Intelligence Squared

Latest Episodes:

Party’s Over: Liz Truss’s Resignation, with Sonia Sodha and Sherelle Jacobs Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

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.

Following the abrupt exit of the UK's second prime minister within three months, Intelligence Squared's Conor Boyle is joined by Sherelle Jacobs, columnist for The Daily Telegraph, and columnist and chief leader writer for the Observer, Sonia Sodha, to analyse where the UK is headed next. Liz Truss is the country's shortest-serving prime minister ever and her resignation follows uproar over disastrous economic policy decisions allegedly shaped by think tanks rather than a mandate from the UK electorate. Arriving at a time of international instability over the war in Ukraine, a cost of living crisis unfolding at home and following on from the scandal of her predecessor Boris Johnson's handling of the pandemic, our panel discusses Truss's departure, the options it leaves the UK and the future of a beleaguered Conservative Party.

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Food, Land and a Farming Revolution, with Sarah Langford Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

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.

Sarah Langford was a barrister, living and working in the city. But then she found herself moving to the countryside, back to an agricultural life she thought she had left behind. There she saw farmers dealing with problems very different from those faced by her grandfather, who had helped to feed a starving nation after the war. Beleaguered with the challenges of climate change, Brexit and falling incomes, these farmers faced accusations of ecological mismanagement from a hostile media and public. But, as Langford looked to them to teach her about the land, she also found a new generation of farmers on a path of regenerative change. That journey is now the topic of Langford's recent book, Rooted: Stories of Life, Land and a Farming Revolution. Joining her in conversation to discuss it is Thomasina Miers, the cook, writer, broadcaster and co-founder of the restaurant group Wahaca.

…

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unstoppable Us: How We Can Shape Humanity's Future, with Yuval Noah Harari – Part Two Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

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 second part of a special double episode, historian and The Sunday Times bestselling author of Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari, joins us to discuss his new book for children, Unstoppable Us, Volume 1. In this instalment, Harari discusses what the future of humankind could look like and how the all-powerful influence of technology will be decisive in shaping it. The author also focuses on how, despite being at the mercy of seemingly seismic geopolitical forces, humans can still take charge of their own destiny and also why the Covid-19 pandemic was not the cultural or political reset that many had predicted or hoped. The conversation also explores how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has interrupted the established international order and Harari's belief that telling stories lies at the heart of human learning. Joining Harari in conversation for this episode is our host, the academic and broadcaster, Professor Shahidha Bari.

…

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Ian Fleming vs John le Carré Oct 16, 2022

Show notes

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.

They are the titans of the spy novel, who have elevated thrillers to the level of literary fiction. Much imitated, much adapted by the big and small screens, Ian Fleming and John Le Carré have painted our picture of post-war espionage: Fleming through the dashing figure of James Bond, with his lush locations and Martinis as icy as his heart; Le Carré through his damning portrait of the British secret service drawn from his own time in MI5 and MI6. But which of the two novelists is the greater? In this thrilling contest, Fleming’s case will made by Anthony Horowitz, creator of the bestselling Alex Rider spy novels and author of the official Bond continuation novel Trigger Mortis. Championing Le Carré – whose memoir about his life as a former spy currently sits in the bestseller lists – will be David Farr, Emmy-nominated screenwriter of the BBC’s adaptation of The Night Manager. Actors Lesley Manville, Simon Callow, Matthew Lewis and Alex Macqueen join us to bring both authors' works to life along with our host, author and critic Erica Wagner.

…

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Story of Russia, with Orlando Figes Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

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.

No other country has been so divided over its own past as Russia. To understand what Russia’s future holds – to grasp what Putin’s regime means for Russia and the world – we need to unravel the ideas and meanings of its history. That’s the argument that historian Orlando Figes makes in his most recent book, The Story of Russia. The book reveals the vibrant characters that comprise Russia’s rich past including the crowning of 16-year-old Ivan the Terrible in a candlelit cathedral, Catherine the Great riding out in a green uniform to arrest her husband at his palace, and the bitter last days of the Romanovs. Figes weaves together the past and the present to provide an accurate picture of the country that threatens Ukraine and the liberal global order today. Hosting the discussion is Josh Glancy, special correspondent for 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 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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unstoppable Us: Rethinking the History of Humanity, with Yuval Noah Harari – Part One Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

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 first part of a special double episode, historian and The Sunday Times bestselling author of Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari, joins us to discuss his new book for children, Unstoppable Us, Volume 1. He also reflects on the epic scope of his work looking back over thousands of years of human history and the turbulent times humanity finds itself in today. In 2011, Harari wrote A Brief History of Humankind, covering the last 70,000 years of human evolution. Published in English as Sapiens in 2014, it’s since been translated into 65 languages, become a New York Times bestseller admired by both Barack Obama and Bill Gates and is widely seen as a publishing phenomenon. Its future-focused follow-up, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, helped further nudge the dial on how we perceive ourselves as a species and it is the book that launched a growing genre of god's-eye-view non-fiction known as Big History. Harari's latest book is on the smaller side and for smaller people but it's still full of big ideas, inviting younger readers to look at the early history of humankind. Joining Harari in conversation for this episode is our host the academic and broadcaster, Professor Shahidha Bari.

…

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Prince Andrew's Newsnight Interview: Behind The Scenes, with Sam McAlister Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

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 November 2019 Prince Andrew sat down with Newsnight, the BBC's flagship current affairs programme, to speak about Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged relationship with Virginia Giuffre. Just months after the explosive interview in January 2020, Prince Andrew was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages with the approval of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

Described as a PR disaster and a 'car crash', many have wondered how this interview came to be. In this episode, former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister talks to broadcast journalist Petrie Hosken about what went on behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace and how the news is made. Sam McAlister's new book Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews is available now.

…

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sunday Debate: Can We Rely on Nuclear Deterrence? Oct 09, 2022

Show notes

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.

Anxiety has been mounting around the world concerning Russian president Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats. US president Joe Biden warned that the risk of nuclear "Armageddon" is the highest it has been since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. This week on The Sunday Debate, we're joined by three experts to understand the realities of nuclear threat, how nuclear strategy has developed in the last 60 years, and whether Russia’s nuclear threats will be deterred.

Andrey Baklitskiy is a Senior Researcher in the WMD Programme at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Marion Messmer is a Senior Researcher in International Security at Chatham House, and William Alberque is Director of Strategy, Technology and Arms Control for the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Our host for this episode is Josh Glancy, special correspondent for 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 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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Last White Man, with Mohsin Hamid Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

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.

Anders wakes up one day to find that his skin has turned dark. Soon it transpires that this is happening to people all over the land, leading first to panic which then turns into an upheaval in establishment, power, and compassion.

In this Kafka-esque tale, award-winning Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid explores how we as a society define the concepts and structures of race, and how much in turn we let them define us. To delve deeper into The Last White Man, Mohsin Hamid joins us on the podcast, in conversation with BBC broadcaster Razia Iqbal.

…

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Unravelling of Alex Jones and America's Battle for Truth, with Elizabeth Williamson and Jon Ronson Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

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.

One in five Americans believe that every high profile mass shooting is staged by the government. In this episode New York Times journalist Elizabeth Williamson joins author and filmmaker Jon Ronson to delve into the dark world of conspiracies and examine one of America’s most prominent and controversial theorists, Alex Jones. Elizabeth Williamson joins us from Connecticut where she is reporting on Alex Jones' second defamation trial this year, sued by the parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting after he repeatedly claimed the tragedy was a hoax.

…

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 part in events live at home and enjoy watching past events on demand and without ads
A 15% discount and priority access to live, in-person events in London, so you won’t miss out on tickets
Our premium monthly newsletter
Intelligence Squared Merch