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Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

300 episodes

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 podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

More about the show

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Episodes page 4 of 6

  1. Could Silicon Valley Billionaires Cure Aging? With Aleks Krotoski

    · 53 min · S1 E3385

    What it might mean – biologically, socially, and philosophically – if death becomes optional? Humanity has long dreamed about the idea of immortality. And in 2026, many believe that dream could soon become a reality.…

  2. Will AI Design New Organisms From Scratch? With Adrian Woolfson

    · 42 min · S1 E3384

    What if DNA could be edited as easily as software? What if we could delete disease, redesign organisms, and eventually rewrite ourselves? In this episode, Adrian Woolfson joins host Güneş Taylor to discuss his book,…

  3. Is it Game Over for Keir Starmer? Martin Wolf for The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook 2026 (Part Two)

    · 36 min · S1 E3383

    2026 opened with a bang on the world stage. With Donald Trump's aggressive approach to foreign policy and the release of the Epstein files threatening more political upheaval, it's clear that this year will be another…

  4. Is it Game Over for Keir Starmer? Martin Wolf for The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook 2026 (Part One)

    · 34 min · S1 E3382

    2026 opened with a bang on the world stage. With Donald Trump's aggressive approach to foreign policy and the release of the Epstein files threatening more political upheaval, it's clear that this year will be another…

  5. Fascism, Exile, and Redefining Home in the 21st Century, with Ece Temelkuran

    · 41 min · S1 E3381

    What does it mean to belong when the very idea of home is under threat? In this episode we’re joined by award-winning author and political thinker Ece Temelkuran. Forced into exile for her critical views of President…

  6. Why Changing How You Breathe Can Transform Your Health, with James Nestor

    · 36 min · S1 E3380

    Each of us takes on average 25,000 breaths a day. Yet, as a species we have lost the ability to breathe correctly – and this has consequences for our health. That’s the argument of bestselling author James Nestor who…

  7. The Trillion Dollar Battle For Your Attention, with Peter Schmidt and D. Graham Burnett

    · 46 min · S1 E3379

    Our attention is under attack. A handful of powerful tech companies are extracting and monetising our focus, reshaping our inner lives and threatening the foundations of democracy. Many proposed solutions rely on…

  8. Sir Sajid Javid – Lessons From the Front Bench (Part Two)

    · 32 min · S1 E3377

    For more than a decade, Sir Sajid Javid was at the heart of power in Britain. First elected in 2010, he rapidly rose to his first cabinet position as Culture Secretary. The son of a bus driver and comprehensive…

  9. Sir Sajid Javid – Lessons From the Front Bench (Part One)

    · 38 min · S1 E3377 · Explicit

    For more than a decade, Sir Sajid Javid was at the heart of power in Britain. First elected in 2010, he rapidly rose to his first cabinet position as Culture Secretary. The son of a bus driver and comprehensive…

  10. Can Water Shape Our Future?

    · 30 min · S1 E3375

    In today’s episode, the second in our series in partnership with WaterAid, journalist and author Coco Khan speaks to Helen Rumford, WaterAid’s Lead Policy Analyst for Climate Policy and Campaigns and Vera Kloettschen,…

  11. Julian Barnes in conversation with Ian McEwan (Part Two)

    · 40 min · S1 E3376

    Julian Barnes and Ian McEwan are widely celebrated as two of the finest writers of their generation. Along with Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro, they were included on Granta’s prescient Best Young British Novelists…

  12. Julian Barnes in conversation with Ian McEwan (Part One)

    · 36 min · S1 E3374

    Julian Barnes and Ian McEwan are widely celebrated as two of the finest writers of their generation. Along with Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro, they were included on Granta’s prescient Best Young British Novelists…

  13. Why Can’t We Stop Money Laundering? With Oliver Bullough

    · 39 min · S1 E3373

    In an increasingly digital world, hardly anyone relies on cash. $100 bills are essentially absent from global commerce. So how come the US Federal Reserve printed 752 million and 867.2 million of them last year? In…

  14. Is the Arctic the World’s Next War Zone? With Kenneth R. Rosen

    · 48 min · S1 E3372

    Why Is Everyone Suddenly Fighting Over the Arctic? In this episode, Adam McCauley speaks to journalist and author Kenneth R. Rosen about the Arctic’s shifting geopolitical role in the new world order. Nuclear…

  15. Implementing and scaling AI agents in business

    · 35 min · Episode 3371

    Many organisations are experimenting with AI and AI agents. But far fewer are seeing real, measurable impact. The challenge isn’t ambition, it’s readiness. As we explored in the first episode of this series, the…

  16. Happy Mind, Happy Life, with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

    · 1 h 24 min · S1 E3370

    Happiness is good for your health. That’s the argument of Dr Rangan Chatterjee, one of the most influential doctors in the UK and host of Europe’s biggest health podcast Feel Better, Live More. Throughout his career,…

  17. Can Britain Become an AI Superpower? The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook (Part Two)

    · 32 min · S1 E3369

    A record £2.9 billion was invested in British AI companies last year as Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to make the UK an AI superpower. But according to influential business leaders such as Jensen Huang, CEO of the…

  18. Can Britain Become an AI Superpower? The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook (Part One)

    · 33 min · S1 E3368

    A record £2.9 billion was invested in British AI companies last year as Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to make the UK an AI superpower. But according to influential business leaders such as Jensen Huang, CEO of the…

  19. How To Take the Pressure Off and Live Well, with Claudia Hammond (Part Two)

    · 36 min · S1 E3367

    Do you feel as if there is often too much to do in too little time? We are all familiar with overwhelm – an unsettling sense that it is just impossible to keep up with the demands of everyday life. In January 2026…

  20. How To Take the Pressure Off and Live Well, with Claudia Hammond (Part One)

    · 32 min · S1 E3366

    Do you feel as if there is often too much to do in too little time? We are all familiar with overwhelm – an unsettling sense that it is just impossible to keep up with the demands of everyday life. In January 2026…

  21. Is Greece Becoming the New Borderland Between East and West? With Sean Matthews

    · 40 min · S1 E3365

    How does Greece’s Byzantine and Ottoman past shape its future? In this episode, Helen Carr speaks to journalist and author Sean Matthews about Greece’s shifting geopolitical role and alliances. Caught between wars…

  22. An Evening with Alan Davies (Part Two)

    · 33 min · S1 E3364

    Alan Davies is one of the UK’s most-loved comedians best known for starring in the BBC series Jonathan Creek, and for his regular appearances on comedy quiz show QI since 2003. In September 2025 he came to…

  23. An Evening with Alan Davies (Part One)

    · 36 min · S1 E3363

    Alan Davies is one of the UK’s most-loved comedians best known for starring in the BBC series Jonathan Creek, and for his regular appearances on comedy quiz show QI since 2003. In September 2025 he came to…

  24. How is Artificial Intelligence Transforming our Relationships? With James Muldoon

    · 45 min · S1 E3362

    It is over ten years since the release of Spike Jonze’s film Her, in which a lonely man begins a relationship with a computer programme voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Since then, AI companions have surged in popularity.…

  25. Julia Ioffe and Clarissa Ward on Putin, Russia and the Women Fighting For A Better Future (Part Two)

    · 34 min · S1 E3361

    Russian-born journalist Julia Ioffe is one of America’s most influential voices on Russia-US relations, reporting on Putin’s regime for over 15 years. Her new book, Motherland – which has been longlisted for the 2025…

  26. Julia Ioffe and Clarissa Ward on Putin, Russia and the Women Fighting For A Better Future (Part One)

    · 36 min · S1 E3360

    Russian-born journalist Julia Ioffe is one of America’s most influential voices on Russia-US relations, reporting on Putin’s regime for over 15 years. Her new book, Motherland – which has been longlisted for the 2025…

  27. Jonathan Freedland on The Secret Rebels who Defied Hitler (Part Two)

    · 31 min · S1 E3359

    Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist, broadcaster, and author of the widely acclaimed book The Escape Artist which tells the remarkable story of Rudolf Vrba and fellow inmate Alfred Wetzler who became the very…

  28. Jonathan Freedland on The Secret Rebels who Defied Hitler (Part One)

    · 33 min · S1 E3358

    Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist, broadcaster, and author of the widely acclaimed book The Escape Artist which tells the remarkable story of Rudolf Vrba and fellow inmate Alfred Wetzler who became the very…

  29. The Remarkable True Story of The Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970’s, with Jason Burke (Part Two)

    · 33 min · S1 E3357

    In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the…

  30. The Remarkable True Story of The Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970’s, with Jason Burke (Part One)

    · 38 min · S1 E3356

    In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the…

  31. How Tech Platforms Threaten Our Future, With Former White House Advisor Tim Wu (Part Two)

    · 42 min · S1 E3555

    Tim Wu, is one of America’s leading thinkers on technology, power, and the history of monopoly powers. A Columbia Law School professor and former special assistant to President Joe Biden for technology and competition…

  32. How Tech Platforms Threaten Our Future, With Former White House Advisor Tim Wu (Part One)

    · 33 min · S1 E3354

    Tim Wu, is one of America’s leading thinkers on technology, power, and the history of monopoly powers. A Columbia Law School professor and former special assistant to President Joe Biden for technology and competition…

  33. How Philosophy Explains Our World, with Julian Baggini (Part Two)

    · 33 min · S1 E3353

    --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month…

  34. How Philosophy Explains Our World, with Julian Baggini (Part One)

    · 36 min · S1 E3352

    What would Aristotle make of Keir Starmer? Would Plato be a Republican? And what can philosophy teach us about modern world? In October 2025 philosopher Julian Baggini came to Intelligence Squared to help us…

  35. Michael Rosen on Hope, Happiness and Finding Joy in the Small Things (Part Two)

    · 39 min · S1 E3351

    Michael Rosen has known – and given – great joy in his life. And he has suffered immense sorrow. Rosen is an author, poet and former children’s laureate, much-loved for his playful humour. He has written over 200…

  36. Michael Rosen on Hope, Happiness and Finding Joy in the Small Things (Part One)

    · 31 min · S1 E3350

    Michael Rosen has known – and given – great joy in his life. And he has suffered immense sorrow. Rosen is an author, poet and former children’s laureate, much-loved for his playful humour. He has written over 200…

  37. Women’s Prize-winner Rachel Clarke in conversation with Rob Delaney (Part Two)

    · 36 min · S1 E3349

    Dr Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor and author, who became widely known for her writing on the challenges facing the NHS from the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then she has also written a book,…

  38. Women’s Prize-winner Rachel Clarke in conversation with Rob Delaney (Part One)

    · 34 min · S1 E3348

    Dr Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor and author, who became widely known for her writing on the challenges facing the NHS from the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then she has also written a book,…

  39. The Specialist | The Anonymous Altarpiece: Decoding a Renaissance Enigma, with Alex Bell

    · 12 min · S1 E3347

    This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. On today’s episode, what…

  40. Have We Finally Solved The Mystery of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring? With Andrew Graham-Dixon

    · 46 min · S1 E3346

    Johannes Vermeer is one of the greatest painters in history, yet the man himself remains an enigma. But have we finally solved the mystery of one of his most famous paintings? On this episode we’re joined by Andrew…

  41. Everything Starts With Water

    · 40 min · Episode 3345

    In today’s episode, in partnership with WaterAid, journalist and author Coco Khan speaks to Amaka Godfrey, WaterAid’s Executive Director of International Programmes. Amaka has spent more than 25 years working across…

  42. Putin, The Soviet Union and The Rise of Russian Imperialism, with Mikhail Zygar (Part Two)

    · 32 min · S1 E3344

    Mikhail Zygar is a renowned Russian dissident journalist living in exile in the USA. He was the founding editor-in-chief of independent news channel TV Rain in Russia. He publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…

  43. Putin, The Soviet Union and The Rise of Russian Imperialism, with Mikhail Zygar (Part One)

    · 31 min · S1 E3343

    Mikhail Zygar is a renowned Russian dissident journalist living in exile in the USA. He was the founding editor-in-chief of independent news channel TV Rain in Russia. He publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…

  44. The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook with Jeremy Hunt

    · 1 h 25 min · S1 E3342

    We’ve heard enough from the pessimists. Yes, these are hard times, but what investors, business owners and all of us need right now is not more despair about the economy, but a clear roadmap towards growth and…

  45. Rory Stewart on Trump, Nationalism and The Value of Rural Life (Part Two)

    · 31 min · S1 E3341

    Over the course of a decade in politics Rory Stewart saw how power really works and what forces drive our communities apart. He was a backbench MP, held several ministerial positions, and stood for prime minister –…

  46. Rory Stewart on Trump, Nationalism and The Value of Rural Life (Part One)

    · 32 min · S1 E3340

    Over the course of a decade in politics Rory Stewart saw how power really works and what forces drive our communities apart. He was a backbench MP, held several ministerial positions, and stood for prime minister –…

  47. Is Alex Karp the Philosopher of Silicon Valley? With Michael Steinberger

    · 49 min · S1 E3339

    Who does our data belong to? In this episode, Carl Miller speaks to NYT magazine journalist and author Michael Steinberger about Alex Karp, Palantir and the rise of the surveillance state. Founded in 2003, Palantir…

  48. The Courage to Lead, with Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland (Part Two)

    · 33 min · S1 E3338

    Sanna Marin is a trailblazer in modern politics. When she became Prime Minister of Finland in 2019, she made history: at 34 she was the youngest ever leader of her country and the youngest leader in the world at the…

  49. The Courage to Lead, with Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland (Part One)

    · 31 min · S1 E3337

    Sanna Marin is a trailblazer in modern politics. When she became Prime Minister of Finland in 2019, she made history: at 34 she was the youngest ever leader of her country and the youngest leader in the world at the…

  50. Trump, Markets and The Greatest Crash in U.S. History, with Andrew Ross Sorkin (Part Two)

    · 35 min · S1 E3336

    In 1929, the world watched in shock as the unstoppable Wall Street bull market went into a freefall, wiping out fortunes and igniting a depression that would reshape a generation. In November 2025, Andrew Ross Sorkin,…

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