The We Society

Google processes billions of searches every day, and the data behind the searches say a lot about us. The data analysis presents fascinating insights not just for social science, but for every person using search engines to navigate modern life.
In the final episode of Season 11 of the We Society with Will Hutton, join Simon Rogers, Data Editor at Google, and author of What We Ask Google, as he talks about the two decades of data from the world’s biggest search engine that reveal our inner desires, moods and secrets. The data analysis findings are uplifting, with less division and cynicism than you'd expect, and a lot more curiosity, confusion, and kindness.
This episode is ideal for listeners interested in topical issues, social science, data analysis, and internet history.  
In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it.
Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us at wesociety@acss.org.uk to tell us who we should be speaking to.
The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert 
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

It's the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year, but the mood isn’t purely about celebration. If you've wondered why the US and US politics feel so unstable despite the country being richer and more powerful than ever, this episode explains the paradox.
In this episode of the We Society with Will Hutton, join Adam Smith, Professor of United States Politics & Political History at the University of Oxford, and Edward Orsborn, Director of the Rothermere American Institute. They discuss why the country that once called itself "humanity's last best hope" is now better known for polarisation, misinformation, and political gridlock than democratic optimism. For more on US politics and political history, find Adam Smith’s podcast here: https://www.rai.ox.ac.uk/podcast 
This episode is ideal for listeners interested in topical issues, contemporary US politics, US history and British / US relations.
In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it.
Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us at wesociety@acss.org.uk to tell us who we should be speaking to.
The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert 
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

The UK’s Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system is buckling because of rising demand. One in five children now qualify for some form of SEND support, yet access still depends heavily on postcode and parental intervention. 
In this episode of the We Society with Will Hutton, join Alice Reeves, Research Grants and Programmes Manager at the Nuffield Foundation, as she unpacks the root causes of the SEND crisis, and what the government's new SEND White Paper proposes to do about it. 
The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance educational opportunity and social well-being. They tackle the UK's biggest social challenges by funding research and guiding decision-makers to improve people's lives. To find out more about the research the Nuffield Foundation has funded when it comes to education go here.  You can read more about the Government’s SEND White paper here. 
This episode is ideal for listeners interested in topical issues, the UK’s education system, disability, and institutional change in education.  
In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it.
Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us at wesociety@acss.org.uk to tell us who we should be speaking to.
The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert 
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

The ongoing war in Ukraine has recently hit a grim milestone: in June 2026 it surpassed the duration of World War One. 
In this episode of the We Society, Michael Kofman talks to host Will Hutton about why what began as a bid for quick victory has become a grinding war of attrition, and now exhaustion, and how a social science lens aids his understanding of the conflict. 
Michael Kofman is one of the world's foremost authorities on the Russian military and the war in Ukraine. A senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he regularly presents evidence-led analysis of a conflict now in its fourth year. Born in Ukraine and travelling to the country every few months, he brings a rare combination of academic expertise and first-hand observation to a war that has reshaped modern warfare.
This episode is ideal for listeners interested in topical issues, the war in Ukraine, the efficacy of international sanctions and modern warfare. 
In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it.
Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us at wesociety@acss.org.uk to tell us who we should be speaking to.
The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert 
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences

In today’s global media landscape we are confronted with seemingly endless urgent crises: issues like the housing crisis, the climate crisis and the wealth inequality crisis all vie for our attention, despite social science research proving these issues are often more nuanced than the headlines would have us believe.
In this episode of the We Society, host Will Hutton and Danny Dorling discuss his latest book, The Next Crisis, which explores our growing obsession with the language of crisis. Today's public debate often presents every challenge as a huge existential emergency. Drawing on global survey data and historical evidence, Dorling asks which crises genuinely deserve our attention, which have been exaggerated, and how constant exposure to alarming headlines may itself be fuelling anxiety and pessimism. 
Professor Danny Dorling is one of Britain's leading social geographers. His social science research uses cutting-edge data visualisation to uncover the unseen social forces shaping modern Britain, from housing, health, employment, education, wealth and poverty. 
This episode is ideal for listeners interested in topical issues, social geography, the housing crisis and global media debate.
In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it.
Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us at wesociety@acss.org.uk to tell us who we should be speaking to.
The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences