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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Appetite for Distraction: 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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Appetite for Distraction: 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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Appetite for Distraction: 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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Appetite for Distraction: 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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Appetite for Distraction: 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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63. The Art of Unfinishing
Wed 7 Aug 2024
Matthew Syed explores the hidden value in leaving things unfinished.
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A New Frontier: 4. With the Gods—A New Frontier
Wed 31 Jul 2024
Matthew Syed explores the transcendental possibilities of living in space.
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A New Frontier: 3. Life on Mars—A New Frontier
Wed 24 Jul 2024
How commercial companies in space are expanding the possibilities for colonisation.
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A New Frontier: 2. For All Humankind?—A New Frontier
Wed 17 Jul 2024
Matthew Syed goes back to the origins of the space race to question who benefited.
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A New Frontier: 1. A Message to Ourselves—A New Frontier
Wed 10 Jul 2024
Matthew Syed traces humanity’s first attempt to send a radio message to aliens.
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Introducing – A New Frontier—A New Frontier
Wed 3 Jul 2024
Travel into the cosmos for a four-part series about the ethics of space exploration.
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62. Lost and Found
Wed 27 Mar 2024
A 48-hour fight to survive, lost in a snowstorm. And the data that helps rescuers find us.
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61. Brain Strain
Wed 20 Mar 2024
Matthew Syed explores the uncomfortable psychological phenomenon of cognitive dissonance.
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60. For the love of maths
Wed 13 Mar 2024
Meet the former child star who considers mathematics to be 'a balm' for her brain.
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59. What's Your Name?
Wed 6 Mar 2024
Matthew Syed explores the importance and influence of something we all have - our name.
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58. The Keeper of Lost Memories
Wed 28 Feb 2024
One man’s mission to return lost photographs to their original owners.
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Sideways: Season nine - coming soon...
Thu 15 Feb 2024
A slamming new season... starting with a pro wrestling grudge that got too real.
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56. A Cinderella Story
Wed 6 Dec 2023
How a Cinderella film from 1970s Czechoslovakia became a Christmas tradition across Europe
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55. Perfectly Mediocre
Wed 29 Nov 2023
Matthew Syed asks what happens when we shun excellence and embrace mediocrity.
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54. Copy Cat
Wed 22 Nov 2023
Matthew Syed hears from a painter who rose to fame by copying the works of others.
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53. Stories of a Father
Wed 15 Nov 2023
Matthew Syed explores how a daughter found connection with the father she never met.
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52. First Loves
Wed 8 Nov 2023
Matthew Syed finds out why our first loves can hold a special place in our hearts.
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51. The One Star Chef
Wed 1 Nov 2023
Is the customer always right? Matthew Syed delves into the world of online reviews.
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Sideways: Season eight - coming soon...
Mon 30 Oct 2023
First loves, harsh critics and a celebration of mediocrity. Six new Sideways stories.
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50. Take the First Step
Wed 9 Aug 2023
Matthew makes a case for the impact that even the smallest adventures can have on us all.
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49. Inside Marjorie's Parlour
Wed 2 Aug 2023
Matthew Syed explores how music can become a powerful, transformational force.
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.
