Making the world better

This week you’ll hear the second part of my conversation with Professor Richard Layard, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the LSE. If you’ve not listened to the first part about his work on the subject of happiness and mental health, check it out after you’ve listened to this – it’s fascinating!Richard is an economist who spent much of his life working on how to reduce unemployment and inequality. In more recent years though he has become one of the world’s leading figures exploring the scie...

In this episode I talk to Lord Richard Layard, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the LSE. Richard is an economist who spent much of his life working on how to reduce unemployment and inequality. In more recent years though he has become one of the world’s leading figures exploring the science of happiness, as well as how better mental health could improve our social and economic life.He is the author of a number of books, including ‘Happiness – lessons from a new science’, 'Thrive – th...

My conversation in this episode is with Dr Tilly Collins. Tilly is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College, London.She runs research projects in a range of environmental areas, but in this episode we talk about her work on how to make global food production more sustainable, and in particular the potential value of insects as a nutritious and sustainable food source for human beings.You may well have seen a few insect food products making their way on to the...

My guest in this episode is Mike Buckley. Mike is a political campaigner who has been seeking social and political change for many years, most recently as head of the ‘Labour for a public vote’ campaign. I got to know Mike after my social change consultancy Praxis had prepared a report in 2019 to set out the strategy the Remain campaign needed to take if there were a second referendum on Brexit. In the end of course this report wasn’t needed!Our conversation took place at a very interest...

In this episode I talk to Professor Tom Kirkwood. Tom is a biologist who for several decades has been a leading figure in the study of aging - how and why we age.He has published several books, including Time of Our Lives: The Science of Human Aging and The End of Age: Why Everything About Aging Is Changing. In 2001 he gave the annual Reith Lectures.I asked Tom to be a guest on the podcast because I’d read some of his papers and books about the science of aging, and found them completely fasc...

In this episode I speak to Tim Walker. Tim is a direct response copy writer and campaigner. Tim’s been a colleague and friend of mine for many years, and is the founder of the fundraising agency TWCAT, now On agency, and is a member of my team at ChangeStar. He has had decades of success in helping charities and other good causes to raise more funds and build stronger campaigns by communicating better with the public and their supporters.This is an aspect of the work of charities and pol...

My conversation in this episode is with Neal Lawson. Neal is a political commentator and a director of the centre-left pressure group Compass. He was an adviser to Gordon Brown when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, is the editor of the political journal Renewal and has regularly appeared on TV and in newspapers to talk politics.Neal, like many people, feels that traditional politics is broken, and that to get a better, fairer and more sustainable future for everyone, we need to build a new...

My conversation in this episode is with Professor Peter Harris. Peter is a professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex.His academic research investigates how people can be encouraged to respond less defensively to important information – especially about their lifestyles or behaviour. This can be particularly important when trying to get people to make positive changes to their lives - including stopping smoking, tackling climate change or just learning more effectively. In other word...

My conversation in this episode is with Andrew Copson. Andrew is the Chief Executive of Humanists UK, a charity seeking a tolerant world where rational thinking and kindness prevail. Andrew has been a leading voice in the humanist movement for many years and has contributed to a lot of important political and social campaigns in the UK and beyond – from those fighting discrimination and injustice through to initiatives to help people get the emotional support they need at critical moment...

In this episode I chat to John Russell, who is the founder of The Oyster Project, a community charity for disabled people in the Sussex town of Lewes.The story of how and why John built the charity is fascinating - as are his stories of how people have benefitted from it, and the model of change he uses to achieve his aims.John himself is also a remarkable character. 20 years ago he had a cycling accident which left him with massive injuries, but despite this he's set up a series of amazing c...