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Intelligence Squared

Ideas shape the world. Intelligence Squared brings you the conversations that explain them.

In every episode, we bring together leading thinkers, writers, scientists, policymakers and entrepreneurs, to challenge assumptions, test ideas and debate the questions shaping our future. If you want to think more clearly about the world and where it's heading, you're in the right place. 

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.

Francis Fukuyama is one of the most influential political thinkers of our time. His famous 1989 essay, The End of History? – written as the Berlin Wall fell and communism collapsed – posed a provocative idea: that Western liberal democracy had triumphed over ideology, and that it might be the “final form of human government”.

Over three decades later in 2026, the world looks almost unrecognisable. Russia’s war in Ukraine accelerated a fracturing of the liberal rules-based order. The President of the United States has attacked Venezuela and Iran without seeking Congressional approval, UN Security Council backing or even building a coalition. And throughout the world polarisation, populism and authoritarianism have become potent threats to social order. 

In September 2026 Fukuyama came to Intelligence Squared to reflect on the seismic political events that are shaping our world. He discussed the themes of his new political memoir, In The Realm of the Last Man, which presents an urgent study of contemporary politics and explores how the West can revitalise its democracies. Fukuyama was in conversation with Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times and author The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism.

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What Comes After the End of History? with Francis Fukuyama (Part One)

When the MeToo movement ignited in 2017, many believed it would be a turning point for women after which positive change would become inevitable. And for a brief time, it felt like the world was finally listening to women’s voices.

But in 2026, that promise feels fragile. The rise of the manosphere, escalating violence against women and girls, and the weaponisation of social media have made speaking out more dangerous, more exhausting and more necessary than ever. Far from moving forward, in many ways it can feel like society’s attitudes towards women are going backwards.

I|n June 2026 Intelligence Squared brought together a panel of voices to discuss the new threats facing women in modern culture. Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, writer and social historian Juliet Nicolson, and BAFTA award-winning actor Joanna Scanlan joined host BBC News editor Katie Razzall to ask: what does it really mean for women to be heard in 2026?

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The New Silencing: Women Versus the Manosphere (Part Two)

When the MeToo movement ignited in 2017, many believed it would be a turning point for women after which positive change would become inevitable. And for a brief time, it felt like the world was finally listening to women’s voices.

But in 2026, that promise feels fragile. The rise of the manosphere, escalating violence against women and girls, and the weaponisation of social media have made speaking out more dangerous, more exhausting and more necessary than ever. Far from moving forward, in many ways it can feel like society’s attitudes towards women are going backwards.

I|n June 2026 Intelligence Squared brought together a panel of voices to discuss the new threats facing women in modern culture. Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, writer and social historian Juliet Nicolson, and BAFTA award-winning actor Joanna Scanlan joined host BBC News editor Katie Razzall to ask: what does it really mean for women to be heard in 2026?

---

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.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

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Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

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The New Silencing: Women Versus the Manosphere (Part One)

Liberal democracy was once a radical force. It challenged monarchies, expanded political rights and, at its most successful, helped deliver rising wages and shared prosperity. So how did it become associated with an establishment that growing numbers of voters have turned against?

In this episode, researcher and author Carl Miller speaks with Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu about his new book What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity.

Acemoglu traces the decline of liberalism through the collapse of its traditional working-class coalition, rising inequality and the transition from an industrial to a digital economy. He argues that automation has broken the old link between business growth and rising wages – and warns that AI could accelerate this divide by eliminating jobs without creating shared prosperity.

So can liberal democracy reinvent itself before it is too late? Acemoglu makes the case for what he calls ‘working-class liberalism’: a new politics focused on economic opportunity, community and rebuilding trust with voters who have abandoned the centre left.

Daron Acemoglu is Institute Professor of Economics at MIT and was awarded the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. His latest book is What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity.

Carl Miller is a Senior Fellow at Demos and founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media (CASM). He is the co-writer and host of the investigative podcast Kill List and is the author of The Death of the Gods: the New Global Power Grab.

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Why Did the Working Class Abandon the Left? With Nobel Economist Daron Acemoglu

Trade has shaped human civilisation for thousands of years. From the copper used in Mesopotamian ploughs to the silicon inside our smartphones, vast networks have evolved to move the materials and products on which modern life depends. Yet much of this system remains invisible, only becoming clear when disruption exposes how fragile and interconnected it really is.

In this episode, host Carl Miller speaks with journalist and bestselling author Ed Conway about the hidden world behind the things we buy. Through the stories of bread, cloth and cars, Ed traces the extraordinary journeys taken by everyday products and reveals the people and supply chains that make them possible. From the Corn Laws to the National Loaf and the fish finger, he shows how trade has shaped what ends up on our shelves and plates.

Why has trade become one of the defining geopolitical issues of our time? What happens when governments intervene in supply chains? And how does the global economy respond when those networks are ruptured? Drawing on economic history and first-hand reporting, Ed explores how trade adapts and reshapes the world around us.

Ed Conway is a writer and broadcaster. He is the Economics and Data Editor of Sky News and a regular columnist for The Times and Sunday Times. He has won numerous awards for his journalism and his book Material World was a Sunday Times bestseller and nominated for multiple prizes and books-of-the-year lists.

Carl Miller is a Senior Fellow at Demos and founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media (CASM). He is the co-writer and host of the investigative podcast Kill List and is the author of The Death of the Gods: the New Global Power Grab.

If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

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- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events 

... 

Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts

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How Trade Shapes Our World, With Ed Conway

In 1988, eight men in Kingston, Jamaica, begin rehearsals for a play. Though strangers to one another, they share an inescapable truth: All of them are gay. And they live in a world that refuses to accept them. One night they are beaten and one of them is killed. 

In this episode, Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James speaks with Mythili Rao on his newest novel The Disappearers. Described as a reckoning, the novel explores a violent incident that was rumoured to have happened but was never proven, its aftermath and retribution. 

James and Rao discuss the hitherto unexplored impact of the AIDS crisis in eighties Jamaica and why fiction is ideally placed to explore the consequences of such a violent encounter. 

Marlon James is the Booker Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author of A Brief History of Seven Killings; the bestselling and National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf; as well as the bestselling Moon Witch, Spider King; The Book of Night Women; and John Crow’s Devil.

Mythili Rao is a podcast editor and book critic living in London.

If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

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Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

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NYT’s Novel of the Century? Marlon James on The Disappearers

Adam Rutherford is a science broadcaster, and author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, which transformed the way we think about human history. By using genetics to uncover the story of our species, it offered a thrilling new perspective on who we are and where we came from. 

David Olusoga is an award winning author and historian, whose work includes the TV series and book Black & British: A Forgotten History and the landmark BBC arts series Civilizations.

In July 2026 they came to the Intelligence Squared stage to mark the tenth anniversary of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived. Together, they explored how advances in DNA research have transformed our understanding of human history, and discussed what a decade of new discoveries has revealed about our past.

From Neanderthals to the plague, from redheads to race, from evolution to epigenetics, they discussed what our genes can tell us about human history and our ancestors. Together, they dispelled some common myths, challenging misconceptions about race and ancestry, and considered the profound consequences of the Human Genome Project.

---

If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events 

... 

Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

…

Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.

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The Secret History in Our DNA: Adam Rutherford Meets David Olusoga (Part Two)

Adam Rutherford is a science broadcaster, and author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, which transformed the way we think about human history. By using genetics to uncover the story of our species, it offered a thrilling new perspective on who we are and where we came from. 

David Olusoga is an award winning author and historian, whose work includes the TV series and book Black & British: A Forgotten History and the landmark BBC arts series Civilizations.

In July 2026 they came to the Intelligence Squared stage to mark the tenth anniversary of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived. Together, they explored how advances in DNA research have transformed our understanding of human history, and discussed what a decade of new discoveries has revealed about our past.

From Neanderthals to the plague, from redheads to race, from evolution to epigenetics, they discussed what our genes can tell us about human history and our ancestors. Together, they dispelled some common myths, challenging misconceptions about race and ancestry, and considered the profound consequences of the Human Genome Project.
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The Secret History in Our DNA: Adam Rutherford Meets David Olusoga (Part One)

We live in the age of data. Over the past century, rapidly evolving technologies have transformed almost every aspect of our society, in ways that can seem both troubling and unstoppable. Political campaigns have been reduced to attention-mining algorithms, multinational corporations control public discourse, and the era of the liberal nation-state seems to be coming to an end, replaced by the rule of artificial intelligence.

In her new book, The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, historian Jill Lepore asks: what happens to democracy when governments hand more of the decisions that shape our lives to machines – and to the corporations that control them?

In this episode, she joins host Mythili Rao to explore how a series of often well-intentioned technological developments brought us to where we are today; why the arrival of ChatGPT marked a historical turning point; and how today’s tech moguls have built infrastructures that increasingly rival the power of the democratic nation-state.

By tracing the origins of the ‘Artificial State’, Lepore shows that its rise was never inevitable – and its future isn’t either. She finds hope in growing resistance to the power of AI across the political divide, and says that through organised opposition, we can decide what technology should be for and the future we want it to create.

Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at the New Yorker.

Mythili Rao is a journalist, book critic and podcaster.

If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

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- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events 

... 

Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts

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Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.

…

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Can Democracy Survive the Age of AI? With Jill Lepore

John Berger transformed the way generations thought about art, politics and the act of looking. Best known for Ways of Seeing, his work ranged across migration, capitalism, war and mortality, always asking how culture can help us understand the world around us.

In this episode, writer and academic Shahidha Bari speaks with Tom Overton about his new book, John Berger: From Life. Overton first got to know Berger while cataloguing his archive at the British Library, where forgotten photographs, letters and manuscripts would prompt unexpected phone calls from Berger himself: “Can I tell you a story?”

Why does Ways of Seeing still feel so radical? How did Berger’s politics shape his writing on art, migration and power? And why does his work continue to speak so directly to the present? Overton reflects on Berger’s collaborators, his political commitments and the enduring generosity of a thinker who believed art could create connection across time.

Tom Overton is a writer, editor and researcher. His new book, John Berger: From Life, draws on his personal relationship with Berger and years spent working with his archive.

Shahidha Bari is a writer, academic and broadcaster.

If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

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... 

Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

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- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

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Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.

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Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.

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What John Berger Saw That We Still Don’t, with Tom Overton

How should we remember Napoleon, the man of obscure Corsican birth who rose to become emperor of the French and briefly master of Europe? In 2014, as the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo approached, Intelligence Squared brought together two of Britain’s finest historians to debate how we should assess Napoleon’s life and legacy. Was he a military genius and father of the French state, or a blundering nonentity who created his own enduring myth? Was his goal of uniting the European continent under a common political system the forerunner of the modern ‘European dream’? Or was he an incompetent despot, a warning from history of the dangers of overarching grand plans? Championing Napoleon was historian Andrew Roberts, author of, among other books, 'Napoleon the Great', 'Napoleon and Wellington', and 'Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Gamble'. Opposing him was fellow historian Adam Zamoyski, author of, among other books, '1812. Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow' and 'Rites of Peace. The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna'.

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Napoleon the Great? A debate with Andrew Roberts, Adam Zamoyski and Jeremy Paxman

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