Today

Why progress is hard to see

If someone asked you to describe the state of the world right now, odds are you’d reach for the bad news first: political division, AI panic, war, ecological crisis, unraveling everywhere. And none of that is imaginary. But Rebecca Solnit thinks the pessimistic view is incomplete ... Show More

47m 46s

May 8

The wellness path to conspiracy

Sean talks with Vox senior correspondent Anna North about the strange rise of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. They explore why MAHA resonates, especially with younger people, how legitimate concerns about food and public health blur into conspiracy thinking, and ... Show More

46m 11s

May 4

The science of awe

Sean talks with psychologist Dacher Keltner about the science of awe and why it might be one of the most important emotions we have. They explore how awe quiets the ego, shifts our attention away from ourselves, and reconnects us to other people, nature, and larger patterns of me ... Show More

57m 30s

Aug 2024

George Orwell: life of the week

From doublethink and thoughtcrime to coming face-to-face with our worst nightmares inside Room 101, few writers have had as much impact on the popular imagination as George Orwell. But what compelled the author of 'Animal Farm' and 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' to conjure up such dark, ... Show More

41m 38s

May 2024

George Orwell Part 1 – From Eton to Barcelona

Back for season five, Origin Story continues to explore the misunderstood ideas and people that shape our politics today. With Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey. In this opening two-parter Dorian bows to the inevitable and tells the story of the subject of his book, The Ministry of Tru ... Show More

1h 4m

Sep 2025

George Orwell

Best known for his books Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell earned a reputation as chronicler and prophet of modern society. Plagued by illness, he exposed poverty and injustice, satirised the powerful, and took up arms against fascism. Today, his name has become ... Show More

56m 3s

Dec 2021

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Neil Postman postulated that society avoided the totalitarian nightmares of George Orwell, only to embrace the frivolous idiocy of Aldous Huxley. His book "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business" questions the e ... Show More

1h 3m

Dec 2020

1984 by George Orwell | Episode 4 |