Intelligence Squared

Humans are animals. 40,000 years ago our ancestors considered themselves inseparable from the landscape and the wild animals that lived alongside them.  But over generations, we developed an idea that still shapes modern life: the belief that we are separate from, and superior to, other species. 

In this episode, together with Dr Güneş Taylor, science writer Michael Bond draws on insights from neuroscience, anthropology and cultural studies to explore how animals have profoundly influenced our minds and cultures, and challenges our longheld assumption that we are superior to animals. Are we as exceptional as we have come to believe? And how should we be treating the animals we live alongside?

Michael Bond’s new book, Animate: How Animals Shape The Human Mind, is available to buy now.

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This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

On today’s episode, the female pioneer of abstract expressionism whose lyrical compositions came to reset market expectations. Courtney Kremers examines King of Spades, Joan Mitchell’s formative masterpiece, which signalled the convergence of her critical acclaim and market recognition. Courtney is Vice Chairman, Sotheby's New York, and oversees strategy for Private Sales across fine art categories, and advises major clients on acquisitions and consignments.

⁠⁠Further details about the episode subject⁠

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Are Pagan Traditions Shaping a New British Identity?

In this episode, Academic, broadcaster and critic Shahidha Bari speaks to journalist, DJ and author Zakia Sewell about her book Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain which has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction 2026.

In this episode, Sewell recounts her discovery of an alternative Britain, which lies beyond divisive national myths and symbols. On her quest – punctuated by folk festivals, seasonal celebrations and mystic stone circles – she uncovers how new identities are being formed. Folk and pagan groups are increasing in numbers across the country and are taking ancient myths and repurposing them, in order to make sense of past and present struggles. From the ghosts of Empire that still haunt the nation to increasingly siloed politics, Sewell discusses how and why ancient British folklore and mythology is more relevant than ever. 

Zakia Sewell is a broadcaster, writer and DJ from London with a passion for music. She has regularly produced and presented radio documentaries and podcasts for platforms including BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service, Tate, and Boiler Room. She currently hosts Dream Time on BBC 6 Music on Sunday nights, and hosted The NTS Breakfast Show, and Questing w/ Zakia on NTS Radio between 2016-2024. Her first book is Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain.

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In the twenty-first century, Christianity or historically Christian societies have witnessed one of the most extraordinary revolutions in attitudes to sex and gender in human history, bringing liberation for some and fury and fear for others. Understanding the history of Christianity and its influence on our cultural identity is essential to understanding debates around the role of women in society, same-sex relationships and the public exploration of gender and trans identity. 

In March 2026, Diarmaid MacCulloch, one of Britain’s foremost experts on the history of Christianity, and Mary Beard, acclaimed and award winning classicist best known for her work on the history of women and power, came to Intelligence Squared to help us understand the 3000-year-long story of Christians, and Jews before them, encountering sex, gender and the family. 

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In the twenty-first century, Christianity or historically Christian societies have witnessed one of the most extraordinary revolutions in attitudes to sex and gender in human history, bringing liberation for some and fury and fear for others. Understanding the history of Christianity and its influence on our cultural identity is essential to understanding debates around the role of women in society, same-sex relationships and the public exploration of gender and trans identity. 

In March 2026, Diarmaid MacCulloch, one of Britain’s foremost experts on the history of Christianity, and Mary Beard, acclaimed and award winning classicist best known for her work on the history of women and power, came to Intelligence Squared to help us understand the 3000-year-long story of Christians, and Jews before them, encountering sex, gender and the family. 

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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.

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In an age of grinding wars, nuclear brinkmanship, and political volatility, what does strategy really mean - and how do leaders make decisions when the world feels chaotic?

In this episode, Lawrence Freedman draws on decades of scholarship and his experience as official historian of the Falklands War and adviser to the UK’s Iraq inquiry to explore how strategy evolves under pressure.

Together with Adam McCauley, Freedman discusses the long arc of the Russia–Ukraine conflict and the opportunities seized and missed along the way. They examine the uneasy balance between rational calculation and irrational impulse in global conflict, whether Putin could be serious about nuclear escalation, and whether Donald Trump’s unpredictable actions on the world stage represent the absence of strategy - or a strategy in itself.

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What Do Wolves, Caribou, and Global Superpowers Have in Common?

In this episode, Professor Helen Czerski speaks to journalist and author Neil Shea about the Arctic’s changing face and the struggles that its indigenous wildlife must now endure. 

In this expansive yet intimate revelation, Shea explores the Arctic during a time of crisis. With Czerski, he recounts his experiences tracking caribou in Alaska, communing with the wolves on Canada’s Ellesmere Island, and his travels among the Indigenous Netsilingmiut and Tlicho peoples of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. But he also explores how the Arctic has become the centre of a new Cold War between Russia, China, Europe, and the United States. A new conflict is underway, with everyone fighting to control the pole, in order to reap its riches as the ice melts.

Neil Shea has written for the National Geographic for 20 years, reporting around the world at the intersection of conflict, climate science, and cultural change. His first book, Frostlines gathers his storytelling into a narrative journey around the top of the world.

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On today’s episode, an episode from our friends at Sotheby's exploring the question: How do objects achieve iconic status? Taking inspiration from the book Icons: 100 Extraordinary Objects from Sotheby’s History, published by Phaidon, the discussion explores how a work of art can transform beyond its material form to become a universal cultural image – instantly recognisable, endlessly reproduced, and symbolically charged.

Joining the discussion are artist Sir Grayson Perry; Xa Sturgis, Director of the Ashmolean Museum; and Helena Newman, Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and Chairman of Impressionist & Modern Art Worldwide.

This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in February 2026. 

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. 

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Fiona Hill is one of the most authoritative voices on the forces reshaping global politics today. Born in County Durham, from 2017 to 2019 she was a senior adviser on European and Russian Affairs at the White House and in October 2019 she was a key witness in President Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. In 2024 and 2025 she co-led the British Government’s Strategic Defence Review, which sets out how the UK should scale up its response to risks from an emboldened Russia and a less predictable United States. 

Hill cautions that we are not in a second Cold War, but in a more volatile era of asymmetric threats. She warns that Trump’s engagement with autocratic leaders such as Putin and Xi is strengthening authoritarian regimes and eroding long‑standing alliances, and highlights sabotage and disinformation – the kind of threats seen in recent incidents such as the Russian spy‑ship Yantar encroaching on UK waters and the rail explosion in Poland. 

Hill came to the Intelligence Squared stage in February 2026 where, in conversation with journalist Jon Sopel, she set out the practical steps she believes the West must take to bolster its resilience and safeguard security and stability.

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Fiona Hill is one of the most authoritative voices on the forces reshaping global politics today. Born in County Durham, from 2017 to 2019 she was a senior adviser on European and Russian Affairs at the White House and in October 2019 she was a key witness in President Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. In 2024 and 2025 she co-led the British Government’s Strategic Defence Review, which sets out how the UK should scale up its response to risks from an emboldened Russia and a less predictable United States. 

Hill cautions that we are not in a second Cold War, but in a more volatile era of asymmetric threats. She warns that Trump’s engagement with autocratic leaders such as Putin and Xi is strengthening authoritarian regimes and eroding long‑standing alliances, and highlights sabotage and disinformation – the kind of threats seen in recent incidents such as the Russian spy‑ship Yantar encroaching on UK waters and the rail explosion in Poland. 

Hill came to the Intelligence Squared stage in February 2026 where, in conversation with journalist Jon Sopel, she set out the practical steps she believes the West must take to bolster its resilience and safeguard security and stability.

---

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.

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