Intelligence Squared

This September the Bayeux Tapestry went on display at the British Museum to huge crowds of eager patrons. This is the first time it has been displayed in England since it was made almost 1,000 years ago, and the exhibition is expected to draw over 7.5 million people until it journeys back to Bayeux in July 2027.

The tapestry tells a story that is baked into the national psyche: Harold breaks an oath, William crosses the Channel, and 1066 changes England forever. But despite its longevity, this famous version of the Norman Conquest is beset with ambiguity, surprising details, and glaring omissions.

In this episode, Mia Sorenti speaks with historian David Musgrove about the mysteries hidden in nearly 70 metres of embroidery. Why does the tapestry reduce a complicated succession crisis to a struggle between Harold and William? Who was left out of its story – and was it propaganda, or something more subtle?

Musgrove also sheds light on the hidden meanings in the tapestry, including a mysterious scene that may hint at a 11th-century royal sex scandal.

David Musgrove is a historian, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Content Director at HistoryExtra. With Michael Lewis, he is the author of The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unravelling the Norman Conquest.

Mia Sorenti is Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared.

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According to Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director, outspoken Trump critic and co-host of The Rest Is Politics: US, President Trump represents one of the greatest challenges America has ever faced.

During the first half of his second presidency, Trump has waged war on Iran, threatened the future of NATO and clashed with allies. At home he jokes about cancelling elections, threatens the free press and tests the limits of executive power. With inflation biting and his approval ratings falling, November’s pivotal midterm elections will offer the first major verdict on his second term and the future of America.

Is Trump politically vulnerable? Can Democrats capitalise on his mistakes? Is MAGA bigger than Trump—or will the battle to succeed him define the future of the Republican Party? How has Trump transformed American society, and how does he continue to threaten democracy at home and abroad? And after a decade of Trump, what does the next chapter look like for America and the world?

In September 2026 Scaramucci came to the Intelligence Squared stage live at G Live in Guildford, where he was in conversation with Guardian columnist and ch-host of The Rest is Entertainment podcast Marina Hyde. Drawing on his forthcoming book All The Wrong Moves, they discussed how decades of mistakes by both Republicans and Democrats paved the way for Trump’s rise, and explained how America could chart a different course.

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As the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has witnessed and reported on some of the most consequential events of our time. She has reported from Iran and Afghanistan since 1988, played a leading role in the BBC’s coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, and has covered major wars as well as efforts to make peace in the Middle East since 1994. In 2022 she covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Kyiv as Putin’s tanks crossed the border. And most recently having reported on the ground in Iran in February 2026, Doucet has been a hugely insightful voice explaining the consequences of the U.S-Israeli led war on the country and what it means for the world.

Doucet is renowned for her compassionate, human-centred reporting often in times of war and suffering. In September 2026, she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share her reflections and insights from the frontlines.

Doucet also discussed the themes and approach of her Women’s Prize-winning book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a vivid history of Afghanistan as seen from the iconic Inter-Continental Hotel. Drawing on years of interviews with its staff and guests, the book traces the country’s tumultuous history – from the Soviet withdrawal and civil war to the US invasion and the return of the Taliban – through the prism of this landmark hotel and the lives of the staff who kept it running during war and peace.

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According to Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director, outspoken Trump critic and co-host of The Rest Is Politics: US, President Trump represents one of the greatest challenges America has ever faced.

During the first half of his second presidency, Trump has waged war on Iran, threatened the future of NATO and clashed with allies. At home he jokes about cancelling elections, threatens the free press and tests the limits of executive power. With inflation biting and his approval ratings falling, November’s pivotal midterm elections will offer the first major verdict on his second term and the future of America.

Is Trump politically vulnerable? Can Democrats capitalise on his mistakes? Is MAGA bigger than Trump—or will the battle to succeed him define the future of the Republican Party? How has Trump transformed American society, and how does he continue to threaten democracy at home and abroad? And after a decade of Trump, what does the next chapter look like for America and the world?

In September 2026 Scaramucci came to the Intelligence Squared stage, where he was in conversation with former editor in chief of Tatler, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker, Tina Brown. Drawing on his forthcoming book All The Wrong Moves, they discussed how decades of mistakes by both Republicans and Democrats paved the way for Trump’s rise, and explained how America could chart a different course.

---

If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

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Kevin Fong has spent his working life in high-risk, high-performance teams. He flies as a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service doctor, has worked on NASA’s human spaceflight programme, and was part of the UK’s frontline response to major incidents and terror attacks.

In this episode, he joins Professor of Environment and Society, Helen Czerski, to discuss some of the most challenging and high-pressure emergencies he’s witnessed across his varied career and to offer some crucial, counter-intuitive insights into how the best teams and organisations succeed against the odds, learn from failure and go again.

Fong suggests that decisions in the face of irreducible uncertainty are the ultimate team sport and their success depends wholly on the wider systems that support them. The ultimate lessons are these: never lose sight of the humans in the loop, and when it comes to managing fast-moving threats in the face of the unknown, the edge of chaos is exactly where you need to be.

Kevin Fong Kevin Fong is a medical doctor specialising in anaesthesia and intensive-care medicine and is departmental lead for major-incident planning at UCL Hospitals. He also flies as a doctor with a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, has worked with NASA’s human spaceflight programme. In 2020 he was seconded as National Clinical Adviser to NHS England's Covid-19 Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response Team.

Helen Czerski is Professor of the Environment and Society at UCL’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her research focus is the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean surface. She has been a regular presenter on the BBC since 2011, where she stands out for her enthusiasm, insight and storytelling ability. She is the co-host of BBC Radio 4’s flagship climate and environment show Rare Earth.

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