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From being told to stand in a dustbin in primary school because he struggled to spell, to earning 16 graduate degrees from some of the world's most prestigious universities, Benjamin Bolger's extraordinary journey is one of academia's most unconventional success stories. In this series finale of Sideways, Matthew Syed follows Benjamin's remarkable path to explore what it really means to pursue knowledge. Does an insatiable curiosity lead to a life well lived? And how can a lifetime of information add up to genuine wisdom? With contributions from Dr Benjamin Bolger; Dr Iain McGilchrist, psychiatrist, philosopher and bestselling author of The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World; and Professor Judith Glück, wisdom researcher and Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. Featuring a personal archive recording of Benjamin’s mother, Loretta. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Daniel Kempson Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Historian and leather and kink activist Vi Johnson likes to be called Mama Vi. At 75, within her community, she’s become a fiercely protective figure, looking after not only the people who make it what it is, but also its culture and history. As a leader of a community that has long existed at the margins, she has witnessed many attempts to erase its history; some obvious, others far more insidious. Driven by ignorance, by hate, or even by the impulse to hide parts of themselves. For our 100th episode of Sideways, Matthew Syed asks how a community survives when the evidence of its existence is threatened? From book burnings to records quietly discarded, the past is shaped not only by what we choose to remember, but by what we allow to disappear. With activist Vi Johnson; Richard Ovenden, Director of the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford and author of Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack. And sexologist Toni Solenne. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Daniel Kempson Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Everything fell apart for 17-year-old Ben West on the night his brother took his own life. In the years since, Ben has become a remarkable mental health campaigner. From fleeting online encounters to acts of unexpected kindness, he credits strangers with helping him navigate grief and driving forward a campaign that has gone on to influence national policy. In this episode, Matthew Syed considers the power in all of us to help people we have never met. If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support are available at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline. With contributions from Ben West, mental health campaigner and founder of reasonstostay.org; Dr Gillian Sandstrom, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex and author of Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How Small Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life; and Professor Adam Joinson, Director of the Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour at the University of Bath. Featuring archive from the 10 Downing Street social media video, ‘PM meets Ben West on World Mental Health Day’, 10 October 2019. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Daniel Kempson Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

It’s a cold morning in Euston Station in London and professional violinist Min Kym is about to get on a train to Manchester to play a concert. With her is her 300 year old, £1.2 million Stradivarius, one of the most valuable and precious types of violin in the world. More than that, this is Min’s Strad - it fits just right for her, it’s her constant companion across the world, it’s a relationship, a love. Until… it disappears. Matthew Syed considers what we value and why. With musician and composer Min Kym; Kathryn Graddy, the Fred and Rita Richman Distinguished Professor in Economics at Brandeis University; Claudia Fritz, researcher at La Sorbonne University, Paris; and Bruce Hood, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Bristol. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Nicholas Alexander Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

At some point in our lives, all of us will face difficult news. That was the case for Canadian academic Kate Bowler. She was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, at just 35. When the news hits, the support she receives is overwhelmingly positive. But as well intentioned as those responses are, Kate becomes trapped in a role she doesn’t want to play. Matthew Syed asks why we reach for positivity so quickly in the face of suffering and where that instinct comes from. With contributions from Kate Bowler; Dr Stephanie Alice Baker, Professor of Sociology at City St George's, University of London and social psychologist Pr Batja Mesquita, from Leuven University. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Nicholas Alexander Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Matthew Syed follows the extraordinary journey of a French scientist who found signs of learning, problem-solving and remembering - in a blob of slime. Not the Ghostbusters kind, but in a slime mould. It's a single celled, brainless organism that has become a bit of a star in France for its unexpected capabilities. In this episode, Matthew considers the intelligence that lies in unexpected places, beyond the confines of a brain. With contributions from Audrey Dussutour (Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, CNRS), Dr. Pamela Lyon (Independent Researcher and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide), and Dr. Michael Levin (Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor of Biology and Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University and faculty member at the Wyss Institute at Harvard.) Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Kempson Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Rob Broderick aka ‘Abandoman’ grew up surrounded by classic comedies like Laurel and Hardy, and with a teacher mother who inspired his fascination with wordplay. When Rob discovers freestyle rap as a teenager, all these influences coalesce to inspire him to step into the world of stand up comedy. Only Rob doesn’t want to hone a rigid ‘tight ten’ of material. In fact, Rob doesn’t want to prepare anything at all - he steps out on stage and improvises everything - no script whatsoever. Matthew Syed uncovers the remarkable neurological processes that take place when we improvise and allow our inner critic to take a back seat. With contributions from hip-hop musical comedian Rob Broderick (Abandoman); Professor Charles Limb, Chief of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco; Professor Keith Sawyer, creativity researcher based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and George Lewis, composer, technologist, musicologist and professor of music at Columbia University. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Nicholas Alexander Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Featuring archive from Abandoman performing on The Al Porter Show, produced by Kite Entertainment for RTÉ2 and broadcast on 24 December 2015; Abandoman performing on The Deirdre O'Kane Show, produced by Kite Entertainment for Sky One and broadcast in November 2022; and Professor Charles Limb’s personal recording of his 2008 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study on jazz improvisation.

David McGurk had a childhood love of action figures. Something that he and Matthew Syed, and probably most of us, share. But David and his brother went a step further - they started making their own makeshift figures from soap and cheap glue. But it wasn’t until family tragedy struck as an adult that the memory of his brother’s creativity returned and inspired David to become a professional miniature figure-maker, with a quirky eye for his subject matter. From miniature busts of emperors, to the mystery of tiny canoes in the British Museum, Matthew Syed uncovers the big messages and emotions that can be distilled in the tiniest of objects. With contributions from artist David McGurk; Jack Davy, anthropologist and a curator at the Natural History Museum in London; and Lambros Malafouris, Professor of Cognitive and Anthropological Archaeology at the University of Oxford. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Production Manager: Joe Savage Sound Design and Engineering: Nicholas Alexander Theme tune by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Featuring archive from: Mattel’s He-Man, Skeletor, and Castle Grayskull 1984 TV advert

From a very young age, Holly Mathieson showed remarkable ability at the piano. With the support of her concert pianist grandmother, she nurtured a rare talent for music, and later explored ballet and choral singing as well. A path toward excellence in classical music opened before her and, for nearly 20 years, she followed it diligently as an internationally renowned conductor. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, she realised it was time to reclaim a life that had been defined by her abilities rather than by her choices. Matthew Syed, himself a national table tennis champion at just age 10, explores our relationship with talent and the pressures - both internal and external - to fulfil it. Through Holly Mathieson’s story, he asks whether we own our talents or whether they own us. He considers why it is that gifted people are seldom allowed to walk away from their abilities without the accusation and condemnation that they are wasting their lives, remaining trapped by the idea that they owe it to the world to fulfil their potential. With Holly Mathieson, psychologist and author Pippa Grange and Elizabeth Anderson, philosopher at the University of Michigan. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Production Coordinator: Joe Savage Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Almost twenty years ago, an armed man stormed a small Amish school in Pennsylvania. It was a horrific attack in which he shot at ten girls. He then turned the gun on himself. The attack claimed the lives of five young girls and severely injured five others, including one who remained profoundly disabled for the rest of her life, and died at the age of just 23. Within hours, the affected Amish community took the most extraordinary steps to extend compassion to the family of the gunman. And it set off a life-altering process for Marie, his wife. Matthew Syed follows Marie’s inconceivable journey navigating the complexities of forgiveness. He delves into Amish theology to understand how forgiving is a frequently misunderstood discipline, embedded in the collective identity of the Amish community, and considers how their approach to forgiveness challenges conventional wisdom. Matthew also hears from one of the foundational figures in forgiveness science on the tangled journey of forgiving oneself. This is something Marie found herself grappling with after going through a process of forgiving her husband for things she would never fully understand. It prompts Matthew to reflect on the quiet and rippling power inherent in the many acts of forgiveness that emerged from a day of unimaginable tragedy. Featuring Marie Monville, speaker and author of the memoir One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting; Steven Nolt, Professor of History and Anabaptist Studies at Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania, and co-author of Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy; and Everett Worthington, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and a leading researcher in the psychology of forgiveness. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Designer: Mark Pittam Production Coordinator: Joe Savage Theme by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Featuring archive from: CBS News Special Report, October 2, 2006 Meyer, Jack, Amish neighbour speaking to Associated Press, “Amish urge forgiveness after school shootings,” Associated Press, October 3, 2006; copyrighted by Associated Press (AP)

A morning routine. A cup of tea brewing. Toast almost ready. It’s Monday, and a young man is getting ready to leave for work, when there’s a knock at the door. Two police officers stand outside with news that will change his life - he’s under arrest. He’s stunned. There must be a mistake. What has he done? “I’m afraid we can’t share that information yet,” one of the officers says. He’s never been in trouble with the law. But now he is - and no one will tell him why. Matthew Syed invites us to confront the absurd - the moments when life stops making sense, when there’s nothing to grasp or explain. He asks whether we have grown used to the absurdity woven into our lives and whether there is a way to push against it. With author Michael Foley, Professor of Anthropology Nina Holm Vohnsen (University of Aarhus) and Mathijs Bal, Psychologist and Professor of Management (University of Lincoln). With special thanks to Tom Wright and Joe Savage. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Production Coordinator: Joe Savage Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

Every week, podcaster Curt Jaimungal immerses himself in big ideas and complex theories to prepare for long, in-depth interviews with some of the world’s leading thinkers on his show Theories of Everything. His guests are wide-ranging - renowned physicists, mathematicians but also philosophers - investigating questions of existence and the nature of reality. He takes it very seriously, as part of a wider quest to find a worldview. But one day, he’s shocked to discover he feels disorientated by what he’d previously considered a mere intellectual exercise. Matthew Syed asks whether certain ideas and practices are riskier, perhaps more dangerous to explore than others. He discovers ideas around selfhood in particular can send people into a spin and traces the history of when practices based on self-observation became popularised in western societies, often outside of their intended context. He assesses the dangers of ‘ontological whiplash’, a term podcaster Curt gives to the experience of constantly going from one set of ideas to another. And he receives sound advice from his old friend Dr Iain McGilchrist - a psychiatrist, philosopher, and bestselling author - on how best to maintain a sense of equilibrium when exploring questions of the self and consciousness. With Curt Jaimungal, creator and podcast host of Theories of Everything; Willoughby Britton, associate professor of psychiatry and human behaviour at Brown University Medical School and director of the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at Brown University School of Public Health; Brahmacharini Shripriya Chaitanya, Hindu monk with Chinmaya Mission; and Dr Iain McGilchrist, psychiatrist, philosopher, and author of the bestselling book The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. Featuring excerpts from Curt Jaimungal’s Theories of Everything YouTube channel: Why Consciousness is Fundamental with Donald Hoffman, July 30, 2020 Noam Chomsky: Panpsychism, LLMs, Artificial Consciousness, October 25, 2022 Rupert Spira: Non-Dualism, God, & Death, June 21, 2021 Matter and Mind: Rethinking Consciousness with Iain McGilchrist, November 26, 2024 Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Series Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Designer: Mark Pittam Production Coordinator: Joe Savage Theme by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4

As a young girl, Djamila Azzouz loved performing - musical theatre, choirs. She loved nothing more than the thrill of entertaining an audience. But in her teenage years, mental health issues made her shy away from a career that would put her in the spotlight. When even singing itself became difficult, she found a surprising alternative: screaming. But as a woman, her raw, unfiltered expression often clashed with social expectations, even on the metal music scene. Matthew Syed explores how, throughout history, women's screams have frequently been tightly controlled, accepted only in specific contexts. And considers whether there are signs of a shift towards greater acceptance and empowerment through screaming, even in horror, where traditionally scream queens have conveyed fear, pleasure, or vulnerability. With Ithaca’s vocalist Djamila Azzouz, vocal coach Melissa Cross, behavioural and data scientist Professor Pragya Agarwal, and Elizabeth Erwin, researcher in film and media at LeHigh University, Pennsylvania. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Theme music by: Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 In this episode, you heard: Ithaca - They Fear Us Written by Sam Chetan-Welsh, Djamila Azzouz, Will Sweet, James Lewis, Dom Moss. AMF Music Limited Ithaca - Impulse Crush Written by Sam Chetan-Welsh, Djamila Azzouz, Will Sweet, James Lewis, Dom Moss. Ithaca - Cremation Party Written by Sam Chetan-Welsh, Djamila Azzouz, Will Sweet, James Lewis, Dom Moss. AMF Music Limited Ithaca - Fluorescent Written by Sam Chetan-Welsh, Djamila Azzouz, Will Sweet, James Lewis, Dom Moss. AMF Music Limited Poppy, Amy Lee, and Courtney LaPlante - End of You Written by Moriah Rose Perreira, Jordan Fish, Amy Lee, Courtney Laplante, Mike Stringer Sumerian Records

It’s 5 pm, and 4-year-old Aqeela, his sister Londie, and three of their siblings scuttle under a tent they’ve made in the boys’ bedroom. It’s time for “The Story”. For weeks, they play out missions and tasks given by an old, wise Kung Fu master. Their mission? Save the world. It’s a story of responsibility, purpose and rewards. Years later, when Aqeela finds himself part of a gang war in South Los Angeles, ‘The Story’ comes back to him at the most unexpected moment, changing the course of his life. Throughout our whole existence, we hear and create stories. Some we forget immediately, others we keep with us forever. Matthew Syed looks at the impact one simple story can have on an individual - and sometimes many more. With former LA gang member and social activist Aqeela Sherrills; Elander (Londie) Sherrills-Hills; Professor of Education, Psychology, and Neuroscience Mary Helen Immordino-Yang from University of Southern California; and Marshall Duke, Professor of Psychology at Emory University, Atlanta. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Featuring archive from: NBC News, Los Angeles - 18 February 1983 - Report by Heidi Shulmann about gang activity in LA NBC News Special LA Riots Report - 30th April 1992 - Tom Brokaw

Simon Burrell always imagined he’d be a dad one day. But as the years pass, it’s something he dismisses. Simon is gay, single and approaching 50. But then, an honest conversation with a friend resurfaces that deep, buried desire to parent a child. And Simon goes to extraordinary lengths to make it a reality. Matthew Syed follows Simon’s unconventional journey to single fatherhood, explores why male ‘baby lust’ - the intense desire to be a parent - is often overlooked and how popular culture helps reinforce stereotypes that assume women yearn for a baby more than men. With Simon Burrell; Dr Robin Hadley, a researcher in male childlessness and evolutionary anthropologist; and author of the book The Life of Dad, Dr Anna Machin. Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Katherine Godfrey Sound Design and Mix: Mark Pittam Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4 Featuring archive from: Finding Surrogacy: Real Life Gay Dads, produced and directed by Andrew Webb, for ITV Meridian Broadcasting, 2000 Father of the Bride Part II, directed by Charles Shyer, written by Nancy Meyers, produced by Touchstone Pictures - a film label of The Walt Disney Company, distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution,1995 Bridget Jones’s Diary, directed by Sharon Maguire, written by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis, co-produced by Working Title Films, Universal Pictures and StudioCanal, distributed by Miramax Films and United International Pictures, 2001 Episode 29 Pancakes from the series Peppa Pig (Season 1), created, written and directed by Mark Baker and Neville Astley, produced by Astley Baker Davies / Hasbro Entertainment, original UK air date: 2 July 2004 (Channel 5)