A Decade of Debate
Welcome to our ever-expanding archive featuring videos of the provocative debates that we’ve hosted in London and around the world since 2002, along with audio debates, written debates and talks by leading writers, politicians and scientists.
A Selection of our Most Recent Events
Nate Silver on the Art and Science of Prediction
30th April 2013
On April 30th Nate Silver came to Intelligence Squared to discuss the themes of his latest book, The Signal and the Noise.
Karl Marx Was Right
9th April 2013
Is Marx the voice we should be heeding? Or are his modern day apostles resuscitating a late Victorian corpse whose main contribution to human affairs has been the Soviet gulag?
Both Britain and The EU Would Be Happier If They Got Divorced
20th March 2013
Britain and the EU – isn’t it time we filed for divorce? Britain and other countries outside the eurozone want greater freedom from Brussels, yet to save the euro the economic and political shackles are being tightened. Should we call it a day? Or accept that the EU is our future, warts and all?
Smarter Cities: An Evening of Debate
4th March 2013
Cities – dystopia or the best arena for human flourishing? Will all that is worst in city life dominate the future, or will technology allow us to continue to enjoy the culture, vibrancy and pluralism that only cities can provide?
Dan Pink on the Science of Buoyancy
28th February 2013
Dan Pink harvested a rich trove of social science to explain the theory and practice of bouncing back, outlined in his New York Times and BusinessWeek bestsellers A Whole New Mind and Drive
Western Liberal Democracy Would Be Wrong for China
14th November 2012
Is China better off without democracy? Or is that just the age-old mantra of the tyrant? And with Europe and the US mired in financial crisis and scandal, can we be so sure of the merits of our own system?
Featured Shorts
Stephen Fry vs Ann Widdecombe: Catholic Church Short
In this, our first ever iq2 Short, Ann Widdecombe and Stephen Fry lock horns over the motion ‘The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world’.
The animation is adapted from a debate we staged in 2009 which also included Christopher Hitchens and John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja.
Solar Farming in Africa
In the fourth installment of our iq2 Shorts series, Professor Michael Düren of DESERTEC argues that we can harness the African desert sun to power the world.
The animation is adapted from our Switched On evening ‘Energy Game Changers’ from March 2012. Click on the following link to watch the four other carbon cutting energy solutions presented that evening http://bit.ly/I8HLSw