Intelligence Squared

• The Rise of Spotify, with Liz Pelly

  Music has become increasingly playlisted, personalized, and autoplayed. But how did we get here, and what does it mean for artists, listeners, and the music industry as a whole? In today’s episode, journalist Liz Pelly unpacks the origins of Spotify, its meteoric rise, and its transformative impact on the way we create and experience music. Whilst researching for her new book, Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, Pelly conducted over one hundred interviews with industry insiders, former Spotify employees, and musicians. Liz Pelly is a music journalist and author living in New York. Her essays and reporting have appeared in the Baffler, where she is a contributing editor, as well as in the Guardian, NPR, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. She’s joined by Timandra Harkness, writer, presenter and author of Technology is Not the Problem, for a conversation on the ethics of streaming, the economics of playlists, and the hidden costs of the “perfect” listening experience. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Kavita Puri and Sathnam Sanghera on War, Empire and the Untold Story of the Bengal Famine (Part Two)

  The Bengal Famine is the forgotten story of the Second World War. Between 1943 and 1944, at least three million Indians, all of whom were British subjects, died from starvation or diseases linked to malnutrition. It is one of the darkest chapters in colonial history, yet the memory of those millions who perished is not broadly nurtured in Britain, India or Bangladesh. There is no memorial, museum, or archive dedicated to them anywhere in the world – not even a plaque. Who better to shed light on these untold stories than the award-winning journalist Kavita Puri? Described by The Radio Times as ‘our foremost chronicler of the lives of British South Asians,’ Puri has received critical acclaim for her radio series and writing on Indian history. In March 2025 she joined author Sathnam Sanghera live on stage to uncover this tragic chapter of British and Indian history. Drawing on the themes of her hit podcast Three Million, Puri told the dramatic and complex story of British colonialism, Indian nationalism, global war and the end of empire, while challenging national mythologies, the prevailing British narrative of World War II, and what we understand a hero to be. Puri also discussed the extensive archival research that went into the making of the podcast, and the new discoveries uncovered by forensically piecing together the stories of eyewitnesses and survivors. ---- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  45:01
• Kavita Puri and Sathnam Sanghera on War, Empire and the Untold Story of the Bengal Famine (Part One)

  The Bengal Famine is the forgotten story of the Second World War. Between 1943 and 1944, at least three million Indians, all of whom were British subjects, died from starvation or diseases linked to malnutrition. It is one of the darkest chapters in colonial history, yet the memory of those millions who perished is not broadly nurtured in Britain, India or Bangladesh. There is no memorial, museum, or archive dedicated to them anywhere in the world – not even a plaque. Who better to shed light on these untold stories than the award-winning journalist Kavita Puri? Described by The Radio Times as ‘our foremost chronicler of the lives of British South Asians,’ Puri has received critical acclaim for her radio series and writing on Indian history. In March 2025 she joined author Sathnam Sanghera live on stage to uncover this tragic chapter of British and Indian history. Drawing on the themes of her hit podcast Three Million, Puri told the dramatic and complex story of British colonialism, Indian nationalism, global war and the end of empire, while challenging national mythologies, the prevailing British narrative of World War II, and what we understand a hero to be. Puri also discussed the extensive archival research that went into the making of the podcast, and the new discoveries uncovered by forensically piecing together the stories of eyewitnesses and survivors. ------ This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  41:06
• Earthling Ed: How to Argue with a Meat Eater (Part Two)

  Ed Winters, known to his millions of online followers as Earthling Ed, has perfected the art of persuasion. During his extensive career as an activist and educator, he has made the case for veganism everywhere from university campuses to live on GB News. His compelling and informative content has garnered millions of views, and earned him a dedicated following across online platforms. Earthling Ed joined us live at the Kiln Theatre to share his insights on how we can all become better conversationalists and critical thinkers. How can we productively engage with those who have opposing views? How can emotionally charged conversations become productive? And how can we engage others to create a more ethical, kind and sustainable world? Drawing on the new paperback edition of his bestselling book, How to Argue with a Meat Eater (And Win Every Time), Ed discussed how to debunk and respond to every argument against veganism: from classic conspiracy theories and questions over a lack of protein to newer issues surrounding processed vegan substitutes and more. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  33:53
• Earthling Ed: How to Argue with a Meat Eater (Part One)

  Ed Winters, known to his millions of online followers as Earthling Ed, has perfected the art of persuasion. During his extensive career as an activist and educator, he has made the case for veganism everywhere from university campuses to live on GB News. His compelling and informative content has garnered millions of views, and earned him a dedicated following across online platforms. Earthling Ed joined us live at the Kiln Theatre to share his insights on how we can all become better conversationalists and critical thinkers. How can we productively engage with those who have opposing views? How can emotionally charged conversations become productive? And how can we engage others to create a more ethical, kind and sustainable world? Drawing on the new paperback edition of his bestselling book, How to Argue with a Meat Eater (And Win Every Time), Ed discussed how to debunk and respond to every argument against veganism: from classic conspiracy theories and questions over a lack of protein to newer issues surrounding processed vegan substitutes and more. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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