Looking Glass: Society - Serious thinking about who and what we are
Looking Glass is a new podcast from the Institute of Physics. In this first series, author and journalist Angela Saini hosts challenging conversations about our society, exploring ideas and innovations across disciplines to create a blueprint for a future world.
Series 1: Society
The first series of our new Looking Glass podcast explores some of the most pressing challenges we face as a society – and asks what role physics has to play in solving them.
Host Angela Saini talks to thought leaders and innovators on topics from health inequality to climate change, cancel culture to artificial intelligence to understand the issues and potential solutions.
Launching in IOP’s 100th anniversary year, Looking Glass is also an inquiry into the purpose of a scientific institution in the 21st century, to help us understand how we must evolve to be part of a modern society, and help shape it.
Episode 6: A Blueprint for the Future
What can we – and science – learn from listening to thinkers and practitioners from wider society? As we tackle the global challenges affecting our lives and those of future generations, how can scientific organisations adapt to ensure they remain active players within society? Featuring Dame Frances Saunders and Sophie Martin.
Episode 5: The Ethics of Big Data & AI
In an age when data and information drive many aspects of our society, we are increasingly confronted by uncomfortable questions around misinformation and privacy. What responsibilities should scientists take? And how can we ensure Big Data & AI are used for our benefit? Featuring Cansu Canca and Shiv Malik.
Episode 4: Who's at the Table?
How do we look beyond the traditional western scientific canon and be more reflective of other knowledge systems? As students around the world look to decolonise their curriculums and learn from indigenous knowledge, the question of who’s at the table has never been more pressing. Featuring Melz Owusu and Carolina Behe.
Episode 3: Healthcare & Inequality
Serious questions are emerging about how we care for people as a society – and how existing inequalities have an impact on health outcomes. How can innovation help us to bridge those gaps? How is the physics community leading this conversation? Featuring Ivan Beckley and Professor Kevin McGuigan.
Episode 2: Power, Privilege & Cancel Culture
In our social media age, how can organisations listen, learn and engage with public debate on highly charged issues? As organisations step out of their comfort zones, how should they navigate this new world of communication? Featuring Sheree Atcheson and Brenda Trenowden.
Episode 1: The Climate Crisis
How do we ensure the planet remains habitable for all of us, wherever we are in the world? Can clean energy become green energy? Can scientists offer sustainable solutions for climate change? Featuring Fatima-Zahra Ibrahim and Dr Emily Shuckburgh.
An introduction to Looking Glass
In this introductory podcast, IOP Deputy Chief Executive Rachel Youngman talks to Angela Saini, host of Looking Glass: Society, about why we've created the series. She explains what makes it so relevant now, and the important role the podcast series has to play in helping IOP to reflect on our place in our diverse society.
Rachel Youngman on Looking Glass: Society
IOP Deputy Chief Executive Rachel Youngman explains why we’ve created the series – and what makes it so relevant.