Origin Story

The podcast dives into George Orwell's transformation from Eric Blair to a literary icon. It explores his complex political identity, shaped by diverse influences and experiences. Listeners learn about his disillusionment during the Spanish Civil War and the impact of his struggles on his writing. The discussion highlights Orwell's early life, literary style, and relationship with Eileen, alongside reflections on his enduring legacy and the relevance of his ideas in today's world. Fascinating stories and insightful critiques make this an engaging exploration of a monumental figure.

We’ve covered ideas, phrases, people and historical events. Now Origin Story profiles its first building: Number 10 Downing Street. Following Dorian’s bonus episode about the birth of end of the world fiction, based on his new book Everything Must Go, Ian goes deep on a topic from his bestselling book How Westminster Works and Why It Doesn’t. He explains how a house built on marshland by a 17th century scoundrel gradually became the prime minister’s official residence, and how its cramped, chaotic floorplan still influences how vital decisions are made. Why does tradition trump efficient governance? How do wily advisers exploit the layout to increase their influence over the PM? Is the door more important than the rest of the house put together? And is it finally time to say goodbye to Number 10?Support Origin Story on Patreon for exclusive benefits www.Patreon.com/originstorypod Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Music by Jade Bailey. Logo art by Mischa Welsh. Audio production by Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• Join Ian and Dorian for Origin Story Live in London on Tue 7 May. They’ll be looking at how the Conservative Party got addicted to conspiracy theory, and more.This time: The Illuminati were a group of Enlightenment idealists who existed for just a few years in 1780s Bavaria. Or were they? The Illuminati have since been blamed for everything from the French Revolution to communism to 9/11. How did a powerless club of intellectuals become reimagined as the secret rulers of the world? And how did the myth of the Illuminati become the template for every megaconspiracy theory about plots to put humanity under the heel of a one-world government?Dorian and Ian unravel this amazing yarn, which takes in America’s Founding Fathers, British fascists, the Knights Templar, David Icke, Jay-Z and the Playboy letters page. The truth is in here.Written and presented by Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey. Audio production and music by Jade Bailey. Logo art by Mischa Welsh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For 1800 years, Western conceptions of the end of the world were dominated by the Book of Revelation: Armageddon, the Millennium, Judgement Day. But in 1816, political upheaval, Enlightenment science and the Romantic imagination converged to give birth to a radical idea: the end of the world without God. When Lord Byron, Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley came together beside Lake Geneva that summer, a volcanic eruption was producing endless rain and apocalyptic prophecies.Drawing on his new book Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World, Dorian explains how that season of confusion and gloom led to not just Frankenstein but Byron’s revolutionary poem Darkness. And how the deaths of her companions led Mary to write The Last Man, the first ever novel about a world-destroying pandemic.It’s a story of personal tragedy, temporary climate change, shocking new ideas about the past, present and future of life on earth, and the summer that kicked off two centuries (and counting) of apocalyptic fiction.Buy Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund Origin Story by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Music by Jade Bailey. Logo art by Mischa Welsh. Audio production by Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey discuss effective altruism and its connection to Sam Bankman-Fried, the failed CEO of FTX. They explore the origins of effective altruism, long-termism, and existential risks. They delve into the philosophy of Peter Singer and different types of utilitarianism. They also examine the role of expected value in effective altruism and the moral implications of long-term thinking. The FTX scandal and collapse are discussed, along with the crisis within the Effective Altruism movement. Despite acknowledging mistakes, they highlight the commitment to doing good and seeking reassurance about the efficacy of donations.

Explore the surprising support eugenics received from progressives during World War I in America. Delve into the complex relationship between women's reproductive rights and eugenics, including the involvement of influential figures like Margaret Sanger. Uncover the elevation of social status gained through embracing eugenics and the scientific weaknesses that challenged its credibility. Examine the failures of eugenics, its discreditation by the Nazis, and the post-war attempts to rehabilitate it. Learn about the importance of moral judgment and vigilance in navigating this controversial topic.

This podcast explores the dark history of eugenics, from its origins in Victorian science to its influence on politics. It delves into the disturbing ideas of Francis Galton and Herbert Spencer, the birth of scientific racism, the sinister history of IQ tests, and the connection between American eugenicists and Hitler. It also examines the role of prominent figures like Winston Churchill and the efforts of GK Chesterton to save Britain from eugenics laws. A complex and unsettling story that challenges political preconceptions.

Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey discuss the political nature of zombies, exploring their symbolism in relation to war, terrorism, capitalism, and disease. They trace the origins of the zombie term to Voodoo and its connection to Caribbean and Southern US folklore. The podcast also explores the evolution of zombie movies, George Romero's influence, and the themes they portray. The hosts delve into the significance of zombies in popular culture, examining their metaphorical representation of societal fears and frustrations. They conclude by discussing the changing interpretations of zombies throughout history.

In Part Two of John Maynard Keynes, Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt reconnect with Keynes in the 1930s, as he slowly pulls together his magnum opus, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. This book changed everything for Keynes, and the rest of us, by establishing Keynesianism as a new way to understand both the economy and society. Ian and Dorian discuss the last decade of Keynes’ life, from the New Deal to the Second World War to the Bretton Woods conference which established the post-war order. When Keynes died suddenly in 1946, his ardent disciples had just begun remaking the world. Did Keynes save capitalism from itself?“We are all Keynesians now,” declared Time magazine in 1965, but 10 years later a global economic crisis was opening the door to the neoliberal counter-revolution, led by Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman. Were the Keynesians more Keynesian than Keynes himself? Should he be credited with the post-war boom and blamed for its dramatic implosion? Is the relationship between Keynesian and neoliberal visions more complex than it appears? And are Joe Biden and Keir Starmer taking us into a new age of Keynes?Reading list for both episodesBooksRoger E. Backhouse and Bradley W. Bateman — Capitalist Revolutionary: John Maynard Keynes, 2011Bradley W. Bateman, Toshiaki Hirai and Maria Cristina Marcuzzo, eds. — The Return to Keynes, 2010Zach Carter — The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes, 2020Peter Clarke — Keynes: The Twentieth Century’s Most Influential Economist, 2010Roy Harrod — The Life of John Maynard Keynes, 1951John Maynard Keynes — The Essential Keynes, 2015Robert Skidelsky — John Maynard Keynes 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman, 2004Nicholas Wapshott — Keynes Hayek: The Clash That Defined Modern Economics, 2011Online:John Maynard Keynes, ‘Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren’, 1930https://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/archive/keynes_persuasion/Economic_Possibilities_for_our_Grandchildren.htmWe Are All Keynesians Now, Time, 1965https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,842353,00.htmlTides of History podcast with Zach Carterhttps://podcasts.apple.com/bg/podcast/john-maynard-keynes-and-his-legacies-interview-with/id1257202425?i=1000476041925Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Simon Williams. Music by Jade Bailey. Logo art by Mischa Welsh. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production.https://twitter.com/OriginStorycast   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Maynard Keynes, a significant economist, is discussed in this podcast. They talk about his remarkable life, his gilded youth at Eton and Cambridge, his rivalries with classical economists, and his rise to wealth and influence. Despite his achievements, his policy prescriptions were usually ignored, making him Mister Told-you-so. Next week: the rise and fall (and rise again) of Keynesianism.