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BBC Radio 4

Conversations about the global forces reshaping our world and the radical ideas that could define the future.

Radical is a twice-weekly podcast where pioneering thinkers, bold innovators and influential voices explore the ideas, trends and breakthroughs transforming society. From politics and climate change to economics and artificial intelligence, each episode tackles the biggest challenges facing our world, and the solutions that could help shape what's next.

LISTEN: 
Listen to Radical every Monday and Thursday on BBC Sounds. You can also listen on your smart speaker - just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Radical." Available on most smart speakers.

GET IN TOUCH:
- Send us a message or voice note on WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480.
- Email: Radical@bbc.co.uk
- Or join the conversation using #BBCRadical.

The Today Podcast

Sarah Harper is Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and one of the world's leading experts on demographic change. She challenges the widespread belief that ageing populations are primarily a social and economic burden, arguing instead that longer lives represent one of humanity's greatest achievements and an opportunity to rethink how society is organised.

In the last episode, Sarah explained why many of the pressures associated with ageing societies stem from institutions that were designed for a very different era. She argued that our welfare systems, labour markets and expectations around retirement no longer reflect the realities of modern life, where people are living longer, healthier lives than previous generations.

In this week's Q&A, Sarah joins James Marriott to answer your questions about the future of retirement, pensions and work in an ageing society. She explores generational resentment and how we can bridge the gap between old and young, whether inequality is more important than age, and whether politicians disproportionately focus on older voters.

- WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
- Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday.

Series Producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Nathan Gower and Ivana Davidovic
Digital Producer: Gabriel Purcell-Davis
Technical Producer: Dafydd Evans
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham

Are Politicians Too Focused on Older Generations? (Your Radical Questions with Professor Sarah Harper)

This week, James Marriott talks to Sarah Harper, Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and one of the world's leading experts on demographic change. She challenges the increasingly common narrative that ageing populations represent an inevitable economic and social burden, arguing instead that longer lives should be seen as an achievement that requires us to rethink the way society is organised.
 
As birth rates fall and life expectancy increases, governments across the world face growing concerns about pensions, healthcare and shrinking workforces. Yet Harper believes many of these pressures stem from institutions that were designed for a very different era. She argues that our welfare systems, labour markets and assumptions about retirement are still based on outdated ideas about ageing and no longer reflect the realities of modern life.
 
She wants us to be more radical, and makes the case for a fundamental rethink of the state pension, proposing that eligibility should be linked to years of contribution rather than chronological age. More broadly, she argues that we need to move beyond rigid age-based milestones and develop new ways of understanding work, contribution and later life in an ageing society.
 
Can ageing populations drive prosperity rather than decline? Should age continue to determine when we stop working and start receiving support from the state? And what would it take to build a society that not only adapts to longer lives, but thrives because of them?

- WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
- Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday.

Series Producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Nathan Gower and Ivana Davidovic
Digital Producer: Gabriel Purcell-Davis
Technical Producer: Dafydd Evans
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham

Redefining Retirement: Is Our Ageing Population an Untapped Asset? (Professor Sarah Harper)

Brendan Simms is Professor of the History of International Relations at the University of Cambridge and the author of The Return of the Great Powers. He challenges the widespread belief that Britain is in terminal decline, arguing that the UK remains one of the world’s four true Great Powers.

In the main episode, Brendan explained why Britain’s resources, global reach, reputation and resilience still give it significant international influence. He also argued that great power politics has returned as the dominant force shaping global affairs.

In this special Q&A, Brendan answers your questions on what steps Britain needs to take to stay relevant, whether its military is fit for purpose, and whether our soft power is overlooked.

- WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
- Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday.

Series Producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Nathan Gower and Ivana Davidovic
Digital Producer: Joe Wilkinson
Technical Producer: Jonny Baker
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham

Is Britain's Military Still Fit For Purpose? (Your Radical Questions with Brendan Simms)

Is Great Britain really still great? Is it in decline, or has the UK underestimated its own status in the world?

In his latest book The Return of the Great Powers, Brendan Simms, Professor of the History of International Relations at the University of Cambridge, challenges one of the most deeply rooted current assumptions in British public life and argues that the UK is still a significant player on the world stage.

While much of the national conversation focuses on economic stagnation, geopolitical uncertainty and the fading legacy of empire, Simms argues that the UK remains one of only four true Great Powers in the world today, alongside the United States, China and Russia.

Drawing on a framework of resources, reach, reputation and resilience, he joins Radical to make the case that Britain retains many of the characteristics that define global power: a strong economy, worldwide diplomatic influence, significant military capabilities and an overseas presence that allows it to project influence far beyond its shores.

Sophia Smith Galer hosts this week, and find out why Brendan Simms believes that great power politics has returned as the dominant force shaping international affairs. What does it mean to be a Great Power in the 21st century? Does Britain still belong at the top table? And how the growing rivalry between the US and China is reshaping the global order?

- WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
- Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday.

Series Producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Nathan Gower and Ivana Davidovic
Digital Producer: Joe Wilkinson
Technical Producer: Jonny Baker
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham

Influence After Empire: Is Britain Still a Great Power? (Professor Brendan Simms)

Derek Gow is a farmer, conservationist, author and leading rewilding advocate who has become one of the UK's most vocal champions of large-scale species reintroductions. In this special Q&A, he tackles some of your most challenging and provocative questions.
 
In the main episode, Derek explained why he breeds native British species and argued that rewilding is a vital tool in addressing the biodiversity and climate crises.
 
In this follow-up discussion, listeners ask whether turning farmland into wildlife habitat can ever be financially sustainable and how he responds to critics who believe conservation is a luxury. He also explains how investing in nature can deliver long-term benefits for communities, the economy and the environment.
 
Next week, Sophia Smith-Galer talks to Brendan Simms, Professor of the History of International Relations at the University of Cambridge. He argues that, contrary to received wisdom, the UK is still a great power in the world.
 
We’ll be putting your radical questions to Professor Simms for a Q&A episode, so please get in touch.
 
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Will British Farming Pay the Price for Rewilding? (Your Radical Questions with Derek Gow)

This week, John Burn-Murdoch speaks with Derek Gow, the British farmer, conservationist, author and rewilding pioneer who has become one of the UK's most outspoken advocates for large-scale species reintroductions.

From his farm in Devon, Derek breeds native British animals, including species that have been absent from the UK for centuries. His goal is to demonstrate what is possible when conservation ambition matches the scale of the ecological challenges we face.

A passionate supporter of reintroducing beavers across the country, Derek argues that restoring them into the wild can play a crucial role in tackling climate change, reducing flood risk, reviving wetlands and making landscapes more resilient to extreme weather.

His views have frequently brought him into conflict with parts of the farming establishment. Yet Derek insists that productive agriculture and ambitious rewilding are not mutually exclusive, and that with the right political leadership, the two can thrive side by side.

* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday. 

Series Producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Nathan Gower, Ivana Davidovic
Digital Producer: Gabriel Purcell-Davis
Technical Producer: Jonny Baker
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham

Britain's Lost Species: Should We Resurrect Our Extinct Wildlife? (Derek Gow)

David Runciman, podcaster and former politics Professor, answers Your Radical Questions. In the main episode, David argued that lowering the voting age to six is a true expression of universal suffrage and could help reinvigorate our stagnant democracy. Now, our listeners challenge him on whether kids would just vote how their parents tell them, and whether there’s any evidence or precedent to support his radical proposal. 

Plus, should knowledge and competence be rewarded in our democratic system? Should some votes count more than others and should our politicians have to pass tests before they stand for office?

Next week, our Radical guest is Derek Gow, a conservationist, rewilder and outspoken advocate of large-scale species re-introductions. He argues that we should give much more of our land back to nature and away from conventional farming, using the innate behaviour of native species – in particular beavers – to restore natural ecosystems which could help protect against the devastating effects of climate change. 

We want your radical questions for him, so please get in touch. 

* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday. 

Series Producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Nathan Gower, Ivana Davidovic
Digital Producer: Gabriel Purcell-Davis
Technical Producer: Philip Bull
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham

Should Politicians Have to Pass Competence Tests? (Your Radical Questions with David Runciman)

This week, guest presenter Sophia Smith Galer speaks to David Runciman, a podcaster and former politics academic, about his radical proposition to lower the voting age to six.

It’s a position that has been met with laughter, scorn, and even anger, but he believes it’s not just in accordance with our democratic principles - it could also help give our stale and fractious democracy a much-needed shot in the arm. David talks us through the history of the arguments about suffrage (some of which have echoes now in the debate around children), his work talking to children in schools about politics and voting, and how he thinks his radical proposal could shake-up democracy.

Next week, John Burn-Murdoch talks to the conservationist Derek Gow, one of the country’s leading Rewilders, who argues that we should be reintroducing indigenous but long-vanished species to the UK countryside.

We’ll be putting your radical questions to Derek for a Q&A episode, so please get in touch.

* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday. 

Series Producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Nathan Gower, Ivana Davidovic
Digital Producer: Gabriel Purcell-Davis
Technical Producer: Philip Bull
Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham

Votes for Six-Year-Olds: Could Child Suffrage Revive Democracy? (David Runciman)

Writer Lamorna Ash, author of Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever, answers Your Radical Questions. In the main episode, Lamorna told James Marriott what she discovered while travelling around Britain and meeting young Christians across the religious and political spectrum. Now, you ask her why some people under 40 are finding faith in older and more ritualistic churches, and whether Christianity is beginning to feel countercultural. 

Lamorna is also challenged on whether Christianity offers genuine help to people experiencing psychological distress, or if it allows them to surrender their agency. And have modern forms of spirituality, from tarot and astrology to manifestation and energy, made a return to traditional religion less likely? 

 GET IN TOUCH: 

- WhatsApp: +44330 123 9480 
- Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday. 

Series producer: Rufus Gray 
Producers: Oscar Pearson, Nathan Gower 
Technical producer: Robin Schroder 
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham

Is Christianity Becoming Countercultural Again? (Your Radical Questions with Lamorna Ash)

This week, James Marriott speaks to the writer Lamorna Ash about her journey through the changing world of British Christianity. 

Raised with little religious belief, Lamorna spent a year visiting churches, festivals, monasteries and Christian communities across the country. What began as an investigation into why young people were rediscovering faith gradually became a much more personal search for meaning and belief. 
 
James and Lamorna discuss the decline of organised religion, the loneliness and uncertainty of modern life, and Christianity’s surprising appeal to a new generation with diverse beliefs and politics. Is Britain witnessing a genuine religious revival? And could answers to very modern problems be found in our old, religious institutions?

Next week, Sophia Smith Galer speaks to David Runciman, an honorary Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge, about his very radical proposal to lower the voting age to six years old.

GET IN TOUCH 
* WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 
* Email: radical@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday and Monday. 

Series producer: Rufus Gray
Producers: Oscar Pearson, Nathan Gower
Digital producers: Gabriel Purcell-Davis
Technical producer: Robin Schroder
Senior news editor: Sam Bonham

Is Britain's Military Still Fit For Purpose? (Your Radical Questions with Brendan Simms)

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