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.
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 18
1hr 17mins
Sir Tony Robinson Meets Peter Frankopan – How a Changing Climate Shaped Civilisation
The way that humans have interacted with the natural world and with the climate has shaped and will change our world – but this story has gone untold. Until now.
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
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.
