Sideways

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.6 (68)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

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

  1. SEP 10

    78. Hide and Seek

    In 2014, Lydia Laurenson moved to San Francisco. As she struggled to find her place and her people in a new city, one mysterious invitation changed everything. After a compelling - if slightly bizarre - induction, she was welcomed into a secretive and exclusive group called The Latitude. Their aim? To experience life more creatively. There’s something undeniably powerful about being chosen. For centuries, secret societies have perfected a mix of mystery, camaraderie, and selectiveness. And that taps into something deeply human - the need to belong. From secret childhood clubs to private online groups, we’ve always created small, hidden worlds that feel like they’re just for us. Today, we ask what it is about being on the inside of something hidden that makes us feel seen. With writer Lydia Laurenson, Professor of History Rick Spence, and British author Tiffany Jenkins. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4.

    29 min

  2. SEP 3

    77. Crazy Cat Lady

    Anna Go-Go has always defied expectations - she was a drummer (still rare for a woman), then a comedian and now a mass Go-Go dance instructor - always with her beloved cats by her side. But when she turned 40, she noticed people’s attitudes changed towards her. They saw her as an older woman living alone with cats and really began to treat her like a ‘crazy cat lady’. The idea of a woman living alone with cats has caused cultural panic for centuries. In 2021 when US vice-president JD Vance was a Senate candidate, he described how his country was run by a bunch of ‘childless cat ladies’ - miserable at their lives and the choices they made. The comments went viral and were heavily criticised but they also drew attention to the modern-day use of the cat lady trope. In this episode, with the help of history and science, Matthew Syed explores how and why this centuries-old shaming tactic has travelled through time and still echoes today. With performer, mass dance master and author of Cat Lady Manifesto, Anna Go-Go; Dr Corey Wrenn, Lecturer of Sociology at the University of Kent; historian and author of the book Catland, Kathryn Hughes; and evolutionary biologist at Washington University in St Louis and author of The Age of Cats, Professor Jonathan Losos. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittan Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

    29 min

  3. AUG 27

    76. When Time Slows Down

    Movie stuntman Brian Hite often experiences a dramatic slowing down of time while performing complex stunts in a matter of seconds, like car hits - entering the fabled place often described by top sportspeople as “the zone”. It’s something Matthew’s experienced himself during his professional table-tennis career. Brief, heightened moments in which the ball feels larger, the racquet becomes an extension of the body, and everything slows down. These intense slow-motion experiences are generally explained as a trick of memory. But could they be something more - could it be that time is less rigid than we think? After all, modern theories of physics already challenge our everyday experience of time. Civil engineer Philip Wade experienced time in slow-motion twice while on holiday skiing too. It was so powerful, it set him on a path of meditation, and entirely changed his perspective on time. Delving into new scientific theories and transpersonal psychology, Matthew Syed examines these experiences more deeply and asks whether such encounters suggest the way we think of time itself is an illusion. With professional stuntman and sports performance psychologist Dr Brian Hite; Transpersonal Psychologist at Leeds Beckett University and author of the book Time Expansion Experiences, Dr Steve Taylor; Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Queen Mary University of London, Bernard Carr; and spiritual guide Philip Wade, creator of The Living Soul App. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

    29 min

  4. AUG 20

    75. Me, Myself and Mine

    Few people you’ll come across on the street look like Ryan Emans. His body is heavily modified, from head to toe - including a tongue split that gives it a forked, snake-like shape. These changes weren’t accidental or something he was born with, Ryan chose each modification deliberately as a way to make his outer self reflect who he truly is inside. Many of us see the body as our only true property. While not everyone chooses to modify their body as radically as Ryan, we find meaning in believing it is ours and ours alone. But our relationship with our bodies raises a deeper question - one that blurs the boundaries of what we consider the self. Is my body me, or is my body mine? In this episode, Matthew Syed dives into the notion of body ownership and explores what it really means to live in and with our bodies. With mental health nurse Ryan Emans, political theorist Professor Anne Phillips, and neuroscientist Professor Heather Iriye. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson Theme music by: Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

    29 min

  5. AUG 13

    74. Inventing a Language

    Identical twins Matthew and Michael Youlden invented their own private language as toddlers. They’ve gone on to become accomplished multi-linguists, but kept up their childhood invented language and still use it today. Matthew Syed explores the extraordinary human capacity to invent new systems of communication and considers whether language can penetrate and shape the way we see the world. He discovers the fascinating process involved in developing fictional languages with language creator Jessie Peterson. She invented ‘Firish’ (or Ts'íts'àsh), which is spoken by the animated fire beings in Disney’s Elemental. Matthew also hears about the life-changing effect the ancient language of Sanskrit had on an American Professor. Through their stories, Matthew rethinks his own feelings towards the relationship between language and thought. With identical twins ‘Superpolyglot Bros’ Matthew and Michael Youlden; Professor of Psychology and Director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University Fullerton, Dr Nancy Segal; professional language creator Jessie Peterson; and Varun Khanna, Professor of Classics at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittan Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

    29 min
  6. 3. Peace Reimagined

    AUG 6

    3. Peace Reimagined

    When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, one man declared the use of weapons to defend his nation as morally wrong. He faces years in prison for his views. He’s a pacifist, and believes that war is not justified under any means - a view Matthew Syed’s own grandfather held in the Second World War. In this final episode of Chasing Peace, a special three-part mini series of Sideways, Matthew Syed scrutinises the arguments of people who are radically committed to non-violent solutions to conflict. Persuading fellow young Palestinians that there’s a peaceful solution to the Israel-Gaza conflict is a daily, monumental challenge for Palestinian peacebuilder Wasim Almasri. Within his community, it's almost transgressive to consistently advocate a non-violent way forward - and he can understand why. He discusses a pioneering project he trialled that used AI to enable anonymous digital dialogues to help both sides find common ground. Matthew contemplates whether there’s any possibility of clinging on to the idea of peace - when it feels like the most impossible option. With Ukrainian conscientious objector and Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, Yurii Sheliazhenko; Rachel Julian, Professor of Peace Studies at Leeds Beckett University; third-generation Palestinian refugee and Director of Programmes of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, Wasim Almasri; and Lisa Schirch, Professor of the Practice of Technology and Peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

    29 min
  7. 2. A Peace that Lasts

    JUL 30

    2. A Peace that Lasts

    Uganda, in the mid-1990s - 35-year-old Betty Bigombe is sent by President Yoweri Museveni to the north of the country to open peace talks with rebel groups. Her mission: to stop the violence by negotiating with those behind thousands of deaths and horrific massacres. But to bring peace, she might have to compromise - and that might mean offering concessions or even immunity to people who have perpetrated unimaginable crimes. Could Betty end the suffering without sacrificing justice? Stopping violence through a ceasefire is one thing. Securing a peace that prevents future conflict is quite another. A true, lasting peace demands more than just halting the guns; it requires getting all the elements right to avoid reigniting old wounds. But in order to get there, we might have to explore challenging avenues. In the second episode of Chasing Peace, a special three-part mini series of Sideways, Matthew Syed explores whether lessons from past efforts can guide us toward a peace that lasts. Should we rethink how we engage with those labelled as ‘the bad guys’? Where does justice fit into a successful peace process? With former Uganda peace negotiator Betty Bigombe, preventive diplomacy expert Gabrielle Rifkind, Professor of International Relations Oliver Richmond and International Center for Transitional Justice Deputy Executive Director Anna-Myriam Roccatello. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

    29 min
  8. 1. Wired for War?

    JUL 23

    1. Wired for War?

    It’s December 2008. Wasim’s newborn daughter Yuna urgently needs care. He has no choice but to navigate the flames engulfing the streets of Gaza to find a doctor. In that harrowing moment, Wasim feels a profound injustice. This is not the future he wants for Yuna - or any other child. Despite the disheartening decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, on that day, Wasim still resolved to dedicate his life - to peace. With conflicts and wars flaring across the globe, many of us struggle to believe that true, global peace is possible. If anything, it feels more elusive than ever. But if Wasim’s story shows us anything, it’s that even in difficult circumstances, we haven’t given up on the hope of peace. In this first episode of Chasing Peace, a special three-part mini-series of Sideways, we explore whether humans are truly capable of peace, or if the dice were stacked against us from the very beginning. With peace activist Wasim Al Masri, anthropologist Dr Douglas Fry, Professor of International Relations Oliver Richmond, and former Uganda peace negotiator Betty Bigombe. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson Theme music by: Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

    29 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.6
out of 5
68 Ratings

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
    107
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2025
  • Show Website
    Sideways

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