Rephonic
Artwork for Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared
Artificial Intelligence
Donald Trump
Mental Health
Russia
Ukraine
Climate Change
United States
Philosophy
China
Clean Water
Afghanistan
Brexit
Wateraid
Social Media
Iran
United Kingdom
Populism
Liberal Democracy
Vladimir Putin
Cumbria

Ideas shape the world. Intelligence Squared brings you the conversations that explain them. In every episode, we bring together leading thinkers, writers, scientists, policymakers and entrepreneurs, to challenge assumptions, test ideas and debate the questions shaping our future. If you want to think more clearly about the world and where it's heading, you're in the right place. If you’d like to s... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1775Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureArts

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Intelligence Squared

Latest Episodes

For more than 3,000 years, castles and fortifications have shaped the landscapes around them. They defended cities, controlled trade and provided refuge in times of war. But they were also monuments to the ambition of those who built them: vast proje... more

With the release of Aaron Sorkin's new film The Social Reckoning, Mark Zuckerberg and the dark side of Facebook are back in the spotlight.

In 2019, Intelligence Squared put Zuckerberg on trial, asking whether Facebook was doing more harm than good. W... more

Donald Trump’s growing accommodation of Vladimir Putin has raised a stark question: has the US abandoned Ukraine? Conor Boyle speaks to Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia and author of Autocrats vs. Democrats, about what Trump’s approach ... more

Few figures in modern British politics have operated as close to the centre of power as Michael Gove. Over more than a decade in government, he has held some of the most senior offices of state – including Education Secretary, Justice Secretary and S... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

More or Less
More or LessBBC Radio 4
Past Present Future
Past Present FutureDavid Runciman
In Our Time
In Our TimeBBC Radio 4

Recent Guests

Michael McFaul
Former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Stanford professor and author
Stanford University
Episode: Has America Abandoned Ukraine? With Michael McFaul
Michael Gove
Former cabinet minister and editor of The Spectator
The Spectator
Episode: What Must Burnham Sacrifice To Make Britain Grow? With Michael Gove
Camilla Cavendish
Award-winning journalist, Financial Times columnist and Harvard Kennedy School research fellow
Financial Times
Episode: Why Are People Having Fewer Children Than They Want? With Camilla Cavendish
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Writer and broadcaster
Episode: Archive: Can the Arts Drive Social Change? With Idris Elba, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Kwame Kwei-Armah
Playwright and Artistic Director of the Young Vic
Young Vic
Episode: Archive: Can the Arts Drive Social Change? With Idris Elba, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Idris Elba
Actor, writer, producer, and founder of Green Door Pictures
Green Door Pictures
Episode: Archive: Can the Arts Drive Social Change? With Idris Elba, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Miranda Malins
Historian and novelist specialising in Oliver Cromwell, his family, and the Civil War and Commonwealth period
Cromwell Association
Episode: How One Family Remade Britain: Thomas and Oliver Cromwell, with Miranda Malins
Timothy Garton Ash
Historian, political writer, Guardian columnist and Professor of European Studies Emeritus at the University of Oxford.
University of Oxford
Episode: Can Europe Defend Itself? Timothy Garton Ash on Europe's Future
Katherine Rundell
Author and writer discussed in depth, including Napoleon's Orangutan and The Golden Mole
Author
Episode: Can Pigs Really Appreciate Bach? Katherine Rundell Live

Host

Mia Sorrenti
Host and producer, appears across Intelligence Squared events and episodes

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 2.4k ratings
  • Mislabelling & Wrong Transcripts

    The Matt Haig episode is mislabelled and the transcript is the wrong episode. Confusing.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    RedDesert1980
    United Kingdom14 days ago
  • Bring back debates!

    The world needs good debate with the best arguments on both sides presented. Nuance and critical thought are lost in the vacuum of one-sided think-pieces. It’s like hearing only half the debate and then asking the audience to vote. The rest of the internet is peddling opinions, you were the only place putting them under inspection.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    SpyDIRmaN
    Australiaa month ago
  • “Hotels with History”: the wet lettuce leaf of podcasts … Is it really even a podcast?

    What the heck? How can such a potentially interesting topic with a great narrator, Mr Grant, be such a wet limp thing. Aggrandising trivialities and never really getting into the heart of anything. Just run an ad … honestly. Not just a waste of effort, this is worse; giving “ick” on these hotels I used to enjoy. And now Raffles is also dead to me … uggh. Why are these Hotels With History podcast episodes so bad? Well done, chaps

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Charlotte Burgman
    United States4 months ago
  • UFO Misinformation

    The latest UFO episode was garbage! 👎🏻

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    PawdKast
    United States5 months ago
  • Consistently Exceptional

    I listen to many and varied podcasts. Intelligence2 is consistently exceptional, nuanced, well researched, thought through and….witty!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Palafoxiana
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listener frustration with short-form non-subscriber clips and paywalls.
High-quality guests and analyses keep this show valuable for listeners who want depth and nuance.
Consistently exceptional and thoughtfully researched debates are a hallmark.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Are People Having Fewer Children Than They Want? With Camilla Cavendish
Q: Can we recreate the village?
Cavendish says communities could rebuild support through practical changes such as workplace childcare and shared spaces, while connecting families with nearby relatives and other generations.
Why Are People Having Fewer Children Than They Want? With Camilla Cavendish
Q: Is it true that it was a conversation you had with a young woman in Tokyo?
Cavendish says conversations with young Japanese women, alongside research on population aging and learning that Harvard students were freezing their eggs, inspired her to investigate why people were having fewer children.
Archive: Can the Arts Drive Social Change? With Idris Elba, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Q: What are some steps that they can leave this conversation with to be like, all right, this is, you know, if they're a film director or a head of a theater, what do you want them to go out and do?
Kwei-Armah urges artists to enter the field prepared and committed, and to interpret rejection as evidence that their work may have the qualities needed to break through.
Can Europe Defend Itself? Timothy Garton Ash on Europe's Future
Q: So what do you think, first of all, that Britain still fails to understand about the European Union? And then lastly, I guess, what do you make of Andy Burnham's suggestion that we might consider rejoining?
Ash argues Brexit cost Britain a strong position in the EU and left it less able to respond to major powers. He supports considering rejoining, but says it requires clear majorities in both Britain and the EU, and terms that work for both.
Archive: Can the Arts Drive Social Change? With Idris Elba, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Q: How do you navigate creating work that is nuanced and talking about the Black experience in nuanced ways for a very white trustee board, for a very white audience, and doing that work in a way that has integrity?
Kwame Kwei-Armah emphasizes neurodiversity alongside ethnic and gender diversity, and says leaders must create space for people to bring their full selves and perspectives.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Intelligence Squared

What is Intelligence Squared about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, idea-driven interview series that brings together writers, journalists, policymakers, and thought leaders to explore culture, politics, science, and society. Episodes frequently center on memory, history, and the dynamics of power, with deep dives into books, current events, and major global topics. Notable strengths include challenging conversations with high-profile guests, live event formats, and a willingness to tackle complex ethical issues, AI, journalism, and democracy. The show often blends personal storytelling with rigorous analysis, making it appealing to listeners who enjoy nuanced debate and cross-disciplinary perspectives.

Where can I find podcast stats for Intelligence Squared?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Intelligence Squared. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Intelligence Squared and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Intelligence Squared get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Intelligence Squared, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Intelligence Squared?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Intelligence Squared, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Intelligence Squared have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Intelligence Squared has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Intelligence Squared?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Intelligence Squared:

1. The Rest Is History
2. More or Less
3. Past Present Future
4. The Rest Is Politics
5. In Our Time

How many episodes of Intelligence Squared are there?

Intelligence Squared launched 13 years ago and published 1775 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Intelligence Squared?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Intelligence Squared?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Intelligence Squared from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Intelligence Squared?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Intelligence Squared. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Intelligence Squared?

Recent guests on Intelligence Squared include:

1. Michael McFaul
2. Michael Gove
3. Camilla Cavendish
4. Yassmin Abdel-Magied
5. Kwame Kwei-Armah
6. Idris Elba
7. Miranda Malins
8. Timothy Garton Ash

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days