Ideas New Year's Levee | Stories we're working on in 2026
Jan 1, 2026
Nahid Mustafa, a producer focused on social media's intellectual influencers, shares how scholars are using platforms like TikTok to educate. Pauline Holdsworth highlights Labradorian author Elizabeth Gowdy’s work, celebrating local stories and songs. Tom Howell tackles long-term thinking, exploring urban cycling in winter and its sustainability. Chris Wadszkow investigates the cultural weight of the number 27, connecting it to sports and the '27 Club.' Pauline Dakin delves into empathy's complex history and its evolving role in society.
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Episode notes
Power Of Public Conversation
- Ideas episodes help reframe big questions like empathy, freedom, and meaning through diverse voices.
- The show highlights how collective conversation deepens understanding beyond individual perspective.
Intellectual Influencers On Social Media
- Nahid Mustafa finds 'intellectual influencers' on social media doing deep public education work.
- These creators connect research and context to moments young audiences are living in, reclaiming social media's promise.
TikTok Sparked Deeper Curiosity
- Nahid Mustafa describes an Irish account that analyzes campus and cultural trends in tightly written TikToks.
- She credits it with making familiar patterns visible and prompting deeper curiosity about why things happen.
