Intelligence Squared

For many of us, our relationships with our siblings are the longest of our lives. They shape our earliest experiences of love, rivalry, identity and belonging. Yet despite their lasting influence, they are often overlooked in favour of relationships with parents, partners or children. In this episode, journalist and critic Mythili Rao speaks with broadcaster Catherine Carr about the overlooked significance of sibling relationships. Together they explore how these lifelong bonds shape who we become, from birth order and family dynamics to estrangement, grief and the challenges of caring for ageing parents. Why do we place so much weight in birth-order stereotypes? Are only children really different? And what happens when sibling relationships break down? Drawing on personal stories, psychological research and expert interviews, Carr challenges familiar assumptions and examines how changing family structures, falling birth rates and longer lives are reshaping what it means to be a sibling today. Catherine Ca

Ben Rhodes served as one of Barack Obama’s closest foreign-policy aides, holding the role of Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting from 2009 to 2017. He acted as the lead negotiator in secret talks that normalised U.S.–Cuba relations and was central in building political support for the Iran nuclear deal. Since leaving government, Rhodes has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and his efforts to dismantle Obama’s foreign policy legacy, moves Rhodes argues have destabilised the world and left America vulnerable.; In June 2026 Rhodes came to Intelligence Squared to make sense of America in 2026 and chart a path back to its democratic ideals. Drawing on his new book All We Say: A History of the United States in Fifteen Speeches, Rhodes traced the long battle over what it means to be American — from Benjamin Franklin’s case for compromise to the culture war speeches that foreshadowed Donald Trump. He revealed the extraordinary power that words and oratory have had

Ben Rhodes served as one of Barack Obama’s closest foreign-policy aides, holding the role of Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting from 2009 to 2017. He acted as the lead negotiator in secret talks that normalised U.S.–Cuba relations and was central in building political support for the Iran nuclear deal. Since leaving government, Rhodes has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and his efforts to dismantle Obama’s foreign policy legacy, moves Rhodes argues have destabilised the world and left America vulnerable.;  In June 2026 Rhodes came to Intelligence Squared to make sense of America in 2026 and chart a path back to its democratic ideals. Drawing on his new book All We Say: A History of the United States in Fifteen Speeches, Rhodes traced the long battle over what it means to be American — from Benjamin Franklin’s case for compromise to the culture war speeches that foreshadowed Donald Trump. He revealed the extraordinary power that words and or

Since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran in late February, the world has changed dramatically. More than fourteen countries have now become embroiled in the conflict and there is widespread fear the war could impact the world for years to come. Clarissa Ward, CNN’s multi-award-winning Chief International Correspondent, has been reporting on the ground in the Middle East since the outbreak of the war. Ward is no stranger to war and has reported from the front lines of the world’s most dangerous conflicts – including in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza and Ukraine. And since the war with Iran began, she has been stationed in Erbil, Iraq, witnessing Iranian drones flying overhead and speaking to sources across a region gripped by fear about where the conflict could lead. In June 2026 Ward came to Intelligence Squared to discuss the remaking of the world order she has witnessed firsthand throughout her career – and what it costs, in human terms, when order breaks down. --- This i

Since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran in late February, the world has changed dramatically. More than fourteen countries have now become embroiled in the conflict and there is widespread fear the war could impact the world for years to come. Clarissa Ward, CNN’s multi-award-winning Chief International Correspondent, has been reporting on the ground in the Middle East since the outbreak of the war. Ward is no stranger to war and has reported from the front lines of the world’s most dangerous conflicts – including in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza and Ukraine. And since the war with Iran began, she has been stationed in Erbil, Iraq, witnessing Iranian drones flying overhead and speaking to sources across a region gripped by fear about where the conflict could lead. In June 2026 Ward came to Intelligence Squared to discuss the remaking of the world order she has witnessed firsthand throughout her career – and what it costs, in human terms, when order breaks down. Learn more a

This is an episode of Hotels with History, produced by Intelligence Squared on behalf of Perowne International⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Forensic science has transformed the way crimes are investigated and justice is delivered. From fingerprints and DNA to new forms of anatomical identification, its breakthroughs have helped solve cases once thought impossible. Yet when evidence is misunderstood or experts overreach, the consequences can be devastating. In this episode, doctor and broadcaster Dr Radha Modgil speaks with Professor Lady Sue Black about her forty-year career as one of the world’s leading forensic anthropologists. From a childhood spent helping her father prepare animals to work in anatomy laboratories, mortuaries and courtrooms, Sue reflects on the experiences that led her into forensic science and the responsibilities that come with presenting evidence in court. How certain can forensic science ever be? What happens when scientific evidence changes after a conviction? And how can juries be expected to understand complex findings? Drawing on landmark cases and her own pioneering research, Sue examines the role of the expert wit

We are deeply confused about artificial intelligence: what it is, who it serves and whether it is leading us towards utopia or catastrophe. But according to AI ethicist Dr Eleanor Drage, these dramatic narratives often distract us from the urgent problems already embedded in the technology. In this episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast, Drage joins researcher and author Carl Miller to explore the culture and ideas driving the AI arms race. From billionaires seeking to overcome death to biased policing algorithms and the growing influence of big tech over governments, they examine the forces shaping artificial intelligence and ask who stands to benefit. Drawing on feminism, reparative justice and climate politics, Drage argues that we need new language and new ideas to decide what AI should be for. Can we move beyond the familiar stories of doom and technological salvation, and build a future in which machines serve society rather than control it? --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episod

Robert Peston is one of Britain’s most trusted journalists. A fixture in British politics and business coverage, he came to national prominence as Business Editor and then Economics Editor at the BBC, where he revealed the crises at Northern Rock and RBS, the emergency rescue of HBOS, and the tumult around the credit crunch, bailouts, and austerity.  Today he hosts his namesake flagship politics and current affairs show, Peston, as ITV’s Political Editor, and co-hosts The Rest is Money with Steph McGovern where he continues to help audiences make sense of the fast-evolving worlds of business and finance. In July 2026 Peston joined us for the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook. In conversation with BBC broadcaster Jonny Dymond, he explored the key challenges and opportunities facing today’s domestic, European, and global economies.  Peston answered questions on our most pressing issues today. Has Keir Starmer successfully seen off a Labour Party coup, and will his government finally be abl

Robert Peston is one of Britain’s most trusted journalists. A fixture in British politics and business coverage, he came to national prominence as Business Editor and then Economics Editor at the BBC, where he revealed the crises at Northern Rock and RBS, the emergency rescue of HBOS, and the tumult around the credit crunch, bailouts, and austerity.  Today he hosts his namesake flagship politics and current affairs show, Peston, as ITV’s Political Editor, and co-hosts The Rest is Money with Steph McGovern where he continues to help audiences make sense of the fast-evolving worlds of business and finance. In July 2026 Peston joined us for the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook. In conversation with BBC broadcaster Jonny Dymond, he explored the key challenges and opportunities facing today’s domestic, European, and global economies.  Peston answered questions on our most pressing issues today. Has Keir Starmer successfully seen off a Labour Party coup, and will his government finally be abl

Intimacy coordinators have irreversibly transformed how we portray sex on screen, and they are not without their detractors. In the wake of MeToo, Ita O’Brien’s work as a top intimacy coordinator on Normal People, Sex Education and I May Destroy revolutionised how actors, directors and audiences think about sex, consent and physical storytelling. In this episode, journalist Olivia Petter speaks with O'Brien about how sex on screen has evolved, why these roles have become a flashpoint for wider debates about artistic freedom, and how set practices and lessons from choreography can apply to real life intimacy.  The conversation broadens beyond the screen to ask what intimacy means in contemporary life. From the rise of AI companions and virtual relationships to the importance of touch, embodiment and human connection, O'Brien argues that understanding our physical selves is more important than ever. --- Ita O'Brien is the UK's leading intimacy coordinator. She has worked on productions including Normal

Olivia Laing is known as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary literature. Their work is renowned for its capacity to make abstract ideas feel precise, intimate, and beautifully thought through without ever talking down to the reader. Their books include the number one Sunday Times bestseller The Garden Against Time, Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency and, most recently, The Silver Book: a bewitching love story set during the making of Fellini’s Casanova and Pasolini’s Salò. In June 2026 Laing came to Intelligence Squared for a one-off celebration of the ten-year anniversary of their seminal work, The Lonely City. Hailed as ‘a new kind of literature’ when first published, The Lonely City is both a personal quest to master the art of being alone, and an investigation into how artists have reckoned with isolation. The book asks questions that resonate in our increasingly digital and divided world. What does it mean to be lonely?

Olivia Laing is known as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary literature. Their work is renowned for its capacity to make abstract ideas feel precise, intimate, and beautifully thought through without ever talking down to the reader. Their books include the number one Sunday Times bestseller The Garden Against Time, Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency and, most recently, The Silver Book: a bewitching love story set during the making of Fellini’s Casanova and Pasolini’s Salò. In June 2026 Laing came to Intelligence Squared for a one-off celebration of the ten-year anniversary of their seminal work, The Lonely City. Hailed as ‘a new kind of literature’ when first published, The Lonely City is both a personal quest to master the art of being alone, and an investigation into how artists have reckoned with isolation. The book asks questions that resonate in our increasingly digital and divided world. What does it mean to be lonely?

Is our history of World War II missing its most important chapter? For many in the West, the story of the Second World War is told through D-Day, the Blitz and the liberation of Europe. Yet some of the war's most consequential battles were fought in Asia, where the conflict claimed millions of lives, hastened the collapse of European empires and reshaped the modern world. Professor Hans van de Ven argues that the war in Asia was not a peripheral theatre, but central to the making of the post-war world. In this episode, he speaks to Hannah Lucinda Smith about reconstructing one of the most important yet neglected chapters of the twentieth century, challenging a Eurocentric understanding of the Second World War and showing how the conflict laid the foundations of Asia as we know it today. How did Japan's imperial ambitions transform the continent? Why did the war accelerate the end of European colonial rule? And how did leaders including Mao Zedong, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sukarno emerge from its aftermath to f

Maggie O’Farrell is the award-winning author of nine novels, including Hamnet, a breathtaking fictional retelling of the death of Shakespeare’s only son from the bubonic plague. This much-loved novel won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020, and this year the celebrated film adaptation starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley arrives in cinemas.  In June 2026, O’Farrell returned with her highly-anticipated new novel, Land. A multigenerational saga set in 19th-century Ireland, Land centres on the man tasked with mapping the country for the Ordnance Survey. Set in the wake of the famine, and inspired by her own family history, the novel is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and survival with resilience and love.  She joined us live on stage at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange for a conversation about this sweeping new novel, the art of writing historical fiction, and re-imagining the lives of ordinary people caught up in extraord

Maggie O’Farrell is the award-winning author of nine novels, including Hamnet, a breathtaking fictional retelling of the death of Shakespeare’s only son from the bubonic plague. This much-loved novel won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020, and this year the celebrated film adaptation starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley arrives in cinemas.  In June 2026, O’Farrell returned with her highly-anticipated new novel, Land. A multigenerational saga set in 19th-century Ireland, Land centres on the man tasked with mapping the country for the Ordnance Survey. Set in the wake of the famine, and inspired by her own family history, the novel is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and survival with resilience and love.  She joined us live on stage at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange for a conversation about this sweeping new novel, the art of writing historical fiction, and re-imagining the lives of ordinary people caught up in extraord

Filmmaker and activist Baroness Beeban Kidron has been warning of the digital dangers facing young people for over a decade, and has played a central role in establishing standards for online safety and privacy across the world. In this episode, she talks to Carl Miller about the technologies designed to capture our attention and the algorithms that can quickly leave children exposed to harmful content. They discuss the unchecked power of Big Tech, as powerful companies avoid rules and regulations, and capture governments that are meant to protect us. But the problem is not the technology itself, but what we’ve allowed it to come. They explore what positive change could look like, and how we can collectively impose democratic pressure to ensure we make safe the technology that will be alongside us now, and in the future.  Baroness Beeban Kidron is a member of the UK’s House of Lords and a former film director. Her new book, Users: How Big Tech Took Control and How to Fight Back is available in bookstor

This is an episode of Hotels with History, produced by Intelligence Squared on behalf of Perowne International⁠. Picture being on a sweep of white sand where Rio meets the Atlantic. Through revolutions, dictatorship, and the moving of the capital itself, Jules and Richard trace how this luminous beachfront palace endured it all. They reflect on how this iconic property reflects Brazil’s wild glamour, political upheaval, mystery and irrepressible rhythm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Ross Sorkin began his career at the forefront of Wall Street news, reporting extensively for The New York Times on the financial crash of 2008 and its chaotic aftermath. His expert journalism has since established him as a leading voice on economics, finance and corporate America. As the founder of DealBook, he helps make sense of major business and policy news through nuanced conversations with the biggest newsmakers in the world, from Elon Musk and Lebron James, to Kim Kardashian and Hillary Clinton.  In June 2026, Sorkin came to the Intelligence Squared in conversation with Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, to discuss the forces and events shaping today’s world. Drawing from his new book 1929, he discussed why the Wall Street crash of the 1920s has a lot to tell us about our current economic moment with its cycles of speculation and technological change.  --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only c

Andrew Ross Sorkin began his career at the forefront of Wall Street news, reporting extensively for The New York Times on the financial crash of 2008 and its chaotic aftermath. His expert journalism has since established him as a leading voice on economics, finance and corporate America. As the founder of DealBook, he helps make sense of major business and policy news through nuanced conversations with the biggest newsmakers in the world, from Elon Musk and Lebron James, to Kim Kardashian and Hillary Clinton.  In June 2026, Sorkin came to the Intelligence Squared in conversation with Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, to discuss the forces and events shaping today’s world. Drawing from his new book 1929, he discussed why the Wall Street crash of the 1920s has a lot to tell us about our current economic moment with its cycles of speculation and technological change.  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