t...

Tides of Transformation: Regulating Oil

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Government has introduced new legislation requiring annual rounds of oil and gas licensing in the North Sea. What is the relationship between lice...

Power Trip, Part Five: AI and the Future of Humanity

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the final instalment of POWER TRIP, Carl Miller is looking towards the future and asking: will it be as dystopian as many fear? The difference betw...

The Psychosis of Whiteness

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Academic, activist and author Kehinde Andrews is Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University. His books include Back to Black: Retelling ...

Return or Retain? The Parthenon Marbles Debate, with Ed Vaizey and Noel Malcolm

05 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For almost 40 years, the Parthenon Marbles, or Elgin Marbles as they are also known, have been at the centre of the great restitution debate. Taken fr...

China’s Quest for Global Influence

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is China’s ascendance to world leadership an unstoppable force or a challenge we can overcome? Axios reporter Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian's recent book...

Power Trip, Part Four: AI and Governance

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can AI be controlled? In this episode Carl Miller discovers what governments and governing bodies are doing to ensure AI is evolving in a way that can...

Gillian Tett on the Year Ahead

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gillian Tett is one of the world’s most in-demand economists. An acclaimed columnist and author at the Financial Times, she has long used her traini...

What exactly is Black British culture today? | IQ2 Opinion

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Black History Month in the UK draws to a close, Intelligence Squared's Feyi Adegbite reflects on how the Black identity in the UK has changed over ...

Michael Lewis on The Rise and Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, Part Two

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second instalment of a three-part discussion. Michael Lewis is the renowned author of bestselling nonfiction hits including Moneyball, The...

Michael Lewis on The Rise and Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, Part One

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Lewis is the renowned author of bestselling nonfiction hits including Moneyball, The Big Short, Flash Boys and Liar’s Poker. His latest is h...

James Baldwin: A Man For Our Times with Eddie Glaude

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

America is at a crossroads. It is a time of moral reckoning, an opportunity for the nation to choose whether it will become a genuinely multiracial de...

Power Trip, Part Three: AI and Society

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There isn't one narrative that fits all around AI. In this episode Carl Miller looks at how the future of artificial intelligence will be one beset by...

The Sceptic's Guide to Self Help

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Oliver Burkeman is the anti-self-help author that everyone interested in self-help should read. He encourages us to embrace uncertainty and imperfec...

Simon Schama on Pandemics and the Health of Nations, Part Two

22 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second instalment a two-part discussion. Bestselling author, historian and broadcaster Simon Schama discusses Foreign Bodies, his new epic...

Simon Schama on Pandemics and the Health of Nations, Part One

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For this first episode of a two-part discussion, bestselling author, historian and broadcaster Simon Schama discusses Foreign Bodies, his new epic his...

A History of Women in 101 Objects

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Annabelle Hirsch’s recent book is A History of Women in 101 Objects; a selective exploration through the past, both ancient and modern, looking at i...

Power Trip, Part Two: AI and the Workforce

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We revisit POWER TRIP, Intelligence Squared's new podcast investigating the past and future of AI. Carl Miller asks who will win and who will lose, as...

Fear: An Alternative History of the World

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anyone who follows the news cycle knows that between conflict and pandemics, the looming threat of the climate crisis, powerful AI and not to mention ...

Wes Streeting on Navigating a Path from Poverty to Politics

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Labour MP Wes Streeting reveals his childhood struggle with poverty and the inspirational figures who set him on the path to university and politi...

Oil Today: Beyond Extraction

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is an episode of Tides of Transformation: An Oil Story, a brand new podcast from Intelligence Squared. In this episode, Gavin Bridge from Durham ...

Power Trip: The Age of AI

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When did you first hear of GPT, Claude, DALL-E or Bard? Feels like a while ago, right? In barely over a year AI has permeated our conversations, our p...

Gillian Tett and Yanis Varoufakis: Can We Fix Capitalism?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We revisit a debate from 2021 between the former Greek finance minister, economist and author Yanis Varoufakis, and Gillian Tett, the Financial Times ...

Debate: We Should All Go Vegan, Part 2

08 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second instalment of our two-part debate, with George Monbiot, Guardian columnist, environmental campaigner and author of Regenesis: Feedi...

Debate: We Should All Go Vegan, Part 1

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this two-part debate, George Monbiot, Guardian columnist, environmental campaigner and author of Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the...

The End of the Murdoch Empire

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Until recently, the Murdoch's formed the most powerful media and political force in America. Now their empire is cracking up and crashing down. Michae...

What Britain Gets Wrong About Race

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tomiwa Owolade is a rising star of literary and cultural criticism in the UK. His first book is This Is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter...

Putin's Shrinking Circle: Russia after Prigozhin

01 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Galeotti is one of the world’s leading experts on modern Russia and is the author of books such as Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine and...

Whose Word is 'Woke'?

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher Susan Neiman and cultural critic Thomas Chatterton Williams take part in a challenging conversation on the themes of Neiman’s new book L...

The New Science Behind Tackling Depression

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Philip Gold is one of the world's leading researchers of depressive illness. Since 1974, he has worked at the National Institute of Health, where he h...

Naomi Klein on Conspiracies, Doppelgangers and Democracy's Demise

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling author and activist Naomi Klein goes down the rabbit hole in pursuit of her doppelganger – another well-known writer with a name similar...

Mustafa Suleyman on the AI Revolution, Part 2

24 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This the second instalment of our three-part episode. Mustafa Suleyman is the ultimate AI insider. As co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, he is ...

Mustafa Suleyman on the AI Revolution, Part 1

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mustafa Suleyman is the ultimate AI insider. As co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, he is one of the pioneers of the artificial intelligence rev...

John Gray and David Runciman on Finding Meaning in a Post-Liberal World

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John Gray is one of the UK’s most important and influential political thinkers. Sceptical of ideas about progress and the perfectibility of human na...

Politics in the Age of Chaos with Rafael Behr

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you ever turn away from the news in despair? Do you scroll through social media and come away feeling angry, frustrated and fearful? Have you given...

Trash Talk: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning journalist Oliver Franklin-Wallis has spent the last number of years investigating the global waste industry. In June 2023 he came to In...

Debate: The Battle for the Countryside, with George Monbiot and Rory Stewart

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We tend to think of these uplands as ‘wild’ and ‘natural’. But in fact, as the rewilders point out, they are entirely man-made, the result of ...

No Bullsh*t Leadership: Sir Nicholas Hytner

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this straight-talking podcast brought to you by Intelligence Squared, Chris Hirst cuts through the bullsh*t and gets to the heart of modern leaders...

How Extremists are Taking Over

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Accelerated by a pandemic, global conflict and rapid technological change, extremist ideas are becoming more widespread: QAnon proponents run for U.S....

David Baddiel: The Reluctant Atheist, Part 2

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. David Baddiel would love there to be a God. The comedian and bestselling author has spent a lo...

David Baddiel: The Reluctant Atheist, Part 1

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Baddiel would love there to be a God. The comedian and bestselling author has spent a lot of time fantasising about how much better life would b...

How Misinformation Led to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What are the connections between propaganda about the Russian Empire and the invasion of Ukraine? Mikhail Zygar, a renowned Russian dissident journali...

Katherine Ryan: How I Found My Voice

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Samira Ahmed speaks to comedian Katherine Ryan, as part of the Intelligence Squared series How I Found My Voice. From working at Hooters and her first...

Ravinder Bhogal and Kavita Puri on Taste, Tradition and Turmoil

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Food has always been more than just fuel. Beyond mere nourishment, food carries deep meaning in our lives. It evokes feelings of comfort and joy and i...

Debate: Burgundy vs Bordeaux

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Among wine lovers, there is no greater divide than that between Burgundy and Bordeaux. These are the world’s most celebrated wine regions. What sepa...

Growing Up Between Two Cultures

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Television and radio broadcaster Aasmah Mir speaks about her recent memoir A Pebble In The Throat, which looks at the interwoven narratives found betw...

Adam Buxton: How I Found My Voice

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Samira Ahmed speaks to one of Britain's most popular podcasters - Adam Buxton. From experimenting with early video recorders to his David Bowie impres...

Debate: Queen Elizabeth I vs Queen Victoria

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Both Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria set their stamp firmly on their era but which was the greater monarch? In this event, recorded in 2017, we w...

Yotam Ottolenghi: How I Found My Voice

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Samira Ahmed speaks to the chef Yotam Ottolenghi, who has arguably done more than any other food writer in recent times to change the way we cook and...

Power, Play, Sex And Food: An Alternative History of Rome

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The annals of ancient Rome’s first emperors have been recounted countless times. However, in his new book, Palatine: An Alternative History of the C...

Tayari Jones: How I Found My Voice

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Samira Ahmed speaks to the novelist and author of An American Marriage, Tayari Jones. They speak about her life and career from growing up in Atlanta...

Debate: Old Testament vs New Testament

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, Moses and the Ten Commandments, the parting of the Red Sea. These are a few of the stories from the Old Testament. And the...

Energised: Rethinking the Grid

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Expanding our global electricity networks is the key to unlocking a renewable future. In the US alone, the electric grid will need to expand by at lea...

Cats vs Dogs, with John Gray and Will Self, Part 2

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second part of a two-part episode. It’s the issue that’s more polarising than politics. The world is full of animal lovers but we can’...

Cats vs Dogs, with John Gray and Will Self, Part 1

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the issue that’s more polarising than politics. The world is full of animal lovers but we can’t agree on which pet is more worthy of our lo...

Food for Thought: How Nutrition Affects Our Minds

13 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Distinguished psychologist Kimberley Wilson's recent book is Unprocessed: How the Food We Eat Is Fuelling Our Mental Health Crisis. In it, she explore...

Dickens vs Tolstoy: The Battle Of The Great 19th-century Novelists PART 2

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Dickens. Tolstoy. Their names and reputations shake the ground – and so do their books, if y...

Dickens vs Tolstoy: The Battle Of The Great 19th-century Novelists PART 1

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dickens. Tolstoy. Their names and reputations shake the ground – and so do their books, if you drop one. But whose legacy is more enduring? Whose v...

Rome’s Golden Age with Tom Holland

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What was Rome like during its zenith? In July 2023 acclaimed historian and co-host of The Rest Is History podcast Tom Holland came to Intelligence Squ...

How to Flex Your Imagination Muscle

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is it to imagine exactly? How do we go about it, and why is it so important that we imagine for ourselves? In July 2023 author and Condé Nast Br...

Mariana Mazzucato and Stella Creasy on the Global Economy, PART 2

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second part of a two-part interview. Recorded in 2018, economist and author Mariana Mazzucato discusses her book, The Value of Everything...

Mariana Mazzucato and Stella Creasy on the Global Economy, PART 1

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this two-part episode recorded in 2018, economist and author Mariana Mazzucato discusses her book, The Value of Everything, with UK Labour MP Stell...

Eighty Is The New Thirty: A Guide To Getting Older, PART 2

05 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second part of a three-part interview. Join us for more in the following episode. We tend to associate old age with deterioration, especi...

Eighty Is The New Thirty: A Guide To Getting Older, PART 1

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We tend to associate old age with deterioration, especially of our mental powers and memory. But today we are seeing a new cohort of the so-called you...

Gloria Estefan on the Latin American Dream

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gloria Estefan is one of the most successful female singers ever. With more than 120 million records sold worldwide, three Grammy Awards, and a career...

The Networks of History, with Niall Ferguson

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Niall Ferguson is the preeminent historian of the ideas that define our time. He has challenged how we think about money, power, civilisation and empi...

The Futureverse: The Risk-Takers, with Simon Reeve and Christina Lamb

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Not many of us can claim to have hunted with the Bushmen of the Kalahari; been detained for spying by the KGB; or smuggled ourselves over a border int...