Even if we don't believe that Jesus was the son of God, we tend to think he was a great moral teacher. But was he? And how closely do idealised values such as our love of the family, helping the needy, and the importance of kindness, match Jesus's original tenets? In this week's episode Julian Baggini challenges our assumptions on Christian values with some surprising insights on who Jesus really was. The episode was hosted by former BBC Broadcaster and journalist Mark Mardell.  To buy Julian's book The Godless Gospel click here: https://amzn.to/31zejC2 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should Scotland be independent? In this week's podcast Alex Massie and Lesley Riddoch go head to head on the question of whether the time has come to break up Britain and for Scotland to go it alone. The debate was chaired by Manveen Rana.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each year hundreds of thousands of Americans die as a result of drug abuse, alcoholism or suicide – and the numbers are rising. This has contributed to a fall in life expectancy in the past three years, reversing a trend towards increased life expectancy that began in 1918. In this week's episode we discuss, Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism, economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton new book which has identified a culprit for these ‘deaths of despair’: capitalism – or at least some aspects of it. The debate was chaired by Francine Lacqua television anchor and editor-at-large for Bloomberg Television. To buy the book click here:  https://bit.ly/3lIWlGg Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week's episode we discuss the explosive rise of NFT's as well as the long terms trends in blockchain that will change how we do business and live our lives. The interview is taken from our new podcast Intelligence Squared Business and our guest is Sheila Warren, member of the Executive Committee and Head of Blockchain and Data Policy at The World Economic Forum. To subscribe to Intelligence Squared Business click here: https://apple.co/2OEn5fe To listen to more podcasts from the World Economic Forum click here: https://www.weforum.org/focus/podcasts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robin Dunbar is the world-renowned psychologist and author who famously discovered Dunbar’s number: how our capacity for friendship is limited to around 150 people. In this week's episode he explains why friends matter to us – more than we think. The single most surprising fact to emerge out of the medical literature over the last decade or so has been that the number and quality of the friendships we have has a bigger influence on our happiness, health and even mortality risk than anything else except giving up smoking. To find out more about his new book Friends click here: https://amzn.to/3rPrcTQ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2016, almost anyone you asked, or any poll you consulted, pointed you to a Hillary Clinton landslide. The Accidental President is a balanced feature documentary that is seeking to answer one question - How the hell did Donald Trump win? In this week's episode we were joined by the director James Fletcher who spoke to Mark Mardell about making the documentary and the future of Trump's style of politics.  THE ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENT is available to rent and buy on Apple TV+, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and YouTube now Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a special bonus episode for you today - we wanted to introduce you to a podcast we think you'll really enjoy, called Climate Solutions, from our partners, the European Investment Bank. What would you give up to solve the climate crisis? Flights to exotic holiday destinations? Red meat? Your car? Climate Solutions surveyed 30 000 people in every EU country, in China, the US and the UK to find out what they’re ready to do to fight climate change. And whether, facing the threat posed by COVID 19, they’re even worried about climate change at all. The team at Climate Solutions then spoke to experts about what it all means for the future of our planet. In this brand new episode of season 2 of Climate Solutions, host Matt Rees and guests ask, has COVID-19 changed our behaviour in ways that might be good for climate change? Teleworking, instead of commuting to an office, means fewer carbon emissions and is therefore good for the climate. And what about the economic recovery? Are people just so desperate for an end to the COVID-19 recession that they want investment at any cost? Or do they want a green recovery?  To find out more about Climate Solutions, and to subscribe, go to eib.org/podcasts or search Climate Solutions in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For International Women's Day we bring to you a special bonus episode of our award-winning podcast, How I Found My Voice presented by the BBC journalist Samira Ahmed. This episode features clips from some of our favourite female interviewees including novelists Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo and Elif Shafak, actors Kate Winslet, Rose McGowan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, singer Paloma Faith, Labour politician and Member of Parliament Jess Phillips, businesswoman Gina Miller, and comedian Katharine Ryan. SUBSCRIBE TO HOW I FOUND MY VOICE ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/how-i-found-my-voice/id1455089930 SUBSCRIBE TO HOW I FOUND MY VOICE ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/3tFAb0IODQLDaVksmi2YHi?si=XGkuGCnmTxej2lHKSeYHuA How I Found My Voice is an Intelligence Squared podcast that explores how some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers became such compelling – and unique – communicators. The Executive Producer is Farah Jassat. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week's episode BBC North America Editor Jon Sopel takes us behind the scenes of perhaps the most extraordinary election campaign ever in American politics – when a global pandemic threw the country into turmoil and threatened not just the presidency but the very institutions of American democracy itself. Sopel revealed the inside story of how the presidential race became a battle for the very soul of the nation – and what lies ahead with the new administration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The podcast was hosted by Manveen Rana senior investigative journalist at the Times and Sunday Times. To find out more about the book click here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/unpresidented/jon-sopel/9781785944406 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a special bonus episode for you today – we wanted to introduce you to a podcast we think you'll really enjoy, called Change Makers. Change Makers presents fresh ideas and inspirational life stories from people with a passion – the campaigners, creators, connectors and contrarians – all making a difference. In this episode economist, author, economist and former finance minister of Greece Yanis Varoufakis spoke to Michael Hayman, co-founder of the campaigns firm Seven Hills. They discussed Yanis's blueprint for ‘another now’, why – as an avowed critic of the establishment – he entered political life, and his belief that Star Trek presents the ultimate model of Marxist ideals. Click here to find out more about Change Makers, and to subscribe, or search Change Makers in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices