Shows / Intelligence Squared
Intelligence Squared
Ideas shape the world. Intelligence Squared brings you the conversations that explain them. In every episode, we bring together leading thinkers, writers, scientists, policymakers and entrepreneurs, to challenge assumptions, test ideas and debate the questions shaping our future. If you want to think more clearly about the world and where it's heading, you're in the right place. If you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free…
Episodes
Intelligence SquaredAfter Putin: The Reprisal
Are Vladimir Putin's days numbered? Or is the Russian leader as strong as ever? New from Intelligence Squared we bring you a subscriber exclusive series 'After…
Intelligence SquaredAfter Putin: The Coup That Wasn’t
Are Vladimir Putin's days numbered? Or is the Russian leader as strong as ever? New from Intelligence Squared we bring you a subscriber exclusive series 'After…
- Intelligence Squared
How the Ocean Shapes Our World
To understand the world you need to understand the ocean. That’s the argument of physicist Helen Czerski who has long studied the complex ecosystems and forces…
- Intelligence Squared
Debate: It’s Time To Ditch the Canon of Great White Men, Part 1
In recent years movements to change school curricula have argued that all students at schools and universities should be able to see themselves reflected in…
- Intelligence Squared
The Demonisation of The Middle-Aged Woman
Why are middle-aged women these days subject to so much rage and hatred? In her new book, "Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women," author Victoria Smith…
- Intelligence Squared
Is This Reality? VR, AI, and the Mystery of Consciousness - Part 2
In part two of this partnership with the Swedish publishing house and ideas forum Fri Tanke we hear from Anders Ynnerman, Professor of Scientific Visualization…
- Intelligence Squared
Is This Reality? VR, AI, and the Mystery of Consciousness - Part 1
Throughout the year, AI development has taken significant strides. We are living in a society that is becoming increasingly reliant on digital technology…
- Intelligence Squared
VS from Intelligence Squared: Cars VS Bicycles
VS is the new podcast from Intelligence Squared exploring those little debates that are always a big deal to someone. For the first episode, two expert guests…
- Intelligence Squared
The Reoccurring Tragedy of Geopolitics with Robert Kaplan and John Gray
The great dilemmas of geopolitics are not battles of good against evil, where the choices are clear. They are contests of good against good, where the choices…
- Intelligence Squared
When is the Next Great Financial Crash Coming?
Since the Wall Street Crash in 1929, financial meltdowns have repeatedly sent shockwaves through our world. From the currency crises of the 1980s and 1990s, to…
- Intelligence Squared
Can We Live Well Without Economic Growth? - Part 2
This episode is part two of our live event on economic growth. In May 2023, journalist Kamal Ahmed, was joined by three influential economists, Kate Raworth…
- Intelligence Squared
Can We Live Well Without Economic Growth? - Part 1
As the UK and other countries around the world grapple with a bleak economic forecast and the creeping effects of climate change, the debate over economic…
- Intelligence Squared
Welcome to VS
VS is a light-hearted podcast about the little debates that are always a big deal to someone. Arsenal VS Spurs. McDonald’s VS KFC. Peep Show VS The Office. 80s…
- Intelligence Squared
How Should the British Empire be Remembered?
Today, we bring you a thought-provoking discussion with renowned journalist and best-selling author, Sathnam Sanghera. Here he delves into patriotism, the…
- Intelligence Squared
Brainwashed: A New History of Thought Control
In this episode we explore the history of brainwashing - the process of pressuring someone into adopting radically different beliefs by using systematic and…
- Intelligence Squared
Bach vs Beethoven - Part 2
This episode is part two of our live Bach vs Beethoven. The BBC’s Reeta Chakrabarti was joined by world-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis and acclaimed music…
- Intelligence Squared
Bach vs Beethoven - Part 1
Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven are without doubt two of the most sublime musical geniuses who ever lived. But which of the two was the greater?…
- Intelligence Squared
Strutting with Pride: The Influence and Impact of LGBTQ Ballroom Culture
With roots in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, ballroom culture evolved into a vibrant movement that has since been a haven of self-expression, creativity…
- Intelligence Squared
The Joys and Struggles of Disabled Parenting
When writer and musician Eliza Hull was pregnant with her first child, like most parents-to-be she felt a mix of nerves and excitement. But as a disabled…
- Intelligence Squared
Can Neurotechnology Already Read Our Minds?
In this episode we bring you our event ‘The Battle for Your Brain’, recorded on the 2nd of May 2023. Imagine a world where people who suffer from epilepsy…
- Intelligence Squared
Skiing in Afghanistan: Is Tourism in Repressive Regimes Justifiable?
Whether it's skiing in Afghanistan, eating lobster in Cuba, or a package tour in North Korea - here are some things to consider for when you plan your next…
- Intelligence Squared
How Did The Conservative Party Come To Rule?
In this episode we bringing you the recording of our event ‘Tory Nation: How One Party Took Over’, recorded on the 10th of May 2023. The Conservative Party has…
- Intelligence Squared
Martin Amis on Love, Loss and Death
To mark the passing of one of Britain's most celebrated writers, we’re replaying an event recorded with us in November 2020. Martin Amis was often called the…
- Intelligence Squared
The War in Ukraine: How Does it End? - Part 2
This episode is part two of our live event on the end of the war in Ukraine. In March 2023, the BBC’s Clive Myrie, was joined by four leading historians…
- Intelligence Squared
The War in Ukraine: How Does it End? - Part 1
With the Russian army struggling to make gains in Eastern Ukraine and the devastating impact of the war taking its toll, many are wondering if Vladimir Putin’s…
- Intelligence Squared
Letters To A Writer Of Colour, with Deepa Anappara And Taymour Soomro
Human beings have been telling stories for thousands of years, but what actually makes for a good story? Authors have been trying to settle on the great…
- Intelligence Squared
Is the West Getting China Wrong? with Keyu Jin and Gideon Rachman
In this episode we're joined by renowned economist and China expert Keyu Jin to ask whether the West really understands it's biggest geopolitical and economic…
- Intelligence Squared
Can Anyone Actually Own A Culture?
In an age where the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation seems ever more blurred, can anyone actually own a culture? In this…
- Intelligence Squared
Is Progress At Odds with Feminism?
Louise Perry has been described as the most influential young feminist in Britain. She claims in her book The Case Against the Sexual Revolution that the…
- Intelligence Squared
Is Russia Doomed By Its History? with Mikhail Shishkin
Mikhail Shishkin is one of the most celebrated living Russian novelists and the only author to have won all three major Russian literary prizes. All his books…
- Intelligence Squared
Mehdi Hasan On How To Win Every Argument - Part 2
In this episode we bring you part two of our live event, 'How To Win Every Argument,' with renowned interviewer and debater Mehdi Hasan. Hosted by columnist…
- Intelligence Squared
Mehdi Hasan On How To Win Every Argument - Part 1
In this episode we bring you part one of our live event, 'How To Win Every Argument,' with renowned interviewer and debater Mehdi Hasan. Hosted by columnist…
- Intelligence Squared
Martin Wolf and Yanis Varoufakis on the Future of Capitalism - Part 2
The episode is part two of our live event, System Error: Should We Fix Capitalism or Abandon It? Here Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times…
- Intelligence Squared
Martin Wolf and Yanis Varoufakis on the Future of Capitalism - Part 1
This episode brings you part one of our live event, System Error: Should We Fix Capitalism or Abandon It? Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times…
- Intelligence Squared
Is Thin Back In? | IQ2 Opinion
Today we're bringing you some content from our premium monthly newsletter The Monthly Read, which is usually reserved for our subscribers. The Monthly Read is…
- Intelligence Squared
Inside China’s Quest for Social Control
China’s quest for social control is now playing out in ways that should worry us all. In this episode of the podcast, award-winning journalist Josh Chin…
- Intelligence Squared
The Sunday Debate: Charles III should be the last British monarch
On this episode of the Sunday Debate we’re going to explore an issue that is timely, yet draws on debates at the heart of British politics and identity for…
- Intelligence Squared
Hadley Freeman and Bari Weiss on Anorexia
Shortly after her fourteenth birthday, Hadley Freeman stopped eating. From the age of fourteen to seventeen, she lived in various psychiatric wards with a…
- Intelligence Squared
No Peace: The Story of the Rohingya in Myanmar
The Rohingya people of Myanmar have been persecuted for decades. The worst period of violence flared up in August 2017, when almost 700,000 Rohingya were…
- Intelligence Squared
The Week Mandela Averted Civil War and Forged a New Nation
On Easter weekend 1993 Nelson Mandela was engaged in slow-moving power-sharing talks with President F.W. de Klerk when a white supremacist shot Mandela’s…
- Intelligence Squared
Debate: Who Will Win the Next General Election?
Is the UK’s 2024 general election a foregone conclusion, with the Labour Party some 20 points ahead in the opinion polls? Can Rishi Sunak turn around the…
- Intelligence Squared
The Gendered Politics of Climate Change
As Earth Day approaches, we revisit a compelling conversation from 2021 asking which factors are really responsible for the climate emergency and who might be…
- Intelligence Squared
Healthy or Wealthy?: The Commodification of Healthcare
The American healthcare system is one of the most expensive and complex systems in the world, yet it remains plagued by significant inequalities. Despite…
- Intelligence Squared
Brave New Birth: The Ethics of Artificial Womb Technology
As technology continues to advance, the once distant concept of growing a human fetus outside the womb is inching closer to reality. But with these…
- Intelligence Squared
Contemporary Art Excludes the 99%
What is the role of contemporary art museums today? Are biennales and art fairs platforms for experiment and exchange, or little more than social attractions…
- Intelligence Squared
Russell Kane on Class and Comedy
Samira Ahmed speaks to award-winning comedian Russell Kane. They speak about his life and career, growing up in Essex, his break into comedy at the prestigious…
- Intelligence Squared
Gods and Mortals: What Ancient Greek Myths Can Teach Us About Today
Hercules, Prometheus, Pandora. The compelling characters of Greek mythology continue to fascinate readers thousands of years after their stories were first…
- Intelligence Squared
Henry Dimbleby and Alice Thomson On How The Global Food System Is Killing Us
Food Campaigner Henry Dimbleby is co-founder of LEON and recently quit his role as the government’s food tsar over its inaction over obesity. His recent book…
- Intelligence Squared
History vs Herstory
In this archive episode from 2021, we hear from a panel of historians, authors and broadcasters – Hallie Rubenhold, Natalie Livingstone, Dan Jones and chair…
- Intelligence Squared
Growing Up with David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed
Samira Ahmed is joined by Friends star David Schwimmer and comedy writer Nick Mohammed. David Schwimmer is one of the most recognisable faces on television…
Intelligence SquaredIraq: 20 Years On | Is American Power in Decline? with General Petraeus
General David Petraeus rose to prominence for his role in the Iraq War. He was credited with implementing a counterinsurgency strategy that helped to stabilise…
- Intelligence Squared
Chasing the Urge – Addiction Throughout History
Carl Erik Fisher is a psychiatrist, bioethicist and recovering alcoholic who has spent years tracing the history of addiction. His new book is The Urge: Our…
- Intelligence Squared
Philip Pullman on Childhood and Fantasy
Over lunch in his house in Oxford, bestselling author Philip Pullman speaks to broadcaster Samira Ahmed about the moments of his childhood and youth that…
- Intelligence Squared
Kate Mosse on Recognising Women's Success
Samira Ahmed speaks to best-selling author Kate Mosse. Together they discuss her life and career, the success of her historical fiction novels - including…
- Intelligence Squared
Britain Should Not Have Fought in the First World War
For this week's Sunday Debate, we're dipping back into the archive to 2014, when we gathered a panel of expert historians to debate whether Britain was right…
- Intelligence Squared
Emily Ratajkowski on Feminism, Capitalism, and Exploitation
Samira Ahmed speaks to model and actress Emily Ratajkowski. Together they discuss her rise to fame after appearing in the music video for the controversial…
- Intelligence Squared
Anaximander: the Ancient World’s Most Radical Scientific Thinker
Carlo Rovelli is one of the world’s best-known scientists. A theoretical physicist, his books have sold over two million copies around the world. He recently…
- Intelligence Squared
Is Gene Editing The Next Great Health Revolution? Part II
Ever since the discovery of DNA scientists have been on a quest to understand the secrets of the human genome. This quest has not only involved analysing the…
- Intelligence Squared
Is Gene Editing The Next Great Health Revolution? Part I
Ever since the discovery of DNA scientists have been on a quest to understand the secrets of the human genome. This quest has not only involved analysing the…
- Intelligence Squared
Jude Law: On Typecasts, Character Acting, and London Theatre
Samira Ahmed speaks to Academy Award-nominated actor Jude Law. They speak about his life and career, skipping school to go to the cinema in London as a…