Intelligence Squared

Following the recent announcement of a general election in the UK, we revisit our debate from 2018 in which key politicians debated the merits of Left vs Right politics. The political Left often purports that it has society’s best interests at heart and that it works for the good of all. Yet according to conservatives, it is precisely that self-regard, that attempt to monopolise virtue, which exposes the hypocrisy of left-wing ideology. In this archive debate from 2018, we gathered Labour MP Stella Creasy, environmental campaigner, journalist and author, George Monbiot, Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng, and the leading philosopher of conservative thought, the late Roger Scruton, who sadly passed away in 2020, to discuss the issue of right vs left. Our host for the discussion was the journalist, broadcaster, and John L Weinberg visiting professor at Princeton University in the School of Public and International Affairs, Razia Iqbal. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. This is the second instalment of a two-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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

26 Maj 20241h 3min

In this archive discussion from 2020, David Kilcullen, former soldier, diplomat, and senior counterinsurgency adviser for the US during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, explains the nature of past Western interventions and the guerrilla warfare resistance that has followed. He joined Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos, to discuss his book: The Dragons and the Snakes: How the Rest Learned to Fight the West. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. This is the second instalment of a two-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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

24 Maj 202454min

The acclaimed writer and critic Olivia Laing is the author of seven books distilling challenging topics that should be difficult to wrap beautiful words around. Their latest book is The Garden Against Time, a work that initially began through documenting the restoration of a walled garden in Suffolk and eventually grew into a wider exploration of what it means to cultivate a personal paradise. Joining Laing in conversation for this episode is Hannah Dawson, the author and historian of ideas whose books include The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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

22 Maj 202442min

This is the second instalment of a two-part conversation. In recent years the benefits of eating a diet rich in plants have increasingly been at the forefront of our conversations about food. You may have heard scientists like Tim Spector, the founder of ZOE, argue that a healthy diet should consist of 30 plants a week. This recommendation comes from a study led by Spector for the British and American Gut Project in 2019. It showed that people who ate more than 30 plants a week had the healthiest microbiomes and the best health outcomes, while those who didn’t had worse health outcomes. That science has informed the cooking of chef and founder of River Cottage Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ever since it was published. And in May 2024 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage where he was in conversation with ZOE’s Dr Federica Amati to argue that getting 30 different plants on our plate every week is easier than you might think. Together they addressed some of the big questions around plant-based eating: to what extent can eating plants really help us avoid disease? How realistic is it for the average person to get 30 different plants every week? And is there a risk of overstating what plants can do for our health? Hugh also shared his people-pleasing plant-based recipes, as well as some plant pairings with meat or fish, from his new book How To Eat 30 Plants a Week. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. This is the second instalment of a two-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all three parts now plus all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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

19 Maj 202439min

In recent years the benefits of eating a diet rich in plants have increasingly been at the forefront of our conversations about food. You may have heard scientists like Tim Spector, the founder of ZOE, argue that a healthy diet should consist of 30 plants a week. This recommendation comes from a study led by Spector for the British and American Gut Project in 2019. It showed that people who ate more than 30 plants a week had the healthiest microbiomes and the best health outcomes, while those who didn’t had worse health outcomes. That science has informed the cooking of chef and founder of River Cottage Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ever since it was published. And in May 2024 he came to the Intelligence Squared stage where he was in conversation with ZOE’s Dr Federica Amati to argue that getting 30 different plants on our plate every week is easier than you might think. Together they addressed some of the big questions around plant-based eating: to what extent can eating plants really help us avoid disease? How realistic is it for the average person to get 30 different plants every week? And is there a risk of overstating what plants can do for our health? Hugh also shared his people-pleasing plant-based recipes, as well as some plant pairings with meat or fish, from his new book How To Eat 30 Plants a Week. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. This is the first instalment of a two-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all three parts now plus all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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

18 Maj 202439min

This is the second instalment of a three-part conversation. Too often historians have told the history of Africa through the prism of colonialism. But what picture of the continent emerges when we do away with making the story of Africa so anchored in European colonialism? Award-winning broadcaster Zeinab Badawi came to the Intelligence Squared stage recently to tell a new history of Africa – in all its shades and complexities – without the stifling gaze of Europe. Drawing on the themes of her latest book, An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence, she describes the origins of humankind, the emergence of ancient civilisations and empires, and the joys and thrills of Independence. Badawi was in conversation with historian and broadcaster Kate Williams. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. This is the second instalment of a three-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all three parts now plus all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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

16 Maj 202437min

This is the first instalment of a three-part conversation. Too often historians have told the history of Africa through the prism of colonialism. But what picture of the continent emerges when we do away with making the story of Africa so anchored in European colonialism? Award-winning broadcaster Zeinab Badawi came to the Intelligence Squared stage recently to tell a new history of Africa – in all its shades and complexities – without the stifling gaze of Europe. Drawing on the themes of her latest book, An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence, she describes the origins of humankind, the emergence of ancient civilisations and empires, and the joys and thrills of Independence. Badawi was in conversation with historian and broadcaster Kate Williams. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. This is the first instalment of a three-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all three parts now plus all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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

15 Maj 202441min

This is the second instalment of a three-part conversation. Bestselling author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has dedicated his career to speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most challenging spaces – communities polarised by politics and religion and university campuses mired in culture wars. Now he turns his attention to what he sees as a perfect storm of factors that are causing a collapse in mental health among teenagers today. According to the American College Health Association, since 2010 anxiety among American college students has increased by 134%, depression by 106%, bipolar disorder by 57%, and anorexia by 100%. Haidt recently came to the Intelligence Squared stage where in conversation with BBC presenter Sarah Montague he drew on his new book The Anxious Generation, which has shot to No 1 in the Sunday Times bestsellers. He argues that the decline of free play in childhood and the rise of smartphone use among adolescents are the twin sources of increased mental distress among teenagers. But with traditional wisdom, cutting-edge research and practical advice – parents, teachers and teenagers can find new ways to mitigate tech's impact on mental health. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit. This is the second instalment of a three-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all three parts now plus all of our longer form interviews and 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 - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... 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 Maj 202436min