Season 10 of the Academy’s chart-topping podcast, The We Society, produced in association with the Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust, is set to launch on 4 March 2026. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve pulled together ten of the podcast team’s favourite episodes released to date which they feel showcase some of the best insights from social science that help to make our society a better place.
Happy listening!
S8 Ep7: The Social Life of Pain with Tom Shakespeare
In the penultimate episode of season 8, we invited leading sociologist, bioethicist and one of the UK’s most influential voices in disability studies Professor Tom Shakespeare to share his views on the assumptions we make about ability, autonomy, and what it means to live a fulfilling life.
“What made this conversation with Tom so memorable was the way he weaved together personal experience and social science with enormous honesty and candour. Humane, intelligent and empathetic he frames how we should think about disability and pain – a continuum for everyone. It’s one of my many favourite episodes to date!” – Will Hutton, host of The We Society podcast
S1 Ep2: Hillary Clinton: They’re Stoking People’s Fears Rather Than Providing Hope
In the first ever season of the We Society podcast, former Secretary of State and 2016 Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton joined host Will Hutton to talk about “performative” politics, controlling social media, the challenge of education, and keeping women’s equality in focus.
“This was our second ever episode. I love the way she engaged with the weave of Will’s questions and came out strong with a clear vision on education, wariness of the digital power-brokers, social media’s impact on children, and the flaws of personality politics. I also have fond memories of the recording session where Will and I managed to teach her security guard how to play snooker!” – David Prest, Managing Director, Whistledown Productions
S9 Ep8: US and China: behind the rhetoric with Rana Mitter
To close season 9 of the We Society, we invited Professor Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, to share his insights on the contemporary geopolitics of the two global superpowers and why he believes that rather than a clash of liberalism versus authoritarianism, today’s geopolitics is defined by competing antiliberal views.
“This episode was a highlight for me. Not only was it timely and topical in every sense, but Rana is a fantastic communicator, deftly explaining today’s geopolitics in an accessible and personable way. A leading global expert on US–Asia relations, he challenges the listener to look beyond the popular sense of doom to consider competitive anti-liberalism.” – Professor Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust
S2 Ep8: Ai Weiwei: You’re either protecting humanity or hurting it
Reaching back to one of our earlier seasons, our final episode of season 2 saw Will in conversation with Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei for a thought-provoking discussion on the possible threats to Taiwan from China, his years of exile growing up in North West China with his poet father, and the importance of protecting humanity through art.
“Will and Ai Weiwei had instant chemistry that comes through in the episode. While both are from completely different cultural worlds, they shared a joint love for humanity and the arts which really permeated the entire conversation.” – Emily Finch, Producer at Whistledown Productions
S5 Ep4: Is geography destiny? With Rosie McEachan
Season 5 saw us welcome Professor Rosie McEachan, Director of Born in Bradford, a research programme which aims to understand why some families are healthy and others are not. In this insightful conversation, she shared her insights into whether geography really does impact our destiny.
“For me, this episode perfectly summarised why research on place is so critical and necessary. The project she leads – Born In Bradford – tracks the lives of over 60,000 citizens of Bradford to discover what factors most influence their health and wellbeing. In that one study, in one city, you can see great social science in action – getting to grips with social, environmental, cultural, behavioural and educational factors to determine the impacts (good and bad) that these can have on people’s lives as they grow up. It’s utterly fascinating and Rosie was a really compelling guest.” – Dr Ed Bridges, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Academy of Social Sciences
S8 Ep1: How to get work working for everyone with Gavin Kelly
Economic inactivity is one of the UK’s biggest social challenges, with as many as one in five working-age adults neither in employment nor seeking work. In this episode of the We Society, Gavin Kelly, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation, joins Will to interrogate the reasons behind the statistics, highlighting the growing numbers of young people not in education, training or employment, and the ways in which people can be better supported back into work.
“Shaping solutions to the social problems that hold back the country’s wellbeing sits at the heart of the Nuffield Foundation’s work. This episode of The We Society was especially significant as our first in partnership with the Academy of Social Sciences and the Leverhulme Trust. The depth of insight and shared commitment to the subject brought by Gavin and Will made this a timely, accessible and compelling discussion.” – Victoria Briggs, Head of Communications, Nuffield Foundation
S3 Ep3: Can sport change the wellbeing of a nation? With Louise Mansfield
Professor Louise Mansfield has dedicated her working career to improving the physical and mental health of the nation through her research on sport and exercise. In season 3 of the We Society podcast, she joined Will to discuss how sport engagement is a microcosm of society by reflecting existing inequalities and delved into issues around gender stereotypes, class, and access to facilities, as well as an exploration of the London 2012 Olympic legacy.
“Having worked on the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games for the London 2012 Olympics, this episode really resonated with me. I saw first-hand how sport can spark pride and participation and it’s powerful to hear and see that legacy still living on today through Louise’s research into how sport fosters belonging and purpose, not just wellbeing.” – Holly Hourihan, Campaign Manager, Podspike
S9 Ep4: Inoculating the mind: protecting against misinformation with Sander van der Linden
How can we effectively spot misinformation? Professor Sander van der Linden is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, which focuses on the origins of “fake news” and its role in societal divisions. In season 9 of the podcast, he shared his research into proactive strategies which help to build defences against manipulation through misinformation and addresses the responsibilities of social media companies and the need for stronger regulation when it comes to countering online misinformation.
“At a time when misinformation is more widespread than ever, it was refreshing to hear the social science behind how we can ‘prebunk’ ourselves against its increasing use. Sander was incredibly enthusiastic and provided hope that we can all be a part of stopping rather than inadvertently spreading misinformation. From research to aiding solutions – Sander is a true social science superhero.” – Dr Rita Gardner CBE, Chief Executive, Academy of Social Sciences.
S7 Ep7: Keep Calm and Chill with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
In the final episode of season 7 of the We Society podcast, we were delighted to welcome the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to share her thoughts during a period of geopolitical uncertainty. The first woman and African to serve as Director General of the WTO, she also shared her perspectives on women in leadership positions and her history of fighting corruption in Nigeria.
“For me this episode was incredibly inspiring, not only learning more about Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s personal experiences of being a woman in leadership and her journey to leading the WTO, but her calm, collected and measured attitude during times of political tension.” – Amy Williams, Head of Communications, Academy of Social Sciences.
S4 Ep5: The case for public consumption with Sir Andrew Dilnot
Sir Andrew Dilnot is an economist who believes that statistics hold a key role in lessening inequality and making Britain fairer. In season 4, he joined Will for a wide-ranging conversation on the power of data for solving a whole raft of issues whether that’s social care, education inequalities or faltering healthcare systems, and what can be done to improve the UK’s social care system.
“Sir Andrew Dilnot is a fierce advocate for the use of data and statistics to help improve people’s lives. In this discussion he used his social science background to make a passionate case for equity for both the treatment of our kids and our elderly. It’s a must-listen.” – Will Hutton, host of The We Society podcast
Season 10 of the We Society will launch on Wednesday 4 March 2026, where host Will Hutton will be in conversation with leading psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman to discuss the psychology of luck, the importance of humour and how we can all benefit from some magic. Also keep your eyes peeled for our new artwork which is coming soon.
All episodes of the We Society are available on all major podcast platforms. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.