Intelligence Squared

Ever since the discovery of DNA scientists have been on a quest to understand the secrets of the human genome. This quest has not only involved analysing the role genes play in making us who we are – the history of genetics has also been shaped by a desire to explore how far our genes can be altered or enhanced.  In 2012, the discovery that a tool known as CRISPR could be programmed to add and remove elements of DNA marked a huge leap forward, transforming research into treatments for diseases as varied as cancer, Alzheimer’s, sickle cell and HIV, as well as many rare genetic conditions.  In this conversation, recorded at the Francis Crick Institute in London, our panel explores the urgent ethical questions that these advances have unleashed. Chaired by Dr Guddi Singh, the panel featured Tom Whipple, Science Editor at The Times, Shani Dhanda, an award-winning disability activist and inclusion specialist, Dr Güneş Taylor, postdoctoral research scientist at the Francis Crick Institute, and Jimi Olaghere, one of the first people in the world to take part in a life-changing clinical trial using gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease.  In this episode (Part I) the panel explores questions such as: what diseases should we try to cure? How should these be prioritised? What assumptions shape perceptions of disability? Where does the line between editing and enhancing fall? And ultimately who gets to decide?  The event was organised to coincide with a free exhibition at the Francis Crick Institute, London called ‘Cut + Paste,’ exploring the future and ethics of gene editing. The exhibition runs until December 2023. Visit www.crick.ac.uk/CutandPaste to find out more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Maalis 202354min

Samira Ahmed speaks to Academy Award-nominated actor Jude Law. They speak about his life and career, skipping school to go to the cinema in London as a teenager, his foray into acting, and the wide range of characters he’s covered in his career, from Dr. John Watson to the Pope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Maalis 202342min

This is not a debate of religion vs. secularism. This is a debate about where and how the values in life are found, produced, and experienced. Some would argue that atheism has gone too far and there needs to be some point of unity to rally a sense of community around - what will fill a God shaped hole? And to what extent is religion defined by its practices versus the belief in a God? This animated, and often humorous debate brings together writer and philosopher Alain de Botton, Turner Prize winning artist Grayson Perry, writer and broadcaster Anne Atkins, and Benedictine monk Dom Antony Sutch, along with host Tony Curzon Price, editor of openDemocracy. Together our panel debate whether or not the practices associated with religion are appropriate for those without a God and if a God is removed from religion what is left but a system of control and why is that something some secularists want?  This event was recorded on the 24th January 2012 at The Tabernacle, in London. The original producer was Executive Producer Hannah Kaye and editing was by Daisy Moll — 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.  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

26 Maalis 20231h 23min

War - Do we care enough? In this episode, distinguished historian Margaret MacMillan explains why we should care about war and how it’s profoundly impacted our societies, political institutions, values, language and some of our greatest cultural treasures. In conversation with bestselling author and historian Peter Frankopan, MacMillan examines questions such as why warriors are typically men, what role women play, why there are wars with no clear objective or ending, and how non-state actors influence outcomes. Drawing on the themes of MacMillan’s book, 'War: How Conflict Shaped Us', the two also discuss the benefits of war, including votes for women, penicillin, and (arguably) nuclear power. Listen now to discover how war has shaped our past and will continue to shape our future. This event was recorded in November 2020 and produced by Senior Producer Conor Boyle with editing by Daisy Moll — 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.  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

25 Maalis 202354min

Tony Blair is the man who reinvented Labour, won a landslide majority in 1997 and went on to win three elections, becoming Labour’s longest-serving prime minister. He is also the man accused of lies, hubris, money-making deals and taking us into an illegal war.   This episode features a live event which Intelligence Squared hosted in London in March 2016, when we put Tony Blair on trial and examined his legacy on foreign policy, health, education and much more. Levelling charges against him was Tom Bower, investigative journalist and author of Broken Vows: Tony Blair and the Tragedy of Power. Defending him was the journalist and Times columnist David Aaronovitch. This event was originally produced by Hannah Kaye. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Lesfm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Maalis 20231h 3min

How did the Iraq war fuel terror and extremism around the world? What is the connection between Al-Qaeda and ISIS? How did figures like Abū Muṣʻab Zarqāwī and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi become such prominent figures in Jihadism’s global civil war? On episode four of this series Iraq: Legacy of War, brought to you by Intelligence Squared, foreign correspondent Secunder Kermani is joined by Lina Khatib, Director of the SOAS Middle East Institute; Joby Warrick, journalist and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS; and Tam Hussein, investigative journalist and author of The Darkness Inside. Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick: https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/joby-warrick The Darkness Inside by Tam Hussein: https://tinyurl.com/bddmmz7m To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Lesfm. Excerpts featured in this episode are from DW News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23 Maalis 202348min

Over the last twenty years, award-winning Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, has watched his nation disappear time and time again. Sectarian division, ethnic division, and military intervention have torn his native Baghdad apart - leaving him feeling like a stranger in his own city. In the third episode of this series Iraq: Legacy of War, brought to you by Intelligence Squared, host Renad Mansour sits down with Ghaith Abdul-Ahad to discuss how Iraqi citizens lost their country and the disappearing sense of ‘Watan’ - a word that means the nation, the state and the homeland all in one. A Stranger in Your Own City by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad is available now: https://tinyurl.com/2k6kfhh5 To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Lesfm. Excerpts featured in this episode are from Al Jazeera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Maalis 202337min

What happened in Iraq once the Americans and the British arrived? Why was the transfer of power a far from smooth operation? And what else went wrong in what should have been the mission for liberation? In the second episode of this series Iraq: Legacy of War, brought to you by Intelligence Squared, host Manveen Rana, is joined again by Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House; and Clare Short, who was Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 to 2003. To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more. This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Lesfm. Excerpts featured in this episode are from BBC news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

21 Maalis 202343min