For the second part of our conversation between cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker and academic and podcaster David Runciman, who teaches politics and history at Cambridge University, we rejoin the discussion with the two looking at the roots of skepticism. This interview first appeared on Intelligence Squared in early 2019 at the time of the publication of Pinker's book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. 

Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today.

Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this edition, Intelligence Squared revisits a compelling discussion from 2019 with one of the world's foremost cognitive psychologists, Steven Pinker, whose work often focuses on language, the mind, and human nature. He was joined in conversation by David Runciman, the academic and podcaster who teaches politics and history at Cambridge University, to discuss the themes of Pinker’s book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. This is the first half of a two-part conversation. Join us for part two in the following episode.

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. 

Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today.

Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yale Law professor Scott Shapiro takes us on an exhilarating journey through the world of cybercrime and hacking, unraveling the captivating stories behind five extraordinary hacks that have left an indelible mark on our information society. From the audacious exploits of Fancy Bear, the elite hacking unit within Russian military intelligence, to lesser-known yet equally astonishing incidents, Scott Shapiro sheds light on the origins, motivations, and consequences of these remarkable cyber intrusions. Our host for this episode is Carl Miller - Research Director at Demos and author of The Death of The Gods: The New Global Power Grab.

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. 

Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . 

Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Simon Callow as he shares his infectious enthusiasm and profound knowledge of Charles Dickens in this conversation produced in partnership with Sotheby’s. As an acclaimed actor who has portrayed the author and written a biography about him, Callow is an authority on Dickens' eccentricities and literary genius. In conversation with novelist Kate Mosse and Sotheby's books specialist David Goldthorpe, he shares personal anecdotes and explores Dickens' transformative storytelling through key texts – including a fascinating handwritten reading text of David Copperfield featured in Sotheby’s upcoming auction – revealing how the great author has shaped his life and career.

This event was recorded on 11 July 2023 as part of Sotheby’s Book Week, held to mark a series of sales taking place in London, Paris and New York from 4-20 July featuring literature, illustrations and musical manuscripts that span continents and centuries. The London auction will take place on Thursday 20 July. Please visit sothebys.com to find out more. 

This conversation was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye and edited by Producer Catharine Hughes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this preview of Intelligence Squared's new podcast, VS, two cities with hundreds of years of history, much of it shared, and also decades of cultural rivalry go head to head. Joining VS this week to debate London VS New York are our guests who have called each location home for most of their lives. Simon Jenkins is a regular newspaper columnist and formerly editor of the London Evening Standard and The Times newspapers. He was once chairman of The National Trust, the UK's foremost heritage organisation, and he also wrote a book on his home city, A Short History of London. Anthony Scaramucci is a financier and founder of SkyBridge Capital. Also known as The Mooch, you may remember him as former White House Director of Communications for a record 11 days. He’s been described by one newspaper as being "as New York as skyscrapers, subways and Sinatra". Coco Khan is our host making sure it's a fair contest but there can only be one winner – you the listeners decide – follow the link below to cast your vote.

https://intelligencesquared.com/vs/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do the words of America’s Founding Fathers mean today? In this conversation produced in partnership with Sotheby’s, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik, scholar Dr Anika Prather and Sotheby’s books specialist Selby Kiffer explore the historical significance of the writings of America’s Founding Fathers for the twenty-first century. Running alongside Sotheby's Book Week in July 2023 and the auction of key documents from Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and George Washington, this talk will examine the pivotal role these papers played in history, such as the establishment of the English Empire, negotiations for peace during the Revolution, as well as personal reflections of Thomas Jefferson. Join us and discover the intellect, passion, and conviction of the Founding Fathers as they established the ideals that became the foundation of the United States, which have inspired countless others to rise and reclaim their own liberty and human dignity. 

This event was recorded on 11 July 2023 as part of Sotheby’s Book Week, a series of sales taking place in London, Paris and New York from 4-20 July featuring literature, illustrations and musical manuscripts that span continents and centuries. The New York auction will take place on Tuesday 18 July. Please visit sothebys.com to find out more and register for further updates. 

This conversation was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye and edited by Producer Catharine Hughes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is part two of our live event with Psychologist Daniel Kahneman and Olivier Sibony, Professor of Strategy and Business Policy at HEC Paris. In conversation with host Ritula Shah they present their argument of how we can all make more intelligent decisions in an increasingly chaotic world.

Part three of this event is available ad free, for subscribers now. 

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. 

Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . 

Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daniel Kahneman shot to fame in 2002 when he won the Nobel prize in economics for his work on the psychology of human judgment and decision-making. In 2022 he joined us on the Intelligence Squared, alongside with his co-author Olivier Sibony, to discuss how businesses and governments can make smarter, swifter and more accurate decisions in our increasingly frenetic world. Our host for this event was journalist and presenter Ritula Shah.

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. 

Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency . 

Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this preview of Intelligence Squared's new podcast, VS, two critically lauded TV shows are under the microscope. Succession and The White Lotus have both depicted privilege and the lifestyles of the ultra rich through cuttingly satirical comedy-drama over the past couple of years. But which binge fest do we love to hate the most? Ania Magliano is a comedian whose recent show, Absolutely No Worries If Not, was a sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Fringe. She’s also one of the writers behind Amelia Dimoldenberg’s much-loved Chicken Shop Date and is the co-host of If It Is to Be Said – a podcast all about Succession. Poppy Damon is a journalist, crime podcaster and screenwriter, whose creations include Pseudocide – a podcast about people who fake their own deaths – and the upcoming Agatha Christie and the Dandelion Poisoner. Both are storytellers who value wit, timing and maybe the odd plot twist too but for Ania, Succession is the ultimate satire. For Poppy, it's The White Lotus that takes the top spot. Coco Khan is our host in charge of the remote and there can only be one winner. Search out VS on your podcast app to follow the show and enjoy more new episodes every week over the coming season.

https://intelligencesquared.com/vs/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Philosopher Julian Baggini shares the insights of his new book How to Think Like a Philosopher: Essential Principles for Clearer Thinking. In conversation with government minister Jesse Norman, who was himself once an academic philosopher, Baggini set out the techniques, methods and principles that guide philosophy, and show how they can be applied to our own lives – and our politics. Using precepts such as: pay attention, question everything, follow the facts, and think for yourself but not by yourself, Baggini shows how clearer thinking can help us meet the challenges of our troubled times. 

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. 

Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. 

And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today.

Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices