Fear: An Alternative History of the World
b"Anyone who follows the news cycle knows that between conflict and pandemics, the looming threat of the climate crisis, powerful AI and not to mention political scaremongering and moral panics, we\\u2019re never short of things to feel fearful of. Cultural historian Robert Peckham's recent book is: Fear: An Alternative History of the World. In it, he argues that fear is one of the main driving forces of human history, while also tracing the politics of fear from the outbreak of bubonic plague in the 14th century to the covid-19 pandemic today. Peckham was previously Professor of History and MB Lee Endowed Professor in the Humanities and Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. He\\u2019s also the founder of Open Cube, an organisation that promotes the integration of the arts, science, and technology for health. Joining him in conversation is Sophie McBain, associate editor of the New Statesman, and an award-winning writer whose work often focuses on the intersection where fields such as psychology, science and society\\u2019s less explored narratives meet.\\xa0\\nWe\\u2019d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2.\\xa0\\nAnd while you\\u2019re listening, why not visit Intelligencesquared.com and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about some of our great upcoming events and deals.\\nIf you\\u2019d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"