Headspace

#90: Demystifying the food industry, with Marion NestleFrom miracle foods to fad diets, and nutritional studies backed by murky science and shadowy sponsors, it seems like we might never quite know the truth behind what we eat. We talk to Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition and public health at New York University, on demystifying our diets and the tricky politics of food studies. Nestle’s new book, Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat is available from Hachette.Plus: Tom Clark and Steve Bloomfield on children’s diets  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do we mean when we talk about schizophrenia—and how do we diagnose mental illness, anyway? Former nurse and now author Nathan Filer joins Prospect to talk about his new book, The Heartland: Finding and Losing Schizophrenia.Plus: Tom and Steph talk about the—sorry, "our"—NHS; and make their predictions for a Johnson cabinet.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our headlines are full of stories about benighted millennials and over-pensioned baby boomers, but what’s behind this new generational divide? Sociologist Jennie Bristow joins us to talk about why the “generation war” obscures more than it clarifies.Plus: Tom Clark and Stephanie Boland on the fate of generation X  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From London’s many skyscrapers to the wars over brutalism, many of us know what it’s like to either complain about an unsightly building. But these conversations hardly ever go beyond an initial judgment to consider what such ‘ugliness’ can tell us about ourselves. We talk to MIT architectural historian Timothy Hyde about his new book, Ugliness and JudgmentOn Architecture in the Public Eye. Our strong reactions to ugly buildings, he notes, can indeed tell us a lot about our own social worlds. Plus: Tom Clark and Stephanie Boland on the ideology of the modern building  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Though we often talk about the impending climate crisis, the truth is that the effects of climate change are already here. Ed Miliband joins us to talk about his radical green programme, his past work as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and why he thinks our climate crisis is tied to our economic crisis. You can read Ed Miliband’s cover story, "How to Save the Planet" here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/features/ed-miliband-climate-change-economy-save-planetPlus: Steve Bloomfield and Tom Clark offer a short history of our current climate change crisis.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ten Commandments is one of the most well-known pieces of scripture. It may also embody everything wrong with how we read these texts today. Karen Armstrong joins us to talk about her new book, The Art of Scripture, and why there should be more to read more creatively beyond literalism. You can read Reverend Lucy Winkett's review of The Art of Scripture here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/arts-and-books/in-scripture-we-find-not-just-religious-thought-and-theory-but-a-challenge-to-how-we-readPlus: Sameer Rahim and Tom Clark on our modern-day scriptures, and the function of the shibboleth.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Prospect’s editors went up to Hay-on-Wye last week for the annual Hay Festival of Literature & Arts. We joined Steven Pinker, Elif Shafak and poets from London’s Roundhouse Poetry Collective to talk about what they’re reading right now, and the biggest problems facing the world today.Plus: Sameer Rahim and Stephanie Boland on the literary festival circuit and how a writer’s job today often extends beyond writing.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom Shakespeare joins the Prospect team to discuss a new BFI film collection about disability.We might like to think things are always getting better—but these films show a more nuanced, complex history.Plus: Sameer Rahim and Tom Clark discuss representation.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the past 100 years, a total of 491 women have been elected to Parliament.We talk to Rachel Reeves, Labour MP for Leeds West about her new book, “Women of Westminster: The MPs Who Changed Politics”. How have women MPs changed the UK over the past century? Where do we go next?Plus: Tom Clark and Stephanie Boland on the challenges of being an MP  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It is said that we are living in an age of multiple crises—climate change, political upheaval, and mass disenfranchisement. Radical economist Paul Mason offers his diagnosis on our current situation, and why the 2008 financial crisis may not be the watershed moment we think it is.Paul’s new book, Clear Bright Future, comes out May 2.Plus: Alex Dean on the Huawei leak, and Sameer Rahim on photographer Don McCullin  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Once upon a time, contracts dissolved once you were dead… but big tech companies are holding the same terms of the contract in tact with the deceased person.”How has Facebook revolutionised grief? Psychologist Elaine Kasket has been researching how online lives have reshaped the way we mourn, and all the uncharted questions it raises. Do you really want to remember your partner through a ‘likeness’ app in your smartphone? Who owns the data of ghosts?Elaine’s book, “All the Ghosts in the Machine” is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Ghosts-Machine-Illusions-Immortality/dp/147214189XPlus: Alex Dean on the next Tory party leader, and Steve Bloomfield on podcasts and mental health  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UK Labour Party deputy leader Tom Watson has made headlines for his contested allegiances within the party.Journalist Kevin Maguire joins Prospect to discuss the burning question often heard around Westminster: what's Tommy up to? Will he form, as teased, a National Government — or has his reputation as a blustery schemer softened over the years?You can read Kevin's profile of Tom Watson in the latest issue of Prospect, also available online here: bit.ly/2VP0ivhPlus: Alex Dean on 'Boris-proofing Brexit' and Sameer Rahim on the art of cultural appreciation over Easter  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What happens when a child conceived using a donor sperm wants to meet their biological father?Wendy Kramer, the “donor detective”, runs the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) which has 63,461 members and has so far connected 16,779 individuals around the world with their donor parents or half siblings. In our May issue, journalist Stefanie Marsh follows Kramer’s work, uncovering the tricky questions on anonymity and reconciling donor rights with the rights of children. She talks to us about the experience behind the story: “it’s one of the most moving bits of journalism I’ve had to investigate.”Plus: Alex Dean on Brexit’s constitutional crisis, and Sameer Rahim on whether literary fiction has met its “climate realism” moment.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What does it mean to translate a work of fiction—and can we really call one translation "better" than others?Writer Miranda France joins Prospect to discuss the strange art of literary translation.Plus: Alex Dean on whether we're heading for a general election and Sameer Rahim on why we need more mean reviews.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1961, two things happened that seemed to change our idea about evil forever: Hannah Arendt reported on the trial of Adolf Eichmann, and a Yale experiment showed the apparent willingness of subjects to issue electric shocks to their fellow human beings—just because they were told to.But what if everything we thought we learnt that year was wrong?Stephen Reicher and Alex Haslam discuss how we misunderstand the nature of evil.Plus: Steve Bloomfield on the march against Brexit, and Sameer Rahim on why Ricky Gervais isn't funny anymore.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A truly global approach to climate change doesn't just involve a policy shift—it will mean changing how we live our lives together. Author and researcher Mike Berners-Lee joins Prospect to explain why he's (cautiously) optimistic.Plus: Steve Bloomfield on the schools funding crisis, and Sameer Rahim on how Muslims are represented in British literature.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week human rights barrister Adam Wagner talks tribal politics, twitter, and how to achieve a more civilised online world. Wagner speaks from experience, having recently been involved in a simmering online row about anti-Semitism on the left. His recent piece on the subject appeared in our march issue. Plus: Alex Dean on how the Tory Party turned its back on Europe, Sameer Rahim on A Confederacy of Dunces and books that come back into fashion.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What does Brexit mean for the British constitution—and can we go back and do the vote again? Professor Vernon Bogdanor joins Prospect's Tom Clark and Alex Dean to discuss the future of Brexit. Plus: Sameer Rahim on Michael Jackson and Alex asks, have we reached the end of the two party system? (Hint: no)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Prospect gets inside the craze for tracking everything from our steps to our alcohol intake with Barbara Speed—including who the Quantified Self movement are, and why the 10,000 steps goal is basically made up. Plus: Alex Dean roots for the backstop, and Sameer Rahim goes all Marie Kondo on his bedside books  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're all making more of an effort to cut down on waste—but does it matter? Reporter Wendell Steavenson takes us through the surprising truth about British recycling (spoiler: lots of it doesn't get recycled). Plus Alex Dean and Sameer Rahim talk Brexit winners and losers, and a new Shakespeare interpretation.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.