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Sunitha Krishnan on her memoir, I am what I am Feb 26, 2025

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Sunitha Krishnan has dedicated her life to rescuing and rehabilitating victims of human trafficking. Since 1996, her outfit, Prajwala, Asia’s largest institution combating sex trafficking and sex crime, has made a difference to the lives of over 30,100 survivors. Sunitha’s book, "I am what I am" is an outstanding account of her life. In this podcast she talks about moments that shaped her mission, including her experiences when she was jailed as an activist and her time spent in a Hyderabad slum, living “like a queen”. In 2016 Sunitha was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.

Julie Sedivy on how languages shape us Feb 16, 2025

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In this podcast, Julie Sedivy’s passion for language shines through. As a linguist and polyglot, she delves into the science behind how we communicate. More crucially, she advises us not to be too hung up when people take liberties with grammar. Language, much like any other living organism, evolves over time. Julie’s most recent book, “Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love” is a beautiful read and was named among the best books of 2024 by The New Yorker.

Arik Kershenbaum on why animals talk Feb 09, 2025

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Do animals speak and if so why do they do so? What do they say? From the evolutionary standpoint what exactly is happening there? Dr Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist who teaches at the University of Cambridge. His most recent book, “Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication” addresses these questions. In this podcast Dr Arik talks about his experience of studying animal sounds in their live habitats to tell us why and what they are trying to say.

Tabitha Stanmore on magic and witchcraft Feb 02, 2025

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Dr Tabitha Stanmore is a historian and an expert in medieval and early modern English magic and witchcraft. Her book, “Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic” busts myths on the subject and focuses on the cultural impact of cunning folk, who would use magic to help people find items such as a spoon or help fix their love lives.

Sam Leith on childhood reading Feb 01, 2025

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Children’s world is by default a trippy one and books are rich fodder for the uninhibited mind. In “The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading”, Sam Leith, the literary editor of The Spectator takes us through the memory lane of authors who have defined the genre of children's books. The nature of childhood itself has changed over centuries and the books, too, were a reflection of those eras. In this podcast Sam, himself a father of two kids, has read a gazillion children’s books as part of his research for his tome. And upon each rereading, he finds new gems that were undiscovered when he had first read them as a kid. His work was also rated by The Economist as among the top five non-fiction books of 2024.

Alison Taylor on doing the right thing Jan 26, 2025

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Prof Alison Taylor is a clinical professor at NYU Stern School of Business. Her book, “Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World” is a result of decades of research and experience where she has consulted many multinational companies. She argues that maximising shareholder value can no longer be the sole purpose of an organisation’s existence. The new generation employed at various outfits have started demanding explanations if the bosses stray from their path. Doing the right thing is hard, admits Prof Taylor but those who take the path of the straight and narrow will serve well in the long run.

Rooted in History: Unearthing the Stories of Twelve Trees with Daniel Lewis Jan 19, 2025

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There are around 3trn trees on Earth, 400 for every living person. And yet arguably the arboreal world is not talked about in as much detail as the animal kingdom. Dr Daniel Lewis, a historian at the Huntington Library takes a crack at the subject. His latest book, “Twelve Trees: And What They Tell Us About Our Past, Present and Future” chronicles stories of twelve trees and their history dating back to centuries.

Sir David Spiegelhalter on the art of uncertainty Jan 14, 2025

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How did Barack Obama, former American president know for sure whether Osama Bin Laden was in that compound in Abbottabad? Are football matches largely determined by luck? How can you measure coincidences? Sir David Spiegelhalter, the emeritus professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge explains it all. His new book, “The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck” is a fascinating read even for those without any background in statistics and mathematics. Among many other things, the book is also a lesson in how to make complicated subjects interesting.

Rollo Romig on Gauri Lankesh and the fight for free speech in India Jan 14, 2025

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Rollo Romig talks about his book "I'm on the Hit List: A Journalist's Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India". The book focuses on the life and murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh and its impact on journalism and free speech in India. Whereas Gauri spoke her mind she also lived up to the maxim, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." She invited folks who disagreed with her to contribute in her paper, Gauri Lankesh Patrike. She never celebrated any opponents' demise and even defended them if she saw someone's critique of them to be unfair. In this podcast, Rollo unearths her life story, his experiences researching the story, his connection to Bangalore and the challenges of uncovering the truth behind Gauri’s life and work.

Indicast #257: Stock market gambling soars Jan 12, 2025

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India's young adults are gambling their savings way in the stock markets. Researchers in Japan have figured out a way to regrow teeth. This month also saw the birth of the world's youngest dart champion in Luke Littler, a 17-year-old who has darted his way to the top by beating his peers consistently for the last couple of years.

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