Sideways

BBC Radio 4
Sideways

Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Sideways: Series eleven - coming soon…

    Sideways returns with seven new stories of seeing the world differently and the ideas that shape our lives. Stories about everything from the ethics of using AI to simulate conversations with the dead to viewing decay as a vehicle for rebirth. Listen to the eleventh series of Sideways first on BBC Sounds. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producers: Julien Manuguerra-Patten, Vishva Samani and Caroline Thornham Series Editors: Georgia Moodie and Max O'Brien Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson and Nicholas Alexander Theme music by: Ioana Selaru Produced by: Novel for BBC Radio 4

    2 min
  2. 25 Years of the 21st Century: 5. The Age of Artificial Intelligence

    4 DAYS AGO

    25 Years of the 21st Century: 5. The Age of Artificial Intelligence

    Geoffrey Hinton's work laid the foundation for today's artificial intelligence systems. His research on neural networks has paved the way for current AI systems like ChatGPT. In artificial intelligence, neural networks are systems that are similar to the human brain in the way they learn and process information. They enable artificial intelligence to learn from experience, as human beings would. But Geoffrey Hinton has warned that machines could one day outsmart humans. He has even warned that autonomous weapons could be active on the battlefields of the future. In this final episode of 25 Years of the 21st Century, Matthew Syed interviews Professor Hinton. Historian and author Margaret MacMillan and Baroness Joanna Shields also join Matthew in discussion. Baroness Shields has been working in the field of technology for forty years, holding senior roles at both Google and Facebook. She was the UK’s first Minister for Internet Safety and Security. She’s also a Conservative life peer in the House of Lords. Does she agree with Geoffrey Hinton's concerns for the future? For 25 Years of the 21st Century, is this the age of artificial intelligence? Production team Editor: Sara Wadeson Producers: Michaela Graichen, Marianna Brain, Emma Close Sound: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison Archive Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007

    28 min
  3. 25 Years of the 21st Century: 4. The Age of Changing Families

    5 DAYS AGO

    25 Years of the 21st Century: 4. The Age of Changing Families

    As we swipe to find love and consult chatbot therapists, Matthew Syed asks how technology has altered the way we approach dating, friendship and community. It’s not all technology, though. Key changes in social trends, medical innovations, demography and economic factors have also played a part in how people live. How have relationships changed in the past 25 years? Contributors Margaret MacMillan, Emeritus Professor of International History at the University of Oxford and author of several acclaimed books. Meghan Nolan, an Irish novelist and journalist based in New York. Sarah Harper, Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and a fellow at University College. Production team Editor: Sara Wadeson Producers: Emma Close, Marianna Brain, Michaela Graichen Sound: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison Archive Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007

    29 min
  4. 25 Years of the 21st Century: 3. The Age of Outsourcing

    6 DAYS AGO

    25 Years of the 21st Century: 3. The Age of Outsourcing

    Is this the age of outsourcing? This is not a show about call centres in India. Rather, it's a look at a much deeper shift in who we are, how we think, and where value is created. In some ways, it's the most dizzying and philosophical shift of all. In this episode, we attempt to understand outsourcing at the macro level - how corporations have outsourced so much that they’ve become hollow. And we look at the micro level - how we've outsourced our minds and memories to technology. Contributors Margaret MacMillan, Emeritus Professor of International History at the University of Oxford and author of several acclaimed books. James Williams is an author and technology advisor. He worked for Google for more than 10 years where he received the Founders Award for his work on search advertising. He's the author of Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy. John Key is author of The Corporation in the 21st Century. He's a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and a columnist for the Financial Times. Production team Editor: Sara Wadeson Producers: Emma Close, Marianna Brain, Michaela Graichen Sound: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison Archive Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007

    28 min
  5. 25 Years of the 21st Century: 2. The Age of Mistrust

    6 JAN

    25 Years of the 21st Century: 2. The Age of Mistrust

    Have we lost faith in institutions, politicians - and even money? Some people say there is an onslaught of misinformation and a battle for truth. So who do we trust now? In this series, we’re remembering some of the big events of this century and asking how they’re shaping us. Matthew is joined by Margaret MacMillan a historian and author, Rachel Botsman the author of three books on trust and Helen Margetts, a Professor of Society and the Internet at the University of Oxford. Production team Editor: Sara Wadeson Producers: Marianna Brain, Emma Close, Michaela Graichen Sound: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison Archive Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007

    28 min
  6. 25 Years of the 21st Century: 1. The Age of Digital Warfare

    6 JAN

    25 Years of the 21st Century: 1. The Age of Digital Warfare

    In this series, we’re remembering some of the major events of this century and asking how they’re shaping us. This programme is all about war and conflict: from the events of September 11th 2001, to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. We're also looking at artificial intelligence on the battlefield. Where might that take us? Matthew is joined by historian and writer Margaret MacMillan, former Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Nick Carter and author, Professor Anthony King. Production team Editor: Sara Wadeson Producers: Marianna Brain, Emma Close, Michaela Graichen, Arlene Gregorius Sound: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison Archive Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007

    29 min
  7. Appetite for Distraction: 5. The Future of Attention

    03/12/2024

    Appetite for Distraction: 5. The Future of Attention

    Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention. In this final episode, he considers where our media consumption might be headed. Many are concerned about smartphone addiction and a disintegration of public discourse, but others see a brighter future and our current times as a turning point to a world where the capacities of technology are used to benefit of society. Matthew speaks to a former tech engineer who has become a philosopher and activist on attention, a historian who believes that our current era has many precedents, a psychologist who is wary of headlines about collapsed attention spans and a behavioural economist who can see a way that our society will adapt to the digital world. Contributors: James Williams, author of Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy Matthew Sweet, Historian and Broadcaster Professor Pete Etchells, Psychologist, Bath Spa University and author of Unlocked: The Science of Screen Time and How to Spend it Better Michael Muthukrishna, Associate Professor of Economic Psychology and author of A Theory of Everyone: The New Science of who we are, how we got here and where we are going. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Sam Peach

    15 min
  8. Appetite for Distraction: 4. Attention Shortfall?

    03/12/2024

    Appetite for Distraction: 4. Attention Shortfall?

    Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention. In this episode Matthew traces the inexorable rise of shortform video and investigates its success. He asks what the increasing popularity of this type of media might mean for our attention and finds out about the people using for purposes that may have surprised Neil Postman. Apps such as Tik Tok, Youtube and Snapchat are ubiquitous and for many have become the chief way that they consume media. What does watching shorter videos mean for the content, and how do these apps change our habits and possibly, our brains? The popularity of this medium has driven traditional institutions that are concerned with public affairs to embrace shortform video. So what's the result? Matthew finds out. Contributors: Dr Zoetanya Sujon, University of the Arts London Dave Jorgenson, Senior Video Journalist, Washington Post. Communications and Media Society, University of Liverpool Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Sam Peach

    14 min
See All (91)

Hosts & Guests

About

Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    91
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2025
  • Show Website
    Sideways

More From BBC

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada