AntiSocial

Should we have more child-free spaces? The French state railway company has introduced child-free carriages on some of its high-speed trains. This has caused a row online. Adam Fleming gets to the bottom of the story and asks if there is a growing demand for more child-free spaces. But is the debate simply a measure of growing intolerance - particularly of children - in society.Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Natasha Fernandes, Tom Gillett, John Murphy Studio manager: Andrew Mills Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Series Editor: Penny Murphy

The contestants on Britain's most popular TV show, The Traitors, have faced criticism for voting out ethnic minorities early on in the game. It’s led to a slew of posts online saying this is a clear example of unconscious racial bias. Head of Psychology at Aberdeen University, Doug Martin, breaks down unconscious bias and where it comes from.

The UK's most popular TV show, The Traitors, has come under the spotlight not just because of its popularity but because it has been accused of reflecting prejudice in British society. The charge is that contestants from ethnic minorities are more likely to be expelled early on in the game because of unconscious bias, particularly unconscious racial bias. Others shows too, like Strictly Come Dancing, Love Island and Big Brother have faced similar accusations. Adam Fleming unpicks the debate. Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Charlotte McDonald, Natasha Fernandes and John Murphy Studio manager: Andrew Mills Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy

A clip from Stephen Bartlett’s podcast has resurfaced and gone viral for claiming that a group of men will go extinct because women don’t want to date and have children with them anymore. It’s prompted questions about whether society should intervene to help men find a date and what women are attracted to in a male partner. Professor of Psychology at Durham University, Linda Boothroyd, speaks to Adam Fleming about the science of attraction and how women’s expectations of men have changed over time.

A podcast conversation between the entrepreneur Steven Bartlett and the gamer-turned psychiatrist-turned-online self help guru Dr K has gone viral. And it's about what might happen if men can't get a date. The podcast was originally published last summer but more recently re-surfaced clips have sparked a debate online about how far society should go to help men who are struggling to find a partner.Should we have sympathy for men who can't get a date?We hear from an intimacy coach who helps men and couples navigate the dating world and from a talent manager and content creator who makes videos about feminism, being single and child free.Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Emma Close, Natasha Fernandes and Tom Gillett Studio manager: Hal Haines Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Penny Murphy

Elon Musk’s chatbot, Grok AI, has been in the news because thousands of its users have been using it to digitally undress women without their consent. Staff writer at The Atlantic, Matteo Wong, has been covering the evolution of Musk’s AI chatbot and the controversies it’s been involved in along the way. He speaks to Adam Fleming about how Grok AI fits into Musk’s wider Modus Operandi and how it was made to compete with other AI tools.

Elon Musk's social networking site X has restricted access to one of the features on its artificial intelligence chat-bot called Grok, because of a global outcry. It allows users to alter photos, for example changing a person's clothes - without their permission. With a simple instruction a man's trousers can become swimming trunks -- and more frequently -- a woman can be made to wear a bikini. The platform faced a backlash with governments around the world calling for urgent action and some politicians calling for X to be banned.We hear from someone whose image was manipulated without her consent and from someone who uses it in her business career. So is A.I. image manipulation a force for good or not?Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Emma Close, Natasha Fernandes and Tom Gillett Studio manager: Andrew Mills Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Penny Murphy

For hundreds of years women were treated as somehow incomplete, or dangerous, if they didn’t have a (male) partner. It used to be illegal for women to live alone in some parts of the UK and, until much more recently, single women weren’t allowed mortgages. And then there’s the cat lady stereotype. Amanda Vickery, professor of history at Queen Mary University of London, tells Adam Fleming how the stigma around women’s singledom has evolved, and how it’s fading.

An article in British Vogue asking if it's "embarrassing" to have a boyfriend prompts a discussion about whether women might be better off ditching men and staying single.Some women say they feel more empowered by single life, and that they expect much higher standards of men these days. Others think it's divisive to suggest men are, on average, poor relationship material and that it's unfair to demean women who are happy with a partner.We speak to author of the British Vogue article, Chanté Joseph, to find out what prompted it and what it revealed. The image of single women in society has a long, and largely negative, history - we open the archives on cat ladies and old maids.And who's happier anyway - single women or those in relationships? We look at the available data.Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Simon Tulett, Natasha Fernandes, Paul Moss, Marie Lennon Studio manager: Andrew Mills Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy

What do we know about the levels of sexual harassment on public transport? Statistics show that a third of women and girls have experienced it and 97% of women fear it could happen to them, but is the problem getting worse, and who is at fault? Author of Mind the Gender Gap and Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Plymouth, Dr Sian Lewis, breaks down the data.

A petition calling for women-only tube carriages has surpassed 12,000 signatures. It comes amid increased reports of sexual offences on public transport, both in London and beyond. Supporters claim that giving women the option to travel separately from men will make them safer, and send a message that harassment is unacceptable. Critics argue that this is a backwards step, amounting to segregation. Some say it unfairly stigmatises men. We hear from the woman leading the campaign, and explore the history of single-sex train carriages in the UK. Does the data show that sexual harassment on trains is on the rise, or are the figures a symptom of increased reporting? What do we know about other public safety campaigns attempting to tackle sexual harassment and violence over the years - and do they point us towards better solutions?Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Ellie House, Natasha Fernandes, Tom Gillett, and Bob Howard Studio manager: Andrew Mills Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Penny Murphy

The comedian Lenny Henry in a new book has backed calls for the UK to pay more than £18 trillion in compensation for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. It's a figure that some people think is absurdly high. It comes from a report written by an economic consultancy called The Brattle Group. They tried to quantify the impact of slavery on black people in North and South America, and the Caribbean. Adam Fleming speaks to one of the co-authors, Mary Olson.

Sir Lenny Henry has called for the UK government to pay £18tn in slavery reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, and argued that every black Briton also deserves compensation. The comedian, co-author of a new book titled The Big Payback, says the payments would help repair damage caused in parts of the Americas, especially the Caribbean, and argues slavery has contributed to modern day racism and poorer outcomes for black people in the UK. Opponents have argued it's unfair to hold modern Britons responsible for past wrongs and called the £18tn figure absurd and divisive - we find out where that figure came from, and what calculations went into it. Many in this debate point out that, although Britain profited from slavery, it also abolished it - we look at the reasons behind that shift and what it meant for slaves and slave owners. Plus, reparations used to be all about wars - how else have they been applied throughout history?Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Tulett, Mike Wendling, Natasha Fernandes Editor: Richard Vadon Production coordinator: Janet Staples Studio engineer: Andrew Mills

When an art exhibition featuring stickers made to look like graffiti opened in Canterbury Cathedral, there was a surprisingly loud reaction from right-wing activists in the US - even JD Vance, the American vice-president, chimed in. Many on the political right see cathedrals, churches, and monuments in Europe as a grand cultural heritage which they feel they have to defend. And many of Donald Trump's supporters believe that Britain is under attack from multiculturalism, and that the UK is a country in decline because of its alleged failure to uphold Western values. The BBC's Mike Wendling, who’s written books investigating the US far-right, explains to Adam Fleming how the concept of the "decline of the West" has crossed the Atlantic.

An art exhibition in Canterbury Cathedral has enraged traditionalists who believe that it doesn’t fit with the holy site’s beauty or the church’s mission. The works consist of a set of temporary vinyl stickers with questions like “Why did you create hate when love is by far more powerful?” and “Does our struggle mean anything?” The questions for God were devised after artist Alex Vellis and curator Jacquiline Creswell consulted a series of marginalised groups. The organisers say the stickers were tested to make sure they did not damage the cathedral’s ancient walls. But they have faced criticism on artistic grounds and questions about the appropriateness of the art and the values behind it. Among the outraged were Vice President JD Vance, who called the stickers “ugly”, and Elon Musk, who called it an affront to western civilisation They in turn were faced with supporters of the exhibition who argued it reflected the church’s mission and spread a message of inclusiveness and tolerance. Art has always been intrinsically tied to religion and the Anglican Church, so how far back does this culture war battle really go – and why did political leaders in America jump into the controversy? Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Natasha Fernandes, Ellie House, Mike Wendling Studio manager: Andy Mills Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Richard Vadon

Are middle aged white men angry and if so why and how does that affect our politics? Professor of political science at the University of Manchester, Rob Ford, speaks to Adam Fleming about what is driving this anger from financial insecurity to broader social and cultural attitudes. He covers everything from the motte-and-bailey fallacy to measuring how tolerant someone is based on whether they’d be happy if a family member brought someone with a different political belief home.

Football pundit and former Manchester United star Gary Neville posted a video that he pitched as a call to national unity. But was greeted by a wave of online vitriol for one line in which he blamed “angry middle-aged white men” for creating political division. Many middle-aged white men took to social media – to deny they are angry, to describe their anger as justified, or to call Neville’s comments the out-of-touch ramblings of a “champagne socialist”. But the footballer has his supporters too, with some saying he put his finger on a specific group that has been pulling at the fault lines of British politics by hoisting flags and protesting against immigration. What do polling and history tell us about the political divides within our society – and when it comes to our political divisions, who’s really to blame? Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Emma Close, Natasha Fernandes, Mike Wendling Studio manager: Andy Mills Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Richard Vadon

Patriotism is a concept that’s been used throughout history. From rallying the troops in wartime to acting as the “glue” that brought revolutionaries together in 18th Century France; the idea of loving one’s civilisation and supporting its values, dates all the way back to Ancient Greece. Georgios Varouxakis, professor of the history of political thought at Queen Mary University of London, runs Adam Fleming through a potted history of patriotism and how it’s evolved over time.

It seems like everyone wants to be a patriot this week, from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to people hoisting flags up British lampposts. But what does patriotism really mean?At the Labour Party conference there was lots of talk of 'progressive patriotism' - a definition of the term that emphasises Britain's tolerance and multiculturalism. Others invoke patriotism when seeking a return to the past. Others reject the word entirely because of its links to nationalism.We find out why Keir Starmer and the Labour Party are trying to formulate 'progressive patriotism', examine the history of the concept going back to the ancient Greeks, and ask what polling tells us about how patriotic British people feel.Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Lucy Proctor, Natasha Fernandes, Mike Wendling, Tom Gillet Studio manager: Andy Mills Production coordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Bridget Harney

When people come to the UK seeking asylum they’re supposed to be placed in homes all over the country while their claims are processed – not hotels. Jonathan Darling, professor of human geography at Durham University, tells Adam Fleming where this policy of dispersal came from, how it’s evolved, and why it’s broken down.