Intelligence Squared

Latest Episodes:

Let’s Talk: How to Have Better Conversations, with Nihal Arthanayake Aug 29, 2022

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As an acclaimed interviewer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 5 Live, Nihal Arthanayake has spent years trying to understand what makes for a great conversation. He joins journalist and host of the Guardian's Today in Focus podcast, Nosheen Iqbal, to discuss his new book, Let’s Talk, which explores the evolution of dialogue and the science behind stimulating conversation. With the rise of smartphones, polarised politics and the isolation of the pandemic having made our interactions less engaging, Arthanayake's book reveals insights from leading authorities in neuroscience as well as from popular figures including Lorraine Kelly, former president of Ireland Mary McAleese, Professor Tanya Byron, Matthew Syed and many more, to find out why good conversation has eroded and how we can fix it.

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The Sunday Debate: Should the West defend Taiwan? Aug 28, 2022

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For many in the West, defending Taiwan means standing up for democracy and freedom, and not bending to China’s power. Others, however, fear that going to war against China would be a futile mission that would disrupt the world order. Amid all these discussions of Western liberal ideals and strategic military concerns, shouldn't we take into consideration the hopes that Taiwanese citizens have for the future of their nation? To explore these issues our host Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China at the University of Oxford, is joined by three guests: Benedict Rogers, human-rights activist, journalist, and co-founder of Hong Kong Watch; Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L Davies, Senior Fellow for Defense Priorities and a former lieutenant colonel in the US army; and Brian Hioe, Editor of New Bloom Magazine and blogger for The Diplomat.

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The Science of Anti-Ageing, with Nicklas Brendborg Aug 26, 2022

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Nicklas Brendborg is the young science writer making us rethink our understanding of the ageing process. He joins Helen Czerski, science communicator and broadcaster, to discuss his recent bestselling book: Jellyfish Age Backwards: Nature’s Secrets to Longevity.

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Spies, Communism and the Battle to Win the Cold War, with Scott Anderson Aug 25, 2022

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In this archive conversation from 2020, journalist, novelist, non-fiction writer and war reporter Scott Anderson joins us to talk about his book, The Quiet Americans, which focuses on CIA spycraft, the Cold War and the West’s relationship with Russia. It's a discussion that resonates strongly today, hosted by Hugo Lindgren, writer, producer and former Editor of New York Times Magazine.

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Too Woke? How Society's Best Intentions Could Be Betraying Black America, with John McWhorter Aug 22, 2022

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To anyone who has been following the debates surrounding race in America, John McWhorter needs little introduction. A professor of linguistics at Columbia University and a New York Times columnist, McWhorter believes that America is being harmed by a new form of antiracism, mostly espoused by white elites, that is illiberal, illogical and at heart neo-racist. To McWhorter, such thinking is not just a political stance but a religion with all the hallmarks of Christian dogma: white privilege as original sin that cannot be expunged; the hounding out of dissenters as heretics; the evangelical fervour of the true believers. In early 2022 he came to Intelligence Squared to discuss these ideas and the themes of his recent book, Woke Racism. McWhorter acknowledges the heartfelt desire of white people to be allies but, he argues that there is a better way to improve Black lives than what he sees as an unproductive focus on abstract theory. Hosting the discussion is the journalist, author and broadcaster, Helen Lewis.

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The Sunday Debate: Prosecute Trump Aug 21, 2022

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On January 6 2021 a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S Capitol seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. Rioters overran police and broke through windows chanting ‘stop the steal’ while threatening Vice President Mike Pence with violence. The moment sent shockwaves through America as people tried to understand how this could be happening in the world’s most powerful democracy. There is now growing pressure on the Department of Justice to prosecute Trump for his role in the incident after a set of public hearings revealed damning evidence of his actions. But others argue that while Trump’s conduct after the November 2020 election was reprehensible, not every wrongdoing, even a highly consequential one, is a crime. Who’s right and who’s wrong? To find out, we invited David Blight, Sterling Professor of American History at Yale University, and Rich Lowry, Editor-in-chief of National Review, to debate the issue. Our host for this discussion is journalist, academic and former White House correspondent for the BBC, Philippa Thomas.

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Engineering for Change, with Will Butler-Adams Aug 19, 2022

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With the climate crisis mounting, cycling is often touted as being part of the solution for how we can make our cities less congested, more green and generally more pleasant places to be. The unmistakable silhouette of a Brompton bike, first created by Andrew Ritchie in the late 1970s, fits many of the credentials crucial to helping solve today's transport and mobility challenges and yet the company’s unique folding design has been a favourite for citydwellers for decades. It’s now the subject of a new book: The Brompton: Engineering for Change, written by Brompton CEO Will Butler-Adams and the book's co-author financial journalist Dan Davies. Will recently joined our host Rosamund Urwin of the Sunday Times to tell her about the Brompton story.

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Afghanistan After The Withdrawal: What Lessons Have We Learned? Aug 17, 2022

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One year ago the United States decided to withdraw from Afghanistan after two decades in the country. The Taliban, a militant Islamist group that ran most of Afghanistan in the late 1990s, swept to power without much resistance from the Afghan army and captured Kabul on August 15 2021. The debacle left Western governments humiliated and ordinary Afghans afraid. What responsibility do countries like Britain and the United States have for the current crisis? To discuss these issues our host the journalist and broadcaster Manveen Rana is joined by Shabnam Nasimi, Policy Advisor to the U.K Home Office, BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, and Paul Mason, the journalist, writer and film-maker.

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Salman Rushdie: Touchstones with Razia Iqbal Aug 15, 2022

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For this archive episode from 2021, journalist and BBC News broadcaster Razia Iqbal is joined by the acclaimed author Salman Rushdie to discuss his cultural touchstones. The conversation focuses on topics such as his love of James Joyce, Bob Dylan and his affection for an amulet his father gave him as a young boy.

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The Sunday Debate: The Bittersweet Truth About What We Eat Aug 14, 2022

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To unpack the truth behind the often confusing information about the food we eat, in this archive discussion from 2017, Intelligence Squared brought together some of the world’s leading experts on the science of human nutrition and health. Joining our host Dr Xand van Tulleken to pick apart food truths and myths were GP and broadcaster Sarah Jarvis, computational biologist Eran Segal, Professor of genetic epidemiology Tim Spector, and award-winning science and health writer Gary Taubes.

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