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 Squared
Oleksandr Zinchenko on Football, Ukraine and Achieving Greatness, Part One
A fan favourite at Arsenal and previously Manchester City, Oleksandr Zinchenko has been lighting up the Premier League with his fearless performances for many…
- Intelligence Squared
John Gray on the US Election and a World After Liberalism, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. We once thought liberalism could and should be universal. But recent decades have shown that this…
- Intelligence Squared
John Gray on the US Election and a World After Liberalism, Part One
We once thought liberalism could and should be universal. But recent decades have shown that this presumption could be flawed. Now, with the re-election of…
- Intelligence Squared
Jeremy Bowen: Making Sense of the Modern Middle East, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a two-part episode. The October 7 Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel and the subsequent siege of Gaza by the Israeli…
- Intelligence Squared
Jeremy Bowen: Making Sense of the Modern Middle East, Part One
The October 7 Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel and the subsequent siege of Gaza by the Israeli military upended the Middle East. Can the conflict be…
- Intelligence Squared
Lionel Barber and Zanny Minton Beddoes on the Story of the World’s Wildest Investor, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Japan’s Masayoshi Son has purportedly invested or controlled assets worth $1trn in the past two decades…
- Intelligence Squared
Lionel Barber and Zanny Minton Beddoes on the Story of the World’s Wildest Investor, Part One
Japan’s Masayoshi Son has purportedly invested or controlled assets worth $1trn in the past two decades through his media-tech giant, SoftBank. He bankrolled…
- Intelligence Squared
Grace Dent on the Joys of Comfort Eating, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. The foods we turn to behind closed doors are deeply personal, saturated in memories and topped with a…
- Intelligence Squared
Grace Dent on the Joys of Comfort Eating, Part One
The foods we turn to behind closed doors are deeply personal, saturated in memories and topped with a healthy dollop of guilty pleasure. In Comfort Eating, the…
- Intelligence Squared
An Evening with Gary Younge, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Gary Younge has had a ringside seat during the biggest events in modern Black history: accompanying…
- Intelligence Squared
An Evening with Gary Younge, Part One
Gary Younge has had a ringside seat during the biggest events in modern Black history: accompanying Nelson Mandela on his first election campaign, joining…
- Intelligence Squared
Archive: Napoleon the Great? With Andrew Roberts, Adam Zamoyski and Jeremy Paxman
How should we remember Napoleon, the man of obscure Corsican birth who rose to become emperor of the French and briefly master of Europe? In this archive…
- Intelligence Squared
The Story of the Solar System, with Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock is an award-winning space scientist, broadcaster, author and familiar face from the BBC's The Sky at Night programme. She's also…
- Intelligence Squared
Dan Jones on England’s Greatest Warrior King, with Kate Williams, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Henry V reigned over England for nine years and four months before he died at the early age of 35. He…
- Intelligence Squared
Dan Jones on England’s Greatest Warrior King, with Kate Williams, Part One
Henry V reigned over England for nine years and four months before he died at the early age of 35. He was known as a hardened, sometimes brutal, warrior, yet…
- Intelligence Squared
The History of Information, with Chris Haughton
Chris Haughton is a designer, illustrator and children's book author, whose bold imagery is known for lighting up the pages of books such as Well Done, Mummy…
- Intelligence Squared
Archive: Jamaica's Culinary Journey, with Melissa Thompson and Riaz Phillips
This discussion is a dip back into the extensive Intelligence Squared archive, first aired in late 2022. Jerk chicken, curried goat, ackee and saltfish - these…
- Intelligence Squared
Think Again: Is Free Speech Under Threat? with Suzanne Nossel and Charlotte Lydia Riley
Many liberals believe that in recent years we have seen an erosion of the right to air unpopular opinions without the risk of being cancelled. We are in an…
- Intelligence Squared
Original Sins: A History of Sex and Christianity, with Diarmaid MacCulloch
Academic, author, broadcaster and ordained deacon Diarmaid MacCulloch is Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University, and Fellow of St…
- Intelligence Squared
Archive: Secrets of the Sprakkar, with Eliza Reid
This discussion is a dip back into the extensive Intelligence Squared archive, first aired in early 2022. 'Sprakkar' is an ancient Icelandic word meaning…
- Intelligence Squared
The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook, with Paul Johnson, Part Two
Paul Johnson is the economist who has set the terms of so much political debate over the past few decades in Britain. Having served as Director of the…
- Intelligence Squared
The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook, with Paul Johnson, Part One
Paul Johnson is the economist who has set the terms of so much political debate over the past few decades in Britain. Having served as Director of the…
- Intelligence Squared
Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier on Weaving the Story into Historical Fiction, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part discussion. Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier have defined the genre of historical fiction for decades. Both…
- Intelligence Squared
Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier on Weaving the Story into Historical Fiction, Part One
This is the first instalment of a three-part discussion. Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier have defined the genre of historical fiction for decades. Both…
- Intelligence Squared
How the Bank of Mum and Dad Took Over the Economy, with Eliza Filby
For this episode we're joined by Eliza Filby, an academic, writer and public speaker specialising in contemporary values and most recently generational wealth…
- Intelligence Squared
Katy Hessel on The Story of Art Without Men, with Pandora Sykes, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. How many women artists do you know? Despite the work of activist groups and scholars alike, women are…
- Intelligence Squared
Katy Hessel on The Story of Art Without Men, with Pandora Sykes, Part One
This is the first instalment of a three-part episode. How many women artists do you know? Despite the work of activist groups and scholars alike, women are…
- Intelligence Squared
A History of Good and Evil, with Hanno Sauer
Hanno Sauer is a philosopher not shying away from the big questions. His recent book is The Invention of Good and Evil: A World History of Morality, which…
- Intelligence Squared
Archive: The Allure of Abandoned Places, with Cal Flyn
This episode was first aired in March, 2022. Cal Flyn’s Islands of Abandonment was one of the UK’s bestselling books of 2021. It was the Sunday Times Science…
- Intelligence Squared
Mustafa Suleyman on Intelligence and Power in the Twenty-First Century, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, knows what’s coming. And in September 2024 he returned to the…
- Intelligence Squared
Mustafa Suleyman on Intelligence and Power in the Twenty-First Century, Part One
This is the first instalment of a three-part episode. Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, knows what’s coming. And in September 2024 he returned to the…
- Intelligence Squared
Ex-Wife: Ursula Parrott's Forgotten Literary Classic, with Marsha Gordon and Hannah Dawson
Divorcées, dark humour and the underbelly of 1920s New York form the basis of author and screenwriter Ursula Parrott's forgotten classic novel, Ex-Wife. It…
- Intelligence Squared
Archive: The Psychology of Language, with Morten Christiansen and Nick Chater
This is an archive discussion first aired in early 2022. Morten Christiansen is Professor of Psychology at Cornell University and Nick Chater is Professor of…
- Intelligence Squared
Black Arsenal: Club, Culture and Identity, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a two-part episode. Arsenal Football Club is special. Its multicultural fandom reflects a changing city and a unique…
- Intelligence Squared
Black Arsenal: Club, Culture and Identity, Part One
This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. Arsenal Football Club is special. Its multicultural fandom reflects a changing city and a unique…
- Intelligence Squared
Lessons from History on How to Tackle Today's Greatest Challenges, with Roman Krznaric
Leading social philosopher Roman Krznaric discusses his latest book, History for Tomorrow, which looks at what lessons we can learn from the past thousand…
- Intelligence Squared
The Benefits of Embracing Our Limitations, with Oliver Burkeman
The podcast welcomes back Oliver Burkeman for this episode. The writer whose popular column for The Guardian ‘This Column Will Change Your Life’ made him into…
- Intelligence Squared
The Dictators Who Want to Run the World, with Anne Applebaum, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. In the 20th century most autocrats were brutal dictators whose main goal was to control a domestic…
- Intelligence Squared
The Dictators Who Want to Run the World, with Anne Applebaum, Part One
This is the first instalment of a three-part episode. In the 20th century most autocrats were brutal dictators whose main goal was to control a domestic…
- Intelligence Squared
A Deep Dive into the Sounds of the Seas, with Amorina Kingdon
What kinds of sound are our oceans making, and what do they mean? In this episode, award-winning science writer Amorina Kingdon discusses her book, Sing Like…
- Intelligence Squared
Jordan Stephens on Love, Chaos and Becoming a Man, Part Two
This is the second instalment of a two-part episode. Jordan Stephens’ life during his teenage years and his twenties was a whirlwind. As one half of the hip…
- Intelligence Squared
Jordan Stephens on Love, Chaos and Becoming a Man, Part One
This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. Jordan Stephens’ life during his teenage years and his twenties was a whirlwind. As one half of the hip hop…
- Intelligence Squared
A Fresh Perspective on Life on the Blue Planet, with Ferris Jabr
The development of life on Earth is often framed through the evolution of separate and distinct life forms but less common is the idea of the Earth itself as…
- Intelligence Squared
Why the Horror Genre is Such a Scream, with Anna Bogutskaya
We welcome back Anna Bogutskaya to the podcast for this episode to discuss her book, Feeding the Monster: Why Horror Has a Hold on Us. As the title suggests…
- Intelligence Squared
The Untold Stories of Women in World War One, with Rick Stroud
The bestselling war historian Rick Stroud joins the podcast to discuss some of the lesser told narratives of World War One, drawing from his recent book, I Am…
- Intelligence Squared
An Open Conversation About Marriage, with Molly Roden Winter
For this episode the writer, musician and author Molly Roden Winter discusses her bestselling book, More: A Memoir of Open Marriage. The book tells the story…
- Intelligence Squared
The Power of Influence, with Justin Hempson-Jones
Influence can be as gentle as a bit of friendly advice or as seismic as a strategy to win an election. As a behavioural scientist who has worked with the UK…
- Intelligence Squared
Is the Planet Running Out of People? with Paul Morland
The author and broadcaster Paul Morland is one of the UK’s leading thinkers on demographics – the study of population and its characteristics. Morland has been…
- Intelligence Squared
On the Map: Why Mathematics Can Be Seen Everywhere We Go, with Paulina Rowinska
Paulina Rowinska is a writer, mathematician and science communicator, whose new book, Mapmatics: How We Navigate the World Through Numbers, tells the stories…
- Intelligence Squared
Why Trust in Politicians is So Low, with Simon Kuper
The writer Simon Kuper returns to the podcast to discuss the follow-up to his book Chums, which highlighted the narrow and highly privileged pathway that often…
- Intelligence Squared
Cults, Communes and Female Rage on the Page, with Amy Twigg
Debut novelist Amy Twigg's book, Spoilt Creatures, tells a story set on a women's commune where things take a dark turn. The novel has earned Twigg praise as…
- Intelligence Squared
The Poetry of Modern Storytelling, with Olivia Gatwood
A poet, performer, novelist and screenwriter, Olivia Gatwood has received international recognition for her writing, which has focused on topics including…
- Intelligence Squared
Jess Phillips on the Challenges of a New Era for British Politics
Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2015, Jess Phillips has never shied away from controversy nor has she been afraid to veer away from Labour Party lines…
- Intelligence Squared
What Keeps Tyrants in Power? with Marcel Dirsus
Marcel Dirsus is a political scientist and the author of How Tyrants Fall: And How Nations Survive. As Non-Resident Fellow at the Institute for Security Policy…
- Intelligence Squared
Power and Greed on the High Seas, with Olive Heffernan
The award-winning science journalist Olive Heffernan’s work has been featured in National Geographic, New Scientist, The Guardian, BBC Wildlife and more. Her…
- Intelligence Squared
Imagining London's Future through Fiction, with Joelle Taylor
A truly multifaceted talent, Joelle Taylor is a poet, playwight, actor and most recently a novelist, who has written four collections of poetry along with also…
- Intelligence Squared
The Women Who Shaped the Ancient World, with Daisy Dunn
The award-winning classicist and cultural critic Daisy Dunn is the author of seven books including her latest, The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient…
- Intelligence Squared
Is Telling a Life Story as Easy as ABC? with Sheila Heti
Sheila Heti is a writer from Toronto who has published 11 books since the early 2000s. Those include Motherhood, Pure Colour, and How Should A Person Be? That…
- Intelligence Squared
A Story of Fine Art, Friendship and Fraud, with Orlando Whitfield
Orlando Whitfield started his career as a dealer in the feverish global art market but left it disillusioned and burnt-out a decade later. Today he works as a…
- Intelligence Squared
Former FBI Director James Comey on Trump, his new Crime Thriller and The Politics of Justice
James Comey is the former FBI Director turned crime novelist who has spent a career fighting organised crime and hostile threats to American democracy. In 2016…