Intelligence Squared

Dr Radha Modgil is joined by endurance athlete, investor and author Ken Rideout for an inspiring Intelligence Squared conversation on what it really takes to transform your life. Drawing on the ideas in his book Everything You Want Is On The Other Side of Hard, Rideout argues that growth, confidence and fulfilment are only found by deliberately choosing discomfort over ease.

Together, they explore why so many of us avoid difficult challenges, how modern life conditions us to seek convenience, and what is lost when we do. Rideout shares lessons from his own journey—from addiction and adversity to elite-level endurance sport—and explains how discipline, accountability and doing “hard things” can reshape not just your mindset, but your entire future.

Blending personal storytelling with practical insight, this episode offers a clear, uncompromising perspective on resilience, mental toughness and the pursuit of a more meaningful life.

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Before sex evolved on our planet, two billion years ago, all reproduction happened asexually. So why and how did sexual reproduction evolve?

Dr Lixing Sun is Distinguished Research Professor in behavior and evolution at Central Washington University. In a new book, On the Origin of Sex, he explores the fascinating, varied and complex ways reproduction happens across the natural world: from whiptail lizards, capable of immaculate conception, to clownfish and bearded dragons who regularly switch gender roles.

In this episode he sat down with Dr Güneş Taylor to explore the biological advantages of sexual reproduction, the differences between sex and gender and the variety of ways in which our planet is populated. 

On The Origin of Sex: The Weird and Wonderful Science of Reproduction by Dr Lixing Sun,  is available now online and in stores.

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.

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- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

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According to Great British Bake Off judge and national treasure Prue Leith the secret to a happy life lies in embracing everyday with joy while accepting our inevitable end.

Prue has had an exhilarating career. She has been a Michelin-starred restaurateur, author, broadcaster, and beloved Bake Off judge. Yet her passion for life has also been shaped by the loss of her brother and first husband. These experiences inspired her to become a leading campaigner for assisted dying in the UK.

In February 2026 Prue joined Intelligence Squared live at the Royal Geographical Society to reflect on her remarkable life and share insights from her new memoir Being Old … and Learning to Love It! Expect reflections on love, ageing, joy, and grief — from strutting the catwalk and finding love again in her seventies, to facing life’s hardest goodbyes with humour and grace.
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According to Great British Bake Off judge and national treasure Prue Leith the secret to a happy life lies in embracing everyday with joy while accepting our inevitable end.

Prue has had an exhilarating career. She has been a Michelin-starred restaurateur, author, broadcaster, and beloved Bake Off judge. Yet her passion for life has also been shaped by the loss of her brother and first husband. These experiences inspired her to become a leading campaigner for assisted dying in the UK.

In February 2026 Prue joined Intelligence Squared live at the Royal Geographical Society to reflect on her remarkable life and share insights from her new memoir Being Old … and Learning to Love It! Expect reflections on love, ageing, joy, and grief — from strutting the catwalk and finding love again in her seventies, to facing life’s hardest goodbyes with humour and grace.
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How deeply was the British Crown involved in the transatlantic slave trade? New research by historian Brooke Newman argues that, from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, until well into the 19th century, the Crown and its navy helped expand, finance and protect the trade in enslaved African people.

In this episode, Newman joins historian and broadcaster Helen Carr to examine how the monarchy’s links to slavery complicate Britain’s national story about abolition and its colonial past. Drawing on her new book, The Crown’s Silence, she explores the evidence, considers how the subject of reparations has become caught up in the culture wars, and reflects on what a formal apology from King Charles III could mean. 

Brooke Newman is an Associate Professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. The Crown’s Silence: The Hidden History of Slavery and the British Monarchy is out now. 

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.

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... 

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

…

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…

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