Podcasts Archive | How To Academy

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How To Academy’s podcast series takes you backstage to meet the thinkers shaping the 21st century. From polar explorers to climate activists, CEOs to cabinet ministers, you’ll hear from the men and women making the world of tomorrow.

Show All Mind and Wellbeing Politics and Society Science and Technology Art and Culture

Season 15, Eps. 19

1hr

Bonnie Tsui – Rethinking Muscle and the Way We Move

Muscle is more than just what we are made of; it allows us to explore who we are and pursue who we want to be. Author and athlete Bonnie Tsui reveals the intriguing world of muscle and why it matters.

Season 15, Eps. 18

1hr 2mins

Gabriel Weston – A New Journey Through the Human Anatomy

Award-winning novelist, memoirist, and surgeon Gabriel Weston joins us with a profound journey through the wonder that is the human body.

Season 15, Eps. 17

1hr 5mins

Yung Pueblo – How To Love Better

New York Times bestselling poet and author Yung Pueblo reveals how we can cultivate deeper compassion and connection in our relationships, to better love our partners and ourselves.

Series 15, Eps. 16

47mins

John Higgs – The Story of Doctor Who

How did a low budget sci-fi show widely loathed by its creators the BBC go on to become a bedrock of British culture that means the world to millions of children and adults alike?

Season 15, Eps. 15

1hr

Anne-Laure Le Cunff – How Everyday Curiosity Can Help You Reach Your Goals

Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff reveals a new, easier way to reach your goals through everyday curiosity and self-discovery: the experimental mindset.

Season 15, Eps. 14

1hr

Edward Fishman – How the Global Economy Became a Weapon of War

Foreign policy expert and former US state department official Edward Fishman reveals the history of economic warfare, and the alarming forecast for international economies to come.

Season 15, Eps. 13

1hr

Maya Raichoora – How to Think, Feel, and Perform Like the Top 1%

Mental fitness expert Maya Raichoora reveals how to harness the power of visualisation to rewire and retrain your brain so you can take control of the way you think, feel and perform.

Season 15 Eps. 12

58 mins

Journalist Annabelle Hirsch – A History of Women in 101 Objects

From thumbscrews to Tupperware, the Amazon rainforest to the plantations of South Carolina, Simone de Beauvoir to Beyoncé, this is the story of women as never heard before.

Season 15, Eps. 11

55 mins

Gary Lightbody – On Grief, Love, and the Power of Music

Time. Love. Death. Life. Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody shares the emotional journey behind the band’s latest chart-topping album, at whose heart is the story of losing his father.

Season 15, Eps. 10

1hr 13mins

Kenneth Roth – Fighting for Humanity: Three Decades of Leading Human Rights Watch

The long-time head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, joins us to tell the story of taking on the world’s biggest human rights villains, and explores the ongoing fight for a better world.

Season 15 Eps. 9

29 mins

Assyriologist Selena Wisnom – Mesopotamia and the Making of History

Located in modern-day Iraq, Mesopotamia was the first human civilisation and the birthplace of writing. Selena Wisnom is one of the few people alive today who can read the cuneiform tablets that tell its story.

Season 15, Eps. 8

1hr 5mins

Agnes Callard – Socratic Wisdom for Our Modern Times

Philosopher and University of Chicago Professor Agnes Callard reveals how Socrates can continue to guide us in the tumult of our modern world.

Season 15 Eps. 7

1hr 10 mins

Psychologist to the Lionesses Kate Hays – How to Win

The Lionesses’ Performance Psychologist Kate Hays shares a practical playbook on how to thrive, fulfil your potential, and sustain long-term success.

Season 15 Eps. 6

1 hr 4 mins

Courtney Love and Todd Almond – On Bob Dylan

A deeply personal celebration of the legendary songwriter Bob Dylan, from two great stars of stage, studio and screen, Courtney Love and Todd Almond.

Season 15, Eps. 5

1hr

Sumit Paul-Choudhury – Why You Should Be an Optimist

A deep dive into the power and science of optimism that will change the way you think for good, with the former editor of New Scientist, Sumit Paul-Choudhury.

Season 15, Eps. 4

1hr 12 mins

George Osborne Meets Tom Holland – The Lives of the Caesars

The award-winning star of The Rest is History Tom Holland joins George Osborne for a journey back to the Roman empire, breathing new life into the reign of the Caesars.

Series 15, Eps. 3

1hr

Andrew Brodsky – The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication

To email or not to email? That is the question. We are all virtual communicators, but the struggles of expressing ourselves on text, email, and video calls are familiar to us all. Andrew Brodsky shares an illuminating guide to how we can all communicate better virtually.

Series 15, Eps. 2

49 mins

Sahil Bloom – How to Design Your Dream Life

Entrepreneur and author of The Curiosity Chronicle, Sahil Bloom joins Chris Donnelly for a groundbreaking guide to rejecting the default path and designing the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Series 15, Eps. 1

55mins

Historian and Novelist Ada Palmer – Was the Renaissance Really a Golden Age?

Historian and novelist Ada Palmer debunks the myths of the Renaissance and reveal a richer picture of the era and its luminaries, from the Medicis to Machiavelli.

Series 14, Eps 32

1hr 1mins

Sunita Sah – The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes

In a world that expects compliance, what is the power of defiance and how can we stay true to ourselves? Cornell Professor Sunita Sah reveals the power of ‘no’.

Series 14, Eps 31

50 mins

Anna Sulan Masing – Chinese and Any Other Asian

Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores the vast history of othering and belonging for East and Southeast Asians in the UK, and what it means to be East and Southeast Asian in Britain today.

Series 14, Eps 30

55 mins

Neal Stephenson – Dawn of the Atomic Age

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Termination Shock Neal Stephenson joins us to unveil his creation of a new tale: Polostan, an epic of intrigue presaging the dawn of the Atomic Age.

Series 14, Eps 29

1 hr 7 mins

Activist, Actor and Baroness Lola Young – Defying The Odds

The beloved social justice activist Baroness Lola Young shares her remarkable path from a childhood spent in foster care to becoming one of the first Black women in the House of Lords.

Series 14, Eps 26

1hr 33mins

Frankie Boyle Meets George Monbiot – The Fight Against Neoliberalism

Legendary environmentalist George Monbiot joins comic Frankie Boyle to take on neoliberalism: the insidious doctrine impoverishing society and threatening democracy itself.

Series 14, Eps 25

59 mins

Professor Adam Zeman – The New Neuroscience of Imagination

We think of imagination as a creative faculty. The truth is that it’s the default setting of our daily lives. Robin Ince ventures into the maze of the mind with Professor Adam Zeman.

Series 14, Eps. 24

1hr

Novelist and Activist Cory Doctorow – Fear and Loathing in Silicon Valley

Blogger, author, and activist Cory Doctorow is the most provocative, original, and widely admired thinker on the politics of Big Tech writing today.

Series 14, Eps 23

1hr 3 mins

Caitlin Moran Meets Alex James – Cocaine, Crash Diets and the Return of Blur

Blur’s legendary bassist Alex James shares his heartfelt and hilarious account of being catapulted back into the limelight with Times journalist Caitlin Moran.

Series 14, Eps 22

1hr 28 mins

Yanis Varoufakis Meets Slavoj Žižek

Join the rockstar philosopher and revolutionary Slavoj Žižek for a celebration of his life and thought with his friend, world famous economist Yanis Varoufakis.

Series 14, Eps 21

1hr

Cosmologist Roberto Trotta – How the Stars Shaped Civilisation

All of humanity has arisen under the same sky. Cosmologist Roberto Trotta explores how the night sky has shaped civilisation and what it means to be human.

Series 14, Eps 20

1hr

Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk – A Life in Writing

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006, Orhan Pamuk has moved readers across the globe with his evocative and deeply stirring works of fiction. He joins us to illuminate his art.

Series 14, Eps 19

35mins

Neuroscientist Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston – How and Why We Should Abolish Death

Can scientists now preserve human minds beyond death – and should they? Australian neuroscientist Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston joins us to explain the cutting-edge of his field.

Series 14 Eps 18

60 mins

Vanity Fair’s Lili Anolik – Joan Didion v. Eve Babitz

It’s sixties Hollywood. The relationship between two literary titans is about to explode. Vanity Fair’s Lili Anolik reveals glittering insights into the literary rivalry of its age. This is Joan Didion v. Eve Babitz.

Series 14, Eps 17

1hr

Lucy Hughes-Hallett – The Brief & Brilliant Life of the Duke of Buckingham

Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize Lucy Hughes-Hallett reveals the stunning life of the dazzling young Englishman at the heart of seventeenth-century court politics.

Series 14, Eps 16

1hr 17mins

Andrew Roberts – 150 Years of Winston Churchill

On Winston Churchill’s 150th birthday, Andrew Roberts joins Matthew D’Ancona to illuminate the life of this towering figure and share what Churchill might think of our world today.

Series 14, Eps 15

58 mins

Dr Guy Leschziner – A Neuroscientist’s Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins

Neurologist Dr Guy Leschziner reveals the evolutionary benefits of the seven deadly sins and how modern society can reframe them to create a fairer, more empathetic world.

Series 14, Eps 14

1hr 5mins

Rory Stewart Meets Saad Mohseni – The Fight for a Free Press in Kabul

Saad Mohseni joins Rory Stewart to share his journey of building a free press in Afghanistan – and reveals a stunning portrait of the resilience of the Afghan people.

Series 14, Eps 13

1hr 2mins

Dr Mithu Storoni – How To Transform the Way You Work

Physician, surgeon and neuroscience researcher Dr Mithu Storoni shares insightful and practical strategies to enhance the quality and creativity of your work.

Series 14, Eps 12

1hr 6 mins

Cambridge Professor David Spiegelhalter – How to Navigate Change, Ignorance, Risk and Luck

Life is uncertain, so how can we manage risk and ignorance? Join coincidence-prone Robin Ince and national treasure Professor David Spiegelhalter for a journey into navigating life’s unknowns.

Series 14, Eps 11

1hr 1min

Alison Fragale – How Women Can Get the Success They Deserve

Behavioural scientist Alison Fragale reveals a practical playbook for women to advance in any workplace, while remaining authentic to themselves.

Series 14, Eps 10

1hr

Alan Moore – Twenty Six Letters, Infinite Worlds

Legendary magician and author of Watchmen Alan Moore joins Robin Ince for a spellbinding exploration of everyday magic and the enduring power of prose in our new technological age.

Series 14, Episode 9

22 mins

Robyn Davidson – Journeys of a Lifetime

Acclaimed author of Tracks, Robyn Davidson, shares a deeply moving journey into the past as she traces her extraordinary life and the love and loss that shaped it.

Series 14, Eps 8

1hr 31mins

Yuval Noah Harari – Humanity in the Age of AI

Humanity has always evolved with its technology, but now a new threat looms. Yuval Noah Harari joins us to explore how the rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping humanity as we know it.

Series 14, Eps 7

1hr 8mins

Rebecca Kuang – Yellowface

The award-winning novelist Rebecca Kuang shares the inside story of Yellowface, the satire of the literary world that became a global sensation.

Series 14, Eps 6

1 hr 1 min

Yale Historian Sunil Amrith – How Humanity Reshaped the Planet

Yale historian and MacArthur ‘genius’ Sunil Amrith shares a paradigm-shifting survey of human history’s imprint on the earth, and where we go from here.

Series 14, Eps 5

1hr 2mins

Harvard Historian Serhii Plokhy – Chernobyl Under Russian Occupation

What happens when a hostile power occupies the site of a nuclear catastrophe? Ukrainian-born historian Serhii Plokhy returns to Chernobyl to tell a harrowing and profoundly important story.

Series 14, Eps 4

32mins

Historian of Science Natalie Lawrence – Why Monsters Matter

Since the dawn of humanity monsters have loomed large in our collective imagination. But why do frightening beasts hold such a powerful grip on us?

Series 14, Eps 3

1hr 5 mins

Pulitzer Prize winners Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig – How Donald Trump Squandered His Fortune

He claimed he could do for America what he had done for business. But Trump’s acumen was a house of cards. Pulitzer Prize winners Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig dismantle the myth of America’s luckiest loser.

Series 14, Eps 2

1 hr 44 mins

Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk – When the Body Keeps the Score

Is helplessness and invisibility inevitable after trauma? Not according to global bestselling author Bessel van der Kolk, who joins the podcast to share a new paradigm for healing.

Series 14, Episode 1

42mins

Anthropologist Webb Keane – Animals, Robots, Gods

What can animals, robots, and gods teach us about what it means to be human? In this episode, anthropologist Webb Keane investigates how our morality entwines with the non-human world.

Series 13, Eps 32

1hr

Psychologist Mary Anderson – How to be a Happy High-Achiever

Being a happy high-achiever is possible: psychologist Dr Mary E. Anderson reveals how you can aim high and nurture your ambition, all while being kinder on yourself.

Series 13, Eps 31

1 hr 18 mins

David Olusoga and Alan Lester – The Truth About the British Empire

David Olusoga and Alan Lester reveal the dark realities of the British Empire, and reflect on the importance of historians amid the resurgence of nationalism and misinformation.

Series 13, Eps 30

1hr

Psychotherapist Anna Mathur – How To Tame Your Mind’s Greatest Fears

Bad things will happen to people we love. Sometimes we will fail. Some people won’t like us. So, what can we do in the face of things we cannot control?

Series 13, Eps 29

1hr 12mins

Sam Leith and Amy Jeffs – Tales of Wonder, Myth and Magic

Artist and folklorist Amy Jeffs and author and critic Sam Leith come together for a rich and wide-roaming investigation into the nature of magic, wonder, imagination, and storytelling.

Series 13, Eps 28

1hr 9 mins

Oliver Burkeman – How to Live a Meaningful Life in an Age of Bewilderment

How can we embrace our limits? Oliver Burkeman dispels the myths of self-help and helps us realise a freer and more enchanted life.

Series 13, Eps 27

48mins

Novelist Rumaan Alam – on Wealth, Power, and Entitlement

Rumaan Alam’s novel ‘Leave the World Behind’ catapulted him into the stratosphere of American letters. Now he returns with a new novel dissecting money and power through the lens of philanthropy: Entitlement.

Series 13, Eps 26

1hr 15mins

Superstar Election Forecaster Nate Silver – The Art of Risking Everything

Legendary forecaster Nate Silver joins Jeremy Vine to present a new paradigm of power, progress, and chaos, that takes risk-taking to the extreme.

Season 13, Eps 25

31 mins

Stefan Stern – The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition

What do Shakespearean tragic heroines and the Financial Times have in common? Journalist and business scholar Stefan Stern joins us to unpack the nature of ambition — with practical insights for all of our lives.

Season 13, Eps 24

58 mins

Mark Galeotti – Putin, Prigozhin and the Future of Russia

The life of rebel-in-chief Yevgeny Prigozhin offers a chilling lens on Russia’s future. Expert Russia-watcher Mark Galeotti reveals the chaotic new direction of late Putinism.

Series 13, Eps 23

55mins

Senior Jewellery Curator at the V&A Helen Molesworth – The Dazzling History of Gems

For as long as humans have known gems, human history has been closely intertwined with these rare finds. Senior Jewellery Curator at the V&A Museum Helen Molesworth joined us to reveal a new history of our world as shaped by gems, and the dazzling human stories within.

Series 13, Eps 22

51 mins

Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith – How Animal Minds Transformed Planet Earth

Peter Godfrey-Smith’s Other Minds introduced the world to the wonders of the octopus. Now he turns his attention to an animal closer to home: us.

Series 13, Eps 21

1hr 14mins

Yuval Noah Harari Meets Katherine Rundell – Unstoppable Us (Summer Repeat)

In a special podcast for children and families, the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens tells the incredible story of the human race to Katherine Rundell.

Series 13, Eps 20

1hr 18mins

Fern Academy Prize winner Gabriela Denise Frank – Fear and Loathing in White Collar America

The inaugural winner of How To Academy’s essay prize, Gabriela Denise Frank is a literary artist whose essay A Self She Can Continue Living With is both a deeply personal and highly relatable account of the profound awfulness of modern corporate working life.

Series 13, Eps 19

1hr 3 mins

Dr Emily Leeming – The Life Changing Science of Gut Health

Your gut isn’t just a swirling sac of acid, it’s your second brain, capable of sharpening focus and changing your mood. With new groundbreaking evidence, Dr Emily Leeming digests your body’s secret powerhouse.

Series 13, Eps 18

1hr 9 mins

William Dalrymple and Sathnam Sanghera – British Imperialism in India (Summer Repeat)

A story of powerful empires, covert political machinations and bloody resistance, Sathnam Sanghera and William Dalrymple join us with the history of the world’s first corporate power.

Series 13, Eps 17

58 mins

Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum – The Dictators Who Want to Run the World

For the first time in history, autocracies are working together to stay in power. Celebrated journalist Anne Applebaum joins Luke Harding to uncover the networks trying to destroy the democratic world – and how we can stop them.

Series 13, Eps 18

56 mins

Henry Oliver – How To Find Success in Midlife

Good things come to those who are late. Henry Oliver is here to reveal how you can find hidden talents and professional success in middle age.

Series 13, Eps 16

27 mins

World Record Breaking Mountaineer Lhakpa Sherpa and Filmmaker Lucy Walker

Lhakpa Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit and descend Everest, joined filmmaker Lucy Walker to reveal her lifelong dream of empowering women and her own extraordinary journey against all odds.

Series 13, Eps 15

1hr 6mins

Neuroscientist Patrick House – How to Make Sense of Consciousness

Despite decades of research from the smartest brains on the planet, we still don’t understand the nature of consciousness. Neuroscientist Patrick House guides Robin Ince through the leading theories.

Series 13, Eps 14

1hr 2mins

Pioneering Biologist J Craig Venter – The Future of Life on Earth

Upon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. A journey that begins in the oceans…

Series 13, Eps 13

55 mins

New York Times Bestseller Paolo Bacigalupi – Money and Power in the Fantasy Renaissance

Award-winning speculative novelist Paolo Baccigalupi’s Navola is a bloodthirsty literary fantasy inspired by the Medici family and Renaissance Florence.

Series 13, Eps 12

40mins

Neuroscientist Kelly Clancy – How Games Change Reality

We might think of games as trivial fun, but, as neuroscientist Kelly Clancy reveals, they are deeply intertwined with human history.

Series 13, Eps 11

1hr 1 min

Conservationists Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell – When the Wild Things Returned

Conservationists Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell share their inspiring story of rewilding a failing farm – and reveal how you can help bring wildness back into your corner of the world.

Series 13, Eps 10

36 mins

Bestselling Sociologist Sarah Thornton – Why Breasts Matter

Bestselling sociologist Sarah Thornton shares the findings of her innovative investigation in the cultural and social significance of breasts.

Series 13, Episode 9

1hr 8mins

Stephanie Harrison – How to Get Happiness Right in a World That’s Got it Wrong

Well-being expert Stephanie Harrison joins us to reveal a new understanding of happiness, with actionable steps towards a happy life.

Series 13, Episode 8

1hr 4mins

FT columnist Ruchir Sharma – How Capitalism Went Wrong

Chairman of Rockefeller Capital and Financial Times columnist Ruchir Sharma joins Gillian Tett to share a capitalist’s guide to capitalism’s many problems – and what we can do to fix them.

Series 13, Episode 7

1 hr 1 min

Olympic Gold medallist and entrepreneur Mark Tuitert – How Stoic Philosophy Can Change Your Life

It brought him an Olympic medal, bestselling authorship and a thriving business. Now Mark Tuitert is here to teach you how to master the principles of Stoicism and achieve your peak potential.

Series 13, Episode 6

1hr 18mins

Yanis Varoufakis – The Rise of Technofeudalism

What if capitalism is already dead? World-famous economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis joins Ash Sarkar to reveal that we’ve been ushered into a new age: technofeudualism.

Series 13, Episode 5

57 mins

Bestselling Science Writer David Robson – The Laws of Social Connection

Award-winning science journalist David Robson joins us to illuminate the science and art of social connection and reveal how we can build better relationships to improve our lives.

Series 13, Eps 4

1 hr 2 mins

Naomi Klein – The Mirror World of Conspiracists and the Far-Right

Winner of the inaugural Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, Naomi Klein’s Doppleganger takes us down the rabbit hole of far-right conspiracy theories. She joined Moya Lothian-McLean to tell us more.

Series 13, Episode 3

49 mins

Anna Funder – Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life

Eileen O’Shaughnessy’s literary brilliance shaped George Orwell’s work, but like the undesirable citizens of Airstrip One she was erased from the history books. Why – and how – was she written out of the story?

Series 13, Episode 2

1hr 7mins

Clover Stroud – On Home, Belonging, and Letting Go

What makes a home? And what does it mean to leave that home behind? Clover Stroud joins us to investigate community, country, and connection.

Series 13, Episode 1

42mins

Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan – On Love, Memory, and History

With a cast including HG Wells, Rebecca West, and Leo Szilard, Richard Flanagan’s Question 7 fuses memoir, history, and philosophical meditation in a singular investigation into the power of the human spirit.

Series 12, Eps 41

1hr 13 mins

My Octopus Teacher star Craig Foster – How to be Wild

Academy-Award-winning filmmaker behind My Octopus Teacher, Craig Foster, joins Kate Humble for an awe-inspiring meditation on the power of nature and our place within it.

Series 12, Eps 40

1hr 13 mins

Charles Duhigg – How to be a Supercommunicator

Charles Duhigg reveals how you can use conversation to build authority and influence, and forge better relationships.

Series 12, Eps 39

1 hr 21 mins

George Monbiot Meets Nish Kumar – The Secret History of Neoliberalism

How can you fight something if you don’t know it exists? Legendary environmentalist and Guardian columnist George Monbiot deconstructs the narratives of neoliberalism in conversation with Nish Kumar.

Series 12, Eps 38

1hr 17mins

Africa Brooke and Jameela Jamil – How To Break Free From Self-Sabotage

Acclaimed coach and podcaster Africa Brooke joins actor Jameela Jamil to show us how to break free from self-sabotage and build authentic relationships in our deeply divided world.

Series 12, Eps 37

44 mins

Haemin Sunim – When Things Don’t Go Your Way

Internationally bestselling author and Zen Buddhist teacher Haemin Sunim reveals how we can find inner peace and happiness even when things don’t seem to go our way.

Series 12, Eps 36

1hr 18 mins

Mo Gawdat & Alice Law – A Guide to Stress-Free Living

Google [X] tech pioneer, bestselling author and podcaster Mo Gawdat and stress management expert Alice Law are here to help us through the stress pandemic.

Series 12, Eps 35

1 hr 21 mins

James O’Brien Meets Ian Dunt – How They Broke Britain

Radio sensation James O’Brien reveals the dark forces who have broken Britain and reveals why he is confident of a brighter political landscape.

Series 12, Eps 33

1hr 17 mins

Slavoj Žižek Meets Ash Sarkar – A 75th Birthday Celebration

As he turns 75, rockstar philosopher and revolutionary Slavoj Žižek joins us to share what life has taught him about dialectics, diet and death.

Series 12, Eps 32

1hr 17 mins

Robin Sharma Meets Ali Abdaal – How to Be Truly Wealthy

Internationally bestselling author of The 5AM club and legendary mentor shares how to become truly wealthy with Ali Abdaal.

Series 12, Eps 31

1hr 12mins

George the Poet – Me Music and the War on Blackness

The ground-breaking rapper, poet, and podcaster George the Poet joins Gary Younge to share life lessons on education, politics and feeling at home.

Series 12, Eps 30

44 mins

Economist Andrew Scott — How We Can Sustain Longer, Healthier Lives

Economist and longevity expert Andrew Scott joins us to call for a revolution in the way we think about health, ageing, and the future.

Series 12, Eps. 29

37mins

Rebecca Boyle – The Story of Our Moon

The moon is more than a source of majesty and wonder; it has profoundly shaped the course of life on planet Earth.

Series 12, Eps 28

1hr 7mins

Neuroscientist Clayton Page Aldern and Dr Xand van Tulleken – How the Climate Crisis Affects Our Brains and Bodies

Neuroscientist Clayton Page Aldern joins Dr Xand van Tulleken to reveal the staggering effects of climate change on our brains and bodies.

Series 12, Eps 27

1 hr 5 mins

Emma Reed Turrell – How To Overcome Your Blind Spots

One of the UK’s best-loved therapists and podcasters shows us how to free ourselves of the unconscious blind-spots that cloud our minds and damage our relationships.

Bonus Episode

Outrage + Optimism with Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres’ podcast Outrage + Optimism is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the complexity of the climate situation. This podcast is a preview of the O+O mini-series, Our Story of Nature.

Series 12, Eps 26

1hr 7mins

Philip Ball – How Life Works

Philip Ball takes us to the new frontier of the life sciences and reveals why life is much, much stranger than we realise.

Series 12, Eps 25

1hr 14 mins

Gary Stevenson – Confessions of a Trader

Gary Stevenson once dealt in nearly a trillion dollars a day. He joins Sam Knight to reveal why he left the dark heart of an intoxicating world.

Series 12, Eps 24

1hr 9 mins

Mary Beard and Jo Quinn – Who Made The West?

Forget what you think you know about the Roman Empire and the story of the West. Two renowned classicists join us to debunk myths and reveal new and thrilling histories of power.

Series 12, Eps 23

1 hr 13 mins

Neuroscientist Charan Ranganath meets Robin Ince – Why We Remember

Robin Ince joins UC Davis Professor Charan Ranganath shares the surprising secret to memory: forgetting.

Series 12, Eps 22

1hr 19 mins

Harvard’s Christopher Palmer – How Metabolism Affects Mental Health

Harvard’s Christopher Palmer has been causing ripples on both sides of the pond with his pioneering approach to mental health.

Series 12, Eps 21

1hr

Diplomat Christiana Figueres and former Unilever CEO Paul Polman – Fighting the Climate Crisis

Global leader on climate change Christiana Figueres joins former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman to rally the world to choose a better future.

Series 12, Eps 20

1hr 11 mins

Professor of Global Politics Brian Klaas – Why Everything We Do Matters

Justin Webb joins award-winning broadcaster, podcaster and politics professor Brian Klaas for a provocative new vision of how our world really works – and why chance determines everything.

Series 12, Eps 19

1hr 7mins

Neuroscientist Tali Sharot – How to See the World Anew

It is all too easy to become numbed to the world around us. Neuroscientist and behaviour expert Tali Sharot helps us break the habit and see the world anew.

Series 12, Eps. 18

33mins

Philosopher Tom Chatfield – How Technology Changes Humanity, From Fire to AI

Since the dawn of our species, technology has not only extended the powers of human agency but profoundly shaped our nature.

Series 12, Eps 17

33mins

Novelist Kiley Reid – Come and Get It

The author of the New York Times bestseller Such a Fun Age returns with a tale of campus politics, desire, and bad behaviour.

Series 12, Eps 16

1hr 4mins

Neuroscientist Dr Richard Restak – How To Prevent Dementia

America’s preeminent neurologist offers a comprehensive guide to memory and dementia, sharing how we can strengthen our memory to prevent losing what we hold dear.

Series 12, Eps 15

32mins

Novelist and Macarthur ‘genius’ Kelly Link — The Book of Love

Macarthur Grant winning short story writer Kelly Link joins us to explore her very, very long awaited debut novel.

Series 12, Eps 14

1hr 5mins

Daniel Goleman – Emotional Intelligence at Work

The pioneer of the paradigm-shifting concept of Emotional Intelligence reveals why being wired isn’t the key to performing well.

Series 12, Eps 13

45 mins

Novelist and Diplomat Ray Nayler – The Tusks of Extinction

Award-winning novelist and US diplomat Ray Nayler returns to the podcast to explore his philosophical thriller, The Tusks of Extinction.

Series 12, Eps 12

1hr 3mins

Dr Gemma Newman – The Six Healing Health Habits You Need to Know

Drawing together lessons from twenty years of clinical practice, Dr Gemma Newman shares a practical, holistic approach to wellness, starting with love from within.

Series 12, Eps 11

36 mins

Amitav Ghosh – How The Opium Trade Shaped Capitalism

Novelist Amitav Ghosh reveals the rarely told true history of opium, from the Enlightenment all the way to the present day.

Series 12, Eps. 10

1hr 20mins

Musician James Blunt – Not Safe for Work

One of the best-selling recording artists of the Noughties joined us to tell his NSFW life story.

Series 12, Episode 9

1hr

Comedian Ruby Wax – On Mental Health

The comedian, broadcaster, and mindfulness advocate joins us for a journey into the depths of her psyche.

Series 12, Episode 8

1hr 10 mins

Physicist Carlo Rovelli Meets Theatre-Maker Simon McBurney

What happens at the bottom of a black hole? Join the superstar physicist and founder of Complicite for an Alice in Wonderland trip to the edge of space and time, science and imagination.

Series 12, Episode 7

30minutes

Psychotherapist Adam Phillips – What We Must Give Up To Feel More Alive

Both a renowned psychotherapist and the ‘best living essayist writing in English’ (John Gray), Adam Phillips joins us to reflect upon what we must give up in order to feel more alive.

Series 12, Episode 6

1hr

Daniel Dennett v. Robert Sapolsky – Do We Have Free Will?

Two titans of neuroscience and philosophy come together to debate the existence of free will – a question with profound implications for identity, justice, and the very meaning of life itself.

Series 12, Episode 5

1hr 4mins

Dr Uma Naidoo – How to Calm Your Mind With Food

Both a practising psychiatrist and a professionally trained chef, Dr Uma Naidoo joins us to explore the mind-body connection.

Series 12, Episode 4

Sathnam Sanghera on the British Empire – Live at Wilderness

How does the Empire continue to affect our lives in modern Britain? And why are we so unwilling at talking about it?

Series 12, Episode 3

37mins

Oxford Data Scientist Hannah Richie – Climate Anxiety

In this episode of our sister podcast Found in Conversation, researcher Hannah Richie and ESG investor Rosa Sangiorgio outline how we can overcome the climate crisis.

Series 12, Episode 2

1hr20mins

Economist Mariana Mazzucato – The Entrepreneurial State and the Future of Innovation

Mariana Mazzucato’s ideas have changed how governments see their role in the economy – but where do we go from here?

Series 12, Episode 1

45mins

Psychologist Dan Ariely – Why People Are Drawn to Conspiracy Theories, and How to Help

The superstar social scientist joins us for an eye-opening exploration of the misinformation crisis, examining what drives otherwise rational people to adopt deeply irrational beliefs.

Series 11, Eps 30

1hr 10 mins

Mary Beard and David Mitchell – On Rulers and Power

Cambridge classicist Mary Beard and beloved comedian David Mitchell share the histories of Roman and English rulers like you’ve never heard them before.

Series 11, Eps 29

1hr

Harvard Psychologist David Rosmarin – How To Thrive With Anxiety

Harvard Medical School psychologist David Rosmarin joins us with a practical guide for transforming your anxiety from a burden to a benefit.

Series 11, Eps 28

33mins

Hein de Haas – Debunking Myths About Migration

Why do people really migrate and what does it mean for their destination nations?

Series 11, Eps 27

1hr

Holistic Psychologist Nicole LePera – How to Heal Your Relationships

‘A practical and inspiring primer on how to extend true connection and love to others and to our hurting world.’ – Dr Gabor Mate

Series 11, Eps 26

1hr

New York Times columnist David Brooks – How to Know Others and Be Truly Seen

‘One of the most prominent public intellectuals of our time.’ (Washington Post), New York Times columnist David Brooks joins us with a guide to seeing others deeply – and being seen.

Series 11, Eps 25

1hr 10mins

Walter Isaacson – The Life of Elon Musk

The inside scoop on the most controversial innovator of our era.

Series 11, Eps 24

1hr

Harvard Business School Prof. Amy Edmondson – How Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive

Drawing on a lifetime’s research, the world’s most influential organisational psychologist reveals how failures can lead us to happier, more successful lives.

Series 11, Eps 23

1hr 20mins

Marina Abramović Meets Tim Marlow

Join us for a journey into the mind of the world’s greatest living performance artist.

Series 11, Eps 22

32mins

Immunologist Luke O’Neill – The Joy of Science

What do art and science have in common? Will we ever be able to invent Star Trek style teleportation ? Can we make AI that is truly sentient? Join biochemist Luke O’Neill for a romp through the past, present, and future of science.

Series 11, Eps 21

1hr

David Spiegel – How Hypnosis Can Change Your Life

Stanford’s Dr. David Spiegel is the world’s foremost authority on the power of self-hypnosis to improve our mental and physical health.

Series 11, Eps 20

1hr 30minutes

Astronaut Chris Hadfield Meets Robin Ince

Astronaut, fighter pilot, bestselling author, commander of the International Space Station, and the first man to sing Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ in zero G: is there anything Chris Hadfield can’t do?

Series 11, Eps 19

1hr 10mins

Iain McGilchrist – The Divided Brain and the Meaning of Life

A neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and philosopher, Iain McGilchrist joins us with a compelling argument for a new philosophy of living.

Series 11, Eps 18

1hr5mins

Philippa Gregory – 900 Years of Women’s History

The beloved historical novelist tells the epic story of ordinary British women doing extraordinary things, from 1066 to modern times.

Series 11, Eps 17

1hr 20mins

Albert Read Meets Will Gompertz – Where Good Ideas Come From (and How to Have More of Them)

Imagination is our most powerful muscle and our greatest source of fulfilment. Find out how to exercise yours with two of the country’s most influential and creative people.

Series 11, Eps 16

1hr

Werner Herzog Meets Mark Kermode – A Life in Cinema

The undisputed master of world cinema reveals the story of his extraordinary life to Mark Kermode.

Series 11, Eps 15

34mins

Found in Conversation – The Future of Europe

What role will Europe play in our multipolar world? Three experts explore the past, present, and future of the European project.

Series 11, Eps 14

1hr

Arthur C. Brooks – How to Build the Life You Want

The Atlantic columnist and Harvard Professor shares a blueprint for a better life.

Series 11, Eps 13

1hr 10mins

Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter – How to Thrive Through Menopause

Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter join us for a hands-on guide to help you live your best life during menopause.

Series 11, Eps 12

1hr 20mins

Gordon Brown, Mohamed El-Erian, and Michael Spence – Fixing the Permacrisis

In this episode of the podcast, three visionary leaders a bold new plan to prevent crises and manage the future for the benefit of the many and not the few.

Series 11, Eps. 11

1hr 10mins

David Nutt – How Psychedelics Can Change Your Life

Are you ready to change your mind? Professor David Nutt joins us to cut through the noise and share his discoveries from more than a decade of scientific research.

Series 11, Eps. 10

1hr

Camilla Nord – The New Neuroscience of Mental Health

There are many routes to wellbeing. Camilla Nord joins us with a tour of the scientific developments that are revolutionising the ways we think about mental health.

Series 11, Episode 8

50mins

Michel Faber – Why Music Matters

Why do humans love music? The author of wildly acclaimed novels including Under the Skin and The Crimson Petal and the White, Michel Faber joins us to explore his lifelong obsession with the heard world.

Series 11, Episode 9

1hr

Dr Anders Hansen — How to be Happier and Less Distracted

Our modern world is a battlefield of apps, atomisation, and anxiety; Anders Hansen is here to help us fight back.

Series 11, Episode 6

40mins

John Higgs – The KLF, the Band that Burned a Million Pounds

At the height of their fame, the electronic music pioneers The KLF burned a million pounds and disappeared. John Higgs tries to understand why.

Series 11, Episode 5

1hr

Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross – The Neuroscience of Art

Join us for a journey through the new science of neuroaesthetics, and discover how your brain transforms when you participate in the arts.

Series 11, Episode 5

56 mins

Joyce Carol Oates – Zero Sum

Enter a new world of erotic obsession, thwarted idealism and ever-shifting identities with the wildly acclaimed and astonishingly prolific novelist.

Series 11, Episode 4

1hr

Jesse Coomer – The Power of Breathwork

Learn how to combat the always-on, hamster-wheel culture of contemporary life with techniques from breathworker Jesse Coomer.

Series 11, Episode 3

1hr 5mins

Kristen Ghodsee and Angela Saini – Radical Experiments in the Good Life

Join Kristen Ghodsee and Angela Saini for a tour of better ways to live together.

Series 11, Episode 2

57mins

Dr James Kinross – The New Science of the Microbiome

World-leading microbiome scientist and surgeon James Kinross shows how to optimise the microbiome to protect our health.

Series 11, Episode 1

50mins

Emma Southon – Women of the Roman Empire

Forget generals, battles, and consuls. Emma Southon tells the story of Rome through its women, from sex workers to Vestal Virgins, empresses to saints.

42mins

Rahul Jandial – How to Rewire Your Brain (Summer Repeat)

Learn how to make your mind fitter, healthier and stronger using the insights of cutting-edge neuroscience in this week’s podcast.

20mins

David Christian – A User’s Guide to the Future (Bonus Episode)

Historian David Christian investigates what we can know about the future in this episode of our sister podcast, Found in Conversation.

Series 10, Eps 28

45mins

Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché – Nostalgia is a Weapon

Described by its authors as ‘Barbie meets Oppenheimer’, Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché’s surrealistic speculative thriller Prophet interrogates our relationship with nostalgia and its stranglehold over our politics.

Series 10, Eps 27

45mins

Alan Philps – Stalin’s Disinformation War

How did Stalin manipulate foreign correspondents to stifle the truth about life in the Soviet Union? Alan Philps tells the story of the Metropol Hotel and its critical role in Stalin’s disinformation war.

Series 10, Eps 26

40mins

Victoria Belim – The Resilience of Art in Times of War

Victoria Belim is a Financial Times columnist and translator whose new memoir The Rooster House is both a detective story and a paean to her lost land.

Series 10, Eps 25

1hr

Dr Pooja Lakshmin – Sustainable Strategies For Real Self-Care

Leading physician Dr Pooja Lakshmin joins us with an evidence-based guide to achieving real and lasting wellbeing.

Series 10, Eps 24

42mins

Malcolm Harris – How Palo Alto Conquered the World

How did the suburb of Palo Alto become the epicentre of a global tech revolution, changing not just American capitalism but the world?

Series 10, Eps 23

1hr

Dr Amy Shah – How to Manage Hunger and Cravings

Physician Amy Shah debunks mainstream myths about hunger and provides you with science-based strategies to manage food cravings.

Series 10, Eps 21

1hr

Andy Clark – How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality

One of the most important living thinkers in cognitive science and philosophy joined us with a grand new vision to explain our lived experience.

Series 10, Eps 20

1hr

Christina Wallace – How To Futureproof Your Career and Live a Life Worthy of You

Christina Wallace has a radical new model for work and life that upends the notion they should have ever been at odds.

Series 10, Eps 19

1hr

Shehan Karunatilaka – The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

A major new voice in the tradition of Rushdie, Bulgakov and Marquez, Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka joins us to share an unforgettable vision of Sri Lanka’s civil wars.

Series 10, Ep. 18

1hr

Emma Gannon – The Meaning of Success

What if we were told that everything we’ve been led to believe about traditional success is a lie?

Series 10, Ep. 17

1 hr

Richard Dawkins – Live at Wilderness Festival 2022

Richard Dawkins joined us at last year’s Wilderness Festival for a celebration of an extraordinary life in science.

Series 10, Ep. 16

52 mins

Viorica Marian – How the Language We Speak Changes How We Think

How do languages change our experience of the world? Psycholinguist Viorica Marian has dedicated her life to finding the answer.

Series 10, Ep. 15

50 mins

Peter Heather – Will the West Fall Like Rome?

Is the West doomed to be the next Roman Empire? Can we learn something from its fall? Medieval historian Peter Heather thinks we can – and must.

Series 10, Ep. 14

1hr 5mins

Lorraine Candy – How to Live a Magnificent Midlife

Lorraine Candy is here to teach us how to embrace the transformations of midlife.

Series 10, Ep. 13

48mins

Scott Shapiro – The Dark Art of Hacking

The Information Age is built on precarious architecture, leaving states, companies, and individuals open to hacking. Scott Shapiro joins us to bust the myths and reveal the truth about viruses, espionage, and cyberwar.

Series 10, Ep. 12

1hr 10mins

James Comey – The Pursuit of Justice in a Divided America

The former FBI director turned novelist joins us to share his insights into power and justice in a dangerous and divided America.

Series 10, Ep. 11

1hr

Gretchen Rubin – How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life

Join Gretchen Rubin and discover how the five senses to get us out of our heads and back into the world to find our true happiness.

Series 10, Ep.10

1hr

William Dalrymple and Sathnam Sanghera – British Imperialism in India (Summer Repeat)

A story of powerful empires, covert political machinations and bloody resistance, Sathnam Sanghera and William Dalrymple join us with the history of the world’s first corporate power.

Series 10, Episode 9

45mins

Richard Ford – A Life in Literature

Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford joins us to reflect on the responsibility of the writer, the politics of language and the prospect of happiness in an imperfect world.

Series 10, Episode 8

1hr

Andre Sólo – How to Thrive as a Highly Sensitive Person

It’s time to shatter the myth that being sensitive is a weakness and celebrate the power of a deeper, more tuned-in mind.

Series 10, Episode 7

30mins

Susie Alegre – Protecting Freedom of Thought in the Digital Age

Susie Alegre charts the history and fragility of our most important human right: freedom of thought.

Season 10, Episode 6

1hr

Sarah Knight – How to be an Adult and Get Treated Like One

Described as ‘Oprah meets Amy Schumer’ by Elle, Sarah Knight is here with hilarious, tough love wisdom you can’t afford not to hear.

Series 10, Episode 5

40mins

M. John Harrison – Living in an Age of Fantasy

Both an icon and an iconoclast, M. John Harrison has spent fifty years shifting the boundaries of what ought to be possible in literary and genre fiction.

Series 10, Episode 4

1hr 25mins

Alastair Campbell – Why Politics Has Gone So Wrong, and How You Can Help Fix It

Sky News’s Beth Rigby asks the legendary New Labour strategist and host of The Rest is Politics what we can each to do to confront policies that serve the interests of a privileged few.

Season 10, Episode 3

37mins

Thomas Hertog – Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory of the Universe

How did the universe begin? Stephen Hawking’s collaborator and friend Thomas Hertog shares the physicist’s final theory of the origins of time.

Series 10, Episode 3

1hr 10mins

Ruby Wax Meets Julia Samuel – I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was

Checking into a psychiatric institution wasn’t exactly on Ruby Wax’s agenda for 2022 – talking about it wasn’t either, but here we are.

Series 10, Episode 2

45mins

Fiona Buckland – How to Change Your Life

How can we reconnect with ourselves to live the life we want? Coach Fiona Buckland shares how we can actively create the life we want to live.

Series 10, Episode 1

1hr

Robin Ince Meets Justin Gregg – What Animal Intelligence Tells Us About Human Stupidity

A hilarious and demystifying look at humans, animals, and the meaning of life itself.

Season 9, Episode 29

1hr 15mins

Robin Ince Meets Chris van Tulleken – Why We Can’t Stop Eating Stuff That Isn’t Food

The BAFTA winning physician joins us to reveal what ultra-processed foods are doing to our bodies and our society.

Series 9, Episode 28

1hr

Mick Herron – Slow Horses and Bad Actors

Mick Herron ‘is at the summit of a new golden age of spy fiction’ (Sunday Times); the creator of the embittered, second-rate MI5 agents known as the Slow Horses.

Series 9, Episode 30

1hr

Eleanor Janega – Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society

A hilarious and thought-provoking podcast looking at sex, gender, and misogyny in the Middle Ages – with medieval pick-up artists, beauty tips based on the Bible, and much else besides.

Series 9, Episode 28

45mins

Alexa Hagerty – Genocide, Forensics, and What Remains

Bones can reveal brutality, beauty, trauma, and love – Alexa Hagerty used them to reveal the truth.

Series 9, Episode 27

1hr

Adam Gopnik – The Mystery of Skill and Mastery

Inspired by the genius of the people he writes about for the New Yorker, Adam Gopnik embarked on a quest to discover how we obtain skill and mastery.

Series 9, Episode 26

36mins

Brad Smith – Tools and Weapons

Join us for a preview of Tools and Weapons, the new podcast with Microsoft President (and former How To Academy guest in London) Brad Smith.

Series 9, Episode 25

1hr

Richard Restak – The Neuroscience of Strengthening Your Memory

It’s never to late to start future-proofing your memory. Find out how from renowned neurologist Dr Richard Restak.

Series 9, Episode 24

55mins

Luke Turner – Men at War

Award-winning journalist Luke Turner looks beyond the myths of heroes and villains to reveal a much more nuanced portrait of the multitude of men who served in the Second World War.

Series 9, Episode 23

36mins

Curtis Sittenfeld – Romantic Comedy

Skewering all our certainties about why we fall in love, Curtis Sittenfeld’s new novel Romantic Comedy sees her at her daring and compassionate best.

Series 9, Episode 22

1hr

Julian Baggini – How to Think Like a Philosopher

Join bestselling public philosopher Julian Baggini for a ‘complete treat: a breath of fresh air and a bracing detox for our beleaguered, battered brains’ (Derren Brown).

Series 9, Episode 21

1hr

Dr Shilpa Ravella – The New Science of Inflammation

Dr Shilpa Ravella joins us to debunk common myths about ‘anti-inflammatory’ lifestyles – and reveal a radical new vision of human health and illness.

Series 9, Episode 20

1hr 16mins

Vex King and Kaushal – Get Closer to Love

The bestselling author and mind coach Vex King and his wife Kaushal joined us on Valentines Day with insights for deepening your connections and relationships.

Series 9, Episode 19

42mins

Amantha Imber – How to Use Time Wisely

Organisational psychologist Amantha Imber has distilled the wisdom of the world’s most innovative people to help us all use our time more productively.

Series 9, Episode 17

1hr 15mins

Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington – How the Consulting Industry Weakens Our Democracy

A ground-breaking investigation into how the consulting industry has made its way to the heart of our economies, weakening businesses and infantilising governments.

Series 9, Episode 16

1hr

Nicholas Humphrey – The Invention of Consciousness

How do sensations arise in the brain? Who else in the world is conscious the way humans are? Nicholas Humphrey brings together a lifetime’s work to put forward a provocative new theory.

Series 9, Episode 15

1hr 25 mins

Bernie Sanders Meets Frankie Boyle – It’s Okay to Be Angry About Capitalism

The longest-serving independent in Congress, the leader of democratic socialism in America, and a hero to progressives across the globe, Senator Sanders joins Frankie Boyle to take on the 1%.

Series 9, Episode 14

45mins

Blake Morrison – The Power of Art in Grief

Can writing help us find solace in grief? One of Britain’s best loved poets and memoirists, Blake Morrison, makes a powerful case.

Series 9, Episode 13

55mins

Caroline Dodds Pennock – How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe

The story of Colombus’s ‘discovery’ of America has been told endlessly; but that of the indigenous Americans who travelled to the ‘savage shores’ of Europe remains almost untold. Until now.

Series 9, Episode 12

1hr

Ray Nayler – What Octopuses and AI Teach Us About Consciousness

What does the intelligence of animals and machines tell us about human nature? Diplomat Ray Nayer investigates in his deeply philosophical new novel, The Mountain in the Sea.

Series 9, Episode 11

1hr

Tracey Shors – A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Trauma

Contrary to popular belief, trauma is not only caused by a singular extreme events. How can we protect our brains and build resilience?

Series 9, Episode 10

1h 20m

Mervyn King Meets Martin Wolf – The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism

The former governor of the Bank of England and the renowned FT commentator explore why the relationship between democracy and capitalism is coming undone.

Series 9, Episode 9

1hr

Julia Samuel Meets John and Julie Gottman – How to Make Love Last

How can you revive and renew your relationship? For the past fifty years, Drs. John and Julie Gottman have been studying love. They join Julia Samuel to share their insights.

Season 9, Episode 9

1hr

Daniel Finkelstein Meets Adam Wagner – The Freedoms We Lost in the Pandemic

Leading human rights barrister Adam Wagner joins Lord Finklestein to tell the story of Britain’s State of Emergency – and issue a wake up call to protect our liberties.

Season 9, Episode 8

25mins

Tom Rob Smith – Antarctica and Apocalypse

The internationally bestselling author of Child 44 and The Farm puts human nature under the microscope in a new speculative thriller.

Season 9, Episode 7

1hr

Morgan Levine – How to Reverse the Ageing Process

While ageing itself may be inevitable, science allows us to measure our biological age – and provides strategies to slow down and even reverse the ageing process.

Series 9, Episode 6

1hr 10 mins

Nouriel Roubini – Megathreats That Imperil The World’s Future

Nouriel Roubini was dubbed ‘Dr Doom’ when he predicted the 2008 crash. He joins the podcast to reveal new threats to our collective future ‘as scary as they are plausible’ (Martin Wolf).

Series 9, Episode 5

1hr 10 mins

Dr Gabor Maté – Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture

We tend to believe that normality equals health. Yet what is the norm in the Western world? Join the renowned physician for a pathway to reconnection and healing.

Series 9, Episode 4

1hr 15mins

Maria Ressa – How To Stand Up to a Dictator

Crusading Filipino journalist Maria Ressa has spent decades speaking truth to power.

Series 9, Episode 3

1hr

Alan Moore – The Magic of Storytelling

Robin Ince joins the legendary author of Watchmen, Jerusalem, and V For Vendetta for a journey into the fantastical underside of reality.

Series 9, Episode 2

1 hr

Katy Milkman Meets Annie Duke – How To Quit

After making millions of dollars as a poker pro, Annie Duke retired to teach others the science of making smart decisions. Her secret? Know when to quit.

Series 9, Episode 1

34 minutes

Felix Flicker – The Magic of Matter

Forget string theory. Forget black holes. The most magical and wondrous ideas in the universe are right before your eyes.

Series 8, Episode 26

1hr 10mins

Jools Holland and Mark Cooper – Celebrating Thirty Years of Music and Mayhem

Jools Holland, Mark Cooper and a grand piano come together in a delightful ensemble of songs and stories to celebrate the greatest music show ever made.

Series 8, Episode 25

1 hr

Sathnam Sanghera – Marriage Material

Join acclaimed writer Sathnam Sanghera for a moving conversation on love, politics, family and the immigrant experience.

Series 8, Episode 24

1hr 20mins

Chelsea Manning – Information is Power

Join one of the world’s most famous transparency advocates and trans women for her life story.

Series 8, Episode 23

1hr 10mins

Meik Wiking – Hygge, Home, and Happiness

Join the internationally bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge and The Art of Making Memories, Meik Wiking as he shares fresh insights into making our homes into a sanctuary.

Series 8, Episode 22

35mins

Marie Kondo – Kurashi At Home

Join global superstar of tidying-up, Marie Kondo, as she shares her wisdom on how to spark joy at home and beyond.

Series 8, Episode 21

1hr

Lost Realms – An Epic New History of Britain from the Romans to the Vikings

Join bestselling author and historian Thomas Williams for the true history of Britain’s forgotten kingdoms.

Series 8, Episode 20

1hr 10mins

The Pursuit of Growth is a Disaster for Our Country and Our Planet

From Westminster to Beijing, politicians and economists believe growth is the path to progress and prosperity. But are they blindly leading us towards catastrophe?

Series 8, Episode 19

35mins

Harry Sidebottom – The Mad Emperor Heliogabalus

Join bestselling Oxford historian Harry Sidebottom for the story of Heliogabalus, a teenage Roman emperor whose wild reign makes Joffrey Baratheon seem meek and mild.

Series 8, Episode 18

1hr

Siddhartha Mukherjee – The Song of the Cell

Pulitzer Prize winning physician Siddhartha Mukherjee and geneticist Adam Rutherford tell the extraordinary story of cells.

Series 8, Episode 17

35mins

Danielle Keats Citron – How to Protect Dignity and Identity in the Digital Age

The privacy we once took for granted has disappeared. Danielle Keats Citron is here to fight back.

Series 8, Episode 16

1hr 20mins

Live Debate: “Now is the Time to Make Peace in Ukraine”

Jeremy Corbyn and Elon Musk might seem strange bedfellows, but both advocate for a negotiated peace to the war in Ukraine. Are they right?

Series 8, Episode 15

30mins

Joyce Tyldesley – The Life, Death, and Afterlife of Tutankhamun

One hundred years after the discovery of his tomb, Joyce Tyldesley tells the story of Egypt’s most famous pharaoh.

Series 8, Episode 14

1hr 5 mins

Yuval Noah Harari Meets Katherine Rundell – Unstoppable Us

In a special podcast for children and families, the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens tells the incredible story of the human race to Katherine Rundell.

Series 8, Episode 13

35mins

George Saunders – Liberation Day

The Booker Prize winning author of ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ returns to the podcast to share his idiosyncratic take on the human condition.

Series 8, Episode 12

1hr

Geena Davis – Dying of Politeness

The two time Oscar winning actor and activist joins us to share stories from her incredible life in Hollywood and beyond.

Series 8, Episode 11

30mins

Kate Summerscale – The History of Phobias and Manias

Are you frightened of clowns, spiders, or buttons? Award-winning author Kate Summerscale dives into the strange history of our fears and obsessions.

Series 8, Episode 10

1hr

Kate Mosse – Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries

The bestselling author and founder of the Women’s Prize joins us for a celebration of incredible women from history.

Series 8, Episode 9

25 mins

Amy Jeffs – Tales of the Medieval Wilderness

The acclaimed artist and author joins us to share forgotten stories from the medieval imagination.

Series 8, Episode 8

1 hr

Irvine Welsh – Confessions of a Novelist

The legendary author of TRAINSPOTTING joins us for a one-way trip into his febrile, sordid, singular imagination. Not for the faint of heart.

Series 8, Episode 7

1hr

Clover Stroud – The Red of My Blood

Journalist and acclaimed author Clover Stroud joins us with the raw and powerful story of surviving the loss of her sister.

Series 8, Episode 6

36 minutes

John Higgs – Bond, the Beatles, and the British Psyche

James Bond and the Beatles are cultural twins. But they present opposing values and ideas about masculinity that still affect the British psyche in 2022.

Series 8, Episode 5

1hr

Dr Ellen Vora – The Anatomy of Anxiety

Functional medicine psychiatrist Dr Ellen Vora joins David Malone for a ground-breaking approach to understanding and managing anxiety.

Series 8, Episode 5

40mins

Adrian Hon – How Corporations and Governments Use Videogames to Control Us

Game designer Adrian Hon reveals how videogame mechanics are being used to influence human behaviour in the real world and rob us of dignity and autonomy.

Series 8, Episode 4

1hr 11mins

Cornelia Parker Meets Carlo Rovelli – The Hidden Nature of Things

Visual artist Cornelia Parker and theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli come together to explore the revelations of quantum physics and the nature of reality.

Series 8, Episode 3

1hr

Mark Bergen – Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to Global Domination

Bloomberg News reporter Mark Bergen reveals the story of how YouTube changed the world through untamed freedom of speech.

Series 8, Episode 2

1hr

Charlotte Fox Weber – A Journey Into Human Desire

Join leading psychotherapist Charlotte Fox Weber for a fly-on-the-wall journey through universal human wants and desires, and a practical toolkit for living well.

Series 8, Episode 1

Melanie Joy – How to Get Relationships Right

Psychologist Melanie Joy shares the principles and tools that can make any relationship, from personal to professional, healthier and more resilient.

Series 7, Episode 17

1hr

Patrick Radden Keefe – True Stories of Killers, Grifters, and Crooks

Patrick Radden Keefe exposed the Sackler family’s role in the US opioid crisis: a parable of greed that made headlines the world over. He joins us with more stories of crime and corruption.

Series 7, Episode 16

1hr

Philip Ball – How to Make Sense of Inhuman Minds

Understanding the human mind has challenged scientists and philosophers for centuries. How do we even begin to think about ‘minds’ that are not human?

Series 7, Episode 15

1hr

Alice Sherwood – How to Fight Back Against Counterfeit Culture

In an age when authenticity is valued above all, why are tricksters and con artists thriving — and what can we do to fight back?

Series 7, Episode 14

37 mins

Daniel Pink – The Power of Regret

No regrets! The mantra adorns tattoos, T-shirts and posters; celebrities from John Travolta to Laverne Cox say they live by it. But should they?

Series 7, Episode 13

35 mins

Daniel Pick – A New History of Thought Control

Psychoanalyst and historian Daniel Pick reveals the murky and pernicious story of ‘brainwashing’, taking us from the first days of the Cold War through to modern-day conspiracy theories.

Series 7, Episode 13

1hr

Tara Porter – A Psychologist’s Guide to Life for Girls and Young Women

‘If God were a mother, [Tara Porter’s book] is the Bible she would write for teenage girls and young women’ (Caitlin Moran).

Series 7, Episode 12

1hr 5 mins

Chris Patten – The Future of Hong Kong

The last British governor of Hong Kong joins us to share unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese government and reflect on the new superpower’s role on the world stage.

Series 7, Episode 11

1hr 15 mins

Jeremy Hunt – The Future of the NHS

On the day of Boris Johnson’s historic resignation, former Secretary of State for Health and Tory leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt joined us to unveil his plan to renew the NHS.

Series 7, Episode 10

1hr 10 mins

Bonnie Wright – How to Nurture Yourself and the Planet

Lessons for living sustainably and protecting the future of our planet with actresses and activists Bonnie Wright and Evanna Lynch.

Series 7, Episode 9

30mins

Francesco Dimitri – The Search for Wonder

Italian author and screenwriter Francesco Dimitri shares stories from his lifelong search for finding wonder and enchantment in the everyday.

Series 7, Episode 8

1hr

Suzie Sheehy – The Matter of Everything

Physicist Suzie Sheehy joins science filmmaker David Malone for a thrilling new history of particle physics, told through the discoveries that have shaped our lives – often without us knowing it.

Series 7, Episode 7

1hr

Michael Ignatieff – Finding Solace in Dark Times

Political leader, philosopher, historian, journalist, broadcaster, and Booker shortlisted literary novelist: Michael Ignatieff is a twenty-first century Renaissance man.

Series 7, Episode 6

35 mins

Ken Liu – Storytelling is Our Most Important Technology

The award-winning novelist explores why speculative fiction is so bad at predicting the future — and so good as revealing hidden aspects of the present.

Series 7, Episode 5

1hr

Susan Cain – How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole

Susan Cain’s Quiet changed the way we think about introverts forever. Now she is back to challenge our thinking again, revealing the strength and power in vulnerability and pain.

Series 7, Episode 4

1hr 5 mins

Jane McGonigal – How to See the Future Coming

Game designer, futurist and TED superstar Jane McGonigal explains how imagining the future can help us to adapt to change – and be ready for anything.

Series 7, Episode 3

1hr 18 mins

Colm Toibin and Terence Killeen – Ulysses Unbound

Celebrating the centenary of the novel widely regarded as the greatest ever written, Colm Toibin and Terrence Killeen untangle Joyce’s knotty classic to reveal the wonders beneath.

Series 7, Episode 2

1hr

Alice Roberts – Buried

Combining archaeological evidence with cutting edge DNA research, the bestselling anthropologist joins us with a bold new account of death in the so-called Dark Ages.

Series 7, Episode 1

48 mins

Rory Stewart – The State of the Nation

The former politician and diplomat shares his insights into Britain and the world in 2022.

Series 6, Episode 31

1hr 7mins

Pandora Sykes Meets Tina Brown – The Inside Scoop on the House of Windsor

Can the monarchy survive? Drawing on exclusive inside access, Tina Brown tells Pandora Sykes the riveting inside story of the Royal Family.

Series 6, Episode 30

1 hr

Sam Knight – The Premonitions Bureau

Join legendary journalist Sam Knight for the true story of a strange experiment – a journey into the oddest corners of 60s Britain and the outer edges of science and reason.

Series 6, Episode 29

1hr 10 mins

John Cleese Meets Iain McGilchrist – On Consciousness, Culture, and Creativity

John Cleese meets preeminent neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist to explore the science of human consciousness and creativity.

Series 6, Episode 28

1 hr 10 mins

Minnie Driver – Managing Expectations

As one of our most loved actors, Minnie Driver has spent her life mostly telling other people’s stories. Until now.

Series 6, Episode 27

Owen Jones Meets Michael Lewis – The Fifth Risk

‘I read Michael Lewis for the same reasons I watch Tiger Woods. I’ll never play like that. But it’s good to be reminded every now and again what genius looks like’ – Malcolm Gladwell

Series 6, Episode 26

51 mins

Robin Ince Meets Neal Stephenson – Termination Shock

‘Sometimes when you’re reading Neal Stephenson, he doesn’t just seem like one of the best novelists writing in English right now; he seems like the only one.’ – TIME magazine

Series 6, Episode 25

1hr

Eliot Higgins – We Are Bellingcat

“Taking on the Kremlin from his couch . . . Eliot Higgins and Bellingcat are fighting Vladimir Putin and his ilk, using little more than computers and smartphones.” (Foreign Policy)

Series 6, Episode 25

46 mins

The Metaverse – Hype or Hyperreality?

Take a trip into the Metaverse in the latest episode of Found in Conversation, the monthly ideas show we co-produce with Pictet.

Series 6, Episode 24

1hr

Ann Patchett – These Precious Days

‘I don’t think that there’s a book of hers that I haven’t put down at the end and been haunted by for weeks after’ (Gillian Anderson).

Series 6, Episode 23

1hr 5 mins

Robin Ince Meets Richard Dawkins

“My eyes are constantly wide open to the extraordinary fact of existence… That’s never far from my thoughts, that sense of amazement.” – Richard Dawkins

Series 6, Episode 22

1hr

Ed Miliband – How to Fix Our World

A better world is possible; the solutions are out there. We can all make a difference. We just need to know where to look – and have the courage to think big.

Series 6, Episode 21

57 mins

Dispatches from Afghanistan

What does the future hold for the people of Afghanistan in the wake of America’s withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power?

Series 6, Episode 20

32 mins

Matthew Green – A Journey Through the Shadowlands

From Old Winchelsea to Skara Brae, Matthew Green transports us to Britain’s shadowlands – the once thriving towns and cities that are now lost to time and memory.

Series 6, Episode 19

1 hr

Julia Samuel – Every Family Has a Story

What predicts family breakdown? Why do our families drive us mad? What is it the enables some families to thrive despite enormous adversity, when others fragment?

Series 6, Episode 18

28 mins

Philip Oltermann – The Stasi Poetry Circle

The Guardian’s Berlin bureau chief reveals the strange but true story of the book club that tried to win the Cold War through lyrical verse.

Series 6, Episode 17

40 mins

Simon Sebag-Montefiore and Luke Harding – The History of the Ukraine-Russia Conflict

Prizewinning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore and former Guardian Moscow bureau chief Luke Harding look at the deep history behind the headlines.

Series 6, Episode 16

45 mins

Max Porter – Why Art Should Challenge Us

The genre-defying author joins us to explore his lifelong obsession with Francis Bacon, the undefinable magic of language, and pushing readers outside their comfort zones.

Series 6, Episode 15

1hr 4 mins

Alan Moore and B. Catling – The Power of Imagination

The comics legend and Oxford sculptor turned literary novelist come together to explore humanity’s greatest superpower: imagination.

Series 6, Episode 14

40 mins

Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina – #CookForUkraine

Join us for a special episode in support of #CookForUkraine, a campaign organised by the food writers Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina to support children and families affected by the war.

Series 6, Episode 13

56 mins

Yanis Varoufakis Meets David Wengrow – The Dawn of Everything

The collaborator of the late, legendary anthropologist David Graeber joins Yanis Varoufakis to overturn everything you think you know about the history of human civilisation.

Series 6, Episode 12

32 mins

Paul Craddock – The Surprising History of Organ Transplants

We think of transplant surgery as one of the medical wonders of the modern world. But the true history of transplants is more ancient, and far stranger, than we could ever imagine.

Series 6, Episode 11

1hr 2 mins

Suzanne Simard – Finding the Mother Tree

World-leading scientist of plant communication and intelligence Suzanne Simard reveals how she discovered the secrets of the forest.

Series 6, Episode 10

1hr

Jon Ronson and Brian Klaas – On Psychopaths and Power

Why do bad people disproportionately rise to power? Do broken systems produce authoritarian leaders, and if so – what can we do about it?

Series 6, Episode 9

52 mins

Salena Godden Meets Yrsa Daley-Ward – How To Know Yourself

Shot to fame in her early twenties as model and actor, Yrsa Daley-Ward quickly established a reputation as a poet and storyteller of rare honesty, vulnerability, and emotional power.

Series 6, Episode 8

1hr

Jameela Jamil and Michael Schur – How to Be Perfect

Jameela Jamil and Michael Schur join us to explore the question of their hit series The Good Place: how can we live a more ethical life?

Series 6, Episode 7

46 mins

Adam Rutherford – The Troubling History of Eugenics

Eugenics remains one of the most destructive ideas of the 20th century. Today, politicians and scientists alike threaten to build on the legacy of this dangerous ideology.

Series 6, Episode 6

1hr

William Dalrymple and Sathnam Sanghera – British Imperialism in India

A story of powerful empires, covert political machinations and bloody resistance, Sathnam Sanghera and William Dalrymple join us with the history of the world’s first corporate power.

Series 6, Episode 5

Fi Glover and Jane Garvey – Did I Say That Out Loud?

At a time of constant anxiety and uncertainty, BBC radio legends Fi Glover and Jane Garvey joined us on stage in London to tell us that they haven’t got a clue what’s going on either.

Season 6, Episode 4

51 mins

John Preston – The Rise and Fall of Robert Maxwell

Media moghul Robert Maxwell was a war hero who embodied Britain’s post-war boom: but within days of mysterious death, he was already reviled as the embodiment of greed and corruption. What went so wrong?

Season 6, Episode 3

35 mins

Claire Fuller – Unsettled Ground

Claire Fuller, author of the Costa Novel Award 2021 winner Unsettled Ground, explores folk music, memory, and the surreal everyday in this week’s episode of the How To Academy Podcast.

Season 6, Episode 2

58 mins

Marcus du Sautoy Meets Steven Pinker – Why Rationality Matters

In the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding – and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures and conspiracy theorising?

Series 6, Episode 1

45 mins

Bexy Cameron – How to Escape a Cult

Filmmaker Bexy Cameron was born into the Children of God, one of the world’s most notorious cults. She joins us with the story of her upbringing and escape.

Season 5, Episode 26

1 hour 7 mins

Pandora Sykes Meets Emily Ratajkowski

What does it mean to be a woman today? Pandora Sykes meets model, entrepreneur and activist Emily Ratajkowski for an investigation into feminism, sexuality and power.

Season 5, Episode 25

1 hour

Paul Bloom – The Surprising Secret of Happiness

‘Paul Bloom can always be counted on to take your confident assumptions about humanity and turn them upside down’ (SUSAN CAIN, author of Quiet).

Series 5, Episode 24

1 hour

Philip Pullman Meets Iain McGilchrist – The Matter With Things

The award-winning novelist and acclaimed neuroscientist join us with a profound new story of what the world is and who we are.

Series 5, Episode 23

Fatima Bhutto Meets Noam Chomsky

In conversation with the author Fatima Bhutto, the legendary philosopher and activist joins us live to shed light on the world in 2021.

Season 5, Episode 22

1hr

Robin diAngelo and Beverly Daniel Tatum – Conversations About Race

What we can do to have better conversations with our children and with each other about race, and build a better world?

Season 5, Episode 21

45 minutes

Greg Jenner – How to Find Comedy in History

What was the first recorded joke? When were Mondays invented? Who, or what, is “mellefied man”? We discover the answer to all of these questions from public historian Greg Jenner.

Season 5, Episode 20

Jane Goodall – A Survival Guide for an Endangered Planet

The world needs a manifesto of hope now more than ever. Jane Goodall joins us to show that even in the face of great adversity, we can find hope in human nature, and in nature itself.

Season 5, Episode 19

1 hour 7 mins

Richard Powers – Why Stories Matter

The Booker Prize 2021 shortlisted author of Bewilderment and The Overstory explores the power of fiction to change our future.

Season 5, Episode 18

58 mins

Bernard-Henri Lévy – Dispatches from a World of Misery and Hope

For fifty years philosopher and activist Bernard-Henri Lévy has reported on the world’s most urgent and overlooked humanitarian crises and human rights abuses.

Season 5, Episode 17

53 mins

Kate Bowler – The Meaning of Life

At thirty-five, Divinity Professor Kate Bowler was diagnosed with colon cancer. She joins us to explore what life really means, as she approaches its close.

Season 5, Episode 16

1 hour 16 min

Stephen Fry Meets Steven Pinker – The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

In anticipation of Steven Pinker’s return to How To Academy later this month, this episode of the podcast revisits his conversation with Stephen Fry on stage in London in 2018.

Season 5, Episode 15

57 minutes

James Nestor – the Art and Science of Breathing

Sunday Times bestselling author James Nestor joins us with a guide that will forever change the way you think about health and wellbeing.

Season 5, Episode 14

Bonus Episode: With Reason – Learning from our Ancestors, with Alice Roberts

In this special bonus episode by our friends at New Humanist magazine and the Rationalist Association, Professor Alice Roberts takes us through important archaeological discoveries to help us better understand life today.

Series 5, Episode 13

1 hour 3 mins

Fiona Shaw – A Life on Stage and Screen

The BAFTA and Olivier award-winning Irish actor and director explores her life and career on stage and screen.

Season 5, Episode 13

1 hour

Rutger Bregman and Philippe Sands – Are Humans Naturally Good?

Philippe Sands meets Rutger Bregman, one of the greatest young thinkers of our time, to hear a new story of human nature that places our capacity for kindness, not selfishness, at its heart.

Season 5, Episode 12

38 mins

Dennis Duncan – Index, a history of the

In this week’s podcast, literary scholar Dennis Duncan takes us into the secret world of the index and reveals how it transformed the way we read and process knowledge forever.

Season 5, Episode 11

55 mins

Mary Portas – How To Thrive in the New Kindness Economy

In 2021, it’s not only possible to build healthy businesses that do less bad and add more good – it’s a commercial imperative. Mary Portas is here to show us how.

Season 5, Episode 10

1 hour

Gordon Brown – How to Change the World

It is time for a new era of global order. The former Prime Minister Gordon Brown joins us with authoritative solutions to the greatest challenges of our age.

Season 5, Episode 9

1 hour

Anish Kapoor – a Life in Art

An icon whose spectacular works occupy a liminal space between sculpture, engineering and architecture, Anish Kapoor is one of the world’s most ambitious living artists.

Season 5, Episode 8

58 mins

Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green – The Inside Story of the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine

Robin Ince meets two of the leading scientists behind the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, marking this historic moment for science and humanity.

Season 5, Episode 7

31 mins

Charles Yu – Interior Chinatown

Enter the genre-bending metafictional world of National Book Award winner Charles Yu, one of the most exciting young American novelists.

Season 5, Episode 6

37 min

Mike Rothschild – The Rise of QAnon

Join the conspiracy culture expert Mike Rothschild for an in depth look into how QAnon became a movement, cult, and conspiracy theory of everything.

Season 5, Episode 5

53 mins

Lisa Taddeo and Hadley Freeman – Madness, Transgression and Power

Lisa Taddeo’s THREE WOMEN changed how we think about desire. She returns to the podcast to explore what drives women to extremes and how they can take back power.

Season 5, Episode 4

1 hour

Daniel Kahneman – Why We Make Bad Judgments

Why are humans so bad at making good judgements? Join ground-breaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman, strategist Olivier Sibony, and Nudge co-author Cass Sunstein for a guide to a little-known but profoundly important phenomenon: noise.

Season 5, Episode 3

36 mins

John Higgs – William Blake vs the World

Join us for a wild journey through culture, philosophy and religion to better understand the mercurial genius William Blake in the twenty-first century.

Season 5, Episode 2

52 mins

Katrine Marcal and Caroline Criado Perez – Mother of Invention

In conversation with author and activist Caroline Criado Perez, Katrine Marçal shows us how, in a time of crisis, the ingenuity and intelligence of women is that very thing that can save us.

Season 5, Episode 1

51 mins

Bill Clinton and James Patterson – The President’s Daughter

The 42nd President of the United States and the World Record-breaking master storyteller share insights into their thrilling new collaboration.

Series 4, Episode 20

54 mins

Sir David Hare – A Life in Theatre

The legendary playwright joins us to reflect on his life and career as the most prolific, influential and respected dramatist of his generation.

Series 4, Episode 19

51 mins

Ginny Smith – The Neuroscience of Everyday Life

How do we learn? Why we do sleep, or fall in love? Can we trust our memories? In this week’s podcast Ginny Smith explores the latest science of the mind and brain to answer the big questions about human behaviour.

Series 4, Episode 18

54 Minutes

Maggie O’Farrell – The Life of Hamnet Shakespeare

‘The story of Hamnet Shakespeare has been waiting in the shadows for over four hundred years. Maggie O’Farrell brings it dazzlingly, devastatingly, into the light’ – Kamila Shamsie

Series 4, Episode 17

1 hr

Michio Kaku – The Quest for a Theory of Everything

Michio Kaku takes Robin Ince on the mind-bending ride through the twists and turns of an epic scientific journey: the quest to find a Theory of Everything.

Season 4, Episode 16

51 mins

Anna Ploszajski – Finding Meaning Through Making

Sitting at the intersection of art, science, and history, this week’s podcast reveals fresh perspectives and fascinating insights into our material world.

Series 4, Episode 15

1 hr

George Saunders – Lessons in Writing and Life

What makes great stories work? What can they tell us about our world today? How can they make us better readers and how can we write them ourselves?

Series 4, Episode 14

1 hour

Matthew d’Ancona – Why the Old Politics is Useless and What to Do About It

Political journalist Matthew d’Ancona’s issues a call to arms to challenge this age of political extremism, lazy populism and democratic torpor.

Series 4, Episode 13

53 mins

Isabel Allende – The Soul of a Woman

One of the most acclaimed and beloved figures in world literature, legendary novelist Isabel Allende joined us for a meditation on feminism, activism and revolution.

Series 4, Episode 12

1hr 7 mins

Ian McEwan – A Life in Literature

The country’s most prolific and celebrated novelist reflects upon a life in literature.

Series 4, Episode 11

30m

Rowan Hooper – How to Spend a Trillion Dollars

If you had a trillion dollars and a year to spend it for the good of the world and the advancement of science, what would you do?

Series 4, Episode 10

1hr

Derren Brown – How To Be a Little Happier

Learn how to think differently and overcome anxiety in a difficult world with the legendary star of stage and screen.

Series 4, Episode 9

1 hr

Tim Harford Meets Adam Grant – The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom. One of the world’s most influential business professors, psychologist Adam Grant is here to teach us how to think again.

Series 4, Episode 8

1 hour

Ethan Kross – How to Harness the Voice Inside Your Head

Turn your ‘inner critic’ into a supportive coach with award-winning psychologist Ethan Kross, one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind.

Series 4, Episode 7

55 mins

George the Poet Meets Mariana Mazzucato – A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism

Join one of the world’s most exciting and original economists for a powerful new approach for dealing with inequality, disease and climate change.

Season 4, Episode 6

45 mins

Toby Ord – Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity

We live during the most important era of human history. In the twentieth century, we developed the means to destroy ourselves – without developing the moral framework to ensure we won’t.

Season 4, Episode 5

54 mins

Owen Jones Meets Claudia Rankine

The first and only poet to write a New York Times bestseller, the winner of every significant literary prize in the United States, Jamaican-born Claudia Rankine is an icon of contemporary American letters.

Series 4, Episode 4

55 mins

Iain McGilchrist – The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning

A tour de force of neuroscience and philosophy, Iain McGilchrist’s The Master and His Emissary speaks to everyone searching for happiness, meaning and understanding in the modern world.

Series 4, Episode 3

37 mins

Malcolm Gladwell – How to Make a Good First Impression

From Blink to Outliers, Revisionist History to David and Goliath, no-one challenges our shared assumptions and invites us to rethink human nature like Malcolm Gladwell.

Series 4, Episode 2

56 mins

Caitlin Moran – More Than a Woman

‘First, you have to learn how to be a woman. Then middle age arrives, and you realise you have to become … more than a woman. To those around you, you’re now the Fourth Emergency Service.” – Caitlin Moran

Series 4, Episode 1

1 hour

Simon Schama – The World in 2021

What lessons does the past hold for our future? Join Britain’s pre-eminent public historian to explore his thoughts on the world to come.

Series 3, Episode 21

1 hour

Richard Dawkins – The Meaning of Life

Richard Dawkins has done more than any other scientist to promote and celebrate the origins of life on Earth.

Series 3, Episode 20

1 hour

Yanis Varoufakis Meets Owen Jones

The global crisis of COVID-19 presents an opportunity for a radical rethink of Britain as we know it. Join two icons of the Left as they imagine a future for progressive politics.

Series 3, Episode 19

1 hour

Len Mlodinow and Robin Ince – The Life of Stephen Hawking

Not since Einstein has a scientific figure held such a place in popular consciousness. Leonard Mlodinow tells Robin Ince the story of his friend and collaborator, Stephen Hawking.

Series 3, Episode 18

48 mins

Philip Lymbery – How to Live Sustainably in a Changing World

Our meat and dairy intensive diets are destroying the planet. In this podcast, animal welfare environmentalist Philip Lymbery shares the new science of living sustainably and makes a powerful case for changing how we eat.

Season 3, Episode 17

52 mins

Jung Chung – Three Women at the Heart of 20th Century China

Wild Swans author Jung Chang presents a true story of love, war and betrayal: the lives of the Soong sisters, who each rose to the heights of power and left an indelible mark on modern China.

Season 3, Episode 16

55 mins

Elizabeth Gilbert Meets Julia Cameron – The Path to Higher Creativity

Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way has inspired millions to realise their passions – including Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert. Coming together for this podcast, they show us the path to a creatively-fulfilling life.

Series 3, Episode 15

1 hour

Brian Cox Meets Rebecca Wragg Sykes – The Lost World of Neanderthals

In conversation with particle physicist Brian Cox, archaeologist Rebecca Wragg Sykes reveals the Neanderthals as curious, clever connoisseurs of their world, technologically inventive and ecologically adaptable.

Series 3, Episode 14

55 mins

David Mitchell – Dishonesty is the Second Best Policy

Are smartphones more dangerous than nuclear weapons? Should we uninvent the Internet? The comedian and columnist joins us with witty reflections upon our dumbfounding post-truth age.

Series 3, Episode 13

1 hour

Jess Phillips – How to Speak Truth to Power

At a time when many of us feel the world isn’t listening, Jess Phillips is here to teach us how to get organised, speak out and fight against injustice in all its forms.

Series 3, Episode 12

57 mins

Thandie Newton Meets Gloria Steinem

For decades Gloria Steinem has helped women empower themselves. Now the legendary feminist meets Emmy and BAFTA winning actress and activist to share her insights. >>

Series 3, Episode 11

36 mins

Sid Meier – The Rise of Civilization

As the inventor of an entirely new genre of entertainment, legendary video-game designer Sid Meier is a true creative pioneer, and godfather to a multi-billion dollar industry.

Series 3, Episode 10

32 minutes

Geoffrey Robertson – Who Owns History?

The question of whether Western nations must return the artefacts plundered under colonial rule is the most pressing issue in the art world today.

Series 3, Episode 9

38 mins

Roman Krznaric – How to Think Long-Term in a Short-Term World

The greatest challenge facing humankind is not climate change or terrorism; it is our inability to think long term. Britain’s leading public philosopher is here to change the way we think to ensure a tomorrow.

Series 3, Episode 8

68 mins

Anthony David – Mental Health After COVID

From anxiety to PTSD, the consequences of the pandemic for global mental health are profound. Neuropsychiatrist Anthony David explores what we know so far – and what we can do about it.

Season 3, Episode 7

57 mins

Maria Konnikova – The Biggest Bluff

When bestselling author Maria Konnikova set out to investigate the science of decision-making, she never expected to become a world-class poker player under the wing of a legend of the game.

Season 3, Episode 6

42 mins

Clive Woodward – How to Win

Sir Clive Woodward has spent a lifetime in high-performance environments, from the rugby field to the boardroom.

Series 3, Episode 4

53 mins

Kiley Reid – Such a Fun Age

In this week’s podcast Hannah MacInnes meets Kiley Reid, whose Booker nominated debut SUCH A FUN AGE announces her as an extraordinarily astute new voice of a generation.

Series 3, Episode 4

1 hour 13 mins

Owen O’Kane – How To Manage Anxiety and Stress

Owen O’Kane was the NHS Clinical Lead for Mental Health. He joined Matthew Stadlen to explore evidence-based techniques for developing a healthier perspective.

Series 3, Episode 3

1 hour 6 mins

Madeleine Albright – Hell and Other Destinations

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright may be the most widely admired diplomat of our age.

Series 3, Episode 2

39 mins

Rahul Jandial – How to Rewire Your Brain

It’s time to turn the tide against mental decline. Learn how to make your mind fitter, healthier and stronger using the insights of cutting-edge neuroscience in this week’s podcast.

Season 1, Episode 1

36 mins

Richard Eyre – How to Make Theatre

Join one of Britain’s most acclaimed directors of stage and screen for a masterclass in the art of making plays.

Season 2, Episode 21

Glennon Doyle – How to Find Yourself

The legendary author of Love Warrior explores the themes of her latest book, Untamed — the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet the expectations of the world, and start trusting the voice deep within us.

Season 2, Episode 20

1 hour 7 m

Martin Wolf – The World After the Pandemic

Revered by politicians and business leaders, the FT’s Martin Wolf may be the world’s most influential economic commentator.

Season 2, Episode 19

34 mins

Max Brooks – How to Survive a Global Catastrophe

How can we build resilient societies? Novelist Max Brooks writes about horrifying fictional catastrophes to teach us how to survive real ones.

Series 2, Episode 18

43 mins

L. David Marquet – Leadership is Language

‘David Marquet is the kind of leader who comes around only once in a generation… His ideas and lessons are invaluable’ – Simon Sinek

Series 2, Episode 17

58 mins

Julia Ebner – Undercover With Extremists

Frustrated by the limits of an outsider’s perspective, counter-extremism expert Julia Ebner secretly infiltrated five fanatical groups.

Series 2, Episode 16

33 mins

John Browne – How to Engineer the Future

Fans of Steven Pinker and Yuval Noah Harari ought not to miss this eloquent blueprint for building a brighter future from engineer, John Browne.

Series 2, Episode 15

27 mins

Layla Saad – How to Fight White Supremacy

How can white people challenge racism — whether in the form of their own unconscious biases or the wider systems of white supremacy?

Series 2, Episode 14

30 mins

Brian Greene – How to Find Meaning in an Evolving Universe

The bestselling author of The Elegant Universe joins the How To Academy Podcast to explore humankind’s search for purpose in the vastness of the cosmos.

Series 2, Episode 13

51 mins

Julia Samuel – How to Adapt and Survive in a Time of Crisis

Psychotherapist Julia Samuel joined Hannah MacInnes on the How To Academy Podcast to tell us how to find unknown strengths in times of difficulty and change.

Series 2, Episode 12

38 mins

Anil Seth – How to Make Sense of Consciousness

How do our brains produce the magic show of conscious experience?

Series 2, Episode 11

1 hour

Mervyn King – How to Make Decisions for an Unknowable Future

Can we make better decisions by acknowledging radical uncertainty? Mervyn King and John Kay build a powerful case.

Bonus Episode

41 mins

BONUS EPISODE – Global GoalsCast

The How To Academy Podcast presents an episode of one of our favourite shows: the Global GoalsCast.

Series 2, Episode 10

30 mins

William Gibson – How to Create the Future

He coined the word ‘Cyberspace’ and envisioned the Internet and Virtual Reality before they ever existed. Now William Gibson turns his prophetic eye to the 21st century.

Series 2, Episode 9

43 mins

Elif Shafak – How to Build Bridges in an Age of Division

Author and activist Elif Shafak is the most widely read female writer in her home nation of Turkey — but her fight to preserve and extend human rights is urgent no matter where you live.

Series 2, Episode 8

82 mins

Ai Weiwei – Human Rights in the 21st Century

Ai Weiwei is living proof that creativity can change our world for the better.

Series 2, Episode 7

33 mins

Paul Krugman – Politics, Economics, and the Fight for a Fairer Future

Nobel laureate and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman shares his insights into the Trump administration and beyond.

Series 2, Episode 6

30 mins

How to Be a Polar Explorer

Two of the greatest living adventurers meet Hannah MacInnes to reflect on what motivates their journeys across the polar ice.

Series 2, Episode 5

30 mins

Joseph Stiglitz – How to Save American Capitalism

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz challenges us to throw off the free market fundamentalists and reclaim our democratic power.

Series 2, Episode 5

1 hour

Lisa Taddeo and Hadley Freeman On Sex and Desire

Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women is a world-wide sensation – forever changing how we think about women and desire.

Series 2, Episode 4

40 mins

BJ Fogg – How to Hack Your Habits

Never make a New Year’s Resolution again after hearing this podcast from the world’s most renowned expert in forming new habits –Stanford behavioural scientist, BJ Fogg.

Series 2, Episode 3

38 mins

Eric Schmidt – How to Make a Trillion Dollars

In this week’s episode, Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt, VP Jonathan Rosenberg and Director of Executive Communications Alan Eagle present a blueprint for farsighted leadership.

Series 2, Episode 3

63 mins

Life Lessons from Gina Miller

After her first Supreme Court victory, Gina Miller was asked how she could keep going at the cost of so much pain and aggravation. To her the answer was obvious: she’d been doing it all her life.

Series 2, Episode 2

35 mins

Hilary Cottam – How To Revolutionise the Welfare State

Dr. Hilary Cottam meets Matthew Stadlen to reveal her vision of a system that puts human connection first.

Season 2, Episode 1

58 mins

Reflections From an Astrophysicist

Neil deGrasse Tyson joins the How To Academy Podcast to ask: what is our place in the universe?

Series 1, Episode 21

32 mins

Chetna Gala Sinha – How to Fight Global Poverty

Matthew Stadlen meets activist and microfinance pioneer Chetna Gala Sinha, whose work in rural India empowers some of the world’s poorest women.

Series 1, Episode 20

66 mins

Rory Stewart – The Truth About Politics

Rory Stewart tells Hannah MacInnes what he’s discovered about British democracy in his time an MP and minister.

Series 1, Episode 19

29 mins

Matthew Syed – a Radical Blueprint for Creative Problem-solving

Where do the best ideas come from? Matthew Syed takes Matthew Stadlen on a fascinating journey through the new science of creative problem-solving.

Series 1, Episode 18

80mins

Speeches That Changed the World

Simon Sebag Montefiore and an all-star cast of actors take you on a journey from ancient times to the present day with the greatest speeches in history.

Series 1, Episode 17

75 mins

Roger McNamee – How to Stop Facebook From Destroying Democracy

Roger NcNamee was Mark Zuckerberg’s mentor in the first days of Facebook. He explains why he’s now devoted to stopping the behemoth he helped to create.

Series 1, Episode 16

84 mins

Marie Forleo – How to Create Unstoppable Success

The athlete and entrepreneur Marie Forleo joined the How To Academy Podcast to teach us what she’s learned on her path to success.

Series 1, Episode 15

72 minutes

Jonathan Safran Foer – How to Save the Planet

Feeling impotent in the face of the climate crisis? The bestselling author of EATING ANIMALS joined us to how how we really can make a difference.

Series 1, Episode 14

25 mins

When the Body Says No: The Costs of Hidden Stress

Learn how to prevent and heal illnesses related to hidden stress with the help of acclaimed physician Dr. Gabor Maté.

Series 1, Episode 13

38 mins

Juliet Stevenson – How to Be an Actor

This week’s How To Academy Podcast is a masterclass with one of the greatest British actors of her generation.

Series 1, Episode 12

53 mins

Rory Sutherland – How to Be Less Rational (and More Brilliant)

The advertising legend Rory Sutherland joins us for a masterclass in improving business with the insights of psychological science.

Series 1, Episode 11

54 mins

Melinda Gates – How To Empower Women

In this week’s podcast, Melinda Gates makes a timely and necessary call to action for women’s empowerment.

Series 1, Episode 10

45 mins

John Humphrys – How to Make the News

Our greatest living current affairs journalist sits down with Matthew Stadlen to look back on a lifetime of holding our leaders to account.

Series 1, Episode 9

28 mins

Marcus du Sautoy – A.I. and the Secret of Creativity

The nation’s most loved science communicator, Oxford mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy, explores the potential of artificial intelligence to think creatively.

Series 1, Episode 8

48 mins

Giles Coren – A Man For All Seasons

In Episode 8 of the How To Academy Podcast, Matthew Stadlen meets restaurant critic and raconteur Giles Coren, for a freewheeling and hilarious conversation about truth, love and clean cutlery.

Series 1, Episode 7

37 minutes

Michael Pollan – How to Change Your Mind

Could psychedelic drugs change our worldview? In Episode 7 of the How To Academy Podcast, Michael Pollan tells Matthew Stadlen about his journey to the frontiers of the human mind.

Series 1, Episode 6

80 minutes

Elizabeth Gilbert – On Life and Love

The author of EAT, PRAY, LOVE and BIG MAGIC joins the How To Academy podcast for an open-hearted conversation exploring all she has learned in her journey through life.

Series 1, Episode 5

36 mins

An Insider’s Guide to Crime in America

Matthew Stadlen meets the former US district attorney who successfully prosecuted some of the most high-profile crimes in America.

Series 1, Episode 5

36 mins

An Insider’s Guide to Crime in America

Matthew Stadlen meets the former US district attorney who successfully prosecuted some of the most high-profile crimes in America.

Series 1, Episode 4

37 minutes

How to Survive Climate Change

A terrifying vision of unfolding climate catastrophe may just be the wake-up call we need to save the future.

Series 1, Episode 3

77 Mins

The Gendered Brain Debate

Two giants of cognitive science – Gina Rippon and Simon Baron-Cohen – debate one of the most contested ideas in the history of science: do men and women have essentially different brains?

Series 1, Episode 2

23 minutes

How to Make Change Happen

In this podcast, the author of Nudge, Professor Cass Sunstein, presents a guide for anyone who wishes to fuel – or block – transformative social change.

Series 1, Episode 1

26 minutes

How to Lead in the 21st Century

Matthew Stadlen meets Simon Sinek – perhaps the 21st century’s most acclaimed thinker in the field of business leadership.