Better Known

Eleanor Doughty discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Eleanor Doughty began her career in journalism at the Daily Telegraph, before going freelance to focus on writing. She has written the 'Great Estates' column in the Telegraph since 2017, and specialises in writing about the British moneyed and titles classes. Her first book Heirs and Graces, a history of the modern British aristocracy was published in September by Hutchinson Heinemann. Her writing appears in Country Life, The Times and Sunday Times, the Telegraph, the Spectator, the Financial Times, The Field and many other publications. When she is not writing, she can be found either on or near a horse, or out with her cocker spaniel. The slow lane of the motorway https://moto-way.com/2019/09/a-beginners-guide-to-motorway-lanes-and-how-to-use-them/ The British aristocracy https://uk.bookshop.org/a/447/9781529153040 Venison https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/sep/28/venison-deer-meat-health-heart-benefits The schedule send function on Gmail https://support.google.com/mail/answer/9214606?hl=en-GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop Thank you letters and handwritten correspondence https://www.forbes.com/sites/jillgriffin/2018/08/07/the-value-of-a-well-written-thank-you-note/ Early 20th century/mid-century diaries and journals https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2002/11/21/out-of-the-mists/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sasha Butler discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Sasha Butler is a Birmingham based writer. Her first novel, The Marriage Contract (Salt, 2025), was shortlisted for the Cheshire Novel Prize 2022 and the Bath Novel Award 2022, under the former title As Soft as Dreams. In addition to novels, she occasionally writes short stories. Her short story ‘Map of an Affair' features in Floodgate Press' anthology, Night Time Economy (September 2024). The Marriage Contract is available at https://www.saltpublishing.com/products/the-marriage-contract-9781784633608 The decline of the skirret https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/82232/sium-sisarum/details The Great Comet of 1577 https://hgss.copernicus.org/articles/12/111/2021/ Levina Teerlinc https://artherstory.net/levina-teerlinc/ Handshakes have not always been used as a greeting gesture https://academic.oup.com/past/article/267/1/48/7716082 The fleet that set out with the Golden Hinde (formerly called The Pelican), the Elizabethan ship that circumnavigated the earth https://www.goldenhinde.co.uk/discover/the-circumnavigation-1577-1580 Baddesley Clinton https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/warwickshire/baddesley-clinton This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Doug Lemov discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Doug Lemov is a former teacher and school principal whose books describe the techniques of high-performing teachers. His best-known book, Teach Like a Champion (now in its 3.0 version) has been translated into more than a dozen languages. The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading, out in July and co-written with Colleen Driggs and Erica Woolway, looks at how cognitive science can be better applied to the teaching of reading. Doug holds a BA in English from Hamilton College, an MA in English Literature from Indiana University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Read Doug's latest on his blog (teachlikeachampion.org/blog) or follow him on X (@Doug_Lemov). The difference between ingredients and cake. This is a reference to what the British education researcher Daisy Christodoulou says about understanding the difference between knowledge (or facts) and critical thinking. How cognitive scientists define learning. As “a change in long term memory.” And further: If nothing has changed in long-term memory, nothing has been learned.” This is profoundly important because we forget (ie fail to learn) almost everything we come to understand in our lives unless we take specific actions to prevent this. How fun and how important it is to teach vocabulary (the right way). https://vimeo.com/387487549 Lord of the Flies. Well I LOVE Lord of the Flies… but really it's here as a proxy to speak to the importance of reading great books. And hard books. Which basically young people don't do any more in school. How powerful it is to read aloud with young people…and how to do it well The benefits of very short writing exercises “American teachers assign a lot of writing but they don't teach it well” write Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler. This is one reason why. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sudhir Hazareesingh discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Professor Sudhir Hazareesingh was born in Mauritius. He is a Fellow of the British Academy a Fellow and Tutor in Politics at Balliol College, His books include The Legend of Napoleon (Granta, 2004), In the Shadow of the General (OUP, 2012) and How the French Think (Allen Lane, 2015). He won the Prix du Mémorial d'Ajaccio and the Prix de la Fondation Napoléon for the first of these, a Prix d'Histoire du Sénat for the second, and the Grand Prix du Livre d'Idées for the third. In 2020, he became a Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (G.C.S.K.), the highest honour of the Republic of Mauritius. His biography, Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture (Allen Lane, 2020) won the 2021 Wolfson History Prize, with the judges describing it as an ‘erudite and elegant biography of a courageous leader which tells a gripping story with a message that resonates strongly in our own time'. His latest book is Daring to Be Free, described in the New Statesman as “An absorbing and revelatory history of black resistance to the transatlantic trade … a marvel of historical analysis and research.” It is available now. The resistance of the enslaved https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/book-of-the-day/2025/10/the-liberating-power-of-vodou The American academic and film-maker Henry Louis Gates jr https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/10/henry-louis-gates-jr-black-box-writing-race-arrested-beers-with-obama The Victor Hugo museum in Paris https://www.maisonsvictorhugo.paris.fr/en Swimming in the river Seine in Paris in August https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gk7nk35l2o The Sandhamn Murders https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2025/02/08/netflixs-best-new-crime-show-is-here-and-no-critics-have-seen-it-the-are-murders/ The Mauritian painter Vaco Baissac https://mauritiusarts.com/artist/vaco-baissac/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Ana Schnabl discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Ana Schnabl is a Slovenian writer and editor. She writes for several Slovenian media outlets and is a monthly columnist for the Guardian. Her collection of short stories Razvezani (Beletrina, 2017) met with critical acclaim. Three years later Schnabl published her first novel Masterpiece (Mojstrovina, Beletrina, 2020). Her second novel Flood Tide (Plima, Beletrina, 2022) was nominated for the Slovenian Kresnik Award. Her third novel September (Beletrina, 2024) won the Kresnik Award in 2025. Dog Behaviour: I've got two dogs, and it took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out what they were actually saying. The Concept of Universal Basic Income: I suspect that for a lot of people, Universal Basic Income sounds like a fantasy dreamt up by the lazy and the work-shy—a clever way to dodge the nine-to-five. In reality, it's nothing of the sort. Mina Mazzini: Known simply as Mina, she was nothing short of a force of nature—Italy's greatest voice and legend. Her vocal range was outrageous and her stage presence magnetic. Jellyfish: I grew up spending summers on the Slovene coast, where most beach conversations about jellyfish revolved around how nasty they are. I think it's time to give them a bit of a rebrand. Lojze Kovačič's The Newcomers: I know I sound like a total boomer saying this, but The Newcomers really is a masterpiece—a towering work of autofiction, written decades before “autofiction” was even a buzzword on Goodreads. Yugoslavia: I'm not yugonostalgic—I was simply born too late to have any real experience of living there. But I am a defender of some of the genuinely progressive ideas and policies that Yugoslavia introduced and managed to sustain. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Adam Lind discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Through living on a narrowboat on the British waterways, Adam Lind has unexpectedly built a large online community of over 900,000 loyal and engaged like-minded souls who enjoy soaking up his passion to live a life of meaning. Adam has appeared on Channel 4's Narrow Escapes and has been featured in publications including The New York Post, Business Insider, The Sun, and others. His new book is Floating Home: Lessons from a life less ordinary, which is available at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/floating-home-9781526683526/. The importance of human connection The fear mongering and segregation of the news You can have control over your thoughts You don't need a lot of money to travel Adversity can be a gift Comparison is the thief of joy This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Food critic Andrew Turvil discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Described by The Independent as one of the UK's ‘arbiters of taste', Andrew Turvil is the former editor of The Good Food Guide, AA Restaurant Guide and Which? Pub Guide. As a freelance restaurant critic, writer, and editor, he has spent his career writing about pubs and restaurants, and, undeterred, bought a pub in 2015 and ran it for 10 years. Blood, Sweat & Asparagus Spears is his first book and is available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Sweat-Asparagus-Spears-Restaurant/dp/1783969113. Prior to the 1990s, very few chefs were household names. Very few people could reel off a list of chefs, but by the end of the decade many were TV stars and known to millions – Gary Rhodes, Jamie Oliver et al. There was less emphasis on the ingredients used in restaurants prior to the 1990s and the consumption of organic food in the UK had barely got going. Fashionable restaurants of the past were revived in the 1990s and gained new leases of life During the 1990s the English language finally started to gain ground in the fine dining sector. Prior to the 1990s ‘posh' food meant French food Asian food in the UK took a great leap forward during the 1990s The 1990s saw a proliferation of new foodie terms: nose to tail, fusion, Pacific rim and molecular gastronomy. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Andy Reid discusses with Ivan six films chosen by previous guests which he thinks should not, after all, be better known. With apologies to Daria Lavelle, Steve Cross, Neil Brand, Tom Newman, Adam Higginbotham and Sam Sedgman. Andy Reid is the founder of Buddy Up, a mentoring charity for young people across south London and Surrey. He has worked in the youth sector for over 20 years delivering programmes and training throughout the UK. You can find out more at https://buddyupcharity.org/. What Dreams May Come https://www.cinemasight.com/resurfaced-what-dreams-may-come-1998/ Roadhouse https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/road-house-1989 Rango https://rachelsreviews.net/2015/01/12/rango-movie-review/ Multiplicity https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/pre2000/rvu-mult.html Sorcerer https://hollywood-elsewhere.com/again-why-sorcerer-failed/ The Peacemaker https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/peacemakerhowe.htm This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matt Greene discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Matt Greene is an author, teacher, former screenwriter, and stay-at-home dad. His first novel, Ostrich, won a Betty Trask Award and his memoir Jew(ish) was described by Booker-shortlisted author Nadifa Mohamed as ‘wonderful' and ‘acerbically funny'. He teaches critical and creative writing in South London, where he lives with his partner and two sons. His new book is The Definitions, which is at https://evewhite.co.uk/books/the-definitions/. Purple Mountains https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-purple-mountains-858339/ What killed the studio sitcom https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/26/the-last-laugh-is-the-television-sitcom-really-dead A Village After Dark https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/05/21/a-village-after-dark Speech Act Theory https://www.thoughtco.com/speech-act-theory-1691986 Two Jews, Three Opinions https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/one-jew-two-opinions/ Wierzbicka vs Wittgenstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Wierzbicka This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Danny Scott discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Danny Scott grew up in an East Midlands mining village, serving his apprenticeship as an engineer on leaving school, before moving to London in the 1980s. After a job in counter (industrial) espionage, he became a private investigator, then a painter and decorator, then an engineer again, before becoming a journalist and interviewing people like Sir Paul McCartney, Mikhail Gorbachev, Usain Bolt and Dave Hill from Slade. He lives in Essex with his wife and their young son. His memoir, The Undisputed King of Selston (John Murray), was published in June 2025. It is available at https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-undisputed-king-of-selston-danny-scott/7836018?ean=9781399816793. How to hang a door https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tizE31oU4Co Children of the Stones was the best kids' telly show ever made https://thedeadpixels.squarespace.com/articles/2015/8/10/children-of-the-stones-cult-tv-series-review Getting pregnant isn't as easy as you think https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/06/young-infertile-four-years-forty-negative-tests-ivf What the miners did for us https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240703-coal-mining-created-community-and-culture-can-clean-energy-do-the-same Skegness is beautiful https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/skegness-things-to-do-which-4420027 These days, there's no room for the working class. Except at the bottom. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/23/class-barriers-journalism-working-class-liverpudlian-journalist This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Alan Green grew up on the north coast of Cornwall and now lives in south London. As an environmental science graduate, he remains passionate about protecting and preserving the natural world. Alan spent nearly three decades at a Magic Circle law firm in the City of London, where he led a copy-editing team. A committed daily runner for over 35 years, Alan combines his love of nature with a commitment to wellbeing in all aspects of life. Sound Advice is his debut book, available at https://www.saltpublishing.com/products/sound-advice-9781784633585. Our Sun is only 20 galactic years old The band Midnight Oil once asked, “How can we dance when our earth is turning?” The literal answer takes us from the Earth spinning at jet speed, to the Sun circling the Milky Way, to our galaxy itself hurtling through an expanding cosmos. Ivan Wise has blue eyes. I have blue eyes. We may be related… We both have blue eyes — and they may trace back to a single ancestor, 6,000–10,000 years ago. Unlike brown eyes, blue eyes aren't due to pigment but to the scattering of light, as with a blue sky. You may not be as old as you feel. Our bodies are in perpetual renewal. Some cells live days, others last a lifetime. On average, our cells are only 7–10 years old — meaning we are all, in a sense, younger than our birthday-cake candles may suggest. Yews, and why you often find them in churchyards. Step into a churchyard and you may find a yew that's older than the church itself. These trees have stood as markers of sacred ground since before Christianity. Our world without fungi wouldn't function. From decomposing matter to building vast underground “wood-wide webs”, fungi are indispensable recyclers and collaborators. Morgans don't have wooden chassis. There's a persistent myth that Morgan sports cars have wooden chassis. Not true: their chassis are steel or aluminium. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Laurence Bergreen discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Laurence Bergreen is an award-winning biographer, historian, and chronicler of exploration. His books have been translated into more than 25 languages. They include Columbus: The Four Voyages, a New York Times bestseller, published by Viking in 2011. In 2007, Knopf published his Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu. For this book he crossed China from east to west and camped out on the steppe with hospitable Mongolians in their yurts. His bestselling Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, was published by William Morrow in 2003.  In its 40th printing, it was awarded the Medalla de Honor by the Asociación de Alcades de V Centenario (Spain). He has also published In Search of a Kingdom about Francis Drake's voyage of discovery (Simon & Schuster, 2021) and Voyage to Mars: NASA's Search for Life Beyond Earth published by Riverhead in 2000. His research for these books included extensive fieldwork.  He has sailed twice through the Strait of Magellan and is one of the few individuals to visit the volcanic island of Surtsey off the coast of Iceland, thanks to the agile helicopters of the Icelandic Coast Guard, among other remote destinations. At NASA's request, he named numerous geographical features around the crater Victoria on Mars. Find out more at https://laurencebergreenauthor.com/. Louis Armstrong's favourite instrument https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2020/09/what-wonderful-world-with-typewriters.html The Well Dressed Man with a Beard by Wallace Stevens https://allpoetry.com/The-Well-Dressed-Man-With-A-Beard Vladimir Zworykin https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/vladimir-zworykin Surtsey https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1267/ The Strait of Magellan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOOKr8Y2xsM The Rubin Observatory https://rubinobservatory.org/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sam Sedgman discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Sam Sedgman is a bestselling children's author, confirmed nerd and enthusiastic ferroequinologist. Co-creator of the award-winning 'Adventures on Trains' and 'Isaac Turner Investigates' series, he writes fact-based mystery and adventure stories for the young and young at heart. Before writing stories for children, Sam worked as a digital producer at the National Theatre, which meant nosing around backstage with a camera and a microphone, cajoling theatre makers into explaining how stories get made. Forever interested in piecing things together, Sam is a lifelong fan of puzzles, games and detective fiction, and once founded a company making murder mystery treasure hunts for adventurous Londoners. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages. When he isn't writing, Sam can usually be found admiring a handsome timepiece, watching Alfred Hitchcock movies, or explaining some weird fact to you. He lives in London, on top of a railway station. You can find out more at https://samsedgman.com/. The decimalisation of time in the French Revolution https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/HistTopics/Decimal_time/ Italians having a twelfth cardinal colour, Azzurro https://www.thoughtco.com/azzurro-2011518 The 1997 action movie The Peacemaker https://them0vieblog.com/2012/07/03/non-review-review-the-peacemaker/ Why Australia has so many camels https://eu.desertsun.com/story/life/home-garden/james-cornett/2017/01/27/many-camels-australian-desert/96999820/ The surprising impermanence of burial plots https://bannocksmemorials.co.uk/8-facts-about-graves-memorials-you-didnt-know-before-today/ Montreal's snow management system https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/how-montreal-takes-300-000-truckloads-of-snow-off-the-street-every-winter-1.5023619 This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Jordan Prosser discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Jordan Prosser is a writer, filmmaker and performer from Victoria, Australia. He is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, and his short films and screenplays have won multiple international accolades. His short story Eleuterio Cabrera's Beautiful Game won the Peter Carey Short Story Award in 2022 and was published in Meanjin. Big Time is his debut novel. The Philippines. I had the privilege of traveling to and working in the Philippines a number of times throughout the 2010s. It's one of my favourite places on earth. Ivan Sen. Perhaps my favourite Australian filmmaker, helmer of Mystery Road and Goldstone and their multiple spin-off TV series, which are just as good and as specific to the Australian outback as Scand-noirs are to their cultures and landscapes. Wikipedia's ‘Timeline of the far future' and ‘Ultimate fate of the universe' pages. Every year has its own dedicated Wikipedia page, including years in the future. Andy Shauf. For my money, one of the best singer-songwriters of our generation, and something of a folk genius in the lineage of the Donovans and Nick Drakes of the world. His 2015 album The Bearer of Bad News is a modern-day Nebraska. How LLMs actually work. Which is to say: they are statistical models based on pattern recognition and predictability, powered by tremendous amounts of data and processing power. Big tech marketing has seduced so many into seeing them as quasi-mystical entities, when really, they're glorified spreadsheets. Eggnog. Probably the finest beverage on earth, but when you mention it, in Australia at least, people become mystified and their eyes immediately glaze over. I inherited my recipe from my (American) mother and make it every year at Christmas. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Michel-Yves Bolloré discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Michel-Yves Bolloré is an engineer and entrepreneur whose career spans industrial innovation and philanthropic investment in education. A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieur de Toulouse and Paris-Dauphine University (Master of Science and Doctorate in Business Administration), he began his career in the family business, managing the Bolloré Group's industrial division from 1981 to 1990. In 1990, he founded France Essor, an industrial group that led major ventures in mechanical engineering, and steel manufacturing. Since relocating to London in 2011, he has focused on educational and cultural projects. He founded several schools, including The Laurels in London and Les Vignes in France. He is also a Knight of the Legion of Honor. His new book, co-written with Olivier Bonnassies, is God, Science, the Evidence, which is available at https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/god-the-science-the-evidence. Sometimes major discoveries result from human errors, but in that case two errors are frequently better than one Isabella of Spain's decision to finance the Christopher Colombus project The Middle Ages, incorrectly called “Dark Age”, has seen many crucial inventions which opened the door to a prosperous Renaissance Epoch: Example: invention of glasses, industrialization of paper manufacturing, creation of universities. US scientists believe more frequently in the existence of God than people think. Nature is more finely tuned than we think: an example with squirrels which luckily have a bad memory and a bad sight. The origin of the word Palestine This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Simon Hall discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Simon Hall studied history at Sheffield and Cambridge, and held a Fox International Fellowship at Yale, before moving to the University of Leeds, where he is currently Professor of Modern History. His previous books include 1956: The World in Revolt and Ten Days in Harlem: Fidel Castro and the Making of the 1960s. His new book is Three Revolutions, which is available at https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571367153-three-revolutions/?srsltid=AfmBOooAoS0oqmPXfgrMioTKtanZ_z6HLyCOkcz7bM0J37S10CjiylGm King Cnut and the tide https://www.historyextra.com/period/viking/facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-king-cnut-canute-who-was-he/ Hungarian paprika https://www.timeout.com/budapest/restaurants/hungary-paprika-cuisine-history Nixon's love of bowling https://www.messynessychic.com/2015/08/19/bowling-with-mr-president-beneath-the-white-house/ Simon of the Desert https://larsenonfilm.com/simon-of-the-desert Bridlington south beach https://www.eastridingcoastandcountryside.co.uk/places-to-visit/find-a-place/place/?entry=bridlington_south_beach Martin Luther King's sense of humour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZw6iT_gcL8 This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Kasim Ali discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Kasim Ali was born and raised in Alum Rock, Birmingham, where he spent the first eighteen years of his life, at which point he left to study a degree in English. Over the years, he has lived in London, Nottingham, and Newcastle, but still thinks of Birmingham as the place he's from. He has had a short story long-listed for the B4ME story, has written fiction for BBC Radio 4, and has a column at The Bookseller. Currently, he works as an editor in publishing. Good Intentions was his first novel, Who Will Remain his second. It is available at https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/who-will-remain-kasim-ali?variant=54869542830459 Tar directed and written by Todd Field https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jan/11/tar-review-cate-blanchett-is-perfect-lead-in-delirious-sensual-drama The Incarnations by Susan Barker https://savidgereads.wordpress.com/2015/07/15/the-incarnations-susan-barker/ The Leftovers TV show, 2014-2017, Damon Lindelof creator, based on book by Tom Perrotta https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/believe-in-the-power-of-hbos-the-leftovers Scrambled eggs - simple version (plus ‘smoked bread') Ex.Re - album of Elena Tonra, lead singer of band Daughter https://hearingaidmagazine.com/exre-album-review Disney Plus, Devil Wears Prada, trailer button is cerulean scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rDTRuCOs9g This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sally Smith discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Sally Smith spent all her working life as a barrister and later KC in the Inner Temple. After writing a biography of the Edwardian barrister Sir Edward Marshall Hall KC, she retired from the bar to write full time. A Case of Mice and Murder, her first novel, was inspired by the historic surroundings of the Inner Temple in which she still lives and works and was the first in a series starring the reluctant sleuth Sir Gabriel Ward KC. A Case of Mice and Murder was longlisted for the 2025 CWA Whodunnit and Historical Daggers. Her new novel A Case of Life and Limb is available at https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-case-of-life-and-limb/sally-smith/9781526668776. The Temple (Inner and Middle) and its round church, off Fleet Street London. https://www.templechurch.com/royal-charter/the-inns The mysterious ‘Roman ‘ Bath (built 1612) Strand Lane London, next to disused Aldwych Underground Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Baths,_Strand_Lane By Grand Central Station I sat down and wept by Elizabeth Smart https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v13/n04/julian-symons/urgent I capture the castle by Dodie Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrGtmuTP_7k The Hawstead Panels in Christchurch Mansion Museum, Ipswich. (Also called Lady Drury's closet') https://ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/christchurch-mansion/ The Glandford Shell Museum https://www.shellmuseum.org.uk/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Hal LaCroix discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Hal LaCroix lives outside Boston with his wife, Elahna. He has worked as a journalist at newspapers in New England, a reporter and editor at Harvard Medical School, a conservation writer for non-profits and an instructor at Boston University. Here and Beyond is his first novel, which is available at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/here-and-beyond-9781526678249/. Senator Charles Sumner. Sumner was a mid-19th century senator with laser focus on one issue: slavery. He had a profound impact on Lincoln, pushing him to expand rights of African Americans after emancipation. Sumner became epic villain in Confederacy, where souvenir canes commemorated the beating were hot items. Hokusai's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji. Fuji is sacred, a symbol of Japan. The 36 mostly long-range views, all around the compass, provide a wraparound view of Japanese life in 1831. Exoplanets. More than 5,000 have been confirmed so far, out of hundreds of billions of planets in the Milky Way galaxy. Until the 1990s no one even knew if there were any planets outside our solar system! Wingspan. This is a board game about birds that my wife and I are a bit obsessed with. Each player has a board with forest, grassland and water habitats. Boston Cream Pie and Boston Cream Donuts. My grandfather used to bring cakes and pies when he visited us on Cape Cod. He'd pull up in his Oldsmobile Cutlass with all these white boxes tied with string from Montilio's bakery. We Need a Global, Unifying Mission. We live on a planet with 8.2 billion people and the vast majority of us just know our neighborhood, our route back and forth to work. But on the spinning ark ship in Here and Beyond, the entire world is visible within the sphere. You look up and see buildings upside down, people upside down. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Peter Lamont discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Peter Lamont is Professor of History and Theory of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. He has written about a variety of curious topics such as magic, belief, wonder and critical thinking. He is also a former professional magician and an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle. His new book is Radical Thinking, which is available at https://swiftpress.com/book/radical-thinking/ The Radical Road https://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/history-blogs/edinburghs-radical-road-its-history-its-uncertain-future/ Encyclopaedia Britannica (2nd edition) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Second_Edition Daniel Dunglas Home https://www.otislibrarynorwich.org/2024/01/04/daniel-dunglas-home/ The original Self-help book https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v26/n04/peter-mandler/gold-out-of-straw Alternative points of view https://ajehrenberg.medium.com/the-importance-of-alternative-perspectives-cac0f447737b The past https://www.mooc.org/blog/why-is-it-important-to-study-history This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sarah Stein Lubrano discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Dr Sarah Stein Lubrano holds a PhD from the University of Oxford and a Master's degree from the University of Cambridge. Her thinking often reaches the public through the Sense and Solidarity Initiative and the Future Narratives Lab. She was previously the Head of Content at The School of Life, tutored in prisons and wrote obituaries. She regularly appears on public radio and a variety of podcasts. Her book Don't Talk About Politics is available at https://linktr.ee/donttalkaboutpolitics. Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/reading-a-novel-set-entirely-in-slack The game Billionaires and Guillotines https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745398808/billionaires-and-guillotines/ Looking at other people's algorithms https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-algorithms/ The play Sancho and Me by Paterson Joseph https://www.sanchoproductions.co.uk/ The band Japanese house https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Japanese_House Cooperation Town https://cooperation.town/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sarah Dunant discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Sarah Dunant studied history at Newnham College, Cambridge from where she went on to become a writer, broadcaster, teacher and critic. She has written twelve novels, four of which have been short-listed for awards, and edited two books of essays. She is an accredited lecturer with The Arts Society, lecturing on Italian history and renaissance art, has taught renaissance studies at Washington University, St Louis and creative writing at University of Oxford Brookes. Her new novel is The Marchesa, which is available at https://www.sarahdunant.com/the-marchesa. The Discovery of the Laocoon, 1st century roman sculpture in Rome in 1506. One of those fluke stories history throws up that just gets richer and richer the more you dig (literally) into it. Erich Maria Remarque. He was a 17-year-old soldier in World War One, who goes on to to write the most famous novel on war. He ends up in Switzerland with a Hollywood film star wife, Paulette Goddard. The Last Supper by Plautilla Nelli. In the museum of Santa Maria Novella – a great church in Florence, there is a painting of the Last Supper done in the 1560s, by a nun who spent her whole life in a convent in Florence, who was entirely self-taught as a painter Newark Park. It started as a Tudor hunting lodge. It was donated to the National Trust in 1949 and, in a state of decay, was then saved by an American, Bob Parsons. Sailing to Philadelphia by Mark Knopfler. This is like listening to a short story by John Carver. American poet and master of realism and creating worlds within a couple of pages. Machiavelli's Farm House. This is the place where Machiavelli went after he lost his job as a diplomat in Florence and was sent into exile in 1512. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

AE Gauntlett discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. AE Gauntlett completed an MA in English Literature at King's College London in 2010. He then went on to find success as a literary agent with Peters Fraser and Dunlop, earning himself a prestigious Shooting Star nomination from The Bookseller in 2017. The Stranger at the Wedding, written secretly as he represented the work of his numerous bestselling authors, marks Gauntlett's literary debut. It is available at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/stranger-at-the-wedding-9781526659774/. How the Dutch traded Manhattan for nutmeg https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/island-traded-for-manhattan The Nightmovers: Japanese service to help people disappear https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20200903-the-companies-that-help-people-vanish The moment the Porsche 911 was almost killed off https://turo.com/blog/gearheads/how-the-porsche-911-almost-died/ Jean Purdy, British embryologist, pioneer of IVF with Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/history/blog/2025/reclaiming-jean-purdys-legacy/ The Lake Bodom Murders https://vocal.media/history/the-lake-bodom-murders-finland-s-unsolved-mystery How to get published/ what literary agents really want to see in a submission letter https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/2025/04/what-agents-are-really-looking-for/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Simon Tolkien discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Simon Tolkien is the grandson of JRR Tolkien and a director of the Tolkien Estate. He is also series consultant for the Amazon series, The Rings of Power. Simon studied Modern History at Trinity College, Oxford and went on to become a barrister specializing in criminal defence. He left the law to become a writer in 2001 and has published five novels which mine the history of the first half of the last century to explore dark subjects – capital punishment, the Holocaust, the Blitz and the Battle of the Somme. The epic coming-of-age story of Theo Sterling, set in 1930s New York, England and Spain, is being published in two volumes, The Palace at the End of the Sea in June, which is available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Palace-End-Sea-Novel-Sterling/dp/1662528647 and The Room of Lost Steps, which will be available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Room-Lost-Steps-Novel-Sterling/dp/1662528663 on 16th September this year. The International Brigades https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/02/24/soldiers-of-solidarity-spanish-civil-war/ Gustave Caillebotte https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20150706-caillebotte-the-painter-who-captured-paris-in-flux Port Meadow, Oxford https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory-record/673/port-meadow The Conversation https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jul/04/the-conversation-review-gene-hackman-is-unforgettable-in-coppolas-paranoid-classic Gerard Manley Hopkins https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v36/n07/helen-vendler/i-have-not-lived-up-to-it Santa Barbara, California https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-santa-barbara This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Daria Lavelle discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Daria Lavelle was born in Kyiv, immigrated to the US with her family as a child and now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children. She holds a BA from Princeton University and an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. She writes fiction, with short stories published in a variety of US outlets. Aftertaste is her debut novel. It's already sold into 13 territories with a major motion picture in development. It is available at https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/aftertaste-daria-lavelle/7752339 Putting Salt on Fruit - the easiest way to elevate and bring out the deepest flavors of your food (even out of season)! But one that most people don't think of combining with their fruit dishes. Opera for Fantasy Lovers - Opera is woefully unfashionable among younger people, and most high-fantasy and speculative fiction lovers I know have no interest in this stuffy art form, and yet, some of the most formative and epic and compelling narratives ever presented are operatic in form. The Hoboken, NJ food scene - New York (and Brooklyn, and Queens) get most of the love and accolades for their restaurant offerings, but Hoboken, NJ, is like the best kept secret of Italian-American cuisine and fabulous cocktails. The film What Dreams May Come - this 1998 film is largely forgotten / unknown among anyone under the age of 30, but it's worth revisiting as one of the most interesting and beautiful explorations of death, grief, love, and the Afterlife. Family Recipes - this is perhaps an imperative to listeners to take the time to learn their family recipes from their older generations. Finding Your Tribe - I'd love to talk about several ways this has been true in my life, from writing cohorts to mom groups with my kids, to the debut groups I'm part of this year as I move toward publication. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Michelle Young discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Michelle Young, a journalist and professor of architecture at Columbia University, spent four years researching The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland, which is available at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-art-spy-michelle-young?variant=43046200836130. A veritable female Monuments Man, Valland has, until now, mostly been written out of the annals, despite bearing witness to history's largest art theft. While Hitler was amassing stolen art for his future Führermuseum, Valland secretly worked to stop him. Michelle Young is an award-winning journalist, author, and professor whose writing on looted and lost art has appeared in Hyperallergic, The Forward, and The Wilson Quarterly. She is a graduate of Harvard College in the History of Art and Architecture and holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she is a professor of architecture. Rose Valland was one of the most medalled women from all of WWII Hollywood optioned Rose's memoir and it became the Burt Lancaster caper The Train 3. Rose witnessed the Nazis burn approx 500 modern paintings of art and it really happened Rose was lesbian and started living with Joyce Heer, her life partner, starting in the mid 1930s.  Rose was spying in the field, as well as in the museum. She also worked directly with Resistance operatives, which is how she directly helped sabotage the last train of art intended to leave France, carrying 1000 paintings.  One of the very first things the Nazis did when they occupied a country was to loot its art, in particular from Jewish families. There is a direct line between art looting and the extermination camps This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Róisín Lanigan discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Róisín Lanigan is an editor and writer based in London and Belfast. Her work has appeared in i-D, VICE, The Atlantic, New Statesman, The Fence and Prospect, amongst other publications. She was longlisted for the Curtis Brown First Novel Prize in 2019, and won the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award in 2020. I Want to Go Home But I'm Already There is her first novel and is available at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/459281/i-want-to-go-home-but-im-already-there-by-lanigan-roisin/9780241668535 Dulse https://pacificharvest.co/blogs/learn/7-mindblowing-health-benefits-of-atlantic-dulse?srsltid=AfmBOoq6KFW9CJ2ZhY0K-LZcyK3zhku4Xe2I0CniSHs1noqs-VRI7Mq- Pigeons https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/lx86p7/pigeons_are_underrated_animals/?rdt=55432 The Montreal Screwjob https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Montreal_Screwjob Paris Is Burning https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paris-is-burning-1991 Parkland Walk https://www.parkland-walk.org.uk/ The Ballymurphy Massacre https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/11/the-ballymurphy-shootings-36-hours-in-belfast-that-left-10-dead This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Laura Spinney discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Laura Spinney is a writer and science journalist. Her writing on science has appeared in The Guardian, The Economist, Nature and National Geographic, among others. She is the author of two novels, The Doctor (2001) and The Quick (2007), and a collection of oral history, Rue Centrale (2013). Her bestselling non-fiction account of the 1918 flu pandemic, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World (2017), was translated into more than 20 languages. Her latest book, Proto: How Once Ancient Language Went Global, the story of the Indo-European languages, appeared in 2025. She lives in Paris. Osmothèque – international perfume archive in Versailles. Conserves 4,000 perfumes, of which 800 have “disappeared” Studs Terkel. Legendary American broadcaster, writer, actor and historian Circus elephants, or rather their owner-handlers. A dying breed, as they should be, but they deserve our compassion and respect Papuan languages. Nearly 900 of them, vast majority of which are undocumented Gloria! 2024 Italian-Swiss film, directorial debut of Margherita Vicario Marija Gimbutas. Lithuanian-born archaeologist who got it right on the word's largest language family, Indo-European This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sara Leila Sherman and Mort Sherman discuss six things which should be better known. Sara Leila Sherman is a distinguished classical musician and educator, renowned for her work in making music accessible to young audiences through her children's concert series, Mozart for Munchkins, and the non-profit Little Mozart Foundation. Morton Sherman, PhD is the retired Senior Associate Executive Director of The School Superintendents Association, known for his visionary leadership during a 25-year career as a superintendent dedicated to elevating academic standards. Their new book is Resonant Minds, which is available at https://www.amazon.com/Resonant-Minds-Transformative-Power-Music/dp/1475874960. Audiences used to participate in classical music performances. During Mozart's time, audiences didn't sit silently—they clapped between movements, shouted requests, and sometimes even sang along. Music has always been a deep part of our lives, socially, culturally, and politically. For example, the song “Amazing Grace” has been used as a tool for healing in nearly every American crisis. Music affects the brain faster than conscious thought. Our nervous system begins responding to music—adjusting heart rate, releasing dopamine, and even triggering memory—before our brains fully process the sound. The best leaders intentionally listen like musicians. Great conductors don't just give cues—they respond to the ensemble. Groove isn't just a feeling—it's your brainwaves syncing with sound. When we listen to music with a steady beat—especially music with a strong groove—our brainwaves begin to entrain to the rhythm. That's not poetic language—it's neuroscience. Music builds memory—and memory builds culture. When students or communities sing the same song across generations, they're not just repeating notes. They're participating in a kind of living history. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Jo Harkin discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Jo Harkin studied literature at university. She daydreamed her way through various jobs in her twenties before becoming a full-time writer. Her debut novel Tell Me an Ending was a New York Times book of the year. Her new novel is The Pretender, which is available at https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-pretender/jo-harkin/9781526678348. She lives in Berkshire, England. The ruin of Minster Lovell. This was the estate of the Viscount Lovell, one of the main characters in The Pretender. It's got enough standing walls and a beautiful vaulted entryway to allow you to imagine life there, but also the setting is stunning. Alice Chaucer's tomb, and the concept of the Memento Mori. An hour away from Minster Lovell, in Oxfordshire, are the former lands of the Earl of Lincoln, another main character in the novel. In the pretty village of Ewelme, St Mary's church contains the tomb of Alice Chaucer – grand-daughter of the poet himself, and the grandmother of Lincoln. The Fabliaux. A modern English verse translation of medieval French Fabliaux. These were stories told across all levels of medieval society. And they were absolutely filthy. Food/drink suggestion. A recipe for an overlooked and delicious medieval dish – the pre-potato pea pottage. Exhibition. The British Library Treasures room has a permanent display of original books, maps and manuscripts, including medieval and Tudor era items such as pages from Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, Beowulf, and the first printing of the Canterbury Tales. Misericords. Westminster Abbey is on every London tourist's must see list, but often-overlooked feature are the misericords. In the magnificent Henry VII's chapel, where his and Elizabeth of York's tombs are located, the original 16th century hinged oak seats were not visible to the general public. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Madeleine Gray discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Madeleine Gray is a writer and critic from Sydney. She was a 2021 Finalist for the Walkley Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism, and has written for publications including the Sydney Review of Books, Australian Book Review and the Times Literary Supplement. She has a MSt in English Literature from the University of Oxford and is a current doctoral candidate at the University of Manchester. Green Dot is her first book, which is available at https://www.waterstones.com/book/green-dot/madeleine-gray/9781399612784. The fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not recognised in the Australian constitution. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/14/australia-rejects-proposal-to-recognise-aboriginal-people-in-constitution Who the 78ers are https://www.78ers.org.au/the-ongoing-role-of-the-78ers The television show Deadloch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadloch The song 'Scar' by Missy Higgins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKn7XAMNV-g Trade union membership in Australia is far too low https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/trade-union-membership/latest-release Kim Cattrall scatting with an upright bass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBmt2KN5tsY This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Alex Conner discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Alex Conner is an ADHD coach and brain scientist who combines his personal experience with ADHD to be a trusted voice in psychoeducation. He is co-founder and co-host of The ADHD Adults podcast, one of the UK's most popular ADHD resources. Alongside James Brown, Alex co-founded ADHDadultUK, a registered charity, and Focusmag.uk, an evidence-based online magazine for adults with ADHD. Alex has published research and articles on ADHD and, as an honorary Professor at Aston University, he also delivers ADHD coaching and training to thousands of people. His new book, co-written with James Brown, is ADHD Unpacked, which is available at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/adhd-unpacked-9781526679369/ ADHD is not new or over-diagnosed. ADHD is not a superpower for everyone who has it. ADHD is more than inattention and hyperactivity: the emotional side of ADHD. Stigma: adding insult to injury. ADHD doesn't come alone for most people: co-existing conditions/neurodivergences. Nobody is neurodiverse, and nobody is neurotypical. Why the language of ADHD matters. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Rebecca Lemov discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Rebecca Lemov is a historian of science at Harvard University and has been a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute. Her research explores data, technology, and the history of human and behavioural sciences. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her family. Her new book is The Instability of Truth, which is available at https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324075264. Brainwashing is not about other people https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-of-mind/202412/so-youve-been-brainwashed-without-realizing-it-what-now The rise and fall and rise of Barbara Pym https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/06/when-barbara-pym-couldnt-get-published Kate Smith https://musicologynow.org/kate-smith-and-our-minstrel-past/ Nashville film https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jun/25/nashville-review-robert-altman The story of the three frogs by Czeslaw Milosz https://bookhaven.stanford.edu/2016/06/happy-birthday-czeslaw-milosz-he-was-no-hero-and-he-knew-it/ Brainwashing and trauma are connected, but that was never, or rarely ever, recognized by the experts. https://www.randifine.com/post/brainwashing-the-cunning-psychological-tactic-used-in-narcissistic-abuse-domestic-violence-and-cults This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Kate Kemp discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Kate Kemp is an Australian writer living in the UK. She trained as an occupational therapist and then as a systemic psychotherapist, and has worked with families and individuals in mental health services in both Australia and the UK. In 2021, she won the Stylist Prize for Feminist Fiction and the Yeovil Literary Prize. The Grapevine is her first novel and is available at https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/kate-kemp/the-grapevine/9781399618977/. It's okay to change your mind https://medium.com/darius-foroux/its-okay-to-change-your-mind-c4a0166b0a6d We don't need sameness for belonging, we need acceptance https://medium.com/@ilana_73874/belonging-without-blending-in-a-story-of-self-acceptance-b5c9e90f661b Caring for someone who is dying is one of the most intimate things you can do https://www.cancervic.org.au/get-support/facing-end-of-life/caring-for-someone-nearing-the-end-of-life Primadonna Festival https://primadonnafestival.com/ The paintings of Vilhelm Hammershøi https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2008/jun/25/art.denmark Monteverdi's Madrigals https://www.grahamsmusic.net/post/monteverdi-s-madrigals This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Shari Dunn discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Shari Dunn is a polymath, an accomplished journalist, and a former attorney, news anchor, CEO, and university professor. She is an American Leadership Forum Fellow and has been awarded the prestigious Executive of the Year Award in 2018, the 2019 Women of Influence Award (Portland Business Journal), the Associated Press Award for Best Spot News, and the Wisconsin Broadcasting Association Award for Best Morning News Show. Her work has been cited in the Wall Street Journal and quoted in TIME and Fast Company among others. Shari is also a sought-after speaker. She holds a BA in philosophy from Marquette University and a JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Her new book is Qualified, which is available at https://thesharidunn.com/. Reconstruction's impact on our past and our present https://time.com/5562869/reconstruction-history/ The myth of merit https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-myth-of-meritocracy-runs-deep-in-american-history/ That Imposter Syndrome is a misidentification https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome What Competency Checking means https://fortune.com/2024/08/23/kamala-harris-competency-check-black-women-careers-elections-politics/ That the pipeline (of Black and other candidates of color in the workplace) is blocked, not broken or empty https://sharidunn.substack.com/p/election-2024-competency-checking Why “color blindness” in the workplace, health and society doesn't work https://hbr.org/2017/09/colorblind-diversity-efforts-dont-work This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Imran Mahmood discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Imran Mahmood is a criminal defence barrister with over thirty years' experience. His debut novel You Don't Know Me was longlisted for both the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Gold Dagger in 2017, and selected by Simon Mayo as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club choice in the same year. It was then adapted into a four-part BBC crime drama, airing on a prime-time BBC One slot in 2021, before being released internationally on Netflix the following year and becoming one of the platform's most streamed shows. His second novel, I Know What I Saw (2022) was named a Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Month and reached No. 2 on the Audible charts. Mahmood has written three screenplays and is a regular contributor to the Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast. His new novel is Finding Sophie, which is available at https://www.waterstones.com/book/finding-sophie/imran-mahmood/9781526647566 Sentencing for Crimes https://www.sentencingacademy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mandatory-Minimum-Sentences-Explainer.pdf The Deep and Lasting Power of Books https://medium.com/@ariszavitsanos/the-enduring-power-of-literature-why-it-matters-now-more-than-ever-42900c18e7b The Quran https://www.nybooks.com/online/2017/02/09/crafting-the-koran/ Manipulation by Politicians and Social Media Algorithms https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-01-13-social-media-manipulation-political-actors-industrial-scale-problem-oxford-report Mycorrhizal Networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhizal_network Turritopsis dohrnii https://thebiologist.rsb.org.uk/biologist-features/everlasting-life-the-immortal-jellyfish This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Dani Heywood-Lonsdale discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Dani Heywood-Lonsdale is a writer with family roots in Hawaii and the Philippines. She holds a Doctorate in Education and teaches English Literature in Oxfordshire, having previously taught in Florence and London over the past decade. Before pursuing a career in academia, she worked for a nonprofit in New York City and studied social policy and development at LSE. The Portrait Artist is her first novel, and is available at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/portrait-artist-9781526669988/. Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci in the Uffizi museum, Florence An unfinished masterpiece. Da Vinci was commissioned by the monks of San Donato in Scopeto in 1481, but he left for Milan the following year leaving it unfinished. Ristorante Academia. In Piazza San Marco: quiet, unassuming, unpretentious, DELICIOUS authentic food. The kindest, friendliest staff; every friend I have sent raves about it. The dark, sad and beautiful origins of the original Peter Pan text by JM Barrie James Barrie lived in his brother David's shadow until he was 6. In 1867, David died in a skating accident, age 14; Barrie forever tried to cheer his devastated mother—who eventually found comfort in the idea that David would remain a boy forever. Wired to Create by Scott Barry Kaufman ‘Offers a glimpse inside the “messy minds” of highly creative people. Molokai hot bread. A secret delicacy on the tiny island of Molokai, Hawaii: A rival between cinnamon-sugar hot bread and strawberry-cream cheese hot bread. Archimede ceramic shop in Ortygia, Sicily In a deceptive location (right by the cathedral and seemingly touristy), this shop has the most exquisite works of art. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Kathleen deLaski discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Kathleen deLaski is an education and workforce designer, as well as a futurist. She founded the Education Design Lab in 2013 to help colleges begin the journey to reimagine higher education toward the future of work. Her non-profit has helped 1200 colleges, orgs and economic regions design shorter, more affordable pathways for learners to achieve their economic goals. She spends time as a senior advisor to the Project on Workforce at Harvard University and teaches human-centered design and higher ed reform as an adjunct professor in the Honors College at George Mason University. In a previous career, Kathleen spent twenty years as a TV and then a digital journalist, including time as ABC News White House correspondent. Followed by a political appointment as the first female Pentagon spokesperson. Her new book is Who Needs College Any More?, available at https://www.whoneedscollegeanymore.org/. Only 38% of Americans have a 4 year college degree, yet American education and hiring system is really only set up to help this minority succeed. The “College for all” movement of the last several decades is basically dead and that may not be a bad thing White people, generally, are best positioned to skip the college degree. A lot of the focus and debate is on elite colleges, which is odd, because they provide 2% of the college “seats” in America We are in a period of the great skills shakeup in history, which has upended hiring and will continue to do so. AI is both “the race track” for fixing or democratizing the hiring system, but also could be the nemesis for entry level workers. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Ivan selects five conversations from previous Better Known episodes, including discussions with Henry Hemming, Brooke Allen, Mark William Jones, AJ Jacob and Meg Rosoff. Eric Maschwitz https://spartacus-educational.com/SPYmaschwitz.htm The correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/livingrev/religion/text3/adamsjeffersoncor.pdf Rommel in 1942 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportpalast_speech The World Jigsaw Championships https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cj9j24v7ejmo High Wind in Jamaica https://patricktreardon.com/book-review-a-high-wind-in-jamaica-or-the-innocent-voyage-by-richard-hughes/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Jeff Sebo discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Jeff Sebo is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, Philosophy, and Law, Director of the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection, Director of the Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy, and Co-Director of the Wild Animal Welfare Program at New York University. His research focuses on animal minds, ethics, and policy; AI minds, ethics, and policy; and global health and climate ethics and policy. He is the author of The Moral Circle and Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves and co-author of Chimpanzee Rights and Food, Animals, and the Environment. He is also a board member at Minding Animals International, an advisory board member at the Insect Welfare Research Society, and a senior affiliate at the Institute for Law & AI. In 2024 Vox included him on its Future Perfect 50 list of "thinkers, innovators, and changemakers who are working to make the future a better place." There is a realistic possibility of sentience in all vertebrates and many invertebrates, including insects. There will be a realistic possibility of sentience in advanced AI systems within the next decade as well. We have the ability (and the responsibility) to consider welfare risks for all potentially sentient beings in decisions that affect them. Industrial animal agriculture is bad for humans, nonhumans, and the environment at the same time. Fortunately, we can replace it. Rapid AI development creates risks for humans, nonhumans, and the environment at the same time. Fortunately, we can slow it down. Human-caused global changes affect wild animals too. Fortunately, we can build a safer infrastructure for humans and animals alike. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Diana McCaulay discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Diana McCaulay is a Jamaican environmental activist and the award-winning author of five novels. Winner of the Gold Musgrave Medal, Jamaica's highest award for lifetime achievement across the arts and sciences; twice Winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Caribbean region (in 2022 and in 2012), she has also been shortlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Award, among other nominations, and is the winner of the Watson, Little 50 Prize for unrepresented writers aged 50+. Her new novel is A House For Miss Pauline, available at https://www.dialoguebooks.co.uk/titles/diana-mccaulay/a-house-for-miss-pauline/9780349704265/. What a healthy coral reef looks like https://simonmustoe.blog/what-does-healthy-coral-reef-look-like/ The Legacies of British Slave ownership project https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/ The Taino artefacts in the British Museum https://www.artoftheancestors.com/blog/taino-arts-british-museum That the Caribbean is not just a playground for tourists ht tps://www.tiharasmith.com/blogs/behind-the-brand/the-caribbean Jamaica's south coast https://www.visitjamaica.com/listing/treasure-beach/474/ How long ago scientists warned of the impacts of putting greenhouse gases in the atmosphere https://www.rigb.org/explore-science/explore/blog/who-discovered-greenhouse-effect This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

For this week's episode, enjoy some of the highlights of Better Known over the years, featuring excerpts from Ivan's interviews with Jonathan Sayer, Kate Mosse, Jon Glover, Geoff Dyer, Alice Loxton, Anand Menon, Helen Lewis and Ben Schott Jonathan Sayer on Le Coq clowning https://sites.google.com/education.nsw.gov.au/jacqueslecoq/jacques-lecoq/overview-of-his-approach-to-acting Kate Mosse on how there are more statues in Edinburgh to animals than to women https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/campaign-seeks-change-fact-edinburgh-statues-animals-women-58867 Jon Glover on Maggie and Ted https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/jun/29/maggie-ted-review-two-tory-prime-ministers-one-long-spat Geoff Dyer on Calabash literature festival in Jamaica https://www.vogue.com/article/calabash-literary-festival-in-jamaica-is-the-islands-best-kept-secret Alice Loxton on The French House, Soho https://www.timeout.com/london/bars-and-pubs/french-house Anand Menon on The Middle https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/21/the-middles-realpolitik Helen Lewis on the Modesty Blaise novels https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/sep/19/crimebooks.features Ben Schott on Polari https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polari This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Adam Howorth discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Adam Howorth was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire and grew up in rural Northamptonshire. After moving to London to work in the music industry, he later contributed to The Times and Billboard before joining Apple, where he worked for 18 years. Adam lives near the river in Southwest London, with his wife and two daughters. His new novel is Fallen Feathers, which is available at https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/fallen-feathers-adam-howorth/7735635?ean=9781836280088. Hemingway's Boat https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jan/08/ernest-hemingway-boat-hendrickson-review Good manners https://www.headspace.com/articles/the-importance-of-good-manners Life is about perspective https://medium.com/picturethis/life-is-all-about-perspective-4b8cebb6ced4 How to tie your laces https://www.nike.com/gb/a/how-to-tie-shoelaces Chip with an 8 iron not a wedge https://golf.com/instruction/nick-faldo-pros-cut-strokes-answers/ Chateau La Faviere 2018 https://www.majestic.co.uk/wines/ch-la-favieres-61200 This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Nilanjana Dasgupta discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Nilanjana Dasgupta is provost professor of psychology and inaugural director of the Institute of Diversity Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is the author of many articles; the winner of the Hidden Bias Research Prize from the Kapor Foundation; and the recipient of multiple U.S. government research grants. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and other major outlets. Her new book is Change the Wallpaper. Diversity training doesn't change people's behavior nor the organizations in which they work. Do you know we spend 8 billion dollars on diversity training each year? Only a few DEI trainings are grounded in science; most are not. Our behaviour is shaped by situational forces more often than our personal beliefs. What do I mean by situational forces? They include the opinions of our colleagues, peers, and bosses. The roles we occupy and the role-based norms and expectations of how we should act. The path to culture change is not individual heroes. In fact, individuals acting alone are powerless. But individuals acting together with intention are powerful movers of cultures. Talent is made, not born. Did you know that young Einstein early in life was pretty average? He struggled in school as a child. He didn't get admission into his college of choice the first time but got in after a second attempt. Playing for change: A global music project turned movement turned non-profit organization for social good that connects the world through music. The idea came from the belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and connect people across the world. Travel in Kerala, India. A mixture of cultures, religions, ethnic groups, food, weather, landscapes, showing co-existence and contrasts. On the west coast of India, jutting out into the Arabian Sea. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

James Marriott discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. James Marriott is a columnist at The Times, writing about society, culture and ideas. The poetry of Geoffrey Hill https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v07/n06/tom-paulin/the-case-for-geoffrey-hill CAT S22 Flip https://www.reddit.com/r/dumbphones/comments/16p2an2/cat_s22_flip_reviewjustwow/?rdt=55955 Uzbekistan https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/en_GB/blog/places-to-visit-in-uzbekistan The acronym WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_WEIRDest_People_in_the_World The War Against Cliche by Martin Amis https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/apr/14/fiction.martinamis Rossini's opera L'Italiana in Algeri https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPodHwCbE5k&pp=ygUQI2l0YWxpYW5hZW5hcmdlbA%3D%3D This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Keetie Roelen discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Keetie Roelen is a leading thinker in poverty and social policy and a longstanding advocate for social justice. She currently works as a Senior Research Fellow and Co-Deputy Director at the Centre for the Study of Global Development at The Open University, the largest university in the UK. She is also founder and host of the podcast Poverty Unpacked, exploring the hidden sides of poverty in conversation with a broad range of experts. Keetie has a PhD in Public Policy and has been working in the field of poverty, social policy, and international development for more than 15 years. Keetie has widely published in academic journals and books, and her work has featured in media such as the Guardian and BBC World Service. She has spoken about how to address poverty to multiple audiences, ranging from government ministers at the UN and MPs in UK parliament to students and activists. Keetie is passionate about contributing to a fairer world and creating more prosperous lives for all. Across her career, she has listened to personal accounts of hundreds of families and interviewed dozens of experts, building a deep appreciation of the complexities and opportunities for addressing adversity. Her new book is The Empathy Fix (https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/the-empathy-fix/) which seeks to tell a new story about why hardship persists and how we can break the cycle. European films https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/10/european-film-must-see-25-movies Transplant Games https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-66336861 Early paintings by Van Gogh https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/early-paintings-by-vincent-van-gogh.htm Assistance dogs https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/assistance-dogs-guide-businesses-and-service-providers ATD Fourth World https://www.atd-fourthworld.org/who-we-are/ Dominicanen bookshop in Maastricht https://www.awellreadwanderer.com/boekhandel-dominicanen-unique-bookstore/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Matt Kohut discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Matthew Kohut is the author of Speaking Out: The New Rules of Business Leadership Communication (2024). He is the coauthor of The Smart Mission: NASA's Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects (2022), and Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential (2013), one of Amazon's Best Business Books of 2013. As the managing partner of KNP Communications, Matt has prepared CEOs, elected officials, and public figures for events from live television appearances to TED talks. Find out more at https://www.matthewkohut.com/. The best way to get someone to agree with you is to start by agreeing with them. Reciprocity makes the world go round. Machiavelli's dilemma–is it better to be loved than feared or feared than loved?––is a false choice. Few people remember this sentence that followed the question: “One should wish to be both, but…it is difficult to unite them in one person.” Knowledge is profoundly social. What you know is deeply influenced by your context and culture. It comes from a combination of experiences and reflective learning, and it's often difficult to articulate. If you want people to remember what you say, tell a story. As prophets and philosophers have known for millennia, stories stick with us. Purpose leads to motivation; struggle leads to meaning. A shared purpose gives a group something to strive toward. A shared sense of meaning only comes when experience is followed by reflection and discussion. Listening to understand another person's perspective takes different skills than listening to analyse a problem and make a decision. None of us really know what it's like to walk in another person's shoes. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Adam Higginbotham discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Adam Higginbotham is the author of Midnight in Chernobyl, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and one of the New York Times' Ten Best Books of 2019. His latest book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, was published by Avid Reader Press in May this year. An immediate New York Times bestseller, Challenger is the winner of the 2024 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction. William Friedkin's Sorcerer https://rogersmovienation.com/2024/04/07/classic-film-review-reconsidering-sorcerer-1977/ Roger Boisjoly https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/02/06/146490064/remembering-roger-boisjoly-he-tried-to-stop-shuttle-challenger-launch The Allen Room at the New York Public Library https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/schwarzman/research-study-rooms Len Deighton https://www.deightondossier.net/ Strong Words magazine https://www.strong-words.co.uk/ Peter Nichols' A Voyage For Madmen https://thetidesofhistory.com/2022/10/09/book-review-a-voyage-for-madmen-by-peter-nichols/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

To mark the 350th episode, comedian Al Murray discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Al Murray's alter ego, The Pub Landlord, is one of the most recognizable and successful comic creations of the past twenty years. He is also the author of many successful books including Watching War Films with My Dad and Command, a sharply entertaining analysis of the key allied military leaders in the Second World War. He is well known for co-hosting the hugely popular Second World War history podcast, We Have Ways of Making You Talk with fellow bestselling military author James Holland. Arnhem: Black Tuesday is his first history book about a single campaign and is available at https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/305659/al-murray. To view his tour dates visit: www.thepublandlord.com “It remains one of the great joys in comedy to see the Pub Landlord befriend and belittle the front rows, blithely dishing out attributes to them, responding with superfast wit… So long as he has an audience with a pulse and an onstage pump that dispenses frothy lager for him to spill on them, Murray will always be a good night out.” - Dominic Maxwell, The Times Bernard Law Montgomery https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v03/n12/john-keegan/the-mothering-of-montgomery Zeno's The Cauldron https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/468655/the-cauldron-by-zeno/9781804996621 Blood stem cell donation via DKMS https://www.dkms.org/get-involved/become-a-donor Bill Bruford https://www.loudersound.com/features/ive-been-booted-out-of-king-crimson-about-three-times-bill-bruford-on-a-life-in-music Scale modelling https://uk.airfix.com/community/blog-and-news/tips-and-tricks/new-case-study-explains-positive-benefits-scale-modelling The culture of remembrance in Arnhem https://www.airbornearnhemwest.nl/en/welkom-bij-de-website-van-de-airborne-herdenking-in-arnhem-west-english/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Jon Moynihan discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Jon Moynihan is a businessman and venture capitalist who started his career advising companies and banks in the Netherlands, the US and the UK as a specialist in mergers and turnarounds. He then ran the global firm PA Consulting Group for 21 years. He subsequently transitioned into venture startups, creating over 20 companies to date, most of them in the science and technology fields. Jon has worked as a volunteer in the charity sector all his life, including in Bangladeshi refugee camps and other developing countries, in educational think tanks, both managing and fundraising for charities, more recently in the arts sector where, among other activities, he was president of the Royal Albert Hall for a number of years. Jon sits in the House of Lords as Baron Moynihan of Chelsea. His new book is Return to Growth: How to Fix the Economy, available at https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/return-to-growth-jon-moynihan/7711930?ean=9781785909030. Most of the economies of the world continue to grow: but not the Social Democracies, especially in Europe. It's incontrovertible that too-large government results in flattened growth. People in the UK are on average earning some 5 per cent less than they were 17 years ago. If you spend more than the OECD average on Education, as the UK does, the extra spend doesn't improve educational outcomes. The UK, compared with just about every other developed economy was far more incontinent on its spending during Covid. The impact of China's one-child policy is that by the year 2100, the threat of China will have receded. It will be dominated by its elderly, and its population will be half that of India's. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Delayed Gratification co-founders Rob Orchard and Marcus Webb discuss with Ivan six things which should be better known. Rob Orchard and Marcus Webb are co-founders of Delayed Gratification, the world's first Slow Journalism magazine, launched in 2011. Delayed Gratification revisits events after the dust has settled and makes a virtue of being “Last to Breaking News.” Along with Delayed Gratification's art director Christian, Rob and Marcus are co-authors of An Answer For Everything, the critically acclaimed book of infographics published by Bloomsbury. Their new book Misc., a compendium of delightfully random facts discovered in 13 years of research for the magazine, was published by Bloomsbury in October 2024 and is available at https://www.slow-journalism.com/misc. Drowning people pulled from the Thames used to be treated with tobacco enemas https://bcmj.org/special-feature/special-feature-tobacco-smoke-enemas Andre Agassi used Boris Becker's tongue to win tennis matches https://www.businessinsider.com/andre-agassi-beat-boris-becker-watching-tongue-serves-2021-4 Life on Mars sounds horrible https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2845199/ Movie star Hedy Lamarr is the unsung heroine of Bluetooth https://www.forbes.com/sites/shivaunefield/2018/02/28/hedy-lamarr-the-incredible-mind-behind-secure-wi-fi-gps-bluetooth/ One hardy entomologist set himself the task of being bitten by as many insects as possible, and recorded the experiences in lyrical prose https://www.chemistryworld.com/careers/the-man-who-gets-stung-by-insects/2500173.article Many of the very worst films ever released have made more than half a billion dollars at the box office https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm