Margaret MacMillan on How War Has Shaped Humanity

Did you know that Mary Shelley was a teenager when she started writing Frankenstein in 1814? Or that England’s most prolific goal scorer - man or woman - was superstar striker Lily Parr, who scored a staggering 997 goals between 1919 and 1951? When Kate Mosse launched the #WomenInHistory campaign, asking people to highlight women whose achievements have been overlooked by history, she received thousands of nominations from around the globe. The result is her new book, Feminist History For Every Day of the Year. In it, she celebrates the extraordinary achievements of activists, writers, scientists, politicians and others, some of whom are household names, and others who deserve to be better known. She sat down with broadcaster Shahidha Bari to share some of these incredible stories. They talked about the importance of putting women and girls back into history - including those with complicated or problematic views - and why rights are always fought for, never given, and need to be protected. Kate Mosse is a novelist and founder of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. Feminist History For Every Day of the Year is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

21 Sep 53min

What if the real story of climate change is far more hopeful than we’ve been led to believe? With so much doomsday reporting and general misinformation on climate change, it can be hard to know what’s true - and what actually matters. In this episode, bestselling author and data scientist Hannah Ritchie joins us to examine the data on the biggest questions holding us back: Is it too late? Are we too polarised? Will we run out of the resources we need? Speaking to physicist and broadcaster Helen Czerski, Hannah draws on her new book Clearing the Air to explain that the data paints a surprisingly optimistic picture.  Together Hannah and Helen speak about contextualising progress, bust myths on everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines, and explore the solutions already working to build a cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable future.  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

20 Sep 42min

Ian McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of nineteen novels and two short story collections.  His novels include Atonement, Enduring Love, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach, and he is the recipient of many awards including the Booker Prize, the Somerset Maugham Award and the Whitbread Novel of the Year Award. In this episode, McEwan sits down with author and journalist Alex Preston to discuss the enduring power of the novel, the challenges of writing climate fiction and his new book What We Can Know. What We Can Know is a work of speculative fiction set in 2119. It is a book about poetry, archives, rising sea levels and the plight of humanity in the vast natural world, and is available now online or in bookstores near you. 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

18 Sep 42min

On today’s episode, an episode from our friends at Sotheby's exploring the remarkable collecting journey of Pauline Karpidas, one of the most influential art patrons of the past fifty years. Ahead of Sotheby’s landmark sale of her extraordinary Surrealist collection this September, collector Tiquio Acentio, curator Jasper Sharp, and Sotheby’s Worldwide Chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art Helena Newman will join broadcaster and art historian Kate Bryan to reflect on Karpidas’ unique eye, her friendships with artists, and the broader role of women as cultural custodians. From Peggy Guggenheim to Dominique de Menil and beyond, women collectors have long shaped the direction of modern and contemporary art. What drives them? How do personal connections influence collecting? And how does a home become a curated world? With insights into the upcoming auction and the stories behind the works, this talk will offer a portrait of a life in art – and celebrate those who collect with connoisseurship, curiosity and conviction. This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in September 2025.  And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Sep 53min

‘It is vanishingly rare for a writer to both confront the ugliness of humanity and still search for its beauty. Roy is that rare writer.’ – Naomi Klein Arundhati Roy is one of today’s most esteemed public intellectuals. The author of novels including the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things, Roy is equally respected as a political essayist. Her words on topics from the COVID-19 pandemic to the plight of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have helped define public discourse in India and beyond. In September 2025 Roy came to the Intelligence Squared stage for two exclusive events. Combining the signature scale, sweep and depth of her novels, and the passion, political clarity and warmth of her essays, Roy drew on the themes of her new memoir for a compelling exploration of her life and work. Born out of the onrush of memories and feelings provoked by her mother Mary’s death, Mother Mary Comes to Me is Roy’s telling of her own story from childhood to the present, from Kerala to Delhi. An ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace, it is a memoir like no other. The event was a rare opportunity to hear from one of the greatest writers of our generation. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free 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

14 Sep 34min

‘It is vanishingly rare for a writer to both confront the ugliness of humanity and still search for its beauty. Roy is that rare writer.’ – Naomi Klein Arundhati Roy is one of today’s most esteemed public intellectuals. The author of novels including the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things, Roy is equally respected as a political essayist. Her words on topics from the COVID-19 pandemic to the plight of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have helped define public discourse in India and beyond. In September 2025 Roy came to the Intelligence Squared stage for two exclusive events. Combining the signature scale, sweep and depth of her novels, and the passion, political clarity and warmth of her essays, Roy drew on the themes of her new memoir for a compelling exploration of her life and work. Born out of the onrush of memories and feelings provoked by her mother Mary’s death, Mother Mary Comes to Me is Roy’s telling of her own story from childhood to the present, from Kerala to Delhi. An ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace, it is a memoir like no other. The event was a rare opportunity to hear from one of the greatest writers of our generation. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free 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

13 Sep 33min

Nick Clegg has had a seat at the heart of power for nearly two decades. As leader of the Liberal Democrats he served as deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015 in the coalition government with David Cameron. After losing his parliamentary seat in 2017 he became Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s right-hand man as President of Global Affairs at Meta. Throughout his time in politics and the private sector Clegg has been a key player in the battle between governments and Big Tech. In September 2025 he came to Intelligence Squared to argue why he believes that the backlash against Big Tech and the charges against it in recent years are overblown – including the accusation that social media algorithms polarise, manipulate and harm adults and children. Clegg drew from his new book How to Save the Internet to offer an alternative future for the internet that seeks to regulate Big Tech without demonising or overstating the problems these giant companies are accused of causing. Clegg was in conversation with journalist, author and former BBC News Editorial Director Kamal Ahmed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 Sep 36min

Nick Clegg has had a seat at the heart of power for nearly two decades. As leader of the Liberal Democrats he served as deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015 in the coalition government with David Cameron. After losing his parliamentary seat in 2017 he became Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s right-hand man as President of Global Affairs at Meta. Throughout his time in politics and the private sector Clegg has been a key player in the battle between governments and Big Tech. In September 2025 he came to Intelligence Squared to argue why he believes that the backlash against Big Tech and the charges against it in recent years are overblown – including the accusation that social media algorithms polarise, manipulate and harm adults and children. Clegg drew from his new book How to Save the Internet to offer an alternative future for the internet that seeks to regulate Big Tech without demonising or overstating the problems these giant companies are accused of causing. Clegg was in conversation with journalist, author and former BBC News Editorial Director Kamal Ahmed. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free 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

10 Sep 36min