The Prospect Podcast

Jay Elwes takes a deep dive into the aftermath of the attempted assassination in Salisbury of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Why has this happened? Can we be certain Russia is behind it? What is Putin’s game?Featuring comment from Jonathan Eyal, one of Britain’s most experienced Russia experts, Pauline Neville-Jones, the former head of the UK Joint Intelligence Committee, and Anatol Lieven of Georgetown University, this edition goes deep into the world of espionage, disinformation and the strange logic of the man behind it all—Vladimir Putin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Tom Clark, editor of Prospect, sits down with Cathy Rentzenbrink, the writer, and Joanna Bourke, the social historian, to discuss our changing relationship with death.Medical science is now able to prolong human life in a way that was unthinkable even ten years ago. But is it in our interest to extend life in that way? Who benefits from putting people into this half-alive state? And how is digital technology affecting our ability to mourn?Also on the podcast Philip Ball, the science writer, describes how scientists in London are growing a second version of his brain. And if we can do that, can we live on after death in the Petri dish? And what does that mean for the question of “the self”? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Prospect’s Editor Tom Clark sits down with Shami Chakrabarti, the lawyer and Labour peer whose new book, "Of Women," takes a close look at the place of women in society and reveals in uncomfortable detail the gross unfairness that they still face. But then the Labour Party is not immune from sexism in its own ranks—and unlike the Conservative Party has never had a female leader. Chakrabarti thinks that record is set to change. Anne Perkins of the Guardian and Sameer Rahim, Prospect’s Arts and Books editor, join in the debate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prospect Editor Tom Clark sits down with Steven Pinker, the Harvard scientist, to discuss his new book on the Enlightenment and how that period in the development of human thought continues to shape our world.The ideals of reason and tolerance are winning out, he says, and the result is immense material progress. Things are quite simply getting better all the time—contrary to popular belief.That’s the argument. But is the division of history into pre- and post-Enlightenment as clear-cut as his book suggests? And really, was the Enlightenment quite as enlightened as we might think? Sameer Rahim, Prospect’s Arts and Books Editor and Philip Ball, the science writer and Prospect contributor, also give their thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lionel Shriver, Afua Hirsch and Mary Beard talk freedom of speech, power and the new culture wars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prospect today publishes an exclusive podcast interview with John Sawers, head of MI6 from 2009-2014. 

Sawers raises deep concerns over the security and intelligence consequences of Brexit. He says: “My concern on the intelligence and security front is over the exchange of data. Data is now central to the way in which security services in particular monitor threats. Track people who might pose a threat to UK security—and the rules on exchange of data are going to be set in the EU and we won’t be round the table with our voice with our weight stressing the vital importance of these data exchanges to our national security.”
On Theresa May, Sawers says: 

“I don’t think she’s a natural at engaging on these big political issues with foreign leaders.” On Britain in the world: 
“We have made less impact in the world in the last ten years than we did in the 30 years before that.” Sawers goes on to discuss the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Britain’s failure to intervene in Syria, Russian meddling in western elections and relations between Britain and the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The immense political, constitutional and legal challenge posed by Brexit becomes clearer by the day. With talks now stepping up a gear and turning to the future relationship, Prospect Editor Tom Clark and Deputy Digital Editor Alex Dean sat down with representatives from either side of the debate. Gisela Stuart, the Labour politician who chaired Vote Leave, clashed with Ian Dunt, Remainer and editor of politics.co.uk. Prospect’s Executive Editor Jay Elwes spoke to polling extraordinaire John Curtice. Where does public opinion now stand on this defining issue of our times? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prospect’s Editor, Tom Clark, spoke to the writer and academic Shahidha Bari about her recent essay on the problem of art made by terrible men. What should our attitude be to their work and does history give examples of how those views might change over time? Stephanie Boland, Digital Editor and Sameer Rahim, Arts and Books Editor were on hand to offer their insights, in the first in a new series of weekly podcasts from Prospect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not so long ago the web was on the quirky edges of life, but today it is at its heart. John Naughton started out as an enthusiast, but today he joins Tom Clark to explain why it has fallen prey to corporate capture and bred a new surveillance capitalism. James Ball explains how social media has been used to brainwash voters. Meanwhile, Samira Shackle comes back from a trip to Mosul, the Iraqi city until recently under IS control, and explains how blameless citizens there are today paying the price for having been unwilling appendages to the jihaddi killing machine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not long ago, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton said there was no more point in arguing with globalisation than the weather: it was an unstoppable wind of change. No longer. It has spun into reverse. Dani Rodrik joins Tom Clark and explains why good economics always made hyper-globalisation a dubious proposition. Meanwhile, Keynes biographer Robert Skidelsky reappraises the record of one thoughtful globaliser: Gordon Brown. And feminist Lynne Segal takes on another sell from the economics profession: the “happiness industry." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.