Intelligence Squared

Donald Trump’s growing accommodation of Vladimir Putin has raised a stark question: has the US abandoned Ukraine? Conor Boyle speaks to Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia and author of Autocrats vs. Democrats, about what Trump’s approach means for Ukraine, America’s democratic identity and the future of the international order. They explore whether this rupture was years in the making, the roles of China and Elon Musk and whether a future administration could restore American leadership, or whether the country has changed for good. McFaul's new book is Autocrats vs Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder and is available now at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autocrats-vs-Democrats-America-Disorder/dp/0358677874 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few figures in modern British politics have operated as close to the centre of power as Michael Gove. Over more than a decade in government, he has held some of the most senior offices of state – including Education Secretary, Justice Secretary and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, shaping policy across domestic reform, economic strategy and the future of the Union. Now, at a moment of continued economic uncertainty at home and instability abroad, Gove joined us for the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook. In October 2026, live st Smith Square Hall in Westminster, he reflected on the forces reshaping Britain’s economic landscape. How resilient is the UK economy after a prolonged period of inflation, fiscal pressure and sluggish growth? What should a credible long-term strategy for productivity and investment look like? And how should Britain position itself in a more fragmented global economy, defined by geopolitical tension in the Middle East, energy insecurity and shifting trade alliances? This event…

In England and Wales, the total fertility rate fell to 1.39 children per woman in 2025. More than half of the world’s countries and areas are now below the level at which a population replaces itself without migration. Yet those numbers cannot tell us whether people are freely choosing smaller families, struggling to find a partner, leaving parenthood too late or being priced out of the future they wanted. In this episode, Margherita Volpato speaks to Camilla Cavendish, Baroness Cavendish of Little Venice. In her new book, Generation Maybe: Why We’re Having Fewer Children, and What It Means for Us All, she investigates why birth rates are falling across very different countries and what those falling rates reveal about the way we live. By the end, Cavendish explains why the baby bust is not simply a story about babies, but about whether people can imagine and build a different future. Camilla Cavendish, Baroness Cavendish of Little Venice is an award-winning journalist, Financial Times columnist, and Harvard…

In the summer of 2020, as Black Lives Matter protests swept the world, the arts and creative industries faced urgent questions about racism, representation and their role in driving meaningful change. In this episode from the Intelligence Squared archive, actor Idris Elba and playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah join writer and broadcaster Yassmin Abdel-Magied to examine systemic racism in the cultural sector, the limits of diversity initiatives and what it really takes to turn promises of equality into lasting change. Six years on, as debates about race, power and representation continue, we revisit a conversation that remains as relevant today as it was in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Cromwell helped Henry VIII break with Rome, reshape government and establish the Church of England. A century later, his distant relative Oliver Cromwell helped defeat a king, establish a republic and became Lord Protector. Both men are usually remembered as exceptional commoners who rose through talent and ruthless pragmatism. But neither rose alone. What does the familiar ‘great man’ version of history miss? And how did one extended family acquire power, lose it and then rise again? In this episode, Mia Sorenti speaks with historian and author Miranda Malins about what placing Thomas and Oliver within a continuous family story reveals about the marriages, money, faith, loyalties and inherited political memory that sustained the Cromwell dynasty across two centuries. The conversation explores whether the English Civil Wars represented a continuation of the Reformation, why the label ‘revolutionary’ fails to capture the Cromwells’ pragmatism, and how family history can contextualise controversial…

Europe’s past is not past. The borders of vanished empires still surface in election results. The European Union and Nato face a world in which Russia is aggressive, America is less dependable and Europe’s own ability to act remains fragmented. Here in Britain, the political argument has begun to move from whether Brexit worked to what a return might demand. In this episode, Margherita Volpato speaks to historian Timothy Garton Ash. His new book, Europe in 7½ Chapters: The Shortest Introduction to the World’s Oldest and Newest Continent. They question what Europe’s past can teach us about its present and future. Should Britain consider rejoining the European Union? Is it time for Europe to create its own army? What is the future of liberal democracy? Ash builds on the historical past of Europe to suggest where the continent can and should go next. Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer, Guardian columnist and Professor of European Studies Emeritus at the University of Oxford. Margherita Volpato…

Katherine Rundell has dazzled millions of readers globally with her writing on fantastical beasts. In her bestselling book The Golden Mole, she profiled some of the world’s most extraordinary endangered animals, including pangolins, wombats, lemurs and seahorses. This critically acclaimed compendium celebrated the earth’s greatest wonders, and offered a rallying call to prevent their extinction. In October 2026 Rundell joined us live on stage at Conway Hall to discuss a new menagerie of spectacular creatures. Rundell drew on her new book, Napoleon’s Orangutan, to introduce us to twelve vanishing, amazing animals – from Napoleon’s pet orangutan to pigs who can learn the difference between Bach and a brass band. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who are we? Why are we here? Are we alone in the universe? How did we become the creatures that we are? How might we further evolve? These are some of the big questions that Brian Cox and Alice Roberts tackled when they came to the Intelligence Squared stage in December 2014. Brian Cox is the rockstar who became a scientist, and is now a rockstar scientist. He is known to millions as the presenter of the BBC Wonders series in which he unravels the complexities of the universe with calm clarity and an infectious sense of wonder. Alice Roberts is a no less talented science story-teller. A doctor, anatomist, osteoarchaeologist and writer, she has enthralled television audiences with BBC series such as The Incredible Human Journey. In this wide-ranging conversation Cox and Roberts discussed the origins of the universe, life and humanity – and you. You’re the product of what seems to be an extremely unlikely chain of events. Our universe was born with just the right laws for galaxies to form, with at least one…

On the 70th anniversary of the publication of Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin’s seminal novel about sexuality, race and myth in America, Booker Prize-winning writer Ben Okri joined us to reflect on the life, literature and enduring legacy of one of the world’s most loved writers. Baldwin’s work reshaped the literary and political landscape. Many of our greatest writers today credit his influence on their work. As an author and activist, his writing fearlessly tackled race, sexuality, love, masculinity and belonging with radical intimacy. Published in 1956, Giovanni’s Room was groundbreaking for its explicit homoeroticism. Its honesty and courage characterised Baldwin’s work as a whole. His poetry, essays, speeches, novels and plays, were pivotal to both the civil rights movement and the gay liberation movement in mid-twentieth century America, and continue to speak urgently to the present moment. In May 2026 Okri brought his own artistic vision to an exploration of Baldwin’s work live from the Kiln Theatre,…

In this episode, Kamal was joined by Jeremy Hunt, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lawrence Tallon, Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Dr. Angela Spatharou, Senior Partner and EMEA Leader for Healthcare & Life Sciences at IBM Consulting. They explore how AI and hyper-automation are transforming the world of work; how future technologies can reduce costs, improve efficiency and ease pressure on essential services such as healthcare, while considering how organisations can embrace rapid technological change without losing sight of the people at its heart, and why the future of work must strike the right balance between being human-centred and AI-enabled.This episode was recorded live in London as part of Intelligence Squared and IBM's The Age to Come series. Next live event date: 18th Nov 2026. Find out more: ⁠https://www.intelligencesquared.com/ibm⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carlo Rovelli is an award-winning theoretical physicist and writer with a gift for making complex ideas feel real and accessible. Whether exploring black holes, quantum mechanics, philosophy, or history, he inspires audiences with his sense of wonder and curiosity at how the world works. Beloved by millions, Rovelli’s books, including Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time, invite us into the deepest corners of the universe, while challenging what we thought we knew about time and space. In September 2026 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to explore some of the most awe-inspiring discoveries of modern science, the subject of his new book, On The Equality of All Things. Drawing on both cutting-edge physics and ancient philosophy, he asked what these ideas reveal about the strangeness of reality. How does modern science impact age-old philosophical questions? What does it really mean to say that something exists? What is time, if it flows differently for different observers? And what kind…

With the US midterm elections one month away, we revisit highlights from Anthony Scaramucci’s recent Intelligence Squared tour across the UK. The former White House communications director recalls how he discovered he had been fired, what election night 2016 looked like from inside Trump Tower and how he faced media ridicule. He also considers whether America is ready for its first female president, why she might come from the political right and whether he could one day run himself. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and…

The bestselling author of more than 36 novels, including Fool Me Once, Tell No One and the Myron Bolitar series, Coben is renowned for his ability to build tension, wrong-foot his readers and create intricately plotted narrative worlds. His thrillers have been published in 46 languages and adapted into more than twenty television and film adaptations, including Netflix hits The Stranger, Stay Close and I Will Find You. He is also the first author to win crime fiction’s grand triple crown: the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony awards. In September 2026, Coben came to the Intelligence Squared stage in conversation with BAFTA and Golden Globe Award-Winning Actor, Bill Nighy, to discuss the secrets of a good thriller. Drawing on the themes of his new book Plot Twist, Coben gave audiences an insight into the artistic process that goes into thriller writing and explained his own journey from suburban beginnings to publishing phenomenon. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free…

This podcast has always brought together two kinds of conversation. Original episodes recorded in the studio, and live events from the Intelligence Squared stage. Now, we’re giving each a home of its own, making it easier for you to find exactly what you want to hear. Search Intelligence Squared Live to find out more. Two podcasts. Two distinct ways to explore the ideas that matter. Intelligence Squared. Ideas that matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sebastian Faulks is one of the country’s best loved novelists, known for books such as Birdsong, Human Traces, Engleby and Charlotte Gray. His writing is renowned for its masterful storytelling and bringing historical periods to life through the inner lives of his characters. In September 2026 Faulks joined us live on stage to discuss his new novel, Farewell to Eden. In a blazing return to Faulks’ heartland themes of faith, war, and love in conflict, Farewell to Eden is a sweeping portrait of an embattled post-war Britain. It follows Philip Deval, a soldier recently returned from the beaches of Normandy, who arrives in Palestine on a peace-keeping mission in the final days of the British Mandate. Faulks shed light on the real soldiers’ testimonies he drew on from the Imperial War Museum archives, his own father’s experiences as a soldier posted in British Mandate Palestine, and the legacy of the British Empire in the Middle East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the CIA and MI6 began spying on each other? This is the question that David McCloskey, the former CIA analyst and co-host of the Rest is Classified, discusses on this episode with Carl Miller. Together, they examine what would happen if the ‘special relationship’ between the Agency and its British counterpart were to be purposefully disrupted. From a potential technological revolution upending intelligence tradecraft to navigating a new environment where old friends become adversaries, McCloskey and Miller discuss the scenarios that inspired the former’s latest thriller, London Station. David McCloskey is the Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Persian, The Seventh Floor, Moscow X, and Damascus Station. He is co-host of the podcast The Rest is Classified. David is a former CIA analyst and former consultant at McKinsey & Company. Carl Miller is a Senior Fellow at Demos and founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media (CASM). He is the co-writer and host of the investigative podcast Kill…

This September the Bayeux Tapestry went on display at the British Museum to huge crowds of eager patrons. This is the first time it has been displayed in England since it was made almost 1,000 years ago, and the exhibition is expected to draw over 7.5 million people until it journeys back to Bayeux in July 2027. The tapestry tells a story that is baked into the national psyche: Harold breaks an oath, William crosses the Channel, and 1066 changes England forever. But despite its longevity, this famous version of the Norman Conquest is beset with ambiguity, surprising details, and glaring omissions. In this episode, Mia Sorenti speaks with historian David Musgrove about the mysteries hidden in nearly 70 metres of embroidery. Why does the tapestry reduce a complicated succession crisis to a struggle between Harold and William? Who was left out of its story – and was it propaganda, or something more subtle? Musgrove also sheds light on the hidden meanings in the tapestry, including a mysterious scene that may…

According to Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director, outspoken Trump critic and co-host of The Rest Is Politics: US, President Trump represents one of the greatest challenges America has ever faced. During the first half of his second presidency, Trump has waged war on Iran, threatened the future of NATO and clashed with allies. At home he jokes about cancelling elections, threatens the free press and tests the limits of executive power. With inflation biting and his approval ratings falling, November’s pivotal midterm elections will offer the first major verdict on his second term and the future of America. Is Trump politically vulnerable? Can Democrats capitalise on his mistakes? Is MAGA bigger than Trump—or will the battle to succeed him define the future of the Republican Party? How has Trump transformed American society, and how does he continue to threaten democracy at home and abroad? And after a decade of Trump, what does the next chapter look like for America and the world?…

As the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has witnessed and reported on some of the most consequential events of our time. She has reported from Iran and Afghanistan since 1988, played a leading role in the BBC’s coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, and has covered major wars as well as efforts to make peace in the Middle East since 1994. In 2022 she covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Kyiv as Putin’s tanks crossed the border. And most recently having reported on the ground in Iran in February 2026, Doucet has been a hugely insightful voice explaining the consequences of the U.S-Israeli led war on the country and what it means for the world. Doucet is renowned for her compassionate, human-centred reporting often in times of war and suffering. In September 2026, she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share her reflections and insights from the frontlines. Doucet also discussed the themes and approach of her Women’s…

According to Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director, outspoken Trump critic and co-host of The Rest Is Politics: US, President Trump represents one of the greatest challenges America has ever faced. During the first half of his second presidency, Trump has waged war on Iran, threatened the future of NATO and clashed with allies. At home he jokes about cancelling elections, threatens the free press and tests the limits of executive power. With inflation biting and his approval ratings falling, November’s pivotal midterm elections will offer the first major verdict on his second term and the future of America. Is Trump politically vulnerable? Can Democrats capitalise on his mistakes? Is MAGA bigger than Trump—or will the battle to succeed him define the future of the Republican Party? How has Trump transformed American society, and how does he continue to threaten democracy at home and abroad? And after a decade of Trump, what does the next chapter look like for America and the world?…

Kevin Fong has spent his working life in high-risk, high-performance teams. He flies as a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service doctor, has worked on NASA’s human spaceflight programme, and was part of the UK’s frontline response to major incidents and terror attacks. In this episode, he joins Professor of Environment and Society, Helen Czerski, to discuss some of the most challenging and high-pressure emergencies he’s witnessed across his varied career and to offer some crucial, counter-intuitive insights into how the best teams and organisations succeed against the odds, learn from failure and go again. Fong suggests that decisions in the face of irreducible uncertainty are the ultimate team sport and their success depends wholly on the wider systems that support them. The ultimate lessons are these: never lose sight of the humans in the loop, and when it comes to managing fast-moving threats in the face of the unknown, the edge of chaos is exactly where you need to be. Kevin Fong Kevin Fong is a medical…

The internet was once imagined as a place that would bring us closer together – a shared space for curiosity, creativity and connection. So how did it become a machine for capturing our attention, amplifying division and shaping what billions of people see and believe? In this episode of Intelligence Squared, Conor Boyle speaks to journalist and technology entrepreneur Mark Little about the themes of his new book, The Last Good Day on the Internet: Finding Hope and Humanity in a Superhuman World. A former RTÉ foreign correspondent who went on to found the social news agency Storyful and online safety company Kinzen, as well as working with Twitter and Spotify, Little has witnessed the transformation of the internet from both inside the newsroom and inside the technology industry. Together they explore how the attention economy changed the web, why algorithms optimised for engagement have contributed to misinformation and polarisation, and what the rapid development of artificial intelligence could mean for…

The post-war international order is under increasing strain. The principle that borders cannot be changed by force is being challenged –not only by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but by Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, his undermining of longstanding alliances and his willingness to use military force abroad.In his new book, Betrayal, Guardian foreign correspondent Luke Harding argues that today’s world resembles not a new Cold War, defined by ideological rivalry, but a return to ‘Great Power’ politics, driven by military strength and national self-interest.In September 2026, Harding joined former Downing Street Director of Communications Alastair Campbell to examine how Trump and Putin are reshaping global politics. Drawing on Harding’s reporting from Ukraine and conversations with leaders including Volodymyr Zelensky, they explored how an era defined by liberal democracy, international cooperation and the rule of law is giving way to one increasingly defined by power, coercion and nationalism.Join…

The post-war international order is under increasing strain. The principle that borders cannot be changed by force is being challenged –not only by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but by Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, his undermining of longstanding alliances and his willingness to use military force abroad.In his new book, Betrayal, Guardian foreign correspondent Luke Harding argues that today’s world resembles not a new Cold War, defined by ideological rivalry, but a return to ‘Great Power’ politics, driven by military strength and national self-interest.In September 2026, Harding joined former Downing Street Director of Communications Alastair Campbell to examine how Trump and Putin are reshaping global politics. Drawing on Harding’s reporting from Ukraine and conversations with leaders including Volodymyr Zelensky, they explored how an era defined by liberal democracy, international cooperation and the rule of law is giving way to one increasingly defined by power, coercion and nationalism.Join…

Francis Fukuyama is one of the most influential political thinkers of our time. His famous 1989 essay, The End of History? – written as the Berlin Wall fell and communism collapsed – posed a provocative idea: that Western liberal democracy had triumphed over ideology, and that it might be the “final form of human government”. Over three decades later in 2026, the world looks almost unrecognisable. Russia’s war in Ukraine accelerated a fracturing of the liberal rules-based order. The President of the United States has attacked Venezuela and Iran without seeking Congressional approval, UN Security Council backing or even building a coalition. And throughout the world polarisation, populism and authoritarianism have become potent threats to social order. In September 2026 Fukuyama came to Intelligence Squared to reflect on the seismic political events that are shaping our world. He discussed the themes of his new political memoir, In The Realm of the Last Man, which presents an urgent study of contemporary…

Francis Fukuyama is one of the most influential political thinkers of our time. His famous 1989 essay, The End of History? – written as the Berlin Wall fell and communism collapsed – posed a provocative idea: that Western liberal democracy had triumphed over ideology, and that it might be the “final form of human government”. Over three decades later in 2026, the world looks almost unrecognisable. Russia’s war in Ukraine accelerated a fracturing of the liberal rules-based order. The President of the United States has attacked Venezuela and Iran without seeking Congressional approval, UN Security Council backing or even building a coalition. And throughout the world polarisation, populism and authoritarianism have become potent threats to social order. In September 2026 Fukuyama came to Intelligence Squared to reflect on the seismic political events that are shaping our world. He discussed the themes of his new political memoir, In The Realm of the Last Man, which presents an urgent study of contemporary…

When the MeToo movement ignited in 2017, many believed it would be a turning point for women after which positive change would become inevitable. And for a brief time, it felt like the world was finally listening to women’s voices. But in 2026, that promise feels fragile. The rise of the manosphere, escalating violence against women and girls, and the weaponisation of social media have made speaking out more dangerous, more exhausting and more necessary than ever. Far from moving forward, in many ways it can feel like society’s attitudes towards women are going backwards. I|n June 2026 Intelligence Squared brought together a panel of voices to discuss the new threats facing women in modern culture. Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, writer and social historian Juliet Nicolson, and BAFTA award-winning actor Joanna Scanlan joined host BBC News editor Katie Razzall to ask: what does it really mean for women to be heard in 2026? --- If you'd like to become a Member and…

When the MeToo movement ignited in 2017, many believed it would be a turning point for women after which positive change would become inevitable. And for a brief time, it felt like the world was finally listening to women’s voices. But in 2026, that promise feels fragile. The rise of the manosphere, escalating violence against women and girls, and the weaponisation of social media have made speaking out more dangerous, more exhausting and more necessary than ever. Far from moving forward, in many ways it can feel like society’s attitudes towards women are going backwards. I|n June 2026 Intelligence Squared brought together a panel of voices to discuss the new threats facing women in modern culture. Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, writer and social historian Juliet Nicolson, and BAFTA award-winning actor Joanna Scanlan joined host BBC News editor Katie Razzall to ask: what does it really mean for women to be heard in 2026? --- This is the first instalment of a…

Liberal democracy was once a radical force. It challenged monarchies, expanded political rights and, at its most successful, helped deliver rising wages and shared prosperity. So how did it become associated with an establishment that growing numbers of voters have turned against? In this episode, researcher and author Carl Miller speaks with Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu about his new book What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity. Acemoglu traces the decline of liberalism through the collapse of its traditional working-class coalition, rising inequality and the transition from an industrial to a digital economy. He argues that automation has broken the old link between business growth and rising wages – and warns that AI could accelerate this divide by eliminating jobs without creating shared prosperity. So can liberal democracy reinvent itself before it is too late? Acemoglu makes the case for what he calls ‘working-class liberalism’: a new politics…

Trade has shaped human civilisation for thousands of years. From the copper used in Mesopotamian ploughs to the silicon inside our smartphones, vast networks have evolved to move the materials and products on which modern life depends. Yet much of this system remains invisible, only becoming clear when disruption exposes how fragile and interconnected it really is. In this episode, host Carl Miller speaks with journalist and bestselling author Ed Conway about the hidden world behind the things we buy. Through the stories of bread, cloth and cars, Ed traces the extraordinary journeys taken by everyday products and reveals the people and supply chains that make them possible. From the Corn Laws to the National Loaf and the fish finger, he shows how trade has shaped what ends up on our shelves and plates. Why has trade become one of the defining geopolitical issues of our time? What happens when governments intervene in supply chains? And how does the global economy respond when those networks are ruptured?…

In 1988, eight men in Kingston, Jamaica, begin rehearsals for a play. Though strangers to one another, they share an inescapable truth: All of them are gay. And they live in a world that refuses to accept them. One night they are beaten and one of them is killed. In this episode, Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James speaks with Mythili Rao on his newest novel The Disappearers. Described as a reckoning, the novel explores a violent incident that was rumoured to have happened but was never proven, its aftermath and retribution. James and Rao discuss the hitherto unexplored impact of the AIDS crisis in eighties Jamaica and why fiction is ideally placed to explore the consequences of such a violent encounter. Marlon James is the Booker Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author of A Brief History of Seven Killings; the bestselling and National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf; as well as the bestselling Moon Witch, Spider King; The Book of Night Women; and John Crow’s Devil. Mythili Rao…

Adam Rutherford is a science broadcaster, and author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, which transformed the way we think about human history. By using genetics to uncover the story of our species, it offered a thrilling new perspective on who we are and where we came from. David Olusoga is an award winning author and historian, whose work includes the TV series and book Black & British: A Forgotten History and the landmark BBC arts series Civilizations. In July 2026 they came to the Intelligence Squared stage to mark the tenth anniversary of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived. Together, they explored how advances in DNA research have transformed our understanding of human history, and discussed what a decade of new discoveries has revealed about our past. From Neanderthals to the plague, from redheads to race, from evolution to epigenetics, they discussed what our genes can tell us about human history and our ancestors. Together, they dispelled some common myths, challenging…

Adam Rutherford is a science broadcaster, and author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, which transformed the way we think about human history. By using genetics to uncover the story of our species, it offered a thrilling new perspective on who we are and where we came from. David Olusoga is an award winning author and historian, whose work includes the TV series and book Black & British: A Forgotten History and the landmark BBC arts series Civilizations. In July 2026 they came to the Intelligence Squared stage to mark the tenth anniversary of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived. Together, they explored how advances in DNA research have transformed our understanding of human history, and discussed what a decade of new discoveries has revealed about our past. From Neanderthals to the plague, from redheads to race, from evolution to epigenetics, they discussed what our genes can tell us about human history and our ancestors. Together, they dispelled some common myths, challenging…

We live in the age of data. Over the past century, rapidly evolving technologies have transformed almost every aspect of our society, in ways that can seem both troubling and unstoppable. Political campaigns have been reduced to attention-mining algorithms, multinational corporations control public discourse, and the era of the liberal nation-state seems to be coming to an end, replaced by the rule of artificial intelligence. In her new book, The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, historian Jill Lepore asks: what happens to democracy when governments hand more of the decisions that shape our lives to machines – and to the corporations that control them? In this episode, she joins host Mythili Rao to explore how a series of often well-intentioned technological developments brought us to where we are today; why the arrival of ChatGPT marked a historical turning point; and how today’s tech moguls have built infrastructures that increasingly rival the power of the democratic nation-state. By tracing the…

John Berger transformed the way generations thought about art, politics and the act of looking. Best known for Ways of Seeing, his work ranged across migration, capitalism, war and mortality, always asking how culture can help us understand the world around us. In this episode, writer and academic Shahidha Bari speaks with Tom Overton about his new book, John Berger: From Life. Overton first got to know Berger while cataloguing his archive at the British Library, where forgotten photographs, letters and manuscripts would prompt unexpected phone calls from Berger himself: “Can I tell you a story?” Why does Ways of Seeing still feel so radical? How did Berger’s politics shape his writing on art, migration and power? And why does his work continue to speak so directly to the present? Overton reflects on Berger’s collaborators, his political commitments and the enduring generosity of a thinker who believed art could create connection across time. Tom Overton is a writer, editor and researcher. His new book, John…

Schools were promised that laptops, educational apps and artificial intelligence would make learning more personalised, engaging and effective. Cognitive neuroscientist and former teacher Dr Jared Cooney Horvath argues that the opposite may be true. In his new book, The Digital Delusion, Horvath contends that classroom technology can fracture attention, weaken deep reading and encourage children to outsource the mental effort through which learning happens. But does the evidence prove that technology is causing the decline—or merely show that the two have occurred at the same time? In this episode, Horvath joins Conor Boyle, Head of Programming at Intelligence Squared to examine the case against screens in schools, the growing use of AI tutors, the value of handwriting and human teaching, and wider social change. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per…

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has placed not only lives and cities under attack, but also the country’s language, history and culture. Museums have been looted, cultural sites destroyed and a generation of writers, artists and performers drawn into the war. Yet amid this devastation, art has become a powerful form of documentation, resistance and survival. In this episode, journalist and author Hannah Lucinda Smith speaks with Guardian chief culture writer Charlotte Higgins about her book Ukrainian Lessons: A Journey into the Art and Life of a Country at War and the reporting journeys that transformed her understanding of the relationship between culture and conflict. Charlotte reflects on arriving in Kyiv during a major missile attack, learning Ukrainian and meeting the artists determined to record their experiences in their own words. Why do writers turn to poetry in times of war? What makes people risk their lives to protect paintings, manuscripts and museum objects? And how can art restore…

George Michael wrote Careless Whisper, one of the biggest pop songs of our age, in an hour in his childhood bedroom. Alongside his childhood best friend Andrew Ridgeley he founded Wham!, a revolutionary pop group which became one of the defining bands of the 1980s, selling over 30 million records. Yet behind the genius of George Michael was the complex personal story of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou who grew up in a conservative Greek-Cypriot immigrant family and had a life shaped by shame, addiction, homophobia, tabloid scrutiny and extraordinary creative flair. Ten years on since his tragic death on Christmas Day in 2016, George Michael’s cultural legacy is as strong as ever, with his unforgettable hit song Last Christmas still playing on playlists and radio stations every December. In June 2026, Sathnam Sanghera, an award-winning journalist who has long written about immigrant communities in Britain and the legacy of empire, joined us live at Union Chapel to discuss his new book, Tonight the Music Seems So…

George Michael wrote Careless Whisper, one of the biggest pop songs of our age, in an hour in his childhood bedroom. Alongside his childhood best friend Andrew Ridgeley he founded Wham!, a revolutionary pop group which became one of the defining bands of the 1980s, selling over 30 million records. Yet behind the genius of George Michael was the complex personal story of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou who grew up in a conservative Greek-Cypriot immigrant family and had a life shaped by shame, addiction, homophobia, tabloid scrutiny and extraordinary creative flair. Ten years on since his tragic death on Christmas Day in 2016, George Michael’s cultural legacy is as strong as ever, with his unforgettable hit song Last Christmas still playing on playlists and radio stations every December. In June 2026, Sathnam Sanghera, an award-winning journalist who has long written about immigrant communities in Britain and the legacy of empire, joined us live at Union Chapel to discuss his new book, Tonight the Music Seems So…

By the early 1980s Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were the richest, best-known filmmakers in the world, with an empire of their own. Coppola had directed The Godfather, then the highest-grossing film of all-time, until Spielberg surpassed it with Jaws — whose record Lucas broke with Star Wars, which Spielberg surpassed again with E.T. In a new book, The Last Kings of Hollywood, Paul Fischer charts their rise from young, ambitious filmmakers in the 1960s to the dominant creative forces of 1970s and 80s American cinema. In this episode, he joins Anna Bogutskaya to examine how these three era-defining filmmakers rivalled and supported each other, fell out and reconciled, and struggled to reinvent popular American cinema. Paul Fischer is an author, screenwriter and filmmaker. The Last Kings of Hollywood: The Battle for the Soul of American Cinema is available online and in bookstores now. Anna Bogutskaya is a film critic, programmer and author of Feeding The Monster. If you'd like to…

Colm Tóibín is widely acclaimed for the emotional restraint and quiet power of his prose. His writing explores exile, abandonment, loss and denial, the things that go unspoken and the feelings not acted upon. His novels include Nora Webster; Brooklyn, which was turned into a film starring Saoirse Ronan; and its sequel, Long Island, both telling the story of a young Irishwoman who emigrates to the United States in the years after the Second World War. In June 2026 he comes to Intelligence Squared to discuss the themes of his new collection of short stories, The News From Dublin. In these poignant tales, a woman in Galway learns of her son’s death in the First World War; an Irishman seeks anonymity in Barcelona; and an undocumented worker prepares to leave San Francisco after decades in America. We were joined by Tóibín at Union Chapel in June 2026 where he discussed the themes of this new collection – exploring the ordinary lives of individuals navigating extraordinary moments in history – and refleted on the…

Colm Tóibín is widely acclaimed for the emotional restraint and quiet power of his prose. His writing explores exile, abandonment, loss and denial, the things that go unspoken and the feelings not acted upon. His novels include Nora Webster; Brooklyn, which was turned into a film starring Saoirse Ronan; and its sequel, Long Island, both telling the story of a young Irishwoman who emigrates to the United States in the years after the Second World War. In June 2026 he comes to Intelligence Squared to discuss the themes of his new collection of short stories, The News From Dublin. In these poignant tales, a woman in Galway learns of her son’s death in the First World War; an Irishman seeks anonymity in Barcelona; and an undocumented worker prepares to leave San Francisco after decades in America. We were joined by Tóibín at Union Chapel in June 2026 as he discussed the themes of this new collection – exploring the ordinary lives of individuals navigating extraordinary moments in history – and reflected on the…

The Jeffrey Epstein story has created shockwaves on both sides of the Atlantic. As new documents continue to emerge, and as journalists continue to report around those documents, we’re increasingly seeing how the powerful and well-connected can evade scrutiny. At its core, this is a story about a system of privilege that shielded Epstein – and failed the women and girls around him. Amy Wallace and Emily Maitlis have each played a pivotal role in bringing this story to light. Wallace, an American journalist and writer, spent years working with Epstein survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre, helping her to tell her story in her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl. Maitlis’s explosive Newsnight interview with the then Prince Andrew addressed his relationship with Epstein. This was the broadcast that sparked public outrage, and triggered a crisis from which the royal family has struggled to recover. In July 2026 Maitlis and Wallace came together on the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss what this story reveals about…

The Jeffrey Epstein story has created shockwaves on both sides of the Atlantic. As new documents continue to emerge, and as journalists continue to report around those documents, we’re increasingly seeing how the powerful and well-connected can evade scrutiny. At its core, this is a story about a system of privilege that shielded Epstein – and failed the women and girls around him. Amy Wallace and Emily Maitlis have each played a pivotal role in bringing this story to light. Wallace, an American journalist and writer, spent years working with Epstein survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre, helping her to tell her story in her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl. Maitlis’s explosive Newsnight interview with the then Prince Andrew addressed his relationship with Epstein. This was the broadcast that sparked public outrage, and triggered a crisis from which the royal family has struggled to recover. In July 2026 Maitlis and Wallace came together on the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss what this story reveals about…

What we like has never been entirely our own. Taste has always been shaped by class, culture and the people around us. But in the age of algorithms and AI, our preferences are increasingly being predicted, curated and sold back to us. In this episode, Mia Sorenti speaks with Ione Gamble, founding editor of Polyester zine, about how taste is formed, why it matters, and what happens when algorithms replace curiosity with convenience. From Spotify recommendations and TikTok trends to influencer culture and AI-generated content, Gamble argues that digital platforms are flattening culture by rewarding familiarity over surprise. Why do our feeds increasingly feel the same? Are we choosing what we like, or simply consuming what algorithms decide to show us? And what happens to creativity when artists begin making work for recommendation engines rather than people? Drawing on The Polyester Book of (Bad) Taste, a collection of essays by writers including Nicola Dinan and Yomi Adegoke, Gamble makes the case for…

For many of us, our relationships with our siblings are the longest of our lives. They shape our earliest experiences of love, rivalry, identity and belonging. Yet despite their lasting influence, they are often overlooked in favour of relationships with parents, partners or children. In this episode, journalist and critic Mythili Rao speaks with broadcaster Catherine Carr about the overlooked significance of sibling relationships. Together they explore how these lifelong bonds shape who we become, from birth order and family dynamics to estrangement, grief and the challenges of caring for ageing parents. Why do we place so much weight in birth-order stereotypes? Are only children really different? And what happens when sibling relationships break down? Drawing on personal stories, psychological research and expert interviews, Carr challenges familiar assumptions and examines how changing family structures, falling birth rates and longer lives are reshaping what it means to be a sibling today. Catherine Carr…

Ben Rhodes served as one of Barack Obama’s closest foreign-policy aides, holding the role of Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting from 2009 to 2017. He acted as the lead negotiator in secret talks that normalised U.S.–Cuba relations and was central in building political support for the Iran nuclear deal. Since leaving government, Rhodes has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and his efforts to dismantle Obama’s foreign policy legacy, moves Rhodes argues have destabilised the world and left America vulnerable.; In June 2026 Rhodes came to Intelligence Squared to make sense of America in 2026 and chart a path back to its democratic ideals. Drawing on his new book All We Say: A History of the United States in Fifteen Speeches, Rhodes traced the long battle over what it means to be American — from Benjamin Franklin’s case for compromise to the culture war speeches that foreshadowed Donald Trump. He revealed the extraordinary power that words and oratory have had…

Ben Rhodes served as one of Barack Obama’s closest foreign-policy aides, holding the role of Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting from 2009 to 2017. He acted as the lead negotiator in secret talks that normalised U.S.–Cuba relations and was central in building political support for the Iran nuclear deal. Since leaving government, Rhodes has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and his efforts to dismantle Obama’s foreign policy legacy, moves Rhodes argues have destabilised the world and left America vulnerable.; In June 2026 Rhodes came to Intelligence Squared to make sense of America in 2026 and chart a path back to its democratic ideals. Drawing on his new book All We Say: A History of the United States in Fifteen Speeches, Rhodes traced the long battle over what it means to be American — from Benjamin Franklin’s case for compromise to the culture war speeches that foreshadowed Donald Trump. He revealed the extraordinary power that words and oratory have had…

Since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran in late February, the world has changed dramatically. More than fourteen countries have now become embroiled in the conflict and there is widespread fear the war could impact the world for years to come. Clarissa Ward, CNN’s multi-award-winning Chief International Correspondent, has been reporting on the ground in the Middle East since the outbreak of the war. Ward is no stranger to war and has reported from the front lines of the world’s most dangerous conflicts – including in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza and Ukraine. And since the war with Iran began, she has been stationed in Erbil, Iraq, witnessing Iranian drones flying overhead and speaking to sources across a region gripped by fear about where the conflict could lead. In June 2026 Ward came to Intelligence Squared to discuss the remaking of the world order she has witnessed firsthand throughout her career – and what it costs, in human terms, when order breaks down. --- This is…

Since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran in late February, the world has changed dramatically. More than fourteen countries have now become embroiled in the conflict and there is widespread fear the war could impact the world for years to come. Clarissa Ward, CNN’s multi-award-winning Chief International Correspondent, has been reporting on the ground in the Middle East since the outbreak of the war. Ward is no stranger to war and has reported from the front lines of the world’s most dangerous conflicts – including in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza and Ukraine. And since the war with Iran began, she has been stationed in Erbil, Iraq, witnessing Iranian drones flying overhead and speaking to sources across a region gripped by fear about where the conflict could lead. In June 2026 Ward came to Intelligence Squared to discuss the remaking of the world order she has witnessed firsthand throughout her career – and what it costs, in human terms, when order breaks down. Learn more…