Where Great Minds Meet

Intelligence Squared

Channel · 17 Shows

Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated daily
Politics

Politics

Daily series
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
History

History

Daily series
Business

Business

Updated 04/08/2024
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Updated 17 Mar

30 Oct

The Forgotten War: Inside the Democratic Republic of Congo

In 2005, journalist Anjan Sundaram travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to work as a stringer for the Associated Press. What followed was an extraordinary eighteen months, taking him from the chaotic streets of Kinshasa to the country's vast rainforests and into the heart of one of the deadliest conflicts since the Second World War. In this episode, Sundaram joins journalist and author Carl Miller to discuss his acclaimed memoir Stringer, a gripping account of life as a foreign correspondent in one of the world's most troubled countries. Together, they explore the realities of reporting from a war zone, the people and stories that rarely make international headlines, and what his experiences reveal about the Congo, journalism and the search for truth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2 days ago

What Do the Dead Internet Theory and Russian Intelligence Operations Have in Common? With Carl Miller

The dead internet theory began as an obscure online conspiracy. Its proponents claimed the internet had been overrun by bots and automated content. In 2021, much of it sounded paranoid. Today, parts of the theory are beginning to look uncomfortably plausible. According to Cloudflare, machines now generate more web traffic than people, while AI-generated music, images and writing are flooding online platforms. Some material is even designed not for human readers, but for other bots and AI systems that retrieve and cite it. In this episode, Mia Sorenti speaks with researcher Carl Miller about an internet increasingly shaped by machines talking to machines. Drawing on new research from Demos, Carl sheds light on findings that suggest Russian propagandists are already manipulating the information served up by LLMs - and how we can fight back in a new age of information warfare. Carl Miller is a Demos Fellow and co-founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media. He is co-author of the Demos report GEO for Geopolitics. Mia Sorenti is Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 Oct

Archive: Is Mark Zuckerberg Damaging Society?

With the release of Aaron Sorkin's new film The Social Reckoning, Mark Zuckerberg and the dark side of Facebook are back in the spotlight.In 2019, Intelligence Squared put Zuckerberg on trial, asking whether Facebook was doing more harm than good. Was the platform connecting billions of people and transforming the world for the better? Or was it undermining democracy, spreading misinformation and fuelling political division?Seven years later, Facebook is part of Meta, artificial intelligence is transforming social media, and questions about the power and accountability of Silicon Valley's technology giants have become more urgent than ever.In this debate from the Intelligence Squared archive, Damian Collins and Nina Schick argue that Facebook is damaging society, while former Facebook executive Dex Torricke-Barton and former UK government minister Ed Vaizey defend the company.As Zuckerberg faces renewed scrutiny, we revisit a debate that asks who should be held responsible for the consequences of social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5 days ago

Is Politics Beyond Satire? Live with Armando Iannucci, Jan Ravens and Jess Phillips [Archive]

Has satire lost its power in this new world of fake news and ‘alternative facts’ - when our leaders lie so blatantly and frequently, and still manage to get away with it? Or is humour a more important tool than ever to hold those in power to account? We were joined by celebrated comedy writer and producer Armando Iannucci, Labour MP Jess Phillips, and satirist and impressionist Jan Ravens to unpack these questions live on stage at the Union chapel in London. The event was chaired by journalist, writer and broadcaster Samira Ahmed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 days ago

What Happens If Billionaires Control the Tools of War? With Sharon Weinberger

For decades, Silicon Valley liked to tell a story about itself: brilliant outsiders, working beyond government, moving faster than institutions ever could. But that story leaves something rather important out. The American military and intelligence agencies helped to finance the technologies, companies and ambitions that made the Valley powerful. With governments increasingly relying on privately owned satellites, software, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, we’re going to explore why the people who control those systems are not simply contractors. They have fortunes, political commitments and power of their own. So who is serving whom? In this episode, Margherita Volpato speaks to Sharon Weinberger. In her new book is Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War, she outlines why governments are increasingly reliant on privately owned satellites, software, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, and what it means for this level of control to be in the hands of private contractors. Together, they will explore: who is serving whom? Sharon Weinbeger has reported on national security, science and technology for more than 25 years. She is editor-in-chief of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and was previously national security editor at The Wall Street Journal. Her new book is Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War. Margherita Volpato is Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
26 Oct

Were Castles the Original Military-Industrial Complex? With Dan Jones

For more than 3,000 years, castles and fortifications have shaped the landscapes around them. They defended cities, controlled trade and provided refuge in times of war. But they were also monuments to the ambition of those who built them: vast projects that brought together military power, engineering, labour and wealth. Were castles the original military-industrial complex? Why did even the strongest fortresses fall? And why do these obsolete weapons of war retain such a powerful hold over our imaginations? In this episode, Mia Sorenti speaks with historian and broadcaster Dan Jones about what castles reveal about the societies that built them. Drawing on examples from Troy and medieval Wales to Japan and the United States, Jones explains how rulers used fortifications to make their authority visible, reshape economies and claim control over a people’s history and mythology. Dan Jones is a historian, author and broadcaster. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a trustee of Historic Royal Palaces and the host of the This Is History podcast. His latest book is Castles: A Fortified History of the World. Mia Sorenti is Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Oct

Marina Hyde and Jesse Armstrong, Live in Brighton

Described by Phoebe Waller-Bridge as “the most lethal, vital, screamingly funny truth-teller of our time”, Marina Hyde has become one of Britain’s most popular columnists and podcasters. A Sunday Times bestselling author and co-host of the smash hit podcast The Rest is Entertainment, she has an unrivalled talent for making sense of our stranger-than-fiction times. In September 2026 Hyde came to the Intelligence Squared stage in Brighton, marking the launch of her new book 'What A Time To Be Alive!'. From lambasting the Trump presidency, to the increasing popularity of Nigel Farage's Reform, from the spectacle of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Venice wedding to the Beckham family feud, she is chief chronicler of our gloriously chaotic age. Hyde was joined live on stage award-winning screenwriter and producer Jesse Armstrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Aug

Can Democracy Survive the Age of AI? With Jill Lepore

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 origins of the ‘Artificial State’, Lepore shows that its rise was never inevitable – and its future isn’t either. She finds hope in growing resistance to the power of AI across the political divide, and says that through organised opposition, we can decide what technology should be for and the future we want it to create. Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at the New Yorker. Mythili Rao is a journalist, book critic and podcaster. 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 ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
22 Oct

Has America Abandoned Ukraine? With Michael McFaul

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Aug

The Secret History in Our DNA: Adam Rutherford Meets David Olusoga (Part One)

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 misconceptions about race and ancestry, and considered the profound consequences of the Human Genome Project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5.0 (1)

Society & Culture
VS is a light-hearted podcast about the little debates that are always a big deal to someone. Arsenal VS Spurs. McDonald’s VS KFC. Twitter VS TikTok. 80s VS 90s. And many more. Our host Coco Khan invites experts and fans to go head-to-head on the timeless debates that form the lifeblood of friendships. Who wins? You decide with our weekly vote. VS is an Intelligence Squared production. Tune in to new episodes every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Society & Culture
Why did we go to war in Iraq? What went wrong? And how has this war shaped the region and the world we live in today? These are just some of the questions that we explore in ‘Iraq: Legacy of War’, a limited podcast series brought to you by Intelligence Squared to mark twenty years since the US-led invasion in 2003. Through interviews with policy-makers, military personnel, journalists, academics and Iraqi citizens, we reflect on the legacy of one of the most significant military interventions in modern history Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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History
In our age of disruption and uncertainty, Covid-19 and climate change, the need to debate our economic future has never been more important. We speak to business leaders, authors, public intellectuals and economists about the future of capitalism and the trends changing the world of economics & business.For more information head over to IntelligenceSquared.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Business
Welcome to Arts & Culture by Intelligence Squared. Here we delve into the artistic and cultural moments, movements and conversations that have shaped, and are still shaping, our world. In this podcast Intelligence Squared speaks to some of the world’s greatest orators, writers, actors and artists. Guests include Stephen Fry, Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo, Salman Rushdie, Kate Winslet, Simon Schama, Tom Hiddleston and Marina Abromović. Join us every week as we feature the best of culture today and revisit some of the best live podcasts we have produced over the last twenty years. For more information head over to IntelligenceSquared.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Society & Culture
The Future. It’s all there, in front of us. It could go wonderfully. Or it could go badly wrong. It will inevitably require our passions and our ingenuity. So how do we see the challenges early on, find solutions and help make the world a better place? For ourselves, for our families, for everyone. Welcome to the Y TREE view. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Social Sciences

Intelligence Squared podcast is the home of lively debate and deep-dive discussion. To listen ad-free, enjoy exclusive content and early access to new episodes, hit subscribe for a 7-day free trial of IQ2 Extra. Our bonus content includes Bright Sparks: quickfire Q&As bringing you closer to some of the brightest minds on the planet. First up is Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow. Early access brings you our Friday shows 48hrs in advance and you can enjoy all of our upcoming listens ad-free. We take you to the heart of the issues that matter, in the company of the world’s sharpest thinkers and most exciting orators. Join the debate, live and online, at www.intelligencesquared.com and download our podcasts every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

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The Forgotten War: Inside the Democratic Republic of Congo

What Do the Dead Internet Theory and Russian Intelligence Operations Have in Common? With Carl Miller

Archive: Is Mark Zuckerberg Damaging Society?

Is Politics Beyond Satire? Live with Armando Iannucci, Jan Ravens and Jess Phillips [Archive]

What Happens If Billionaires Control the Tools of War? With Sharon Weinberger

Were Castles the Original Military-Industrial Complex? With Dan Jones

Marina Hyde and Jesse Armstrong, Live in Brighton

Can Democracy Survive the Age of AI? With Jill Lepore

Has America Abandoned Ukraine? With Michael McFaul

The Secret History in Our DNA: Adam Rutherford Meets David Olusoga (Part One)

Get exclusive episodes, ad-free listening and more

John Gray and David Runciman on Finding Meaning in a Post-Liberal World

Mariana Mazzucato and Stella Creasy on Making and Taking in the Global Economy, PART 1

Eighty Is The New Thirty: A Guide To Getting Older, PART 3

Thomas Friedman on the Future of America and the World: The Post-Election Dissection

Ctrl, Alt, Delusion: Resetting Reality In The Manosphere

Debate: It’s Time To Ditch the Canon of Great White Men, Part 2

Keir Starmer, Will Hutton, Alastair Campbell and Sonia Sodha on How to Remake Britain, Part Three

Simon Schama on Pandemics and the Health of Nations, Part Two

The 12 Books of Christmas | The Anxious Generation: Jonathan Haidt on How Smartphones Rewired Childhood

Politics in the Age of Chaos with Rafael Behr

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