Sideways Podcast
Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.
Episodes to download
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78. Hide and Seek
Wed 3 Sep 2025
What’s the real appeal of secret societies? Mystery, belonging or something else entirely?
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77. Crazy Cat Lady
Wed 27 Aug 2025
Why does a childless woman with cats cause such cultural panic? Matthew Syed investigates.
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76. When Time Slows Down
Wed 20 Aug 2025
Matthew Syed asks if slow-motion experiences suggest the way we think of time is illusory.
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75. Me, Myself and Mine
Wed 13 Aug 2025
What does it mean to own your body - and is that even the right question to ask?
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74. Inventing a Language
Wed 6 Aug 2025
Matthew Syed explores our extraordinary capacity to invent new systems of communication.
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3. Peace Reimagined—Chasing Peace
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Matthew Syed explores the case for radically non-violent solutions to conflict.
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2. A Peace that Lasts—Chasing Peace
Wed 23 Jul 2025
The path to peace is hard to find. We meet people with radical ideas on how to get there.
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1. Wired for War?—Chasing Peace
Wed 16 Jul 2025
Our long struggle with peace raises the question - are humans wired for war or for peace?
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73. Reliving History
Wed 26 Feb 2025
Matthew Syed explores the power and potential of re-enacting the past.
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70. Digital Ghosts
Wed 5 Feb 2025
Matthew Syed explores the ethical boundaries around using AI to create digital ghosts.
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69. Memento Mori
Wed 29 Jan 2025
Matthew Syed confronts the passage of time and the inexorability of decay.
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68. Bliss in Suffering
Wed 22 Jan 2025
Matthew Syed ponders the possibility of experiencing bliss in the midst of suffering.
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67. Reality Shifting
Wed 15 Jan 2025
Matthew Syed explores the nature of reality and the possibility of its hidden layers.
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Sideways: Series eleven - coming soon…
Fri 10 Jan 2025
Sideways returns with seven new stories of seeing the world differently.
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25 Years of the 21st Century: 5. The Age of Artificial Intelligence—25 Years of the 21st Century
Fri 10 Jan 2025
5/5Matthew interviews the 'Godfather of AI', Geoffrey Hinton.
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25 Years of the 21st Century: 4. The Age of Changing Families—25 Years of the 21st Century
Thu 9 Jan 2025
4/5What is technology doing to something as human as forming relationships?
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25 Years of the 21st Century: 3. The Age of Outsourcing—25 Years of the 21st Century
Wed 8 Jan 2025
3/5Have we outsourced our memories to our phones?
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25 Years of the 21st Century: 2. The Age of Mistrust—25 Years of the 21st Century
Tue 7 Jan 2025
2/5Have we lost faith in institutions, politicians - and even money?
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25 Years of the 21st Century: 1. The Age of Digital Warfare—25 Years of the 21st Century
Mon 6 Jan 2025
1/5Matthew and his guests look back at some of the big events of the past 25 years.
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5. The Future of Attention—Appetite for Distraction
Fri 22 Nov 2024
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
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4. Attention Shortfall?—Appetite for Distraction
Thu 21 Nov 2024
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
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3. Medium and Metaphor—Appetite for Distraction
Wed 20 Nov 2024
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
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2. Have We Always Been Distracted?—Appetite for Distraction
Tue 19 Nov 2024
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
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1. Postman’s Prophecy?—Appetite for Distraction
Mon 18 Nov 2024
Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
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66. One is a Whole
Wed 28 Aug 2024
Matthew Syed explores whether you can find joy and fulfillment in the single life.
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65. Divergent Histories
Wed 21 Aug 2024
Two people, with a shared painful history, learn to understand themselves in a new light.
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Sideways - Articles
Features on some of the fascinating topics from Sideways with Matthew Syed.
My last 5p: How one homeless man’s generosity led to him marrying the love of his life
How one act of generosity can have profound consequences.
Why we all need an alter ego
Matthew Syed looks at how adopting an alter ego can help us all to access confidence.
What's the secret of making a smash hit pop song?
Exploring the success of Max Martin, the behind-the-scenes genius behind 22 No.1 hits.
