Arts and Ideas

Matthew Sweet debates how the discovery of alien life might change the way we think about humanity and how it will impact our moral and philosophical universe. Matthew is joined by the best-selling science-fiction writer Stephen Baxter, the science broadcaster and journalist Sue Nelson, the futurist and neuroscientist Anders Sandberg, and one of our leading space scientists, John Zarnecki, Professor of Space Science at the Open University. This event was recorded as part of Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at The Sage Gateshead on Sunday 4th November 2012.

Julie Bindel gives a talk arguing that sexuality is a choice at the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival. In a talk titled Not Born This Way, the feminist, lesbian, columnist and writer Julie Bindel challenges liberal thinking by arguing that sexuality is indeed a choice, and that the current scientific quest to identify a gay gene is both pointless and dangerous. The event is chaired by Night Waves presenter Samira Ahmed and recorded at The Sage Gateshead on Saturday 3 November 2012.

As our global population increases and technology encourages instant communication, are we becoming more sociable, or lonelier in a high tech crowd? To debate, Anne McElvoy is joined by broadcaster Kate Adie, clinical psychologist Oliver James, The Times columnist David Aaronovitch and philosopher Julian Baggini. This event was recorded as part of Radio 3’s Free Thinking Festival at The Sage Gateshead on Saturday 3rd November.

Matthew Smith, one of Radio 3’s New Generation Thinkers, explores why the simple peanut has become a battleground of medical debate. Recorded at Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at The Sage, Gateshead on Sunday 4th November 2012.

Why have humans evolved to speak so many incomprehensible languages? Why do we work against our own survival by going to war with one another? Evolutionary Biologist Mark Pagel explores how humanity will evolve in the future and if we are likely to become a world with one state and one language. This event was recorded as part of Radio 3’s Free Thinking Festival at The Sage Gateshead on Sunday 4th November.

Sue-Ann Harding, one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers, gives a talk in which she ponders the differences between an expat and an immigrant. She draws on television portrayals of migrants and personal experience to explore and challenge the ideas we have about migration. Recorded at Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at The Sage, Gateshead on Saturday 3 November 2012.

What does it mean to belong? Multiculturalism, integration and social division are increasingly part of the political debate. But what impact does immigration have on everyone's sense of national identity? To debate, Philip Dodd is joined by David Goodhart, director of Demos think-tank, Migration Watch Vice Chairman Alp Mehmet, Professor Jean Grugel of Sheffield University, and Sunder Katwala, director of think-tank British Future. Recorded at Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at The Sage Gateshead on Sunday 4 November 2012.

Joshua Nall, one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers, gives a talk on the Victorian obsession with the planet Mars at the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival. With the recent success of NASA's Curiosity lander, Mars is firmly back on the agenda. But where did our fascination with the red planet start? Recorded at The Sage Gateshead on Saturday 3 November 2012.

As Scotland heads towards a referendum on independence, Vicky Featherstone discusses the role of a modern day national theatre in shaping and capturing national identity and history. Recorded at Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at The Sage Gateshead on Sunday 4 November 2012.

Nandini Das, one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers, gives a talk on the 16th Century craze for crime pamphlets; a phenomenon which revealed a new secret world to readers and which became the first best-selling sensation of the popular press. Recorded at Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival at The Sage, Gateshead on Saturday 3 November 2012.

Does World History still mean Western History, or do we need a radical new understanding of the past? To discuss, Rana Mitter is joined by historian Antony Beevor, broadcaster Andrew Marr and India expert Maria Misra. This event was recorded as part of Radio 3’s Free Thinking Festival at The Sage Gateshead on Saturday 3rd November.

Martin Goodman, one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers, gives a talk on the perils of writing biographies. "Following in the footsteps" is an obsession for biographers as they travel the world to bring their subjects to life, sometimes with dangerous consequences. Recorded at the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival on Sunday 4 November 2012 at The Sage Gateshead.

Amos Oz, one of Israel's most influential thinkers, gives a talk on the Middle East and the prospect of future co-existence between Israel and Palestine. The event is chaired by Night Waves presenter Philip Dodd and recorded as part of Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival 2012 on Saturday 3 November 2012 at The Sage Gateshead.

Timothy Secret, one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers , gives a talk during Free Thinking 2012 exploring how we react when looked at by animals. Our world changes when we're on display. But how do we react when an animal, rather than a human, looks at us? Is there a difference, and what does this say about our relationship with animals? Recorded on Saturday 3 November 2012 at The Sage Gateshead.

Emma Griffin, one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers, gives a talk on what makes a good mother, recorded at the Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival 2012. Historian Emma Griffin of the University of East Anglia turns to the poor of Victorian Britain to ask what made a good mother then in families struggling to keep body and soul together. She finds that our own values and ideas about motherhood may not be as instinctive as we like to believe. Recorded on Sunday 4 November 2012 at The Sage Gateshead.