Festival of Dangerous Ideas

In a complex and fast-moving world, if we want to move ahead we need to rethink the conditions for making progress in science, business and society in a fundamental way. We need to realise there is no 'right way', lose our fear of failure, embrace opportunity and take risks. We need to stop looking for leaders who can provide us with all the answers, and encourage the search for many solutions. We need to understand that to adapt to the challenges of the future, we must make mistakes, lots of them. Author and "Undercover Economist" for the Finanicial Times Tim Harford joined Festival of Dangerous Ideas to bring us wisdom from his latest best-seller 'Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure.'

The stories of Anders Behring Breivik and Lance Armstrong may seem to have little in common, but each shows the consequences of the epidemic of narcissism that marks our age. Our lives no longer centred on social and family groups, but have become highly individualistic. We are primed for narcissism by consumer culture, changing family dynamics and growing inequality. It’s time we looked at the sources of this epidemic and how it can be stopped. Anne Manne is an Australian writer and social commentator.

The tumultuous 17th century Enlightenment created the modern mind. What were the radical forces that shaped this intellectual world view we still share? And how is this under threat today? A.C. Grayling is the Master of the New College of the Humanities, London, and its Professor of Philosophy, and the author of over thirty books of philosophy, biography, history of ideas, and essays. His books, The Age of Genius, was published in April 2016 and The History of Philosophy was published in 2019 respectively.

We take you back to the unforgettable Christopher Hitchens. Hitch was the opening speaker at the very first Festival of Dangerous Ideas in 2009. Erudite, acerbic and incisive as ever, Hitch's talk - the original dangerous ideas - holds a very special place in our hearts.  A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival’s history. Sign up at festivalofdangerousideas.com to find out more about the lineup for FODI 2020.

Enjoy Dee Madigan's talk on political advertising from FODI 2016. This detailed look at how political propaganda gets made will enlighten, disgust and entertain in equal measures. A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival’s history. Sign up at festivalofdangerousideas.com to find out more about the lineup for FODI 2020.

Revisit Evgeny Morozov's prophetic talk about the future of technology from FODI 2013. It warns of the growing influence of tech corporations in our everyday lives and describes - with eerie accuracy - the world we live in today.  A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival’s history. Sign up at festivalofdangerousideas.com to find out more about the lineup for FODI 2020.

We look back at Philippe Legrain's impassioned talk about immigration from FODI 2016. By flipping current assumptions on their heads, he builds a case for open migration and the potential it has to benefit a nation's society, economy and culture. A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival’s history. Sign up at festivalofdangerousideas.com to find out more about the lineup for FODI 2020.

Revisit Vandana Shiva's speech from FODI 2013 on globalisation and its impacts on environment and society alike. This impassioned rebuttal of modern economic dogma forces us to reframe how we think of healthy economies and communities.   A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival’s history. Sign up at festivalofdangerousideas.com to find out more about the lineup for FODI 2020.

We highlight the work of a FODI favourite, Jon Ronson. Enjoy his unique brand of reporting as he investigates psychopaths at work, at home and in hospitals in 2011’s Psychopaths Make the World Go Round, and uncovers social media’s savage culture of shame in 2015’s Shame Culture. **This podcast contains strong language and themes that may offend some listeners** A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival’s history. Sign up at festivalofdangerousideas.com to find out more about the lineup for FODI 2020.

Revisit Hanna Rosin’s talk from the Festival of Dangerous Ideas 2013. Documenting the tectonic shifts in gender equality taking place across America, this is both an inspiring recap of what we have achieved, but also a reminder of how far we still have to go. A Decade of Danger celebrates 10 years of The Festival of Dangerous Ideas and will highlight 10 unmissable speakers from across the festival’s history. Sign up at festivalofdangerousideas.com to find out more about the lineup for FODI 2020.