Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Sir Roger Penrose, a mathematical physicist who has changed the way we see the universe. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2020 for his work on black holes.  He tells Krishnan about how he wasn’t top of the class in maths at school, talks about his relationships with Steven Hawking and MC Escher and tells Krishnan why he thinks Artificial Intelligence is a misnomer.

Benjamin Bratton is a sociologist, design theorist and author. He perhaps is most known for his TED talk, 'What's wrong with TED Talks?'   His most recent book, 'The Revenge of the Real: Politics for a Post-Pandemic' world discusses the lessons he says that we can learn from our experiences with Covid-19 politically, culturally and technologically.   Benjamin talks to Krishnan about 'that' Ted talk, why he thinks we need a new language and why he thinks universal collaboration is of utmost importance.   Producer: Rachel Evans

Jools Holland is a world-renowned musician, composer, broadcaster, band leader and host of Later with Jools Holland and the Hootenanny. He tells Krishnan all about how the piano changed his life, sparking a lifelong love affair with music and tells him about how his dancing dog inspired a track on his new album. Producer: Nina Hodgson Credit for Clips: East West Records

Comedian Nish Kumar is best known for his five years at the helm of BBC Two's The Mash Report.  The show was cancelled by the BBC earlier this year and moved to Dave under a new name - Late Night Mash. But in an act of "self-cancellation", Kumar stepped down as its host and is touring with his new show, Control, in 2022.  He speaks to Krishnan about leaving The Mash Report, seeking professional help for his mental health and sexism in comedy.  Producer: Faye White

Steven Pinker, an experimental cognitive scientist and professor of psychology at Harvard. He has been named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world today.  He joins Krishnan to discuss his new book, ‘Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems scarce, Why It Matters’ which is billed as a user's guide to rationality during an epidemic of unreason. Producer: Nina Hodgson

Yuval Noah Harari is one of the world's most famous public intellectuals, historians and writers. He is probably most famous for his book 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind'. His most recent book, 'Sapiens: A Graphic History, Volume 2: The Pillars of Civilization' has just been published and offers a different way of telling the story of humankind for a younger audience. Yuval talks to Krishnan about where racism comes from, what the recipe for a dictatorship is and why we should be very careful about how we used artificial intelligence.  Producer: Rachel Evans

Shon Faye is a writer, comedian and podcaster who had an instant Sunday Times Bestseller with her debut book The Transgender Issue - An Argument for Justice, making her the first trans person to be a bestseller since 1974. Shon’s new book is a detailed overview of the systemic violence and discrimination trans people face in Britain today. From access to healthcare, to poverty and homelessness, Shon outlines what it will take for trans people to achieve true liberation. She talks to Krishnan about how the liberation of Trans people would benefit everyone in society, the problems with the ‘debate’ about Trans people in the media and how transitioning saved her life.

Steve Van Zandt is an American musician, actor and activist. He is best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and for his role in the TV drama series, The Sopranos.    His new book, Unrequited Infatuations, tells the story of his journey from Surburban New Jersey in the early '60s to performing on some of the world's largest stages and using rock and soul to change the world.   Steve talks top Krishnan about how The Beatles had a profound effect on the course of his career and how he has used his music to influence politics and social affairs.

Lady Brenda Hale is a British judge, who was the first female president of the Supreme Court from 2017 to 2020.   Her new book, 'Spider Woman', which refers to the famous spider broach she wore when reading the judgement that ruled Boris Johnson's prorogation of parliament unlawful, tells the story of her accomplished life.    Lady Hale speaks to Krishnan about that famous judicial moment, the challenges she has faced in her career and the need to widen access to justice.    Producer: Rachel Evans

Indra Nooyi is the former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. She was perhaps the first of the Indian Americans to start taking over the big American giants.  Her new book, My Life in Full: Work, Family and Our Future explores her journey to becoming one of the world's most powerful women. She talks to Krishnan about how working from home has revolutionised the relationship between women and work and the importance of business in politics. Producer: Rachel Evans

Jay Rayner is a journalist, food critic and author, best known for his entertaining food and drink criticism and gastronomic publications. His latest book, Chewing the Fat, is a collection of some of his columns, digging deep into the world of food. In this Ways to Change the World he talks to Krishnan about how politics and culture reflect and influence our eating habits - and reveals his lesser-known love and talent for jazz music. Producer: Rachel Evans

KAMILLE is an award-winning songwriter who has written hits for artists including Little Mix, Stormzy and The Saturdays.  She has now become an artist in her own right, with her single Sad Party, and is one of the stars of Channel 4's new docu-series, Highlife.  KAMILLE speaks to Krishnan about leaving her finance career to write top 20s for some of the world's most famous artists and the reality of being a Black woman in the music industry today.  Producers: Rachel Evans and Faye White

Carl Cox is one of the original superstar DJs of the 80s and 90s. He helped bring acid house from the warehouses of Chicago to British raves, the unregulated party scene, then festivals and clubs. And he's still going. His new book 'Oh Yes, oh yes!' chronicles his life from a scaffolder in the south London suburbs to one of the true pioneers of UK club culture. He talks to Krishnan about how his craft has evolved of the decades, his concerns for the British entertainment industry and how he nearly gave up on his career after a terrifying experience. Producer: Rachel Evans  

KSI, otherwise known as 'JJ', became famous on YouTube nearly a decade ago with millions now subscribing to his channel. Since then, he has become well-known as a signer, a rapper and even a boxer. Krishnan speaks to him about his career as a musician, how boxing has helped him and how he deals with racism in the industry.  Producer: Rachel Evans

Andy Burnham has held many senior cabinet positions and stood for the Labour leadership twice, before leaving Westminster and becoming Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017. Now serving his second term as Mayor, his profile grew over the past year as he fought for his position and challenged the government on imposing the highest tier Covid restrictions in the north west of England.  Andy speaks to Krishnan about his experience leaving the north for Cambridge university, why he feels devolution is the way forward for the UK and how he thinks Westminster needs to change.