Why Does It Feel Like Everything is Getting Worse? With Cory Doctorow

In this episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast, released on the 33rd anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, journalist and author Evan Ratliff was joined by Adam Higginbotham, author of Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster. Higginbotham and Ratliff, talking at Acast's studio in New York, explore the political and social environment that allowed such an unprecedented human and environmental catastrophe, examining the disaster through the eyes of the men and women who lived through it. And Higginbotham explains how the disaster and its aftermath – along with the Soviet government's wholly inadequate response – might ultimately have hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union. Adam Higginbotham picture: Peter Eavis. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Huhti 201959min

In this episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast we were joined by Julia Shaw the psychologist and author of Making Evil, alongside Rosamund Urwin of the Sunday Times, in a wide-ranging exploration of evil — why do humans do and think bad things? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 Huhti 201957min

Earlier this month we were joined by Thomas Friedman as he brought his wisdom and insight to the world’s current predicaments: How should the West respond to an emboldened China? How do we rebuild the global economy so that it creates prosperity for everyone, not just the few? And how, above all, should we handle the tectonic shifts – technological, demographic and political – that are reshaping our world today?  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 Huhti 20191h 3min

This week's episode features Rutger Bregman, historian and author of Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There. In conversation with Helen Lewis, associate editor of the New Statesman, he discusses subjects ranging from Universal Basic Income, the benefits of the four-day working week, climate change, and his solutions for saving capitalism - plus his recent speech at Davos calling for higher taxes for the rich, a video of which went viral. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Huhti 201948min

This week's episode is something a little different: an episode of Intelligence Squared's new podcast How I Found My Voice. How I Found My Voice is the podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling - and unique - communicators. Hosted by Samira Ahmed, guests include Rose McGowan, Adam Buxton, Philip Pullman, Katherine Ryan and Benjamin Zephaniah. In this week's episode, Samira Ahmed speaks to Hollywood actor and activist Rose McGowan who was one of the first to speak out against Harvey Weinstein. From growing up in a religious cult in Italy to becoming a TV and film star and speaking out against one of the most powerful men in Hollywood - they discuss what moments shaped and inspired Rose to find her voice. If you liked this episode, you can subscribe to How I Found My Voice now on Acast, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Maalis 201940min

This week's episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast is a special episode produced by Intelligence Squared Germany in collaboration with the ECFR. Arguing for the motion "Nationalism is a Delusion: Our Futures Depend on Ever Closer Union" were Polish politician and journalist Radek Sikorski and Swiss political activist Flavia Kleiner. Against the motion were journalist and author Douglas Murray and German-Polish political scientist Aleksandra Rybińska. The debate was chaired by Josef Janning of the ECFR. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Maalis 20191h 4min

Following on from Intelligence Squared’s acclaimed events on great speeches and poetry, when Carey Mulligan, Simon Russell Beale, Helena Bonham Carter and other stars took to our stage, we now present Letters That Changed The World, based on award-winning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore’s new book Written in History: Letters that Changed the World. Joining him on stage were No 1 bestselling novelist Kate Mosse. Together they discussed letters by Michelangelo, Catherine the Great, Sarah Bernhardt, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Virginia Woolf, Alan Turing and Leonard Cohen. Some are inspiring, some unsettling, others express foreboding and despair. Many celebrate love and sex. A cast of performers, including Young Vic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, rising star Jade Anouka, Dunkirk actor Jack Lowden, and West End star Tamsin Greig, brought the letters to life on stage. Listen and discover the bravery, beauty and visceral immediacy in these letters. This event was recorded in London on the 28th of February 2019. It was originally produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us at @intelligence2.  At Intelligence Squared we’ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go. It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Maalis 20191h 28min

Britain is now facing one of the biggest constitutional crises in its history. As Brexit looms, Intelligence Squared staged a special town hall meeting with some of the country’s most prominent political leaders. We were joined on stage by former Conservative MP and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell; Conservative MP Kenneth Clarke; Director of UK in a Changing Europe Anand Menon; MP for North Antrim for the DUP Ian Paisley Jr; and Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips. The debate was chaired by the Guardian's Jonathan Freedland. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Maalis 20191h 24min