Season 12 of the Academy’s podcast, The We Society with Will Hutton, produced in association with the Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust, has begun today.
Hosted by political economist, author, journalist and the Academy’s President, Will Hutton FAcSS, season 12 of The We Society invites leading academics, experts and public figures to share their evidence-led insights and knowledge to explore the many ways social science can help us to understand and enhance our fascinating, contemporary human world.
Will said, “The We Society is back for a new season with yet another brilliant line up of expert guests discussing some of the most topical issues facing society today. From young people’s evolving relationship with social media to the global space industry and what the future of AI means for us all – these fascinating and engaging conversations really highlight the value of social science, and social scientists, in making all of our lives better. Do join us!”
In the first episode, released today, Will is joined by psychologist and John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioural Science at the University of Chicago, Professor Nicholas Epley to discuss how we can counteract society’s loneliness epidemic. Drawing on over a decade of research involving over 30,000 participants, Nick discusses his findings into the importance of social connection for our wellbeing and how being a little more social can have benefits for wider society too.
During the conversation, when asked about potential causes for the increase in the number of people who report feeling lonely, Nick said, “Social connection is a choice. It’s not something that just happens to us. And technology makes it increasingly possible to choose to isolate ourselves, and that’s kind of fascinating. When you give people the choice, even though we’re made happier by connecting with other people, too often we’re choosing to be alone. I just can’t imagine that technology is not at the core of those changes.”
The rest of season 12 has further insightful conversations with experts from the world of social science in store, covering topics including how to place the common good at the centre of economic thinking, the next chapter of humanity’s relationship with space, whether greater devolution can help to build more inclusive and cohesive communities, the future of AI, young people’s evolving relationship with social media and more.
Our other guests this season include Octavia Field Reid (Ada Lovelace Foundation), Professor Andrew Futter (University of Leicester), Professor Mariana Mazzucato FAcSS (UCL), Professor Nasar Meer FAcSS (University of Glasgow) and Sunder Katwala (British Future), Professor Gina Neff (Queen Mary University of London), Professor Bec Riley FAcSS (University of Birmingham) and more.
New episodes will be released every Wednesday and listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform so they don’t miss an episode. All episodes of the past 11 seasons, featuring guests including Hillary Clinton, Ai Weiwei, Nobel Prize winner Professor Philippe Aghion, Professor Gary Younge FAcSS, and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are available to listen now.