Reading Our Times

Announcing a new four-part documentary podcast, Motherhood vs The Machine, where hosts Chine McDonald and Dr Madeleine Pennington look at what motherhood teaches us about what it means to be human.The work of motherhood has always been changed by technological advancement: from the nipple shield to the feeding bottle and breast pump. But as technological advancement accelerates and a future of artificial wombs and ‘bio bags' does not seem as far-fetched as it once did, what of the humanity of motherhood might be lost if it is outsourced to machines? What might we miss when the maternal doorway is closed to profound and rarely expressed spiritual ideas - such as sacrifice, love, care, value, dignity, and hope?Out weekly from 13 March. Find it on all podcasting platforms.

With series 9 of Reading Our Times coming to an end, Nick Spencer takes a look back on the series and shares his thoughts on the ideas espoused by the various guests. Should Britain pay slavery reparations? Are 'leftism' and 'wokeism' compatible? What do all these topics tell us about what it means to be human? Join us for all this and more!

The claim that evolution can help us understand, even explain, the modern world and modern mind has not always had a happy history, veering between overclaim and catastrophe. But the opposite idea - that everything is culture and nothing nature - is hardly more convincing. So, can we threat this needle? Can we have nuanced and realistic understanding of the impact of evolution on us today without going down the rabbit hole of determinism. So, what impact has evolution had on us - our communities and societies, our morality and our religion. Purchase Harvey's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Evolutionary-Origins-Modern-World/dp/1529152224/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0

The Enlightenment has become weaponised over recent years. Numerous public figures, not all of them historians, have lined up to state defiantly that it needs protecting from... postmodernity? populism? religion?... take your pick. But what is - or was - The Enlightenment? What are we being called to defend here? Is The Enlightenment actually a thing? Was it even “a thing” in the first place? And if not, when did we start talking about it, and why? Purchase a copy of Jonathan's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enlightenment-Idea-Its-History/dp/0198916280

The demand for post-colonial nations to pay reparations to, and for their treatment of, their former colonies has grown increasingly loud over recent years. And although many dismiss the idea as textbook liberal guilt and bandwagon wokery, there are some serious claims behind it. The topic kicks up some big moral issues. You can't talk about colonial reparations without working through what you think about moral responsibility, collective identity, and the effect of time on liability, all of which reflect on the underlying question of how we see ourselves. So, what is the nature of our relationship to other countries, to the past and to whatever moral norms we pride ourselves on? The demand for post-colonial nations to pay reparations to, and for their treatment of, their former colonies has grown increasingly loud over recent years. And although many dismiss the idea as textbook liberal guilt and bandwagon wokery, there are some serious claims behind it. The topic kicks up some big moral issues. You can't talk about colonial reparations without working through what you think about moral responsibility, collective identity, and the effect of time on liability, all of which reflect on the underlying question of how we see ourselves. So, what is the nature of our relationship to other countries, to the past and to whatever moral norms we pride ourselves on? Purchase Michael's book here: https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780198889441/britains-slavery-debt

Depending on who you are, you might understand “woke” to mean “concerned with fundamental human justice”. Alternatively, you might think its means obsessed with identity politics, tribal, angry, and inclined to cancel and censor. Either way, you probably associate the term with the left. After all, “lefty” and “liberal” and the words most commonly paired with “woke”. But what if that isn't the case? What if it's an oversimplification? What if woke isn't left and left isn't woke? Where does that leave the left? And where does it leave wokery? Depending on who you are, you might understand “woke” to mean “concerned with fundamental human justice”. Alternatively, you might think its means obsessed with identity politics, tribal, angry, and inclined to cancel and censor. Either way, you probably associate the term with the left. After all, “lefty” and “liberal” and the words most commonly paired with “woke”. But what if that isn't the case? What if it's an oversimplification? What if woke isn't left and left isn't woke? Where does that leave the left? And where does it leave wokery? Purchase a copy of Susan's book 'Left is not Woke' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Left-Not-Woke-Susan-Neiman/dp/1509558306

Assisted Dying is back on the legislative agenda, with parliament voting on it this autumn. It is a profound and contentious debate about which good and well-meaning people can and do disagree deeply. What is really at stake here? Apart from the obvious, the debate kicks up some profound and difficult questions about most important ideas concerning human life. For example, how far should we respect people's autonomy and choice? What constitutes a meaningful life? And what is the meaning of human dignity?

For many people, many of whom would not call themselves religious or even spiritual, poetry is somehow able to enchant, to inspire, to heal– to give them a glimpse of connection, of transcendence that transforms their life. Particularly today, in “A secular age” in the West, it is poetry and indeed the arts more widely that often boast the greatest ability convey that sense of connection and transcendence that seems so important and hard-wired in humans. What is going on here? How does it work? And what does it say about us as human beings?

About 30 years ago, the American political philosopher Samuel Huntington wrote a hugely influential book entitled The clash of civilizations in which he predicted that the ideological wars of the 20th century would give way to civilisational ones in the 21st. The book drew criticism for the way it talked about “civilizations” as if they were hard edged and obviously identifiable things. Because the general idea of civilizations is a relatively recent one, and if we peer into the mists of time, we can make out the many streams and tributaries that have poured into the West over the centuries to make it what it is. So, where exactly is our civilisation, “the West”? How has it been shaped by “other” cultures? And what does that mean for us today?

We are emerging from the so-called “Gutenberg Parenthesis”, the 500 years in which the printed word dominated society, and embracing a new age of screens, images, and tweets. Or so it is claimed. Reading remains popular, however, and the printed book has rallied of late. What's going on? Might the dominance of the book, indeed of the written word, be coming to an end? Or is it the only medium capable of handling the complexities of human reason and imagination? And how much does any of this matter? In a live recording at the How the Light Gets in festival in London, Nick Spencer discusses the future of books and reading with Times literary critic Johanna Thomas-Corr, Guardian literary editor David Shariatmadari and editorial director of Oneworld Publications Juliet Mabey.

Science and religion have a long history. According to some, it's a history of warfare; to others they are (or at least should be) non-overlapping. Joining Nick Spencer at the @chalkehistoryfestival is historian and host of @restishistorypod Tom Holland, to discuss Nick's book Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science and Religion.

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This series of Reading our Times has looked at a number of scientific issues that have cast questions of, and sometimes shadows on, human personhood. So, in our final episode this series, we are asking specifically about that personhood. What does it means to be a human person? And how do we come to know that personhood - not philosophically, not empirically but, well, personally. In an age in which technology threatens to remake us, even despite our intentions, how can we come to know and honour our deepest existence? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to David Brooks about his book How To Know a Person. You can buy a copy of David's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Know-Person-Seeing-Others/dp/0241670292 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

The question 'what is a life worth?' feels wrong; heretical even. Humans are infinitely valuable, we say. You can't put a price on a life. And yet we do, every day: for healthcare, for philanthropy, for insurance, for criminal compensation... Indeed, arguably, if we actually care for life, we must. So, how do we do it? What are we willing to pay for life? How do we calcualate it? Who decides, and on what basis? And what does all this tell us about our (in)humanity? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Jenny Kleeman about her book The Price of Life. Buy a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Price-Life-Search-Worth-Decides/dp/1035004968/ref=asc_df_1035004968/ ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Pretty much every index for the mental health of young people in Britain and the US in particular is pointing in the wrong direction. More anxiety, more depression, more therapy, more medication, more suicide. Why? What is going on here? And why is it that the vast increase in spending on mental health - on counselling, therapy and drugs over recent decades seems to have made no difference whatsoever? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Abigail Shrier about her book Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up Buy a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Therapy-Kids-Arent-Growing/dp/1800754132/ref=asc_df_1800754132/ ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

The idea that non-human animals should be recognised as legal persons has gained traction over recent years, and is the subject of numerous court cases. But underlying the legal and indeed empirical questions here, are some pretty deep philosophical ones. What actually is a person? What role does rationality or consciousness or language play? And depending on our answers to those questions, could a non-human animal ever qualify as a person? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Mark Rowlands about his book Can Animals be Persons? Buy a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Animals-Persons-Mark-Rowlands/dp/0190846038 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Once upon a time, it was religions that promised eternal life. Now its science, with the possibility of immortality - whether bionic, cellular, genetic, or virtual - being the subject of big Silicon Valley dollars. Is this something we want? Who actually want to live forever? And, perhaps more importantly, should we? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Stephen Cave about his book Should You Choose to Live Forever? Buy a copy of Stephen's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CMF7YW3M?ref=KC_GS_GB_GB ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

AI is taking over the planet - or at least the news agenda! For hardly a day goes by without some AI story in the headlines. Should we believe what we read? Or is it all hype? In particular, should we believe what we are promised - or threatened - about AI become super-intelligent, sentient, conscious, human? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Eve Poole about her book Robot Souls: Programming in Humanity Buy a copy of Robot Souls here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robot-Souls-Programming-Eve-Poole/dp/1032426624 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Little green men were once a complete fantasy - but the numbers appear to be on their side. The sheer size of the universe, the number of stars and, it seems, the number of potentially inhabitable planets means that alien life is highly probable. What would it mean for us if that were so? If we did ever 'make contact'? What would it mean for our sense of pride, our dignity and in particular for those belief systems that have a particular emphasis on the human species? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Andrew Davison about his book Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine. Buy a copy of Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Astrobiology-Christian-Doctrine-Exploring-Implications/dp/1009303155 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Every century is different - but the 21st may be seriously different, with our ability to understand, modify and re-create humanity having come on light years in recent decades. Should we? So often, the warning we hear when it comes to the scientific manipulation of the human is that we shouldn't "play God". But what grounding does that actually have? What if we actually are a "playing God" species? Kicking off a new series of Reading our Times, this one dedicated to the overall theme of Playing God, Chine McDonald talks to Nick Spencer about his new book, co-authored with Hannah Waite, Playing God: science, religion and the future of humanity

In this week's episode, recorded live at the UnHerd cafe in London, Nick Spencer speaks to Robert Skidelsky about his book The Machine Age: An Idea, a History, a Warning. Once upon a time, we had faith in technology. Machines would make our lives easier, simpler, more comfortable. Today… well, faith in technological fixes for our problems is on the wane. Worse, it's often replaced with fear. The companies want our data. The robots want our jobs. The government our freedoms. In his latest book, The Machine Age, Robert Skidelsky looks at humanity's long relationship with machines, exploring how we got here and what happens next. How serious is the risk of mass unemployment, a world of politicised deep-fakes, a Chinese-style social credit system? And what, if anything, can we do about them? Reading our Times is the podcast from Theos think tank that engages with the books and ideas that are shaping the world today. It is hosted by Theos' Senior Fellow, Nick Spencer. In this special live recording, Robert Skidelsky joins Nick to discuss The Machine Age: an idea, a history, a warning. Buy a copy of The Machine Age here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Machine-Age-Idea-History-Warning/dp/0241244617 ***** Like what you see? Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464 CONNECT WITH THEOS Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/ Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/ CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108 Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185

Tuesday 5 July 2023 was, apparently, the hottest day ever recorded, and 2023 looks like its going to be the hottest year in human history. At this pace, we are heading for a dire future. But we do need to be careful here: after all, humans have been transforming the earth for mllennia. How? How have we changed the earth, and how has it changed us? And what does this mean for our shared future? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Peter Frankopan about his book The Earth Transformed: An Untold Story

"Elites have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class.” So claimed no less than Rupert Murdoch, friend of PMs and presidents, in his resignation letter. Is he right? Is there a "new elite"? If so, who are they and what do they believe in? And are they really in charge in now? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Matt Goodwin about his book Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics

Our relationship with food is unhealthy. While nearly 2/3 of English adults and 1/3 of children struggle with extra weight problems, there are currently around 2,500 food banks operating in the UK. What's gone wrong? Why do we so struggle with food? And whose responsiblity is it to feed us anyway? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to author Pen Vogler about her book Stuffed: A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain

It's a common fantasy. You wake up and there is no one there. Civilisation, order, humanity have crumbled. You are alone. Yet, in some parts of the world, this is not a fantasy. Human civilisation has indeed gone. What does this look like? What remains in a post-human landscape? And is this what awaits us? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Cal Flyn about her book Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape

For over 50 years now, Dan Dennett has written highly-praised, thoughtfully and provocatively on major philosophical issues. His ideas about consciousness, evolution, freedom - and, of course, theism - have provoked wonder and anger. In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Dan Dennett, about philosophy, Darwinism, naturalism and theism.

The age of boom and bust is over - we were told, shortly before the great crash of 2008-09. Such confidence is clearly ill-advised. Economies boom and economies bust - and there doesn't seem much we can do about it. Or is there? How can you spot a crash coming? What should you do about it when it descends on us? And how can we respond so that, even if we can't banish them forever, we can limit their frequency and impact? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Linda Yueh about her book The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them.

You have a mind, right? At least, that's what you and those who know you will think. But would you say the same of your pet? What about creatures like dolphins or octopus? Aliens (assuming they exist)? Robots and AI? God? What does it mean to 'have a mind'? Are all minds the same? Why should such a costly thing appear in evolution? And if we understand our minds, does that mean we have finally understood ourselves? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to science writer Philip Ball about his book The Book of Minds: Understanding Ourselves and Other Beings, From Animals to Aliens.

Everyone - even those who utter it with contempt - uses the word 'God'. But we don't all use it in the same way. Indeed, you could argue that we talk past each other more often when we talk about God than when we talk about any other topic. So what do we mean when we talk about God? What does the word even mean? Is the God of the philosophers the same as the God of the religious? Or indeed the God of the atheists? In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to philosopher and theologian David Bentley Hart about his book 'The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss'

Pentecostalism is the fastest growing religious movement in history, with nearly 600 million Pentecostals worldwide. How did the movement originate? What does it involve? And how will it change Christianity, society and politics in the 21st century? Nick Spencer talks to journalist and author Elle Hardy about her book Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World

We raise over a trillion every year in tax, and spent a hundred billion more than that. But where do we get it from? Where do we spend it? And is it used fairly, efficiently and wisely? Nick Spencer talks to Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, about his book Follow the Money: How much does Britain cost?

We need to decarbonise, and fast. But 'going green' is not straightforward, not only practically but ethically. There is great potential there, but also huge risks. What are they? Who will win? And who might lose? Nick Spencer talks to journalist and author Henry Sanderson about his book Voltrush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green

Journalism is bit like politics. As a rule, we say we don't really trust either profession, and neither seems to be in particularly good health at the moment. But we definitely can't live without them. Nick Spencer talks to former editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, about his book Breaking News: the remaking of journalism and why it matters now

The ability to manipulate genetic material has never been greater, and is increasing all the time. With it comes the claim that genetics can makes sense of life - controlling, directing, shaping who we are? Can it? Nick Spencer talks to Prof. Sheila Jasanoff about her book Can science make sense of life?

Money is changing – and its changing fast and in a way that many of us find bewildering. Is cash on its way out? What is fintech? What actually is a cryptocurrency, or stablecoin, or a CBDC? Are they the future? Nick Spencer talks to Prof. Eswar Prasad about his book The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution is Transforming Currencies and Finance

The death of the self, of the soul, of the mind: time and again, science (or parascience) has declared the demise of a core dimension to human nature. But can we live without such concepts? And can they be rescued by religion, philosophy and literature? Nick Spencer talks to Marilynne Robinson about her book Absence of Mind: The Dispelling of Inwardness from the Modern Myth of the Self

Science and religion have a long history. According to some, it's a history of warfare; to others they are (or at least should be) non-overlapping. Nick Spencer argues that neither view is right, and that the two have long been entangled, especially over the questions of what do we think of the human, and who gets to say. Buy a copy of Magisteria here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/9780861544615

The late great American novelist David Foster Wallace, who had worked in a tax office, once remarked, “The whole subject of tax policy and administration is dull. Massively and spectacularly dull.” But he was wrong, massively and spectacularly wrong. Tax is ultimately about the different ways we live together, and express our values - and there is nothing more interesting than that. In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Michael Keen and his book Rebellion, Rascals, and Revenue.

The UK has a religoius Prime Minister - yet again! Rishi Sunak is the first Hindu to occupy the role, but there have been plenty more of the faithful before him - even in the more secular atmosphere of the 20th century. Who did God most? Who least? Who was most sincere? And for whom did the divine actually make a difference? In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Mark Vickers about his book God In Number 10

Are we are losing our civility and, with it, the space to disagree productively? Why? Where did the idea of 'civility' come from, where is it going, and why does it matter? In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Ann Hartle about her book What happened to civility?

We spend a lot of money on aid - although not as much as we used to. Does it work or is it, as some claim, a waste? And behind that, why do some countries develop and others not? In this episode Nick Spencer talks to Stefan Dercon about this book Gambling on Development

For all the fears over growing levels of creationism, evolution is widely accepted in the UK. But 'accepted' does not necessarily mean understood, particularly when the theory itself is subject to so many myths and fanciful interpretation. In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Simon Conway Morris about his book From Extra-terrestrials to Animal Minds: Six Myths of Evolution

Everyone knows that terrorism is wrong but - a tough question to answer objectively - does it work? And, depending on your answer to that question, how then should we respond to it? In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Richard English about his book Does Terrorism Work?

Whereas once we read books and newspapers, and read them whole, the world is now mediated to us through screens, usually in much smaller gobbets. What is this doing to our brains - and does it matter? In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Maryanne Wolf about her book Reader, Come Home: The reading brain in a digital world

The liberation of the sexual revolution is increasingly looking anything but liberating, particularly for young women who are suffering a culture of the endlessly commercialised female body, casual sex, and sometimes violent pornography. What is going on, why, and what can we do about it? In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Louise Perry about her book The Case Against the Sexual Revolution

What will the world be like a generation from now? Warmer and more crowded, certainly. But… richer? More peaceful? Healthier? Better educated? On Mars? Or at war? Predicting the future is risky but also, arguably, necessary if we hope to navigate the path before us. In this episode, Nick Spencer talks to Hamish McCrae about his book The World in 2050: How to Think About the Future

Whatever else has happened to religious practice over the last 40 years, it doesn't seem to have affected the way we talk about, or believe in, the soul, with as many people doing so today as they did 40 years ago. But what we mean by the ‘soul' is far from clear. Is it a thing, a process, or just a figures of speech? In this episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Prof. John Cottingham about his book In Search of the Soul.

Even allowing for the fact that relationship between the sexes has never been easy, we surely live in strangely anxious times when it comes to such matters, with accusations of misogyny and toxic masculinity rife. Are men a problem? How do men and women differ? And what, if anything, do we want or need from each other? In this episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Nina Power about her book What do men want?: masculinity and its discontents.

Anti-vaxxers, creation science, astrology – for supposedly rational times, irrational and pseudoscientific beliefs appear to be doing quite well. Why? Which pseudosciences are flourishing, and for what reasons? And where even is the border between science and pseudoscience? In this episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Prof. Michael Gordin about his book On the Fringe: Where Science meets Pseudoscience.

We live in strange, unsettling, perhaps even exceptional times. How did we get here? In particular, how have our dependence on energy, our need for economic growth and our distrust in politics combined to shape our unstable 21st century. In this episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Prof. Helen Thompson about her book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century.

The more religion dies, the more it stays alive, predictions of its imminent demise being as popular now as they were a hundred years ago. Why? Where did religion come from? Why is it so deep rooted in human nature? And where, if anywhere, is it going? In this episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Prof. Robin Dunbar about his book How Religion Evolved and why it endures.