Open to Debate
America is more divided than ever—but it doesn’t have to be. Open to Debate offers an antidote to the chaos. We bring multiple perspectives together for real, nonpartisan debates. Debates that are structured, respectful, clever, provocative, and driven by the facts. Open to Debate is on a mission to restore balance to the public square through expert moderation, good-faith arguments, and reasoned analysis. We examine the issues of the day with the world’s most influential thinkers spanning science, technology, politics, culture, and global affairs. It’s time to build a stronger, more united democracy with the civil exchange of ideas. Be open-minded. Be curious. Be ready to listen. Join us in being Open to Debate. (Formerly Intelligence Squared U.S.)
401
Bonus Podcast: Too Many Kids Go To College
With Peter Thiel, Charles Murray, Henry Bienen and Vivek Wadhwa
48 min
402
#105 - Is Smart Technology Making Us Dumb?
With Nicholas Carr, Genevieve Bell, Andrew Keen, and David Weinberger.
50 min
403
#104 - Should We Abolish the Death Penalty?
With Diann Rust-Tierney, Robert Blecker, Barry Scheck, and Kent Scheidegger.
50 min
404
#103 - Has The President Exceeded His Authority...
With Gene Healy, Akhil Reed Amar, Deborah Pearlstein, and Philip Bobbitt
50 min
405
#102 - Should The U.S. Adopt The Right To Be Fo...
With Paul Nemitz, Andrew McLaughlin, Eric Posner, and Jonathan Zittrain.
50 min
406
#101 - Are Liberals Stifling Intellectual Diver...
With Greg Lukianoff, Angus Johnston, Kirsten Powers, and Jeremy Mayer.
50 min
407
#100 - Should The World Bet On America?
With Josef Joffe, Chrystia Freeland, Peter Zeihan, and James Rickards
50 min
408
Tribute To David Carr
Upon hearing the news of the sudden passing of The New York Times's David Carr on February 12th, 2015, we assembled this rememberance. David appeared on our stage on October 27, 2009 arguing against the debate motion: Good Riddance to Mainstream Media.
6 min
409
#99 - Is Amazon The Reader's Friend?
With Joe Konrath, Franklin Foer, Matthew Yglesias, and Scott Turow
50 min
410
Retrospective On The Freedom Of Speech
Thinking back to a 2006 debate in the context of the Charlie Hebdo attack
11 min
411
#98 - Should We Genetically Modify Food?
The debaters are Robert Fraley, Charles Benbrook, Alison Van Eenennaam, and Margaret Mellon.
51 min
412
#97 - Should We Legalize Assisted Suicide?
With Peter Singer, Andrew Solomon, Baroness Ilora Finlay, and Dr. Daniel Sulmasy
51 min
413
#96 - Does Income Inequality Impair The America...
With Elise Gould, Edward Conard, Nick Hanauer, and Scott Winship.
51 min
414
#95 - Mass Collection Of U.S. Phone Records Vio...
With Alex Abdo, Elizabeth Wydra, Stewart Baker, and John Yoo
51 min
415
#94 - Will Flexing America's Muscles In The Mid...
With Aaron David Miller, Paul Pillar, Michael Doran, and Bret Stephens
51 min
416
#93 - Should We Embrace The Common Core?
With Carmel Martin, Michael Petrilli, Carol Burris, and Frederick Hess
51 min
417
Retrospective On Hamas And Israel
Revisiting a debate from 2006
16 min
418
#92 - Is There A Constitutional Right To Unlimi...
With Floyd Abrams, Nadine Strossen, Burt Neuborne, and Zephyr Teachout
51 min
419
#91 - Is Death Final?
With Dr. Eben Alexander, Dr. Raymond Moody, Sean Carroll, and Dr. Steven Novella
50 min
420
#90 - Do Millennials Stand A Chance?
With Binta Niambi Brown, W. Keith Campbell, David D. Burstein, Jessica Grose
51 min
421
The Controversy Over Ayaan Hirsi Ali At Brandei...
Women's rights activist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, became the center a media firestorm last week, when Brandies University reversed its decision to grant her an honorary degree. While they commend her for being "a compelling public figure and advocate...
13 min
422
#89 - More Clicks, Fewer Bricks: Is The Lecture...
With Anant Agarwal, Ben Nelson, Jonathan Cole, and Rebecca Schuman
51 min
423
Does Affirmative Action On Campus Do More Harm ...
Affirmative action, when used as a factor in college admissions, is meant to foster diversity and provide equal opportunities in education for underrepresented minorities. But is it achieving its stated goals and helping the population it was created...
50 min
424
#88 - Is Russia A Marginal Power?
With Ian Bremmer, Edward Lucas, Amb. Robert D. Blackwill, and Peter Hitchens
50 min
425
Does The President Have Constitutional Power To...
With the drone strike on accused terrorist and New Mexico-born Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen, President Obama has tested the limits of the executive branch’s powers. Does the president have constitutional authority under the due process clause to...
50 min