meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Intelligence Squared

Anaximander: the Ancient World’s Most Radical Scientific Thinker

Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

News, Society & Culture, Arts, News Commentary

4.21.2K Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2023

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Carlo Rovelli is one of the world’s best-known scientists. A theoretical physicist, his books have sold over two million copies around the world. He recently came to Intelligence Squared to talk about his favourite scientist, the little-known Greek philosopher Anaximander, whose ideas, articulated over two millennia ago, lay the foundations for cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology, and biology. It's the subject of Rovelli's book, Anaximander: And the Nature of Science, now being published in English for the first time. In conversation with the award-winning historian Tom Holland, Rovelli shows how Anaximander opened up a path that we are still on today: one that requires us to accept the provisional nature of our knowledge and allows us to challenge, rebel against and create new images of our world.  We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.  At Intelligence Squared we’ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go. It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This episode is brought to you by Shopify.

0:03.0

That's what I hear when I make another sale on Shopify.

0:07.0

The all-in-one commerce platform that allows you to start, run and grow your business.

0:12.0

Shopify is revolutionising millions of businesses worldwide.

0:17.0

So sign up for a £1 per month trial period at Shopify.co.uk

0:23.0

slash podcast23 all lowercase

0:26.0

and take your business to the next level today.

0:29.0

Hello, this is Jeremy Bowen, the International Editor of BBC News.

0:33.0

And I'm here because I want to talk to you about an event I'm doing

0:37.0

with Intelligent Squared on the 2nd of November in London.

0:41.0

And I'm going to be talking about the more than 30 years that I've spent

0:46.0

reporting on major events in the Middle East with my great friend and colleague

0:52.0

over many, many years, Justin Webb.

0:55.0

And I'm sure we'll talk about a few other things as well.

0:58.0

Justin and I started at the BBC on the same day in 1984.

1:04.0

So if you'd like to join us either in person or online,

1:09.0

then visit IntelligentSquared.com to find out more.

1:15.0

Welcome to Intelligent Squared.

1:18.0

I'm senior producer Connor Boyle coming up, Carlo Revelli, the renowned theoretical physicist

1:23.0

discusses his book and Maximander and the nature of science with writer and historian Tom Holland.

1:31.0

Carlo Revelli's book about a Maximander, the ancient Greek philosopher,

1:35.0

first appeared over a decade ago.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Intelligence Squared, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Intelligence Squared and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.