Four Thought

Carrie Gibson argues that we need to re-think what we mean by paradise.

Carrie has recently completed a major history of the Caribbean, and in this talk she explores the complicated interwoven history of the Caribbean and of how it has been understood in the wealthy west. And she argues that we may need to re-evaluate our understanding of the meaning of paradise.

Producer: Giles Edwards.

Philosopher Amia Srinivasan makes the case for anger, arguing that it can be a huge source of strength and power, particularly for the apparently weak and powerless.

Using the personal experiences and political beliefs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X to advance her case, Amia argues that we should seriously question why people in power criticise or dismiss those who are angry.

Producer: Giles Edwards.

Comedian Rosie Wilby proposes the end of monogamy. She first discussed the idea in a show at last year's Edinburgh festival, since when it has taken an unexpectedly serious turn. That show prompted many people to get in touch with Rosie to share their stories, and it has even had knock-on effects in her own life. Now she shares her thinking on how it might affect ours, too.

Producer: Giles Edwards.

Mara Oliva argues that we need to think differently about ordinary Americans' views and the making of their nation's foreign policy.

Mara has spent countless hours in US presidential archives examining how public opinion was assessed and understood in several administrations. In this talk she compares her research into the series of crises in East and South-East Asia from the 1940s to the 1970s - Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and China - to the Middle East today. She argues that the American public then and now took a more nuanced and cautious approach towards foreign policy than political leaders.

Producer: Giles Edwards.

When Revd Philip North was tending the spiritual needs of people on an estate in Hartlepool he saw at close range the way a poor community could become self-sufficient.

But in the years since, he argues, the working class has been systematically de-skilled by middle class professionals.

In this provocative talk he argues that top-down meddling has replaced grassroots community-building, and that society is worse off for it.

Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks in which speakers air their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society in front of a live audience.

Presenter: Ben Hammersley

Actor Adjoa Andoh's son sensed from a very young age that although he inhabits the body of a girl, he was born a boy. "In the imperfect language we have to describe people," she says, "we call him transgender."

Technology writer Rupert Goodwins was an early user of internet message boards which he idealistically thought would bring the world closer together.

When economist Noreena Hertz became very ill she confronted a difficult question: who should she trust?

The answer was much more complicated than it first appeared and her quest to find out more about her treatment led her to a deep scepticism about expertise.

Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks in which speakers air their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society in front of a live audience.

Presenter: Ben Hammersley

Jasper Fforde explains why he is concerned that humans have reached the limits of intellectual creative thought.

Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks in which speakers air their thinking, in front of a live audience, on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society.

Presenter: Kamin Mohammadi

Serena Kutchinsky explains the impact an obsession with the Faberge egg had on her family and why she now believes such priceless objects should belong to all.

Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks in which speakers air their thinking, in front of a live audience, on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society.

Presenter: Kamin Mohammadi